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Rob- Introduction- I’m glad you found us. Welcome to episode 136 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.

This podcast is for people who are curious about a firearm for self-defense, and for those who already own one. I’m your host, Rob Morse. We’re joined this week by self defense instructor Tony Simon.

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working, shooting and instructing. We also had a two day class with Rob Pincus. Working the schedule for 2019.

Rob- I’m looking for a spanish speaking podcaster who will make a spanish version of Self-Defense Gun Stories. If you know someone, then please ask them to contact us.  Until then, Tony, please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- We study several examples where gun owners survived a life threatening situation. Were they lucky, or did they have a plan? What should we do if we were in their place? Our first story took place last week in Springfield, Missouri.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed as you visit your relatives?  

You’re visiting with your relatives. It is after dinner and the first sign of trouble is the sound of shots from the backyard. You step out the back door to see a police officer standing next to a stranger kneeling on the ground. You walk over to the officer and notice that the officer has his gun out. The suspect sitting on the ground has a gun too. The stranger’s gun is pointed at you. Now you notice that the suspect is bleeding. You say, “Hey, there is an ambulance in front of the house, you’re going to be OK.”

The stranger raises his firearm and you shoot the man threatening you. So does the police officer. The police officer’s gun was jammed when you walked over. The officer cleared his firearm and reloaded as you talked to the armed fugitive. The same criminal who had already shot at the police.

Tony- That is a frightening situation for everyone involved. Too bad the bad guy forced people to shoot him.

Rob-  What did our defender do right?

Tony-  The defender had his firearm on him and was ready to use it to defend a life. He knew what could happen if he had to pull the trigger. He used verbal skills to express what he would do if the bad guy didn’t do what he was told. He also used those skills to let the officer know that he was a good guy.

Rob-  It must be a shock to see a wounded man in your backyard.. And to discover you’re standing next to a police officer.

Tony-  I say it over and over. You never know what your fight will look like. Who practices to be backup for a uniformed officer in your family’s backyard?

Rob-  What would you tell your students to do?

Tony- know your line, what makes you get involved as a third party in a armed confrontation?

It’s important to understand that carrying a firearm for personal protection doesn’t make you a police officer. You don’t have to run to the sound of gun fire. Becoming involved in this confrontation could have cost the good guy his life. He could have been killed by either officer or the bad guy.

Rob- It also makes it very clear why you don’t run around with a gun in your hands. You don’t point your gun at a dark shape.

Tony- That is what bad guys do.  That will get you shot if one of those dark shapes is a cop. Here are some other lessons.
This happened at night, do you carry a flashlight? Does your self defense gun have a weapon mounted light?

Rob- Anything else?

Tony- That is enough for now. Our second story happened last week in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at home?   

You’re selling your video game console and some games. An online buyer wants to see it, and he says he has cash. It is a few days before Christmas, and you could use the money. Two men come over. They want to see the games and make sure they work. They seem to like them. The two men attack you and try to take the games. You’re armed and you shoot your attackers. You stay in your apartment and call police and EMTs.

Tony- We’ve seen this story before.

Rob- I’m sorry. I thought news report came in last week.

Tony- It happens every week. Don’t invite strangers to your home. You don’t know who answers your ads. Conduct person to person sales at the local police station.

Rob- What did our defender do correctly?

Tony- POGO Having your handgun on your person is something to practice doing so it comes naturally. We had many stories on this podcast about citizens saving lives, lives that would have be lost if the good guy had to run away to get a gun and then run back.

Rob- Our good guy defended himself. What else did he do correctly?

Tony- Call the police, stay on the scene and point out evidence and witnesses if you can because that is what the good guys do.

Rob- What would you tell your students to do..besides sell their video games so they have more money to take training classes with you?

Tony- Be aware that there are predators online that look for trusting people to invite them to their homes.

Our third story happened last week outside of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Rob- First this message about the Crime Prevention Research Center.

Please support the Crime Prevention Research Center at

http://crimeresearch.org/

Rob- Third story- Are you armed at home late at night?

It is dark outside and things are quiet. That is why the screams and pounding on your front door come as such a shock. You turn on the front porch light and see your neighbor slumped down on the ground. You quickly open the door and see your neighbor’s son running at you with something in his hand. You know that your neighbor’s son has been in trouble with the law before. You tell him to stop. The son steps closer to his father, and you see that the son has a rock in his hand. You draw your firearm and tell him to leave. The attacker steps back and you call police and EMTs.

They arrive a few minutes later. Your neighbor died at the hospital from injuries he received from his son. The son is arrested. He was out on parole for an earlier violent attack.

