May 2003 Issue

While many see the suicide as an admission of guilt, experts say it's more likely caused by an officer's fear of losing his or her badge, his or her identity as a cop.

Unlike many police trade shows, the Law Enforcement Tactical Response Show & Conference (TREXPO) gives officers an opportunity to go hands on with weapons at the range day and with defensive tactics in the seminar program.

A few months ago, newspapers around the country covered the arrest of Gerald Mason for a murder that happened when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House. Mason was rousted out of a comfortable life in South Carolina and charged with killing two police officers in the Los Angeles suburb of El Segundo, Calif. In 1957.

Judith Gentry’s husband Tom killed himself six years ago in their bedroom. A trained ICU nurse, Gentry’s no stranger to the stress and trauma of emergencies, but when she heard a gunshot and found her husband dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, she called a girlfriend instead of dialing 911.

Why do cops almost always choose guns as the way to take their lives? Cops are familiar with guns.

Like many other aspects of American society, much of police uniform tradition in the United States comes from across the pond.

The motto of the Law Enforcement Tactical Response Show & Conference (TREXPO) is, "Well armed, well prepared, and well informed."

Killing yourself is an act of emotional violence against your friends and family.

"Listen, man! Give yourself up! It's no good! There're a thousand cops out here!" he yelled toward the building in exasperation.

Patting down a suspect is serious business and you can never be reminded enough of the hazards of doing it poorly.

SWAT teams have been part of the capabilities of police agencies since 1967 when the Los Angeles Police Department organized its special weapons and tactics unit to respond to critical incidents.

This clip-it exhibits the qualities that have made Beretta sidearms standard for police personnel.