What Can Some White American Law Enforcement Officers Can Learn from the Walmart Domestic Terrorist Stabbing Response | VIDEO
*(Disclaimer: To address the title of this column, it’s really for all levels of policing and law enforcement and all genders, all colors, ethnicities, nationalities, heritages, and cultural differences. It was partially given this title due to the sensationalizations of black male encounters with law enforcement and the elevated deadly outcomes always for black males with or without weapons. Most recorded shootings are by white officers, yet this lesson is for all officers of the law and civilians/citizens alike.)
On July 26, 2025, Traverse City, Michigan, became ground zero for a lesson America can no longer ignore. A domestic terrorist attack unfolded at a Walmart—not with an AR-15, but with a 3.5-inch folding knife. Bradford James Gille, a 42-year-old white male from Afton, Michigan, stabbed eleven innocent people, fueled by delusions, drug use, and unchecked mental instability.
Gille is no outlier. He’s a self-published author on Amazon, whose bizarre books claim he is the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot—writing that reveals a deeply unwell man.
Gille has a rap sheet that includes drug charges, vandalism, and time served in a Florida jail. Yet, he was taken into custody alive—charged with 11 counts of attempted murder and 1 count of terrorism (Newsweek).
The only reason this story didn’t end with a death count is that two trained civilians stepped up: Derrick Perry, a legally armed Black military-trained American, and Matthew Kolakowski, a U.S. Marine veteran. Together, they showed this nation what responsible, culturally competent crisis response looks like. I call it #RESPONDIBILITY—the ability to respond with discipline and empathy under pressure.
As Gille exited the store, Kolakowski struck him with a shopping cart, knocking him off balance. Perry drew his firearm and gave the simple command: “Get down!” And Gille complied. He was not shot, not choked, and not killed. The violent threat was neutralized without a single life lost—especially by the so-called good guy with a gun.
This is what law enforcement must study and model. Not just for tactical purposes, but to eliminate racial double standards in use-of-force decisions. Statistically, 8 out of 10 white male suspects live when armed and dangerous. Yet 8 out of 10 Black male suspects die—armed or unarmed. And the data is damning.
According to everytown research, Black American males make up 6% of the U.S. population but represent 40% of unarmed individuals killed by police. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Justice confirms that white men commit 63% of domestic extremist violence. But white suspects are far more likely to be called “mentally ill” than “terrorists,” and thus spared lethal force.
This moment in Michigan is a teachable moment magnified. The Department of Homeland Security has called white nationalist domestic extremism the leading national threat (DHS Assessment). And yet, Gille will likely be evaluated for insanity, not executed—unlike many Black men with undiagnosed mental health issues, who are overrepresented on death row (Harvard Study).
We should thank Mr. Perry and Mr. Kolakowski, not just for saving lives—but for proving what could be standard in policing: measured force, not murder. Perhaps Mr. Perry should be appointed as a cultural firearms attaché, advising on restraint-based intervention tactics—especially with knife-wielding suspects and for officers who draw guns in similar situations. View and print off the ‘takaways’ below:
TRAINING TAKEAWAYS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT: Lessons from the Walmart Stabbing (Michigan, July 26, 2025)
What Officers Can Learn to Avoid Unnecessary Deaths
| # | Actionable Lesson | Description |
| 1 | Practice #RESPONDIBILITY Before Reactivity | Train officers to act with emotional control and not impulse, as modeled by Derrick Perry. |
| 2 | See the Threat, Not the Skin Color | Evaluate suspect behavior over appearance—race should not determine risk level. |
| 3 | Use Force as a Last Resort, Not a Reflex | Non-lethal commands and presence should be prioritized over gunfire. |
| 4 | Integrate Cultural Competency into Tactical Training | Educate officers on how cultural backgrounds affect perception and response. |
| 5 | Embrace Scenario-Based Role Play With Non-Lethal Endings | Train officers to end 50% of active shooter or threat simulations without firing. |
| 6 | Identify and De-escalate Mental Health Crises—Equally | Apply psychological evaluations fairly, regardless of race, mental history, or behavior. |
| 7 | Appoint Cultural Firearms Advisors like Mr. Perry | Create advisory roles to teach officers how to responsibly use legal firearms in public crises. |
| 8 | Embed Accountability in Every Action | Develop systems that reward saving lives and emphasize review over automatic force. |
| 9 | Teach Officers to Slow Down Seconds that Count | Train tactical decision-making under pressure with emphasis on slowing escalation. |
| 10 | Honor Restraint Like We Honor Bravery | Celebrate non-lethal interventions as heroism—give awards for lives not taken. |
NOTE: This chart can be used in police training centers, community oversight committee materials, classroom discussions, and public policy presentations. It is based on real-life best practices observed in a domestic terrorist incident involving zero fatalities due to responsible civilian response.
Let this moment echo from the aisles of Walmart to the roll calls of every precinct, department, sheriff’s office, county jail, state office, and federal building in America.
This wasn’t SWAT. This wasn’t militarized policing. This was justice without death.
Sources:
- Newsweek: Bradford Gille Charged With Terrorism
- Hindustan Times: Facts About Gille
- National Institute of Justice Report
- CSIS Analysis on Far-Right Extremism
- Homeland Threat Assessment (DHS)
- Times of India
- Every town Research
- Harvard University Study
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Edmond W. Davis is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He is an award-winning college and university history professor, #1 new release author on Amazon, an international speaker, licensed journalist, and a globally recognized Tuskegee Airmen/Airwomen authority. He founded America’s only National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest is an emotional intelligence expert. Davis also played a law enforcement officer on the NBC TV miniseries Bluff City Law.
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