In February, four armed men in Chicago jumped out of a vehicle as a woman was walking to the train early in the morning, heading for work. The first assault and robbery lasted for over two minutes as they attacked her on the sidewalk, taking her belongings.

Trying to get help, she went into the street, but neither a CTA bus nor the two cars that went by stopped.

The assailants then returned and forced her to unlock her phone.

The police report said these guys were “laughing while this all happened,” and the bus driver witnessed the robbery.

Adriana’s daughter said, “They told her they were going to shoot her if she didn’t give them the pin,” and that “the next time they came, she thought they were going to kill her for the same thing.”

“Maybe I was a bit overconfident,” the woman said. “It never went through my head that something like this could happen to me.”

I can’t stress enough that complacency can get you killed, and if something happens, you will most likely be on your own.

4 out of 5 altercations are avoidable, so don’t become a target.

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.

CNET estimates there will be $74 billion worth of packages delivered this holiday season, and the average American receives 3.5 packages a week.

Safewise said there were over 113 million packages stolen in 2022, and according to them, people only reported 21% of the thefts to law enforcement. That leaves a lot of unaccounted-for packages.

Someone sent me this video, and after some digging, a family in Detroit apparently fabricated the prank that went viral in February 2021. They had a few million people believing it was true, though, and rooting for the homeowner with his AR-15. The longer version of the video is here.

The question often arises about using potentially deadly force to stop someone from stealing our belongings. The answer, in almost all circumstances, is NO.

You need to be able to prove the person you used deadly force against had the means, opportunity, and intent.

The next question you should ask is: Is it a good idea to meet someone at your door like that, even if you are pointing a weapon down at the ground? Again, probably not the best plan, because things can quickly escalate out of control.

The video might be entertaining, but it’s not a good example of how to handle someone taking your Christmas gifts.

With any luck, Santa will later drop off a big load of coal on their roof as a gift from the Karma Gods.

A huge part of self-defense is avoiding conflict. Contrary to the media hype over mass shootings, most defensive gun use is due to more personal conflicts such as assaults and robberies. There are no exact figures on this, just statistical analysis. I’ve saved the most important part for last.

Jim Mattis is a retired Marine Corps general and former Secretary of Defense who once said, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.” Although originally intended for Marines interacting with civilians in a war zone, we can still draw valuable lessons from it and apply them to our daily lives. Remember, our goal in defending ourselves is not to “kill” someone but to “stop the threat,” but his guidance still applies.

Situational Awareness Prevents You from Being an Easy Target

The first point is easy. People who look like they are aware of their surroundings are less likely to become victims. If you’re walking through an urban area or even a shopping mall with your earbuds in and your head down, you’re not making yourself invisible; you’re making yourself an easy target. Keep your head up. Look around. Make brief, but definite, eye contact. Walk with purpose. Do not look like a victim. Predators prey on the weak, so don’t look weak.

Avoid Walking Through Unknown Groups

Avoid walking directly past or through groups of young men. I don’t care where you are in the world or what color someone’s skin is. Groups of idle young men have a lot of potential to be a threat. The more economically depressed the area is, the more likely that is to be true. Avoid such groups, but never make it obvious you’re doing so. If you can’t avoid it, follow the advice from the previous paragraph about not looking like an easy target.

Sitting Down in Public

Sitting down in a public place requires some careful consideration. Whenever possible, sit so you can see the door or the most open parts of the location you are in. If you sit in a booth, sit on the outside, not the inside. When you enjoy a good meal with good company, it’s easy to get lost in conversation, but being aware of your surroundings doesn’t require much effort.

Groups of Unknown People

Look at the people in groups, see who is coming and going, and be sure to notice if someone is approaching you well before they get there. If you’re in a coffee shop working on your laptop and otherwise have your head buried in something, just look up once in a while. Some of us do this naturally, and for some, it takes extra effort, but you can train yourself to do it with a little practice. Eventually, you won’t even notice you’re doing it. Oh, and don’t wear earbuds there either. In fact, never wear earbuds or headphones in public, ever.

Road Rage and Carjackings

You need to be more aware of what’s going on when you’re driving. Road rage and carjackings are always on the menu these days. When I strap on a seatbelt, I’ve gotten into the habit of lightly tucking my shirt in between my sidearm and my hip so that it’s accessible.

If someone jams on their brakes in front of you and gets out of their car to come toward you, they may or may not be a physical threat. It takes some training to know when and when not to pull your firearm, but the key to that decision-making process is, you guessed it, situational awareness. Don’t forget, your first option should always be to drive out of the attack.

