Episode 170 with Tony Simon

Rob- Introduction

Welcome to episode 170 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. Maybe you’re well trained, or perhaps you’re simply curious about self-defense. I’m glad you found us. I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Tony Simon. Tony, you raffled off a firearm since you were on the podcast last time.

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been busy hosting the Diversity Shoot, taking classes and volunteering with CNJFO in New Jersey. I’m working on firearms giveaways on our PATREON.COM  2A4E PODCAST

Rob- The number of listeners fell last week. The good news is that we received another rating and one more review on iTunes (106/60). Here is a shout out to AidensProudMamma for leaving us a review. Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and give us a rating and leave a comment.

Tony- Your recommendations tell new listeners that the show is worth a listen. Please share the show with a friend.

This episode, we’ll talk about recent examples where gun owners were in a life threatening situation. Were they lucky, or did they have a plan and good habits? We give you the links back to the original news stories in our show notes.

Our first story took place last week in Duffield, Virginia.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You’re at home in your apartment on a weekday night. You have physical handicaps and don’t move well. You hear someone knocking on your door. You don’t expect company at this hour, so you grab your firearm for protection. Before you can answer the door, the door is kicked in. You shoot the home invader standing in your front room and he runs away. You call the police.

The police find your wounded attacker a block away. Your attacker is taken to the hospital and then taken to jail. He has open charges for drug offenses. Now he also has charges for breaking and entering in the nighttime with the intent to commit larceny

Tony- Lots of people have bad ankles, bad knees or suffer from injuries( temporarily or permanently). Criminals choose handicapped people as victims because they see them as prey that’s easy to catch and control.

This homeowner wasn’t going to be a defenseless victim and made plans for his self defense. He had a gun loaded and accessible. He got in a defensible position with his firearm when he had an unexpected visitor. When the attacker broke down the door, the homeowner defended himself, and then he stopped shooting when the defender ran away. He didn’t chase the bad guy and spray rounds at the retreating bad guy. The defender called the police and stayed at the scene to file a complaint. 

Rob- Is there something else that you’d like us to do if we have a knock on the door at 2 in the morning?

Tony- Turn on the outside lights. If it’s a stranger or not any one you want to see at that late hour shout at them to go away. Shout so loud that your neighbors will hear it and remember it when the police ask them what happened. Say you’ve called the police. Do not open the door. If you have a difficult time moving quickly make sure there are objects between you and the door. If the bad guy kicks the door open they will have to move around furniture that gives you more time to bring your defensive tool into play. 

Rob- I wouldn’t learn about that in a firearms safety class. When do you talk to your students about answering the door. 

Tony- Step at a time. We actually have a class called Home Defender where we run scenarios like this event with students. 

Rob- What does that look like. 

Tony- We don’t use real firearms in the class so it doesn’t have to be at a range. We use laser training guns that show up as a red dot on your target. We then run multiple different scenarios, many from this podcast, on our students. Then we go over what they did right, what can be improved upon and explain the whys behind the actions we suggest they take. 

Tony- There is a lot to learn for someone who hasn’t had a gun before. They learn how to safely handle a gun. They learn how to line up the sights and the target. They learn how to transport a firearm, and how to clean it and store it. They learn about ammunition. We take that for granted, but it takes practice until it becomes automatic.

Rob- Is there anything else before we go on? 

Tony- If you can, get your concealed carry permit and carry all the time, even at home. If you can carry in your home where you live,  do so.
Our second story happened last week in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at home?

It is after midnight when you and your roommate hear something from the front yard. You look out the window and see someone trying to get into your locked cars. You go out front and shout for them to leave. Then, you go back inside and call the police.

You also get your gun. A second later the stranger walks into your home. You shout for him to leave, but he moves toward you. You shoot him. Now he runs away. The police find him nearby and take him to the hospital.

Tony- Our defender used verbal commands. The homeowners had a gun. They kept their distance and did not engage the intruder. They called the police. They defended themselves when they could not retreat. They did not chase the intruder when he ran away. They remained at the scene and gave a statement to the police.

Rob- I can guess what you’d like us to do. 

Tony- You’re right. Lock your doors. Make the bad guys break your house to get to you. It is better to have a damaged front door that held than to have an open door and have to shoot someone. As a locksmith I can repair your door for a lot less than shooting someone will cost and with less heartache.

Again, turn on the lights. Better yet, have motion activated lights in your driveway and front porch and if your car has a remote alarm, activate it.

Rob- Talk to me about defending yourself in your home.

Tony- Do you know what is behind your target? Firearm safety rules don’t change when you use your firearm defensively. You still have to know your target and what’s behind your target. 

Is it a solid brick wall, or is it your neighbors bedroom in the next apartment? Shooting in low light is also important. Have you practiced? Can you defend the center of your home or apartment from your bedrooms? Do you and your roommate have a plan and have you practiced that plan so it is habitual? The logical part of your brain isn’t working when someone kicks in your door at 2 in the morning. You need to rely on the self-defense habits you’ve made by practice.

