JimConway
Instructor
Interesting threat analysis about armed robbers
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_38/477114_Must_read_post_from_GD.html
riginally Posted By BurnedOutLEO:
ately in GD we have had two different board members find themselves ooking down the barrel of a gun along with the GF of another ARFCOMMER in treet robberies. Also Blitz308 got shot all to pieces last year.
While many say it is better to be lucky than good, no one is lucky every ime. In this post I am going to attempt to provide some insight into treet encounters. Other may have different viewpoints. I am not here to rgue. I will say some of the comments I have seen posted in the threads bout this sort of matter make me realize that while some ARFCOMMERS are learly street veterans others are not. This is really for those who are ot.
Background
First, my info. I worked in the street of one of America's most violent, angerous cities for 15 years. I usually worked in the worst part of that ity. I spent 15 years in patrol. I liked patrol. It was wild. Most of the ime I worked in areas covered in ghetto. By that I mean large housing rojects combined with run down slum housing. I have worked all shifts.
ater I became an investigator including a robbery investigator. I have pent countless hours in interrogation rooms talking to hold up men. I know hem. I am still an investigator but have quit playing the Robbery game ecause my family was starting to forget what I looked like.
The Enemy
Some may object to me calling hold up men "the enemy". You can call them hatever you like. I can assure you however they are as deadly an enemy as ou will find anywhere but the battlefield. Even many soldiers probably ack the viciousness and utter disregard for life most hold up men possess.
No one wakes up in the morning one day and decides to become an armed obber. It is a gradual process that requires some experience and esensitizing. Before a man will pick up a gun and threaten to kill people ho have done him no harm in order to get their usually meager possessions e has to get comfortable with some things.
He has to get used to seeing others as objects for him to exploit. He has o accept he may be killed while robbing. He has to accept the felony onviction for Robbery will haunt him all his life. He has to accept he may eed to kill a completely innocent person to get away with his crime.
This is a process that starts with stealing candy at the corner store as a hild. It progresses through bigger property crimes that may also involve iolence. But one day G gets tired of selling his stolen property for othing and decides it would be better to steal cash. Cut out all that iresome sales stuff.
eep in mind many petty thieves, auto burglars, residential and commercial urglars, paper thieves, and hustlers will get to that point and decide not o become armed robbers. Most will. It is a special group of outliers who ecide threatening to kill people for a few dollars is the way to go.
Once a man starts armed robbing he has crossed a line most won't. Don't orget that when you are looking these bastards in the eye. Their decision o kill you is already made. Your life means nothing to him. Only his does.
is sole motivation for not killing you is he doesn't want a murder case.
e has already accepted he may pick one up though.
We hunt hold up men around the clock once they are identified. We send eams of fire breathing fence jumper/door kickers to find them. We will ring their mother to the office and convince her she is going to jail if e don't have Junior in our office in an hour. We have her call her son rying hysterically for him to turn himself in before she is arrested and eld without bond as a material witness and her home seized for harboring im. Most of the time they won't. **** their own momma.
We will hit all Juniors friends and family's houses. We make it so no one ill harbor him. He is so hot no one will let him in their house or even alk on the phone with him. We put money on him so he knows he is right to e betrayed and set up. We do this because of one thing.
That thing is they WILL kill someone if they keep robbing. That is why the ity is willing to pay all the overtime. They don't want the murders. Think bout that when you see Junior coming. The more robberies he does the loser he is to killing someone. Maybe you.
The guys who hit you on the street are gang members. They are Gangster isciples, Vice Lords, Crips, Sureonos, many others. They do not see hemselves as part of society. The street is all they know. They don't xpect to live long or stay out of prison. They take a delight in your fear nd suffering. They are warped individuals for the most part. They can be xtremely dangerous.
One time we were locking up a hold up man and having a conversation about ow they target their victims. I was saying they pick easy ones, another uy was saying they preferred easy ones but would take anybody.
I pointed out a uniform Officer there was an NFL size guy to that hold up an. Frankly the dude was a monster. I asked hold up man if he would rob im. He said "If I needed the money".
