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That is 21 feet (7 yards) from a standing start in 1.5 seconds. Yes it's an average as tested by a police sergeant using volunteers. It has been verified many times with runners and shooters under a variety of conditions. The problem I see with this "rule" is that we all know one shot may not stop an attacker and there is no time for a second shot.
If a man has a knife in his hand and starts to run at you, you are going to be stabbed or slashed. You have to be alert to everyone in your "threat zone" and that might be 8 feet for a talented martial artist at the top of his game or it might be half a block for an old man with a debilitating back injury (like me). Your ability to recognize a possible threat and avoid it is what awareness is all about. Look into the face of people as they enter your threat zone and look at their body language, their hands and where their attention is. Don't approach blind corners close to the wall, give yourself time to react.
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