Practicing what I preach...situational awareness

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ZeSpectre

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Brief little incident last night but possibly a good one to share.

Took the new doggie out for an evening walk 'round the edge of the golf course near our place and we were having such a pleasant walk that the next thing I know it's pretty much dark and we're only halfway back home. So we cut across the center of the course and then I notice a figure (it's pretty dark) step suddenly away from a big tree just ahead of me.

Well there's been a little low-level trouble in the park so I decide to play it cautious and swing wide to avoid confrontation since I have no idea what this person would be doing on the course in the dark.

The figure moves further away from the tree in my general direction and that triggers me to pull up my flashlight and spotlight him. Okay just a youngish kid (highschooler) who is giving me this surprised "deer in the headlights" look. Then doggie lets out a low growl.

Okay you've heard me say it 10,000 times... "If you see one badguy/suspect you MUST assume there are more present". Yup, that's me, the broken record, so I can't even begin to say why it took my dog's growl to snap that lesson back into my head.

I call out "Son, you'd better tell the others behind that tree to step out where I can see 'em".

Out steps a young (highschool aged) girl, both of 'em looking more than a little red faced..... ooops :D

Okay so it seems I interrupted some "mischief" but nothing I cared about so we all sort of nodded, I calmly advised them that they probably shouldn't hang out there after dark, and we all went on our way.

The Good:
-I noticed the presence of others very quickly and safe distance was maintained.
-I had appropriate equipment on hand to both determine the actual threat (none as it turns out, thank God) and handle the situation (good flashlight, sidearm, a command attitude, an alert dog).
-I didn't OVERreact to what was (initially) a pretty uncertain situation but I didn't just stand there going "DUH" either. I had an exit strategy and at least three responses running through my head.

The Bad:
-In spite of my own ranting on this issue, I went slightly "tunnel vision" upon spotting the first figure, until the dog alerted me to the presence of additional people (the girl) behind the tree.
-Didn't have my cell phone with me and my wife didn't know where I was walking the dog. (MUST remember to leave a note in the future)

Just another real life situation, take from it what you can.
Feedback welcomed as always.
 
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Are you kidding me? First thing I thought before finishing that read after the line "the figure was moving FURTHER AWAY from the trees" was that a boy and girl was up to something and trying to not be confronted. You were way too paranoid. You were lucky it wasnt a group of thugs with body armor up to no good because flashing your flashlight would've provoked them to attack you. I would've been aware, but minded my own business to be honest. What you did was very dangerous. Use that flashlight more wisely next time please.
 
You were lucky it wasnt a group of thugs with body armor up to no good because flashing your flashlight would've provoked them to attack you.
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Group of thugs in body armor? Okay, so who's paranoid again?

The bottom line is that it was (happily) a non-event, but a pretty good dry run as far as reviewing situational awareness and appropriate response was concerned
 
The biggest thing when you are in your own "backyard" is watching the attitude and emotion of the neighborhood to see if anything is out of place. Once you get the feel for what is "normal" on different days and times the rest is easier.

Make sure you give the dog a treat!
 
"You were lucky it wasnt a group of thugs with body armor"

Ummm, ya. Lots of them hanging out at night in the middle of the golf course ...
 
"You were lucky it wasnt a group of thugs with body armor"

Ummm, ya. Lots of them hanging out at night in the middle of the golf course ...
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The video game arcade and food court were already taken.

I only walk the dog with air support, ya never know...
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I prefer to nuke the site from orbit, then walk the dog after the radiation has returned to safe levels. It's the only way to be sure.

Okay, kidding aside, ZeSpectre has done us a service with his very clear description of the events and his reaction to them. Thanks and well done.
 
I prefer to nuke the site from orbit, then walk the dog after the radiation has returned to safe levels. It's the only way to be sure.
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You aren't afraid of the mutants?

Thank you ZeSpectre. Your experience serves as a good reminder.
 
Poor kids. :)

I say "well handled."

So... what if it was a bunch of thugs, body armor or not:

They had been behind the tree (most likely using it for cover), but now they're on the move and in your general direction. As far as I see it, that can only mean that you are in for some trouble. If they were just trying to escape, they'd either remain under cover, or be moving in the opposite direction. As it is, you are their target. You can either run (and run the very high risk of getting shot in the back and/or intercepted by others ahead of you) or you can stand and illuminate their position so you are aware of their actions and can act appropriately.

However, you first need to make sure they are thugs so you don't go around shooting innocent 'teens. Which is what the OP did. Good job.

~Dale

Oh, and better paranoid than dead, as long as you can be paranoid without causing harm to others.
 
