You can read the Denver Post story HERE.

In Summary, the police told the 73 year old veteran with hearing problems, Gary Black, to drop his weapon at least 5 times during the span of 13 seconds, before an officer fired the four fatal shots.  Black was holding a gun and flashlight.  The encounter with the police occurred after Black killed an intruder who was assaulting his grandson.  During the encounter, the police failed to identify themselves.

There is no doubt that this is a terrible tragedy.  Obviously, the police should have identified themselves, which will end up being the subject of a civil suit and departmental training.

What lessons can CCW licensees / permit holders learn from this?

The issue of hearing problems is not something that is exclusive to Black in this type of situation.  While he may have had a preexisting condition, anyone who experiences a firearm blast in an enclosed space, will be affected, unless a suppressor is used.  Which begs the question, should you use a suppressor for a home defense situation?  It is definitely something to consider.  You can receive consultation and purchase a suppressor through Wisconsin Precision Arms.

An important thing to remember is that in stressful situations, people experience an adrenaline dump as part of the FIGHT-FLIGHT-FREEZE response.  Many times people experience a phenomenon called auditory exclusion, where the body under stress blocks out the unnecessary noises around them, almost like noise cancelling headphones.  People can be yelling things at someone and if the individual is experiencing auditory exclusion, s/he may not hear them.

Below is a survey of 141 officers involved in shootings and some of the perceptual distortions they have experienced:

If you are not incorporating strategies in your training to minimize the effects of stress (like autogenic breathing), you are setting yourself up for failure.

Finally, remember as soon as practically possible, when there is no longer a threat, to holster your weapon.  You do not want to be mistaken for the bad guy, like what happened in this case.

You can read other suggestions in our earlier post on this incident here.