Steven Seagal Skips Posse Training Session

Steven Seagal skipped a posse training session scheduled for Saturday.

The action star was all set to train the Maricopa County sheriff’s posse in an effort to protect children from gunmen at area schools. However, Seagal was a no-show at the training session that took place in Phoenix over the weekend.

Seagal said in a statement that he was forced to skip the posse training session due to some out-of-state matters. The actor stated that the program spearheaded by Sheriff Joe Arpaio remains high on his list of priorities.

Arpaio put together the volunteer posse after the shooting at Newtown, Connecticut last year. The sheriff explained that he was still looking for an additional 1,000 people to help out with the program. The posse currently sports around 3,500 members.

Steven Seagal has assisted with posse training in the past. The actor’s previous session involved “all-day training exercises on various aspects on shooting scene management including room entry tactics and hand to hand tactics.”

“This training is essential for the posse protection plan that will involve schools throughout the county. As previous arrests in school related threats show, the safety of our school children is not to be taken lightly or with inadequate measures,” Sherriff Arpaio said of the program.

The posse isn’t just devoted to protecting children from potential madmen at area schools. Arpaio also uses the volunteers to patrol shopping malls during the Christmas season. The posse has tracked down deadbeat dads in the past as well.

Steven Seagal is a 7th-dan black belt in Aikido. The actor, who has starred in quite a few action films over the past few decades, lives in the Phoenix area. He is also a memeber of Sheriff Arpaio’s posse.

Are you a fan of Steven Seagal? What do you think about the actor’s involvement with the posse training program?

[Image via Keith Muratori / Shutterstock.com]