I too received a PM and since it was posted publicly I will respond in public.
THR is about responsible firearm ownership and part of being "responsible" is passing forward what is true and correct to not only new members, also to anyone that is a member with a question, and to those that lurk.
All any of us can truly share, is our experiences and observations.
In a serious situation, where one is in fear of life, or that of those they are responsible for, first responders are going to see and investigate the scene.
Police, Fire, EMT and witnesses are going to see, and hear this scene.
Notes, photographs, any film from surveillance cameras, or cell phones will be used to assist in investigation.
If one goes downtown, they will be photographed.
That photo goes onto the front of a folder with your case file.
Now this file goes through processes, and everyone is first going to see that photo of them after having been through an event.
Dirty, bruised, shot, knifed, blood, scraps, black eyes, matted hair from sweat, blood...
This is what anyone sees first, then open the file to see personal items, and crime scene items.
Grand Jury or Court Case, this is the drill.
Jury of one's peers, does not mean everyone is just like them.
They may be of a different political party, or not see a need for certain types of guns, or knives or any other type of defensive tool.
What a prudent person would do in this situation...
Beyond a reasonable doubt...
These words will be repeated often in a Court of Law.
I know, I have been in serious situations in fear of my life or that of another and had to do what a prudent persons would do in that situation, and beyond a reasonable doubt, I was within the law.
I have assisted in investigations, been on jury duty from local to federal level and have been the foreman of the jury.
I have been sequestered.
I have been a character witness and expert witness as well.
I have experience in a medical setting, the Main OR, and we did take photos for investigations of cuts, gun shots, blunt trauma, vaginal tears, rape kit being administered...document, document, document, including my signature along with the surgeon that removed bullets for evidence.
Problem two is real.
After a serious event, then comes the legal event.
Yes, I have had a gun pulled on me, and shots fired, more than once.
I have had edged weapons and other weapons produced as well
I have had this happen in a setting where no personal weapons were allowed.
Metal detectors, wands, subject to search, vehicle searches...
Still one has to exit vehicle, head toward that structure, and later exit structure and get back to vehicle.
You are not getting into that setting with any kind of "weapon".
My photos have been taken, from not much hurt to real damn serious.
My defensive tools were Case Peanuts, Slimline Trapper, a Legal Pad, rolled up magazine...Colt Combat Commander, Ithaca 37...car antenna.
Officers arrived after I stopped a threat against 3 youths, the 4th a driver.
I ruined my nice pants, ruined my new leather shoes, shirt ...I ruined my newer clothes.
They took a cell phone picture, got my statement, and there was no film on a surveillance camera.
I was in a NPE (non personal weapon environment), I broke off the antenna from a vehicle in the parking lot.
Yes I paid for a new antenna, no charges filed, as I was in fear of my safety, outnumbered by 3, two with knives, and one with a gun.
It was easy to read the scence in that parking lot setting, with loose gravel and other "traces" to be read, like my blood on the pavement from scraping a knee, losing a shoe, still over there...
What a prudent person would do in that situation.
I tried to evade, I had to take action, and the antenna was there.
I asked to be frisked, I wanted officers to know, I had left my vehicle "sterile" and had conducted my business in the NPE "sterile" and was in the process of returning to my vehicle "sterile" when trouble showed up.
Beyond a reasonable doubt, I did the prudent thing, and nothing came of it.
I gave the officers all the information I could to assist them.
I even viewed some mug shots later as some similar things were happening elsewhere.
This is what I can and do pass forward to THR members.
Forget the fact THR does not condone, or allow anything illegal be suggested on a public post...
I have my convictions.
I know about criminals, I know about a court of law.
Hell I get in trouble around here suggesting folks with gun, get some skill sets, so they don't even have to use the damn gun.
Forget using that knife clipped to the pocket, use a notebook, bottle of water, flower vase of a secretaries desk...
I assure you, if a person throws a bottle of water at someone and runs like hell , officers are going to view that a bit different than going rambo with a clip on knife.
You do not want problem 2.
You have to survive problem 1, my deal, is to do so, where problem 2 does not bite you in butt and really hurt you, and even work against you and for the benefit of the criminal.
Remember anything one uses to defend with, is defined as a "weapon".
Bottle of water, rolled up magazine, notebook, child's metal toy truck, broom...
Don't be hammering nails in a baseball bat, that is not what a prudent person would do.
Had the person left the baseball bat as is..."maybe" we would not have found them guilty.
Had the person used the belt and the buckle, "maybe" we would not have found them guilty.
They had attached razor blades to that belt, and that did not set well at all with the court, or us of the jury, and being foreman, I read out loud "Guilty your honor".
