Saturday, August 31, 2013

Commentary - You’re nothin’ special . . .

 

Take just a minute or two – read this very short article:

Off-duty Chicago police officer attacked while jogging

The take away phrase for me?

“I’m police, I’m police,” the officer yelled as the man tried to strip off her clothes, according to the report.

The attack is already “on” . . . she’s already down . . . the guy is already ripping her clothes off . . . in other words – he really doesn’t give a crap whether she’s a cop or not.

As for engaging this guy with her gun – she didn’t, even after she got him off her. That means one of two things – she wasn’t carrying (it is Chicago ya know, guns are not needed to protect yourself) or she couldn’t clear her weapon until he was so far away it no longer had value for her defense.

The reason this sentence struck me was that she apparently has the belief that since SHE knows she’s a cop, her likelihood of being attacked is smaller than for the average citizen. (ok, I know I’m putting thoughts in her head, this is just how I took the article.) This should be a lesson to her – and everyone – your station in life means nothing to someone intent on doing you harm. If you look like a victim, “smell” like a victim, act like a victim . . . you raise the likelihood that you will be a victim.

What could she have done better?

The fellow obviously rode around her a number of times on his bike – to me the logical thing to have done was to have stopped, kept eye contact, put her hand on her weapon and then announced she was an armed officer. Instead she allowed herself to become reactive rather than proactive.

Farther still, what does this story mean to us – as defensive shooters?

  • First – Cooper’s Color Code has real value in keeping us safe – integrate it into your life.
  • If possible, move away from a threat – create space between you and it. If you can’t, if you’re in a corner – my opinion is to confront the threat directly and let them know their “cost” won’t be cheap.
  • You’re nothin’ special! You’ve taken training – cool! You’re a “real operator” – very cool! You’re a cop – nice – and thank you, genuinely, for your service. You’re ex-military – again, genuinely, thank you for your service. You’re active duty – thank you. But, under all of that – you’re nothin’ special . . . you are NOT IMMUNE to attack. You die like a normal human being.

Bottom line – be aware, don’t be lazy, carry your gun, train with it . . .

. . . . because to someone, somewhere – your nothing more than an easy target.

6 comments:

  1. I use the Grizzly Bear philosophy. If I'm in a situation where a Grizzly (substitute wolf or tiger) is coming after me, they don't care who I am. They are no respecter of persons -- but they will die and make a fine rug. Which is why it's stupid not to be armed and prepared all of the time. Quite frankly, humans are more effective apex predators than Grizzly Bears and are more dangerous, and one must respect his potential attackers and prepare.

    Better to have and not need than need and not have.

    (War story alert) When I was a young man going through a background investigation one question was "have you violated any laws" - or something to that effect. I answered, "yes" -- then the form asked me which laws I violated. I wrote that irrespective of existing statutes, I carried a handgun almost continually since I was 15 years old. The polygrapher asked me whether nor not I was armed at the time of the test. I said that I had a Browning High Power. He laughed (being a wise old man) and said, "Well then, let's get on with the test". Oddly enough, I passed the background, but that was then and this is now.

    Progressives don't understand that there is a difference between having prepared defensive measures, training with those measures and USING them. It's like having keys to a car. You never have to drive it unless you need to.

    Today most countries don't want me to carry a firearm -- so I carry a small, lethal tomahawk because even in Russia, where a fixed blade knife is illegal (beyond about 3" blade), an axe is perfectly legal. That's true worldwide. Canadians bristle at the thought of allowing an American in with a handgun, but they're more than happy to let me in with a tomahawk. It's not just about having a firearm. It's about "defensive measures". (sorry for the long post)

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    1. Larry - no worries about the length of the post - MORE info is always better than less. I am continually fascinated (an typically a little pissed) that I am supposed to go unprotected so THEY - the progressive - feel better.

      Also, just curious what tomahawk you carry? Sounds like a good addition to an Go Bag.

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    2. I prefer RJM Forge Products. I have had an Eagle Talon since they first got in the business and used it operationally for two decades. More recently, I've been carrying a Jenny Wren (small, very lethal) as well.

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  2. Yeah, complacency almost bit her...

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  3. Yeah, complacency almost bit her...

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  4. LL: Seriously, How do you carry a Jenny Wren???

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