INSTRUCTOR BIO
|
Vertical Divider
|
|
Erick Gelhaus
Founder/Lead Instructor
After a 29-year career, Erick retired from the Sonoma County, CA Sheriff's Office in 2019. During that time, he worked patrol, community-oriented policing, gang enforcement, narcotics, field training, and as a firearms and tactics instructor. As a sergeant, he supervised a patrol shift, the field training program, the use of force/firearms instructors, and the special operation unit's technical support team.
As a deputy sheriff, supervisor, and deputy sheriff's association vice president, he was involved in, responded to, or evaluated numerous critical incidents, including the use of deadly force. His agency and the State of California have decorated him for lifesaving, service, and valor. Regarding agency policy considerations, he proposed, drafted, and re-wrote firearms-related policies along with reviewing and commenting on others. Erick authored and developed numerous training courses for his agency that were California POST and STC-approved, covering firearms/tactics and street gangs. His classes have or are working towards multiple state POST approvals and certifications.
Erick has been an adjunct instructor at Gunsite Academy since 2001. He developed their pistol-mounted optics courses and recently completed an in-depth revision and update of their handgun student handbook. He teaches handgun, shotgun, carbine, tactics, low light, and pistol-mounted optics classes.
From the Cold War through the GWOT, he served in infantry, support, and small arms training assignments in all three components of the US Army. During a 2005-06 deployment to central and southern Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was a heavy weapons squad leader in ground combat.
Erick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University and a Master of Public Administration from Norwich University (M' 16).
A published author since 2003, Erick has written for SWAT, Soldier of Fortune, TTPOA’s COMMAND, American Handgunner, GUNS magazines, ModernServiceWeapons.com, and AmericanCop.com. A frequent podcast guest, he has appeared on Primary & Secondary, GUNS Magazine, The GunCranks, EvoSec, That Weems Guy, and the Off-Duty/On-Duty shows.
He is a longtime competitive shooter, currently shooting IDPA Carry Optics in the expert class.
Erick has trained with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and many well-known instructors in firearms, tactics, use of force (both application and evaluation), street gangs, and other subjects. These include training from LAPD, NRA-LEAD, Gunsite, Simunitions, LASD, FBI, Louis Awerbuck, DEA, Bill Jeans, Surefire Institute, ITTS, Pat Rogers, Pat McNamara, Larry Vickers, Force Science, Paul Howe, Dave Spaulding, California Training Institute, Scott Jedlinski, Aaron Cowan, Sig Academy, Sentinel Defense, UTM, Tom Givens, Sentinel Concepts, Centrifuge Training, TruKinetics, and others.
He brings the relevant parts of all these experiences to his classes.
Erick teaches handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle, pistol-mounted optics, low light, and high-risk stop courses through Cougar Mountain Solutions and Gunsite.
A complete CV is available upon request from an agency to fulfill contractual requirements.
Founder/Lead Instructor
After a 29-year career, Erick retired from the Sonoma County, CA Sheriff's Office in 2019. During that time, he worked patrol, community-oriented policing, gang enforcement, narcotics, field training, and as a firearms and tactics instructor. As a sergeant, he supervised a patrol shift, the field training program, the use of force/firearms instructors, and the special operation unit's technical support team.
As a deputy sheriff, supervisor, and deputy sheriff's association vice president, he was involved in, responded to, or evaluated numerous critical incidents, including the use of deadly force. His agency and the State of California have decorated him for lifesaving, service, and valor. Regarding agency policy considerations, he proposed, drafted, and re-wrote firearms-related policies along with reviewing and commenting on others. Erick authored and developed numerous training courses for his agency that were California POST and STC-approved, covering firearms/tactics and street gangs. His classes have or are working towards multiple state POST approvals and certifications.
Erick has been an adjunct instructor at Gunsite Academy since 2001. He developed their pistol-mounted optics courses and recently completed an in-depth revision and update of their handgun student handbook. He teaches handgun, shotgun, carbine, tactics, low light, and pistol-mounted optics classes.
From the Cold War through the GWOT, he served in infantry, support, and small arms training assignments in all three components of the US Army. During a 2005-06 deployment to central and southern Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was a heavy weapons squad leader in ground combat.
Erick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute & University and a Master of Public Administration from Norwich University (M' 16).
A published author since 2003, Erick has written for SWAT, Soldier of Fortune, TTPOA’s COMMAND, American Handgunner, GUNS magazines, ModernServiceWeapons.com, and AmericanCop.com. A frequent podcast guest, he has appeared on Primary & Secondary, GUNS Magazine, The GunCranks, EvoSec, That Weems Guy, and the Off-Duty/On-Duty shows.
He is a longtime competitive shooter, currently shooting IDPA Carry Optics in the expert class.
Erick has trained with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and many well-known instructors in firearms, tactics, use of force (both application and evaluation), street gangs, and other subjects. These include training from LAPD, NRA-LEAD, Gunsite, Simunitions, LASD, FBI, Louis Awerbuck, DEA, Bill Jeans, Surefire Institute, ITTS, Pat Rogers, Pat McNamara, Larry Vickers, Force Science, Paul Howe, Dave Spaulding, California Training Institute, Scott Jedlinski, Aaron Cowan, Sig Academy, Sentinel Defense, UTM, Tom Givens, Sentinel Concepts, Centrifuge Training, TruKinetics, and others.
He brings the relevant parts of all these experiences to his classes.
Erick teaches handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle, pistol-mounted optics, low light, and high-risk stop courses through Cougar Mountain Solutions and Gunsite.
A complete CV is available upon request from an agency to fulfill contractual requirements.