Rob- Introduction- I’m Rob Morse and welcome to episode 67 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. This podcast is for people who think they might want a firearm.. and those who already have one. We’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Elizabeth Hautman. Hello, again, Elizabeth. I know you’ve been busy.
Elizabeth- Lots of teaching..and constitution camp. Hi to our new listeners, and welcome back to our regular listeners. We report and analyze three examples of armed civilian defense. We hope you use these reports to exercise your imagination today so you can defend the people you care about tomorrow. Please leave us a message on our facebook page with your questions or comments.
Rob- One of our listeners sent us a message. Clayton said, “I think you should consider doing a long episode, maybe 1 out of every 4 or so. You could be more casual and have more conversation with the guest instructor. As a listener, I would love that.”
Rob- Clayton, I’ll ask the instructors. Some would like it, and some are busy already and I’m lucky to get each minute with them.
Elizabeth- Our first story took place last week in Jacksonville, Florida.
You’re asleep in your apartment. Your first sign of trouble is a crash of breaking glass. Someone is breaking through the window at the back of your apartment..at 6 in the morning. You keep your gun nearby because you were worried about a break in. You grab your gun. You see a man standing in your living room. He sees you and moves toward you. You fire three times and the man backs up toward the window. You back up toward your room. You grab your phone and call police.
You know your attacker. He is your ex-boyfriend. Last year he beat you and strangled you until you passed out. You bought a gun..and learned how to use it. You also moved to a new address, but tonight he found you.
Elizabeth- This victim was at a far higher risk than most people. She recognized that fact and acted, so good for her. She moved to a new address. She might have changed jobs. She also got a gun and learned how to use it. She had her gun available when she needed it. That saved her life.
Rob- I’ve heard that you’re more likely to be involved in a gunfight if you have a gun at home.
Elizabeth- That phrase is designed to scare little old ladies who live in safe situations in the suburbs so they won’t buy a gun. It isn’t the gun that causes the problems; its us. We’re not all the same. Poor people in our inner cities are more likely to be victims than rich people in gated communities. A victim of domestic violence faces higher risks. Of course these people are more likely to be attacked. They choose to have guns in their home because they need one to defend themselves.
Rob- What else did you notice in this story.
Elizabeth- A reporter wouldn’t mention it, but the victim needs a flashlight.
Rob- A flashlight?
Elizabeth- You need to see what is going on. Was this a drunk neighbor that was confused and broke into your house..or was it a serial abuser? You need to know. You also have to know how to call the police, but we’ll talk about that in our next story.
Rob- How can we get a gun quickly, but still have it secured when we’re asleep?
Elizabeth- She needed the gun in a hurry.
Lock your doors. She could have had an alarm. Quick access safe. But most of all, she had a plan of action.
Rob- Are you ready to move on?
Elizabeth- Our second story happened last week in Spring, Texas.
You’re selling your phone on Craigslist. It’s early in the evening when you agree to meet. You pick a well lit public place to meet the buyer. You arrive on time, and so does the buyer. You both get out of your cars. The buyer has a young man with him. He asks to see the phone. You reach for your pocket, and then the young man reaches for his pocket and pulls out a gun..that is soon pointed at you. They demand your money and your phones. You put them on the ground and back away. Then they say they want anything you have in your car. You walk around your car..and pull your gun from the center console. You shoot the closest of the two robbers twice in the stomach. The young thug with a gun runs. You pick up your phones and call police. They transport the wounded robber, and arrest the younger gunman as well. You’re not hurt.
Elizabeth- On body carry
Rob- Is this a texas thing? You can carry in your car without a permit. Maybe he didn’t have his license.
Elizabeth- Get your license. Yes it is a pain, but do it. This man could have been killed while his gun was 10 feet away. The robbers let him go to his car and that saved his life. He was lucky rather than smart.
Rob- It sounds like he moved to get his car between himself and the robbers.
Elizabeth- That was a good move. He also acted decisively once he had his gun. There is a time to talk and a time to use lethal force to defend your life. Real life isn’t the movies. Don’t talk when your life is at risk. That is the time to stop the threat.
Rob- Do your students think that just having a gun will protect them?
Elizabeth- Some start that way..for a while.
Rob- you said you wanted to talk about the phone call.
Juliana- Yes. The victim also called police. Before you do that, you don’t have to stand next to the victim while you’re holding your gun. Get to a safe place. Put your gun away.
Here is a hint about why on-body carry is such a good idea. You not only have a gun with you, you have a place to put your gun away when you’re done. Then you make the call so you can identify yourself as the victim. Location, police and medical help, your name and description. Practice that.
Rob- Do you have a training partner?
Elizabeth- Our third story happened last week in Downey, California.
Please support Coloradans for Civil Liberties
Rob- Third story- Are you armed at your automobile audio shop in the evening?
You’re working late at your car audio and alarm store. Three men enter your shop. Since people often leave their cars with you, that isn’t much of a surprise. Two of the men are in their 30’s and one is a little younger. You’re surprised when all of them draw handguns and say to hand over your money. You walk toward the cash register, and grab your firearm. News reports don’t say if your gun is behind the counter or on your body.
You shoot all three robbers..several times. One of them manages to stumble away. You retreat to the back of your shop and call police.
The escaping robber begs motorists for a ride to the hospital where he is arrested. Police tell you the two other robbers died on your shop floor.
Elizabeth- This man thought about the attack before it happened. There were other robberies in the area. He had a plan. He knew he’d defend himself if he saw a lethal threat. He did.
Rob- The victim was outnumbered. How did he survive uninjured?
Elizabeth- He waited until he saw an advantage and then he acted quickly and violently. I have to call it violent because he went from looking like a willing victim to a violent defender in a fraction of a second.
Rob- That takes practice.
Elizabeth- We’re practicing now. He saw that his life was at risk. He chose his moment and then he put his plan into place. His plan was to shoot his attackers and survive.
Rob- It is a simple plan, but it takes some getting used to.
Elizabeth- It really does take some getting used to, but today we have time. A new gun owner has to get there step by step. They learn to safely handle a gun. They learn to shoot accurately. They learn to shoot quickly. They learn to carry their gun. Finally, they learn how to recognize a dangerous situation. Each one of those is a manageable step.
Rob- So they don’t do it all in a single day in a single class?
Elizabeth- The victim also has to deal with southern California police. He has to know what to say because every word can be used against him in court.
Rob- It doesn’t say if he had video security in his shop.
Elizabeth- I looked for that too. That helps you win the second battle.
Rob- What is the second fight?
Elizabeth- You need to prove that you’re a good guy and acted responsibly. If the evidence is clear enough then you won’t go to court. Good guys want to be able to show what they did.
Rob- The news article said there were other robberies in the area. I hope he had the video.
Exit- Rob- That wraps up this episode. Elizabeth, thank you for helping me today. Where can our listeners learn 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- Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.
Elizabeth- If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network. We create this podcast under a creative commons license, so please share it with a friend, and give us a rating on I-Tunes.
Rob- We’re now on itunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
I’m Rob Morse. We’ll be back next week with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.
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