Behind the Badge
Vargas: Shooting people in the leg to stop them is a Hollywood myth
It’s a question that never seems to get answered enough: “Why don’t police officers shoot people in the legs?” Or…
Browsing: Columns
Vargas: Shoot-don’t-shoot — Las Vegas officers confront armed suspect holding wife hostage
On the evening of Saturday, Nov. 11, Las Vegas police officers were confronted with a life-or-death scenario. The police body…
‘I feel scared being any place with lots of people’
An angry man armed with an AR-15 rifle opened fire on members of the Faith Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs,…
Vargas: Cops keep the peace at yet another Orange County protest
So, it’s Tuesday night, Oct. 31 and I make the decision to forego handing out Halloween candy and watching the World…
Vargas: A woman beaten unconscious, witnesses take selfies with her motionless body
In a scene that has stirred outrage and concern across the country, an unidentified woman is kicked and punched by…
Vargas: A look at who killed California State Correctional Officer Elizabeth Begaren in 1998
I received the late-night phone call on Saturday, January 17, 1998. A woman had been shot and killed along the…
Vargas: I’m still a fan of body-worn cameras despite results of new study
The largest study to date on the impact of body-worn cameras on police use of force and complaints was just…
Vargas: Conspiracy fantasies have abounded in the wake of the Las Vegas massacre
It’s been over two weeks since the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of 58 people and…
Vargas: America woke up today to its deadliest mass shooting
Today, Oct. 2, the world woke up to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. As I write this,…
Vargas: Dueling protests are dangerous and challenging to police
Thousands of demonstrators from two groups with very different political views gathered in Laguna Beach Sunday to protest. For a…