Officers with the Houston Police Department participated in firearms training last Friday at the Big Piney Sportsman’s Club. HPD Chief Jim McNiell said officers with the agency train at least twice a year at the Big Piney facility, led by department firearms training supervisor Cpl. David Kidwell. The gun training follows guidelines and requirements within the Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training program (POST).
McNiell said the Big Piney club offers a chance for officers to shoot in realistic situations.
“A lot of departments shoot at paper targets that might turn a bit and face you, which is OK,” he said, “But here, we shoot around and over vehicles, through doorways and windows, and we might at times be on our stomach or back. When you get in a shooting situation, you never know what you might be facing, so it’s best to practice in lots of situations. All of our officers shoot very well, and Dave is very good at telling you how to do things properly.
“And we really can’t thank the Sportsman’s Club enough for letting us take advantage of everything they’ve done to make their range so great.”