You
Chances are good you are a law abiding person except for maybe a little ight weed smoking and maybe driving a little drunk every once in a while.
ost of your life you have been taught to be nice and don't point guns at eople. You are the exact opposite of your enemy who was taught just the pposite. Remember a lot of street life is like prison life. Who's the man s everything. Violence is the currency of the street.
You do not possess total disregard for the lives of others and do not want o kill anyone. You are concerned about the ramifications of shooting omeone. Your family, your possessions and finances on the line. Your enemy as none of these concerns.
The laws that keep you from carrying your gun in bars or where ever mean othing to your enemy. Your reluctance to shoot someone works to is dvantage. His greater experience in street violence and the element of urprise is on his side.
Everyone should call their local FBI office and get a copy of Law nforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. When it first came out it was round breaking because it demonstrated to academics and other elites what treet police knew all along. What did it show in interviews with cop illers? Nice guys finish dead. That's right. Most of those offenders ommented that the Officer they killed set himself up to be killed because f reluctance to use force early in the encounter.
You can probably find it on line now. A lot of the victim Officers were a ot like a lot of other people, normal people. They were the opposite of heir enemy.
Am I advocating becoming the enemy? No. I am saying the person who is obbing you has certain traits, attitudes, and background. That is all.
Dynamics of Encounters
Hold up men target victims on the street in an impulsive, opportunistic anner. They see someone and make a quick judgment call on whether to rob hem. The time between when you are targeted and they are on you isn't ong. Therefore, situational awareness is everything.
If you see G coming you are in good shape. If you don't you will be the ictim who says "He came out of nowhere". No he didn't. There are many ricks to watching out but simply watching your back is the main thing.
atch your back. If you do it enough it becomes second nature and you won't ven realize you are doing it.
Watching out is great but unfortunately many self defense courses stop here. You have parked you car in a well lit area, are aware of your urroundings, and looky here, here comes three guys across the parking lot nd they start to kind of fan out.
When you lock eyes with G the very first thing you need to do it indicate ou have a weapon. It doesn't matter if you do or not. If you are a woman ut your gun hand in your purse and keep it there. If you are a man fan our shirt or coat tail with your gun hand. Make it clear to dude you are entally prepared to draw and making sure your gun is clear. This will many imes result in an about face by dude. It is the single best robbery voidance tactic IMHO.
Not long ago I was walking down the sidewalk in my town to go get my car. I as holding a folding chair in my gun hand. A car slow rolled past me with heads in it. The guys in the back seat turned around as they went by ooking at me. They went a little farther and U turned in the street.
Here they come back. As they started to slow down I looked at them with as ontemptuous a look as I could muster and switched the chair to my left and and flicked my shirt tail with my right hand. They just drove on mad ogging me.
In another case I was at a Christmas party and walked a girl to her car bout 3 am. As we said our good-byes two guys were walking across the arking lot. One went behind a dumpster. I though he was peeing. He came ut from behind the dumpster with a bottle.
As they got closer I stepped clear of that girl and unzipped my jacket at hose two guys. When I did the guy threw down the bottle and they walked by ussing at me. If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed ay "I don't have a gun". Then they will know you do.
Here is an opposite story. A girl my brother knows was walking her dog when guy approached her. She was polite. Mistake. He talked to her about the og and said she had pretty hair and reached out and touched her hair. She id not slap his hand down or aggressively object. Mistake. He asked her if er dog bit and she said "No". At that time he slapped the shit out of her, rug her into a wooded area, and raped her.
The answer in the street is always "No". Can I ask you something? No. Do ou have a cigarette? No. Can you tell me what time it is? No. The answer s always "No". Don't be nice. Stop the encounter as soon as it starts.
When to draw
Despite warnings I often see on the Net I have yet to encounter an instance n which a hold up man called the police to report his intended victim hreatened to shoot him. Thugs do not want to come into contact with the olice. They may already be wanted or realize chances are good they have een identified in a recent robbery. Or what ever. They are not going to all the police if you draw on them.
