Episode 249 with Amanda Suffecool

Rob- Introduction-

Welcome to episode 249 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. We’re glad you found us if you’re well trained.. and also if you are new to self defense. I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by firearms instructor Amanda Suffecool.

Firearms instructor Amanda Suffecool

Amanda- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been Rick Ector’s Detroit Womens Shooting Event, headed to Amm-Con,  Rod of Iron, October 8,9,and 10 in Greeley, Pennsylvania. https://www.rodofironfreedomfestival.org/

Rob- We received a comment and two ratings on iTunes (250,141).

Bennie’s Dad said this is a good podcast for anyone who has a firearm if you have formal firearms training or not.

Amanda- We received a comment from Pastor Mel who listens as he carpools to work. They stop the podcast after the story and everyone gives their own ideas before they listen to the instructor’s comments. They commented on an older podcast so I can tell they are going through the archives.

Rob- Robbie commented on our last episode. Most of us have a natural tendency to confront folks that are stealing from us or violating our home. The Tulsa homeowner only responded with deadly force once the burglar attacked him with a pipe. I don’t know Oklahoma law, but here, if there was no attack, I could find myself in legal trouble for shooting a burglar..

Amanda- The best praise we could have is that our listeners think about the podcast. I love it.

Across the United States, we defend ourselves with a firearm tens of thousands of times each week. We’ll look at a few recent examples and see what we can learn. We give you the links back to the original news articles on our podcast webpage.

Our first story took place last week in Southfield, Michigan.

Rob- First story- Are you armed when you come home from work?

You work the second shift. It is after midnight when you arrive home. You’re walking up to your door when a stranger runs up to you. The stranger is wearing a hooded mask and has a gun in his hands. He orders you inside. You open the door and run inside to grab your gun. The attacker shoots at you. You shoot back. Now, your attacker runs away. You close the door and call 911.

You’re shaking but not hurt. You give a brief statement to the police. You show the police the security video from your front door.

Amanda- Our good guy had a gun. He didn’t give up when he was attacked. He ran into his dark house and got his gun. He fought off his attacker. He didn’t chase him as the attacker ran down the street. He called the police and gave them a statement..and a video.

Rob- That is a lot to get right. When do you talk about being attacked on your front steps?

Amanda- Self-defense in the home. Almost half of the violent crimes are in or near our home. Of course, that means the other half are away from home.

Rob- What would you like your students to do?

Amanda- I want my students armed as they drive home. Owning a gun isn’t enough because you also have to know when and how to use it. I don’t know the instant you should defend yourself. It doesn’t have to be on the steps. Maybe as you open the door and run into the dark. Also, you need your hands empty so you can defend yourself.

Rob- Is there anything else you see there?

Amanda- This is where safe storage laws have come a long way. It used to be that your employer could say no guns at work. Then they could say no guns in our parking lot. That meant you had to park off site or be disarmed. Now, you can keep your firearm in your car in a gun safe, even when you’re disarmed at work.

Rob- When would your students learn about storage laws?

Amanda- in class, on the radio,  and from your state atty general.

Amanda- That is enough for now. Our second story happened in Houston, Texas.

Rob- Second Story- Are you armed on the street at night?

It is about 11 at night on a weekday. You’re walking to the local convenience store. You’re almost there when a stranger runs up to you. The stranger lifts his shirt and shows you a gun tucked in his pants. “Hand everything over,” he says. 

You don’t have your concealed carry permit, but in Texas you don’t need one. You don’t have a criminal record so you’re legally carrying tonight. You present your firearm from your holster and shoot your attacker one time. Your attacker drops his gun and turns away. You call 911. You give a statement to the police when they arrive. You are not charged.

The article doesn’t say if the attacker ran. The attacker is now in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the face and is expected to live. 

Amanda- Unlike our first story, this defender was carrying concealed in public. If you legally own a firearm, then you passed a background check. That is enough verification that you are a good guy, so you can then carry concealed in Texas. This young man defended himself. He stopped shooting when the threat stopped. The defender stayed near the scene of the crime and called police. He gave a statement when officers arrived.

Rob- Is there anything else you’d like us to do?

Amanda- A good start would be to avoid the local stop-and-rob at 11 at night. Also, take out your earbuds, keep your head up, and your eyes open. Surveillance video at the gas station showed that the bad guy was dropped off by an accomplice in a car, so the get-away-driver was still out there. 

After you defend yourself, holster your gun and then run to the gas station to call the police.

A police spokesman said that the defender had no criminal record.

Rob- Talk to me about presenting a loaded firearm from a concealed holster.

Amanda- You learn to present in steps. You practice those steps without ammunition in the gun. Then you do it in a controlled manner with live ammunition.

You speed up by practicing without ammo, then you verify your improvement with live fire at the range.

We’ll start with open carry, or your gun outside a concealment garment. That way the instructor can see what you’re doing and keep you safe. Once you have that down, then you advance to presentation from concealment. Then we add movement and multiple shots.

Rob- I’d like an order of that, to-go, please.

Amanda- Sorry, but there is no secret sauce. You have to put in the practice, 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Rob- You made the recipe sound so simple. 

Amanda- It is simple, but it costs time.

Also, just because you don’t need a permit doesn’t mean you don’t need carry insurance. You need it unless you have 20 to 30 thousand dollars in cash for your defense.

Also, having a permit means the police know you have a clean criminal record and that helps identify you as a good guy.

Our third story happened in Mount Healthy, Ohio.

