Situational Awareness Sure Helps!

randyc74 · November 23, 2009, 05:59 PM

First off a little about my background, I’m a 34 year law enforcement veteran. I’m still on the job, and live and work in a rather high crime rate area. Throughout the years while away from my home I maintain a keen awareness of my surrounding both on and off the job. I’m pretty much in condition yellow most of the time. I’m also armed whenever I leave my home.

A situation this past weekend has caused me a evaluate the need to be armed at home even if it’s just to take the garbage to the street, or grab a breath of fresh air.
I had walked a lady friend out through my garage to her vehicle parked in the street.
As I started to walk back towards my open garage, my peripheral vision caught the headlights of an approaching car. I live on a major thoroughfare, so a passing car is something that usually goes unnoticed. What did grab my attention was the driver cut the headlights while still traveling down the street.
The car quickly pulled over partially blocking my driveway.
I quickly moved into my garage, quickly pressing the button to close the garage door.
As the door was coming down, I observed subjects exiting both the drivers and passenger’s doors heading towards my driveway.
After I was sure the door was closed, I ran up and grabbed a pistol. I heard the slamming of car doors and the vehicle sped away.
I’m convinced that I would have been a victim of a crime of opportunity, most likely, armed robbery, home invasion or worse.
The opportunity presented itself to a couple of scumbags just driving by.
As much as the incident shook me up, I’m glad it was I and not some other unsuspecting citizen. Living in condition yellow, helped me quickly realize that danger had presented itself and allowing me to safely retreat, grab a pistol to take further action if necessary.
I investigate violent crime for a living. I never gave a second thought to the possibility of being a crime victim myself. I sure consider it now.

KingEdward · November 23, 2009, 06:39 PM

you will find several posts on here (via seach) about people who are armed
at home and why.

I don't mean one in the nightstand. I mean carry at home.

Good to hear how aware you were and it pays to be so.

Even at home these days.

A good friend of mine a couple of years ago was sitting out on his front porch swing near a large university (live about a block from) reading a book. A passer by (jogging on the sidewalk) rushed up his stairs and stabbed him in the arm twice.

Fortunately it was a small blade and my friend kicked him in the chest and got in the house and retrieved 20 gauge and called cops.

Turned out the stabber was off his meds and wandering around.

Violent crime can happen anywhere and anytime.

ZeSpectre · November 23, 2009, 06:55 PM

Good job on the OP!
I sure know how you feel, I direct you to my own recent post "Boxed In"

besafe2 · November 24, 2009, 01:55 AM

I'm a former leo, no where near the years on the job as you(op) great job on your part. I try to be the same way. You bring up one thing & that is the fact that many leos have never thought of being a victim them selves.

threegun · November 24, 2009, 07:37 AM

You did great in sniffing out potential trouble. Just be aware that condition yellow is almost impossible to maintain. I bragged about being alert all the time and for the most part I have been. The other night however I let my guard down for just a millisecond. Nothing bad happened but had the bum wanted it too I would have been at great disadvantage.

The family and I were walking out of an all you can eat Asian restaurant after dark. I crossed the lot with family behind me...there was a larger than usual gap between us. I glanced over my shoulder and could see what I thought was my son walking behind me. Turned out to be a bum who my wife said stepped out from behind a van and got in behind me. Perfect timing by the bum and a total failure to scan the left side of the lot by me. My wife called my name and the bum turned around back to the van. In the truck she explained how and what happened and made fun of me for getting "caught". I always comment about her getting caught off guard or not seeing things and she gave it back three fold.