Tony- The son broke through the back door of his father’s home. The bad guy in this story had a history of attacking his father. He was on parole for attacking his dad in 2014 and stealing his father’s car. A definite bad guy.

Rob- So this sort of attack is happens fairly often?

Tony- Way too often. Sadly many violent confrontations are between people that know each other. Assaults with fists and a club are far more common than a shooting. That’s one of the reasons that I stress to my students that you can’t predict your self defense confrontation. Listen to a show like this one and you will see attacks from relatives, co-workers, boyfriends or complete strangers.

Rob-  Was a gun the right tool for defense?

Tony- A rock was used as a deadly weapon. The bad guy was using deadly force on a much older and weaker man. Deadly force is justified if you fear for your life or serious physical harm. The much younger and stronger man could still have been a deadly threat using only his bare hands.

Rob- What did our defender do correctly?

Tony- POGO, Identify the threat. Present the gun. Give verbal commands..and be ready to follow up with lethal force. The son came a step away from dying right there.

Rob- What else do you see?

Tony- Porch light. How did you know that the person running at you was the neighbors son. How did you see what was in his hands? Bring a flashlight when you open your door late at night.

Rob- Anything else?

Tony- Our forth story took place last week in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed when you’re working early in the morning?

You work at a convenience store. You’re brewing more coffee and setting out snacks for your customers. A man and a young teenager walk in and demand money from the cash register. The man has a gun in his hand and he says he’ll shoot you. You back up toward the cash register, but then you draw your gun and shoot your attacker. Your attacker drops his gun and both robbers try to run.

The adult robber falls down, but the teenager runs away. Police say these two robbers had robbed two other stores and beaten another store clerk that morning.

Tony- Criminals commit crimes for a living. They are used to using violence to get what they want. They come in with a plan. You are way behind by the time you’ve figured out that you are at risk and that need to use violence to defend yourself.

Rob- You’re telling me that there is more to learn about self-defense than how to press a trigger.

Tony- Criminals especially lifelong criminals use violence as a tool in their tool box. They will use a weapon to intimidate, beat or kill anyone that gets in their way. You never know if you are facing a hardened criminal or someone thats committing their first crime and is more afraid than you are at the time. Both of them can kill you. If you buy a firearm for personal protection get training, practice, keep it loaded and have a plan when it comes to its use. Listen to shows like this and figure out when would you use your firearm.

Rob- Thank you. I want them to learn from you rather than from their own painful mistakes.  What did our defender do correctly?

Tony- Drawing your firearm from concealment should be something that you practice. If you can move to the sides and behind cover or concealment that’s even better. Having your draw concealed from the bad guy cuts down on the time the bad guy has to react. Work on moving to the side, drawing from concealment and putting shots on target at the range. You want the bad guy to have to react to you not standing still like a victim but a moving challenge that takes the initiative away from them.

Rehearse movement as you draw a firearm. Don’t be in the same place at the end of the draw as you were at the beginning of the draw.

Rob- Did this convenience store clerk need a permit to carry in his store?

Tony- He did not need a permit to carry inside his business, but he might need it when he emptied the trash or met a delivery person outside the back door. Arizona is shall issue, so if you don’t have a criminal record then you can get a permit. You take your class and get your permit in about a month.

Rob- What would you tell your students?

Tony- I tell students that pulling the trigger is only a part of a self defense shooting. There is a lot to be done afterwards and they must stay focused. Being safe with the firearm, seeing if the bad guys are still a threat, calling the police, keep witnesses safe and in place until the authorities arrive. Calling your lawyer if you have one.

The story doesn’t say how far the robber ran before the attacker collapsed. You should protect the people who are in the store with you. It is also called honoring the witnesses.

Tell them to please stay down. You don’t know if there are more attackers or if they’ve all left. Ask if anyone is hurt. Ask them to look around and tell you if they see anyone else who is hurt. Ask each of them to call 911. Also, don’t point your gun at the witnesses.

If you have witnesses in danger then you might have to remove the firearm from your attacker. If you can get everyone to the back room, then keep them safe. Make sure that you call 911 also. Once you’re save, then put your gun is back in the holster before the police arrive.

Rob- That is another reason to have the gun in a holster and not stuffed on a shelf behind the cash register. The thing’s you’re describing go beyond basic firearms safety. When do you go over these topics with your students?

Tony- Crawl, walk, run. We talk about it. We walk it through, then they practice with an unloaded gun. Once they can move, draw and dry fire safely we do the real thing at the shooting range. We go on to firing multiple shots on target quickly and accurately.

