A story of self defense

[MilitaryArms]

Matt, who writes for my blog, was involved in a self defense shooting a few years ago. The anniversary of the event is approaching and he wanted to share his experience with us. I'm glad he did. I think there are some lessons in his story for many of us, even though Matt is a Sheriff and this took place while he was working.

My Life Changer | The Bang Switch

I know sharing such stories can be hard at times for some folks, so I appreciate that Matt was willing to share his story.

 

[SMiller]

Great read!!!!!

 

[cosermann]

Excerpt: "Taking fire really made me paranoid about the possibility of running out of ammo. I do not plan on ever letting that happen."

Yup.

 

[HoosierLife]

Just read on def carry

 

[brotherbill3]

Good Post / Story. Will share. Glad he made it home.

 

[Mark 1911]

Hardly ever make it through a long story like that one, but read this one start to finish. Great read!

 

[joe138]

Very Good read with learning points.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Good read.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[SSGSAD]

Thank you, for this post. I read it start to finish.... Really a lot to think about .....

 

[Turf Doctor]

Good read, thanks for posting.

 

[searpinski]

Thanks for posting this. Great read.

 

[esrice]

I always appreciate when someone's willing to take the time and energy to share their story of self-defense. The lessons we can learn from their experiences are valuable.

Some of my takeaways:

• He needed his optic and the design of his EOTech didn't allow for his first shots to be as effective as they could've been. Not good. Really makes a strong case for the always-on, always-ready Aimpoint.
• +1 for having a patrol rifle and not just a shotgun. Not only would a shotgun have been too long to wield inside the car during the first engagement, but he was able to be accurate and confident at distance during the 2nd engagement.
• The officer's prior training helped keep his head cool and allowed him to use tactics that others may not have thought of. Like using his downed optic's window as a large rear ghost-ring sight. Or his ability to put the car in reverse and drive off the "X". Or drawing his mental "line in the sand" for when he would act.
• The officer didn't know how many rounds he had actually fired until the department conducted their investigation. More ammo is always better.
• Rounds can ricochet. And still do damage.
• He later exchanged his .45 for a 9mm with more capacity.
• He credits first-person shooter video games with helping him "train his brain". While I don't believe video games are a direct cause of violence, I do believe such games are "shooting simulators" and can inoculate the brain to violence. Some such games even started out as training simulators for police departments.
• Mindset, mindset, mindset. It was the officer's mental coolness, combined with his good tactics, trained skill, and personally owned gear that helped him prevail.

Thanks for sharing this Tim.