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Brian McKenna

Brian McKenna

Brian McKenna, Law Officer's Officer Down columnist, is a retired lieutenant from the Hazelwood (Mo.) Police Department, where he served in patrol, traffic, mobile reserve and training. He is a 32-year police veteran, with a strong background in police training at both the recruit and in-service levels, and served his department as lead firearms instructor as well as in various other training functions. He's a state certified police instructor, and holds a master’s degree in human resource development. Brian is a member of ILEETA and IALEFI, writes extensively on officer safety topics, and trains police officers nationwide in mental preparation for armed encounters and other topic related to officer safety. He recently completed a book based upon this column, Officer Down: Lessons from the Streets, which is now available for purchase on his Web site.

content by Brian McKenna

Officer Down: The Legacy of Lakewood

What happened in Lakewood still resounds through our profession.

Officer Down: To the Sound of Guns

Officer Peter Koe’s discipline and relentless pursuit, put a stop to a well-armed rampage.

Officer Down: The Mark Black Incident

Veteran cops sometimes get complacent. Lucky for Deputy Black, he shot back into action and saved his own life.

Officer Down: Proper Focus

Deputy Rankin wasn’t especially concerned about his safety before the attack, but it wasn’t because he missed the danger signs. It was because he misinterpreted them.

Officer Down: The Marcus Young Incident

The first thing Sergeant Marcus Young noticed about the man coming toward him was the intensity of his features, but then he saw the man's hands shoved into his jacket pockets. Young, 40 years old and an 18-year veteran of the police department, quickly sat his prisoner down into the back seat of his patrol car and closed the door as he turned to give the fast-approaching man a closer look. Believing the man to be high on drugs, he planned to arrest him. But instead, he was just moments away from the fight of his life, with the lives of several others hanging in the balance.

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