Episode 146 with Amanda Suffecool

Rob- Introduction- I’m glad you found us and welcome to episode 146 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. This podcast is for people who are curious about self-defense, and for those who’re already trained. I’m your host, Rob Morse. We’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Amanda Suffecool.

Amanda- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working and shooting and… fashion show.  We have the INDY show coming up in just about a month.  April 27th, and it at THE best place. Eventbrite and BenchMarket. The Indiana War Memorial and Conference center.  https://www.in.gov/iwm/ Built in 1933 to honor Hoosier Veterans and now to house the  Firearms and Fashion- where concealed is revealed. Get your tickets at http://isrpa.org/ and EyeOnTheTargetRadio.com

Rob- I went to the Rangemaster Tactical Conference. That is where trainers go for continuing education. We also receive one new comment. Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and let new listeners know what they’ll find.

Amanda- We’ll talk about recent examples where gun owners faced a life threatening situation. Were they lucky, or did they have a plan? What should we do in their place? We include links to the original news article in our show notes.  Our first story took place last week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed as you drive your car?  

You’re trying to sell your laptop and your apple watch. You find a buyer online. The buyer says he’ll send his girlfriend to meet you so you won’t be worried about a young woman having to meet with an adult man. You arrive at the meeting place and see a woman fitting the buyer’s description. You wave at each other and she climbs into your car. You ask her if she wants to see the laptop and the watch. She says yes and says she has the money. Instead of handing you cash, the buyer pulls a gun out of her purse and points the gun at you.

You have your Wisconsin concealed carry permit. You’re armed. You push the robber’s gun away and present your own gun. The robber opens the car door and runs. You open your car door and the robber shoots at you. She misses, but you shoot back and hit your attacker.

You call police. Your attacker got her gun from her boyfriend. The boyfriend is charged with first degree murder for the death of his girlfriend in the commission of a felony.

Amanda- Female victim had her gun with her.

Rob- The gun stopped the immediate attack, but it sounds like the attacker shot as she ran away.

Amanda-  That is a discussion that we have with our students.  Bad guys (and gals) come in many forms. Some can shoot and some cannot,  and there is no planning for a lucky shot

Rob- What would you like your students to do in this situation. (that the defender didn’t do)

Amanda- An online sale means you advertized that you either have cash or that you have valuables.. and that you’re will take them to strange places at strange times. Choose a safe place.. Like a police station.

Amanda- The defender got out of the car to shoot. That works for us and against us. We’re better shots and we can move when we’re out of the car. I wonder if she could have driven away.   And that is sometimes the issue of this thing we call second guessing

 

Rob- When would someone learn that it is hard to draw from the holster in their car, and that it might be better to get outside to defend yourself?

Amanda- The location that you carry is critical,  and so is practice. Have YOU practiced accessing or pulling your gun while seated?

That is enough for now. Our second story happened last week in Houston, Texas.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at work?   

You’re a receptionist at a doctor’s office. It is mid afternoon when you look up to see three men with hoodies over their faces and guns in their hands.  The men demand cash from you and from the patients in the waiting room.

You have your Texas license to carry a concealed handgun. You’re armed. You wait until your attackers looking away. That is when you draw your gun and shoot the attacker closest to you. All three men run away. You call police. The police find one attacker at a local hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound.

Amanda- A receptionist in a doctor’s office protected the staff and the patients.   She has to be the exception…

Rob- She could be any of us.

Amanda- She is. Also, your rescue tool is too far away if you left it in your car or locked in a safe. Our defender had her gun with her and didn’t have time to get anything else, or to go anywhere else.

Rob- Amanda, how did a receptionist fight off three armed attackers and not get shot?

Amanda- If you only shoot at paper targets then you might think you have to to draw your firearm every time you see someone with a gun. Our defender waited until her attackers were busy. That gave her time to draw and fire without getting shot.

Rob- When do you talk about that with your students?

Amanda-  there are times when simply having a ‘second gun’ presented as a defense will stop the mayhem.   This is taught a lot in the ANTI mass shooting schools – like ALICE In this case..

There were customers in the waiting room and other patients in the office, so she saved a lot of lives.

Rob- Is there something else we can learn from this story?

