Thugs in the parking lot: The Kidnapping of Megan Holden

Megan Holden

Jan 22, 2005 - TYLER, Texas — A surveillance camera captured Johnny Lee Williams, Jr.’s kidnapping of Megan Leann Holden as she was leaving her clerk's job at a Wal-Mart. According to Tyler Police spokesman Don Martin, Williams who was wearing a long, dark coat – had been loitering around the front entrance of the store for almost two hours and had followed two women into the parking lot at different times, but as other people approached, he walked back to the entrance.

The video shows Holden getting into her truck and Williams running up behind her and either hitting or pushing her. Two days later, Holden’s body was found near Stanton, about 380 miles west of Tyler. Williams was later arrested in Arizona after a would-be victim who was legally armed shot Williams during a robbery attempt.

This is a quick note about transit zones. Transit zones are areas that we pass through as we go from one destination to another. We pass through numerous transit zones every day; however, we typically don't notice them because they're not inherently dangerous per se. It's not the transit zone that poses a danger, it's the criminal that often operates in the transit zone that presents the problem.

Williams attacking Holden

Criminals typically do not operate openly in a crowd because there are too many witnesses and individuals who might interfere. Conversely, if the criminal is too far from a crowd there are no potential victims available. This is where transit zones enter the picture. The transit zone is the ideal place to conduct criminal activity because people passing through them are typically focused on their destination and not necessarily paying attention to their surroundings.

A good example of a transit zone and one that many people pass through every day is the public parking lot like the one where Williams abducted Holden. When you're in a public parking lot you are typically focused on one thing—entering or exiting your car and then going somewhere else.

From the criminal's perspective the public parking lot offers several advantages. Parking lots are near crowded areas; therefore, enough people are passing through to enable the criminal to select a victim. Since they own a car, the potential victim probably has money or goods worth stealing. Potential victims are beyond the reach of immediate assistance, the parking lot's isolation gives the criminal time to commit the crime, and then quickly depart the scene with a reduced chance of getting caught.

You don’t need to be paranoid about passing through a transit zone; however you do need to pay attention to what is going on around you. People behaving in an unusual manner, things that are out of place, something that does not look right are a greater cause for concern in a transit zone. You should know what is normal for your daily transit zones so you can recognize what isn’t normal; however, before you can accurately determine if something is wrong, you must have a sense of what right looks like. While this seems obvious, most people probably never really think about it. 

People normally act very purposefully in a parking lot. They are getting in or out of their car, loading or unloading it, and then walking to or from a building or other destination. If someone is not doing one of these things, there should be clear reason; the hood of their car is up, they are briefly speaking to someone before they depart, etc.

People exhibiting normal behavior don’t hang out in the depths of a parking lot—that is something that is not quite right. People waiting to be picked up usually wait inside a building entrance, in an area near the door, or on the walkway. People who are waiting for someone in the parking lot tend to sit in their car, not by walking around or leaning on someone else’s car.

People walking through a parking are typically focused on their destination and will generally follow the driving aisles and not cut between rows. If they do cut between rows, their behavior will be consistent with a destination and cutting between rows is a short cut to that goal. If they forgot where they parked, their behavior is still very purposeful. They will not be casually wandering about looking into cars or watching people. A person who is reacting to your movement or changing his course to intercept you is not acting in a normal manner and is very likely up to no good.

I pulled into a pharmacy parking lot late one evening to get a prescription filled. As I got out of my car, I noticed a man I had not seen previously sitting in the shadows stand up and start walking toward me on an intercept course. I changed direction and so did he in response; I changed again and so did he. I was determined not to let him get close to me so I continued to maneuver through the cars until I got close enough to the front of the building that the man turned around, cursing as he walked away. What did he want? I have no idea and was not interested in finding out. When I was ready to leave the pharmacy, I asked a security guard near the entrance to observe me as I returned to my car.

One of the key differences between police and private citizens when it comes to dealing with criminals is that the police must get close to the criminal in order to apprehend them—the police chase, so the criminal runs or fights back. Interaction between a private citizen and a criminal is different however, for criminal to successfully victimize someone they have to get relatively close to that person to conduct the crime. Criminals want to do this in a place that gives them the anonymity and privacy to do their business with a reduced chance of getting caught.