Supposed two guys are approaching you in a parking lot and do the classic an out maneuver. You indicate you have a weapon by clearing your gun hand nd fanning your jacket at them. They are not discouraged. DRAW!
I am not saying you should pull your gun out, assume a Weaver stance, and cream "That's close enough mother****ers!" What I am saying is draw your un and hold it beside your leg as you start to move to cover. I am very ond of telephone poles. Anything will do though. They will see this. They ill remember they have to be somewhere else. They will not call the olice.
Then you can just put your gun back in the holster and go back to whatever ou were doing like nothing happened. Why? Because nothing did happen. A appening is when shots are fired.
Do not hesitate to draw. If you are somewhere you are supposed to be and omeone appears who is not supposed to be there like a closed business show im the end of your gun. Could it be Mother Teresa looking for her lost cat ehind your closed business? No it is some mother****er up to no good. He on't call the police to report he was prowling a location when a guy ran im off.
When to shoot
The time to shoot is immediately upon seeing his weapon. You are not a olice man who has to try to arrest the guy. No need to scream at him. No xposure while you yell for him to drop the gun.
In deer hunting the experienced hunter takes the first good shot. May not e the perfect shot but it never is. Novices pass up a doable shot waiting or a better shot and then the deer is gone. Take the first good shot you re offered. Hopefully your alertness and hostile cues will prevent you ver having to fire. But once you see his weapon, shoot.
If a guy is coming at you with a gun in his hand shoot him. Shoot him right hen. If you don't shoot first you may not shoot at all. I have known more han one person who was shot and received life changing injuries and also hot their attacker. Their only regret was not shooting sooner. Like Bill ordan said "Nothing disturbs your enemy's aim like a slug delivered to the elt buckle area".
Guns and weapons
The handgun is the best weapon you can carry easily. I understand it is not lways possible to have one due to laws, restrictions, whatever. I am not elling anyone to disregard laws about carrying weapons. Each person has to ecide for themselves what they are comfortable with. I will say there is o substitute for a pistol when you need one.
lso if you can not be trusted with a pistol after a few drinks you can't e trusted with a pistol period. Booze is liquid bad judgment no doubt but t shouldn't make you into a damn moron. If you are a moron sober I don't now what to tell you.
Types of guns and ammo are always debated and probably always will be. I ave seen people shot with all common calibers. My conclusion is if you hit omeone between the collar bone and the tip of their ribs three times with nything, they are handled. Bigger is better but something is better than othing. Get your front sight on his shirt and stay on him as long as he is tanding with whatever gun you have.
Just have a gun with sure fire ammo. Draw early and fire immediately upon eeing his weapon. That course of action is about all you can do to up your dds of ending things favorably. Guns like the Ruger LC9, SIG 239, Glock
6/27 are examples of guns small enough to carry but with enough power and apacity to be useful. Do not be afraid to use a French Lebelle if that is he only gun you have. A gun is a gun. I like a Glock 19.
Training
We all want the best training. It can be expensive if you are having to pay or it and it can be hard to find the time to do it. There is a whole lot f BS out there. What can you do? First, pistol handling is not rocket urgery. If you will learn the basics and practice on your own you can be ine. Smooth draw, quick pairs, reload. If you know those things well you an be OK.
I know a young man who shot down two hold up men in 2010 at very close ange while he and his GF were walking home from the store. He in Wyatt arp like fashion ignored the fire coming from the gunman and killed him nd wounded his accomplice. He nor his GF were injured. He like many was illing to give them the money until he picked up on nonverbal cues that ecause of his GF they were not quite satisfied with the money. He had a lock 27.
He had only the most basic of training in gun handling but did do some raws and some dry fire a couple times a week and live fired maybe once a onth. That basic skill combined with knowing what to do was enough. He hot at the first possible moment despite having let the guys get the drop n them. When the gunman turned his head because a car drove by that was he opening. A split second is a long time sometimes.
Work on some one hand shooting at close range. That is a skill not as opular as it once was and you want to use two hands when you can. Often ou can find yourself doing something with your off hand though so be able o shoot with one hand out to 5 yards or so.
fter
If it comes to pass you are forced to shoot someone do not feel bad. When he police come just tell them a guy threatened you with deadly force and ou were forced to fire. I know there are bad police out there in some arts of the country who don't support self defense. I can't help you with hat.