Amanda- Here are two things that bother me. I’m worried that she might have been the only person on staff who was armed. Let’s get her some help.  Also, was there any way for her to press a silent alarm and have other staff know there was a problem in the reception area.

Amanda-   and I am so pleased to hear that 1) it was a gal. and 2) she COULD defend herself and others.   So many times we hear that your employer STOPS you from having the tools to defend yourself.

Our third story happened last week in Mobile, Alabama

Rob- First this message from my friends at Gun Freedom Radio.

Rob- Third story- Are you armed at home?

It is 9:30 at night. You’re home alone. You hear a crashing sound from the front of your home. That doesn’t sound right. You go investigate and find a stranger standing in your home. He threatens you with a knife and demands your wallet. You say your wallet is over here, and you grab your gun. Your attacker cuts your neck, and you shoot him several times. You run out of the house and call the police.

Amanda- Our victim was 19 and the robber was 46 years old. The defender didn’t have a gun on him, but he did have one in the house.

Rob- When should we teach teenagers about self-defense?

Amanda- When your children are old enough to be left alone then they are old enough to start learning about protecting themselves.

Rob- Do you get many families who come for training?

Amanda-  We have some – but I think we have many parents that also buy into the ‘teenagers are invincible’ belief.  And they are not.

Amanda- The defender left the house to find a safe place.  I tell my students RUN, Run, Run. I actually start each class with YOU are coming to a concealed carry class and I am going to teach you when to shoot and when to run.

Amanda- Make sure you put good screws and safety film in your doors.   Home defense safeguards are not just a good idea, they are critical.

Amanda- There are some really good youtube videos on simple tools to protect your home.  As referenced before – longer screws in door hinges and latches. Safety glass with a barrier film not only saves you from broken glass, but potentially from break ins.   There are many many ideas that you can compare against how your house is built – and select the ones that work.

 

Amanda- Our forth story took place last week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed at work?

You’re serving customers in your corner store. A customer walks in wearing a ski mask. This customer also has a gun in his hand. He demands money and points his gun at one of your employees standing behind the cash register. You’re armed. You draw your gun and shoot your attacker. Now your attacker runs from the store.

Neither you nor your two other employees are injured. You call police. They find your attacker nearby. You also show your surveillance video to the police.

Amanda- Lots of us don’t carry every day. You might rescue yourself and you might rescue your family or co-workers. How would you feel if your co-workers were beaten or killed and you were disarmed? Not carrying that day?

Rob- It sounds like the store owner had his gun on his body.

Amanda- He’s going to be working all over that store. This way he knows he has his rescue tool where he needs it.   The best place, the safest place to have your gun is ON YOU.

Rob- What else did our defender do correctly?

Amanda- He had a plan. His video surveillance system is really a form of insurance, and it is cheaper than a lawyer.

Rob- How did the surveillance system save money for our defender?

Amanda- Our defender shot and potentially killed someone who posed a lethal, immediate, and unavoidable threat to both himself and his innocent co-workers. This surveillance system showed the police that the use of force was appropriate and proportional to the threat they faced. That usually cost you tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Rob- Is there anything you’d like us to do if we were in this situation?

Amanda- Have more than one armed defender. Practice with your staff so you have a defense no matter who is in the back room, standing at the cash register, or out on the store floor.

Rob- Do you talk about that with the small business owners who come to you as students?

Amanda- Yes – including code words to get the remaining staffs attention,  and strategy for not shooting one another if you are literally at cross purposes.

 

Exit-  Rob- that wraps up this episode. Amanda, thank you for helping us again. Where can we learn more about you?

Amanda- You can find me at eye on the target radio radio. I have a nationally syndicated radio show on Sunday night from 5 to 7 eastern time. Give us a listen and call in and talk with us.  I also instruct on the weekends.

Rob- After you listen to Amanda’s show, then please us a message on the SDGS facebook page.

Amanda- We share this podcast with you for free.  Share the podcast with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher.  We’re also available on Google Play Music, Tunein and Spotify.

Rob- This podcast is part of the Self-defense radio network at sdrn.us I’m Rob Morse.  We’ll be back in a few weeks with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.


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