Video- Assailant of opportunity, weapon of opportunity

[Fred Fuller]

Trainer John Farnam often repeats the old Candid Camera TV show tag line - "When it's least expected, you're elected." We emphasize the necessity for situational awareness over and over till it becomes a mantra, yet no matter how hard we try, we are all human and we all get distracted by one thing or another at one time or another.

And that makes us vulnerable. As Craig Douglas (SouthNarc) said, sometimes our awareness fails. We are all capable of being victimized by events of sufficient randomness, by attacks from sufficiently unexpected quarters. That doesn't mean we don't need to strive for the maximum level of awareness that we can individually maintain however, and we need to encourage the same in our family members and friends.

The young woman in this surveillance footage is lucky to be alive IMHO, and her assailant ... well, the fact that he was roaming around in public in his condition speaks volumes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD1-f-pO_uA

 

[RustyShackelford]

Good clip, hate crime....

That's a good clip.
You need to stay aware of your surroundings.
It reminds me of a attack last year in downtown Orlando Florida. 2 young women were exiting a upscale condo when a random attacker ran up & hit them!

The guy was arrested & charged.
This Walmart thug should catch a federal hate-crime charge too.

BTW; I first thought this was a clip of the 2 police officers in Chicago IL who shoot a bad guy with a rifle(M4). The felon slowly lowers his rifle but also pulls out a large handgun meaning to shoot the officer facing him. The alert CPD cop at a angle saw the firearm & unloaded on the subject.

It's good training & tactics by the cops on the scene. It all happens in about 6 seconds too.

 

[zxcvbob]

So how does this fit with SS&T?

Does one have to be in "condition orange" 24 hours a day? That's kinda hard to maintain in real life.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Does one have to be in "condition orange" 24 hours a day?

Not orange, but certainly yellow to the point that it is individually manageable. Being in condition white when out in public is something to be avoided to the degree to which we are each able.

If my text that was posted before the link was not a sufficient introduction to the video, I'm sorry ... maybe this will help.

 

[zxcvbob]

No, your intro was fine. I just don't think this particular event was avoidable by the victim.

 

[Fred Fuller]

And some are unavoidable, by pretty much anyone. Which is what makes Craig Douglas' point so valuable - "Sometimes our awareness fails."

Then what?

We don't always get swatted in the noggin with a baseball bat when our awareness fails. Sometimes we discover someone 'inside our bubble,' with hostile intent, much to our surprise. Then what?

The constant question we need to be ready to answer ... THEN WHAT?

 

[MedWheeler]

Does one have to be in "condition orange" 24 hours a day?

This guy was visible for several seconds in the video alone before the attack.

Just watching the video, even before the target was selected, made me shudder.

You can bet that, had I been there and seen him acting that way, I would have "gone orange" very quickly.

Being a sheepdog (EMS and ex-LE), I'd have likely kept him in sight until he got sick of seeing me and left, or was challenged by a store employee.

I don't think the unlucky lady is being berated for not "being in orange." But, someone could have been.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

This Walmart thug should catch a federal hate-crime charge too.

Based on what? Is the state unwilling of unable to prosecute?

Mike

 

[MErl]

That one would be tough to avoid. Someone walking around with a baseball bat inside a store that sells them is not out of the ordinary. Even spinning it while walking around as shown initially is not unusual (though it does clear space around them quickly).

She had seconds to notice something was amiss as he wound up. Before that nothing was really amiss.

 

[RustyShackelford]

I don't know....

I'd ask the subject why he chose that victim.
His "mental state" excuse falls flat too.
He picked that girl to hit for a reason.
As for strolling around with a bat, I agree it can seem harmless on the surface but if he's wandering around acting furtive then a security guard or LP agent can key onto that. Once the teen started to swing it around, they could have got involved.
In the mid 2000s, I worked at a low end chain hotel & a incident with a young teen who acted a lot like the subject in the video.
He acted erratic & aggressive towards me. Two times his family members had to restrain him from attacking me.
I threw the family off the property & called the local sheriff's office. They entire family left & the patrol deputies refused to make any contact with the teen.
The incident started because the young teen was roving around construction sites that were clearly marked as no trespass & authorized personnel only.

 

[gamestalker]

My Son, his wife and children were driving down a street when a couple teens 16-18 tears old jumped out to the street and swung a bat at the passenger window, nearly striking his wife. He was alert and swerved the car quick enough to save the day, but it was close by his account. I won't elaborate beyond that, but lets just say it didn't end well for the thugs.

GS

 

[Arizona_Mike]

I'd ask the subject why he chose that victim.
His "mental state" excuse falls flat too.
He picked that girl to hit for a reason.

Let's assume for the sake of argument that it was racial animus. The law (which I disagree with on federalism grounds, BTW.) only give Federal jurisdiction is the state is unwilling or unable to peruse justice. I don't see any indication that Arkansas falls under either category. In fact they are pursuing charges.

Mike

PS. It may also been her age, her appearance (she looks fairly attractive), the fact that it was a short isle with few other people in the immediate vicinity, etc. Depending on where he was there may have been a lot more potential white victims.

 

[mbt2001]

*** can you say to that?

 

[Hometeached1]

Thanks for that video, it's a good reminder.

While I agree someone walking around a store that sells bats is not going to put me in orange (except for now.) I would be paying close attention to him. He did show some signs though, like giving a target staring at her right be for he attacked her, even though it was very brief.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Common spots......

A smart tactic is to learn or know the general lay-out or locations around some of the common places you work or shop.
When I was in my early 20s, in the MPs, a Sgt told our patrol we should spend the first hour of our shift(s) learning where stuff is or what the streets/buildings are like. That way a call or emergency won't be a big shock if needed.

Humans are creatures of habit. If you prepare & are aware of things like stairs, exits, security offices, etc that may help you someday.