Do not talk to them until you have your attorney present. Now most young uys don't have an attorney on retainer and you may have no idea who to all. That is OK. You will figure it out but in the mean time don't talk bout what happened other than to say you were forced to fire. You don't ave to be an a**h*** just remember wait for your attorney.
Hopefully you will not give a statement for a couple days. Remember if you re put in jail that doesn't mean you are charged. Most places can hold you
8 or 72 hours on a felony before charging you or letting you go. Breath eep and get an attorney.
Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe ot. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting un if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model
0 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren't ancy.
Worlds
We all live in different worlds. My world is filled with felons and gang embers. Violence is common place. No one would be surprised if one of heir friends called and said they shot a hold up man at a place of usiness or parking lot. In the past when I made calls the fact that the uy who is beating his GF is also on parole for 2nd degree murder flavored y world.
You may live in a smaller, less violent place where shootings seldom occur nd it would be a rare to shoot a hold up man. I envy you and will be oving to a place like your town as soon as I can.
But be advised no matter where you are a hold man is going to be about the ame. Whether he is a home boy or a guy who just exited the interstate into our town and needs some quick money. He is going to have a vicious streak nd no regard for your life. Treat him like he treats you.
Giving them the money, doing what they say, all that may work but there is o guarantee. If you have never read Jeff Cooper's book The Principles of ersonal Defense I suggest you order a copy immediately. It is a short book ut summarizes a lot of important things.
Last year we had a trial here regarding an armed robbery that occurred.
hree or four guys took a young couple from a parking garage near a college ut by some railroad tracks where they raped, shot, and beat them. Their ives will never be the same.
The lesser thugs all turned on the trigger man at trial. The trigger man's tatement in the paper was after all that had happened he felt like he was victim. Think about that. That is the mindset you are up against.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_8_38/477114_Must_read_post_from_GD.html
riginally Posted By BurnedOutLEO:
ately in GD we have had two different board members find themselves ooking down the barrel of a gun along with the GF of another ARFCOMMER in treet robberies. Also Blitz308 got shot all to pieces last year.
While many say it is better to be lucky than good, no one is lucky every ime. In this post I am going to attempt to provide some insight into treet encounters. Other may have different viewpoints. I am not here to rgue. I will say some of the comments I have seen posted in the threads bout this sort of matter make me realize that while some ARFCOMMERS are learly street veterans others are not. This is really for those who are ot.
Background
First, my info. I worked in the street of one of America's most violent, angerous cities for 15 years. I usually worked in the worst part of that ity. I spent 15 years in patrol. I liked patrol. It was wild. Most of the ime I worked in areas covered in ghetto. By that I mean large housing rojects combined with run down slum housing. I have worked all shifts.
ater I became an investigator including a robbery investigator. I have pent countless hours in interrogation rooms talking to hold up men. I know hem. I am still an investigator but have quit playing the Robbery game ecause my family was starting to forget what I looked like.
The Enemy
Some may object to me calling hold up men "the enemy". You can call them hatever you like. I can assure you however they are as deadly an enemy as ou will find anywhere but the battlefield. Even many soldiers probably ack the viciousness and utter disregard for life most hold up men possess.
No one wakes up in the morning one day and decides to become an armed obber. It is a gradual process that requires some experience and esensitizing. Before a man will pick up a gun and threaten to kill people ho have done him no harm in order to get their usually meager possessions e has to get comfortable with some things.
He has to get used to seeing others as objects for him to exploit. He has o accept he may be killed while robbing. He has to accept the felony onviction for Robbery will haunt him all his life. He has to accept he may eed to kill a completely innocent person to get away with his crime.
This is a process that starts with stealing candy at the corner store as a hild. It progresses through bigger property crimes that may also involve iolence. But one day G gets tired of selling his stolen property for othing and decides it would be better to steal cash. Cut out all that iresome sales stuff.
eep in mind many petty thieves, auto burglars, residential and commercial urglars, paper thieves, and hustlers will get to that point and decide not o become armed robbers. Most will. It is a special group of outliers who ecide threatening to kill people for a few dollars is the way to go.
