I was a full time firearms instructor for my agency and I was on staff at Front Sight Nevada. Although what we were teaching back then was the best we knew, 99% of what I teach now I have learned since leaving those assignments. I have trained hundreds of cops in my one day LE courses, with many officers returning multiple times. I am a Tier One Instructor for Suarez International, and present their courses in California and elsewhere. All SI courses are available to civilians as well as LE and military personnel, and represent the best curriculum and cutting edge content offered in the industry. I credit Gabe Suarez and my fellow SI instructors and students with helping to shape my fighting philosophy and training principles.

The last 20 years of my career were spent as a patrol sergeant; the last two on full-time Mounted Enforcement Detail. I understand the challenges of street level police work. The information and techniques I teach are distilled from the lessons learned over these years; not from just my experience, but the experience of the many cops I know and have worked with and trained. I give you the best of what I know in these courses. Many of these things I wish I knew before learning them the hard way.

I live on 8.5 acres in rural LA County, where I have a shooting range in my front yard (not where courses are held). I ride horses, and hike in the hills around me. I enjoy learning, teaching, writing, building and creating and spending time with my wife, children and grand babies. Some of the students in my courses have become good friends. I look forward to training with you.

• LASD Reserve Academy Class 55, 1983
• LASD Regular Academy Class 220 (Honor Cadet)
• Custody Division, Mens Central Jail, Pitchess Detention Center, MLDF, 1984-1987
• Patrol, Lynwood Station, 1987-1990
• Field Training Officer, Lynwood Station
• Patrol, Antelope Valley Station, 1990-1991
• Senior Training Deputy, North County Correctional Facility, 1991-1993.  Responsible for the development and training of Emergency Operations Procedures, including Cell Extractions, Riot Control, Less Lethal Weapons and Chemical Agents.
• SANE Bureau, Instructor, 1993-1994
• Weapons Training Unit, Firearms Instructor (full time) 1994-1997.  Responsible for the training of academy recruits and inservice personnel in handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle and chemical agents
• Sergeant, Palmdale Station Patrol, 1997-2015
  • Search and Rescue Coordinator, 9 years
  • Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, 9 years
  • Mounted Enforcement Detail (MED) collateral duty, 2000-2015
  • Sheriff's Response Team (SRT) 2000-present
  • Founding Sergeant of Reserve Company 26
  • Founding Sergeant of Explorer Post 699
  • Founding Sergeant of the Antelope Valley Volunteer Mounted Unit
• Mounted Enforcement Detail, (full time) 2015-2017
• Formerly on staff at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, Nevada
• Suarez International Tier One Staff Instructor, 2010-present
• Presenter, 2012 IALEFI Conference, Nashville, TN, "Dynamic Movement"
• Presenter, 2012 ILEETA Conference, Chicago, IL,  "Dynamic Movement"
• Author, Habits For Survival
• Published in The Firearms Instructor, IALEFI Professional Journal
• Published in Warrior Talk News, Suarez International on line blog
• Initiated the development and implementation of Mounted Proficiency Standards for LASD mounted personnel.
• Authored the LASD Mounted Proficiency Standards Evaluator Manual
• Developed the POST approved, LASD 40 Hour Mounted Proficiency Course and was the lead facilitator for four years.
• Developed and gained approval to teach Force on Force for Patrol Personnel.  Received a $2500 grant to buy Airsoft guns and gear for the Force on Force training of our 175 sworn personnel.
• Owner/CEO of Gunfighting Inc., California based firearms and tactics training company, specializing in training law enforcement and military personnel

