Episode 267 with Tony Simon

Rob- Introduction-

Welcome to episode 267 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. We’re glad you found us if you’re well trained.. and if you’re still learning about armed defense. I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by firearms instructor Tony Simon. How have you been, Tony?

Tony Simon

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I went to the SHOT show. It was great to see people again. I interviewed people and was interviewed, and I found some sponsors for the second is for everyone. Then I came home and got sick.

How about you?

Rob- I stayed home and stayed healthy.

We received new ratings and comments on iTunes (174×156).

  • Bubba feels more aware of his surroundings after he listens to a podcast.
  • Listener RV used to be a branch manager for an armored car company. He likes our stories and commentary.

Thank you both for listening and leaving a comment. Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and tell us why you listen. Between now and the next time Tony joins us will be our 6 year anniversary with Tony on the podcast. Please leave Tony a welcome message on the Podcast web page.

Tony- Here in the US, we defend ourselves with a firearm thousands of times a day. We look at a few recent examples to see what we can learn. The links back to the original news articles are on our podcast webpage.

Our first story took place last week in Columbia, South Carolina.

Rob- First story- Do you have a gun at home?

You’re at home with a friend of yours. It is 6pm when you hear banging on the front door of your apartment. You ask who it is, but you don’t recognize the person’s name or their voice. You and your friend retreat to the back of the house. You grab the gun that is stored back there. The intruder breaks in and he shoots at you. You shoot back.

Your attacker stops, so you stop shooting. You and your friend back up and call 911.

You stay on the phone with 911. You put the gun away. Police enter the front of the apartment and tell you it is safe to come out. EMS said your attacker died in your apartment. You and your friend have to give a statement to the police.

The next day, detectives say you acted in self-defense. You and your friend are under 21 years of age so the detectives didn’t release your names.

Tony- This story is a little confusing, but we’ll start with what we know. I love that they locked their doors. That might have saved their lives. They tried to get more information. Who is it, and what do you want? They did not open the door for a stranger.

Also-

  • Retreated
  • Armed
  • Defended themselves after they were shot at.
  • Called for help.
  • Gave a statement to the police.

Rob- Now tell me about the confusing parts.

Tony- We can’t tell if the defenders were 15 year buddies who were at home after school while their parents were working, or if they were two 20 year old girls who were living on their own.

At some point we want our teenagers to learn about armed defense. That life skill is as important as how to drive a car, or how to save money. Unfortunately, in South Carolina you can drive a commercial truck or captain a ship for hire, but you can’t carry concealed in public until you’re 21 years old.

Rob- What else do you see here?

Tony- Most of the stories like this one involve drugs. Either the attacker thought a drug user lived there and he wanted to steal their drugs or their money, the attacker was looking for someone to rob so he could pay his drug debts, or the attacker was trying to collect money from someone who owed a dealer. 

Now that I think about it, the attacker could have been high and trying to break into the wrong apartment. Stay away from drugs and from friends and neighbors who use.

Rob- Is there anything else you’d like us to do as parents, or that you’d like young adults to do when they live alone.

Tony- You can often put good door strike plates on your door even if you rent your apartment. That costs you all of 7 dollars and it comes with the long screws you need. Put long screws into the hinges too. That costs you another 2 dollars.

Rob- Telling your children how to act around the police can save their lives too.

Tony- Here is what we all need to know.

Call as soon as possible

Stay on 911 if you can.

Put the gun away when the threat is gone, or when the police arrive to take over the scene. Do as you’re told.
Rob- Anything else?

Tony- That is enough for now. Our second story happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Rob- Second Story- Do you keep a firearm nearby when you travel?

You’re staying at your girlfriend’s house for the night. Both of you are asleep in the middle of the night when you’re woken up by a loud thump and the house shakes. There it is again, and this time you hear the sound of breaking wood and shattered glass. It takes you a second, but you roll out of bed and grab your firearm. You move into the hallway and see an intruder. The intruder is armed and he points his gun at you. You aim your handgun at the intruder and press the trigger twice. Now the intruder drops his gun. You and your girlfriend turn on the lights. You step back and call the police. Police and EMS arrive in a few minutes.

You put your gun away and give a statement to the police. The intruder is dead. He is your girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. She took out a restraining order against him a few days ago. The police talk to you and your girlfriend separately. They pick up your attacker’s gun. Officers say you’re free to go, but that they might have more questions later.

Tony- (List the usual good stuff. Doors, gun, restraining order…)

It doesn’t say if the defender died at the scene or if he was transported by EMS and died somewhere else.

Rob- Is this story unusual?

Tony- Yes and no. This probably won’t happen to you. 

That changes if you have to serve an abusive lover with a restraining order. 

Then it is very likely you’ll be attacked in the next few days and months. It is a recipe for an attack.

Rob- What do you tell your students to do if they discover that a friend or lover is abusive?

Tony- I tell them to run and to defend themselves. Abusers and stalkers are bad news waiting to happen. Get out early and take your defense very seriously. Move to another state, get a restraining order and go armed all the time.

I see that a few small details can be the difference between life and death. If the attacker had waited until the new boyfriend was in the shower then the girlfriend would be disarmed and dead. That is why I want her to be armed rather than depending on her boyfriend. 

