[Archie]

The "21 foot" rule has spawned some really stupid conclusions.

The "21 foot" rule, or Tueller concept says a person with a holstered handgun cannot react fast enough to avoid being injured by an attacker armed with a knife within 21 feet.

This has been taken to mean - by some - that within a 21 foot radius, a person armed with a knife will always defeat a person armed with a handgun. This is NOT true.

What it means is, whoever starts the fight within 21 feet is nearly always going to get in the first lick. A person armed with a knife, baseball bat, cattle prod or handgun who STARTS the action will [usually] score the first blow.

This also assumes the attacker doesn't try to intimidate or impress the perceived victim by demonstrating his weapon. If a person is brandishing a knife or impact weapon and is closing on me, I will be, at the very least, getting a proper grip on my sidearm, opening any retention devices and planning my next move (shoot, move, push dependents out of line of action, signalling for assistance, etc).

Wild Bill, I understand your reaction to the dispatch call. I remember going through a couple of academies and being trained in a multitude of possible scenarios in a multitude of disciplines. The first event on duty was NEVER covered in the manual. Not even close.