EMANUEL KAPELSOHN
Emanuel Kapelsohn, President of The Peregrine Corporation, is an internationally-recognized firearms and use of force training consultant. Since 1980, he has instructed thousands of police and security officers, federal agents, military personnel and civilians throughout the United States and abroad. The Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery describes him as “one of the most qualified people in the business,” while Felter’s Police Defensive Handgun Use and Encounter Tactics ranks him as one of the country’s “most talented” defensive firearms instructors.
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Holding degrees from Yale University (with honors) and Harvard Law School, Mr. Kapelsohn is a practicing trial attorney in addition to his firearms consulting, and has been an adjunct instructor in the Criminal Justice Department at Indiana University. Certified as a firearms instructor by the FBI, NRA, Glock, H&K, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and others, he is a vice president and director of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, was formerly a member of the Police Marksman Association National Advisory Board, and a charter member and staff instructor of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers. He holds expert ratings with rifle, shotgun and submachine gun, a distinguished expert rating with pistol and revolver, and was an “A” Class IPSC combat pistol competitor. Also certified as an instructor in police defensive tactics, handgun retention, baton, pepper spray, less lethal impact munitions, Taser, psycho-motor skill design, police use of
force and FATS, and as an executive protection specialist, shooting scene deconstructionist, and force science analyist, he has expertise in the full range of use of force topics, and is a featured presenter at national and international law enforcement instructor conferences.
Mr. Kapelsohn’s activities also include litigation consulting and expert testimony in both civil and criminal cases involving firearms and the use of force. He has testified in state and federal courts throughout the U.S., and by invitation before both houses of Congress. He also serves as a consultant to cities, states, federal agencies and other governmental entities with regard to design, review and implementation of use of force policies, training curriculum and programs, response to critical incidents, and risk management issues. He has authored over 120 articles appearing in such publications as Law and Order, Security Management, and Law Enforcement Technology, and was formerly Technical Editor of The Police Marksman and Editor of The Firearms Instructor. He is Associate Editor of Standards & Practices Reference Guide for Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, principal author of Firearms Training Standards for Law Enforcement Personnel, and author of the IALEFI Guidelines for Simulation Training Safety.
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Mr. Kapelsohn was a staff instructor at the American Pistol Institute ("Gunsite"), was chief instructor and a designer of the NRA’s Law Enforcement Semi-Automatic Pistol Instructor Seminars held throughout the country, helped develop and was chief instructor for Mossberg’s shotgun armorer program, developed and taught armorer and instructor classes for Para-Ordnance and Kimber pistols, and was a consultant to Glock from 1987-1993, helping to develop and conduct its widely acclaimed armorer and firearms instructor courses nationally and abroad. In addition to handgun and armorer training, he conducts a variety of courses with shotgun, submachine gun, countersniper and patrol rifle, less lethal impact munitions, and OC aerosols, classes for executive protection and corporate/industrial security personnel, as well as for executives and dignitaries themselves. He has served as a special deputy sheriff and firearms instructor with the Berks County Sheriff's Department, and as an instructor at the Allentown Police Academy and as an active reserve deputy in Greene County, Indiana. Agencies for which he has trained instructors or users include the New York, Louisiana and Oregon State Police, Missouri Highway Patrol, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Justice Academy, Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers Education & Training Commission, BATF, and the police departments of Washington, D.C., Miami, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Seattle, Phoenix, Tacoma, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Trenton, Jersey City, Calgary, Barbados, Virgin
Islands, Atlantic City, and many others. He has been a consultant to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, and to leading firearms manufacturers on the design and selection of firearms and related items, instructional materials, product literature and training programs. He also regularly consults with regard to written firearms and use of force policies, training and qualification standards, and firearms safety issues.