Multiple Threats…What would YOU do?

[Brian@ITC]

About 90% of attacks take place within 10 feet. Most of which take place at 0-6 feet. I want to present “a” situation to you to get some of your thought processes in handling this situation.

You are heading to your car in a parking lot when a thug comes out of “no where” as they often do because of the lack of awareness or because they were actually hiding. The thug has a gun concealed in his pocket and presents it to you when he is about 5 feet away from you. While starring down the barrel of the gun you are surrounded by two more thugs who approach from the rear and they appear to have knives and are about 5-6 feet away. You are standing in the middle of the parking “lane” with cars about 7-10 feet away on your left and right sides. The thugs have cut off your option to run in the open space of the “lane” in front and behind you.

The thug in charge (who has the gun) demands your wallet. You throw it to him and then he says something about there not being any or enough money in it and becomes irate and threatens to shoot you. What are you going to do?

Here are things that I want to know.
1. What is your primary goal in this situation?
2. What are you going to do and how are you going to accomplish it. That is, if you move, what direction are you going to move and with what footwork? Are you going to try and create distance? If using your gun, are you going to use a two handed shooting platform with your arms extended? Provide as many details as you can envision in this situation as to what you would do.

We are going to split this up into three “options” with you so you need to provide “three” answers.
1. You have your gun and one is in the chamber.
2. You have your gun but you don’t keep a round chambered.
3. You are without your gun because it is in your car.


Here is some food for thought as you try and resolve this situation while you are at your monitor and not out in the real world facing a real life threat.

Being TOTALLY honest with yourself, are you confident enough about your skills to be able to draw your gun and shoot the attacker(s) and take them out of the fight at this close of a distance with multiple threats?

If you say that you will disarm them when you don’t have a gun, what skills do you really have to back that tactic up?

Train hard, train often, and train REALISTICALLY!!!
_______________
Brian K. LaMaster
President-Innovative Tactical Concepts, LLC
Instructor-Counter Force
Modern Warrior Talk
"High Impact Training"
“Serious tactics for serious situations!”

[imperialism2024]

I doubt I'd find myself in that situation because I don't go around in condition white. And I also will OC when I do carry, which would act to either deter the threat, or escalate it in a level outside of the scope of the scenario. But if I happened to be a dumbass and not practice the usual level of situational awareness and find myself in the situation, I believe I'd draw before even bothering to grab a wallet. I'd easily take out the armed assailant first, provided that he is still presenting a grave threat to my life once drawn. I would then attempt to retreat in the direction that the armed assailant went down, which would add some distance if I needed to take two more shots, but hopefully I would be able to fully retreat without taking more shots. I'd think that the dropping of one of their friends would encourage the other two BGs to flee, at least temporarily. At which point I'd retreat to a defensive position and call the police, as I'd need to wait around anyway.

That's with a round chambered, of course. I'd never carry a gun without a round chambered, as that's as good as not having a gun when faced with a situation like this. If I didn't have a gun on me? Hmpf. Probably try to get the gun from the armed attacker, or at least get close to do some damage to his gun-handling arm with the knife I always carry. No skills to back that up, but I may as well go out in a blaze of glory rather than being beaten to a pulp, pissed on, and left for dead. Once again, though, situational awareness. With or without a gun, a situation like this shouldn't happen so long as you practice this vital concept.

[GetSome]

1st I would shit myself... then whip my wallet in it and if he still wants it give it to him.....

I think it would be hard to pull the gun with that many perp's in such a close range..... If all they wanted were my material positions I would probably give in......

If they started kicking/punching/stabbing I would use that as my Q, drop to the ground and pull the weapon as inconspicous as possible and then roll out and start blazing......

if I had no weapon, i would really have to assess the situation... If I felt they were just looking for some money and watches I would give them up.... If I felt they were looking to seriously beat me I would attack the gunner 1st and hope for the best.......

[imperialism2024]

I think it would be hard to pull the gun with that many perp's in such a close range..... If all they wanted were my material positions I would probably give in......

Unfortunately, it might not just be material possessions. If someone is presenting a grave threat to your life, and promises to not harm you if you give them material possessions, do you really have any trust in them to still not harm you?

[lildobe]

Being TOTALLY honest with yourself, are you confident enough about your skills to be able to draw your gun and shoot the attacker(s) and take them out of the fight at this close of a distance with multiple threats?

If you say that you will disarm them when you don’t have a gun, what skills do you really have to back that tactic up?

(Please excuse how wordy this is - it's hard to describe actions and attacks in words)

In that situation as you've presented it, I doubt you would have time to draw from concealment and neutralize the three threats before being attacked yourself.

A more tactically sound option (Which would require some hand-to-hand combat training) would be to address the highest threat, the gun, first.

This could be done by rushing that person while maintaining minimal target aspect, and disarming the gunman by striking the side of the weapon, forcing it to the side, while simultaneously striking the top of the holder's wrist to numb their hand.

After disarming the gunman, you need to place him between you and the other two attackers while simultaneously drawing your weapon and drawing down on the knife men as well as backing away from the gunman.

From there what happens is determined by what the attackers do next - but in a worst case scenario if the knife men attack or the gunman turns and attempts a direct attack firing shots may be your only option should retreat not be an option.

This all assumes you have at least a moderate amount of hand-to-hand combat training such as martial arts training or some other combat training.

[GetSome]

Unfortunately, it might not just be material possessions. If someone is presenting a grave threat to your life, and promises to not harm you if you give them material possessions, do you really have any trust in them to still not harm you?

continue reading my post

[00gt1]

Just think... what would Walker do? Roundhouse to the face of the gunman then a sleeper hold on the two knife guys at once...

[imperialism2024]

In that situation as you've presented it, I doubt you would have time to draw from concealment and neutralize the three threats before being attacked yourself.

*cough* OC *cough*

Good analysis, though

continue reading my post

I did read it. Handing over possessions occupies your hands first, making you even more vulnerable. In my opinion.

[GetSome]

I did read it. Handing over possessions occupies your hands first, making you even more vulnerable. In my opinion.

OK.... If 3 guys suddenly appeared out of no where, my first instinct would not be to pull my weapon and start blasting people away.... like you would choose....

You have already been surrounded and have a gun pointed at your face from 5 feet away.... I hope you are quicker than billy the kid... cause if not you'll be dead....

Rather than trying to fire right away and have a 50/50(probably not even if I have a gun in my face) chance of surviving..... I would let the situation ride and see what happens..... You can replace wallets and watches....

if I was able to get a jump on the attackers and see it coming I would pull the gun sooner.... But thats not the SCeneario......

[lildobe]

*cough* OC *cough*

Good analysis, though

LOL

I normally do OC, however for this scenario, I'm assuming CC becasue they would be nuts to mug someone who was visibly carrying a weapon

ANY way...