That SWATting

It came up in work conversation and someone asked, "Whatever happened to shoot-to-wound?" in that SWATting case that killed some innocent in Kansas.

Well it was never ever a thing in real life.  It is only in your head because of the cultural influence of the Motion Picture Production Code of 1930-1968, the standards set for movies, and later, TV, and a big influencer on the culture.

And killing was frowned up in the code.  As was the use of firearms.  Oh they weren't banned.  But you had to be careful.  And winging somebody, just requiring a sling and a week's convalescence, that wasn't as bad.

It's only on that screen up there where the cowboys shot the bad guys in the gun hand.  Only there where the concept of 'shoot to wound' even happens. 

But wounded bad guys can still be a problem.  Like a wounded grizzly can be a problem. 

On the tour of the FBI headquarters in the 1980s they still said they shot to KILL when they did demos on their range.  But killing wasn't important and the PR folks kiboshed that criminal-intimidating wording.  Now LEOs shoot to stop.  Just like everybody else.  But stopping shots are often deadly shots.  Would be happy it they weren't.  But that's just how it is.  Shoot to wound is a canard.