Episode 17 with Amber Kumau
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Introduction-
Rob- Welcome to episode 17 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. I’m Rob Morse with self-defense instructor Amber Kunau. Hi Amber.
Amber- Hi, Rob. Hi to our new listeners, and welcome back to our regular listeners. Together, we report and analyze examples of armed civilian defense each week. Our first example took place last month in East Texas.
First story- A man was walking across a taco stand parking lot late at night. Two men approached him. One was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt. The other was wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a handgun. This intended victim had his concealed handgun license, and he was armed that night. He shot one of the robbers several times. The other robber escaped. The wounded thief was arrested and transported to a local hospital.
Amber-The first thing I want to point out about this story is that the victim is safe and at least one of the bad guys is in custody. This is a WIN! These types of criminals with violent pasts walk among us every day. Many of them have committed other crimes and many have arrest warrants but that doesn’t mean that they are in jail. Maybe they wanted to rob to the guy and not harm him but who is willing to take that chance? I know if there is a gun pointed at me that my life is in imminent danger. I have every right in the world to exercise my rights to defend my life. That is exactly what the victim did here. This happened right outside a restaurant not in a dark alley somewhere. These kinds of violent crime happen anywhere and at any time. It is imperative to stay vigilant and stay safe. Always carry a gun and be prepared to defend your life.
Rob- This sounds hard. The victim was away from home, two attackers against one, and this happened late at night probably in the dark. Amber, how many of your students practice their presentation after they take their concealed carry course?
Amber- We hope all of them do. It is something we recommend to all of our students.
Rob- Do they practice in low light?
Amber- Low light classes aren’t super popular but they are offered but it is so important to try to find a low light class or even shoot a competition at night is a great way to practice shooting in low light situations.
Our next story happened in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Second Story- A pharmacy owner in Levittown was prepared. He had a security camera system installed. More important was that the store owner was alert and aware at 10 in the morning. He saw a man wearing a halloween mask get out from the passenger side door of a minivan. The driver remained in the car with the engine running. The masked man also carried a shotgun. The thief entered the store and turned toward the pharmacy counter. The store owner shouted for the thief to stop. The thief advanced and jumped over the pharmacy counter with his shotgun. The pharmacist fired several shots and struck the armed robber. The robber collapsed on the floor. Police arrested the waiting accomplice.
Amber- This a fantastic story of “the good guy winning”. The victim was PREPARED. Probably the single most important factor.
Rob- Being prepared isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Amber- No, it isn’t. The pharmacist was aware. The video system let the pharmacist see what was coming. I’m sure he didn’t believe that the thief had a gun based on the first frame of the video, but then the pharmacist saw the gun again and believed his eyes. That let him become mentally prepared.
The robber had a pocket full of zip ties and wanted to tie up anyone in the store. The robber was prepared. As the defender, it wouldn’t help you very much if you saw the threat but you don’t have the tools to protect yourself.
The intended victim owned a gun AND had his gun with him. That decision saved his life. The police and the DA in this case said the man had no choice and NO CHARGES will be brought against him because he had to defend his life and his business.
So many people forget that is an inalienable right which is why we are here today to discuss this and remind people that these things happen every day and it is up to US to keep OURSELVES safe. The police could not have gotten there in time to help this man. But since he was armed he was able to go home at the end of the day.
Rob- The video system also documented the robbery. That is why the police quickly recognized this as a justified self-defense. That video system just paid for it self when the pharmacist avoided tens of thousands of dollars in bills to pay for his legal defense.
Amber- In this case the video system was cheap insurance.
Our next story took place in Saint Louis.
Third story- This story is a little complicated. A man was waiting to pick up his girlfriend in the parking lot of the Flying Saucer restaurant. It was 10:30 at night when a 20 year old thief approached the waiting driver. The thief demanded the victim turn over his truck. The driver slid out of his truck, and then shot the robber. The robber had two accomplices. The wounded robber ran to his friends while the accomplices shot at the armed victim. The armed victim then returned fire. He missed them, but hit their car.
The victim ran to a nearby business and notified police. He had suffered a leg wound and was taken to the hospital. Two of the three thieves were caught when they went to a hospital seeking treatment.
Amber- I hope the bad guys will start to think twice before attacking someone. I never get tired of hearing about the good guys standing up to the bad guys do you Rob?
Rob- I like it when the good guys save lives.. And this guy did. He also called police.
Amber- I think the shooting was justified. One thing I want to point out to listeners here is that the story says the attacker was getting into his truck to leave. You have a split second to decide what to do. This is where training comes in. Take some time and think about what you would do in this situation.
Was there a better alternative? Could the victim have sped away quickly instead as he saw the attacker starting to flee?
Rob- We think that we’re safe if we escape the one person we see robbing us. In this case, the robber had two accomplices.
Amber- They usually do.
Rob- Our defender might have been out of luck if he carried a revolver.
Amber- That is true, but my students have to start with what they can carry.
We need to study this for at least 2 reasons.
1- you can only shoot someone if you are imminent fear for your life. I assume the victim was in danger or he would not have shot at the suspect but it’s important to consider these things when….BEFORE they happen so you are prepared to make good choices in a chaotic situation.
2- it’s possible the situation could have been made worse when the victim didn’t immediately drawing his gun. Remember, they ran after he presented his weapon. I wonder if his shots let to the full on gunfight. Also, his shots only hit the vehicle but what if they hadn’t?
Rob- you’re worried about where the shots might have gone since the victim missed his attackers?
Amber- Criminals don’t care where their shots go. We do. We are the responsible ones, and we care because we don’t want to hurt innocent people even if we are being attacked.
Rob- In this case, the victim had to draw, move and shoot at a moving target, in the dark, while people were shooting at him. When I say it that way, it sounds like Hollywood.
Amber- That is reality, and why our training classes stress the importance of going through these types of scenarios ahead of time so we are prepared to make good choices. In a life or death situation like this, there is no time to think. There is only time to act.
Rob- We have to plan ahead of time, and practice mentally and physically.
Amber- Yes. We need to know what to do.. and know that we can do it. We won’t have the confidence to act without instruction, training and practice.
Rob- That brings things into focus. I’m thankful for all the instructors who taught me.
Amber- Me too. That is why I teach.
Exit-Rob- That wraps up this episode. Amber, thank you for helping me today. Where can our listeners learn more about you?
Amber- They can contact me at Instructor Amber K on Facebook
Rob- Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.
I’m Rob Morse. Please join us next week for more Self-Defense Gun Stories.
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