Most officer involved shootings occur during low–light conditions.

Unfortunately, little tested and codified doctrine exists to deal with these confrontations.

Work is therefore required to develop doctrine, and training must be developed that results in consistent results under stressful conditions. During this process, tools, tactics, and training must be viewed as a contiguous whole, as separation here leads to confusion, and confusion leads to human error.

The purpose of this article is therefore to discuss illumination:

• Tools. The tools available, and how they are carried, affects their accessibility and this in turn affects how they are used.
• Tactics. The availability (or absence) of proper illumination equipment can have significant impact on tactics.
• Training. Training must introduce, rehearse, and refine the safe, effective tactical use of the tools chosen and carried.