Situational awareness sure helps is an understatement. I feel that it is the single most important part of self defense. With out it a bum with an empty beer bottle beats a well trained well armed man with a belly full of shrimp and crab LOL.

zombieslayer · November 24, 2009, 08:28 AM

I say it all the time. My mom's "nightstand" gun did her no good, when 17 year old punks with masks and gloves were waiting to ambush her in the house, armed with her own gun. I've carried for years, mom thought I was crazy. Now, that S&W .38 snub is her best friend. BTW, she only escaped because she had a keen eye, too. She ran and got help from a neighbor. They caught one of the guys. He had just started his probation 2 weeks earlier- FOR BURGLARY!! All he ended up getting was jouvenile boot camp for tem months!!!
Scout motto- BE PREPARED
The best gun in the whole world is the one you have when you need it. I ALWAYS keep a pocket gun on or about me. When I wear heavier clothing, I wear heavier weapons. But for convenience, my little LCP or S&W642 are hard to beat for guns that are easy to keep at the ready.
Glad you had your wits about you. Keep them eyes peeled!

Dwight55 · November 24, 2009, 11:40 AM

Good job Randyc74.

Sometimes one wonders "what would have happened if................?" In this case I am sure you don't want to know.

May God bless,
Dwight

Daugherty16 · November 24, 2009, 12:50 PM

Makes me wonder how many of the rest of us have had closer encounters than we ever knew, but because of (fate, whatever) nothing happened.

Awareness is critical. Miss a signal from a pretty girl (for you single types), you go home alone. Miss a signal from a perp, you may not go home at all. Because of where i work (NYC, Federal Building) i am prevented from carrying during the workday, being but a civilian from a neighboring state. But i carry at home, or have a weapon close at hand, nearly every other waking (and sleeping) moment.

The Petit home invasion in CT two years ago was the final proof i needed, that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and that i needed to be prepared to defend all the time. That happened about 20 miles from where i lay sleeping with my wife, kids down the hall. Can't tell you how many times i've wondered how differently that would have turned out if Petit had kept a pistol or shotgun at the ready.

blenderhead · November 24, 2009, 05:34 PM

So glad it turned out much better in your case...

From:
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11536030

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nv. -- An off-duty Las Vegas Metro police officer was shot to death in an attempted robbery early Thursday morning. North Las Vegas Police are handling the investigation into the crime.

Investigators say 30-year-old Trevor Nettleton was shot to death after midnight and the crime appears to be random.

Officer Nettleton had been on the force for three years and had just returned home from working the swing shift when he was killed. He was working in his garage at the time of the shooting and his wife and two children were inside the home when he was shot....

tiecuando · November 24, 2009, 06:44 PM

Yellow is hard to maintain, especially for me with no training. The one time I slacked off, I got my bike stolen! I'm glad it wasn't a violent crime!

45Gunner · November 24, 2009, 08:55 PM

Your situational awareness is a matter of training and instinct. One would have a difficult time convincing me that my situational awareness was not the key factor in surviving the bush in Vietnam.

About 15 years ago I let my guard down while sitting in what I thought was the safety of my home. I won't go into the details but I was shot and left for dead. My guns were all locked in my safe at the time. For me, relaxation is now Condition Yellow. Call me paranoid if you want. That will never happen to me again. I will never be without a gun while in my house except when I am in the shower or in the pool. I leave my gun in my car when I go into a Federal Building or other places prohibited by law but I am not comfortable.

If I do not have a gun on my hip, you can bet the bank there is one an easy reach away.

golfnutrlv · November 24, 2009, 10:51 PM

+1 to you. Good SA, good mindset to maintain. I live in Eastern Washington, a reasonably conservative, low crime area. There have been a few home invasion's in the area, one every couple weeks which may or ma not result in injuries. Also recently, there was a string of serious armed robberies of pharmacy's for meds.
Guess how much I am armed at home??? 99.9% of the time.

The only exceptions are shower, sleep, and if I have the occasional drink. (Very little).

I keep all my handguns, my AR-15, and my Lee Enfield loaded in condition 3 all the time unless they are in the shop for cleaning or repair.

I keep the gun on my person in condition 1, Cocked and Locked with an extra magazine.

Again, good job sniffing out a possible attack, and defeating it in the bud.

