True Stories

One night I responded to a burglary in progress on the roof of a closed pharmacy. The drug addict/burglar had pried open a roof vent and entered the attic of the building. I had no choice but to go in the attic after him.

Inside the attic, I was suddenly confronted by a pry-bar-wielding, drug-crazed felon. He began moving toward me, swinging the pry bar, but I stood firm and hit him square in the eyes with my SureFire 9P® Original outfitted with a P91 ultra high-output lamp. Its 200 lumens made the burglar reach up to block his eyes, causing him to misstep from the ceiling joist he was standing on. He fell through a flimsy fiberboard ceiling panel onto a display rack 16 feet below. The felon suffered a broken leg, a shattered kneecap, and a dislocated shoulder, which quickly drained the fight out of him, and he was taken into custody without incident.

I'm sold on the combination of the 9P and the P91 lamp assembly. I own six different SureFires and find each one unique and highly dependable. SureFire is in a class all its own. Thanks for not compromising the quality in your terrific products.

Spencer L.
Walnut, CA

I'm a deputy sheriff, and I'm currently assigned to one of our three jails. The housing unit holds about 130 inmates. One night, about two months ago, my partner and I heard a disturbance, which turned out to be a fight. We yelled for the two inmates to stop fighting and for the crowd to move back, but nothing stopped. My partner then pepper sprayed both inmates, but they just kept on fighting through the pain.

The fight had to be stopped before anyone else joined in, so I struck one of the inmates in the back with my E2D Defender flashlight. The inmate stopped fighting right away, and the other inmate, realizing he was about to get hit, rolled onto his stomach and put his hands in the small of his back. I held up my pepper spray and flashlight at the crowd of inmates and told them to move to the far side of the sleeping area, which they promptly did.

We are not allowed weapons in the jail, beyond pepper spray, so I am sure glad I chose the Defender as my duty flashlight.

Sam S.
Livermore, CA

I am a police officer, and, like many other officers, there are times when I catch myself being lax and letting my guard down. It's dangerous, I know, but, unfortunately, working the midnight shift it becomes a bit of a challenge to do everything perfectly.

Yesterday I was on patrol in an area known for high narcotics sales. My partner and I were in civilian dress and driving a new, unmarked department vehicle, which the usual street criminals didn't recognize. While patrolling, we observed an individual attempting to conceal himself between two cars, so we stopped to investigate. As I exited the vehicle, I could see panic in the suspect's eyes as he contemplated whether or not to run. He then raised his hands, and the look in his eyes indicated he was clearly contemplating a different way to deal with the situation. Out came a rather large knife.

I always carry my pistol, equipped with an X200, and I always have a U2 Ultra™ in my vest pocket. But this time...oops—I didn't have my firearm in my hand. Luckily for me, I did have my M3 CombatLight® with a KL6 LED head ready in my hand. Instinctually, I shot the subject in the eyes with a blast of light. He reacted by turning his head and bringing his arm up to cover his eyes, dropping the knife, and letting out a loud "DAMN!" He was taken down and brought in without anyone getting hurt, but it's scary to think what could have happened had I not had my M3 ready to go.

Thanks for making a great product!

Josh A.
Chicago, IL

During a felony takedown, an armed suspect, who'd just robbed a drug store, refused to exit his vehicle after crashing it at the end of a vehicle pursuit. One officer tried to break the window of the suspect's vehicle with his collapsible baton, but after several strikes, he'd still failed to break the glass. I was providing cover to the officer with my Glock and its attached Surefire X200® WeaponLight. With one solid strike of the X200, the vehicle glass shattered, and we were able to restrain the felon.

After the incident, I inspected my light, fully expecting to find a broken lens or, at the very least, a deep scratch. Well, there wasn't even a scuff on the X200, and it worked just fine. Over the next two days, two of my partners switched from their plastic weapon-mounted lights to the sturdy SureFire X200.

I'm sure Surefire doesn't recommend using your WeaponLight as a window punch, but sometimes police work requires improvisation. And this time it paid off! Thanks Surefire!