Exit-  Rob- I learn something from you every time. Where can we learn more about you?

Tony- My website is Diversityshoot.com You can find me on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and The 2nd is For Everyone podcast. On you favorite podcast app.

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

Tony- We share this podcast with you for free.  Please share them with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher.  We’re also available on Google Play Music and Spotify.

Rob- This podcast is part of the Self-defense radio network. Find more great podcasts at sdrn.us

I’m Rob Morse.  Happy new year, and we’ll be back next week with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.

 

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Rob- Introduction- I’m glad you found us and welcome to episode 127 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.

This podcast is for people who are curious about a firearm for self-defense, and for those who already own one. I’m your host, Rob Morse. We’re joined this week by self defense instructor Tony Simon.

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working and shooting and.. diversity shoot, minute man challenge.

I noticed you had a problem with the last podcast.

Rob- Apple didn’t like one of the settings from our podcast host, so they shut us down until I changed the language setting from american english to “EN”.

Tony, how do you listen to the show?

Tony- I listen to it on.. my phone as I drive to work.

Rob- That is how most people listen. Please put us in your pocket every week, and give us rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher. Please leave a comment to tell us what you liked about the show.

Please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- We study several examples where gun owners survived a life threatening situation. Were they lucky, or did they have a plan? What should we do if we were in their place? Our first story took place last week in Millcreek, Utah.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed as you stop to buy a cup of coffee?  

You’re sitting in a coffee shop when a man comes in and starts yelling. He hits the employee behind the counter in the back of the head. She backs up, and her attacker hits her again and again. The other employees run away. The attacker then hits the woman with a metal crate from the counter. She falls to the floor and he starts kicking her.

You get up and yell at the attacker to stop. He rushes toward you. You have a concealed carry permit. You’re armed. You shoot the attacker once in the chest, and your attacker runs from the store. You wait there for police to arrive.

The police had to taze your attacker several times in order to arrest him. The injured employee said she remembers you, but never knew you were armed.

Tony- Crazy man on drugs and a repeat offender. He was running from the police when he ran into the coffee shop. In training we use real stories just like this to set up force on force and shooting problems.

Rob- No warning for the clerk.

Tony- Never expect a fair fight, bad guys looks for victims not for challenges. The defender was in his late 60s and the attacker was 37 years old. When you carry a firearm you should have really thought about the real choices that you have to make, like can I shoot an unarmed but dangerous attacker?

Rob- Is that enough disparity in physical size and strength to justify the use of lethal force?

Tony-We are not the police we have No duty to defend others. A concealed carry permit isn’t a badge and we need to know what our state laws are regarding lethal force. As responsible armed citizen we must decide if we would intervene to save another person’s life with deadly force. Can you live with yourself if this woman is beaten to death in front of you while you have the means to stop it from happening?

Rob- Duty to warn?

Tony- You don’t need to tell the bad guy that you have a gun or warn him in any way. At times it may not even be smart to warn him.  No duty to warn, but it does make your legal defense much easier because you can testify on your own behalf that the assailant tried to attack you.

Rob-  

Tony- As a armed citizen that has used his firearm in a confrontation you must call the police as soon as it is safe to do so. I have not read anywhere that the good guy called the police. He may have but we don’t know
Rob- Anything else?

Tony- That is enough for now. Our second story happened last week in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at home?   

It is almost 10AM on a Saturday morning when you hear a crunching sound from your back door. Your whole house shakes. You go to see what is going on. A stranger kicks through your back door. You shout for him to stop. You’re armed. He enters your home and you shoot him. He runs away, and you call police.

The police find your robber on your front lawn. He was wounded in the foot. This was his second robbery and break in this morning.

Tony- 9am on Saturday morning isn’t the time most people think that a home invasion will take place. The back door was obviously locked because the intruder made noise breaking in. That gave the homeowner a warning that someone had breached their perimeter in other words kicked in their door.

Rob- Any duty to run away if someone breaks into your home?

Tony- Virginia case law assumes that someone breaking into your house is there to hurt you. These stories are never clear about where the good guy gets their gun. We need to ask ourselves, where would our defensive firearm be at 9am on a Saturday morning? If its not on your body could you get to it if you had to fight off a 19 year old attacker? But I want to ask another question. Where did this gun appear from? Was he carrying? Was it in his bedroom and he had to get it and run to the back of the house?

Rob- The article doesn’t say.

Tony- Marksmanship, the ability to put rounds where they need to go is very important for the armed citizen. We are good guys and responsible for every round we fire. The homeowner shot this guy in the foot! I am going to go out on a limb here and say that shot placement was unintentional. POGO, and practice so you can quickly shoot center of someone’s chest from 5 yards. You want your shot to physically stop a threat not leave it up to the bad guy to decide if he keeps attacking you or runs away.