Once a man starts armed robbing he has crossed a line most won't. Don't orget that when you are looking these bastards in the eye. Their decision o kill you is already made. Your life means nothing to him. Only his does.
is sole motivation for not killing you is he doesn't want a murder case.
e has already accepted he may pick one up though.
We hunt hold up men around the clock once they are identified. We send eams of fire breathing fence jumper/door kickers to find them. We will ring their mother to the office and convince her she is going to jail if e don't have Junior in our office in an hour. We have her call her son rying hysterically for him to turn himself in before she is arrested and eld without bond as a material witness and her home seized for harboring im. Most of the time they won't. **** their own momma.
We will hit all Juniors friends and family's houses. We make it so no one ill harbor him. He is so hot no one will let him in their house or even alk on the phone with him. We put money on him so he knows he is right to e betrayed and set up. We do this because of one thing.
That thing is they WILL kill someone if they keep robbing. That is why the ity is willing to pay all the overtime. They don't want the murders. Think bout that when you see Junior coming. The more robberies he does the loser he is to killing someone. Maybe you.
The guys who hit you on the street are gang members. They are Gangster isciples, Vice Lords, Crips, Sureonos, many others. They do not see hemselves as part of society. The street is all they know. They don't xpect to live long or stay out of prison. They take a delight in your fear nd suffering. They are warped individuals for the most part. They can be xtremely dangerous.
One time we were locking up a hold up man and having a conversation about ow they target their victims. I was saying they pick easy ones, another uy was saying they preferred easy ones but would take anybody.
I pointed out a uniform Officer there was an NFL size guy to that hold up an. Frankly the dude was a monster. I asked hold up man if he would rob im. He said "If I needed the money".
You
Chances are good you are a law abiding person except for maybe a little ight weed smoking and maybe driving a little drunk every once in a while.
ost of your life you have been taught to be nice and don't point guns at eople. You are the exact opposite of your enemy who was taught just the pposite. Remember a lot of street life is like prison life. Who's the man s everything. Violence is the currency of the street.
You do not possess total disregard for the lives of others and do not want o kill anyone. You are concerned about the ramifications of shooting omeone. Your family, your possessions and finances on the line. Your enemy as none of these concerns.
The laws that keep you from carrying your gun in bars or where ever mean othing to your enemy. Your reluctance to shoot someone works to is dvantage. His greater experience in street violence and the element of urprise is on his side.
Everyone should call their local FBI office and get a copy of Law nforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. When it first came out it was round breaking because it demonstrated to academics and other elites what treet police knew all along. What did it show in interviews with cop illers? Nice guys finish dead. That's right. Most of those offenders ommented that the Officer they killed set himself up to be killed because f reluctance to use force early in the encounter.
You can probably find it on line now. A lot of the victim Officers were a ot like a lot of other people, normal people. They were the opposite of heir enemy.
Am I advocating becoming the enemy? No. I am saying the person who is obbing you has certain traits, attitudes, and background. That is all.
Dynamics of Encounters
Hold up men target victims on the street in an impulsive, opportunistic anner. They see someone and make a quick judgment call on whether to rob hem. The time between when you are targeted and they are on you isn't ong. Therefore, situational awareness is everything.
If you see G coming you are in good shape. If you don't you will be the ictim who says "He came out of nowhere". No he didn't. There are many ricks to watching out but simply watching your back is the main thing.
atch your back. If you do it enough it becomes second nature and you won't ven realize you are doing it.
Watching out is great but unfortunately many self defense courses stop here. You have parked you car in a well lit area, are aware of your urroundings, and looky here, here comes three guys across the parking lot nd they start to kind of fan out.
When you lock eyes with G the very first thing you need to do it indicate ou have a weapon. It doesn't matter if you do or not. If you are a woman ut your gun hand in your purse and keep it there. If you are a man fan our shirt or coat tail with your gun hand. Make it clear to dude you are entally prepared to draw and making sure your gun is clear. This will many imes result in an about face by dude. It is the single best robbery voidance tactic IMHO.