This short discussion outlined only a few of the behaviors that we see every day in a parking lot; however, if you think about it, these concepts apply to a variety of other locations and circumstances as well. Is the car behind you following you or simply going the same direction? Why is someone loitering in the stairwell, near the ATM? As you go about your daily routine, consider the transit zones you pass through. Learn to recognize where you would be in danger if someone chose you as a potential victim. These are the places where you don't want to be trapped. Trust your intuition, if you see something that looks wrong—it probably is—go somewhere else.

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Survive Your First IDPA Nationals

IDPA offers some different shooting tests and the nationals offer some challenging stages for all skill levels. If you are planning to go this year, here are several observations and tips you may find helpful.

Equipment, Pistol, Magazines, Ammunition, and Clothing

One question you must ask yourself concerning equipment is just how much you wish to carry or haul around. The minimum you need is your hydration, ammunition, a cleaning kit, and a folding chair or stool. Many competitors use small folding sport or gardening wagons available from a variety of sources to carry their equipment. I’ve found these to be particularly handy and worth the expense.

Pistols occasionally break—typically at the least opportune moment. If you can afford one, consider a spare pistol with the same or substantially similar configuration as your primary pistol (ensure it is division legal). If that’s not possible, bring critical spare parts (exactly what spare parts depends on your particular pistol). You should also have a spare holster, magazine carrier, and extra screws/nuts for your carry equipment. Bring extra magazines as well.

Bring at least 100 rounds of ammunition over what the match requires to ensure you have enough to cover re-shoots. If you reload your ammunition ensure that they make power factor for your division. Examine every round of ammunition and ensure there are no obvious flaws. It is also a good idea to run them through a case gauge or to remove the barrel from your pistol and drop every round into the chamber and ensure it head-spaces properly. This could prevent a time eating mis-feed in the middle of a stage.

Never make any changes to your equipment at the match unless you are absolutely forced into the change due to an equipment malfunction. Make any equipment changes you wish at least 3-4 weeks prior to the match. If you make changes, then practice, practice, practice so that you absolutely have the changes wired into your pistol manipulation skills well before match day. 

I once decided that a great way to carry a flashlight was in a dual, magazine/ flashlight belt pouch. I then proceeded to shoot some local matches with the new equipment configuration and tried to reload with the flashlight rather than the spare magazine several times. It took quite a bit of dry practice before I absorbed the new changes.

In the middle of a stage the sudden realization that your front sight is no longer on the pistol can be disconcerting. Between stages or during a break in the match, go to the safe area and re-check your equipment and brush out your magazines. I’ve had front sight screws and holster screws loosen that were easily found and remedied before they caused any problems.

Dress for success. Proper clothing is part of your match equipment and you will shoot a better match if you are comfortable. Don’t forget to pack your concealment garment or vest. It’s part of your equipment and required for shooting the match. IDPA will conduct the Nationals regardless of weather conditions so bring your rain gear and something to protect your range bag if rain is in the forecast. The central Texas weather for the 2016 Nationals provided both rain and shine with temperatures well into the 90’s. Stage 2 had a low light segment that was dark enough to cause a lot of problems for the shooters who shot the stage later in the day or when it was overcast because many competitors did not have clear glasses or flashlights in their gear bag.

Stage Planning

Stage Planning is one of the most important skills for a successful IDPA competitor. The 2017 IDPA Nationals offered challenging, yet achievable stages for shooters at all skill levels. IDPA rules permit a group walk through of the stage where all competitors are allowed to examine vision barriers and cover fault lines for each target array. During the group walk through, shooters can view each target from every shooting position including kneeling or prone positions.

As you do the walk through, count the targets and determine exactly where they are located with respect to each shooting position. Some stage designs require you to follow a specific path and shoot from specific positions, others do not. This is the beginning of your stage plan. Determine where you must physically go in order to shoot all the targets and continue building your plan.

For example, Stage #2 (Collapsed Mine, see figure below) of the 2016 Nationals required the shooter to enter a door and then presented the option of entering the mine (moving to the right) or going to the left and addressing those targets. Given the target layout, the optimal approach depended upon in what division the competitor was shooting. For revolver shooters, clearly the best course was to enter the mine first and then reload en route to the first window. Shooters in SSP and ESP found going initially to the left was the best approach.

