Episode 43 with Elizabeth Hautman

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Introduction- Rob- Welcome to episode 43 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is a proud part of the Self-Defense Radio Network.  I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Elizabeth Hautman.   This is our first episode together, so please tell our listeners a little bit about you.

Elizabeth- Hi, Rob.  Thank you so much for having me.  I am a mom of two wonderful young men.  I love teaching firearms safety and concealed carry classes in Colorado Springs.  I designed my classes for new and timid shooters.  We increase their comfort and confidence with firearms in a few hours.

Rob- Welcome to the podcast.  You also worked with the NRA in your state.  Thank you for that.

Elizabeth- You’re welcome.  I listened to the podcast, and now I get to contribute.  Hi to our new listeners, and welcome back to our regular listeners. We report and analyze examples of armed civilian defense each week.  We bring you the news you don’t hear anywhere else, and I hope we inspire you to defend the people you care about.  If you have questions or want to hear more, then please leave us a message on our facebook page.

Elizabeth- Our first story took place this month in Florida.

Rob- First story- Are you armed in the bathroom?  A man was visiting his girlfriend’s apartment in Jacksonville, Florida.  He went the the bathroom at 2:30 in the morning when the woman’s ex-boyfriend decided to force open the front door.  The current boyfriend opened the bathroom door and saw the ex pointing a gun at his girlfriend.  The intruder threatened to kill the woman.  The boyfriend fired his handgun several times.  The armed intruder fled the scene and ran into his ex-girlfriend’s car as he left.

Police found him driving slowly and pulled him over.  The wounded robber was taken to the hospital for treatment and charged with armed burglary and aggravated assault.

Elizabeth- Kudos to the boyfriend in the bathroom.  He was ready for anything.  I would think he heard a ruckus and came to his girlfriend’s aid.  He assessed the deadly threat and took action.   In an extremely, high stress, dangerous situation, a defender needs to understand that their body may not react like it might on a calm day on the range.  It takes practice and repetition to be an effective protector and counteract your body’s natural fear reaction.

Rob-  What happens during that stressful situation, and when do you tell our students about that reaction?

Elizabeth – There are many things that may happen to your body, including loss of fine motor control and time distortion.  I fully cover your body’s reaction and how to counteract that in my Conceal Carry Class.  

Elizabeth-   When the threat ended, the boyfriend ceased firing.  That is another great point from this story.  He let the bad guy “get away.”  He defended himself and girlfriend and when the bad guy “fled the scene,” he let the police take over.  The boyfriend understood his responsibility as a firearms owner.

Rob- What difference does training make?

Elizabeth – Training is everything.  It is about muscle memory it’s about mental focus.  When you are driving on ice and your car starts to spin, turning into the spin has to be automatic, there isn’t time to figure it out.  Just like in a defensive situation, manipulating your firearm, aiming, firing and assessing when the threat has ended has to be automatic.   Keeping your wits about you is the difference good practice can make.

Elizabeth- There is nothing in this article that states that the good guy was a  Concealed Carry Permit holder.   I work with many people who may never carry, so they say they don’t need the Conceal Carry Class.  It is those type of students who may need training the most.  When you use your firearm, at home OR in public, just like when you sit in the driver’s seat of the car, you must know the “rules of the road.”  On more than one occasion, a homeowner with a gun, at home, broke the rules and got in trouble.  So it is important whether you carry outside the home or not, to learn from other people’s mistakes.  We train for the possibility not the probability of a violent encounter.

Rob- who called the police, and what did they tell them?

Elizabeth – ALWAYS call the police when you draw your firearm.  Victims call the police, bad guys don’t.  Give 911 a description of the bad guys and let them do their job.

Elizabeth- Our second story took place in Indiana.

Rob- Second Story- Are you armed when you meet to complete a deal online?  We conduct commerce by e-mail and voice using our phones.  A man was lured to a home early Sunday morning.  It isn’t clear if the intended victim was an Uber driver, a Waiter delivery person, or if he responded to an online advertisement.  It is clear that a 15 year old boy pulled a gun when the unsuspecting visitor walked up to the door of this Indianapolis home.  The attacker and his friends then began to search the victim and empty his pockets.  They found more than they expected.

The intended victim was armed.  He drew his own gun and shot his attacker.  The victim ran to a safe location, and called police.  The wounded attacker was transported to a local hospital where he died.  The police interviewed the victim and released him.

Elizabeth-   First –  If you feel the situation you are walking into is shady, or too good to be true, say no.  No job is worth the risk. Trust and listen to that little voice inside, your intuition, your instinct.  

