While shooting at night what should you never do with a flashlight?

• A. Sweep you, your gun or another officer
• B. Shine into the distance
• C. Direct the beam at a target
• D. Silhouette you, your gun or another officer

Answer: (D)

When using a flashlight at night, the goal is to illuminate what you need while keeping yourself and your teammates concealed. Silhouetting happens when the beam outlines you, your gun, or another officer against a darker background. That exposure can reveal your exact position and equipment, making you a target and compromising the safety of the whole team. Because silhouettes give away location and intent, this is something to avoid at all times. Instead, focus the beam on surfaces or objects you need to inspect, use short bursts, and keep the light angled away from faces to preserve night vision and concealment. Directing light toward a target or into the distance may be necessary in some moments, but silhouetting should never be done. So you should never silhouette you, your gun, or another officer.