Plan your entry, examine the shooting positions, and plan your exit for each shooting position. Practice getting into positions and leaving positions and being ready to fire an accurate shot. If you are only moving a few feet then keeping the pistol in a firing position (i.e. mounted) is fine. If you must move more than a few feet then dismount the pistol (muzzle awareness at all times) and run normally to the next position mounting the pistol as you cover the last few yards. This enables you to enter the position with the pistol ready without the additional time spent if you had waited until you came to a complete stop to bring the pistol onto the target.

Plan your shots, know when your pistol will run dry, and plan your reloads during the walk through. Know how many targets you must engage from each position and where you can reload in preparation for engaging the next set of targets. Many shooters run dry and then waste a second or more pulling the trigger, realizing their slide is locked open, and then starting their reload. 

IDPA rules require shooters to remain within the cover fault lines when reloading and clearing a malfunction. However, if the shooter runs the firearm empty in the open, the shooter may reload in the open and continue engaging targets as needed or move to the next shooting position. In stages with cover or concealment, shooters may reload standing still or on the move at any time, as long as they are not exposed to targets that are not fully engaged during the reload.

In the picture below I am performing a reload on the run to the next shooting position. The stage design designated the low wall as contiguous cover. If you can perform your reload while moving along a single contiguous piece of cover to the next shooting position, then doing so will save time. However, this must be done with your on-demand skill level in mind while being aware of the muzzle direction at all times. 

When you have your plan developed, quickly walk the stage as many times as you can while visualizing each action you must take at every shooting position and the movement and actions you must take as you transition to the next position. As other competitors begin shooting the stage, continue to visualize your plan and confirm its viability as you see the other competitor’s performance. If you realize that your plan requires slight modification, then once again mentally review your plan with the modification. By the time you are the on-deck shooter, ideally you should have the plan nailed down to the point that you can mentally walk through the stage with your eyes closed. 

As you step up, take some deep breaths while you are making ready. If you have visualized your plan effectively, you can probably shoot the stage almost on autopilot without conscious directed thought. The conscious mind should be detached and observing without judgment. If you make an error, correct it and move on. Don't try to change your plan as a result of an error – instead get back on track and continue with your plan. I’ve frequently seen shooters who make a mistake on a stage then try to speed up to make up the lost time. That rarely works; more often the shooter ends up dropping more points (and thereby adding more time) than they would have if they had simply continued shooting the stage according to their plan. 

Learn to trust your sights and call your shots. When you finish shooting a target don't stand there and admire your hits, MOVE on to the next target! If you chose to engage targets on the move, typically it's faster to move slowly as you leave a shooting position and engage the targets then sprint to the next shooting position. The stage layout may dictate otherwise. 

For many stages, you do not have to be at arms-length from cover to stay within the cover fault line. This is often more efficient when you have to go to another shooting position because you didn't waste time moving forward to cover and then retracing those steps as you move to the next shooting position. Try not to extend your pistol past the cover or through openings. The time you spend pushing your pistol past cover is also spent pulling it back as you leave the shooting position. Don't duck back behind cover during a reload for the same reason. 

Efficiency and Props 

Occasionally, stages require the competitor to deal with an object or prop at some point. In the IDPA National stages often require the competitor to deal with a prop at the beginning of the stage. In 2016 for example, the Big Rocks of the Pecos (Stage 11) required the shooter to start with a full-size pick axe held in both hands. Competitors had to drop the pick axe, draw, and move forward to engage targets. The manner in which they dropped the pick was the shooter’s option as long as they did not hit a Safety Officer. Dropping it your path of travel was not a good idea, so some shooters tossed it forcefully off to the side and then drew their pistol as they moved forward. 

Shooters with a better plan held it on their holster side with one hand near their holster and simply dropped it and then drew their pistol. The difference between the techniques is the extra time spend extending your arm to throw the pick and then retracing that path as you move your hand to the holster to draw. I video recorded several competitors and the time difference on average was .50 - .75 seconds between the two techniques. 

