Quote:
Originally Posted by FireForged
Sure.. in a general sense I agree 100% but in this particular situation I think it would have been the wrong thing to do. The main priority is to survive.
If you are armed and have decent cover, that's a good thing. If the badguy has to traverse an open area to get to you or to get a shot... you have the advantage. If you happen to meet him in the middle of that open expanse as you are trying to secure a very minimalistic locking mechanism.. that's bad. Locking a [glass] door which is secured by a small courtesy set ( as most are), is not worth the risk. What if he or his accomplices come in the back door and utilize the cover you abandoned and then use it to attack you standing in the open. The smart thing would be to 1. get a 911 call for help. 2. Reload or at least remain behind cover ( watch each others backs) and prepared to continue defending. 3. Retreat to a more secure office or area which can be more easily defended. In this specific circumstance I would have said "heck with the front door."
Think about what you are calling a door or a barrier.. its likely a sheet of glass with a small courtesy set. Its more of an imagined barrier than a true barrier. If locking it is FREE.. sure, lock it. If a guy with a shotgun might come back through it at any second or might be standing 5 feet from it.. nope, I am staying put.
Mantras and checklists are great to reflect on but they do not rule the day in every conceivable situation. If you understand the spirit of the training you have received or the spirit of whatever "priorities" you cling to, then you can apply that understanding to construct an appropriate course of action which is unique to your specific circumstance.
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Thats why I said "if practical." You're trying to buy time for the police to get there.
The other advice I would note is "learn how to do a Bill Drill." I will it at that.