David H. Leflet

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

David H. Leflet holds a master of science degree from Michigan State University, where he majored in security and criminal investigation. After graduation, he joined the Dade County Public Safety Department, now called the Miami-Dade Police Department. With the MDPD, he was a Hostage Release Team sniper and the Special Response Team squad leader. Dave was a state-certified defensive tactics instructor most of his career. When he received his 3rd-degree black belt in Juai Kung Karbo from Master Bert Rodriquez and his 5th-degree black belt in Karate from Sensei Leo Thalassites, he learned knife and staff techniques he incorporated into his defensive tactics training. Besides being a police defensive tactics instructor and a WWII decorated combat veteran, Leo Thalassites was a member of the World’s Martial Arts Hall of Fame and trained Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Macho Jose Camacho, world champion boxers. Dave shot distinguished expert with his duty handguns: .38/.357 caliber revolvers and .45 caliber 1911 pistols.

Before he retired from Dade County, Dave executed hundreds of break orders that authorized a forcible entry and faced dozens of deadly confrontations involving knives or guns. He performed about a dozen empty-hand knife or gun disarms and participated in one knife fight. The courses Dave created and taught included personal injury reduction training, emergency first aid, and counterterrorism. He spent the last few years of his Dade County career in the Training Bureau writing computer-based training programs for law enforcement.

Curtis L. Porter served in the United States Marine Corps and saw combat action during the Gulf War. During his tour of duty in Kuwait, he was a platoon sergeant in charge of a Marine Reaper Unit, and he received medals and commendations for devotion to duty, courage under fire, and uncommon valor during combat operations.

During the Gulf War, Curtis developed handgun techniques that later evolved into the Porter method. These techniques resulted from using a handgun as his primary weapon when conducting numerous building searches in Kuwait. He refined these techniques when serving as a Marine small-arms instructor. After leaving the Corps, Porter worked as a police officer and a member of the DEA Drug Taskforce. Unlike the firearms training offered by most police departments, the Porter method uses tactical-shooting techniques instead of target-shooting techniques when facing a deadly threat. Curtis has taught correction officers, police officers, and federal agents how to use the Porter Method, and he is a state-certified police firearms instructor. When he has free time, Curtis works as a gunsmith.