The picture below shows a competitor dealing with a stage prop. The shooters had to start seated on the bucket with the gold pan held in both hands with thumbs on the pan. This competitor extended his arms as he tossed the pan forward rather than dropping it or tossing it to the side with his left hand. Extending his arms took .20 seconds to complete before he began reaching to draw his pistol. These fractions of a second don’t seem like much; however, over the course of a match, this extra time does add up.

Closing Thoughts

You should shoot a local match the week prior to the nationals to ensure your equipment functions and set yourself mentally. The IDPA Nationals are just another match; however, a big difference for many people between a major match and a local match is their mindset. Some competitors get themselves so worked up that they a mistake. Then they mentally screw themselves into the ground and make a mistake on the next stage and thereby starting a downward mental spiral. You must be able to recover from a mistake and maintain a positive attitude throughout the match. If you have a problem on a stage, before you move one to the next stage go to the safe table, remove your equipment, and take a short break. Then put your equipment back on and move on to the next stage. This helps you to mentally reset, put your mistake behind you, and get a fresh start for subsequent stages. 

Shooting the IDPA Nationals is a great experience. You get to see some of the best shooting talent in the world, shoot some of the best stages in the shooting sports, meet wonderful people, and ideally learn something as well. If you have never participated in the IDPA Nationals, I highly recommend it.

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Thugs Make House Calls--Lock Your Doors

Home invader Jonathan Perales fatally shot a homeowner early one morning in Universal City, Texas recently. According to Perales' arrest warrant affidavit, Robinson had armed himself with a 9mm Glock after noticing a strange vehicle in his driveway. Robinson opened his bedroom door and immediately confronted Perales who had entered the Robinson home through an unlocked back door. As Robinson yelled "Get out of my house," the men exchanged gunfire. Perales shot Robinson once in the torso and Robinson shot Perales in the arm and upper chest.

Robinson was later pronounced dead at Brook Army Medical Center. Robinson's wife and two of his children who were inside at the time were not injured in the gunfight.

Universal City Police Lt. Steve Mihalski said Perales fled the home after Robinson shot him. Perales got back into his vehicle (which was stolen as well) and tried to leave the neighborhood but got lost. He finally stopped and sought help from a neighbor who flagged down police as they were responding to the Robinson home. Police said Perales still had a pistol on him when they encountered him at the neighbor’s house. Perales was also wearing a single red shoe on his left foot and police found the matching right shoe inside Robinson's kitchen.

One of my students who lives in the neighborhood said videos from several security cameras on homes in the area showed Perales going from house to house and vehicle to vehicle trying doors to see if they were unlocked. My student’s neighbor had video of Perales stealing items from his unlocked pick-up truck. Police investigators said they believed Perales was randomly targeting the area.

This is not an unusual tactic. Recently in Fairfax County, VA there were four burglaries in one week where burglars took garage door openers from unlocked cars, used the openers to get into the garage, and from there into the house via unlocked doors between the house and garage.

So how do you prevent this?

One step is pretty obvious: LOCK YOUR DOORS! I did an Internet search on “burglar unlocked home” and there are dozens of entries describing unlocked homes being burglarized. In many cases, the thieves entered homes that were clearly occupied. One document was particularly eye opening. A Bureau of Justice Statistics study of completed household burglaries from 1994-2011 showed that burglars entered the homes through unlocked doors between 56-64% of the time.*

Get into the habit of checking every exterior door (including the one to the garage) every evening before you go to bed. I do this every night and occasionally discover a door that someone in my household left unlocked.

If you have an alarm, set the alarm. Your alarm only works if it's on. A new student recently relayed a story about her home being burglarized (the reason she was a new student). Her friend picked her up for a short errand and she left her alarm off because she was only going to be gone for a short time. She returned to discover that burglars were literally still in her house when she entered. You paid for an alarm system, why would leave your house without setting it?

Many of us live in neighborhoods we would characterize as safe. I live in a gated community; however, that did not stop thieves from doing the unlocked car routine on my street several months back. A number of my neighbors lost valuables from their unlocked cars including my next door neighbor and neighbor across the street. The thief probably checked my SUV as well and found the doors locked.

