Episode 105 with Elizabeth Hautman

Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 105 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who might want a firearm for self-defense, and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse. We have firearms instructor Elizabeth Hautman with us as co-host.

Hi, Elizabeth.  How have you been?

Elizabeth- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been busy setting up my spring schedule.  Now is the time to take advantage of mild temps and quiet weekends before summer kicks in.

Rob- Please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.

Elizabeth- Each week we study three new examples of armed defense to see what we can learn. What should we do if we were in their situation? Our first story took place last week in Hesperia, California.  Here is what happened.

Rob- First story-  Is your firearm available to you late in the evening?  

You’re at home late in the evening. You’re in bed when you hear a really loud crash from the front of your home. You grab your gun and go to investigate. A stranger is standing in the front room and your front window is gone. You yell for him to leave, and then shoot him when he doesn’t. Now the intruder leaves. You retreat to your bedroom and call police.

EMTs take the intruder to the hospital. The police recognize the intruder. Your intruder was arrested for a parole violation two months ago and was let out of jail four days ago.

The news media asks you to comment, and you don’t. Police Sgt. Marc Bracco said, “We’re glad when any homeowner protects themselves, that’s what they need to do in these situations. That’s why you’re allowed to carry a firearm in your residence.”

Elizabeth, how do you store your guns at night?  

Elizabeth- Well Rob, there are two answers to that and it really depends upon whether the kids are home or not.  I always lock up my firearms when the kids are home. No question about it. Even though they are responsible, older teens, with firearms experience, we all know teens can be unpredictable and moody.  Also, i’m happy to welcome their friends into the house. No telling what their gun education is. So kids in the house, guns locked up, kids at dad’s gun in by my bed. We always have to make compromises when it comes to firearms access.  I know some who sleep with a firearm under their pillow. I don’t understand that. My gun would be on the floor with the extra blanket and pillows and no use to me anyway. I trust my training to access my firearm efficiently when the time comes.

Secondly,  I am not searching through my home looking for the intruder.  What if I hear one guy and there are three, what if I am outgunned, and besides, there is nothing beyond my room worth getting hurt over.

Rob- When would your students learn to shoot in low light?

Elizabeth- Indoor range, simulators are great for that type of practice.  We are fortunate to have that type of trainer in my town.

Rob- Do you talk about calling the police and what to say when they arrive?

Elizabeth- Absolutely….

Elizabeth- Our second story happened last week in Memphis, Tennessee.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed as you drive your car?

You’re driving for Uber Eats to pick up a few dollars. It is a few minutes after midnight on a weekday night. Your wife is riding along as you drive. You pull into  IHOP and pick up the order. You hand her the order and sit in the driver’s seat when three young men approach your car. One of them puts a gun to the driver’s side window and tells you to get out of the car and hand him your keys and your money.

Your wife is in the car. You grab your handgun that is sitting in the center console. You shoot the attacker closest to your driver’s window. Some of the other robbers are shooting at your car. You open the door and shoot back at them.

They run. You and  your wife go inside and call the police. Two of the robbers were arrested at the hospital. The police said they may be connected to another robbery earlier that night.

Elizabeth, this is pretty advanced self-defense. You have to defend yourself from multiple attackers in the dark, and you have someone else to protect so you can’t run.

Rob- Where would we learn to carry in a car?

Elizabeth-   Again, one step at a time.  Really we don’t know what we don’t know.  I have worked with the unconscious incompetent.  The student doesn’t have an inkling what they don’t know.   Then they take a class and begin to see the total sum of completeness of what there is to know and they become the consciously incompetent.  So the student becomes aware of their shortcomings and then hopefully becomes motivated to learn more. Hopefully to progress to unconsciously competent where the right thing to do becomes automatic.  That comes from training, training and more training. Incorporating muscle memory into the drill and just knowing what to do. I believe we drive that way. I know I don’t have to tell myself to turn on the turn signal, it is an automatic maneuver for my turn.  I unconsciously know to do that before I initiate a turn. Firearms training is the same way. But only after much practice and training and coaching.

Rob- Suppose you have your carry permit. How could you safely practice drawing a firearm while you’re seated?  

Elizabeth- This is where tools like blue guns come into play.  I use them quite frequently in my class. They are simply plastic guns, that fit in my holster and have the look and feel of my real firearm, however, they are bright blue, and plastic.  

Elizabeth- Our third story happened last week in Roanoke, Virginia.

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

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you’re walking down the street?

You’re working on equipment in a small business. It is late morning and you hear people scream outside. You look out the window and see a dog attack a young mother who is pushing a baby carriage. You walk to your car and grab your gun. An older man with a cane is hitting the dog and trying to protect the mother and child. The dog bites the older man. You run closer. Someone shoots the dog in the face with pepper spray. Someone grabs his collar and tries to choke the dog. Someone hits the dog with a hammer. Finally the dog lets go and the victims scatter. You shoot the dog. You have to shoot the dog a second time to stop him.

An animal control officer comes to take the dog away. He’d seen this dog before after the dog bit someone.

Elizabeth- He had a gun. I wish it was on him rather than in his truck.

Rob- This isn’t easy. We don’t usually think of animals as a target.

Elizabeth-  I carry pepper spray because of animals.  Very often I believe that I would rather spray a dog because they are just doing what comes naturally to them, in this case, however, the pepper spray didn’t work.  There may be a few reasons for that. Not all pepper spray is created equally. I recommend one with tested high levels of capsaicinoids. Really hot. Also practice with them.  They sell practice sprays that are just water so you can check your aim and try it first.

Rob- This was on a city street in the middle of the day.

Elizabeth- Remember the four safety rules? One of them is to know your target and what lies around it. Could anyone move between you and the dog as you shoot. You’re probably shooting down at the dog. Where will your bullets go if they bounce off the street?

Exit-  Rob- That wraps up this episode. Elizabeth, thank you for helping us today.  Where can we 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- You can share your thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

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

Please support Buckeye Firearms Foundation at https://www.buckeyefirearmsfoundation.org/

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