We recently lost Evan Marshall, a valued friend and a famous cop. Evan Marshall was a strong and early voice in the officer survival training movement, and is believed to have originated the term “street survival.” He passed a few days before his 84th birthday.
Evan’s solid advice in gun magazines and law enforcement professional journals spread tactical wisdom to lawmen everywhere, and applied equally to law-abiding armed citizens. He walked the walk and talked the talk. He was a street cop in Detroit during some of the highest crime years, and prevailed in multiple shooting incidents. He did much to promote improved firearms training and tactical training. We’ll never know how many lives he saved.
Evan had a Master’s degree in education which he applied to police training with generous amounts of common sense. He was a driving force in providing better weapons, ammunition, body armor and tactics, and more sophisticated officer involved shooting investigation protocols. He rose from high-risk patrol to SWAT team weapons and tactics instructor and to homicide investigation in one of the nation’s highest crime cities.
Evan and co-author Ed Sanow wrote three books on defensive ammunition selection based heavily on Evan’s research with various police departments on what rounds were working most effectively in actual shooting incidents. This made him a target for vilification by people who were invested in different theories, but I can tell you that my own feedback on the same topic from departments across the country mirrored what Marshall and Sanow found in their extensive research.
Godspeed, Brother Evan. Your work saved more good people’s lives than we will ever know. Condolences to Evan’s close-knit family. His obituary is here.
We lose another great one. His wisdom has helped a lot of others and made some foundational changes.
Godspeed indeed.
Another no-less-than-American-hero leaves us. In the ongoing struggle for a defensive force for good throughout societies of free people, he does not simply pass. He has passed on his knowledge, experience and essence so that we that enjoy our time left here may continue to further freedom for generations to come.
MHRIP. I met Evan and his son Matt in-person at his first “Hoot ‘n’ Shoot” event in Watervliet, Michigan back in the summer of 2003.
A modern pioneer in the field of “Street Survival.” As a young officer in the early ’70s I followed his writings at every opportunity.
I remember starting reading Evan right around the first time I discovered your articles Mas, and soon became a devoted follower and student of you both. His real stories from the streets were especially gripping and I took the lessons to heart. One of our very best, and will be missed.
A huge loss in the community. He sure was a pioneer in the street survival movement.
RIP Evan, hopefully your knowledge and wisdom will continue to be passed down to LEO’s for years to come.
Damn! He saved a LOT of lives through his training, like you have Mass’!
Have all 3 of his books and read almost all of his articles. 33 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. What a legacy
Rest peacefully Brother Evan
Mass… thank you for memorializing my father and his contributions to officer safety here. Since my childhood to the end, my father was always fond of you and your priceless contributions over the years.
I’m deeply sorry for the loss of your Father. My condolences to your entire family.
I never had the privilege of meeting Evan. His writing helped define me as a legally armed citizen. He was an inspiration with his love of family. He will be missed.
As long as we’re talking, anyone know the whereabouts of Bob Willis from that era? I live in Wisconsin and can’t seem to find him and have contacted all types of social media. Thanks.
Like probably everyone else here, I believe that accuracy and speed trumps cartridge selection but I see no reason not to give myself every possible technical advantage.
Common sense and fair mindedness can be rare commodities in gun conversations. Evan had both in spades.
There was a lot to discuss in his methodology but ‘look at actual results from gunfights’ was a brilliant insight.
Does anyone know what the best way of judging a rounds effectiveness is?
njk
Are there even training seminars like Evan and Mas used to do? I see the “Force Science” place, but not much else.
I don’t know of any dedicated totally to this subject, with open enrollment. Ammo companies like Speer and Hornady do occasional one-day seminars and demonstrations for law enforcement groups. It is also covered in tactical anatomy classes; check out tacticalanatomy.com .
I spoke with Evan by phone many times after he retired. He was always gracious and generous with his time, answering questions he must have answered a thousand times before. I still have the S&W 58 I bought after reading his early writings, and the H&K P7 after his books convinced me 9MM wouldn’t bounce off bad guys like air soft pellets. Rest in peace officer Marshall. May Gods reward for you in heaven be great, you surely earned it.
Back in the late 70’s, I decided I wanted to become a gun scribe. I contacted Evan and he became my mentor in the field. I shared a cabin with him at the 2nd Chance match, traveled with him in a motorhome to Virginia Beach for the 1980 IPSC Nationals. and we were roommates in Springfield MA at the first S&W gunwriter’s seminar. He had a great sense of humor. RIP my friend.