According to Bureau of Justice Statistics there were 2,569,980 burglaries completed in the United States during 2016—one approximately every 12 seconds. Based upon previous studies, it is likely that of these 2,569,980 burglaries, thieves found and entered unlocked homes at least 1,541,988 times. Thugs Make House Calls. LOCK YOUR DOORS!

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* Household Burglary; 1994-2011, Jennifer Hardison Walters, M.S.W., Andrew Moore, M.Stat., Marcus Berzofsky, Dr.P.H., RTI International, Lynn Langton, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics; June 20, 2013; NCJ 241754

Reloading Tips and Tricks

Reloading is a popular hobby among shooting enthusiasts and is a great skill for frequent shooters. If you are completely new to reloading there are a variety of books and online information to help you get started. This article discusses some reloading tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years through my own experience and that of others.

Of course, safety is always the most important thing to consider and there are safety precautions reloaders should always follow. Always wear safety glasses while reloading and anytime you are handling primers (e.g. loading primer tubes). Powder spills will happen. Always keep the reloader, the area around your reloader, and the floor under it free from spilled powder.

Powder

Powder generally comes in five basic forms: extruded tubular kernels, cut round flakes, cut sheet flakes, round ball, and flattened ball. From time to time, manufacturers will modify the formula for a given powder so always use load information from current reloading manuals or the powder manufacturer’s on-line data.

The powder’s shape and density directly affects how it will pack and then flow from your powder measure’s reservoir. With some powder shapes, you must maintain a consistent fill or pack in the powder measure’s reservoir to ensure each charge the measure throws has the same weight. I refill my powder measure when it reaches the ¾ mark anytime the powder I am using has cut round flakes or cut sheet flakes.

Consistency

You must always visually confirm that the powder level is consistent in each and every case as you load—this is the single most important reloading step. If you find a load for a particular application that uses a bulky powder which fills the case more than half way all the better. Experience will help you calibrate your eye and enable you to detect differences in powder charges.

Inconsistent powder charges can cause serious problems. For example, when you fire a round with no powder or too little powder in the case you will typically have a bullet lodged in the barrel. If you hear a slight “pop” instead of a bang when firing a round, stop, properly clear the firearm, and make sure the bullet exited the bore. With pistols and rifles, be careful about automatically doing a “tap/rack” and trying to fire another round during a match or in training. If the bullet did not exit, firing another round will likely cause a bulge in the barrel at best and may destroy the firearm and cause injury if the barrel bursts. I’ve seen shooters destroy four barrels (and two pistols) due to reloaded ammunition with no or too little powder in the case and the shooter automatically doing a “tap/rack.”

The other side to that coin is the dreaded double charge. A double charge can literally destroy your firearm and may cause serious injury. If you believe you have double charged a case and it got by you, you must not shoot any suspect rounds in that batch of reloaded ammunition. If you do, you may end up with a blown case at best, at worst you can end up with a destroyed firearm (I have seen that three times, two pistols and one 5.56 AR rifle) or severe injury.

You can certainly pull all the suspect rounds; however, another means to find the suspect cartridge is to weigh every round in that batch. Any round that is overweight by more than a grain should be segregated and the bullets pulled. This is where segregating your brass can be important since brass from different manufacturers will often have notably different weights. I've even seen different lots of brass from the same manufacturer with significant weight variances.

The picture below shows a 9mm case that experienced a catastrophic failure on firing. It is very possible that this round was double charged and the pistol could not handle the pressure. No one was injured in this incident; however, the pistol was destroyed. An expensive round of ammunition. 

Weight the Charge

Weight at least 3 charges to ensure you are throwing a consistent charge weight when you first set the powder measure. With most powder measures, the charge weight should not differ by more than 0.1 to 0.2 grains across the three measurements. If I get a spread of 0.2 grains or more, I continue to weigh charges until I get a consistent reading. Certain powders (e.g. long grain extruded and stick rifle powders) may not meter as uniformly due to their grain size and the fact that you often cut grains as you throw the charge. Experience weighing a lot of powder charges will teach you how to consistently throw accurate charge weights.