Rob- Why is that?

Tony- A gun is lethal force. That is only justified if you face a lethal threat. I can’t say this enough, take a class that covers the use of deadly force where you live. We are good guys and we always want to make sure we are following the law. If it isn’t a lethal threat, then it isn’t a gun problem and you should run away or use other tools. If it is a lethal threat, then stop the threat immediately.

Tony- f you can get away form a deadly threat do so but if you have family that can’t leave then you must defend them also.You might be able to run away. You can’t do that if you have a family to protect.

Our third story happened last week near New Haven, Connecticut.

Rob- First this message from my friends at Armed Lutheran Radio.

Give a listen at http://www.armedlutheran.us/

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you’re sitting in your car?

It is 10pm, and you’re sitting in your car waiting for your cousin. You see your cousin walk out of his house. A stranger walks past him, and you hear them shout. You get out of the car, and the stranger stabs you. You are a registered gun owner. You also have your carry permit. You’re armed. You draw your gun and shoot your attacker.

You call police.

Tony- Police say the attack was unprovoked. This happens more than people think. The world has some mentally disturbed people that are very dangerous to those around them.

Rob- Justified? He has a knife and you have a gun.

Tony- A knife is deadly force. A knife attack is very dangerous especially a unprovoked knife attack because many people think that they got punched and don’t know that they have been stabbed. Stab wounds are much more deadly and you may be unaware that you are in a stabbing not a fistfight.  You’re allowed to use any tool if you face a lethal threat. You don’t have to fight fair, in fact, fighting fair is a horrible strategy.

Tony- After being stabbed the armed citizen drew his gun from concealment, fired one round, hit the bad guy in the chest and stopped the attack immediately. Good shooting. One shot and that ended the attack.

Rob- So the victim was stabbed, then he drew his gun from under his shirt, and shot the attacker.

Tony- That sounds difficult, but I train ordinary people to do that in our classes.

Rob- How would I learn to do that?

Tony- We teach the firearms portion and we bring in experts to cover both medical and police interaction.

Step at a time.

I teach firearms safety so you are safe as you handle your gun.

Basic marksmanship, so you can consistently manipulate a gun and hit your target.

Concealed carry, so you can draw from under your clothing and stop an attack.

Ask for the police and medical attention.

Say that you’ll help the investigators after you talk to your lawyer. That is exactly what the police are told to say if they are involved in a shooting. If it is good enough for them, then it is good enough for you.

That said, if you’ve thought about what to say, then you can point out evidence..like the bloody knife in the bushes where your attacker dropped it.

Rob- Do you talk about that with your students?

Rob- Let’s go on to our fourth story.

Tony- Forth story? We usually do three stories.

Rob- Our listeners left us a message on the podcast facebook page and asked for a fourth story. If you like more stories, then let us know. If you want a shorter podcast, then let us know that as well.

Tony- Our forth story took place in Colorado Springs.

Rob- Fourth story- Are you armed when you’re at home late at night?

You hear your wife scream. A strange is trying to get into your home. It is after dinner. You hear your wife run upstairs. You grab your pistol and run down stairs to see what is going on. A stranger comes through the back hallway and attacks you. You shoot him. The attacker runs outside. Your wife has already called police.

The police have to taze your attacker several times to get him into handcuffs.  EMTs transport the 20 year old attacker to the hospital.

Tony- Have a plan. During a home invasion isn’t the time to say “ OMG, what am I going to do?” You are already a victim and time isn’t on your side. A plan adds time. You can react much quicker if you have a plan because you can implement it immediately. My wife screams “Someone is breaking into the house!!” I know what I’m doing next. I fact I’ve practiced and trained for that very emergency.

Tony- Lock your doors. ‘Of course I lock my doors” says everyone. I’ve been a locksmith since the early 90’s and have tons of stories of bad guy walking into homes through unlocked doors.

Tony- Stay upstairs. Searching for a bad guy we call that clearing a structure isn’t something that you want to do at all much less alone. If your family is secure upstairs don’t risk getting ambushed downstairs by one or more people. If you are hidden at the top of the stairs, the bad guy has to come to you and the only way is up the stairs. You have the advantage of surprise and knowing where they will appear.

Tony- Have your defensive tools with you. POGO

Tony- Call the police and ask for help ASAP. Have a safe room. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. A solid door, a deadbolt, a phone that you have on you to call for help.

