WASHINGTON — The Fairfax County聽police department is outfitting its force with a newer type of聽holster that could mean the difference between life or death.
Right now about 150 of the 1,350 sworn officers in the department have the new 聽weapon retention holsters.聽 They work聽to keep others from grabbing an officer’s聽gun聽during a struggle. 聽The department started transitioning to the newer holster in December 2014.
This weekend, says Officer Roger Henriquez with Fairfax County聽police, a call came in for a man聽trespassing. Two officers, from the聽Mt. Vernon police district were聽arresting 39 year-old Shelbin Northern for trespassing at a聽restaurant on Route One where he had been banned.
Henriquez says, “He (Northern) physically started to fight the officers.”聽聽And then struggled for the gun.
Luckily that聽officer had the new聽holster with a聽secondary locking device and聽the training that’s required.聽The officer was able to retain control of the gun.聽聽But it’s a situation that Officer Henriquez says could have ended very badly.