Not long ago I was walking down the sidewalk in my town to go get my car. I as holding a folding chair in my gun hand. A car slow rolled past me with heads in it. The guys in the back seat turned around as they went by ooking at me. They went a little farther and U turned in the street.
Here they come back. As they started to slow down I looked at them with as ontemptuous a look as I could muster and switched the chair to my left and and flicked my shirt tail with my right hand. They just drove on mad ogging me.
In another case I was at a Christmas party and walked a girl to her car bout 3 am. As we said our good-byes two guys were walking across the arking lot. One went behind a dumpster. I though he was peeing. He came ut from behind the dumpster with a bottle.
As they got closer I stepped clear of that girl and unzipped my jacket at hose two guys. When I did the guy threw down the bottle and they walked by ussing at me. If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed ay "I don't have a gun". Then they will know you do.
Here is an opposite story. A girl my brother knows was walking her dog when guy approached her. She was polite. Mistake. He talked to her about the og and said she had pretty hair and reached out and touched her hair. She id not slap his hand down or aggressively object. Mistake. He asked her if er dog bit and she said "No". At that time he slapped the shit out of her, rug her into a wooded area, and raped her.
The answer in the street is always "No". Can I ask you something? No. Do ou have a cigarette? No. Can you tell me what time it is? No. The answer s always "No". Don't be nice. Stop the encounter as soon as it starts.
When to draw
Despite warnings I often see on the Net I have yet to encounter an instance n which a hold up man called the police to report his intended victim hreatened to shoot him. Thugs do not want to come into contact with the olice. They may already be wanted or realize chances are good they have een identified in a recent robbery. Or what ever. They are not going to all the police if you draw on them.
Supposed two guys are approaching you in a parking lot and do the classic an out maneuver. You indicate you have a weapon by clearing your gun hand nd fanning your jacket at them. They are not discouraged. DRAW!
I am not saying you should pull your gun out, assume a Weaver stance, and cream "That's close enough mother****ers!" What I am saying is draw your un and hold it beside your leg as you start to move to cover. I am very ond of telephone poles. Anything will do though. They will see this. They ill remember they have to be somewhere else. They will not call the olice.
Then you can just put your gun back in the holster and go back to whatever ou were doing like nothing happened. Why? Because nothing did happen. A appening is when shots are fired.
Do not hesitate to draw. If you are somewhere you are supposed to be and omeone appears who is not supposed to be there like a closed business show im the end of your gun. Could it be Mother Teresa looking for her lost cat ehind your closed business? No it is some mother****er up to no good. He on't call the police to report he was prowling a location when a guy ran im off.
When to shoot
The time to shoot is immediately upon seeing his weapon. You are not a olice man who has to try to arrest the guy. No need to scream at him. No xposure while you yell for him to drop the gun.
In deer hunting the experienced hunter takes the first good shot. May not e the perfect shot but it never is. Novices pass up a doable shot waiting or a better shot and then the deer is gone. Take the first good shot you re offered. Hopefully your alertness and hostile cues will prevent you ver having to fire. But once you see his weapon, shoot.
If a guy is coming at you with a gun in his hand shoot him. Shoot him right hen. If you don't shoot first you may not shoot at all. I have known more han one person who was shot and received life changing injuries and also hot their attacker. Their only regret was not shooting sooner. Like Bill ordan said "Nothing disturbs your enemy's aim like a slug delivered to the elt buckle area".
Guns and weapons
The handgun is the best weapon you can carry easily. I understand it is not lways possible to have one due to laws, restrictions, whatever. I am not elling anyone to disregard laws about carrying weapons. Each person has to ecide for themselves what they are comfortable with. I will say there is o substitute for a pistol when you need one.
lso if you can not be trusted with a pistol after a few drinks you can't e trusted with a pistol period. Booze is liquid bad judgment no doubt but t shouldn't make you into a damn moron. If you are a moron sober I don't now what to tell you.
