Actor Steven Seagal Trains Arizona Posse On School Security

[Purveyor]

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Arizona (Reuters) - Action film star Steven Seagal, who racks up big body counts in his on-screen battles with bad guys, took on a new role on Saturday, training posse volunteers for controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio in how to use guns to protect schools in shooting incidents.

Arpaio, who styles himself as "America's Toughest Sheriff," enlisted Seagal to train his Maricopa County posse members at a school in Fountain Hills, a suburb northeast of Phoenix, with children used as stand-ins for scared students.

Seagal, a burly martial arts expert turned actor, guided 48 volunteers through various aspects of responding to a shooting, including room-to-room searches, and critiqued their work.

"I am here to try to teach the posse firearms and martial arts to try to help them learn how to respond quicker and help protect our children," Seagal said.

MORE...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-usa-arizona-seagalbre91901j-20130209,0,6951242.story

[Deep13]

1. Seven-Eleven clerk trains hospital staff in micro-surgical techniques. nt

[pipoman]

2. Don't care much for him

and despise Arpaio..that said, the guy didn't film debut until he was in his thirties. He went through a police academy or some such before that and has worked as a cop for several years.. IIRC..

[cali]

15. He never worked as a cop but even if he had

what experience does he have in training?

[pipoman]

19. By definition

a "master" of the various martial arts makes one a teacher of that art. Police trainers aren't anything mare than people previously trained..I've gone through some similar training and there are distinct ways to clear a house...they are nothing like what is seen on TV and made to keep officers as safe as one can be while entering and clearing. I'm not sure why this is so unbelievable, aside from the obvious assisting one of the most repulsive bigot pigs around..Further, IIRC, one of his primary responsibilities in NOLA sheriff's department, where he's been for years, is training..and martial arts training of police officers saves lives..less than lethal control of suspects..

[hollysmom]

23. school security is more than martial arts it is crisis management as well.

He could be wonderful at martial arts and want to help with all his heart, but is he trained on hostage situations or on keeping the guns out of the school in the first place?
I have no problem with him teaching self defense, but not so much school security.

[pipoman]

31. It's one aspect of security..

and a very important one. I didn't think it indicated anything more than a training session. It is spaced repetition of specific exercises which makes one as prepared as they can be when their training must kick in. Just as a sales trainer visits a real estate office..the hope is that everyone takes something away that they can add to their arsenal making them better than they were..Someone has to teach school security, who would you suggest? How are they more qualified?

[hollysmom]

34. I think it is not as important as is strategy

I think someone who studied the history of combat and negotiation would be better suited and take priority. The odds are if a gun is involved physical challenge would not take place often.
Hey it's just opinions. Life will go on if we disagree. To me this was fame whoring for Arapio or what ever his name is rather than the most logical way to prepare a school. It was looking for a die hard movie solution rather than a practical way to defuse situations.

[pipoman]

36. Go through a police acadamy..

it will change not only your mind on this, but also your outlook on many other aspects of life..

What I'm saying is that it is precisely the most logical way to prepare a school. You pick the best trainers in the many, many aspects of security. None are more important than another. Oh, and are you sure a negotiator is what is needed? I can't think of a single school shooter who was taking hostages. I can't think of one who took their finger off the trigger long enough to talk about anything. No, it is about diversion and disarming. The time for "defusing" is over, tactical advantage is necessitated.

[hollysmom]

38. I am not sure what exactly you are saying about police training.

You agree that a lot of different training is needed, but Arpapio or what ever is not publicizing any other skill set training, so isn't that lopsided if that is all he is doing? If he is only doing martial arts, that is not enough.

