Introduction-

Rob- Welcome to episode 338 of Self-Defense Gun Stories. We’re glad you found us if you’re well trained.. and if you’re still learning about armed defense. I’m Rob Morse and we’re joined this week by firearms instructor Andee Reardon. What has been keeping you so busy?

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_479" style="width: 242px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-479">Andee Reardon</figcaption></figure>

Andee- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been busy trying to catch up on work. Over the weekend I taught two women’s classes, basic pistol and the USCCA’s Women’s concealed carry and then Monday night we had Ladies’ night on the range at my local indoor shooting range where we get together. This weekend I’ll be teaching outdoors in the Maine elements so I’m praying for decent weather. I was in Boston last week and sadly had to leave my gun at home. I’m really glad to have it back.

How about you?

Rob- I was sick for most of December, then I was traveling overseas again. I carried when I got back in the US. It’s funny that I was waiting for the rain to stop so I could go for a run, and you were waiting for the snow to stop so you could go to the gym.

I want to thank Roger for his help with the stories this week. I’d like you to help new listeners find us by going to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts. Tell new gun owners why you listen.

Andee- Here in the US, we defend ourselves with a firearm thousands of times a day. We look at a few recent examples to see what we can learn. The links back to the original news articles are on our podcast webpage.

Our first story took place last week in Katy, Texas.

Rob- First story- Are you armed at home?

You are at home in the middle of the morning on Sunday. You hear someone banging on your apartment door. One of your male roommates opens the door. A man and a woman force their way inside and attack your male roommate. Your roommate fights back.

You grab your gun and shoot your two attackers. You stop shooting when they stop hitting your roommate. The woman falls down. The news reports aren’t clear if you called 911 or if your roommates did. Your neighbors also called 911 to report shots fired. You put your gun away before the police arrive.

EMTs declare your female attacker dead at the scene. The male attacker is taken to the hospital for treatment of life threatening gunshot wounds. You and your roommates give statements to the police. There is another male and two children in the home. They are uninjured. You are not charged with a crime.

Andee-  I like that one of the defenders owned a gun. She had it within reach when she needed it. She recognized that the several people who were beating her roommate posed an immediate, lethal, and unavoidable threat. She shot them until the threat stopped, then she stopped shooting. Someone called 911. The defender met the police with empty hands, and all of the roommates stayed at the scene and gave statements to the police.

Rob- The good news is that there were witnesses. The bad news is that witnesses say things that can get us into trouble. What else do you want your students to do in a situation like this?

Andee- I want all of you to form a plan. That includes children so they know not to open the door and let strangers into your home and they know where to hide for safety. You have the right to open the door, but it is almost always a bad plan. The bad guys outside are not a lethal threat until you open the door. Having a stationary weapon (doesn’t need to be a firearm) by the door so you have access to something if you’re fighting off someone coming through the door. If they’re trying to push their way through, some pepper spray or a hit from a blunt object might back them up enough to get the door shut and locked. But, I’d rather you not open it in the first place. You should be able to see on the other side of the door, by means of a peep hole, window or camera system. Preferably, a way to see out but keep others from seeing in.

Having a safety plan in place with several people in the home means someone can call 911 even while the bad guys are outside beating on the door. Make that someone’s job so they know that they are the person who calls 911 and gets the police on the way. Being armed is part of the plan. An armed defender can yell that they are armed and that the police are on their way.

Part of that safety plan is knowing what to say to police. All members of the household should be informed what they should and shouldn’t say while being questioned. Including, “I do not give permission to search my home, vehicle or person”.

In this kind of situation, I want everyone to retreat away from the front door to another room (your safe room) while the defender is standing behind cover or concealment, yet where she can see the front doorway.

Since there were children in the apartment, the defender’s gun should have either been on her body in a holster, or in a quick-access safe. 

Rob- That is a lot to get right. When do your students learn about defending their home?

Andee-  We talk about it a little bit in the beginners class since the majority of students are there for self defense reasons. But you have to crawl before you walk, get the basics down first. As students progress and take more advanced classes, we cover things like building your own personal safety plan, how to use effective cover and concealment, etc.

Rob- Is there more you want to cover about this story, or should we go on?

Andee- Our second story happened in Peoria, Illinois.

What did our defender do correctly?

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

• 
  
  
  
  • The defender owned a gun which was within quick reach when she needed it.
  
  
  
  

• The defender recognized that her roommate was in an immediate, lethal and unavoidable situation because he was being attacked by two other people.

• The defender shot both attackers until they stopped hitting her roommate.

• The defender stopped shooting when the threat was over, stayed at the scene and called 911.

• The defender put her gun away when police arrived and gave them a statement.

What would you tell your students to do (that the defender should have done)?

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

• Someone banging on your door is not a lethal threat until you either open the door which gives them access or until the door breaks and allows the attackers to enter. DON’T OPEN THE DOOR.

• There were a number of people in the apartment when the attackers started banging on the door. Any one of them could have called 911 while the defender who had a gun could have yelled through the door to the attackers that 911 had been called, that she was armed and that they should leave.

• The defender should have directed that everyone in the apartment retreat away from the door to another room while she took a defensive position behind cover or concealment in sight of the door in case the attackers broke the door down. 

• If the attacker were to break down the door then the defender should have fired on them while they were lined up in the “fatal funnel”.  

• Since there were children in the apartment, the defender’s gun should have either been on her body or in a quick-access safe. 

Rob- Second Story- Are you armed in public?

You’re helping your friend buy a car. He sees a vehicle he likes on Facebook Marketplace. You go with him to look at the car after work. When you get to the location, you see two men waiting for you. They say the car is around the corner. There, you see three more men, and they have guns in their hands. You’re being robbed.

You have a concealed carry license and you’re armed. Your attackers start shooting and you shoot back. Everyone runs. You and your friend are not wounded and you stay nearby. You call 911 and ask for help.

Police and EMTs arrive and you put your gun away. The officers find one of your attackers nearby. He is wounded. EMTs try to save his life but then pronounce him dead at the scene.

You and your friend gi