Federal Way Police Department Cmdr. Kyle Sumpter, of Kent, had a much easier time this week as a contestant on “Top Shot.” Sumpter’s red team handily won the team challenge, keeping all members of the red team away from the elimination challenge.
“Top Shot” airs at 10 p.m. Tuesdays on The History Channel. Also revealed this week: Sumpter’s red team wanted him to be their leader from Day 1 of the competition, something Sumpter said was pleasing, but ran counter to the strategy he took into the show.
“I had hoped to fly under the radar, and keep the target off my back,” Sumpter said. “On the very first day, a couple of people on the red team suggested I be the team leader. It wasn’t until this episode that it came out. But, I had been acting as their team leader right from the very first day.”
Sumpter has had previous experience of being a leader of what are known as “Type A” personalities, he said, referencing his experiences in SWAT.
“SWAT Team is the same way. One thing you cannot do is be arrogant yourself. Because if you do, you end up with an instant clash of the titans,” he said.
Sumpter said this week’s episode highlighted the difference between his red team and the blue team.
“It was embarrassingly obvious that the teamwork on the red team, compared to the dysfunction on the blue team, made all the difference. Everybody on the show is a Type A personality, but the difference is the red team is willing to set aside their egos for the good of the group, and not everybody on the blue team is willing to do that,” he said.
The blue team’s Michelle Viscusi thought the blue team would easily handle the red team in this week’s challenge, the Shotgun Showdown. Sumpter and his fellow marksmen on the red team made easy work of the challenge, beating the blue team 17-9.
This week’s challenge consisted of the marksmen using a Benelli M4 shotgun loaded with slugs, and a Benelli Vinci loaded with birdshot. There were two firing stations, with one contestant taking aim at a moving target using the M4, and the other contestant taking aim at clay pigeons with the Vinci. The M4 shooters had to hit their target to release the clay pigeons, and the Vinci shooters had to eliminate the pigeons. Contestants went through this cycle for four minutes, with the winning team racking up the most pigeon hits.
Sumpter was no stranger to what are considered to be among the world’s finest shotguns: “Benelli is not a stranger to law enforcement. We’ve had some in our inventory come and go. Everybody likes to shoot them, they’re easy, accurate. A nice weapon for law enforcement,” he said.
The Vinci was a model Sumpter had never used before, but now he plans to use the gift card he won in last week’s elimination challenge to buy one.
“It was one of my favorite competitions,” he said. “It made me want to get out and shoot shotguns.”
Contact Federal Way Mirror reporter Greg Allmain at gallmain@fedwaymirror.com or 253-925-5565 ext. 5054.
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