Carjacking

[equin]

Recurring advice from John Corriea on Active Self Protection, based on thousands of videos of actual incidents:
1. Do not draw from the drop; that is, if the bad guy is already pointing a gun at you, do not try to beat his trigger pull with your draw to first shot.
2. When the bad guy has the drop on you, best choice is most often purposeful compliance; clearly comply with the demands (while watching for an opportunity to counter-attack).

On Active Self Protection Extra he has some demonstration lessons on planning and practicing for draw and fire when seated in a vehicle:

Getting A Good Shot Out Your Driver Side Door
Drawing Right-Handed Strong Side In The Car Ain't Easy!
Shooting Across Your Partner In a Vehicle (Difficult Stuff!)
Reholstering After Shooting From A Vehicle

and for a related discussion,
Car Theft vs. Carjacking (John’s Briefs)

Great videos. My Mom was carjacked in the late 70’s. She was driving my Dad’s Pontiac LeMans station wagon, but was at a stop light with cross traffic and cars behind her. So she was stuck. She just grabbed her purse and stepped out. The guy got in and took off.

Anyway, interesting that the videos encourage wearing the gun on your body while driving. I carry strong side, so the 2nd video was particularly helpful.

 

[Kleanbore]

So a question I have is, once a guy points a gun at me and demands my vehicle, am I not "in fear of imminent physical harm" and am I allowed to draw and defend myself?

One would be "allowed", in legal terms, but it would b e a doubtful strategy.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Drawing on a drawn gun might not be the smartest option. You’re betting that the carjacker isn’t ready to shoot. Do you think you can draw from the seated position and fire before the carjacker can fire?

Not all carjackings happen while you are seated in the car. Many happen at the point of entering or exiting the vehicle where the intended victims are outside. Still drawing on a draw gun is often a dubious prospect. There are certainly successful cases of drawing on a drawn gun, often with the intended victim carefully choosing to draw when the robber/attacker is otherwise distracted.

 

[Kleanbore]

Not all carjackings happen while you are seated in the car. Many happen at the point of entering or exiting the vehicle where the intended victims are outside.

Read, heed, and act accordingly!

 

[AlexanderA]

One defense against carjacking is to drive a manual transmission car. How many young punks know how to drive a manual?

 

[Rule3]

Always leave a decent amount of room between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you at a stop as well.

Been doing that for years. Some weirdo approaches me, I am out there!

 

[ericuda]

One defense against carjacking is to drive a manual transmission car. How many young punks know how to drive a manu

I don't think you can even buy a manual tranny anymore.

Anyway kleanbore hope u r doing good and you are right standing outside or getting in car where I'd feel vulnerable.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Read, heed, and act accordingly!

Like the White Settlement church security team. Who lived and who didn't? Both drew on a "drawn" gun, but one's timing was terrible.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Be glad you are still able to do that. Some of us have mobility problems and, because so many of the places we have to go (Dr., hospital, etc.) that are posted, we can't carry either.

My doctor's office is also posted.

 

[old lady new shooter]

I do the opposite. When I step outdoors and first enter a parking lot, I think to myself "head on a swivel-scan the sector for threats and anomalies". I will literally stand there and scan the parking lot for about 10-15 seconds like I'm looking for my car or something. I'm not looking for my car. I know where it is. I'm looking to see what's between me and the car. What's around the car. What's beyond the car. The guy with his kids? probably not a threat. the little old lady? Not a threat. The 20 year old girl with her face buried in her cell phone? not a threat to anyone but herself. The lone individual walking between the cars not in a direct path to anywhere he should be going? He's someone to watch. The lone individual walking into the parking lot from across the street. he's someone to watch. It's literally just a game. I'm trying to recognize the guy that's going to approach me and and ask me for money. They don't always ask nice, especially when it's dark. When you spot them, you can better avoid them. Mind you, I'm not a jerk and I occasionally give the older ones money if they look legit but most of them are young junkies and junkies can get pretty desperate and agitated. Then when proceeding through the parking lot, my head is basically a tank turret scanning it's sector and I move slow enough that I won't rush into an ambush. Mind you, I know these people are more than likely not going to become violent but it's still a game I play to keep my Situational Awareness skills sharp. I have recently upped my game by scanning for people that have their faces buried in their phones. I'm looking for people with zero situational awareness. It's kind of fun.

On the road, I'm always watching my rearview mirror. I saw a car full of guys that seemed like they were going to get out of their car and come at me one time at a stop sign but I immediately removed my seat belt and got my firearm accessible and pulled the car out a bit so I could maneuver past the cars in front of me if necessary. They seemed to change their mind though but I saw them.

Absolutely, the danger area is between leaving the store and getting in your car. And remember your shopping cart is very useful for keeping a BG from getting up close and personal, if you see a weirdo, don't take your eyes off him and make sure to keep the cart between you and him at all times, right up until you get into your car, at which point you can push it gently away but still towards him while you quickly slam and lock the door.

 

[old lady new shooter]

the intended victim carefully choosing to draw when the robber/attacker is otherwise distracted.

^^^ This is how the guy who stopped the White Settlement church shooting accomplished his goal. He waited to draw until he saw the BG look away.

