Self-Defense: A True Story of Being Prepared
Recently we held a seminar on Developing a Personal & Home Protection Plan here at Boondocks. In the class was a young man that was willing to share his story of self-defense. He was working out of town when he was robbed at gunpoint by a violent criminal. With a gun to his back, he tried to process how he was going to deal with this dangerous situation. Fortunately, he had his firearm on him, and he was mentally and physically prepared. Knowing his life was on the line, he spun around, deflected the gun, drew his own firearm and defended himself.
He immediately called 911 and then reached into his pocket for his USCCA Membership card. He got in touch with the Critical Response Team and they immediately sent an attorney to the scene. Even though it was 2:00 in the morning, the attorney still arrived before the police!
When police arrived, they took him into custody and charged him with first degree murder. He and the attorney were in regular contact, but it took about 2 weeks for all the evidence to be presented. At the initial court appearance, the Judge dropped all the charges and our self-defender finally got to go home to his family.
In a follow up phone interview, I asked him a couple of questions including, 1) Did you have any attorney bills? 2) Where did you learn the skills needed to defend yourself in a situation like this? and 3) What, if any, lingering effects are there from the incident. Here is his response.
1.) He stated the entire incident took about 6 weeks to resolve. He never had to pay a single dollar for his defense attorney, but he also thought it was strange, that there wasn’t an option for bail in this case. This could be because the event happened on a Saturday, in the middle of the night, with no witnesses around. He said Police wanted to review security camera footage, but would have to wait for the businesses to open up. Also added into the equation, is that our self-defender resided in Mississippi, not Texas. To me, this sounds like the classic police response of “we are going to lock you up until we find out what happened.”
2.) During our conversations, we realized that we had actually met before. He was actually a student in an Enhanced Carry class I attended in September of 2021. During the class I presented the benefits of a USCCA membership and he signed up with me on the spot. That night, he opened up his “Welcome to the USCCA” email and started taking advantage of all the education and training in the Protector Academy. Little did he know that less than 2 months later, he would have to rely on what he learned to save his life. I asked if what he learned from the Protector Academy helped him, and he said, “Yes”. He believed the training he got from the online platform helped him be better prepared.
3.) He also confided in me that there are still some lingering effects of the incident. First, he was away from his family for about 2 weeks while he waited for his court appearance. Second, he was carrying a firearm against company policy and subsequently lost his job. Finally, even though it has been more than a year since the incident, he still has flashbacks, and has sought help to overcome the trauma good people face when they are forced to take another’s life.
I talk to hundreds of gun owners each month in the classes and seminars that I attend. The overwhelming majority complete the class or seminar, but don’t take self-defense seriously. They don’t have a plan to continue their education and training. This man took self-defense SERIOUSLY! Even before completing his Enhanced Carry class, he took the necessary steps to ensure he would be mentally, physically and legally prepared to protect himself and his family. And he credits the USCCA Membership with helping him in his journey. I know I harp on this ALL THE TIME, but this is just more proof that the Education, Training and Self-defense Liability Insurance that comes with a USCCA Membership can be the difference between life and death, as well as, the physical and financial well-being of yourself and your family.
If you are not currently a USCCA Member, I encourage you to CLICK ON THIS LINK AND JOIN TODAY. You will get instant access to tons of education and training resources including; online courses, videos, guides, e-books, pro tips, live fire drills, qualifications and more. Plus, your USCCA Membership is FULLY REFUNDABLE. Take up to a year to evaluate all the benefits, if you decide the USCCA isn’t for you, simply call to request a prompt and courteous 100% refund.
If you have any questions about Education, Training or the USCCA Membership program, please don’t hesitate to call or text me at 601-260-5995.
Stay Safe and Carry On!
Chad J. Winkler
