Any time there is a chance of a confrontation or you’re in a risky situation, leave yourself a reactionary gap. The perpetrator cornered the officer in this incident, and she got lucky.

This was in February 2021 in Mason, Ohio. The man survived, and the deputy did not get shot during the attack.

The minimum distance required between an individual and a potential threat is the concept of a “reactionary gap.” This space is very important because it gives you time to respond to an attack.

All kinds of factors impact how big of a reactionary gap you should have, including the physical condition of the people involved, the type of weapons, and your setting. Keep this concept in mind and keep a safe distance in potentially dangerous situations.

People in some cities, like Denver and New York, have recommended sending social workers to perform welfare checks instead of police officers.

How is a dispatcher supposed to know when a “non-violent” call can become a violent encounter?

If they can accurately predict that, I want them to buy me some lottery tickets.

It started when a male Lyft passenger began saying things that made her uncomfortable while she was taking him to Meijer.

It started when the driver reached for her gun, but the man saw what she was doing and reached for it too. The driver and the man fought, and the gun went off once, but no one got hit.

Cynthia James is the public information officer for Kettering Police. She said, “She (the driver) claimed the male made some sort of statement to her, saying that he didn’t want to hurt her and that he just wanted to be given a ride.”

The man got ahold of her gun, which was a Glock 17, and fled the scene when they got to the Meijer. The Kettering police attempted to use a K9 to track and locate the suspect, but he had already fled the scene.

He had on a green hoodie, blue jeans, and a dark-colored cap with a short grayish beard.

“It sounds like it could have been a lot worse if she didn’t have a means to protect herself,” James said.

Despite company policy prohibiting ride-share drivers from carrying firearms while working, there has been a noticeable increase in incidents over the past year where ride-share drivers have had to defend themselves. There was a case in September where a police officer pulled up behind the vehicle as the passenger was attempting to rob the ride-share driver at gunpoint. The entire incident was caught on dash cam.

Lyft Driver Firearm Policy

“Lyft has a strict “No Weapons” policy for all of its properties. This includes Lyft Hubs and service centers.

Our “No Weapons” policy applies when you are doing business as a representative of Lyft, which includes times that you are driving for Lyft, as well as times that you are visiting a Lyft Hub.

This means that even in places where it is legal to carry a weapon, we ask that you do not carry a weapon on any Lyft property.

We approach this from a community perspective. It’s hard to know what someone else is or isn’t comfortable with. The mere presence of a weapon might make another community member distressed and fear for his or her own personal safety.

At a minimum, a “weapon” includes any form of firearm. There are many items that could be considered weapons besides firearms, such as handguns, stun guns, explosives, knives, sling shots and tasers. Lyft reserves sole judgment on what else may constitute a “weapon.”  If you have any questions about whether various items could be considered a “weapon” under this policy, please contact Lyft Support before bringing any questionable items onto Lyft property.”

It may be time for Lyft and Uber to reconsider their policies.

And people say the police don’t have a sense of humor. The guy’s girlfriend doesn’t believe he got pulled over, and the officer let him Facetime her.

The person being searched is calm and polite, and so are the cops.

We live in a backward world, and the cop has some good advice: “Slow it down and pay attention.” On top of that, he gives the guy a pass on the red right light.

That’s how it’s supposed to work—not take off like a rabbit running down the road.

Give respect, get respect, and hopefully make some friends along the way.

It’s not just when dealing with law enforcement; it applies to everything in life. If you carry a firearm, ensure you know the law in each state and the required requirements for transporting a firearm across state lines. When other states recognize your concealed carry permit (CCP), it is called reciprocity. In some states, you must notify law enforcement if asked that you are carrying.

If you don’t have a concealed carry license (CCL), your gun typically needs to be in a container out of reach of the occupant in some place, like a trunk. Illinois, though, will allow you to have a firearm if it is unloaded and in a glove compartment.

You can research the “duty to inform laws.” USA Carry has an interactive map where you can put the state you live in, and it will show you which states have reciprocity along with state laws.

Stay safe, and don’t get pulled over.