Girlfriend Asks about Self Defense

[sd1023x]

[OCMI_Teddy]

I'm thinking 5 feet is way too close for me, I think 10 feet would be the min.

yea, that's swingin distance

[liquidmx]

To the O.P.: I am not sure of you or your GF's age but one thing you will learn more and more in life is to trust your gut, experience and intuition...at least I have.

I cannot tell you how many dirtbags I have met that I gave the benefit of the doubt only to be reminded of why I should have trusted my gut. Over the years I learned to judge a situation quicker and more accurately based on experience, gut intuition, body language, etc. If something seems amiss, it is, you should act/prepare accordingly. Take the bridge shooting that was mentioned. You could tell from the moment the bad guy was closing the distance by backing up that something was amiss. He had bad intentions that was suggested through his body language and actions leading up to the actual attack.

I agree with everything else mentioned: Get some training, do some soul searching so IF the moment happens (hopefully never will) everyone can make a split second decision and be 100% sure its the right one.

BTW good job talking about it with the GF, that's the first step and could very well be the catalyst that might save a innocent life someday.

[Blue]

Rifles are far more controlable, especially in hairy situations, and besides, some 7.62x39 will do much more damage than a 9mm.

My only beef with rifle rounds inside of the house is that if you miss, and even if you don't there's a chance that round will visit one of my neighbors houses.

[PatriotnMore]

I just wanted to relate a conversation I had with a gentlemen recently.
I was at the Town Hall meeting in Alhambra, and met this guy who
was with some friends.

Anyways, the conversation led to him telling a story that recently
happened to him. He had just bought a new home and was in his
garage and opened the side door to go outside. When he opens it,
he finds a young Hispanic male (described as a gang banger)
trying to open the door from the Outside. The gentlemen is startled, and asks what the guy is doing?

The bad guy says, his friend left some x-box games in the
garage and he came to get them. The owner tells him there
are no x-boxes in his garage, and he must be mistaken.

The bad guy pulls out a hand gun, and points it right at him. Bad guy then goes into some story of, so and so lives here, and he wants his goods, and he will kill everyone if he doesn’t get them.

Owner goes into de-escalation mode thinking, this is it, this is how I am going to die, and tries to reason and explain to the bad guy that, he is the new owner, and there are no x-boxes in the place. The bad guy tells him, he’s going to check it out, and if he’s lying he’ll be back, and leaves.

My point in all this is (and what I was thinking hearing his story), the guy was not mentally prepared to deal with a violent situation and was startled, as most of us would, and that’s how fast a violent encounter can happen.

Mental preparation, staying calm, situational awareness, and avoidance are
The best tools. If it gets out of hand, resolve to fight and win, along with some
degree of proficiency in self defense with a weapon, can be a life saver.

[greasemonkey]

Also, please read Tactical Reality by Louie Awerbuck and the Grossman book I've got listed below. Both are no bs excellent books.

When I saw your avatar and name I was certain it had to be based on Grossman!! "On Combat" is absolutely amazing, going through what your brain IS going to do in a 'fight or flight' situation. She's only going to do what she trains and practices to do.

And for the OP, looks like it was just one post and he's out, bummer. But if you're still reading, she's got to decide if it's morally/legally superior for her to shoot him (within the law) or for her to wake up to him raping her after he knocked her out and panicking when he's done and starts reaching his knife up to her throat.

[JDoe]

To the OP. Your girlfriend needs to listen to this video and then sign up for a personal protection course. The NRA Personal Protection in the Home would be a decent choice.

Having a gun and being able to use it without hesitation when it is called for are two different things. Prior to arming up with any weapon one should be able to make the very serious decision that they are willing to unhesitatingly use deadly force to stop a threat intent on causing death or grave injury to themselves or another innocent person.

...BG decides to come closer and not leave, pulls a knife, crowbar some other menacing item. I chime in here and tell my GF it is time to do the unthinkable and take careful aim and pull trigger. This is where she says NO WAY, I do not want to go to jail.

She would be justified self defense here ya? Doesn't kill baddy just hurts him so she can run and call LE.

