Episode 73 with Tony Simon

Rob- Introduction- I’m Rob Morse and welcome to episode 73 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who think they might want a firearm.. and those who already have one.  We’re joined this week by self-defense instructor Tony Simon.

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

 

Tony- Hi, Rob.  We had the diversity shoot last week.

Hi to our new listeners, and welcome back to our regular listeners. We report and analyze three examples of armed civilian defense.  We hope you use these reports as part of your exercise program.. to use your imagination today so you can defend the people you care about tomorrow.  Please leave us a message on our facebook page with your questions or comments.

Tony- Our first story took place last week in Marietta, Georgia.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

It’s a few hours after midnight when someone knocks at your door.  He asks to speak to your husband.  You say your husband isn’t home.  That is when the intruder pushes his way through your front door.  You yell for him to leave, but he doesn’t.  You step back toward your bedroom and grab your gun.  Your three children are in the back of the house so you move toward the intruder.  You shoot him.  He moves back toward the front door, the way he came.  You retreat and call police.

Your husband arrives a few minutes later..as do the police.

Tony- She did what needed to be done to save her children from being hurt by a threat in her home. She shot the bad guy, called the police and she isn’t going to be charged with a crime because she was able to articulate the threat that she faced to the police.

Rob- It isn’t unusual to be attacked in your own home.  She must have thought about defending her family before it happened in order to react so quickly.

Tony- Have a plan on how you will handle an emergency, be it a fire, a car accident or a home defense situation. Have that plan before the it happens.  That will cut down on the time it takes for you to start solving that problem.

Rob- Where do your students learn about this?

Tony- We teach having a plan in all of our classes from beginner class to our more advanced classes. I want students to leave any level of instruction knowing how to operate their firearm and to know they must be mentally prepared to use their firearm defensively if they need to.

Rob- What would your students do in this situation?

Tony- Any question from a stranger in the middle of the night can be answered through a locked door. These people were looking for her husband, her husband wasn’t home, she could tell them that through the door and not have compromised her security. If someone is knocking on your door after midnight you should have a means of protecting yourself from what might be on the other side. P.O.G.O. Pajamas On Gun On.

Rob- I’m imagining how slowly I think in the middle of the night.  We need a plan because we won’t be thinking clearly if someone knocks on our door in the middle of the night.  Our plan is to be armed and have our phone, turn on the outside lights, and talk to our visitor through the locked door.  There are some new camera doorbells that will let us talk to a visitor from our cell phone.

Tony- Now that is a plan.  Our second story happened last week in Waco, Texas.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at work in the evening?

You work at a smoke shop and it’s almost midnight.  A customer walks in wearing a ski mask.  It is the middle of the summer, so that is a clue.  The robber also has a gun in his hand and demands your money.  You draw your firearm and shoot the robber several times.  The rubber runs, and no one else in the store is injured.

You call the police.

Tony- An easier example of a self defense shooting is hard to find. It like a Hollywood script. A bad guy enters wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun, at midnight, in Waco TX. in July. The criminal walks in looking like every bad guy target in every gun range in the country!

Rob- Are some of your students store clerks and business owners?

Tony- We have had students from many different walks of life. Students have been tradesmen, law enforcement, military, doctors and lawyers.

Rob- So you teach them how to “interview” a customer?

Tony- We tell people that they must pay attention to people and pick up on visual cues that people give off. Everyone has this ability but polite society has helped dull that ability by convincing people to be politically correct. It’s ok to look at someone and think “ He doesn’t look “right”, something isn’t right with him” and you move away from them.  You’re avoiding confrontation.  You’re giving yourself time to think and to start planning how you may have to handle contact with this person. This bad guy made it very easy to determine his intentions.

Rob- What should one of your students have done in this situation?

Tony- Move to the side.  Move behind cover or concealment if possible, draw and fire at the bad guy until he stops or goes away. Reload, lock the door, call the police.

Tony- Our third story happened last week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Listen to Gun Freedom Radio at http://gunfreedomradio.com

Rob- Third story- Are you armed in your car?  

You’re a 72 year old man.  A young woman you know from the neighborhood asks you for a ride to her apartment to pick up some clothes.  You give her a ride, and as she asks you to stop the car, two men come out from behind the building.  One of these two men has a gun.  They demand your wallet.  They hit you in the head.  You grab your gun and shoot the closest attacker.

Both men run to a waiting car and drive away.

You call police.  It turns out your passenger has a long criminal record, as do her two accomplices.

Tony- The senior citizen brought his “A” game to a fight for his life. He was attacked but he had an option the bad guys didn’t expect. He used his firearm effectively against multiple attackers and won the fight for his life.

Rob- I think this robbery happened in broad daylight.  That is another reason to be off-guard.

Tony- Safety and security are feelings not facts. There is no completely safe place and no there is no safe time. Bad guys don’t have set working hours, they work 7 days a week 24 hours a day.  Oh and DON’T GIVE STRANGERS RIDES!

Rob-  The news story says the victim was agitated after the attack.

Tony- That is normal. He was physically attacked by two men after giving a lady a ride. He had to use his firearm to stop a disparity of force attack that could have cost him his life. The shock of being attacked and the adrenaline dump after the fight could cause people to faint, have heart attacks or other health issues.

Rob- What would you want your students to do it this situation.

Tony- Hopefully my students won’t put themselves in that situation but if they did they would have their windows up and doors locked if the car was moving. They should carry their firearm on them because it has to be within reach to be useful.

Rob- I’ve fired a gun from inside a vehicle.  The noise will surprise you.

Tony- Firing a gun inside an enclosure without ear protection is disconcerting to say the least. You must fight when your life depends on it and everything else becomes secondary.

Rob- What else did this man do right?

Tony- He was surprised, outnumbered and injured.  He didn’t give up.  He got his gun.  He pointed it at the attacker that was the greatest threat.  He pulled the trigger until the threat stopped.  He looked for other threats.  Then, and this is important too, the intended victim stopped shooting when the threats went away.

Rob- And your students learn to do that?

Tony- My students learn and PRACTICE that with me.

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

Tony-  I teach firearms safety and armed-self defense courses in New Jersey.  Our listeners can contact me on Facebook at Simon Says Train or at The Second is for Everyone. I’m also at SimonSaysTrain on Instagram.  My classes are listed at BlackBagResources.com

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

Tony-   If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network.  We share this podcast with you for free.  Please share it with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher.  We’re also available on Google Play Music.

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

Learn more at SAF Training Division.


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