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Skyviking · July 21, 2005, 12:16 PM

Our good guy acted prudently. The idea of "moving away and making a call" is ludicrous. The guy was at the only phone in the are that he could see. He had two BGs, both larger than he, approaching him with obvious hostile intent.

It is unknown if the two BGs had guns, knives, blunt weapons, etc., since they never displayed them. Really good crooks won't - until they are really close. (They don't like to have to run down their prey.) The fact that they split up in making their approach verifies that they know their business (mugging) and their hostile intent. Once inside 21 feet (more recent studies indicate 28 feet is better), a determined assailant will reach you and can either cut you, strike you (a club gives them added reach), or be grappling with you before/just as you clear leather.

Our hero (assuming that his having the gun was legal) should have called 911 immediately and given the police a rundown of the incident and description of the two assailants and their direction of travel.

Cougar, if you were in the same scenario and (re)acted as you have posted, you would likely have not had an equally harmonious ending. Remember, Action beats Reaction every time. If you wait to see how far the other guy is willing to go, by the time you realize his intentions, formulate a plan to block his attack, give your extremities the orders to act, you will be on the ground, injured or dying. With two or more assailants, the OODA Loop gets bigger.

Everyone needs to play "what if" scenarios in their mind all the time, which is being in Condition Yellow everytime you step out the door of your home. By playing the "what if" game, that means evaluating your surroundings and looking at all the people in your environment - Really look at them. Do they fit in? Are they just going about conducting their business, absorbed in their own little world, or are they, too, looking at all the other people, much like predators looking over the herd; searching for the weak and unaware?
You must formulate standardized responses to threatening situations well in advance that you will, if all the pre-determined parameters are met, execute with alacrity and ruthlessness. If I were in our hero's shoes, I would have reacted the same. All the Monday-morning quarterbacking in the world does not obviate the fact that we weren't there, and that everybody left the scene with no extra holes.

July 21, 2005, 12:16 PM	#116
Skyviking Junior Member Join Date: November 14, 2002 Location: Southwest Posts: 5	Our good guy acted prudently. The idea of "moving away and making a call" is ludicrous. The guy was at the only phone in the are that he could see. He had two BGs, both larger than he, approaching him with obvious hostile intent. It is unknown if the two BGs had guns, knives, blunt weapons, etc., since they never displayed them. Really good crooks won't - until they are really close. (They don't like to have to run down their prey.) The fact that they split up in making their approach verifies that they know their business (mugging) and their hostile intent. Once inside 21 feet (more recent studies indicate 28 feet is better), a determined assailant will reach you and can either cut you, strike you (a club gives them added reach), or be grappling with you before/just as you clear leather. Our hero (assuming that his having the gun was legal) should have called 911 immediately and given the police a rundown of the incident and description of the two assailants and their direction of travel. Cougar, if you were in the same scenario and (re)acted as you have posted, you would likely have not had an equally harmonious ending. Remember, Action beats Reaction every time. If you wait to see how far the other guy is willing to go, by the time you realize his intentions, formulate a plan to block his attack, give your extremities the orders to act, you will be on the ground, injured or dying. With two or more assailants, the OODA Loop gets bigger. Everyone needs to play "what if" scenarios in their mind all the time, which is being in Condition Yellow everytime you step out the door of your home. By playing the "what if" game, that means evaluating your surroundings and looking at all the people in your environment - Really look at them. Do they fit in? Are they just going about conducting their business, absorbed in their own little world, or are they, too, looking at all the other people, much like predators looking over the herd; searching for the weak and unaware? You must formulate standardized responses to threatening situations well in advance that you will, if all the pre-determined parameters are met, execute with alacrity and ruthlessness. If I were in our hero's shoes, I would have reacted the same. All the Monday-morning quarterbacking in the world does not obviate the fact that we weren't there, and that everybody left the scene with no extra holes.