Didn't the Amish girl killer take hostages in that school? When kids do the shooting there is no hostages, but when adults do it, I think there can be. then there was the man who blew up a school with kids in it, but that is different from all others - security would have to secure the building so no one could plant a bomb in it. The point being that no one shooting is exactly like the others, there are all kinds of differences - to stop the movie killer, they would have needed someone with a gas mask and night vision goggles and protective gear - there is nothing they could have done to stop him except killing him until he reloaded. More strategy and planning is needed. There are people who secure public buildings and train the staff to keep it secure. O'Neill did such a good job with stopping attacks from inside the WTC, they had to hit it with planes. There are people who do strategy, cutting them off, isolating people , evacuating, etc. All those things are better planned out before hand.

All I am saying is teaching martial arts is not the be all end all answer. It will help in a few cases, but I think it is the least important in most cases.

[Light House]

24. I beg to differ with you,

he was a Deputy Sheriff in the Jefferson Parish in Louisiana for about 20 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Seagal#Law_enforcement_work

Law enforcement work

Seagal is currently a Reserve Deputy Chief of the Sheriff's Office in the community of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Seagal has a second home in Louisiana, and spends several months a year there.[18] He graduated from a police academy in California over twenty years ago[citation needed] and has a certificate from Peace Officer Standards & Training[citation needed] (POST), an organization that accredits California police officers. In November 2008, A&E announced that they had begun taping Steven Seagal: Lawman, which follows his work in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. The series premiered on A&E on December 2, 2009. Seagal stated that "I’ve decided to work with A&E on this series now because I believe it’s important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana—to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this post-Katrina environment." The series premiere drew 3.6 million viewers, ranking as best season opener for any original A&E series ever.[19]

On April 14, 2010, the series was suspended by Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Sheriff Newell Normand due to the sexual trafficking lawsuit filed against Seagal, a case later dropped.[20] A&E resumed the show for the second season which began on October 6, 2010

His acting was really bad and his politics are distasteful, but he most certainly is a cop.

[lpbk2713]

3. Don't expect the bad guys to take a dive like stunt men.

This is so damn lame it's unbelievable.

[pinboy3niner]

12. SNL: "Seagal will show the volunteers how to fend off attackers with simple editing tricks"

[loli phabay]

33. lol. but i believe he is a trainer in active shooter for the parish he works in

So other than the free press and the chance to meet a ahem star the people on the course are being trained by a leo trainer and aikido master. Innannactive shooter scenario time is of the essence with barely minutes from start to finish so if you have someone who cannengage the shooter it gives more time for leo to arrive and takes the focus from target to you. I think its just because it him that this is innthe news as many districts are working on beefing up their active shooter responses.

[hollysmom]

4. movie experience comes in here - Dumb and Dumber

Not to discount actors, many have saved people's lives in accidents or crisis, but never have I read of Seagal doing that.

[Ghost in the Machine]

7. Steven Seagal was an accomplished martial artist long before he became an actor..

A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan. He became the first foreigner to operate an Aikido dojo in Japan

He also graduated from a California Police Academy over 20 years ago, and has a certificate from Peace Officer Standards & Training(POST), an organization that accredits California police officers.

He is currently a Reserve Deputy Chief of the Sheriff's Office in the community of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

In addition to his professional achievements, he is also known as an environmentalist, an animal rights activist and a supporter of the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, and the Tibetan independence movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Seagal

Peace,

Ghost

[Historic NY]

9. He likes to cite California...

but he has never produced a legal training certificate nor has any evidence of training been had...even wiki is still looking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Seagal:_Lawman

[Ghost in the Machine]

13. While that may, or may not, be the case, it doesn't negate the rest of what I pointed out

in reply to the poster who said:

movie experience comes in here - Dumb and Dumber

Not to discount actors, many have saved people's lives in accidents or crisis, but never have I read of Seagal doing that.

Just because YOU (not *you*, literally, but the poster I replied to) haven't read about something, doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

I myself have personally saved a few people from drowning, pulled two people out of a burning vehicle after an accident, while others who stopped were just standing there with their thumbs in their asses wondering what to do, and carried an elderly gentleman out of a burning house where he would have surely died. The this is, though, that you'll NEVER read about them, because I wasn't a glory hound and didn't stick around waiting for the ambulances, or news crews, to show up. Others who were present at the near drownings and the accident tried to call me a "hero", but I just said "No, I'm no hero, just a human being doing what I hope someone would do if it was me in the same situation". I never gave my name, and as stated above, always just left the scene. My "reward" was the feeling it gave me inside, knowing I did the right thing, and someone else was alive because of it. I had no need for attention-seeking.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from in all this, and sorry for rambling on. It's a little after 3:30AM here and I should be hitting the sack..

