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