• Bachelor of Science degree, California State University, Long Beach
• Graduate, California POST Master Instructor Development Program (MIDP) Class 7
• Graduate, Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI) Class 117
• POST Academy Instructor Certification per Regulation 1009(c)(4)
• Emergency Medical Technician 1B, 1982-2007 (not current)
• FBI Firearms Instructor School, 40 hours, 1992 and 1994
• FBI Chemical Agents Instructor School, 40 hours
• FBI SWAT School, 40 hours
• FBI Sniper School, 40 hours
• Los Angeles Police Department Handgun Instructor School (HITS), 40 hours
• LASD/SEB Rifle Marksmanship School, 40 hours
• HK Rifle Marksmanship School, 40 hours
• HK MP5 Instructor School, 80 hours
• SigArms Academy Shotgun Instructor School, 40 hours
• IALEFI Master Instructor Program, 24 hours
• NRA Pistol Instructor School, certification NRA#41815414
• Smith and Wesson Academy M&P Armorers Certificate
• Tom Sotis AMOK! 2 Day Knife Fighting course, Austin TX
• Student of Jeet Kune Do, 1984-present
• Front Sight Firearms Training Institute courses:
  • Instructor Development Program, 40 hours
  • 2 & 4 Day Defensive Handgun (Distinguished Graduate)
  • 2 & 4 Day Defensive Rifle (Distinguished Graduate)
  • Handgun Combat Master Prep course
  • Precision Rifle 1
• Suarez International course with Gabe Suarez:
  • Handgun Instructor School, Katy, TX
  • Advanced Close Range Gunfighting, Prescott, AZ
  • 0-5 Feet Gunfighting, Prescott, AZ
  • Guerrilla Sniper 1 & 2, Kingman, AZ
  • Point Shooting Progressions, Roger Phillips
  • Red Dot Pistol course, Prescott, AZ
  • High Risk Operator 1 & 2, Prescott, AZ
• LASD Defensive Tactics Instructor School, 80 hours
• LASD Instructor Development School, 80 hours
• LASD Teacher Training course, 64 hours
• LASD Crowd and Riot Control Instructor School, 24 hours
• LASD Field Training Officer School, 40 hours
• LASD Sergeant Supervisory School, 80 hours
• LASD Mounted Tactics Instructor School, 40 hours
• LASD Mounted Proficiency course, 40 hours (7x)
• LASD Mobile Platoon Tactics course, 24 hours
• LASD/SEB Diversionary Devices course
• LASD Remington 870 users course
• LASD HK P7 Uswers course
• LASD Sig Sauer Pistol user course
• LASD Smith and Wesson MP Pistol Conversion course
• LASD Beretta 92 conversion course
• LASD Ar-15 Patrol Rifle Certification course, 16 hours
• LASD Deputy Leadership Institute (DLI) Facilitator course, 40 hours (3x)
• LASD Tactics and Survival Force on Force training
• LASD Enhanced Active Shooter Strategies training
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Mounted Officer Seminar, 80 hours, Canada
• California Mounted Officers Association (CMOA) Ceremonial Functions of the Police Mounted Unit course, 16 hours
• CMOA Mounted Instructor School, 40 hours
• ASP Expandable Baton Instructor course
• Defensive Technologies OC Instructor course
• Red Cross/LASD First-Aid/CPR Instructor School
• FEMA Incident Command courses (ICS 200, 300, 400)
• FEMA WMD Technical Response course )Cobra) 40 hours, Fort McClellan, Aniston, AL
• FEMA Enhanced Exercise Design course, (G120)
• California Office of Emergency Services Search Management course, 40 hours
• California Office of Emergency Services Winter Search Operations course, 40 hours
• US Border Patrol Mantracking course, 24 hours
• CSTI Counter Terrorism Course

• National Rifle Association, Life Member
• International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI)
• International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA)
• National Tactical Officers Association
• California Association of Tactical Officers
• American Sniper Association
• Toastmasters International

• Gold Medal of Meritorious Conduct for Heroism
• Meritorious Service Award (twice)
• Sheriff's Leadership Award (twice)
• Division Chief Commendation (twice)
• Unit Commanders Pin (three times)
• Distinguished Expert 300 pin
• Sheriff's Distinguished Service Award
• Winner of Toastmasters International, Club, Area and Division Speech Contests, 2013