Maybe you won’t have to kill someone if you’re locked into your upstairs bedroom while the police tackle the idiot downstairs.

Talk with an instructor and figure out what to say to the police. Everything is recorded and will be used against you.
Exit-  Rob- that wraps up this episode. Tony, thank you for helping us again. Where can we learn more about you?

Tony- Tony- My website is Diversityshoot.com You can find me on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and The 2nd is For Everyone podcast.

Rob- Let us know what you think. Do you like the longer podcast with four stories? Do you want more personal news from our instructors? Leave us a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Tony- We share this podcast with you for free.  All we ask is that you share the podcast with a friend and give us a rating on I-Tunes and Stitcher.  We’re also available on Google Play Music and Spotify.

Rob- This podcast is part of the Self-defense radio network at sdrn.us

I’m Rob Morse.  We’ll be back in a few weeks with more Self-Defense Gun Stories.

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 119 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who might want a gun for self-defense, and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse. We have firearms instructor Tony Simon with us as co-host.

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been hosting the 2nd is For Everyone Diversity Shoot. The latest event was last Thursday at Gun For Hire range in Woodland Park NJ. We introduced a few new shooters to firearms.

Rob- Well done, and thank you. While you’re making introductions, please describe our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- We study three recent examples of armed defense.  These gun owners survived a life threatening situation. What should we do if we were in their place?

Our first story took place last week in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You’re not sure if you heard it or not. You wake up and hear something moving around in your house. You sit up and see someone in your bedroom. You grab your handgun and shoot at the intruder. He runs away. You call police. It is 3:30 in the morning.

Tony-  That’s scary.

Rob- and it happens every day. You’re a locksmith. How many of your customers call you after an event like this and want better locks?

Lock your doors. Many thieves creep around neighborhoods checking homes and cars to see if they’re locked. When they find an open door they go in and steal what they can.

Rob- Why?

Tony-  Locked doors and alarms will buy you time. The thief arrives with a plan. You need to me to put your plan in place.

Alarms should be a part of your home’s layered security. After 25 years of being a locksmith I can tell you many homeowners never hear the breaking glass or a kicked in door that indicates a home invasion.Alarms make you aware of your outer security being breached.

It can also get authorities responding to your home alarm even if you can’t call them yourself. Alams can also scare off intruders.

Rob- What do you think of the do it yourself security systems that link to your PC and your phone?

Tony- Also, I want you to have a flashlight. You have to identify what goes bump in the night. Too many people are injured or killed because of misidentification by armed homeowners. It’s tragic and avoidable.

Rob- Learn from other people’s mistakes, and please practice with your light since most attacks are after dark.

Tony- Great that he had a gun with him. The no one was hurt but at bedroom distance the homeowner missed the bad guy. You don’t get to choose when you use your firearm. Be accurate enough to hit what you are shooting at, you are responsible for every round you fire.

Rob- I can see two reasons he might have missed the intruder. One is stress. The other is that it is hard to see your sights in the dark.

Talk to me about the training steps we’d want our students to have before the meet a stranger in the dark.

Tony- Firearms safety. Safe storage. Load and unload your gun.

On-body carry and presentation.

Target practice.

Moving with a gun.

Training will overcome stress. We already talked about practicing with your flashlight.

Our second story happened last week in Titusville, Florida.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at the park?   You’re walking across the park. In front of you is a rally where a community group is giving away free school supplies to poor kids. You see a guy run up and pull a gun from his pants. This guy starts shooting into the crowd. You see people run. Now the attacker tracks some of the people in the crowd. You draw your gun and shoot the attacker.

You have your carry permit. You holster your gun and wait for police. EMTs take the attacker to the hospital.

Tony-  The video from this has been all over social media. Thank God that hero was there to stop the potential massacre. I think it raises an important question for all people regardless of whether they carry a weapon for self defense. Do you get involved or do you get yourself and your family to safety?

Rob- Talk about that. What should I consider if I’m there with my family, and if I’m there alone?

Tony- As an armed self defender you need to have the ability to hit your target and stop them immediately. We also don’t want to hit innocent bystanders.

Rob- Moving headshot in a crowd.

Talk to me about a “cold test.”

Tony- The “cold test” is going to the range, setting your target at a distance you feel you can hit your target effectively and firing your first shot on target. You can choose drawing from concealment or not. The result tells us what you are capable of at that time.

Training doesn’t have to be a lifestyle but you must learn the fundamentals and be able to apply them at anytime. You should also learn your limitations with your firearm. At what distance can you hit at target effectively? 10 effective shots consecutively on target was one standard that I’ve given myself.  

Tony- Our third story happened last week in Litchfield, Texas.

