To preface this, I am not a person who shares links and stories online.
I figure most of you can do that on your own and I’m not a news aggregate.
But, in this case I feel it’s important to share the video that is in the Foxnews link below.
As part of my Defensive Shooting Fundamentals course I make the student absolutely aware that the gas station is the modern day watering hole. This is where the gazelle comes for water and the lion waits to pounce.
The woman in the video appears to be living in Condition White. Totally unaware of her surroundings. If after she started pumping, backed up from here car about 6-8 feet and watched her surroundings in Condition Yellow she 100% could have avoided this. “Stop! Don’t Come Any Closer!” She could have retreated, taken cover, or found another way to stop the threat.
This should never happen to you if you live in Condition Yellow at every gas station.
Gas stations are a good location for an attack because if you are gassing up your vehicle you are not paying attention. I have been gassing up my vehicle and what I do is look around and check my surroundings. I put the nozzle pin on lock so I don’t have to watch or keep my hand on it. I wish that woman would have been armed because that was a vicious attack. That man was three times her size and could’ve killed her. Even though this man wasn’t armed she would have had the right to defend herself with a firearm if she had it. The fear of being beaten to death or knocked unconscious and have your weapon taken from you becomes very real in this situation.
Shame on those people there that didn’t even help. Another case of mental illness unfolded.
I mean that man was so out of shape those guys could’ve pounced on him and held him until law enforcement arrived. They just let him climb into his car and leave. What’s the world coming to. VERY SAD.
But you know why… Don’t you?
Every witness who wants to help, needs to have a good attorney or a lot of money…or be crazy enough (like me) to don’t think about it and just help.
Thanks for sharing. One tough lady. Neat how her daughter is thinking about joining the police force and finding an honorable career. Educational vid. I learned a lot from it.
Unprovoked assaults are commonplace in this society, now finding itself trying to function in a climate of violence. For some reason, these assaults have targeted ASIANS.
It’s unfortunate that she was never exposed to any situational awareness training whatsoever. I am one of the lucky ones who had a father who was wise to the ways of the world & instilled these skills in me at a young age. 24 years of military service & three years in law enforcement furthered my training and self defense skills. I still read constantly and train to stay sharp. i have passed down this way of living to my sons and daughters. There are people who just do not know because they have never been shown how to do any of these things. My heart goes out to this lady but it should be a wake up call to start living as an informed individual and put in the work and effort to learn how to not be a victim waiting for a place to happen. I can’t hold her accountable for ignorance but moving forward, she must take responsiblilty for her own safety and the safety of her loved ones
My daughter is naturally clueless. I try, along with my sons, go teach her. It’s like she’s ADHD. She still has time. I’m forcing her through drivers education. She doesn’t want to drive. She’d be the first to die in a horror flick, just like her mother.
It is a shame she had to endure this to hopefully get her attention about situational awareness. I am appalled at the number of possible rescuers that went by or watched and did nothing. The fact that the gentlemen that came out and even walked him back to his vehicle and did nothing are heartbreaking.
I just watched a video of an attempted robbery at a gas pump. The guy pulled the nozzle out of his tank, soaked his attackers, and got a lighter from his pants pocket. His attackers fled in haste.
As part of my Defensive Shooting Fundamentals class, after we eat lunch and talk restaurant and public place self-defense, we take a field trip over to our local gas station and get gas.
We talk and move around the vehicle. We present gas station robbery scenarios and how to avoid them. We talk about what to do if you are threatened and potentially fear for your life or great bodily harm.
Once again, here is a link to a gas station robbery. This is the most probable public place you will be robbed at, a gas station.
(Note: the title uses the word “burglars” they are actually “robbers”, by definition.)
Once you watch the video, comment on your thoughts. I have a few (at least 4) major take-aways I’ll share…
I agree. Most people are not wired to handle threats well and far fewer are trained to respond properly. Everyone has their different skills and abilities. But their is no excuse for people to not at least be dialing 911 and shouting for help.
As you watch the second video link from an event just the other day, the retired chief of police makes the following errors.
As he is pumping gas, he is right between the gas pump and his vehicle. While paying and starting the pump you should be intensely looking around at your surroundings. This is the most probable time that you’ll be approached. As soon as you start dispensing, move out away from your vehicle, either in front or in back of it by about 5 feet to observe your surroundings.
After the initial scuffle was over, he makes space and has cleared himself from the threat and danger. He could have safely fled the scene. Instead he draws his firearm and fires on the robbers. In states without “stand your ground” laws this could be illegal. But at minimum, to emphasize the Escape option should have been taken.
After he fires the first shots striking one, the robbers run/retreat. He then follows them around to the other side of the gas pump and re-engages them with his firearm a second time. Upon their retreat he should not have followed them, he should once again retreated, escaped, or fled. Once the immediate threat is over you must stop your engagement.
Lastly, as you can see he took return fire and was shot himself. We teach in DSF to take cover or concealment. He clearly advances beyond the safety of the gas pumps concealment to engage the assailants out in the open.
All this could have been avoided if he had just “Escaped” at step one and/or not been in the fatal funnel of the car and gas pump in the very beginning.
So, here is another link to a video that I use as an example in my classes.
The store clerk appears to use 2 handed unsighted fire. It happened SO fast, there is NO time to use sighted fire. He did what the body does naturally. The bad guys with guns had no training. 1 handed sideways shooting won’t work.
The next time you’re at the range (a range that allows it) try shooting gangsta and see what your accuracy is like.
Read some of the comments from readers. There are lots of armchair quarter backs , who have never had training, one that stands out, he should have had laser sights, there is NO WAY he had time to LOOK for a laser dot on the moving assailant.
I later read a report that his gun fire did not hit any of the assailants. The bad guys took friendly fire from each other. Look at the last few seconds of the video where they are all flagging each other with their firearms. While, at the same time trying to shoot at the store operator, they hit each other.
Things I would change:
The store operator did move, some. Get off the line. Move laterally.
The store operator is wearing a plate carrier / vest, he must have been aware of threats (Compton, a no brainer). I would have had my hand resting on the grip of my firearm in it’s holster from the start.
The store operator should have more training. I’m not saying he had or didn’t have training, we don’t know that. But, he needs more.
