The individuals’ account of the incident referenced in the article below have changed since the date of publication. The story is used as an illustration only.
On a cold night back in January, five men approached a man and his daughter in a New York City park. One put a pistol in the 39-year-old man’s face and demanded that he leave his 18-year-old daughter behind.
In the horror of the moment, he was unprepared and helpless. He ran away and returned 20 minutes later with two police officers. During that time his daughter had been gang raped by all five of the men.
His daughter reported that she screamed for help as her father ran away.
He ran to a nearby store, but the employees refused to call police. They claimed he was so drunk that he was swaying and no one could understand the emergency.
When faced with a group of men and a gun in your face, could you disarm that threat and stay to fight for the life of your daughter? When out with a loved one, do you maintain enough control to protect yourself?
What to Do If It’s Life or Death
The first step comes a long time before the incident ever takes place. Train for the worst, hope for the best. Criminals don’t expect that you’ll be armed and ready to fight back.
Remove yourself from the line of fire by moving to the side and toward the threat. If you touch the weapon before moving, you risk the gun firing.
Put your hands up to show that you’re not a threat. In reality, your hands are raised so that they’re as close to the gun as possible.
Take absolute control of the hand and arm of the attacker and guide the weapon either to the ground or toward the attacker.
Force your attacker to think of something other than the gun. Use your feet or knee to destroy any other part of his body you can reach.
When it’s time to act, do not hesitate. Strike quickly and with as much strength as you have. The gun is the most dangerous element in the scenario, so make it useless as soon as possible.
Know how to clear and make any type of firearm safe. Become familiar with different types of firearms by asking an experienced owner to run you though the gun’s basic operations.
How to Train
Don’t attempt these moves without going through training led by an expert in self-defense. Life or death moments require precision and physical strength.
Always use a dummy gun made for self-defense training. If you choose not to, use fully cleared and unloaded firearm. Treat the training weapon as if it’s loaded at all times by never putting a finger on the trigger or aiming directly at a person.
When you’re working with another person, keep their fingers out of the trigger guard. Getting a finger caught there during training could cause serious injury.
Repeat the movements slowly at first, then pick up speed as you become more familiar.
Life or death situations require armed self-defense, and concealed carry makes that possible.