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you arrive home?  

You pull up to your house you notice your neighbor being attacked by a man with a knife. You step out of your car. She is screaming and trying to get her two children out of the carseats in the back of her automobile. Her boyfriend was trying to help her, but an attacker was cutting them both with a knife and trying to take the car.

You draw your gun and step between the car and the attacker. Now the attacker runs across the street. You call police.

When the police finally get there, the assailant drops the knife and attacks the police.

Tony-  Another hero steps in and saves a family. The news story stated that no one was injured which is great.

Rob- And hard to believe given that the attacker had a knife.

Tony-  The only thing that I find concerning was the gun owner placing himself between the knife wielding attacker and the car. Distance is your friend and armed with a firearm. The more distance and objects you put between yourself and the knife the more the results are tipped in your favor.

Rob- What would you tell your students to do?

Tony- Get on the other side of the car or anything that would require you bad guy to run around to get to you. That gives the defender more time to put rounds on the bad guy and reduce the chances of get stabbed.

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

Tony- My website is Diversityshoot.com You can find me on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and The 2nd is For Everyone podcast.

Rob- You can share your thoughts with us by leaving a message on the podcast facebook page.  

Tony-   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 and Spotify.

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

Give a listen at http://www.armedlutheran.us/

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 109 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who might want a gun for self-defense, and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse. We have firearms instructor Tony Simon as co-host.

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been working on getting the 2A4E podcast on iTunes, Anchor, Pocket Cast, Overcast and Radio Public. Finding sponsors for our Minuteman Challenge events.

Rob- Please introduce our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- We study three recent examples of armed defense to see what we can learn.  These gun owners survived a life threatening situation because they were armed. What would you in their place?

Our first story took place last week in Trinity, Alabama.  Here’s what happened.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You hear your back door breaking at 2 in the morning. You and your roommate go to investigate. There is an armed stranger in your home. You tell him to get out and he attacks both of you with a knife. You’re cut, but you run and get your gun. You run back to the fight. You start shooting when your roommate gets clear of his attacker.

You call police and ask for medical transport. You and your roommate go to the hospital to have your wounds treated. Your attacker is taken to the morgue. Only three days ago, your attacker was charged with assault, kidnapping and domestic abuse after he attacked his girlfriend.

Rob- What do you see, Tony?

Tony-  The door was locked and the intruder had to make noise breaking into the home. That alerted the residents that there was a problem. Too many people don’t lock their doors because they live in a “good “ neighborhood. Securing your door gives you time to react when a bad guy attempts to get into your home. Good locks, a solid door and a sturdy door frame means your home is harder to crack.

Rob- How much does it cost to buy myself another 30 seconds during a breakin?

Tony- The two roommates went to investigate what they obviously thought could have been a break in. “Plan for the worst and hope for the best.” isn’t just a old saying, it’s good advice. Take your defensive tool with you, in this case they should’ve taken the firearm with them. If it was a false alarm then walking around armed wouldn’t have been a big deal. Having to fight off a knife wielding bad guy is a big deal.

Rob- What about a flashlight?

Tony- Too many people feel a knife isn’t as deadly as a firearm and it’s “unfair” to shoot someone that’s only armed with a knife. A knife is a deadly close combat weapon that you don’t have to be very skilled with to be deadly, it’s as dangerous as a gun at close distances and it doesn’t jam or run out of bullets. When armed with a gun against a knife wielding attacker distance is your ally. If you can move behind something and create distance it’s going to be advantageous for you. A bad guy that has to run around furniture and down a hallway to stab you has a much higher risk of being shot multiple times than a bad guy that only has to take a couple of steps to stab you.

Our second story happened last week in Gainesville, Florida.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed as you walk home from the movies?

Your family is coming home from a late movie. While the car is parked, a stranger walks up and presents a gun. The robber demands your money and your car. The story isn’t clear if you got out of the car, but you shot the robber several times. The robber ran to a waiting car. The robber and his accomplis drove away and they crashed a few blocks away. The accomplice fled and the attacker died. Police recovered the attacker’s gun at the scene of the crime. Family members blame the robbery victims for the attacker’s injuries.

Tony, what should we do if a group of us are attacked?

Tony-  If your family or usual circle of friends know you carry concealed you need to tell them to not “out “ you as the “good guy with a gun”. You may or may not choose to use your firearm during an armed encounter. You may be able to de-escalate the situation, distract the bad guys or other options.

Tony- This bad guy was shot multiple times with a handgun and he ran away. Handgun wounds usually make people stop what they are doing and run away. Defenders need to be prepared to shoot until the bad guys stop attacking and then stop shooting as soon as they aren’t a threat.