I have found that using a device to gently vibrate the powder measure helps maintain consistency in charge weight. I use an aquarium aerator pump which vibrates gently and is not excessively noisy to perform this function. Polishing the interior of the powder measure body can also aid in maintain powder charge consistency. The polished surface helps powder flow more easily into the powder bar. This is easy to do yourself and several instructional examples of the process are posted on the internet and YouTube.

Aftermarket powder measure accessories can help you throw consistent charges. A number of manufacturers offer Micrometer inserts or powder bar kits that can significantly ease the process of achieving consistent measures (see the picture below). One example that I use consistently throws charges of flake pistol powder within .01 - .02 grains of accuracy (that’s hundredths of a grain). My normal powder scale will not even measure to that degree of weight—I used a special gem scale to check its consistency.

Consistent Stroke (OK, no giggling)

Another factor in consistent powder charges is cycling the powder measure or press using consistent force. Varying the amount of force you use as you cycle the powder measure or press can result in slightly more or less powder in the charge. Additionally, on a progressive press a heavy-handed operator that slams the lever hard against the stops can cause the powder to settle a bit more and/or bounce out of an already filled case which will result inconsistent charge weights. If you notice that powder as bounced out of a case, dump that charge and refill the case with a fresh powder charge.

If am interrupted during the reloading sequence, I always place the handle fully down before I deal with the interruption. When I am ready to begin the loading sequence once again, I raise the handle and then visually confirm the status of every station on the press (I use a progressive machine), ensure the powder fill is correct, that I have primed the case in the priming station, etc.

New Brass

New brass can be harder to size, prime, and seat bullets in than fired brass at times because the brass may be lacking lubrication. Sometimes the powder-thru expander can be hard to get back out of the case when dealing with new brass, particularly with short cases. This happens due to the brass being stripped clean and polished during the manufacturing process. On progressive presses, the lurch when the case pops free from the die can upset powder drop consistency and bounce powder out of filled cases.

Brass residue buildup on the expander can also cause this problem. Periodically cleaning off the brass residue using a Scotch-Brite™ pad (or similar product) will restore smooth operation. You can also tumble your new cases in used media for half an hour before reloading. The powder residue in the tumbling media will add just enough lubrication to the brass to ease the loading process. Another option is periodically swab a small (less than a drop) of lube on the expander or use a case lube on the cases.

Check your brass

When brass cases are reloaded a number of times, the brass will eventually develop splits upon firing. With pistol cartridges, these splits often (but not always) occur at the case mouth. The picture below shows a piece of 45 ACP that split further down in the case body. The 300 AC Blackout case in the center experienced a similar split. The 9mm case however, has a very unusual split pattern. This split may have resulted from using an ammonia-based cleaning solution to clean the brass.

Check your rounds

I check every round in a chamber checker. There are a variety of chamber checkers on the market and they are well worth the money (see the picture below). Prior to the advent of chamber checkers, it was common for pistol shooters to remove the barrel and check every round by hand. You can still do this; however, the chamber checker has made this step easier. A chamber checker’s dimensions replicate the chamber of the barrel in your firearm. If your reloaded round does not easily go into and drop out of the chamber checker, then that round is suspect. 

The picture below shows several rounds that failed the chamber check. Round #1 is clearly out of spec and may have been the result of a high-pressure load fired in a pistol with a chamber configuration that does not fully support the chambered cartridge case, round #2 has the primer upside down (a condition that might have gone unnoticed without checking the rounds), and round #3 is questionable and will likely not chamber. The 4 rounds in the bottom row passed. As you can see, they sit flush or slightly below the chamber checker opening. 

Reloading can be very satisfying and can save you money. I hope you’ve found these tips and tricks useful and I welcome tips from readers.  

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Low Light 18: Decision-Based Scenarios #1

Don't Shoot the Good Guy!

We just completed our final practice session for 2017/18. This is the 5th year for our low light curriculum and the shooters who have taken these classes and continued with practice sessions have noticeably improved in most low light tasks.

We started the session with the new IDPA 5x5 classifier to provide the participants the opportunity to test their skills against a known standard without using the flashlights. However, as light began to fade cardboard targets against a cardboard-colored dirt berm posed some challenges with precision for some (me included, I was having a hard time precisely indexing the target and dropped 5 points).

