Armed Defense- Do You Have a Firearm Nearby at Night
Every situation is different. This week we reported on several violent attacks and each had their own motivation. One attack was robbery of personal jewelry. One attack was drug related. This story was an ex-boyfriend who was hunting for the victim in her home. Domestic abuse is common enough, but it becomes particularly dangerous when the victim ends the relationship. This story took place last week in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
The single woman was home alone on a Monday night. She heard her ex-boyfriend at the back door of her apartment. Fortunately, her doors and windows were locked. She armed herself and shouted for him to go away. The ex-boyfriend responded by kicking down first the back door and then kicking down the apartment front door as he was looking for the victim. Fortunately, the victim stayed inside her apartment and shot her attacker when he approached her inside.
The defender stopped shooting when her attacker ran away. She stayed inside inside her apartment and called 911 for help rather than chase her attacker down the street. She put her gun away and met the arriving officers with empty hands before she gave a preliminary statement to the officers.
Police arrested her attacker at the hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was also arrested for an outstanding warrant.
That is a lot for a defender to do correctly at about 10:30 at night. We also make better decisions if we have thought about what to do before we hear our back door being shattered.
Our defender chose to own a firearm for self-defense. She recognized that her ex boyfriend put her at an increased risk of violent attack. She locked her doors and windows. That forced her boyfriend to break into her home.
The area is full of small homes and duplexes when you look on Google Street View. That means there were probably a number of ear witnesses who heard the attacker break down the door. Some of the neighbors might have heard the victim shout for the attacker to stop and go away.
It looks like the defender stayed inside her home and out of sight even after the attacker broke through the back door. The attacker then broke through the defender’s front door as he searched for her. The defender then shot her attacker rather than let him get close to her. She also stayed inside her apartment rather than chase her attacker as he ran away.
There are several other things we can do to be safer but they are seldom covered in the news reports. It is relatively cheap to add some motion lights on our front and back doors. Motion activated security cameras will now link directly to our phone. Either of these are considerably less expensive than buying a firearm.
It is also a good idea to get a restraining order so it is clear that the ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend was supposed to stay away from you. The process of getting the restraining order varies from state to state, but in Pennsylvania it appears to be relatively simple. You apply at the county courthouse, complete a petition, and possibly speak to a judge. If you can afford an attorney to advise you, that makes it even easier. If you don’t know where to start, then most police officers can also advise you on how the process works in your area.
The restraining order does not stop an assault, but it does establish who was the aggressor. In most cases, the judge’s order requires that the attacker be taken to jail if he is found near the victim.
It is best practice to lock yourself into a safe room even though your attacker broke down your door. Ideally you have a panic button on your phone so you can quickly call the police. It is ideal if the attacker is in a lighted area of the home while the defender is in the dark. It is harder for an attacker to hit, stab, or shoot a victim who can’t be seen.
Doorways and stairways are easy locations to defend. Crouching behind your bed with your gun already pointed at the locked bedroom door makes it very hard for an attacker to get to you. As simple as that defense sounds, it is easy to overlook after someone breaks down your door. That is the huge advantage of walking through a plan in your home.
Walking through the plan creates a habit. You’ve done those motions before so they are familiar in the middle of the night. You already know where to go and what doors to lock. You know who to call. You also know when to shoot because you’ve made that decision ahead of time.
Facing an attacker is hard enough that we want every advantage on our side.
SlowFacts 