Which technique is used when the subject has made a one-handed cross-grab on the officer's holstered handgun from behind in an attempt to take it away?

• A. The triangular Frame Retention and Rear Elbow Strike
• B. The triangular Frame Retention and Side Elbow Strike
• C. The 3 Parts of the Hand to Apply Pressure Points
• D. Handcuffed Subject Assist

Answer: (A)

Dealing with a one-handed cross-grab on the holstered handgun from behind requires securing the weapon while preventing the attacker from exploiting the grab. The best approach combines a triangular Frame Retention with a rear elbow strike. The triangular frame retention uses your forearm and opposite arm to form a stable frame around the attacker’s grabbing hand and the weapon, creating a triangle that locks in the grip and blocks access to the holster. While that control is established, sweeping in a rear elbow strike disrupts the attacker’s balance and breaks their grip, creating space to disengage and regain control of the firearm.

From behind, the rear elbow strike is the most effective option because it aligns with your line of defense and directly counters the grip at the moment of contact, making it harder for the attacker to maintain hold. A side elbow strike, while useful in other scenarios, doesn’t address the back-grab as effectively and can fail to disrupt the grip quickly enough. The other choices focus on pressure-point techniques or after-cuffing tactics, which don’t apply to this live weapon-retention situation.