 

[Kleanbore]

There are certainly successful cases of drawing on a drawn gun, often with the intended victim carefully choosing to draw when the robber/attacker is otherwise distracted.

He waited to draw until he saw the BG look away.

Should a car-jacker enter the car and, from the passenger seat, say "drive", exiting the car and letting him drive away wound not be an option. Reaching for a weapon with the right hand would give a lot of advantage to the car-jacker.

One mitigation strategy would be to carry a firearm that is accessible to the left hand while the driver is strapped in. One would have to time the draw based on what the perp is doing.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Should a car-jacker enter the car and, from the passenger seat, say "drive", exiting the car and letting him drive away wound not be an option. Reaching for a weapon with the right hand would give a lot of advantage to the car-jacker.

In my car the passenger-side door thankfully has to be affirmatively unlocked, it does not unlock by unlocking the driver side door. Do other cars unlock all the doors when the driver side door is unlocked?

 

[Kleanbore]

In my car the passenger-side door thankfully has to be affirmatively unlocked, it does not unlock by unlocking the driver side door. Do other cars unlock all the doors when the driver side door is unlocked?

Ours does.

My concern stems from incidents in which a driver has stopped to let a passenger out or to pick up someone and someone uninvited has come in while the door is open.

The best defense, of course, is to not let that happen.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Should a car-jacker enter the car and, from the passenger seat, say "drive", exiting the car and letting him drive away wound not be an option. Reaching for a weapon with the right hand would give a lot of advantage to the car-jacker.

No, it probably would not, but then again like I said, not all carjackings happen while the victim is in the car.

One needs to be smart about when one draws their gun.

 

[Kleanbore]

No, it probably would not, but then again like I said, not all carjackings happen while the victim is in the car.

The car-jacker in the passenger seat would not say "drive" to someone who is not in the car.

The problem with using the right arm to access a weapon--gun, blade, whatever--is that the passenger can grab the driver's right arm.

 

[Kleanbore]

Just to emphasize, I would really not want to shoot a car-jacker, and the firearm is a last resort.

 

[Kleanbore]

Fifty six arrests for car-jacking in Chicago so far this year....

They have a special task force now.

https://news.yahoo.com/chicago-police-56-carjacking-arrests-223016416.html

 

[old lady new shooter]

Fifty six arrests for car-jacking in Chicago so far this year....

They have a special task force now.

https://news.yahoo.com/chicago-police-56-carjacking-arrests-223016416.html

It will be useless if they just let all the arrestees right out again.

 

[AlexanderA]

I don't think you can even buy a manual tranny anymore.

They're available if you look for them. I have a 2021 Toyota Tacoma that's a manual (also available in the 2022).

 

[ericuda]

So only in a handful of Toyota's and maybe 1 sports car. Very uncommon for sure and not something most folks will look for.

 

[loneviking]

John Correia had a recent video where a guy in Houston had pulled up at a fast food place to order. Two guys rush in, guns drawn, and order him out of the car. The guy complies, while a third guy is coming in from the opposite side of the car.
Some lessons:
1. You may be able to shoot and ambush the driver, maybe the passenger—but what about a third guy?
2. And if you blow the drivers brains all over your car, you’ve got a real mess. The car will be taken for evidence, you can bet it won’t be cleaned—and by the time you get it back it will stink so bad it’s ruined. And some insurance companies won’t replace it. They will if you’re jacked and it disappears.
3. Often these guys go a few blocks, ditch the car with little or no damage—so just let it go.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

John Correia had a recent video where a guy in Houston had pulled up at a fast food place to order. Two guys rush in, guns drawn, and order him out of the car. The guy complies, while a third guy is coming in from the opposite side of the car.
Some lessons:
1. You may be able to shoot and ambush the driver, maybe the passenger—but what about a third guy?
2. And if you blow the drivers brains all over your car, you’ve got a real mess. The car will be taken for evidence, you can bet it won’t be cleaned—and by the time you get it back it will stink so bad it’s ruined. And some insurance companies won’t replace it. They will if you’re jacked and it disappears.
3. Often these guys go a few blocks, ditch the car with little or no damage—so just let it go.

1. What about the 3rd guy? We can keep adding guys forever, LOL. What about 6? How many are armed? How many will fight back? Lots of carjackings are by solo individuals, but others are by teams.
2. If my life is being threatened, the value of the car doesn't matter. Goal #1 is my protection.
3. Stats from year the 2000s indicated that in about 13% of robberies (not carjackings in particular) where the victim complied, the robbers still injured the victim and sometimes still killed the victim. Those aren't great odds. However, if you aren't fighting back, not going to fight back, not being held in position, then you need to be vacating the area, getting off the proverbial X and out of the proverbial kill box. Don't worry about standing there staring in amazement and trying to be a good witness. Get to safety.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

I remember a decade or two ago when carjacking was out of control in South Africa. There were companies that would fit your car with a flame throwing device that came up from under the sides of the car. Brasil went through a similar wave of carjacking.

 

[Kleanbore]

wo guys rush in, guns drawn, and order him out of the car. The guy complies,

Issues regarding the car would be the least of my worries. I cannot imagine shooting if I had vacated the car.