Types of guns and ammo are always debated and probably always will be. I ave seen people shot with all common calibers. My conclusion is if you hit omeone between the collar bone and the tip of their ribs three times with nything, they are handled. Bigger is better but something is better than othing. Get your front sight on his shirt and stay on him as long as he is tanding with whatever gun you have.
Just have a gun with sure fire ammo. Draw early and fire immediately upon eeing his weapon. That course of action is about all you can do to up your dds of ending things favorably. Guns like the Ruger LC9, SIG 239, Glock
6/27 are examples of guns small enough to carry but with enough power and apacity to be useful. Do not be afraid to use a French Lebelle if that is he only gun you have. A gun is a gun. I like a Glock 19.
Training
We all want the best training. It can be expensive if you are having to pay or it and it can be hard to find the time to do it. There is a whole lot f BS out there. What can you do? First, pistol handling is not rocket urgery. If you will learn the basics and practice on your own you can be ine. Smooth draw, quick pairs, reload. If you know those things well you an be OK.
I know a young man who shot down two hold up men in 2010 at very close ange while he and his GF were walking home from the store. He in Wyatt arp like fashion ignored the fire coming from the gunman and killed him nd wounded his accomplice. He nor his GF were injured. He like many was illing to give them the money until he picked up on nonverbal cues that ecause of his GF they were not quite satisfied with the money. He had a lock 27.
He had only the most basic of training in gun handling but did do some raws and some dry fire a couple times a week and live fired maybe once a onth. That basic skill combined with knowing what to do was enough. He hot at the first possible moment despite having let the guys get the drop n them. When the gunman turned his head because a car drove by that was he opening. A split second is a long time sometimes.
Work on some one hand shooting at close range. That is a skill not as opular as it once was and you want to use two hands when you can. Often ou can find yourself doing something with your off hand though so be able o shoot with one hand out to 5 yards or so.
fter
If it comes to pass you are forced to shoot someone do not feel bad. When he police come just tell them a guy threatened you with deadly force and ou were forced to fire. I know there are bad police out there in some arts of the country who don't support self defense. I can't help you with hat.
Do not talk to them until you have your attorney present. Now most young uys don't have an attorney on retainer and you may have no idea who to all. That is OK. You will figure it out but in the mean time don't talk bout what happened other than to say you were forced to fire. You don't ave to be an a**h*** just remember wait for your attorney.
Hopefully you will not give a statement for a couple days. Remember if you re put in jail that doesn't mean you are charged. Most places can hold you
8 or 72 hours on a felony before charging you or letting you go. Breath eep and get an attorney.
Expect to never get your gun back. You may get it back one day but maybe ot. Do not buy expensive guns for the street. Buy yourself a nice sporting un if you want a nice gun. Keep your street guns basic. The factory Model
0 Smith and the GI 45 have done a lot of work over the years and aren't ancy.
Worlds
We all live in different worlds. My world is filled with felons and gang embers. Violence is common place. No one would be surprised if one of heir friends called and said they shot a hold up man at a place of usiness or parking lot. In the past when I made calls the fact that the uy who is beating his GF is also on parole for 2nd degree murder flavored y world.
You may live in a smaller, less violent place where shootings seldom occur nd it would be a rare to shoot a hold up man. I envy you and will be oving to a place like your town as soon as I can.
But be advised no matter where you are a hold man is going to be about the ame. Whether he is a home boy or a guy who just exited the interstate into our town and needs some quick money. He is going to have a vicious streak nd no regard for your life. Treat him like he treats you.
Giving them the money, doing what they say, all that may work but there is o guarantee. If you have never read Jeff Cooper's book The Principles of ersonal Defense I suggest you order a copy immediately. It is a short book ut summarizes a lot of important things.
Last year we had a trial here regarding an armed robbery that occurred.
hree or four guys took a young couple from a parking garage near a college ut by some railroad tracks where they raped, shot, and beat them. Their ives will never be the same.
The lesser thugs all turned on the trigger man at trial. The trigger man's tatement in the paper was after all that had happened he felt like he was victim. Think about that. That is the mindset you are up against.
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