Lot's of time 'splaining herself at the police office but she wouldn't be in trouble would she?

What other choice does she have except to become a victim? Would she rather be raped and murdered or down at the cop shop doing lots of splainin? Chances are that it would be a justifiable self defense action but she (and you) really need to know the law, get some training and then practice (safely please) practice, practice.

[Napalm Bulldog]

To the OP. Your girlfriend needs to listen to this video and then sign up for a personal protection course. The NRA Personal Protection in the Home would be a decent choice.

Having a gun and being able to use it without hesitation when it is called for are two different things. Prior to arming up with any weapon one should be able to make the very serious decision that they are willing to unhesitatingly use deadly force to stop a threat intent on causing death or grave injury to themselves or another innocent person.



What other choice does she have except to become a victim? Would she rather be raped and murdered or down at the cop shop doing lots of splainin? Chances are that it would be a justifiable self defense action but she (and you) really need to know the law, get some training and then practice (safely please) practice, practice.

Wow where did she live that it would take over 5 minutes for police to arrive.

[AndrewMendez]

Deadly force is okay to prevent great bodily injury. If he's there just for properties then you cannot use deadly force.

Next time someone is in my house, without my permission, I will make sure I ask him, whether or not he wants to hurt my family or myself, before I think of protecting myself!

[cineski]

I can't believe there's this much thought going on about this, especially from the OP's point of view. I'm sorry, but you'd tell your GF to WARN the guy?!?! The microsecond a bad guy breaks into your home, you shoot him. It's really that simple. He's there to do harm to you or kill you. Even having a preconceived thought process about this can hinder your thought process if something like this happens. Shoot the ****er.

[AndrewMendez]

Ever wonder where the "shoot first, ask questions later", quote comes from?
Maybe I am not as conservative, but If someone is sitting in front of my house, you can believe that I will have my 870 in my hand, a hand gun in my holster, on my hip, and my girlfriend watching from another vantage point, with a rifle in her hands, JUST IN CASE THEY THING OF TRYING SOMETHING. I think you gf needs to get the Hollywood Theme out of her head, and tell her this... "YOU WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO FIGURE OUT, IF YOUR LIFE IN IN DANGER!" If someone is coming into my house, without my permission, they are not not welcome, and I will be sure, they figure that out!

[caoboy]

I think the best thing for her to do is:


Bad guy enters house, she runs to the bedroom, locks the door, loads the gun, and calls the police. Informs police of her situation, and lets them know she's got a loaded weapon and will shoot to kill if anyone enters the bedroom without announcing that they are police and being able to name her.

Probably the safest thing to do. If the bad guy gets scared or takes some stuff and runs, so be it. Police will probably be on their way quickly, hopefully, and not just because she's holding a loaded gun.

[JDoe]

Police Response Times

Wow where did she live that it would take over 5 minutes for police to arrive.

From the U.S. Department of Justice, The Bureau of Justice Statistics

Criminal Victimization in the United States - Statistical Tables Index

Police Response time to victim

Table 107: Percent distribution of incidents where police came to the victim, by police response time and type of crime

[greasemonkey]

I think you gf needs to get the Hollywood Theme out of her head, and tell her this...

That's exactly what I thought when I first read through the post, thought it was a hollywood movie script where the scene keeps switching back and forth between different camera angles and oh so slowly progressing, giving you the impression that it's some sort of long rally or exchange of requesting/denying permission to move.

From the point that you realize someone's in your house to when you have to make a decision whether to give in or use force, you'd be lucky to have a couple seconds to make that call.

[Steyrlp10]

Being a resident of Valley Joe, aka The Bankrupt City, I can attest to the shortage of police -- and their inability to be everywhere at all times. It's miserable how the City is treating the cops, but that's another topic altogether and I'm biased anyway.

Fortunately, I live with a cop -- and he encourages me to protect our family if he's not there to help.

Since I can't have an ASP for Christmas (I got a new rod and reel though!), I got the thumbs up to take a training course from a retired officer geared just for women. I shoot pretty well, but I still want to know whatever I can to make a difference of keeping my kids alive or being another statistic.

I applaud your GF for having the mental strength NOT to be a victim.