Once it was dark, we then conducted the IDPA 5x5 classifier with lights. Several participants did much better point-wise with lights, but times were significantly slower. My average for every time I have fired the 5x5 CCP is 19.61. My time for the 5x5 using a flashlight was 35.56 with zero points down. This was 55% slower as I manipulated the flashlight during the draw, firing, reloading, etc. I was approximately 3 seconds slower for stages 1, 2, and 4 and my time for stage 3 was almost double what I normally shoot. I am uncertain how to categorize the results using flashlights. 

One of the participants requested some decision-based scenarios so we conducted two scenarios. I have not conducted too many scenarios over the last couple of years, preferring instead to provide participants an opportunity to practice and master low light techniques. As I have mentioned previously, these practice sessions have led to substantial improvements in the participant’s ability to accurately engage targets under low light conditions. However, these practice sessions do not test a participant’s ability to employ these techniques and make sound decisions under stress and that can be a challenge as well.

Decision Based Scenarios

The decision based scenarios we use are surprise scenarios where proper target recognition, flashlight techniques, movement, and marksmanship are critical to success. We use photo realistic targets with a mix of threats and non-threats. 

In the scenario prebrief I asked participants if they were licensed to carry handguns and if they routinely carried their pistol. All five indicated they were licensed and routinely carried. We then discussed the possibility of encountering an armed “good guy” on the scene who, just like them, was caught in an unfolding violent event. All agreed that was a distinct possibility and something to consider. I also discussed the fact that rifle fire and pistol fire made clearly different sounds and what each might sound like during the course of the scenarios so the participants could distinguish between the two weapons.

As you look at the scenario pictures, potentially disabling hits are shown in green, marginal hits in yellow, and misses in red. 

Scenario #1: You are leaving an evening event and walking to your car. You are alone and have no family members or friends present. The parking lot is lit, but not real well. Suddenly you hear a male screaming Jihad! Jihad! and rifle fire erupts in front of you. What do you do?

The first participant quickly scanned the scene using his flashlight while moving laterally. He then abruptly turned and ran away from the rifle fire without drawing his pistol. I stopped the scenario and asked the participant why he decided to run from the scene. He responded that when he scanned with his light there were too many people present to quickly decide who was/was not a threat and that he thought the best decision was to run. Textbook solution—if you are alone and violence erupts, leave immediately if possible.

The second participant quickly scanned the scene using his flashlight and immediately noticed the armed “good guy” who was present, but not pointing his pistol at the participant. He then fixated on this individual and fired at him every time he heard rifle fire—hitting him a couple of times. I asked the participant why he did not scan the scene and he responded that he was concerned the person with the pistol was the primary threat. He never noticed the three Jihadi ten yards away.

The third participant quickly scanned the scene using his flashlight and noticed the armed “good guy.” He then fired at this individual hitting him a couple of times. The participant continued to move and scan the scene and he noticed and fired at 2 of the 3 Jihadi hitting one.

The fourth participant quickly scanned the scene using his flashlight and noticed the armed “good guy;” however, he did not fire at this individual nor did he fire at the police officer or bystander. The participant continued to move and scan the scene and he noticed and engaged all 3 Jihadi hitting 2 several times and the 3rd Jihadi’s rifle scope turret. Participant 4 applied good tactics and used his light to his advantage. 

Participant five noticed the armed “good guy” and fixated on this individual; firing at him several times and missing with most of his shots. Every time he heard rifle fire, he fired at the armed good guy.

This was the first decision scenario for one participant. The other 4 had completed decision scenarios previously; however, not for 2 years. For 4 of the 5 participants, low light tactics, techniques, and procedures went completely out the window. Several shooters managed to completely avoid hitting targets that were well within ten yards even though they fired several rounds. Others misidentified non threat targets and engaged them with enthusiasm. 

However, no one shot at the unarmed, innocent bystander--that is not always the case as you can see from the picture below. 

I’ll provide an overview of Scenario #2, some overall comments, and lessons learned in the next post.

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Not my circus. Not my monkeys

Catawba County, NC: On Jan. 22, 2016, Jefferson Heavner and his friends stopped to help a driver whose car had spun off an icy North Carolina road during a heavy snowstorm that blanketed the area. But the driver opened fire on the group, killing Heavener.

