This reporter and photojournalist found themselves a very short distance from a police involved shooting. The live-shot location was a short distance and within lethal range of the bullets being fired. Journalists need safety training!
https://twitter.com/jeffmcadamtv/status/1366602362442276864?s=21
Effective range for a purposefully fired handgun round to actually hit the intended target is somewhere around 100 yards. Bullets can travel past 1000 yards and should be considered lethal in that range.
Quick action is key to success!
- Recognize something is going on! Did you see the police or hear a commotion before the shots rang out? Did your situational awareness pick up on this before it escalated into shots being fired?
- Take quick action by immediately seeking protective cover. Could you hide behind a vehicle or something else in your immediate area?
- Keep rolling and consider leaving the gear and running to a safe location of hard cover if the situation escalates.
- If the suspect would have ran in your direction you may be caught in crossfire.
- If you or your colleague would have been hit, would would you do? Do you have medical supplies in your vehicle? Could you stop uncontrolled bleeding if you had to?
- No story is worth your life.
- Consider taking a Stop The Bleed course and learn how to use a tourniquet, pressure dressing and pack a wound.