Having your gun up on the shelf in the bedroom won’t save you if you’re in the kitchen. If you’re not fully dressed, then put on a shoulder holster or pull on some sweat pants and slip a gun into your pocket. Women now have yoga pants that come with a built in holster, so it doesn’t have to look like you’re dressed for the OK Corral.

Rob- I double checked, and domestic abuse and carrying a firearm in your home aren’t topics in the NRA basic firearms safety class. Where would your students learn about them?
Tony- I can talk about them because I have small classes.

Rob- Who needs to know if I have a crazy ex lover?

Tony- Employers, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, pastor, relatives, your mailman. They will help if they can. Tell everyone, including any new friends or new lovers. You owe them that.

Rob- Is there anything else we should do?

Tony- Get a security system. If you’re renting, then move into a place that already has a security system installed. I’m thinking of at least motion sensitive lights, cameras, and door alarms.

Tony-  Our third story happened in a rural area outside Blacksburg, South Carolina.

Rob- First this message from Buckeye Firearms Foundation.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation

https://fastersaveslives.org/

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

You’re staying with your mom. It is the middle of the night when you hear a loud crash and then hear someone in your house. You get up and find a stranger in your home. He hits you with something. You run back into your bedroom and grab your gun. You move back toward the center of the house, but more slowly this time. The intruder attacks you again, and this time you shoot him. He turns and runs from the house. You close the door and call for your mom. She is unhurt and she calls 911. You put your gun away.

You give a brief statement to the police and then go with EMS. They take you to the hospital to treat your injuries. Your attacker was dumped at the hospital by his driver, and your attacker died of his injuries.

You are not charged with a crime.

Tony- We’re on a roll, because this family had their doors locked too. The young man had a gun. He used it to defend himself and his family. He stopped shooting when the attacker ran and he did not chase them as they drove away. He stayed at the scene and called for help. He gave a brief statement to the police when they arrived. He took their advice and got medical attention.

Rob- What should we do if this happens to us?

Tony- How about motion sensitive lights on your front door?

How about connecting that to a chime?

Now let’s get our gun.

Shout that you’re armed. Shout for mom to call the police.

Turn on the inside lights, and move very slowly.

If you’re the only person in the home, then stay in your bedroom and make the attacker come to you. In this case, you want mom to lock her door and you can peek into the hallway. Maybe you can see your mom’s door from there, and you don’t have to go any farther.

For bonus points, figure out where you shouldn’t shoot because good guys might be in those rooms.

Rob- Are crimes like this very common?

Tony- I looked it up, and there are about 1.6 million home invasions each year. The odds are about one in 60 households will have a breakin. That means it will probably happen to you sometime in your lifetime.

Rob- Where are we going for our last story?  

Tony- Our fourth story took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed at work?

You and your boss are behind the counter of the 24 hour corner store. Two armed men come in through the back room and run behind the counter. They step past you and fight with your manager. You’re armed. You shoot the attacker closest to you several times. He drops his gun. The other attacker shoots you. Both men run. Your manager calls 911 and asks for help. EMS takes you to the hospital with three gunshot wounds to your leg.

Your manager shows the security video to the police. The police arrest a man who was dropped off at another hospital with four gunshot wounds to his chest.

You almost have to laugh when you see the video on the news. Your store dog is a big German Shepard and he only put his paws on the attackers and didn’t bite them.

Tony- They had a plan. She was armed. They had a security video system. They called for help, and they stayed at the scene.

Rob- What else could we do?

Tony- I want both of you to be armed. I’d like the shop to have security doors that lock from 9 o:clock until 7 in the morning. I want them to have a first aid kit and to have training.

Also, plan and practice. At one point, both attackers had their backs to the defenders. Stand up before you shoot if you can. That lets you move. Then again, the defender shot upward so she wouldn’t shoot her boss who was on the other side of the bad guy. 

Rob- Is there a class for small businesses so they can work through a security plan and go armed at work?

Tony- Your local firearms instructor will build a class that fits your business. That is what I did.

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 I’m also on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and at The 2nd is For Everyone podcast.

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

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 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 in a few weeks with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.

~_~_

 

Amanda, Ben, Heather, Dave, Candy, Tony, Robyn, Michael

Apple categories- news commentary, self-improvement

 

 


One Reply to “Episode 267 with Tony Simon”

  1. Evan

    Just wanted to pass on some kudos. I’ve listened and learned from your stories for several years now and I really appreciate the work you all put into these shows. We call them shows but like you say they are lessons for all of us…we learn from the actions of others (or the lack of) and your review of those actions. What can we do better before, during, and after an attack.

    Like many of your listeners I carry daily and learn something new each time I listen to your podcast. I also listen to the shows of many of your guests…all great info — THANK YOU.

    While I hope to prevent or avoid a shooting with the insight and knowledge you all share I also appreciate that you point out there are NOW options for preemptively funding legal support (ie “insurance”). I think this is increasingly important not only to defer the cost of a legal defense, but also the lessons and training several of these companys/groups provide. Hindsight is good, but it’s awesome to learn thru the hindsight of others.

    Take care, we look forward to more knowledge and forethought.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.