Rob- Anything else?

Tony- I bet this homeowner wishes he’d simply called the police. He didn’t know how many people were outside and if they were armed.

Our third story happened last week in Hollywood, California.

Rob- Please support the Second Amendment Foundation at SAF.org

Rob- Third story- Are you armed at work?

You run a small supermarket. You’re standing outside with your employees as they clean gang graffiti off the wall of your store. A carload of local gang members rolls up and they tell you to stop. They point firearms out the window of their car. You have your concealed carry permit. You’re armed this morning. You draw your concealed pistol and shoot your attackers. They drive away. Neither you nor your employees are injured. You call the police.

The police arrest one of your attackers when he goes to a local hospital for treatment. Gangs have been threatening you and demanded a hundred thousand dollars in protection money.

Tony- Our defender knew he might face an attack. He had his carry permit. Hopefully he contacted the police when he was threatened before the attack. You want to start a paper trail when security issues like this first start. He was with his employees so that they would have an armed defender. 

He recognized an attack when it happened. He acted to end the threat. He stopped shooting when the treat was over. I assume he sent his employees to a safe location inside the store, then called the police. He remained at the scene and gave a statement.

Rob- What would you tell your students to do?

Tony- I remember an internet meme about the rules of a gunfight. Rule #1 bring a gun Rule #2 Bring friends and have them bring their guns.

It would have been better if multiple employees were also armed. Having a staff that is trained, armed and that has a defensive plan makes your place of business a hard target and much much safer.

Make sure someone stays at the scene of the crime to preserve the evidence. In this case, there were over forty shell casings on the ground.

Have a medical kit in the store. Have medical training for your staff.

Go through medical drills so you AND your employees know what to do if someone is injured. Workplace injuries happen every day. 

Once you get your employees inside, then ask them all to call 911 and report the crime.

Be brief with the police. Tell them you defended yourself. Show them the evidence. Show them the witnesses. Then say you’ll answer all their questions after you spoke with your lawyer.

Rob- When do your students learn to draw a concealed firearm?

Tony- Drawing from concealment is a class of its own. It involves lots of repetitive movements in class and practice outside of class. 

I can show them the draw, but they have to make it an automatic movement. 

Clear the garment, grab the gun, take it from the holster, put both hands on the gun, bring the gun to your line of sight, touch and press the trigger. Practice that until it is a smooth fluid motion that you do without thinking about it. Practice with an unloaded gun.

Tony- Our forth story took place last week in Highland Park, Michigan.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed at work?

You’re counting up the receipts for the night at your restaurant. There are only a few people left sitting at the bar, so you’re closing early. The man at the bar draws a gun and points the gun at you. He demands the money. You have your concealed carry permit. You’re armed. You push the money toward the robber and step back. Next, the robber points his gun at the bartender and demands her phone. You present your firearm and shoot your attacker until he drops his gun. The attacker falls to the floor, so you and the bartender run to the back of the store. The bartender was grazed by one of your shots. You call the police and ask for EMTs.

EMTs take your employee and the robber to the hospital. Your employee is examined and released. The robber is declared dead. The police take copies of your security video.

Tony- Our business owner had a plan of action. He got his carry permit. He had security video. He was carrying concealed that night. He recognized a threat and did not draw against a drawn gun. He waited his turn and exercised Tactical Patience(my favorite Ben Branam term). He defended himself and others from an immediate, lethal, and unavoidable threat. He was so familiar with his gun that he could operate and fire accurately in dim light. He stopped shooting when the threat stopped. He took care of the injured employee, and called the police and EMTs. He stayed at the scene and made a statement. He gave security video to the police.

Rob- That list is almost as long as the news story.

Tony- That is why I think our defender planned and rehearsed what to do. He was acting on his planned actions rather than having to stop to think through each step.

Rob- What would you like us to do if we were in this situation.

Tony- I want you to include your other employees in your security plan. Is there always someone in the store who is armed? Have you and your armed employee trained or practiced together?

Are they always with customers and the cash register? Multiple armed good guys that have a plan and have practiced and trained together are a force multiplier. 

Practice drawing and shooting in low light. Practice with dummy guns when the business is closed.  Know the distances in your business so the distances you practice are realistic. You own every shot you fire. Only hits count and you can’t afford to miss because your shots could injure innocent people.

Rob- How much does it help if both the owner and bartender were armed?

Tony- It gives you options that you don’t have otherwise. It is much more likely that one of you won’t be observed and won’t have a gun pointed at you. It also means that the person who is being watched can move away from the attacker to make room for the defense.

Rob- Where would I learn so shoot in dim light, and what would I learn if I practiced that? 

Tony- Many instructors host low light classes that teach students how to shoot in low light, how to use hand held lights along with a firearm, and how to use weapons mounted lights.

Exit

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

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

Rob- After you look at Tony websites, then leave us a message on the podcast facebook page or on the podcast webpage.

Tony- We share this podcast with you for free.  Please 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, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.

Rob- This podcast is part of the Self-defense radio network at sdrn.us

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

 


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