WILLIAM "MAC" MCKNIGHT
William “Mac” McKnight is a respected and experienced professional trainer and use of force master; both as analyst and practitioner.
One of very few to complete the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s Use of Force Instructor Course, the Washington CJTC -recognized Arrestling Force Options Course, Mac is also certified by the internationally renowned Force Science Institute as a Force Science Analyst.
A former Training officer with A Co., 1st BN, 19th Special Forces Group (ABN) and Senior Reserve Police Officer with Woodland Police Department, he received two Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Political Science from Utah State University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark, and after a brief internship with the Metropolitan Public Defenders Office, was a Criminal Law expert and member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Associations, specializing in Use of Force cases.
A certified armed (pistol/handgun) and unarmed instructor through Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training as well as Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission and the New Mexico Investigations Board, he has worked within the security industry since 1995 in many capacities ranging from Executive Protection Specialist, Patrol Officer, Supervisor, Manager and Trainer.
He served as a Personal Security Detail (PSD) Team Leader and Senior Intelligence Specialist with the US State Department’s Civilian Police (CIVPOL) Project in Iraq from 2004-2009, worked under the control of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Services for seven years, attended Executive Protection Courses in both the US and overseas, including the Corwin Noble Executive Protection Course, the Crucible High Threat Protection Course in both Virginia and Amman, Jordan.
Having trained under Staff Sergeant Brandon Summerfeld (7th SFGA), he is the heir to the Sykes-Fairbaine-Applegate and Michael Echanis legacy of military Combatives (H2H) instructors, as well as having studied several other fighting forms ranging from boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling to Korean and Okinawan styles (even worked as a rodeo bullfighter against opponents ten times his own weight!), and was certified as an Instructor through Worldwide Krav Mage as a Law Enforcement Defensive and Control Tactics Instructor.
Mac was also certified as an Instructor in Conductive Electrical Control Tools (Phazzer), OC/Pepperspray (Saber), Baton and Handcuffing (ASP), as well as in Women’s Self Defense Instructorship (RAD Systems), and has served on the DPSST Armed Security Policy Board, as a recognized Firearms Instructor through Oregon DPSST, Washington CJTC, New Mexico ILB and the NRA.
One of very few to complete the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s Use of Force Instructor Course, the Washington CJTC -recognized Arrestling Force Options Course, Mac is also certified by the internationally renowned Force Science Institute as a Force Science Analyst.
A former Training officer with A Co., 1st BN, 19th Special Forces Group (ABN) and Senior Reserve Police Officer with Woodland Police Department, he received two Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Political Science from Utah State University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark, and after a brief internship with the Metropolitan Public Defenders Office, was a Criminal Law expert and member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Associations, specializing in Use of Force cases.
A certified armed (pistol/handgun) and unarmed instructor through Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training as well as Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission and the New Mexico Investigations Board, he has worked within the security industry since 1995 in many capacities ranging from Executive Protection Specialist, Patrol Officer, Supervisor, Manager and Trainer.
He served as a Personal Security Detail (PSD) Team Leader and Senior Intelligence Specialist with the US State Department’s Civilian Police (CIVPOL) Project in Iraq from 2004-2009, worked under the control of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Services for seven years, attended Executive Protection Courses in both the US and overseas, including the Corwin Noble Executive Protection Course, the Crucible High Threat Protection Course in both Virginia and Amman, Jordan.
Having trained under Staff Sergeant Brandon Summerfeld (7th SFGA), he is the heir to the Sykes-Fairbaine-Applegate and Michael Echanis legacy of military Combatives (H2H) instructors, as well as having studied several other fighting forms ranging from boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling to Korean and Okinawan styles (even worked as a rodeo bullfighter against opponents ten times his own weight!), and was certified as an Instructor through Worldwide Krav Mage as a Law Enforcement Defensive and Control Tactics Instructor.
Mac was also certified as an Instructor in Conductive Electrical Control Tools (Phazzer), OC/Pepperspray (Saber), Baton and Handcuffing (ASP), as well as in Women’s Self Defense Instructorship (RAD Systems), and has served on the DPSST Armed Security Policy Board, as a recognized Firearms Instructor through Oregon DPSST, Washington CJTC, New Mexico ILB and the NRA.