Episode 109 with Tony Simon

Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 109 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who might want a gun for self-defense, and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse. We have firearms instructor Tony Simon as co-host.

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working on getting the 2A4E podcast on iTunes, Anchor, Pocket Cast, Overcast and Radio Public. Finding sponsors for our Minuteman Challenge events.

Rob- Please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- We study three recent examples of armed defense to see what we can learn.  These gun owners survived a life threatening situation because they were armed. What would you in their place?

Our first story took place last week in Trinity, Alabama.  Here’s what happened.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You hear your back door breaking at 2 in the morning. You and your roommate go to investigate. There is an armed stranger in your home. You tell him to get out and he attacks both of you with a knife. You’re cut, but you run and get your gun. You run back to the fight. You start shooting when your roommate gets clear of his attacker.

You call police and ask for medical transport. You and your roommate go to the hospital to have your wounds treated. Your attacker is taken to the morgue. Only three days ago, your attacker was charged with assault, kidnapping and domestic abuse after he attacked his girlfriend.

Rob- What do you see, Tony?

Tony-  The door was locked and the intruder had to make noise breaking into the home. That alerted the residents that there was a problem. Too many people don’t lock their doors because they live in a “good “ neighborhood. Securing your door gives you time to react when a bad guy attempts to get into your home. Good locks, a solid door and a sturdy door frame means your home is harder to crack.

Rob- How much does it cost to buy myself another 30 seconds during a breakin?

Tony- The two roommates went to investigate what they obviously thought could have been a break in. “Plan for the worst and hope for the best.” isn’t just a old saying, it’s good advice. Take your defensive tool with you, in this case they should’ve taken the firearm with them. If it was a false alarm then walking around armed wouldn’t have been a big deal. Having to fight off a knife wielding bad guy is a big deal.

Rob- What about a flashlight?

Tony- Too many people feel a knife isn’t as deadly as a firearm and it’s “unfair” to shoot someone that’s only armed with a knife. A knife is a deadly close combat weapon that you don’t have to be very skilled with to be deadly, it’s as dangerous as a gun at close distances and it doesn’t jam or run out of bullets. When armed with a gun against a knife wielding attacker distance is your ally. If you can move behind something and create distance it’s going to be advantageous for you. A bad guy that has to run around furniture and down a hallway to stab you has a much higher risk of being shot multiple times than a bad guy that only has to take a couple of steps to stab you.

Our second story happened last week in Gainesville, Florida.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed as you walk home from the movies?

Your family is coming home from a late movie. While the car is parked, a stranger walks up and presents a gun. The robber demands your money and your car. The story isn’t clear if you got out of the car, but you shot the robber several times. The robber ran to a waiting car. The robber and his accomplis drove away and they crashed a few blocks away. The accomplice fled and the attacker died. Police recovered the attacker’s gun at the scene of the crime. Family members blame the robbery victims for the attacker’s injuries.

Tony, what should we do if a group of us are attacked?

Tony-  If your family or usual circle of friends know you carry concealed you need to tell them to not “out “ you as the “good guy with a gun”. You may or may not choose to use your firearm during an armed encounter. You may be able to de-escalate the situation, distract the bad guys or other options.

Tony- This bad guy was shot multiple times with a handgun and he ran away. Handgun wounds usually make people stop what they are doing and run away. Defenders need to be prepared to shoot until the bad guys stop attacking and then stop shooting as soon as they aren’t a threat.

Tony- Our third story happened last week in Memphis, Tennessee.

Please support Doctors for responsible gun ownership, DRGO.us

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you leave McDonald’s with your child?

It is the middle of the afternoon. You are walking out of the restaurant with your infant in your arms. Four men get out of their car and attack you. You defend yourself. You draw a gun and shoot your attackers. They drive away. All four were arrested for aggravated robbery. One of the robbers was charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Tony-  This is a nightmare that no parent wants to face. Having to use a firearm while holding your child and facing multiple attackers. This requires skills that few people ever practice because they can’t imagine it happening.

Tony- As a armed parents this is a scenario that should be viewed as a possibility. Melody Lauer of Citizens Defense Research is one of the few instructors that teaches how to handle this exact scenario in her class “Contextual Handgun: The Armed Parent“.

Rob- I’ll put a link in the show notes.

Tony- Learning to shoot and move while hitting your target is important as is learning to fire accurately using one hand. These are skills that need to be practiced to become competent doing as an armed citizen.

Exit-  Rob- That wraps up this episode. Tony, thank you for helping us today.  Where can we learn more about you?

Tony- My website is Diversityshoot.com You can find me on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and The 2nd is For Everyone.

Rob- You can share your thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Tony-   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 and Spotify.

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

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


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