Rob- First this message from Buckeye Firearms Foundation.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation https://fastersaveslives.org/

Rob- Third story- Do you have a firearm accessible late at night?

Ex breaks into girlfriend’s home

It is Sunday morning. It is a few hours after midnight when you hear glass breaking. You also hear your female roommate scream. She is yelling for someone to stop and go away.You grab your gun and move toward the sounds. You see a man fighting with your female roommate. You shoot him. Now he stops his attack.

You and your roommate retreat and call 911. The attacker is your roommate’s ex-boyfriend who broke in through the window. You holster your gun and give a statement to the police when they arrive.

Your attacker has open warrants for his arrest. The police have been here before when he violated the restraining orders against him.

Amanda- That is a heck of a way to wake up. I like that our defender had a gun nearby.  I like that our defender’s doors and windows were closed. I like that our defender stopped shooting when the threat stopped. I also like that there was a restraining order against the ex-boyfriend.

Rob- Why was that restraining order important?

Amanda-  its only paper,  but its a legal paper trail that shows that they tried to deflect, to do the right thing, to avoid having to take these (shooting) steps. 

Rob- Is there anything else you would like us to do?

Amanda- This story is strange. I couldn’t tell if this was a roommate or a girlfriend-boyfriend situation. I like that the bad guy had to break in. I did notice that the woman was attacked, and I don’t want that to happen. I’d like you to lock your doors AND make him break down your bedroom door. That is when you shoot him while you’re on the opposite side of the room hiding behind the bed.

Rob- Tell me more about that.

Amanda- The girlfriend got in a fight with her ex. What if he hit her in the head and then kicked her. What if he had a knife and stabbed her. Even the best fighters lose sometimes, so plan to avoid the fight if you can.

Make him come to you, and be in a position where you can’t lose.

Rob- Now that sounds like a plan.

Amanda- Then let’s move on to our last story in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed as you go grocery shopping?

You have your groceries. You’re walking to your car. You notice two men breaking into your car. You shout for them to get out. You try to get in your car and drive away. The thief in the passenger seat attacks you. You present your firearm and shoot him. The second robber runs away. You get out of your car and the second robber shoots at you. You shoot back.

You duck down and call 911. You identify yourself to the police. They put patrol units into the area. They find your attacker. Emergency medical services says your first attacker died at the scene. Police arrest his accomplice and charge him with breaking and entering an automobile, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person under 18 years of age, and felony murder.

You are not charged.

Amanda- Our defender was armed. He fought back after he was attacked. He stopped shooting when the attacker ran away. He stayed at the scene and he called 911. 

Rob- Tell me what you’d like us to do.

Amanda- Let me tell you what I don’t want you to do. Don’t jump into a gunfight. And don’t leave valuables in your car. If you walk up to your car and you see it is being robbed, then take pictures and call the police. I want you to go home in one piece, even if you have to call a cab to get there.

Rob- Were our defender’s actions illegal?  Were they wise?

Amanda- That depends. Are you saving your gym bag or are you saving your daughter and grandchild who are asleep in the car? 

If they are asleep in the car, then why are you guarding the groceries with a gun rather than having the gun where it needs to be to protect the people who are important to you?

It isn’t worth a life and death battle over some smelly sox. In either case, I don’t want you in a fight out in the open where you can get shot.

Also, if the bad guys have weapons out and your family is in the car then you don’t need to announce a warning. Learn the laws and have a plan so you don’t stand there with your mouth open, or say something stupid and get shot.

Rob- That isn’t simple. When do you talk to your students about armed defense in public? 

Amanda- That comes up over and over. Students ask questions during our firearms safety class. We talk about it again in our class to get your carry permit, in our self-defense classes, and in a legal continuing education class for armed defenders.

When is the last time you took a class?

Rob- Last year when I renewed my  permit and then sat in on a few classes.

Amanda- Lots of instructors will let you sit in and retake their concealed carry class as a refresher. The permit might be good for 5 years, but my memory isn’t good for that long. Studying and practicing so you’re confident about what you know.

Exit-

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

Amanda- My nationally syndicated radio show is eye on the target radio. Call in and talk with us Sunday nights from 5 to 7 eastern time. I instruct on the weekends in Northeastern Ohio. I’m also part of the DCProject, and you can find us at DCProject.info

Rob- Aren’t you on Opslens?

After you look at Amanda websites and subscribe to her radio show, then please leave her a message on the podcast webpage.

Amanda- 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 Podcasts, Tunein, Spotify, Podbean and iHeart Radio.

Rob- This show is part of the Self-defense radio network. Find more pro-freedom podcasts at sdrn.us

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


One Reply to “Episode 249 with Amanda Suffecool”

  1. Robbie

    Amanda, thank you for taking the time to walk folks through the dangers of protecting our stuff. Not only could we find ourselves in legal trouble, but we could lose the fight. I live in Georgia and your explanation explained how the law applies here to a “T”. We law abiding folks need to take heed.

    Another consideration is not commonly covered. Here in Augusta, Ga, we’ve had a rash of auto break ins. Not too long ago, a guy interrupted one and he lost. I’m waiting for the next confrontation to make the news. In the last two weeks, a group of thugs have been hitting neighborhoods looking for unlocked vehicles. In both cases, they grabbed plenty of valuables and even stole a vehicle. The part that worries me the most is that in every case, they also stole a firearm.

    Lock your car, remove your valuables at night and, for God’s sake, stop storing your firearms in your vehicles at night.

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