CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Twenty-five Nueces County sheriff’s deputies spent the day at the gun range, learning how to balance firepower with protection in training that simulates the chaos of a school shooting or active threat.
Deputies drilled with ballistic shields while firing their Smith & Wesson 9mm pistols left-handed and right-handed. Instructors say the goal is simple: prepare for the moment when a deputy’s dominant side might be pinned or injured.
“These shields are not light,” said Sgt. David Alaniz, the sheriff’s patrol range master. “These are rifle-rated shields and we have to train our deputies. It is fatiguing to carry the shield and to be able to shoot them, and that’s why we’re out here training.”…