Episode 50 with Amber Kunau

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 50 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This show is for  people who think they might want a gun for self-defense, and those who already have one.  I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Amber Kunau.

How have you been?

Amber – Hi, Rob.  I’m… (it has been two months)

Hi to our new listeners, and welcome back to our regular listeners. We report and analyze three examples of armed civilian defense each week.  I hope we inspire you to defend the people you care about.  If you have questions or want to hear more, then please leave us a message on our facebook page.

Rob- Someone asked us why our discussion sometimes sounds scripted.  The answer is pretty simple.  I wasn’t at each of these robberies.  I collect the news accounts from several sources and put them together from the victim’s point of view.

Amber-  Some instructors write down every single word they want to say.  That can sound scripted.  Some instructors just write a few bullet points for the topics they want to cover.  That means that most of the conversation is free-form, and never makes it into the show notes.

Rob- I don’t know how to be both spontaneous and thoughtful.  I edit our half-hour conversation into a 15 minutes episode.  Lots of what we say never makes it onto the podcast.

Amber- So that is how two people who want to make clear concise points talk about self-defense.  Because it is really important information and we don’t want anything to get lost in translation.

Our first story took place last week in Florida.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed as you stop for coffee in the morning?

It is an ordinary work day.  You’re driving to work on your usual route.  Traffic is the same as it was the day before.  You stop for gas, a snack, and coffee at your usual store.  You wait as a customer orders, and you start to place your regular order, just as you have for the last 15 years.

The bell rings and another customer walks in behind you.  He yells, and you and the clerk look up.  The guy is wearing a mask over his face, and he has a gun pointed at you.  The robber yells, “’open the drawer and both of you get back in the cooler.'”  That is what happened in a small town just north of Tampa, Florida.

The clerk moves toward the cooler, and you follow him.  The robber closes the door.  That is when it dawns on you.  No one can hear what happens in this refrigerated room.  No one on the street will see what happens here.  The robber could open the door, and you’d have no time to react.  “We have to get out of here.”  You’re carrying your gun, just as you have for years.  You have your Florida permit.

You draw your handgun and walk out of the cooler.  The armed robber turns toward you.  You shoot, and miss.  The robber doesn’t run.  Instead he charges you and reaches for your gun.  You shoot again, and the robber falls to the floor.

You stand there while the clerk calls the police.

The robber was shot in the hip.  He was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.   The criminal had more than 11 previous arrests, including theft and burglary charges.

Amber- (warning shots)???? Rob I don’t read this as the person firing warning shots I read it as he shot and missed? Am I missing something?  

Rob- Not sure.

Your life is in danger, or it isn’t

You have the right to use lethal force or you don’t.

Every gunshot is potentially fatal.  Every one.  The ones you shoot and the ones shot at you.

Don’t carry a gun in the hope that you will frighten a robber into running away.  That is the wrong reason.  To carry every day, you are willing to kill in order to save a life that criminals put at risk. In self defense shootings there are no winners, only victims. If you can’t handle that then you shouldn’t carry a gun.

Rob- Have you seen new gun owners who are mentally choosing a gun that doesn’t look lethal?  Sometimes I wonder if people choose small guns to conceal, or because they think a small green gun isn’t as lethal as a large black one.

Amber – No I haven’t Rob have you?

Rob- How do warning shots get us killed?

Amber-  You gave the robber time to kill you.  I’m begging you.  Don’t do that.

Rob- Could you run out the back of the store?

Amber- I wasn’t there.  If you could run out without the robber seeing you, then that could be a choice.  My point is that you don’t have to put your life at risk in order to save the life of someone who is trying to kill you.

Rob- Wow.

Amber – Our second story took place in Maryland.

Second Story-  Are you armed at home while you watch TV in the evening?

Two women were watching TV late at night.  They heard someone break the sliding glass window at the back of their home.  They ran upstairs.  One of the homeowners called police.  The second woman headed down stairs with her gun.  The robber had a knife in each hand.  She held the robber for police.

The first homeowner remained on the phone and described the situation to the dispatcher.

Amber – Glad they are OK and had a gun at all. Think about keeping guns on every level of your home. Seconds count. They did the right thing calling the police right away but I question why one of them went back downstairs and put themselves closer to the intruder.

Rob-What do you think a better option would have been?

Amber – If they weren’t going back downstairs to protect a child or another person they should have stayed put upstairs and watched and listened from a distance until the police came. It’s easy to play monday morning quarterback but we want to make sure our listeners really think about these things long and hard.

Amber- Our third story took place in Michigan.

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

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you’re out to eat with your date?  

You and your date are standing in line at the E&S Carry Out Shrimp Shack in Detroit.  You are looking at the menu and trying to decide what to have for dinner.  A young man comes into the restaurant and tells everyone to hand over their belongings.  You see the robber put his gun in your date’s face.

You throw your keys and wallet on the floor.  The thief turns to pick them up. You draw and fire one time.  The thief drops the gun and falls to the floor.  You kick the robber’s gun away.  Someone calls police.  You have your permit to carry.  You stay on scene and show your permit to police.

The armed citizen said, “I would have given him money if he asked for money.” but the robber wasn’t begging.

The robber was taken to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Amber- Stopped mass murder. There were the employees and at least four customers in the restaurant.

Rob- So the victim saved himself and everyone else.

Amber-  the victim said too much to police.  Please don’t say anything to the police other than you were in fear for your life, as long as you actually were in fear for your life.

Rob- People want to talk when they are excited.

Exit-  Rob- That wraps up this episode. Amber, thank you for helping me today.  Where can our listeners learn more about you?

Amber- I instruct and compete in Phoenix, Arizona.  Listeners can contact me at Instructor Amber K on my Facebook page  

Rob- Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Amber – If these examples inspired you, then please share them with a friend, and give us a rating on I-Tunes.  If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network.

I’m Rob Morse.  Please join us next week for more Self-Defense Gun Stories.