Chris D.
Orange City, FL

Early one morning I was out tracking a carjacking suspect with my K9 partner, Sabre. I was carrying my departmental-issued Remington 870, equipped with a SureFire Dedicated Forend, across my front as I tracked the suspects.

We found two suspects, one of which we cornered and captured in the backyard of a town home. I used my SureFire dedicated forend to identify the suspect and, with the help of my K9, took the suspect into custody without incident. After he was secured, we resumed our tracking, crossing a wet, wooden footbridge over a swamp. Upon reaching the end of the footbridge, I lost my footing and fell, my SureFire forend taking the brunt of the impact as my 260-pound body crashed down. I was mortified and convinced I'd just destroyed the light. But once I collected myself off the ground and tested the forend, much to my delight, it worked flawlessly.

Though I did not end up locating the second suspect, it was a great seeing the toughness of your product firsthand. Thanks for making such a durable, reliable product.

CPL John S.
Bel Air, MD

We had this homeless guy who preferred spending sub-zero nights in the warmth of an unsecured Bank foyer to that of the local shelter. This presented a problem to the general public in that there was a safety concern in making deposits in the night drop. We received numerous requests from both the bank and its patrons to handle the problem, but nobody was willing to sign a criminal-trespass complaint. The standing order was to keep an eye on the business and tell him that he had to move on, whenever we found him there.

The guy's perception of reality was nil, and his thought process was warped. One moment he'd be cooperative, and then, without provocation, he'd flip. All of my prior encounters with this subject had ended with him making crazy accusations and remarks, but he'd always complied.

On this particular night I found the subject just as he was settling in on the floor beneath the night-deposit drop box. I told him that he had to be moving on. As he lay there, he complained to me that he'd just arrived there. I told him that he still had to be moving on. He grumbled some as he got up, and I followed behind him as he started toward the door. Well, all I can figure is that the thought of going back out into a minus-twenty-degree wind chill flipped his switch. He turned around, with both fists clenched at his sides, and said, "I'm tired of you guys always F-ing with me".

I dropped back into a defensive stance and un-holstered my 10X Dominator, and he found himself staring into 500 lumens of blinding light. His immediate reaction was to turn his head slightly left so that only his right eye was engaged in a futile stare-down with the 10X.

I've got to admit, I was somewhat impressed that he only squinted slightly, never blinking and never raising his hand to block the light He said to me, "Get that F-ing light out of my eye. " As I watched his pupil shrink to the size of a pinhead, and the glare in his eye dwindle as it was drying out, I told him that the only way to get the light out of his eye was to walk out the door. So he did.

No fight, no paperwork, no use of force.

Kire H.
Pasadena, TX

We were only two and a half hours into the night watch. My shift partner had stopped a suspicious vehicle, and a male occupant was giving false information about his identity. My trainee and I responded as backup. We decided to get the subject out of the car to find out who he really was. The suspect leaped out and pressed a gun to my trainee's neck. I was thinking, Here we go.

The suspect opened fire. The first shot barely missed my trainee's head. I could feel a bullet pass under my right arm as I was trying to draw my weapon. A round from the suspect hit the door of the primary officer's patrol car. Then I got shot by a .380-caliber round from the suspect's weapon. It went through the flap of my cuff case (I wear a double case in front), skidded off my holster, and slammed into my backup flashlight, a SureFire 8AX. The impact knocked me down into the street. The primary officer and I returned fire, killing the suspect.

About 10 minutes later I pulled out my SureFire and noticed the dent in it from the impact of the slug--the slug was still inside my flashlight holster. When examined afterward, the knurling from the flashlight body could be clearly seen on the slug face. Amazingly, my SureFire still worked when I turned it on!

They say you are forever changed after being involved in a fatal shooting. I know one thing that won't change: I'll continue to carry a SureFire.

Officer M.J.D.
Boulder City, NV

I observed a new Caddy traveling down a major highway in Baltimore without its headlights on. It was 10 pm, a clear night but windy, no other traffic on the road besides him and me. I conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, using my G2Z CombatLight® to peer inside and observe that both rear seats in the brand-new Caddy had been cut up with a knife.

