Introduction-

Rob- Welcome to episode 342 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 Candy Petticord. What has been keeping you so busy?

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1283" style="width: 300px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1283">Candy Petticord</figcaption></figure>

Candy- Hi, Rob.  I’ve been teaching in Ohio and taking training at WOFT in Florida. How about you?

Rob- Life is good. I’ve been carrying and dry practicing every other day. I was listening to some neighbors talk about firearms. People give a lot of bad advice.

We received a new comment on iTunes (is 202,368) Nerdly said he likes the way we break down each self-defense situation, and he likes our guest instructors. He gave us a five star rating. Thank you, Nerdly

I also want to thank Roger for his help this week. We’re still looking for listeners who want to write or edit this podcast. Someday soon, all this can be yours.

Candy- Please go to the iTunes store where you subscribe to podcasts and tell new gun owners why you listen.

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 Houma, Louisiana.

Rob- First story- Do you have a firearm nearby at night?

You are at home asleep in your bed. It is 5 in the morning and you’re woken up by the sounds of someone downstairs. You grab your gun. You go to the top of the stairs. Your intruder tries to climb the stairs and you shoot him. He runs back outside and you stop shooting. You call 911 and ask for help.

You put your gun away when the police arrive. You give the police a brief statement. Police search the area. They collect descriptions and security video from your neighbors. The police identify a suspect and go to his house. An armed woman comes out of the house and is arrested by police. Police find your intruder hiding under a mattress. EMTs take him to the hospital. He is treated for a graze wound to the head.

Your intruder is charged with one count of simple burglary and held on an outstanding warrant for violating parole. His girlfriend is charged with simple burglary, obstruction of justice, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

You are not charged with a crime.

Candy-  I like that the homeowner thought about protecting himself and then bought a firearm. He kept his gun where it was quickly accessible when he needed it. He heard something at night and responded to the sound. He grabbed his gun before he went to investigate the noise.

Our defender moved to a position of defensive advantage at the top of the stairs. That is brilliant. The defender shot the intruder when the intruder came up the stairs. Our defender then stopped shooting when the attacker ran away. Our defender didn’t chase the bad guy down the street. He stayed at home and called 911 for help.

It sounds like our good guy stayed on the call with 911 until the police arrived, and then he met the officers with empty hands. He briefly described what happened.

Rob- That sounds like a good job?

Candy- It is a very good job, but there are a few small things we can do to make it into an amazing job. The good news is that they don’t cost much.

Make sure your doors and windows are locked. Consider putting safety film on the side windows near your doors. Put motion activated lights near your doors. Since you sleep upstairs, add a motion detector with a chime downstairs.

Use a bedside rapid access safe to store your gun at night. Have your cell phone on charge next to your small safe.

For bonus points, have a light at the bottom of the stairs that you can turn on from the top of the stairs. You want to see your attacker while he can’t see you because you’re hiding in the dim.

Stairs are a pain in the rear end when you’re tired, but they are a wonderful place to defend your family. It takes a squad of men to move one defender off the top of the stairs, but only if you practice. Do you hide behind the left, the bottom, or the right side of the top landing? Work with through the problem at your house and find out.

You might want to shout that you’re armed and that you’ve called the police.

Rob- There are a lot of little skills hiding inside what you said.

• You want your students to learn to live with a gun in their home.


• To learn how to use cover


• To learn to shoot in low light situations


• To know what to say if there is an intruder in the home.


• To know the laws in your state and understand the duty to retreat.

Candy- Yeah, that is more than what we teach in our firearms safety class or concealed carry classes. Keep coming back, and we’ll teach you everything we know!!

The duty to retreat has the caveat that you don’t have to retreat unless you can do so safely. Since you’re probably moving to a position of greater risk if you move from the top of the stairs, you are best to stay where you are.

Rob- Where would I get to practice moving to cover and shooting around it?

Candy-  IDPA matches are a great place to practice moving to cover and shooting around barricades. In fact, that’s one of the main purposes of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) matches – To teach shooters how to properly handle their firearms in defensive situations and in various environments. 

Taking one of my advanced training classes is another great option and you will have the benefit of one-on-one or small group attention and instruction.

Lastly, you can join us when we host a Guest Instructor at our facility. Every Guest Instructor at Northpointe Training is invited because I have personally trained with them and I consider them one of the best in their field.

What did our defender do correctly?

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

• 
  
  
  
  • The defender was aware and he responded to a noise on the first floor of his home.
  
  
  
  

• The defender had a gun and took it with him when he investigated the noise.

• The defender fired on the intruder when he encountered the intruder on the stairs.

• The defender stopped shooting when the intruder retreated and he did not chase the intruder.


• The defender called 911, put his gun away when police arrived and gave a statement to the police.

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

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

• 
  
  
  
  • This incident took place in Louisiana where Castle Doctrine is the law.
  
  
  
  

• The defender did not have to retreat like he would if he lived in one of the twelve states that still have “Duty to Retreat” laws. 

• It’s critical that gun owners know the “Use of Deadly Force” laws in the state where they live because they vary widely. Ignorance of the laws can get you a jail sentence. 

• Even in a Castle Doctrine state, best practices states that gathering your family to a defensive room, locking and barricading the door, turning out the interior lights and preparing to defend the door from cover or concealment is much safer than trying to “clear” your house alone. 

• Standing at the top of a stairway is using good tactics. Stairways, hallways and doorways are “fatal funnels” which are much easier to defend than standing in an open room. 

• How did the intruder get into the house? Did he break in or were the doors and windows left unlocked? 

• Intruders look for homes that give them easy access and where they can hide while they are breaking in. Use motion lights, trim your trees and bushes near the house and add hurricane film to any glass that can be reached on the first floor. Also apply the film to all of the glass on your doors and any windows within reach of door locks. 


• Add security striker plates on the door locks and use screws long