Introduction-

Rob- Welcome to episode 335 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. We are joined this week by firearms instructor Robyn Sandoval, and she has been busy.

<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1135" style="width: 300px;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1135">Robyn at the Range</figcaption></figure>

Robyn- Hi, Rob.  I just got back from an instructor development class with Brian Hill of The Complete Combatant, and I’m leaving tomorrow to take a low-light class with Chris Cerino at Range Ready Studios near your neck of the woods. Not only do I love learning, but I appreciate showing my students that even instructors and professionals in the firearms industry have to carve out time for our own training. How about you?

Rob- I’ve been dry practicing. I’m still waiting to get my gun back from the shop. They say they have a new barrel on the way. I’m working on the FBI handgun qualification test.

We didn’t receive any new ratings or comments on iTunes or Facebook. I do want to thank Roger for his help this week. We’re still looking for listeners who want to write or edit this podcast. I’m retiring soon, so this can be yours.

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

Here in the US, citizens defend themselves with a firearm thousands of times a day. In this episode, we’ll look at a few recent examples to see what we can learn. Listeners can find links back to the original news articles on the podcast webpage.

Our first story took place last week in Shady Cove, Oregon.

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

You are at home in bed. It is 2 in the morning when you hear someone break into your home. You arm yourself. Your attacker moves toward you and you shoot them. You stop shooting when they stop advancing. You step back and call 911.

You put your gun away when police arrive. The police call for a life-flight helicopter. EMTs declare your attacker dead at the scene.

You give a statement to the police. You show them how the intruder broke into your home. You identify your attacker and tell the police that you have a protective order against them.

You are not charged with a crime.

Robyn- Unfortunately this is a common scenario because that protective order is just a piece of paper. So let’s look at what else our defender did to protect herself. First, she recognized a problem and sought legal help. Getting the order of protection or restraining order was a good step because that gave her legal protection that the attacker would be breaking the law by contacting her or if he was even near her, for example, within 500 feet. But most importantly, she had a firearm and learned how to store it, access it, and use it if needed.

On the day of the attack, she had locked her doors. She reacted to the sound of a breakin. She armed herself. She defended herself when the attacker moved toward her. She stopped shooting when the attack stopped. She stayed at the scene and called for help. She put her gun away when the police arrived, and she gave them a brief statement.

Rob- Are there other things that weren’t mentioned in the news report that you’d like us to do if we have a stalker?

Robyn-  There may have been other options that could have given her more time to wake up and respond. Maybe a doorbell cam, motion alarm, or barking dog could have given her a warning. Alarms are affordable and you can put a motion detector on your outside doors even if you are a renter. You could also even put a motion detector inside your home, as well as motion activated lights. 

It’s also good for her to have a community of support. Hopefully she told her neighbors, friends, employer, pastor, and others that she had a stalker and had taken out a restraining order against him. 

Of course, always keep your gun accessible to you and on-body in a holster whenever possible. Keep your doors and windows locked. When you’re in an interior room with a locking door, go ahead and lock it as well. Have the volume on your phone turned up so that you will hear it or be awakened by it when your security app discovers motion. 

Most importantly, have a plan. Be able to arm yourself and move to a secure position in the room. Turn on the lights. Call 911. Shout that you are armed, and that you’ve called the police. Stop any attacker that comes through your bedroom door.

Because you’re at an increased risk, it is doubly important that you have a self-defense legal insurance plan. In this situation, it’s not just about surviving an attack in that moment; it’s surviving the legal process afterwards and ensuring that your future is safe as well.

So, make your legal plan part of your emergency action plan. Know what facts that you want to point out to officers. For example, that you shouted for the attacker to stop (so that your neighbors might be able to corroborate that they heard shouts before they heard shots, or that the alarm system may have recorded your shouts, or they may also be on the 911 call). Point out concise facts: this is the broken door where the attacker forced entry, this is the person against whom I have a restraining order, etc.

Rob- Why are those statements so important?

Robyn- The police are trying to figure out if there was a crime, and if so, then to collect evidence for a prosecution. You want to identify yourself, and give evidence that you are the defender rather than the attacker. The more obvious it is that you are the defender, then the more evidence the police will find to support your case.

That said, once you point out the evidence, then you remain silent until your attorney is with you.

Rob- There is a lot that we can learn here even if we don’t have a stalker. When do your students learn about defense in the home and about talking to the police?

Robyn-  When someone begins contemplating a gun for home defense, whether it’s when they’re purchasing a new firearm or just making an emergency action plan, these are important factors that have to be considered from the beginning. Safe storage, accessibility, cover and concealment inside the home, deterring factors or barriers outside of the home, security features, lights, mirrors to view around corners… all of these things can be considered as part of the plan.

As for talking to the police, most of the time it’s important to learn what NOT to say as much as what to say. In that critical incident, a defender is going to be stirred with a lot of adrenaline and emotion. Training to stay mindful and focused throughout the entire process is critical.

Rob- We’ve said a lot. Are you ready to move on?

Robyn- Our second story was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What did our defender do correctly?

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

The defender:

• Locked her doors

• Got a restraining order. 

• Bought a gun and learned how to use it.

• Brought her gun when she investigated a noise.

• Shot her attacker when she recognized an immediate, lethal and unavoidable threat.

• Stopped shooting when the attack stopped. Did not chase the attacker.

• Called 911, put her gun away so she met the police with empty hands.

• She showed the broken door to the police and gave a statement. 

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

(Bullet points by Roger T.)

• Best practices says that if a person is alone and they think they are in danger, they should retreat to a defensible room, lock and barricade the doors, turn on the lights, call 911 and prepare to defend from cover or concealment. Going out to investigate means you are walking into an unknown situation with an unknown number of attackers. You don’t know where they are and if they are armed (usually they are.) Clearing a house by yourself is very dangerous and tactically unsound. 

• The defender had a restraining order on this person. She should have told all of her friends and neighbors about it as a safeguard. 

• Motion-detection cameras with sound cost less than $100. They are good for interiors as well as exteriors. Some even connect to your smart phone.

• Don’t forget to reinforce the h