Whether it’s the In and Out burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, Time Square, NY, and many other places across our nation, people (men and women) have launched deadly attacks using firearms, edged weapons, and automobiles. There are some items I would like to cover if you find yourself in such a situation and you feel “compelled” to take action. But before you take action, please know that the technique you employ must be one that will incapacitate the offenders, and that you must be competent and confident of your skills.
For those who are NOT using an armed response, it is always best to “ambush” the assailant. If your assailant does not see the defensive technique, you have a greater chance of not being injured in the process. If the offender is armed, the first priority is to disarm the person, then disable them from the ability to obtain another weapon! Therefore, your disarm of their weapon must be expeditious. I should consist of moving their weapon to a safe position and then disarming the weapon. Anything more than those two moves may cause the defender to be injured.
For those who ARE using an armed response, and competent with their choice of firearms, there are several major concerns. If possible, don’t let the armed offender see you as you move into position to take them on and out. Second, you are not required to announce your presence to the armed offender, or tell them to stop or drop their weapon. Third, deploy your weapon “seconds before” you fire on the armed offender. Taking your weapon out prematurely could be viewed by some as though “you” are the shooter. Fourth, make sure you have extra ammunition on your person in case you need to fire on more than one armed offender who may be working as a team. Next, watch your backside to make sure no one sneaks behind you and fires on you.
Beware of other armed citizens who might see you with your weapon out and think you are the armed offender. You don’t want them to fire on you. FOR ME, as a retired law enforcement officer, I would yell police just a second before and after I fire on the offender. No, I’m not the police anymore, but yelling that word “might” dissuade another armed citizen from firing on me. Could anyone make the case of me impersonating a police officer? Sure, but in most jurisdictions, that is a misdemeanor crime, about the same as a traffic citation. And if the law enforcement agency elect to arrest me for impersonating a police officer, I would much rather face those consequences than possibly be seen as an armed offender by some armed citizen.
Once you have fired upon the armed offender and possibly neutralized that person (man or woman), don’t approach the offender for any reason! Holster your weapon and move away from the immediate area. More than likely, someone has already called 9-1-1 to report the violent act and they are responding. You DO NOT want to be seen by law enforcement as the armed offender, so it is imperative that your weapon has been holstered. Because you are now in a safer location, call 9-1-1 and tell the call taker who you are, that you have fired on the armed offender, your physical description and the type of weapon you used. The description of your clothing is important because the responding officers will need to easily pick up on that clue.
If you are with another person or persons (especially a loved one), your priority is to get all of you out of that situation, not to be the hero and take on the armed offender. If you don’t have the ability to get your loved ones or others in your company out of there safely, have one person in your company call 9-1-1 and tell the call taker that you are taking action, armed and give your clothing description.
Should you be fortunate enough to survive this armed encounter, you WILL go through a range of emotions. I would strongly recommend you seek professional counseling for as long as you may need it.