Episode 76 with Elizabeth Hautman
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Rob- Introduction- I’m Rob Morse and welcome to episode 76 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 Elizabeth Hautman. Hi, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth- Hi, Rob. 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.
Elizabeth- Our first story took place last week in Tuolumne, California.
Rob- First story- Do you have a gun nearby when you’re at home late at night?
You and your children are at home late at night. The kids are in bed. Someone is banging on your front door. You don’t know him so you don’t open the door, you yell for him to go away. He keeps pounding. You move your children upstairs. You grab your handgun and call the police.
The intruder breaks the door down and enters your home. You fire one shot, and the intruder runs away. Police find him at the party that was going on next door. The local hospital treats him for a gunshot wound. His blood alcohol level was at three times the legal limit.
Elizabeth- Good job parent! I tell each student again and again, Don’t open the door! How many home invasion stories start with,” the assailant pushed their way into the home.” It is easy to push through a doorway that is open just an inch. This intruder had to break the door down. By not opening the door, the homeowner had time to secure the children, access his or her firearm, call the police and wait.
Rob- Say that list again slowly. What do we want to do in what order, and why.
Elizabeth- Retreat, gun, phone, once the person was banging on the door….
Rob- what can we do before the wolf is at the door.
Elizabeth- We can talk about the door. In this situation, the homeowner didn’t know the person breaking in, that means that maybe they could see out on the porch. With new, inexpensive technology you can see and talk to someone on your porch without opening the door. One way to make the door more secure is to install 3 inch screws in the strike plate around the deadbolt and doorknob in your front, back and garage door. That inexpensive upgrade will buy you time to make your family safe.
Also, this homeowner had a plan, and waited. That may be a difficult thing to do, but the homeowner saw to her children’s safety, and took action.
Rob- What do we need to tell the police?
Elizabeth- Practice that call. Make a 911 call sheet.
Elizabeth- Our second story happened last week in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rob- Second Story- Are you armed in the grocery store parking lot?
It is a few minutes after 5pm, so it is light outside. You’re done with your grocery shopping and head back to your car. You step between the parked cars to unlock your car door. A man walks between the cars and grabs your purse. The strap is over your shoulder, and you hang on tight. You reach inside your purse and pull out your gun. Your attacker immediately turns and runs away. You don’t shoot. It takes you a minute to put away your gun, get your phone out of your purse, and then call the police.
Elizabeth- Situation awareness is key. Not paranoid but aware. So perhaps if the victim had been more aware of her surroundings she could have escaped being targeted at all. Bad guys look for victims who are unaware of their surroundings, distracted, not paying attention. And it is easy to get distracted – cell phones, children, schedules, traffic and the list goes on. But by bing in the present and aware of what is going on at that moment, we all are a bit safer. Criminals look for the distracted victim.
Rob- Let’s say my gun is on my hip. Someone grabbed my holster. That makes it really hard to draw my gun. It is even harder to get your gun from your purse if someone grabbed your purse.
Elizabeth-Rob, you are right, it can take me 5 minutes to extract a pen from the bottom of my purse, a firearm, when I am scared or struggling is worse, and time is what you don’t have a lot of if you are being attacked. I prefer on body carry, for two reasons; one, I can access my firearm more efficiently from my hip and two, if the bad guy wants my purse, he can have it and the $8.79 in the wallet. I don’t want him to take my firearm. If I can get away, without using my firearm, and only lose a purse, I am lucky!
Lastly, my firearm is to protect my life, or the life of another innocent person who is in immediate danger. Not to protect my “stuff.” So if my stuff goes away – the purse, my wallet, watch, jewelry, no big deal. I’m not happy about it, but if I can escape and not use my firearm, that is the BEST result.
Rob- Does that surprise your students?
Elizabeth- Our third story happened last week in outside Saint Paul, Minnesota.
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Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you’re at work?
You opened the cell phone store. Now it is 11 am and you’re eager to take a lunch break. Two men wait their turn. As you finish with the customer in front of them, one of the men pulls out a gun and tells you to move to the back of the store. You step back between the counters. The two thieves follow you into the back room. You draw your own handgun and shoot the armed robber nearest to you. You shoot him several times until he drops his gun. Then you point your gun at the other robber, but he has run away.
Now you call police..or try to. It is hard to talk because you’re so excited.
The police said your attacker was a convicted felon with a long list of convictions. How did your attacker get a gun anyway?
Elizabeth- Just another example of ineffective gun laws. I teach about the laws in Colorado, and my students, who follow the rules take careful notes and are law abiding citizens. Criminals don’t do that! They do not follow firearms laws, they do not get background checks, they do what they want regardless of the law.
Elizabeth- And the clerk, is described as excited – exactly! That is why I teach my students to practice and practice so your moves rely on muscle memory, not your thinking brain.
Rob- How do I get to have that presence of mind?
Elizabeth- If you have ever had to dial 911 when someone isn’t breathing, you may know what level of stress and emergency like that can bring on. Using your firearm is just like that. I keep my home address by my landline at home, so if anyone ever has to dial 911, they can READ the address, not just recite it from memory.
Elizabeth- The clerk had a series of routine actions.
Exit- Rob- That wraps up this episode. Elizabeth, thank you for helping me today. Where can our listeners learn more about you?
Elizabeth- I instruct in Colorado Springs. I teach small classes at my private range in Black Forest. Students can contact me at Colorado Boots Firearms Instruction.
Rob- Our listeners can share their thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.
Elizabeth- If you liked this show, then you’ll like the other podcasts on the Self-defense radio network.
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Rob- I’m Rob Morse. We’ll be back next week with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.