I bet the couple you happened upon were just as relieved your were not a bag guy. Thanks for the reminder not to zone out when doing evan simple tasks. That dog is a keeper fer sure!!
 
You guys obviously dont know how these "thugs" work do you? They dont hang out at the mall or arcade(those are mallrats that are wannabe thugs). Why would thugs be at a golf course? Simple, they are either doing some drugs or just what they would like to call "chillin". Thugs hang out EVERYWHERE. Body armor is a surprise to you guys? I guess the thugs in your neighborhood hasnt been caught with one yet, but where I'm from they ALL have it. No, I dont reccommend using your sidearm either, but to pull out a flashlight would've meant YOU engaging in conflict. Sometimes guys are on the run and they wont do anything to you, but if you intentionally zoom on them... then they automatically think you're out to get them. I'm not paranoid at all because if I was in your situation I WOULDN'T have even done anything, but mind my own business. I know a few fellow officers whose done what you've done(and its there job) and still get hurt by these THUGS WITH BODY ARMOR. So you being a civilian and comparing to my fellow comrades... hmmmmm I'd say you have a more chance of getting killed considering you didnt have a cellphone or reach for backup. How about you guys be more open minded than ASSUMING your actions were right. For a bunch of guys who have very little experience in the so called "hood"... you guys dont stand a chance at predicting there actions. I've had a punk walk by me from 25yds away staring me down like he was about to kill me. The kid was hispanic with his hands in his pocket the whole time calling me a bitch the whole way for no reason(btw Im also offduty). Kid walks closer and closer, NOW he's about 5 ft away. My hands are ready to draw... but do I? Nope...WHY? because I dont know what he's going to do. I bet any of you wouldve assumed he was ready to stab or shoot you, but you know what he did? He walked right by me and said "bitchass". Kid didnt do anything. Where would your situational awareness get you at this point? I bet if I wouldve flashed my flashlight at him... things wouldve gotten ugly REAL FAST. And btw, if you werent concerned about it being some thugs during your incident, then what were you so worried about? Anyone out to hurt or start trouble with you are THUGS and believe me... you were lucky it was just a false alarm.
 
Hybrid,

So what would you advise the OP do? You've told us all what he did wrong, what should he have done? He had already tried to avoid a confrontation all together, but that didn't seem to be working.

Since you are so experienced (and I am NOT being sarcastic, I'm taking you at your word), what advice can you give for anyone in a similar position in the future?

~Dale
 
Forget it... can't help bias people open their eyes sometimes. I stated what the OP should've done and that is do NOTHING and mind your own business (WE DONT NEED YOU TO DO OUR JOB FOR US). How was he CONFRONTED or THREATENED? I'm going to leave it at that and let you PRO SELF-DEFENSE civilians do as you wish. The real-world is much more DIFFERENT than how most of you on here think it is. I hope none of you ever have to learn the hard way. Thank you for showing how immature alot of grown men with a firearms permmit can be.
 
How was he CONFRONTED or THREATENED?
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Apparently you seriously need to re-read the original post.

-Night had fallen (dark golf course)
-Walking my dog back home (approaching the gate to my house/yard which borders the golf course)
-Difficult to see person (due to darkness) steps out from a tree and in my general direction...and continues to approach even as I swing wide to avoid.

And you don't see any reason to go into high alert mode? Or was I was supposed to go into panic-and flee-mode because it might be..."a group of thugs with body armor"? I'm a little confused on that point.

the OP should've done and that is do NOTHING and mind your own business (WE DONT NEED YOU TO DO OUR JOB FOR US)
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Okay, so where were you? Or anybody else for that matter? Seems to me that the only person "on the spot" was, well, ME.

The real-world is much more DIFFERENT than how most of you on here think it is
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It's certainly much different than the way you think it is, especially since you keep taking a serious "better than thou because I'm LE" attitude with someone who, might just possibly have had a longer LE and LE related career than you do.

Thank you for showing how immature alot of grown men with a firearms permmit can be
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Pot? Kettle?
 
Ok, my mistake. You did say "I would've been aware, but minded my own business to be honest." Fair enough. And you believe the OP made a foolish decision. Ok, you could be right. But how does that make him (and the rest of us who said he did well) immature?

Oh, and if he waits until it actually comes to a confrontation, he'll probably end up dead. He felt threatened because of the actions of the other person. And rightly so - you yourself said that it could have been thugs. If he made a bad decision that would have potentially aggravated the threat, so be it. But everyone makes bad decisions every once in a while. Doing so means that he's human, not immature.

WE DONT NEED YOU TO DO OUR JOB FOR US
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Were any of you there to help him? "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away." EDIT: I see the OP beat me to this one while I was posting. :)

~Dale
 
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