Inspiration Comes Out of The Trenches
In the morning hours of March 2011, a call reporting a suicidal man suddenly went wrong. Shots rang out and the worst reality for a police officer, “officer down.” As officers scrambled for their lives and for the lives of their friends, reinforcements from all over the City of Portland responded to aid their brothers and sisters who had come under fire from a sniper with a hunting rifle.
Sergeant Teig, the inventor of the SlapShot projectile drove at speeds exceeding 100 MPH while Sergeant Troy King, the hostage negotiator, sat in the passenger seat talking to the sniper. Upon arrival Sergeant Teig took over initial incident command as special operations resources responded, and a formal incident command was established. As Sergeant Teig established perimeters, identified assets, and evacuated citizens, his observations evolved into a single thought that led to the invention of the patented SlapShot concept.
After 30 years of experience in tactical incidents and defending the community Sergeant Teig learned the reality of armed combat in urban environments. He has said that the gunfight is an intense learning experience. The experience of rapidly unfolding armed conflict with another person is imprecise, unpredictable, and humbling. The peace officer does not have the luxury of only thinking of his or her own life. The peace officer must be the controlled, trained, expert who must not make an error that will cost the life of an innocent person.
Stray bullets pass through structures and travel long distances and those can have unintended and devastating consequences. Sergeant Teig has had to endure continued gunfire while pursuing gunmen. He has had to calculate the best time and place to return fire in a neighborhood where community members looked on as the gunfire drew their attention. These events and experiences have been significant lessons that inform the founder’s goal of producing ammunition that is effective for defense and cutting edge in the industry.
Read the story of the incident that inspired SlapShot ammunition:
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/03/man_accused_of_shooting_police.html
