Gun to the Head

My life as a tactical cop. The impact. The aftermath.

Police work is physically dangerous, but an underestimated danger is the emotional damage caused by years of exposure to the evil that people do to each other and the resultant trauma for police officers who see that every day.

In Queensland’s violent 1980s and 1990s, armed criminals were prepared more and more to kill police. Often, violent men can only be met with a violent response and this need led to the creation of the full time Tactical Response Group.

Tactical operations units in policing are the tip of the spear, and tactical police are trained to meet dangerous situations with lethal response, that is the reality.

This is the true story of Keith Banks, BM VA and Bar, one of Queensland’s most decorated police officers and his experience as a tactical cop, dealing with the worst of the worst and constantly living on the edge. In a world where violence was normal, he struggled to maintain a line between good and bad to retain his identity while keeping his dark side at bay.

Keith has written a raw, dark and compelling account of that world, which few will experience but hopefully many can understand. It is not heroic, but it is real.