The driver rolled down his window, and I immediately detected the smell of Marijuana wafting from the vehicle. In the front seats were two large, linebacker-sized men. I got the license and registration from the driver, advising him that I would cut him loose in a few minutes. I went back to my cruiser and immediately requested backup, noticing that the passenger was acting extremely nervously. I opened my cruiser door and slammed it loudly, pretending to go inside my cruiser. Then I walked around to the rear of my car, staying out of their sight, but close enough for me to view both occupants.

A few moments later, the passenger opened the door and leaned out. My weapon was already aimed at him, my G2Z lighting him up and blinding his eyes. I ordered both men to show me their hands, at which time the driver reached for the sky and the passenger shut his door. I tucked my SureFire under my arm and requested any inbound units to "step it up" in getting to my stop. Three seconds later, the passenger opened his door and got out of the vehicle. My gun and light were immediately on him and the man raised his arms to shield his eyes. I shouted at him to lay down on the ground, but he refused, continuing to walk towards me, yelling at me to shoot him and banging on his chest. As I continued to blind him with the light and give him orders, a car came to a sliding halt behind me. The driver of this car quickly turned off the headlights and identified himself as off-duty police, showing me his ID. He then drew his weapon and trained it on the suspect.

Realizing he was outnumbered, the suspect got down on the ground as ordered. I asked the off-duty cop to cover me as I handcuffed the suspect. While handcuffing him, the cavalry arrived and placed the driver under arrest. A search of both suspects revealed a large quantity of drugs and a 9-inch hunting knife tucked into the passenger's belt. I later asked the passenger if he ever considered using that knife. He said that he would have, but he couldn't see where I was and how far away I was because of the blinding, bright flashlight in his eyes. Your G2Z, along with the off duty officer, helped save one, or both, of our lives that night.

Thanks, SureFire!


Justin W.
Baltimore, MD

Since becoming a State Trooper, I've carried a SureFire 6P® Original on my duty belt.

One night, after a lengthy pursuit, the suspect bailed from his vehicle as he entered wooded area. While searching the area with my pistol, which at the time had a non-SureFire plastic weapon-mounted light attached, the switch on my weapon light failed. I immediately reached for my 6P and continued my search. My partner and I eventually located the suspect under a dead tree.

I've continued to carry the same nine-year-old 6P, and it still works as good as it did on day one. Thanks for such a dependable product. Oh, and by the way, I now have a SureFire X200® mounted on my weapon.

Officer Danny L.
Paulis Valley, OK

Recently I was involved in a vehicle pursuit where the suspect shot at a fellow law enforcement officer. I'd set up a roadblock and had my C3 Centurion® at the ready in my hand. As the suspect passed me, I threw my light, in an attempt bust out his vehicle's side window. But the light hit the front panel and bounced about 20 feet into the air before hitting the ground—hard. It then skipped and slid about 30 feet on the pavement.

I was convinced my light was destroyed, but when I found it, it still worked, and there was not a scratch on it. The State Troopers there with me couldn't believe it; neither could I, for that matter. Thank you for making such a great product!

Corporal Joel W.
Hot Springs, AR

As a member of the fulltime SWAT team, I was recently dispatched to a hostage barricade situation where shots had been fired. I am a member of the counter-sniper team, and my partner and I were deployed to cover the front of the residence. Upon reaching our observation point, I detected movement to the left of our position. I let my partner know, and I continued to cover that direction with my M4 assault rifle outfitted with a SureFire M900 WeaponLight. I then saw the suspect, who was wondering the perimeter of the house, looking for law enforcement officers.

On command, both my partner and I lit up the suspect with our M900 lights and verbally commanded him to surrender. The suspect immediately dropped to the ground and yelled, "Don't shoot me, I give up!" We took the suspect into custody without further incident. Upon debriefing, the suspect stated that, due to the blinding lights, he thought he was surrounded by a much larger group than two people.

I would like to personally thank Surefire for making such a great products and for making my job that much safer
Trent L.
Jessup, MD

Recently, I purchased a SureFire E2D Defender® for my job as a K-9 security officer for the Chicago Transit Authority. I figured I'd never have to use the light's crenellated Strike Bezel®, what with me having my K-9 partner by my side all of the time, but one day, while patrolling one of the rail stations on the Red Line, I proved myself wrong.

