Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

If an armed citizen steps into an active shooting, how will responding police know he is one of the good guys?

It is a legitimate concern. From an officer’s perspective, anyone holding a gun when police arrive could be the killer. The officer may have only seconds to separate the villain from the vigilante.

That has led some concealed carriers to consider wearing a CCW badge, sash or other identifier. John Correia of Active Self Protection Extra recently addressed that question, and his answer was clear: Save your money.

Correia raised the issue while discussing armed citizen Austin Scott James. James reportedly moved toward the active killer at the Idaho In-and-Out but hesitated to draw his firearm because he feared responding officers might mistake him for the attacker. He was then critically wounded.

The concern also recalls the 2021 shooting in Arvada, Colorado. Armed citizen Johnny Hurley stopped a gunman who had murdered a police officer. Hurley then picked up the killer’s AR-pattern rifle. A responding officer saw Hurley holding it, mistook him for the attacker and fatally shot him.

Hurley was a hero. His death was also an extraordinarily rare and tragic example of how quickly identities can become confused during a chaotic attack.

Would a shiny identifier badge or sash have prevented it? Maybe not.

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Correia argued that an officer may never see or read a small badge during a fast-moving emergency. A sash packed under someone’s clothing does nothing until he finds time to put it on. Even then, the officer still sees an unknown person holding a gun.

Badges also cut both ways. If anyone can buy a “concealed carrier” badge online, so can the killer. A bad guy could display one as a decoy, create more confusion. Or, buy himself another second to attack.

There is also the danger of looking like someone impersonating a police officer. A novelty badge might create problems during an ordinary encounter without providing meaningful protection during the rare event it was purchased for.

Correia’s better answer is to handle the immediate threat first. If an armed citizen chooses to intervene, the presence or absence of a sash should not drive that decision.

Once the threat ends, the priorities change. Do not pick up the attacker’s gun. Move it away if necessary, but carrying it could make identification even harder. Holster your own firearm when it is safe. Move behind cover, check for injuries, call 911 and prepare to follow every command from responding officers.

There is another option that armed citizens sometimes overlook: Get off the X and leave.

Carrying a gun does not make anyone a police officer. It does not create a duty to hunt an attacker through a building. If an escape route is available, fleeing may be the safest choice, especially when a spouse, child or other family member depends on you.

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That choice might not feel heroic, but getting your family out safely is a win. Running toward gunfire carries enormous risks, including being shot by the killer, another armed citizen or responding police.

There is no perfect answer. Intervention might save lives. It might also create another armed figure for officers to identify in a scene already filled with noise, panic and incomplete information.

Correia’s position is simple: Skip the badge and sash. Train seriously, understand the risks and think through the aftermath before trouble finds you.

Let’s continue the conversation. Would you wear a CCW badge or sash to identify yourself? Or do you believe it can cause more confusion than it prevents?

If an escape route were open, would you engage or get your family out?

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