Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Become a Hard Target” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/become-a-hard-target/.
Become a Hard Target
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Outstanding article, but one critical factor is missing.
The psychological impact after you're involved in a self-defense shooting.
Trust me, it's not like in the movies or TV where, after a shooting, the shooter
just goes about his regular daily life or out for beers with the guys to brag.
The psychological repercussions of defending
oneself can take weeks, months, or even years to manifest themselves. PTSD,
nightmares, insomnia, and hypervigilance are just some of the symptoms that may occur.
Those that carry a weapon for self-defense must make one very critical decision before they
even buy their first gun...are they willing to end someone's life? For some, it may be a moral issue or religious.
Either way, a decision has to be made.
This aspect is very much real and is often omitted from self-defense or CCW courses and
as uncomfortable as it may be, it must be covered.
My comments come from 32 years in law enforcement, employed by a large metropolitan
agency coupled with having been involved in an officer-involved shooting, along with being a tactical
firearms and NRA instructor.
The psychological impact after you're involved in a self-defense shooting.
Trust me, it's not like in the movies or TV where, after a shooting, the shooter
just goes about his regular daily life or out for beers with the guys to brag.
The psychological repercussions of defending
oneself can take weeks, months, or even years to manifest themselves. PTSD,
nightmares, insomnia, and hypervigilance are just some of the symptoms that may occur.
Those that carry a weapon for self-defense must make one very critical decision before they
even buy their first gun...are they willing to end someone's life? For some, it may be a moral issue or religious.
Either way, a decision has to be made.
This aspect is very much real and is often omitted from self-defense or CCW courses and
as uncomfortable as it may be, it must be covered.
My comments come from 32 years in law enforcement, employed by a large metropolitan
agency coupled with having been involved in an officer-involved shooting, along with being a tactical
firearms and NRA instructor.
Having been trained, having been in actual combat, and having been involved in a defensive shooting where others caught live rounds and I didn't, I have heavy praise for this article and for the previous post. I would like to add that "preparedness" and all that it involves, will keep a person alive and safe. Preparedness also includes rehearsing "what would I do" in a given situation, and may be the biggest mental device that saves you. Having to defend yourself when the situation offers no choice is not a crime. Prior elaborating on most of the other elements stops me from going further on that. When law enforcement comes into play, you need to keep all of those helpful hints in play. At that point, "Should I tell them what happened", is the biggest issue. If you can present your case without incriminating yourself, meaning can I tell the truth without getting locked up, by all means, give the police all that you can, they will probably appreciate it, if you had no viable options remaining, the true story should bare that out. If it doesn't, you need a lawyer. Keep in mind, killing someone doesn't wash off, so righteous preparedness can make those critical fractions of seconds keep you both alive and out of jail. if all goes well for you, you can still expect the constant instant replay of the incident. Emotional turmoil always follows, even if you know you were right. Be wary of those that may seek retribution, if that applies. Stay prepared, stay alert, stay alive, enjoy your life. I give this same advice to myself, every day.
I am a 78 year old retired police officer and I found this article to be a good reminder of procedure to keep one alive in the dangers that surrounds us all today. I was involved in a number of shootings in my career and as I read this article I realized that we were taught these things just not in a format like this. In shoot outs with bad guys who fire shots without regard to where their shots may go or whether they live or die it is most important that you remain proficient with your firearm. I don’t think they could pay me enough to do the job today. I have one question to ask. Are there any other people who in a shootout their mind switches to slow motion? It happened to me a number of times.
Hello cac22usmc
The shootout I reference above happened at 70 mph, I fired through the rear small window of an F150 at my pursuers 100 feet behind me, 3 shooters in the car, 2 no longer with us. Training, preparedness, self control, and an excellent firearm put me on top.....and Oh yeah, 7 seconds in less than 1/4 mile total unfolded as if it could have been 7 hours. Given what I just explained, you can imagine how many thoughts I thought, and how many directions I had to look, The human mind is an amazing instrument and weapon, time becomes meaningless. I'm still amazed at what happened. Perhaps the CORPS has always known what it was doing, even if we didn't My Brother.
The shootout I reference above happened at 70 mph, I fired through the rear small window of an F150 at my pursuers 100 feet behind me, 3 shooters in the car, 2 no longer with us. Training, preparedness, self control, and an excellent firearm put me on top.....and Oh yeah, 7 seconds in less than 1/4 mile total unfolded as if it could have been 7 hours. Given what I just explained, you can imagine how many thoughts I thought, and how many directions I had to look, The human mind is an amazing instrument and weapon, time becomes meaningless. I'm still amazed at what happened. Perhaps the CORPS has always known what it was doing, even if we didn't My Brother.
Tacoma236
Alpha
Maintaining situational awareness is the priority. PPD is correct, the biggest factor in holding when you should have fired is the biggest threat. You can train, you can prepare, but if you are Not completely ready to defend yourself, the delay may well cost you your life.
Being aware, staying alert, gives you an edge. I found that just paying attention can give you an edge visibility wise.
Being aware, staying alert, gives you an edge. I found that just paying attention can give you an edge visibility wise.