Help me understand this. Why would experience firing a gun make any difference in where to shoot someone other than the fact that their torso is a larger target? Shouldn't the police be expert marksmen, much more so than your average gun owner? I was under the impression they practice their skill at police firing ranges on a regular basis. If this is not the case, it should be.
It's great that SF1900 is hitting the firing range pretty regularly since getting his gun. The last thing we need is a bunch of amateurs with guns who can't shoot it properly or with any degree of accuracy. Who knows who they might accidentally shoot if called upon to use their weapon in self-defense.
Because it is not easy to fire a handgun. Even professional hand gunners, and because I use to shoot competitively I've seen some expert marksman, can't shoot accurately at a moving target the size of a tennis ball seven yards out. Remember, a cop shoots because his life is in danger. You want to stack the odds as much in your favor. If you decide you have to shoot someone to stop him it's probably your only chance to do so. You want to make it count.
Imagine running after someone and he turns around and points a weapon at you, forget for a moment whether or not you think it is lethal, it's easy to judge when it's not your life in danger. You are running, in motion, no chance to set, take a proper two-handed grip, a Weaver stance, and align your sights at night. It ain't going to happen. You are running, chasing a moving target, shooting with one hand which is even harder to do.
No, police officers are not expert Marksmen, nor are they expert fighters, or at a high level of physical condition and athleticism. To be an expert at anything you have to devote your life to that activity with countless hours and years of practice and training to be a Class A shooter or a martial art Blackbelt. They're cops who primarily write tickets, answer calls, and don't regularly get into physical confrontations. They're just cops, man. Regular Joes with lives and families and not super soldiers or special forces