I'd already put my partner in the truck and was ready to take a short break, when I noticed a man acting out of place. I approached him and asked him if he was okay. He suddenly became very agitated and rude and started shouting out racial remarks at me, so I said, "Sir, please follow me over here, and you're going to have to relax." As soon as I touched the guy, he attacked me and pulled out a knife. I immediately grabbed his hand, and wrestled him to the floor. His knife fell out his hand, and he tried with all of his might, while I restrained him, to get it back. He finally managed to grab it, so I pulled my E2D from my Kevlar® vest and popped him in the back of the head with the flashlight's Strike Bezel, knocking him out cold.

The guy was ok, but he had one hell of a headache when he came to, thanks to the E2D Defender, which I now never leave home without. It's a great choice for a non-lethal weapon...and for a flashlight, of course. Thanks, SureFire.

Felipe S.
Chicago, IL

At approximately 1:00 a.m., while onboard my USCG patrol boat off of the coast of Cuba, conducting Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations, we began to track a target of interest (TOI) southbound at 25 knots on radar. We then used our forward-looking infrared to ascertain that this TOI was a center-console "go fast" outfitted with twin outboard engines. This type of boat is frequently used for smuggling migrants from Cuba to the United States.

When we launched our small boat to interdict the suspected smugglers, they altered their course and gunned the engines. My coxswain followed in pursuit and brought our small boat alongside. While alongside, I employed my L1 LumaMax® at the driver's eyes, disorientating him to the point that he lost his night vision. He started making erratic course and speed changes, which gave us enough time to jump onboard and detain the two suspects.

My L1 turned an extremely dangerous situation into a safe, effective takedown of a stolen boat and two suspected smugglers. Thanks, SureFire.

Nyles F.
Zepherhills, FL

At the beginning of the year, I swapped out my department-issued weapon light for a SureFire X300. I made the switch primarily because my department-issued light put out a weak beam and always died so quickly.

After training with my new X300, where it worked flawlessly and impressed my fellow trainees, I used it on duty for the first time in a building search, about a month after I got it. My partner and I responded to an alarm call, and we found an open door and a dark room. My partner did not have weapon light on his firearm, so I went in first. I turned on my X300 and lit up the entire room before we entered. It was a small room, and we cleared it quickly before entering a much larger room. My X300 lit up half of that room before we even entered it, and once inside, it lit up the rest. We could see everything-every corner, every nook and cranny. We quickly cleared that room, too, and declared the call a false alarm.

I've used my X300 lots of times since that call, and I've yet to change the batteries. It is far and away the best weapon light I have every used. Thanks for making such a reliable product, SureFire.

David S.
Vista, CA

I was on patrol and assisting one of our nearby agencies while they pursued a fleeing vehicle. I'd gotten myself into position to deploy my stop sticks, and as the suspect's car approached, I started to pull my sticks when I noticed the driver was veering toward me, trying to run me over. Fearing for my safety, I got behind my patrol car, drew my gun, and began firing at the driver. The driver continued to flee, so desperate to escape that he nearly hit a second officer. I continued to fire at him, not only for my safety, but for the safety of my fellow officers; however, the suspect was able to avoid being shot and continued to flee.

We were finally able to apprehend the suspect after disabling his car. He was safely apprehended with only minor injuries. If I hadn't been wearing my EarPro® Radio Comm System, I never would've heard my radio traffic so clearly. Due to the intense stress, I know I had auditory exclusion, but I could hear all of my radio traffic crystal clear, thanks to my EarPro earpiece.

Thank you, SureFire, for making such a great product and for keeping officers in mind when creating this kind of equipment. You have a fan for life. Keep up the great work.

Scott M.
Galesburg, MI

On duty, I stopped the driver of a possible stolen vehicle. When my partner asked the driver to turn his vehicle's engine off, the driver told him to F#@k off and started to drive away, nearly hitting me in the process. I drew my gun, equipped with a SureFire X200®, and struck the driver's side window, breaking the window out. I've seen many officers try to break a window with a metal baton and fail, but one hit with the X200 and the window shattered. The light's bezel is a bit bent, and its glass cracked, but it still works and the beam is perfect—even through a cracked Pyrex® window. A great product.