Rob-   But they ordered a pizza?

Elizabeth-  Second, bring a friend and meet in a public place, in daylight hours.  In my town, the police station has a special parking area for e commerce trade.  All of your transactions can be completed under the cameras of the police station.

Rob- I like that idea.  You mentioned concealed carry earlier.  Tell me more about that.

Elizabeth- My students learn what to do and how to do it.  That means they can defend themselves quickly and accurately.  The first time they present their firearm from a holster it may take us a few minutes.  Later, they will do it in two seconds.  

Rob- That is a huge improvement.

Elizabeth- it is, but they have to have those skills before they need them.  There isn’t time for “on the job training” in self-defense.

Elizabeth- Lastly, I’m asking our listeners the same thing I ask my students.  Please carry, be ready, and have a plan.  This man was not going to be a victim and was prepared to defend his life.  

Elizabeth- Our third story took place in California.

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Rob- Third story- Are you armed at work?  A convenience store clerk couldn’t believe his eyes. This happened in Fresno, California, and the clerk saw a man and a woman enter the store at 2 in the morning.  The man pulled a rifle from behind his coat and demanded money.  The clerk drew his gun and fired.  The thieves ran.  The clerk called police who looked at the surveillance video.  Door to door, the robbers were in the store less than eight seconds.

That isn’t a lot of time.

Elizabeth-  Eight seconds. Wow,  a fast draw from concealed on your body is less than 2 seconds.  It takes me 60 seconds just to find my keys in my purse.  It took us longer than that to describe the story.  Look at what the clerk did here.  To be aware enough to quickly recognize a threat, and defend yourself took courage and planning.  The clerk thought about this before it happened.

Rob-  You have to think ahead, just as you have to think ahead when you arrive at your car and look for your keys.  Otherwise you fumble around as you put away your phone.

Elizabeth-   That is us.  I am often asked by students if they should carry a loaded gun with a round in the chamber.

Rob- That means they are carrying a gun that is ready to fire?

Elizabeth- Right.  The gun is ready to do work.  I tell them “Yes, when you are confident enough to do it.”  The reason is time.  This lethal encounter took 8 seconds door to door and you don’t have an extra 1.5 seconds to put that round in the chamber.  Time is what you need in a defensive situation, and it is most often what you have least of.  

Rob- Time to think, or time to act?

Elizabeth-  You don’t have time for anything except to save your life right now.

Rob- How do your students react when you tell them they can save their lives?

Elizabeth- They don’t say a lot, but it shows on their faces.

Rob- What do their expressions tell you?

Elizabeth- Everything they ever learned watching television was incorrect, they realize that, “I am my own first responder!”

Elizabeth- Another question I am asked by students is ‘What size firearm should I buy?’ Well in this case, whatever pistol you brought to work that day, that gun was up against a rifle.  I recommend that the best firearm for you is the one you are will carry ALL THE TIME and are comfortable shooting accurately.  It doesn’t sound like the bad guys even got off a shot thanks to the quick thinking clerk.  

Rob- What mistakes do students make when they buy their first gun?  (Tell me about new gun owners who bought the wrong gun for them, too heavy to carry, too large to conceal, too small to handle, to powerful for its size)

Elizabeth-  Maybe because I grew up with a family in the automobile business, I use a lot of car analogies, everyone wants to buy a Large Suburban that  is safe, which gets the gas mileage of a Prius, and costs what a 1998 Camry does.  It is the same with firearms.  

Elizabeth- You have to choose a firearm that fits your hand, with the most stopping power, that you are willing to carry.  Many student’s first gun, just plain doesn’t fit their hands, but .  smaller size doesn’t compute to less recoil either.  I encourage my students to try a couple of firearms, take a class and evaluate how they are going to carry in the future.  And, I joke that the first gun, may not be the last. So don’t get caught up in over thinking the purchase, just get the gun and practice.

Exit-  Rob- That wraps up this episode. Elizabeth Hautman, thank you for helping me today.  Where can our listeners find out more about you?

Elizabeth- I instruct in Colorado Springs.  I teach small classes at my private range in Black Forest.  Students can contact me at Colorado Boots Firearms Instruction.

Rob- The link is in our show notes.  Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Elizabeth- If these examples inspired you, then please share them with a friend.  Give us a rating on I-Tunes.

I’m Rob Morse.  Please join us next week for more Self-Defense Gun Stories.

Listen to Gun Freedom Radio at http://gunfreedomradio.com