Peace,

Ghost

[hollysmom]

20. and just because I haven't read something does not mean it has happened.

If you have an example please post it. I am willing to learn. I think a fully trained crisis officer would be a better trainer than an actor, even f they have martial arts - there is a lot more involved here than fighting.

Now Elvis Presley wanted an appointment by the federal government to fight drugs, and he certainly knew drugs, but that does not mean he was qualified to be a drug czar.

Congratulations to you for saving people, some people are frozen in a crisis, some are afraid, and then there is the person who actually does something i.e. you. And you know there is a lot of judgement and intelligence you have to act in such a crisis - it is not just save them, but how you save them, a drowning person can drag you dow if not saved right, but the judgments are so quick in your mind it is hard to realize you are making decisions. - I do think that sometimes it is worth staying around, not so much for the glory as to give a full recount of what you saw to the emergency personal, but I was not there and only you can judge if that was necessary

What I was saying about actors saving people was not so much to denigrate one person as to say that you are not unqualified because you are an actor, but actors are people too with many skills, and might be qualified, but I have no example of Seagal being one of them, If you do, please let me know.

I used Dumb and Dumber because the Arizona sheriff is not an impressive guy, seems more like a glory hound than a qualified trained person himself and instead of using a trained crisis person, went for the glory of using an actor to attach his name and be newsworthy.

[loli phabay]

35. i believe he is an active shooter trainer for the sheriffs office he works for. though using him gi

Gives more media attention.

[pinboy3niner]

11. He supports the Dalai Lama, Tibetans resisting repression...and Joe Arpaio?

[hollysmom]

21. we are all complex beings, you can like one part of someone and not another part

heh, most of my relationships are complex like that.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. What could possibly go wrong?

[Starry Messenger]

26. I feel better already!

[longship]

6. Richard Chamberlain snags job at Harvard Medical School.

TV's Dr. Kildare (1961-1966) is now a full professor of internal medicine at Harvard.

When asked about his new appointment, Chamberlain said, "I played a doctor on TV for years and now I am ready to teach these young students how to play doctors in real life."

Unavailable for comment were Marcus Welby and Ben Casey.
:satire:

[upi402]

25. ChaRight!?! Next an actor with a monkey co-star will become President.

Or a steroid laden muscle-mut will be appointed to President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, by the monkey co-star President.
Yeah right.

Oh wait!

what if this...

Then the drug taking muscle mut actor sex abuser guy could be governor of California!

Oh gawd that would be nuts!

[Initech]

8. File this under "things that will not end well".

[Smilo]

10. Good lord these people are delirious

and they are going to end up getting more children killed because they will go in guns ablazing - forget that martial arts stuff - now renamed marshall arts.

[Uben]

14. Thats about like making GWB president......

...and will probably have the same result.....tragedy!

[Dash87]

16. "How to effectively keep sex slaves in your basement 101"

[Hugabear]

17. So he's gonna show them how to eat a dozen hot dogs without throwing up

Nt

[Hugabear]

18. Remember folks, make sure you guard the cafeteria at all cost!

[upi402]

22. is this from the onion?

really?
epic fail

[grantcart]

27. Well he did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

[L0oniX]

28. Ted Nugent and Chuck Noris team up to train LA police. n/t

[Light House]

29. They couldn't do any worse that the LAPD trainers.

[Cleita]

30. OMG! He believes his own movies?

That's so stoopid.

[llmart]

37. My cousins know him personally.....

and both of them said he's a royal asshole.

[Initech]

32. Sheriff Joe would make a great James Bond villain.