Why is it important for police officers to carry tourniquets?

Police officers are at a high risk of sustaining gunshot or stab wounds to their extremities. Arterial blood loss can result in unconsciousness within minutes and death shortly thereafter. Often, police officers work alone and in areas where emergency medical response can be delayed. As a result, many police officers carry specialized tourniquets developed for the U.S. military that can be applied with one hand in order to stop blood loss quickly and allow the officer to survive long enough to reach emergency medical care.