MPOETC Firearms & Defensive Tactics 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: After a shooting incident, MPOETC guidelines recommend that officers should NOT clean their hands of gunshot residue (GSR) before:
- Returning to patrol
- Speaking with a supervisor
- Being swabbed by investigators (Correct answer)
- Completing their use-of-force report
Correct answer: Being swabbed by investigators
GSR can be collected as evidence; officers should preserve their hands until investigators have the opportunity to swab them for forensic analysis.
Question 2: Which malfunction requires locking the slide back, removing the magazine, cycling the slide multiple times, and inserting a fresh magazine—known as a 'rip-rack-roll' or Type 3 clearance?
- Failure to fire
- Stovepipe (failure to eject)
- Double feed (Correct answer)
- Out-of-battery
Correct answer: Double feed
A double feed jams two rounds at the chamber and cannot be cleared by tapping; the magazine must be stripped out and the rounds dislodged by repeated slide cycling.
Question 3: In defensive tactics, the 'OODA loop' model (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) is important because it:
- Provides legal justification for use of force
- Explains how quickly suspects can attack before an officer responds
- Describes how individuals process information and take action, and how disrupting it creates a tactical advantage (Correct answer)
- Outlines the steps for searching a suspect
Correct answer: Describes how individuals process information and take action, and how disrupting it creates a tactical advantage
Understanding the OODA loop helps officers take actions that disrupt a threat's decision cycle, gaining a tactical edge by acting before the suspect can react.
Question 4: What is the minimum frequency for firearm qualification required to maintain MPOETC Act 120 certification?
- Annually
- Every six months (semi-annually) (Correct answer)
- Quarterly
- Once every two years
Correct answer: Every six months (semi-annually)
MPOETC requires Act 120-certified officers to qualify with their duty firearm at least semi-annually (twice per year) to maintain certification.
Question 5: Which ready position keeps the handgun drawn and pointed at the ground in front of the officer's feet, suitable when a threat is not yet confirmed?
- High ready
- Sul position
- Low ready (Correct answer)
- Search position
Correct answer: Low ready
The low ready position keeps the firearm drawn with the muzzle depressed toward the ground, allowing the officer to quickly raise and engage while avoiding muzzling bystanders.
Question 6: When applying a wrist lock (come-along) to control a resistant subject, where should the officer's primary leverage be directed?
- Against the elbow joint
- Against the natural direction of wrist flexion/extension (Correct answer)
- Against the shoulder joint
- Against the thumb
Correct answer: Against the natural direction of wrist flexion/extension
Wrist locks exploit the wrist's limited range of motion by applying pressure contrary to its natural flexion or extension, creating pain compliance with minimal injury risk.
Question 7: Pennsylvania's Deadly Force statute (18 Pa.C.S. § 508) permits a law enforcement officer to use deadly force to prevent escape only when:
- Any felony arrest is occurring
- The officer believes the suspect will continue to flee
- The officer believes the suspect poses a threat of death or serious bodily injury to others if not apprehended (Correct answer)
- A warrant has been issued for the suspect's arrest
Correct answer: The officer believes the suspect poses a threat of death or serious bodily injury to others if not apprehended
Under § 508 and the Tennessee v. Garner standard, deadly force to prevent escape is only lawful when the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious injury.
MPOETC Firearms & Defensive Tactics 5
After a shooting incident, MPOETC guidelines recommend that officers should NOT clean their hands of gunshot residue (GSR) before: