sponsoring a very dangerous training for police officers from around the
state of Minnesota. *Bulletproof* training teaches police that they are
under siege and that the community is the enemy. The purpose of this
fear-based training is to teach police officers to kill first and ask
questions later.
The architect of this training is David Grossman, a retired army lieutenant
colonel and a specialist in âkillologyââa field he created. "We are at
war," Grossman likes to tell the law enforcement officers he trains. "And
our cops are the frontline troops in that war. You are the Delta Force. You
are the Green Berets. It's your job to put a piece of steel in your fist
and kill those sons of bitches when they come to kill our kids." He adds,
"Cops fight violence. What do they fight it with? Superior violence.
Righteous violence."
At a time when a growing number of police officials and community members
believe cops should be less eager to use force, Grossman is teaching the
opposite. Which prompts a few questions: Is an expert in "killology" the
best person to be training police right now? And if our cops are really at
war, as Grossman portrays, then who, exactly, are they at war with?
Three major police policy organizationsâPolice Executive Research Forum
(PERF), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and
International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and
Training (IADLEST)âhave repudiated *Bulletproof* and similar courses.
Michael Becar, Executive Director of IADLEST said of this training,
âEverything they were doing made the police officers very paranoid. At some
point, they wouldnât even stop a car without three backups.â
Graduates of *Bulletproof* include Jeronimo Yanez, the former St. Anthony
officer who killed Philando Castile. In his four years on the force, Yanez
received over 56 hours of fear-based training, but only 2 hours of
de-escalation training. One might wonder how the Castile traffic stop would
have played out if Officer Yanez hadnât heard Dave Grossman tell him that
âevery single traffic stop could be, might be, the last stop you ever make
in your life.â
The consistent narrative in police misconduct and unarmed civilian deaths
is "our officers need more training." Now is time for a closer look at the
training police are receiving, and who is conducting that training. *NOW IS
THE TIME TO END FEAR-BASED TRAINING LIKE **BULLETPROOF*.
*What can be done?*
1. The POST Board, the agency that licenses police officers in Minnesota,
needs to stop granting *Bulletproof *and other fear-based courses
continuing education credits that officers use to renew their licenses.
Call the POST Board at 651-643-3060 and tell them *NO CEUs for *
*Bulletproof** training.*
2. Demand that your local police department and sheriffâs office not
participate in *Bulletproof* and other fear-based training.
3. Demand that the Mall of America stop sponsoring this dangerous training:
Call 952-883-8800 or send a text to 952-479-4839.