Camden, NJ - According to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Mosby was abusing his ex-girlfriend and the altercation spilled into a building common area where Carey was sitting. “Carey intervened and tried to protect the woman and her toddler, when Mosby again started to physically assault her.” Mosby then shot Carey once in the chest and fled. Carey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Many years ago, a friend of mine tried to intervene when he saw a man beating a woman in a bar. When he stepped in, both individuals immediately attacked and severely beat him. The woman’s comment? “Nobody hits my man!”

As you consider the situations described above (and dozens of others like these) questions arise: Could you get involved? Should you get involved? Must you? In many (perhaps most) states the answer is a qualified yes to the “could you” question depending upon the circumstances. However, should you get involved in someone else’s problem? As you charge forward, pistol in hand, do you really know what you’re getting yourself into? 

“Not my circus. Not my monkeys.” A saying that has become popular in Army circles (my day job) and if we think about it, a saying that often fits into our day to day circumstances. Unless someone is using or attempting to use unlawful force or deadly force directly against you or someone under your direct, personal protection, the immediate question arises: Do you actually know what is happening? 

You must answer this question quickly and accurately if you are considering intervening in someone else’s problem. If you are not directly involved in the altercation or incident, is it worth stepping into an uncertain fight with unknown people? Your financial future, freedom, and literally your life may depend on this answer.

Look at the buffoonery underway in this video. Numerous private citizens are trying to corral an alleged purse snatcher. During the course of this incident, Ms. Emma Cotten, is seen on the video pointing a pistol at a suspected thief as other men had him pinned to the ground. Ms. Cotten then fires one round toward the individual and others after the alleged purse snatcher broke free from his captors and started running through the Wal-Mart parking lot. A grand jury returned a true bill for a deadly conduct charge and prosecutors have indicted Ms. Cotton for her discharge of the firearm in this incident—this is not a trivial offense in Texas.* 

Should you get involved? Be very cautious about coming to the defense of others, especially strangers. Although many of us would like to be Good Samaritans and a few want to be “Heroes!”, do you want to perish as a result of stepping into someone else’s problem? A more prudent course of action might be to call 911 and be a good witness. 

Must you get involved? In Texas (and I suspect in most states) the license to carry law does not confer a public duty that would require a licensee to get involved in stopping a crime. In other words, must get involved is never a requirement; however, we can all imagine witnessing an attack so monstrous that we just could not stand by and let it continue. If the situation is such that you believe you must intervene before police arrive, think of your own safety first. 

Can you confront the individual from a position of cover? Are there obstacles between you and the individual that will inhibit him from getting close to you? What if the assailant simply ignores your commands and continues the assault? Are you prepared to escalate? Are you able to deal with these possibilities and the aftermath?

Your decision to get involved and try to stop a crime in progress is entirely up to you. However, a point I always make while teaching a License to Carry class is that the time to think could, should, must is ideally well before you face the decision during an unfolding incident. Maintain situational awareness and make the best decisions that you can based on your training and experience. 

One thing to always remember is that you will live the rest of your life (as short as it may be) with the consequences of your actions. The time to think about these potential scenarios is before you find yourself witnessing a crime unfolding in front of you.

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* Texas PENAL CODE, TITLE 5. OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON CHAPTER 22. ASSAULTIVE OFFENSES
Sec. 22.05. DEADLY CONDUCT. 

(a) A person commits an offense if he recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

(b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of:

(1) one or more individuals; or

(2) a habitation, building, or vehicle and is reckless as to whether the habitation, building, or vehicle is occupied.

(c) Recklessness and danger are presumed if the actor knowingly pointed a firearm at or in the direction of another whether or not the actor believed the firearm to be loaded.

(d) For purposes of this section, "building," "habitation," and "vehicle" have the meanings assigned those terms by Section 30.01.

(e) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor. An offense under Subsection (b) is a felony of the third degree.

Texas PENAL CODE, TITLE 3. Sec. 12.34. THIRD DEGREE FELONY PUNISHMENT. 

(a) An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the third degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for any term of not more than 10 years or less than 2 years.