Episode 84 with Amanda Suffecool

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 84 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. This podcast is for people who think they might want a firearm.. and those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse, and firearms instructor Amanda Suffecool joins us this week as co-host.

Welcome back, Amanda.  How have you been?

Amanda- Hi, Rob.  How have I been?   I have been great.   I have been using the tag line “Its my year” because the power of positive thinking works.    I could change it to Its my month – because October has even better than the rest of the year.  Just yesterday I got to see the outtakes of my edition of Riding Shotgun with Charlie,   My fashion show was mentioned in the NRA magazine( plus a tiny little picture – if you squint),   I was in Concealed Carry magazine,   Women’s Outdoor News did a feature article and then… and then I am here with you on Self Defense Gun Stories…   

Rob- Amanda, please introduce our show.

Amanda- Each week we report three recent examples of armed civilian defense. The defender did some things right, and there is always something we can learn. Leave us a message on our facebook page with your questions or comments.

Amanda- Our first story took place last week near San Antonio, Texas. Rob, set the scene for us.

First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You’re a mom.  It is 1:30 in the morning and you’re sleeping upstairs with your young child. You hear banging at your front door, and then you hear someone shout

“Open UP! SAPD!”

You’re only half awake, but that doesn’t make sense.  You live outside of San Antonio and are covered by the Bexar (BEHAR) county sheriff’s department. You get out of bed and look out your upstairs window. You don’t see a police car in the driveway or out on the street. You grab your gun and your cell phone. Then you call 911 and wait at the top of the stairs.

You hear someone kick in the back door of your home. You shoot when they start to come up the stairs. The intruders shoot back as they run away. It appears that no one was wounded by gunfire.

Amanda- Mom did a great job protecting her family from armed and violent intruders.

Rob- What should we learn from her?

Amanda- She called 911 before the break in because the situation didn’t seem right to her.

Rob- It seems simple to us now, but that is a very smart move to make at 1:30 in the morning. Amanda- Right.

Rob- What else did she do?

Amanda- I also have to give her credit for what she didn’t do. She didn’t go investigate the sound. Burglars have murdered homeowners in that part of Texas. She got her gun, called 911, and made her attackers come to her.

Rob- So she was armed, and patient. Why was it a good choice to stay at the top of the stairs?

Amanda- They call stairs the fatal funnel. Your attackers have to come up them single file, and they have nowhere to run. It is very hard to get behind you if you’re at the top of the stairs and they are at the bottom.

Rob- Now those stairs seem like a security feature. Is there more?

Amanda- Our second story also occurred in Texas. This one is from Austin. What happened in this story?

Second Story-  Are you armed as you run on a jogging trail before sunrise?

You’re running on a local trail before dawn. You hear a woman scream. You slow down and look to see where the screams came from. A man is holding a woman on the ground and she’s fighting him. You grab your flashlight and a gun from your fanny pack. You shine the light on the couple. The man is sitting on top of the woman, and pressing his hand over her mouth. You see her struggle.

You point your gun at the attacker and tell him to get away from the women. He does, but he runs away with her shoes and her shorts. You let him go.

Police report that the woman was attacked from behind and then dragged off the running trail. The victim identified her rapists as a homeless young man who has been previously charged with felony assault and eight misdemeanors including two charges of indecent exposure.  All these charges were filed within the last two years.

Amanda- She fought, and her screams brought help.  A Concealed carry does not make us an auxiliary police officer – yet at the same time we need to do what we can.

Amanda- the life you save may not be your own.   Preparedness and practice are critical when you are called to make instant judgments when yous and someone else’s life is on the line.

Amanda- Don’t wear earplugs when you run in strange places.  Or music, or…..

Amanda- Bring your own gun rather than rely on others.

Rob- We often tell students to avoid other people’s fights. She did make the choice to run in the dark without any tools of self-defense.

Amanda- We live in a society where selfishness abounds.   There is a line where it’s not your fight – but could you live with yourself if you just ran on.    In this case – No shots fired.   This is a win on so many levels.   

Our third story happened last week near Newport News, Virginia.

 

Please join and support the Second Amendment Foundation at SAF.org

Third story- Are you armed at work?  

You’re working in a convenience store at 2AM. A man grabs two packs of cigarettes and walks up to the register. He pulls a knife and demands the money in the cash register. You back away, but the attacker pursues you until you’re backed into a corner. You draw your gun and the robber runs before you can shoot. You call police. They find your attacker near by and take him into custody.

Amanda- Most criminals are intoxicated when they commit their crimes.

Rob- You say we’re not dealing with the brightest guys.

Amanda- We’re not. I’m glad the clerk was armed because there was not time to call police.

Amanda- Most people don’t realize how deadly a knife is. The robber with a knife is a lethal threat. He’s threatened to hurt you.  He is close enough to hurt or kill you before you can draw your gun and stop him.

Rob- So you’re saying this clerk was lucky.

Amanda- Very lucky.  Even after the clerk drew his gun, he could not draw his gun and fire quickly enough to stop the attacker from cutting him. I also doubt that the attacker ran before the clerk could fire. The clerk hesitated and chose not to fire. I teach my students to shoot to kill in those situations.

Rob- You mean a gun isn’t a magic force field that stops attackers?

Amanda-No. This story is also typical in that the attacker decided he didn’t want to be part of a shooting and ran. The defender didn’t have to fire a shot.

Exit-  Rob- That wraps up this episode. Where can our listeners learn more about you?

Amanda- You can find me at eye on the target radio radio. I have two radio programs and I instruct on the weekends.

Rob- Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Amanda-   If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network.  We share this podcast with you for free.  Please share it with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher.  We’re also available on Google Play Music.

Rob- Our download numbers were down, so please share this podcast with a friend.

Rob- I’m Rob Morse.  We’ll be back next week with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.