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

Please support Doctors for responsible gun ownership, DRGO.us

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you leave McDonald’s with your child?

It is the middle of the afternoon. You are walking out of the restaurant with your infant in your arms. Four men get out of their car and attack you. You defend yourself. You draw a gun and shoot your attackers. They drive away. All four were arrested for aggravated robbery. One of the robbers was charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Tony-  This is a nightmare that no parent wants to face. Having to use a firearm while holding your child and facing multiple attackers. This requires skills that few people ever practice because they can’t imagine it happening.

Tony- As a armed parents this is a scenario that should be viewed as a possibility. Melody Lauer of Citizens Defense Research is one of the few instructors that teaches how to handle this exact scenario in her class “Contextual Handgun: The Armed Parent“.

Rob- I’ll put a link in the show notes.

Tony- Learning to shoot and move while hitting your target is important as is learning to fire accurately using one hand. These are skills that need to be practiced to become competent doing as an armed citizen.

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

Tony- My website is Diversityshoot.com You can find me on Instagram and facebook at Simon Says Train and The 2nd is For Everyone.

Rob- You can share your 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 and Spotify.

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

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

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 102 of Self-Defense Gun Stories.  This podcast is for people who might want a firearm, and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse. We have firearms instructor Tony Simon as co-host this week.

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

Tony- Hi, Rob.  I’ve designed a $10  2nd Amendment Rally Tee shirt that can be used at 2A rallies across the country.

Rally Tees

https://www.facebook.com/simonsaystrain/photos/a.165204353687527.1073741828.149298195278143/774072966133993/?type=3&theater

2A speech in NJ Assembly

I am still hosting the 2nd is For Everyone: Diversity Shoots and Minuteman Challenge shooting competition.

Rob- After that introduction, please explain our podcast to our new listeners.

Tony- Each week we study three recent examples of armed defense to see what we can learn. Our first story took place last week in Jacksonville, Florida.  Here is what happened.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You’re at home in your apartment around noon. You answer the knock at your door. Two men push their way inside. One of them has a gun. You back away and run upstairs. Your attackers follow you. You draw yours and fire. Both men run. They jump out the upstairs window. You call police. The police arrest one wounded robber a few blocks away.

Tony- Don’t open the door. It isn’t rude to talk to strangers through a door. Your door is the final layer of perimeter security keeping people outside of your home. This homeowner had to get into a foot race with two home intruders.

Carry a gun on your person, Pants on,  Gun on.

Rob- What did our homeowner do correctly?

Tony- He didn’t give up. He backed up and that bought him time.

Tony- Our second story happened last week in Washington County, Oregon.

Rob- Second Story- Are you armed at home?   

You’re at home on a friday morning. You hear someone in your home. That doesn’t make sense, so you go look what’s happening. A man is standing in your kitchen. You yell at him. He grabs a knife from the kitchen counter. You draw your firearm and tell him to drop the knife and not move. You grab your phone and call police. You also take a picture of the robber. He runs, but is picked up the next day by police.

Tony- Please lock your doors. That makes most thieves go away. Your locked door also gives you more time to react.

Having your self defense tool on your body gives you options and opportunity that an unarmed defender won’t have. You have a purpose made tool for defensive use so you don’t have to search for an improvised weapon.

Tony- Let the thugs go..but I have to give our homeowner style points for taking a photograph.

Rob- Let the second home owner take a photo once he’s off the phone with police.

Tony- Our third story happened last week in Fulton County, Georgia.

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

Rob- Third story- Are you armed at home?

Your mom came by to take your son to the doctors. You are inside your house and your mom has your son loaded into the car. You hear your mom scream. You’re armed and you go outside to see what is happening. An armed man is pointing a gun at your mom. You shoot him several times. He runs to the waiting car and drives away. You check on your son, and then call police.

Tony- How long does it take to go to your back closet, get your gun, get your ammunition, load your magazine, put the loaded magazine into your gun, rack the slide and run to the front of the house.

Rob- too long.

Tony- exactly. Have a loaded gun on you because you won’t have time for anything else.

Rob- This isn’t as simple as it sounds. I have to defend my mom and my son while a robber and kidnapper is standing next to them.

Tony- We can practice being both fast and accurate. Go to the range and shoot a man sized target at 5 yards, and on out to 20 yards. The easy part is to notice how long it takes you to make those hits at the range. Then you have to give yourself the time you need even though your mom is facing a gun. That is the hard part.

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

Tony- My website is DiversityShoot.com

Rob- You can share your 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.

