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Clearwater officer is competitive shooter
An elite Clearwater police officer and military veteran is transforming a decade of battlefield discipline into competitive precision as he prepares for a global shooting competition. FOX 13's Mark Wilson reports.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - An elite Clearwater police officer and military veteran is transforming a decade of battlefield discipline into competitive precision as he prepares for a global shooting competition.
Officer Joel Nina spends hours refining the high-speed accuracy required to protect citizens locally and represent his country abroad.
Clearwater officer targets global competition
What we know:
Clearwater Police Officer Joel Nina is heading to Australia next year to compete in the World Police and Fire Games.
The grueling sport tests a shooter's speed, accuracy and decision-making under intense pressure.
To prepare for the global event, Nina trains at the shooting range four days a week. He has already competed in 117 matches over the last year to sharpen his abilities.
"I feel like the anxiety and the nervousness doesn't kick in until I'm on the line and ready to go," Nina said. "Prior to it or going into major matches, it's more of an excitement."
Enlisting in the military
The backstory:
His high skill level developed over time, as Nina did not touch a gun until he enlisted in the military in August 2012.
Nina served for 10 years, including two tours in Iraq, and provided security at embassies worldwide.
Courtesy: Office Joel Nina
"I had a firearms' instructor when I was on embassy duty and he kind of held us to a little bit higher of a standard, understanding that we're around diplomats and how our skill needs to be above reproach because it's not a fail mission," Nina said.
Preparing for the games
Dig deeper:
Nina also emphasizes the importance of consistent practice at home to build muscle memory.
Nina noted that 10 minutes of daily dry-fire practice directly translates to on-demand performance at the range.
Military veteran outlines training goals
What's next:
Nina hopes to eventually become a firearms instructor so he can train fellow law enforcement personnel.
Nina is already working with officers in his department to sharpen their abilities.
"I want to try and merge the two, introduce the mindset of a competitor with the ability of law enforcement, to be able to perform in these critical incidents and be able to build that time and accuracy reliably and confidently," Nina said.
The World Police and Fire Games take place in Perth, Australia, from March 12 to 21, 2027.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Clearwater Police Department records, which detailed the officer's background and training regimen, as well as direct interview statements from Officer Joel Nina.