Armed Defense- At home, at work, and at church
We have four new stories of armed defense this week. Honest gun owners like you defend yourselves thousands of times and save hundreds of lives a day. You defend yourself and the people you care about at home, at work, in pubic, and sometimes at church. Armed defense is so much more than marksmanship.
In these stories, the bad guys came with a plan. We want to practice what to do so we don’t freeze when we have no time to think. What are your plans to protect the people you love?
The longer discussion of what we should do, and what we should avoid, is on the Self Defense Gun Stories webpage. For now, here are the stories and the links to the original news sources.
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Midwest City, Oklahoma- Are you armed at home?
You’re at home on a weekday morning. You hear a crashing sound from the middle of your house. You move toward the sound and see a man standing in the middle of your home. You shout for him to leave. He moves toward you. You run to get your gun. You turn back to your attacker when he lunges for you. You shoot him in the chest and he stops advancing. You stop shooting.
You back up and shout for your girlfriend to call 911. You put your gun away as the police arrive. EMS takes your attacker to the hospital. You and your girlfriend give statements to the police.
Your attacker is your girlfriend’s ex-husband. You never met him before. Your attacker is charged with first-degree burglary and with stalking. You are not charged with a crime.
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Chicago, Illinois.- Are you armed as you drive?
Accidents happen. You drive a tow truck to untangle the mess that drivers make out of afternoon traffic. The good news is that the cars and a large city bus are already on the side of the highway. No one was injured during the accidents. You park your truck and start talking to the drivers to see if they need a tow. You look up when you hear gunshots. You see one of the passengers cry out and fall down. You duck behind an SUV and hear bullets hit the car.
You have your Illinois firearms owners identification card. You have your concealed carry permit. You’re armed today. You shoot back at the passenger in the white dodge SUV who is shooting at bystanders. The attacker drives away. You stop shooting. With an accident this size, police are already on their way. It isn’t clear if you or another passenger called 911 to ask for EMTs.
You reholster you firearm. You identify yourself to the officers and show them your paperwork. They ask you to stay at the scene. Now you wish you had a full video system on your truck.
The wounded bystander worked for the Chicago Transit Authority and was sorting out the damaged vehicles when you arrived. He is taken to the hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening leg wound. The next day, you saw that two other tow truck drivers were shot, and one was killed. You’re not charged with a crime.
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Arlington, Texas- Are you armed at work?
The surge is done for the day and you get a chance to breathe. You’re lining up the work for tomorrow. It is Thursday evening and you work in the service department of a car dealership. You hear a crashing sound from the front of the building and you wonder if someone drove a car into the showroom. You hear people scream. You get up to see if you can help. You see a man with a rifle standing in the showroom. He is pointing the rifle at customers and employees. You shoot at him. He shoots back and retreats to the parking lot. You stop shooting. Police arrive a few minutes later. Again, the attacker points a gun at the police and is shot. EMS takes the attacker to the hospital.
You put your gun away. You give a statement to the police. The attacker was a former employee. The only person wounded was the attacker. You’re not charged.
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Haymarket, Virginia- Are you armed in public?
Church services are in progress. You’re part of the security team standing watch in the back hallway. You see a man walk into the church through the back entryway wearing a black trench coat and sunglasses. That doesn’t make sense given the weather outside. You contact the security center and ask for backup. They see the suspect on video. You approach the suspect and start talking to him. You welcome him to the church. The security center says the intruder fits a profile of a known threat. Your partner arrives, and you keep talking to the suspect. He doesn’t take off his glasses inside or meet your eyes or shake your hand. You ask him how you can help him, if he is interested in hearing a particular service or attending a particular ministry. He acts as if he doesn’t know about your church and the regular church services. You tell him about the church as you stall for time.
A police officer working at the church verifies that a known suspect’s car is in the parking lot. Your partner moves behind the suspect. The police officer enters the building and arrests the suspect.
The suspect made online threats against the church that morning. Someone called the police to report the threats. The suspect is charged with making threats of bodily harm and carrying dangerous weapons to a place of religious worship. You file a report and go back to work.
Tag- No Shots Fired
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These stories sound simple, but making it look easy takes thought and practice. We have to rely on good habits when we’re too startled to think clearly. That is why it is so important to have a safety plan for your home, for work, and for when you’re in public. What is the plan in your home?
Thank you for making all of us safer. RM
SlowFacts 