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Rob- Introduction- Welcome to episode 88 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. This podcast is for people who think they might want a firearm.. and for those who already have one.  I’m your host, Rob Morse, and firearms instructor Tony Simon joins us as to co-host this week..

Hi, Tony.  How have you been?

Tony- Hi, Rob.  We are scheduling our Training for 2018 including a once a quarter Safety/ Preparadness conference. Our last 2nd is for everyone : Diversity Shoot on Thursday night. Minuteman challenge Championship was a great success. Our sponsors CNJFO provided good and Modern Materiel provided AR15s.

Rob- Tony, please introduce our show.

Tony- Each week we talk about three recent examples of armed civilian defense. Leave us a message on our facebook page with your questions or comments.

Tony- Our first story took place last week in Baltimore, Maryland. Rob, tell us what happened.

Rob- First story-  Are you armed at home?  

You are a 62 year old man. You’re at home in your apartment at 9 in the evening. You hear a crash as a strange man breaks through your front door. He has a knife and demands your money and wallet. You say it is right over here. You take your gun from a bedroom drawer and shoot your attacker once. The intruder runs.  You call police.

Tony- Having a gun in a knife fight is better than having fist in a knife fight. The gun turns the fight into a shooting.

Tony- Luck allowed him to get to his handgun.

Rob- How was our defender lucky?

Tony-  The defender was lucky that he was able you get to his firearm. He was also lucky that the bad guy ran away instead of continuing to attack him with the knife.

Rob- What would you tell your students to do in this situation?

Tony- A knife is as much or more of a threat than a gun, Knives don’t run out of bullets or jam. A firearm is a distance weapon. Don’t give up the advantage of distance.

Tony- Our second story happened last week in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Rob- Second Story-  Are you armed at your mother’s house?   

You’re 29 years old. You’re helping your mom pack her things. Your mom is moving and your uncle doesn’t like it. Your uncle threatens your mom with a knife. She pushes him away, and he cuts her. You step between them. Now,  your uncle stabs you. You draw your gun and shoot your attacker. Now he steps back.  So do you and the rest of your family.

Your family call the police, and the EMTs.

Tony- Again with the knives. I’m glad the son was armed but he still ended up in the hospital.

Rob- Yep. Does an attacker with a knife have to be advancing toward you to be a lethal threat?

Tony- Knives are not a joke. Training with knives, you learn quickly that in a knife versus knife fight both parties are getting cut. Blades are lethal they have killed more people than handguns, they’ve been doing it longer.

Rob- presentation

Tony- How did the bad guy get so close to the victim? They were family. Your family members are just as deadly as strangers. The bad guy had already cut the victim’s mother and  grandmother.  The victim didn’t use his gun as a distance weapon,  he got close and in between the bad guy and his mom. That got him stabbed.

Rob- close quarters

Tony- Our third story happened last week in Denton, Texas.

DRGO

 

Rob- Third story- Are you armed when you’re driving?  

You get a call from your step daughter. She already called police after her roommate stole her prescription medications. The roommate then ran over a stranger in the parking lot outside their apartment.

You arrive and you are armed. You help your step daugher back into her apartment. The roommate returns as well. He is carrying a hammer this time, and you tell him to stop where he is. He is yelling curses at you as he advances. You draw your handgun and again you tell the attacker to stop.  This time, he does. He runs away.  You call the police. The attacker is arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury and for deadly conduct.

Tony- Good thing he had a gun. He took a drug addict seriously and carried his gun with him. P.O.G.O.

Tony- He was able to stop the attack with a firearm and a command presence. Having a gun may not be enough, at times you must give commands that will be followed.

Tony- Drug addiction makes people excellent liars. Having a witness to their criminal activity helps your case. Be the first one to the phone. Tell your story before someone paints you as a bad guy.

Rob- Is a man with a hammer a threat?

Tony-  A hammer is a lethal threat. It’s an impact weapon and is deadly. Thor carried one! LOL.  Hammers have been used as  combat weapon before and they are still deadly.

Tony- Our good guy didn’t chase the bad guy. He didn’t forget that his job is to protect his family not to punish bad guys.

Rob- Where would your students learn to present a firearm that is concealed under their clothes?

Tony- During our introduction to defensive pistol we have students practice drawing from concealment. We introduce the timer to add distress to the exercises along with having to be accurate.

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

Tony- http://diversityshoot.com/

I also teach firearms safety and armed-self defense courses in New Jersey.  Our listeners can contact me on Facebook at Simon Says Train or atThe 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.  

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.

Please support Coloradans for Civil Liberties

 

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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.