November 23, 2009, 05:59 PM	#1
randyc74 Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 101	Situational Awareness Sure Helps! First off a little about my background, I’m a 34 year law enforcement veteran. I’m still on the job, and live and work in a rather high crime rate area. Throughout the years while away from my home I maintain a keen awareness of my surrounding both on and off the job. I’m pretty much in condition yellow most of the time. I’m also armed whenever I leave my home. A situation this past weekend has caused me a evaluate the need to be armed at home even if it’s just to take the garbage to the street, or grab a breath of fresh air. I had walked a lady friend out through my garage to her vehicle parked in the street. As I started to walk back towards my open garage, my peripheral vision caught the headlights of an approaching car. I live on a major thoroughfare, so a passing car is something that usually goes unnoticed. What did grab my attention was the driver cut the headlights while still traveling down the street. The car quickly pulled over partially blocking my driveway. I quickly moved into my garage, quickly pressing the button to close the garage door. As the door was coming down, I observed subjects exiting both the drivers and passenger’s doors heading towards my driveway. After I was sure the door was closed, I ran up and grabbed a pistol. I heard the slamming of car doors and the vehicle sped away. I’m convinced that I would have been a victim of a crime of opportunity, most likely, armed robbery, home invasion or worse. The opportunity presented itself to a couple of scumbags just driving by. As much as the incident shook me up, I’m glad it was I and not some other unsuspecting citizen. Living in condition yellow, helped me quickly realize that danger had presented itself and allowing me to safely retreat, grab a pistol to take further action if necessary. I investigate violent crime for a living. I never gave a second thought to the possibility of being a crime victim myself. I sure consider it now.

November 24, 2009, 12:50 PM	#8
Daugherty16 Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2008 Location: Live Free or Die state Posts: 259	Well done, Randy. Makes me wonder how many of the rest of us have had closer encounters than we ever knew, but because of (fate, whatever) nothing happened. Awareness is critical. Miss a signal from a pretty girl (for you single types), you go home alone. Miss a signal from a perp, you may not go home at all. Because of where i work (NYC, Federal Building) i am prevented from carrying during the workday, being but a civilian from a neighboring state. But i carry at home, or have a weapon close at hand, nearly every other waking (and sleeping) moment. The Petit home invasion in CT two years ago was the final proof i needed, that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and that i needed to be prepared to defend all the time. That happened about 20 miles from where i lay sleeping with my wife, kids down the hall. Can't tell you how many times i've wondered how differently that would have turned out if Petit had kept a pistol or shotgun at the ready.

November 24, 2009, 05:34 PM	#9
blenderhead Junior Member Join Date: August 15, 2007 Posts: 10	Officer Nettleton shot in his garage.... So glad it turned out much better in your case... From: http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11536030 NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nv. -- An off-duty Las Vegas Metro police officer was shot to death in an attempted robbery early Thursday morning. North Las Vegas Police are handling the investigation into the crime. Investigators say 30-year-old Trevor Nettleton was shot to death after midnight and the crime appears to be random. Officer Nettleton had been on the force for three years and had just returned home from working the swing shift when he was killed. He was working in his garage at the time of the shooting and his wife and two children were inside the home when he was shot....

November 24, 2009, 08:55 PM	#11
45Gunner Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2009 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 1,902	Your situational awareness is a matter of training and instinct. One would have a difficult time convincing me that my situational awareness was not the key factor in surviving the bush in Vietnam. About 15 years ago I let my guard down while sitting in what I thought was the safety of my home. I won't go into the details but I was shot and left for dead. My guns were all locked in my safe at the time. For me, relaxation is now Condition Yellow. Call me paranoid if you want. That will never happen to me again. I will never be without a gun while in my house except when I am in the shower or in the pool. I leave my gun in my car when I go into a Federal Building or other places prohibited by law but I am not comfortable. If I do not have a gun on my hip, you can bet the bank there is one an easy reach away. __________________ 45Gunner May the Schwartz Be With You. NRA Instructor NRA Life Member

November 23, 2009, 06:39 PM	#2
KingEdward Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2009 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 439	you will find several posts on here (via seach) about people who are armed at home and why. I don't mean one in the nightstand. I mean carry at home. Good to hear how aware you were and it pays to be so. Even at home these days. A good friend of mine a couple of years ago was sitting out on his front porch swing near a large university (live about a block from) reading a book. A passer by (jogging on the sidewalk) rushed up his stairs and stabbed him in the arm twice. Fortunately it was a small blade and my friend kicked him in the chest and got in the house and retrieved 20 gauge and called cops. Turned out the stabber was off his meds and wandering around. Violent crime can happen anywhere and anytime.

