Armed Defense- Preparation Saves Lives
We have four news stories this week. These defenders were prepared and their superior performance saved their lives and the lives of others. I hope you are ready, both at home, at work, and when you go about in public.
The longer discussion of what we should do, and what we should avoid, is on the Self Defense Gun Stories webpage. There are also bonus discussion points we didn’t get to in this episode. For now, here are the stories and the links to the original news sources.
How should you protect the people you love?
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Clovis, New Mexico– Are you armed at home? and here.
You are a 26 year old woman. You’re at home on a Friday morning. It is about 10 am when you hear someone knock on your door. You’re not expecting anyone. You grab your gun and hear the sound of breaking wood and glass. Someone is breaking into your house. The news reports aren’t clear where you were standing, but you shoot your attacker when he is in the middle of your house. You step back and call 911. You stay at your home.
You put your gun away when the police are nearby. You give a statement to the police when they arrive. Police examine your attacker and declare him dead at the scene. You identify your attacker. You have asked a judge for a restraining order against him. Your attacker had also been cited for trespassing onto your property before. The police look for security videos from the houses in the area. You are not charged with a crime.
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Raleigh, North Carolina- Are you armed as you drive?
You’re driving down the road after work. It is about 5 in the evening when you notice a stranger honking at you. He is tailgating you. You pull over into a shopping center and park your car. Before you can call the police, a man runs up to your car door and opens it. You present your concealed firearm and shoot your attacker. He turns and runs. You stop shooting.
You stay at the scene. You put down your gun and pick up your phone. You call 911 and ask for help. You talk to the police when they arrive.
Police find your attacker nearby. EMS takes your attacker to the hospital. Police get several security videos from the stores nearby. They also talk to several witnesses who saw the man get out of his car and quickly run up to your car door. Police also reported that your attacker had a history of domestic violence. They reported that you had a clean criminal record. They said they don’t plan to press charges unless someone comes forward with different evidence. Your attacker died at the hospital.
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Salem, Indiana- Are you armed at home?
You’re working inside your home on a Monday morning. You hear a car drive up. You look outside and see a car driving across your yard. Your husband is working in the yard and the car stops near him. The driver gets out of his car and he runs up to your husband. The driver grabs your husband and pushes him to the ground. The attacker has a gun and points the gun at your husband’s head.
You’re armed. The story isn’t clear if you shot from inside your house or if you moved to the front yard. You present your handgun and shoot the attacker until he drops his gun. You check on your husband. It isn’t clear which one of you called 911. Both of you remain at the scene.
You put your gun away as the police arrive. EMS transports your attacker to the hospital. You and your husband give statements to the police. The attacker used to date your daughter, but that was a while ago and she doesn’t live here any longer. You’re not charged with a crime. Your attacker is declared dead at the hospital.
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Memphis, Tennessee- Are you armed at work?
You work in the office of a Jewish Day School. This is a preparation week when teachers, staff, and maintenance contractors get the school ready for the next term. It is just after noon when you hear several gunshots outside. You check the video cameras and see a man walking away from the front doors. The doors are locked because students are not arriving or leaving at this time. You capture the video from the cameras and call the police for help.
You give the video to your security company that works with Jewish schools. You also give a copy of the video to the police. The security company identifies the attacker’s license plate and then identifies the attacker. He used to be a student at the school. Police receive the attacker’s identity and put out the alert. They find your attacker and pull over his truck in a traffic stop. The attacker gets out of his truck and shoots at the police. Police shoot back and stop the attacker. EMS takes the attacker to the hospital. He is 33 years old.
No one else was injured by the attacker’s gunfire. The reports don’t describe the repair required on the front door and windows of the school. The attacker was charged with criminal attempted second-degree murder, carrying weapons on school property, reckless endangerment, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, and assault against a police officer.
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Preparation saves lives. Learning armed defense is a series of stepping stones. You take a firearm safely class. You study marksmanship and learn how to hit a target. You learn how to carry a firearm on your body in public. Next, we study the laws of the court and the laws of the street. You obtain your carry permit, and you keep practicing.
Thank you for making all of us safer. RM
SlowFacts 