There are plenty of videos that show angry people assaulting people in their cars. There are even more videos that show angry people just being angry without being an actual threat.

Stay Calm

The greatest lesson of all, when it comes to situational awareness, is to STAY CALM. If things get tense, if a potential threat starts to present itself, or even if an actual threat quickly emerges, you must remain calm. If you don’t, you’ll get tunnel vision and miss everything else going on around you. Freaking out has never solved anything. If you’re carrying a firearm and you panic, innocent people, including yourself, could get hurt.

In a twist of events, the man who defended himself as he was entering his home in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago has had his concealed carry license “revoked.” Fox News reports that the sheriff’s department contacted him yesterday and said it was because he yelled at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers when they were investigating the incident three days later.

Two men had jumped a fence and pointed a gun at Vince Ricci when he was entering his house, and a gunfight broke out. Ricci fired eight shots at the man who attacked him, and now that they synced both video views up, it appears his attacker was firing at him as he was running away. His five-month-old daughter and nanny were inside the home during the event.

In the video, Ricci says, “My situation is unique because it happened at my front door, all on camera. But this happens time and time again all over the country … People sweep it under the rug because it doesn’t behoove their political agenda. The fact is, evil will always exist,”

Some additional facts have come out since the shooting:

• Someone had broken into his home in June.
• A few months before that, someone broke his car into
• Criminals driving a Dodge Charger have been targeting other homes in the area.
• Someone broke into his neighbor’s house the night before his attack.

That would seem to be more than enough reason to justify carrying a gun for protection. Getting a CCW license in Los Angeles takes months and isn’t a simple process. It is called a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) in California, and you even have to prove you have “good moral character.”

‘After successfully defending my home and my family and my five-month-old child, California has now decided to suspend my Second Amendment [rights].’

The NRA said, “His decisive actions to protect his wife and daughter embody the core principles that NRA members fight for every day,” said NRA spokesperson Billy McLaughlin. “It’s reprehensible that California is shredding his Second Amendment rights after he defended his family. Gov. [Gavin] Newsom and [Los Angeles County District Attorney George] Gascon’s pro-criminal policies have transformed Los Angeles and the wider state into what resembles a war zone. The NRA stands with Vince and every responsible gun owner in California, firmly committed to defending their rights to protect their families and communities.”

They took his right to carry away, but the criminals who attacked him are still roaming the streets. Thankfully, he has video evidence to show he acted in self-defense.

Now, for me, as a certified firearms and CCW instructor in California, I am all for people using their Second Amendment right to bear arms and protect themselves. However, this is a prime example of what NOT to do as a concealed carry permit holder.

While this video appears to be of a man protecting his family from armed robbers, let’s pick it apart from a California legal perspective.

• As a CCW permit holder, your goal is to stop the threat. It is NOT to chase it down and keep shooting at what WAS the threat. The way it appears in this video, he stopped the threat when he threw a cup of hot tea at the robbers, and they ran off.
• To avoid any serious legal, financial, emotional, familial, or societal ramifications, good CCW training includes knowing how to make a decision other than shooting.

The way I see it in this video, the robbers were running away. The homeowner could’ve run into his house, locked the door, and instructed his wife or nanny to call 911 while remaining vigilant in the house until the police arrived.

A prosecutor could potentially see the shots fired not as a self-defense move, but rather as four negligent discharges. Once the threat ended and the robbers ran away, the homeowner could’ve made a different decision other than chasing after them and shooting.

What if he had hit a neighbor or car driving by?

On the flip side, the homeowner’s response could meet the requirements of a reasonable and rational fear of great bodily harm or death to him and his immediate family (per CA PC 198). Also, AOJ (ability, opportunity, and jeopardy) appears to have been satisfied.

In a confrontation that happened last year in Antioch, California, the district attorney Diana Becton said: “In the eyes of the law, Mr. Williams’ actions ceased to be self-defense when Mr. Williams pursued Mr. Jackson and the other suspect with a firearm — and continued to pursue Mr. Jackson after he shot him.”

“The legal distinction is clear: when your property and life are being threatened, an individual is legally justified in using deadly force in self-defense,” Becton said. “However, once the threat of harm has dissipated, the victim of a property crime cannot then use deadly force to reclaim stolen property.”

California Castle Doctrine

You can legally use force to protect your home. However, in this case, where the attacker targeted him outside of his home, I lean toward the threat ending when he threw the tea at his assailant.

There are many complexities of the California Castle Doctrine. PC 198.5 says, “Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury within his or her residence shall be presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household when that force is used against another person, not a member of the family or household, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence and the person using the force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred.”