Michael L.
Dublin, CA

I work as a deputy sheriff and was driving down the road when I saw a state trooper with a vehicle pulled over. I pulled behind the trooper just to check to make sure everything was 10-2, and the trooper came back to my car and asked if I would keep an eye on the passenger, due to the fact that the two in the car were acting particularly nervous. I've carried a SureFire Z2 CombatLight® for years but recently purchased an E2D Defender® for my side pocket because it's very bright and easy to use. Upon approaching the passenger side, I noticed an MP5 machine gun next to the passenger's leg, which the trooper (using his Maglite) had not seen. I placed my hand on my sidearm and shouted GUN!, instructing the two people in the car not to move.

I secured the weapon, which luckily turned out to be an exact-replica air gun—without an orange tip. I'm telling you, there is no better flashlight on the market.

Deputy Frederick S.
Ft. Branch, IN

I'm a volunteer firefighter/first responder. One night we were paged to a wreck with a possible pin-in. When I arrived at the scene, other firefighters were attempting to extricate the victim from the car. I'd been there maybe five minutes when the alternator on the fire engine went dead and all of the lights went out. We all carry clip-on lights made by another company, but they weren't bright enough to warn oncoming traffic. So I pulled my G2® LED from my pocket, twisted it on, and was able to stop oncoming vehicles from crashing into us and our fire engine. People said they could see the light from a half mile away.

Kudos for making such a bright, durable light.

Cole W.
North Wilkesboro, NC

At 17:00 hrs in late September, the Lincoln volunteer ambulance was paged to rescue a hunter who'd fallen and fractured his leg. He was five miles from the trailhead in the Scapegoat Wilderness. Most of the route he'd traveled was off the forest service trail and followed a creek up the Continental Divide over steep terrain.

We were able to locate him about 19:00 hrs (after the sun set). We had a couple of flashlights, but, unfortunately, the six extra batteries I always carry were tucked safely in my vest—back down the mountain on the passenger seat of the ambulance. We managed to get the hunter off the mountain by 23:30, but as we started hiking back, our flashlights died. Luckily, I had my SureFire Helmet Light with me, so I mounted it to the Tango Down mount on my cap, and was able to lead us safely back to the trail head, where our ambulance awaited us.

Robert F.
Lincoln, MT

Back in the day, when I was a young recruit, in the early 90s, we were issued one of your competitor's battery-operated 3-D-cell flashlights. Needless to say, it was not that bright. I went and bought my first SureFire 6R (now obsolete), based on what I'd read and a recommendation from the retail store. It was compact, produced a flawless, bright beam, and was the talk amongst other police officers, many of whom went out and bought their own.

As a member of the K9 unit, I proposed a fulltime tactical light for our issued pistol. Needless to say, the SureFire X200® (since replaced by the X300®) beat out all competitors and is now the standard light for our K9 unit, ERT, marine, and mounted units. In addition, our department was looking for a new standard-issue light that had to be battery powered for earthquake preparedness. Not only did the light have to be bright and flawless, but our managers demanded high customer service. Our relationship with SureFire from our X200 purchases took care of that. As a result, the G2® was selected as the standard-issue light for the 1,400 members of the Vancouver Police Department.

Sgt. Ray W. - Vancouver PD
Vancouver, B.C.

I'm a seven-year vet of a police force in New York state, and I wouldn't have made it more than two years if not for one of your products. I've worn a SureFire 6P®, which I bought while in the academy, on my belt for my entire career.

One day I was called to an aided case, which is when police assist an ambulance crew—usually for a combative person. I arrived at the house before the ambulance and was promptly attacked by a 250 lb. woman armed with a large kitchen knife. I used my 6P to gain compliance over her and disarm her, with no injuries to her or me. Later, I even received a thank-you letter from the woman's husband.

I've since given this 6P to my latest, and favorite, officer I field trained this past summer, and he wears it every day. I've upgraded to an M4 Devastator®, and I love it. Thanks, SureFire.

Officer Michael T. – Monticello P.D.
Newburgh, NY