November 23, 2009, 06:55 PM	#3
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	Good job on the OP! I sure know how you feel, I direct you to my own recent post "Boxed In"

November 24, 2009, 01:55 AM	#4
besafe2 Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2008 Location: NC Posts: 117	I'm a former leo, no where near the years on the job as you(op) great job on your part. I try to be the same way. You bring up one thing & that is the fact that many leos have never thought of being a victim them selves.

November 24, 2009, 07:37 AM	#5
threegun Junior member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl Posts: 4,000	You did great in sniffing out potential trouble. Just be aware that condition yellow is almost impossible to maintain. I bragged about being alert all the time and for the most part I have been. The other night however I let my guard down for just a millisecond. Nothing bad happened but had the bum wanted it too I would have been at great disadvantage. The family and I were walking out of an all you can eat Asian restaurant after dark. I crossed the lot with family behind me...there was a larger than usual gap between us. I glanced over my shoulder and could see what I thought was my son walking behind me. Turned out to be a bum who my wife said stepped out from behind a van and got in behind me. Perfect timing by the bum and a total failure to scan the left side of the lot by me. My wife called my name and the bum turned around back to the van. In the truck she explained how and what happened and made fun of me for getting "caught". I always comment about her getting caught off guard or not seeing things and she gave it back three fold. Situational awareness sure helps is an understatement. I feel that it is the single most important part of self defense. With out it a bum with an empty beer bottle beats a well trained well armed man with a belly full of shrimp and crab LOL.

November 24, 2009, 08:28 AM	#6
zombieslayer Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,198	I say it all the time. My mom's "nightstand" gun did her no good, when 17 year old punks with masks and gloves were waiting to ambush her in the house, armed with her own gun. I've carried for years, mom thought I was crazy. Now, that S&W .38 snub is her best friend. BTW, she only escaped because she had a keen eye, too. She ran and got help from a neighbor. They caught one of the guys. He had just started his probation 2 weeks earlier- FOR BURGLARY!! All he ended up getting was jouvenile boot camp for tem months!!! Scout motto- BE PREPARED The best gun in the whole world is the one you have when you need it. I ALWAYS keep a pocket gun on or about me. When I wear heavier clothing, I wear heavier weapons. But for convenience, my little LCP or S&W642 are hard to beat for guns that are easy to keep at the ready. Glad you had your wits about you. Keep them eyes peeled!

November 24, 2009, 11:40 AM	#7
Dwight55 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2004 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 2,568	Good job Randyc74. Sometimes one wonders "what would have happened if................?" In this case I am sure you don't want to know. May God bless, Dwight

November 24, 2009, 06:44 PM	#10
tiecuando Junior member Join Date: November 13, 2009 Posts: 8	Yellow is hard to maintain, especially for me with no training. The one time I slacked off, I got my bike stolen! I'm glad it wasn't a violent crime!

November 24, 2009, 10:51 PM	#12
golfnutrlv Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 1,347	+1 to you. Good SA, good mindset to maintain. I live in Eastern Washington, a reasonably conservative, low crime area. There have been a few home invasion's in the area, one every couple weeks which may or ma not result in injuries. Also recently, there was a string of serious armed robberies of pharmacy's for meds. Guess how much I am armed at home??? 99.9% of the time. The only exceptions are shower, sleep, and if I have the occasional drink. (Very little). I keep all my handguns, my AR-15, and my Lee Enfield loaded in condition 3 all the time unless they are in the shop for cleaning or repair. I keep the gun on my person in condition 1, Cocked and Locked with an extra magazine. Again, good job sniffing out a possible attack, and defeating it in the bud.