The robbers never entered the house, so the Castle Doctrine technically does not apply if the intruder is not inside or trying to enter the residence.

The homeowner’s attorney could argue the latter part of “trying to enter the residence” in his defense if he needs one.

California Stand Your Ground Law

The stand-your-ground law is a defense he might use for someone who uses force inside or outside the home. However, this law has its own nuances and specific parameters.

CAL CRIM 505, “A defendant is not required to retreat. He or she is entitled to stand his or her ground and defend himself or herself and, if reasonably necessary, to pursue an assailant until the danger of (death/great bodily injury) has passed. This is so even if safety could have been achieved by retreating.”

The danger of death or great bodily injury probably passed when the attackers ran off.

As a firearms instructor, I understand his reaction to protect his family. Still, I also see the homeowner’s negligence and lack of trigger control. Shooting all over the place runs the risk of hitting an innocent bystander.

I am certainly not giving the intruders a break here. They still approached the homeowner at gunpoint. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in court, especially considering that this occurred in the very gun-unfriendly State of California and the more liberal County of Los Angeles.

Early Saturday morning, a group of four men got out of an SUV and tried to rob a 48-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman in Chicago. Imagine, once again, a story of violence out of Chicago.

One of the attackers was armed with a gun and hit the victim with it multiple times. He got a shot off, but the man fought back and ended up stabbing one of his assailants with something.

A source of CWBChicago told them one robber begged to get his gun back. “Give us back our gun!”

The victim wasn’t giving up the trophy (firearm) he deserved, and the group took off.

The Chicago police found an 18-year-old dead from multiple stab wounds lying in an alley about 15 minutes later. According to a witness, his “friends” had tossed him out of the SUV they fled the scene in.

CWBChicago reported they suspect the same crew of the following four other successful attacks that led up to this.

• The gang stole the SUV they were using around 4:15 a.m.
• They robbed a man around 5:22 a.m., but since he didn’t have any money, they took off with the ultrasound machine he was carrying for work.
• Wasting no time, they tried to pistol-whip and rob another man at 5:25 a.m. This victim threw his morning coffee at them.
• The fourth victim had their wallet and keys stolen around 5:41 a.m.
• The fifth person on the list ended the crime spree around 6 a.m. when he stabbed the one attacker.

Over the past few weeks, the number of people no longer standing around and putting up with the out-of-control crime is rapidly increasing.

In one instance, a mob attacked a couple in a Tesla, and they got away by plowing through some cars to safety.

In another confrontation, right outside an upscale downtown Chicago hotel, a man turned the tables on someone attacking him. He chased the guy down and repeatedly punched him until his wife pulled him off.

I think we have skipped past vigilantly justice and gone straight to FAFO.

I don’t usually let myself go down rabbit holes in my personal life. I try to stay on track with my main focus, real estate, mortgages, and development, with a little crypto for fun.

But I don’t think it would be fair to write my regular blogs without at least sharing a little “insider information” for my loyal followers on my “situation” that happened last week. It was February on the way to REVN (Real Estate Vancouver Investment) in my hometown of Vancouver, WA.

I just got gas and noticed my left front tire was a little low. I was in a rush and needed to get across town, so I was only going to add air to the front left. When I was getting out, I noticed my briefcase was sitting on the passenger seat with a couple of new homebuyers’ applications I had just signed that morning, along with some financial information from my clients that I needed to scan. I thought to myself, DO NOT GO IN THE STORE AND LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED.

So, as I was getting air in my tire, a vehicle drove by and dropped off the assailant around the corner. The assailant quickly ran up as I bent down by the rear tire, jumped in the car, and started the engine.

I heard the door close, and I remembered MY BRIEFCASE!

It Was 30 Seconds

I opened the door; he put it in reverse and floored it as I lunged at him, and as the car flew backward, I kind of crumpled up on the dash/window. When I came down, I was able to shove it into park. He took one swing and knocked off my glasses, and that’s when I knew I had one chance, and this was a life or death situation.

I went straight into a headlock with my left arm while taking a couple of punches. I reached down to grab my gun that I usually carry only to realize I left it at home but came back with my finger in his temple, yelling, “I have a gun, and I’m going to blow your F#&$in brains out.” I kept throwing swings while ripping off his face cover and hat to get a good look at his face.

He had a change of thought, and his last words were, “Let me go, let me go.”

I Refused to Be a Victim

I am fortunate this ended the way it did, and I realize I took “a risk,” but I have no regrets and refuse to be called the “victim.” Like most men, I’m approaching this with a “fix it” mindset and using this negative experience to make a positive impact in Washington State instead of leaving. I’M STANDING MY GROUND.

