Armed Defense- At home
Firearms Instructor Candy Petticord brought us four new stories of armed defense. Honest citizens defend themselves with a firearm thousands of times a day. Notice that in these stories their gun is their last resort rather than their first. This is what we can learn.
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.
.
Kokomo, Indiana- Do you have a firearm nearby when you’re asleep in bed?
You’ve barely gone to sleep when you hear a strange sound. Someone is in your home. You grab your gun and go investigate. You see someone near the front door. You shout for him to get out. The man charges you and you push him back. You try to push him back outside your home. You hit each other a few times. Finally, you step back and shoot your attacker. Now he stops attacking you. You stop shooting and retreat. Your attacker falls down. You call 911 and ask for help.
You stay on the call with the police dispatchers. You put your gun down before the police arrive. You call to the officers when they knock on your door. They see your attacker on the floor and render aid. Emergency medical services take your attacker to the hospital. You are treated at the scene for cuts, scrapes, and bruises. You give the police a statement about what happened.
News reports don’t say how your attacker entered your home. Your attacker died in the hospital a few hours later. You are not charged with a crime.
.
Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri- Are you armed as you drive?
You and your wife just arrived back home. You are still sitting in the back seat of the car. Your wife says she forgot something and will only be a minute. She left the driver’s-side door open.
You look up and see a teenager jump into the car and start it. You present your firearm from your concealed holster and shoot your carjacker. He runs back to the car that dropped him in front of your house. Your attackers shoot at your car and you’re injured.
News reports don’t say if you or your wife called 911 and asked for help. Police arrest your attacker. He has a gunshot wound to his arm. He is a juvenile. You are taken to the hospital for treatment of your wounds. They are described as non-life threatening and you are in stable condition. The police say that your attackers followed your car home after you dropped your kids off at school.
You are not charged with a crime.
.
Auburn, Washington- Do you have a firearm nearby at night?
You and your wife are at home. You’re both asleep in bed at 2 in the morning. You’re woken up by someone banging on your front door. It sounds like several people, and they shout that they are the Seattle Police. That is strange because the police usually don’t try to kick down your front door. You grab your gun and your phone. You check your security cameras and see three men in hoodies, ski masks, gloves, and with guns in their hands. None of that looks like the police to you.
You move so you can see the front door. The robbers take turns kicking your door, and finally, the door fails. You shoot at them in the doorway. The robbers turn and run. They shoot at your house and the house next door as they run away.
It isn’t clear if you or your wife call 911 and ask for help. You put your gun away before the police arrive. You both give statements to the police and show the police your security video. The police are angry that the robbers pretended to be cops. You and your wife are not hurt, but you have to call an emergency locksmith to repair your front door.
You are not charged with a crime.
.
Hollywood Hills, California- Are you armed at home?
It has been dark for a few hours. The news reports aren’t clear if you saw something in your backyard or if you heard something first. Now you clearly see a stranger in your backyard. You call 911 to report the intruder. You arm yourself. Around a half hour later, you notice the same man trying to enter one of the doors at the back of your home. You yell for him to leave. The man quickly reaches for something in his pocket or inside his belt. You think he has a gun and you shoot. He steps away. You call 911 and ask for help again.
You stay on the line with the dispatcher. You remind them that you are the same woman who called before. You put your gun away when the officers arrive. You show them to the back door. Officers call EMS for help. They take your attacker to the hospital in critical condition. You give a statement to the officers. They take you to the police station for questioning. You are released without being charged.
~_~_
These stories sound simple, but making good decisions in a hurry takes 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. When was the last time you walked through your safety plan with your family? What is your plan in your home, at work, as you drive, and in public?
Thank you for making all of us safer. RM
SlowFacts 