Why Take the Risk?

Being robbed and having someone try to carjack you is a terrible feeling that is hard to explain to anyone who’s never been in that position. It can wreak havoc on your sense of security and create fear that can linger forever. I empathize with anyone who has been in this position, and the fight today goes out to those who were stolen from in the night.

I appreciate those who have reached out to join in on a calvary to go clean house, but vengeance will not fix the problem.

The State of Washington Went Too Far

The state went too far with changing laws to protect the bad guys. They allowed the media attention and pressure from George Floyd, BLM, and the WOKE to push to defund the police, restrict them from pursuing bad guys, and enable the thieves to prosper by stealing cars to use for transportation and not being able to pursue them when they drive by. (See HB-1054, and we are working on HB-1363 to at least allow a police officer to pursue without getting a superior to approve.)

Stolen Vehicles are Used to Commit Other Crimes

These stolen cars are driven to rob stores and residences. They usually dump the vehicles when they sell the goods to purchase drugs. As drug use increases, so does mental illness, homelessness, and crime.

The state and local governments want to increase taxes to pay for the homeless issues, but they could be upstream if they focused on stopping crime before it ruins the state or more people get killed.

The mainstream media, as usual, cut out my “opinions” on the crime. With news stations in the northwest, freedom of speech is not a thing.

By Bill Black

Bill Black is a Senior Mortgage Broker at NW Funding Group Inc. He has 16 years of experience in the mortgage industry and provides tailored mortgage planning solutions in Washington.

There had to be thirty shots fired after the guy yelled at these guys stealing someone’s catalytic converter in Chicago on Saturday. One of the robbers is running across the road, firing at an upward angle at someone who had yelled at them. Illinois banned any handgun magazine over fifteen rounds, and there was no reload during the incident. Once again, proving the criminals don’t care about the law.

Catalytic converter thieves were caught by a citizen, after being caught they began to fire shots at the citizen near the 5600 block of N Milwaukee.#ChicagoScanner pic.twitter.com/GwVOX76doU

— 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner (@CPD1617Scanner) September 24, 2023

One person on Twitter said, “Don’t worry about it. Insurance will cover it. Besides, it’s a manufacturer problem.” The manufacturer reference was probably because Chicago recently filed a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai. The lawsuit claims an enormous spike in auto thefts in the city is because automakers didn’t use anti-theft technology in their cars.

The lawsuit says that an enormous spike in auto thefts in the city is because automakers didn’t put anti-theft technology in their cars.

“The impact of car theft on Chicago residents can be deeply destabilizing, particularly for low- to middle-income workers who have fewer options for getting to work and taking care of their families,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The failure of Kia and Hyundai to install basic auto-theft prevention technology in these models is sheer negligence, and as a result, a citywide and nationwide crime spree around automobile theft has been unfolding right before our eyes.”

“This is about saving lives and preventing the violent crimes that these stolen vehicles are used in,” said Interim Superintendent Fred Waller. “As law enforcement, we are doing everything we can to prevent these thefts, but these vehicle companies must also be held accountable.”

When the police aren’t around, you’re on your own. This is also another good reason why a person defining themselves should be able to have a high-capacity magazine.

Motor Vehicle Theft Sees Alarming 232% Increase

One of the most significant areas of concern is the dramatic rise in motor vehicle theft across Chicago. Over the past four years, instances of car theft have surged by a jaw-dropping 232%. There is a difference between carjacking and motor vehicle theft, though, so carjackings are not listed. For it to be considered a carjacking, some threat of force has to be involved in taking the vehicle from the person who has it. That person could be its owner, a parking valet, or any third party who has it.

Robberies Reach a Disturbing High: A 33% Surge in the Past Month

Another troubling trend is the increase in robberies across Chicago. In the past month, Chicago has witnessed a total of 908 robberies, a 33% surge. That’s an average of 32 robberies per day, making it a matter of concern for anyone who lives, works, or visits the area. The surge in robberies has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity, leading people to wonder about their safety and the efficacy of the measures taken to address this surge. Or lack of effort.

Police Response Time Increase

There have been multiple cases of long police response times and sometimes no response at all. Recently, on the north side, a couple had to call 911 three times in 20 minutes during an attempted home break-in. The delayed response resulted in the resident shooting the intruder.

The surge in crime rates in Chicago for 2023 has raised considerable alarm bells. With motor vehicle thefts increasing by a shocking 232% in four years and robberies up by 33% in the past month alone, the safety of the city’s residents isn’t looking good.