You Are Your Own First Responder

In the hands of an untrained person, a gun becomes more deadly because of accidents. In the hands of a trained person, it can become a life-saving tool. The average police response time, according to FBI data, is eight to twenty minutes before the police will even arrive.

For example, we could use the recent mass shooting in the Allen Texas Mall north of Dallas. A police officer working an unrelated call was already on the scene at Allen Mall. The suspect opened fire at 3:34 PM, but the first officer could not find or engage the suspect until 3:40 PM! I commend his brave actions, but six minutes under fire is a long time to wait for help to arrive! He was on scene and did not hesitate, but it still took a few minutes for him to stop the threat.

“This video shows how quickly a routine interaction with the public turned into a life-and-death situation,” said Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey. “The officer recognized the danger, ran toward the gunfire, and neutralized the threat – and for his actions, the Allen community is forever grateful.”

Soft Targets

Our world has become disheartening, with “soft targets” being present everywhere in public, leaving us more vulnerable to this risk. I am not saying we need to be paranoid, but we need to be more aware of our surroundings, especially in public. Homeland Security created a series of videos called “Run, Hide, Fight” concerning workplace attacks, but anyone can apply them anywhere. Carry “Pepper Spray,” a “Pocketknife,” or a “Gun.” Anything is better than nothing!

For those who abdicated, removing all “firearms,” many of the recent mass incidents of loss of life did not require the person(s) to use a “firearm.” Anyone who has undergone any law enforcement or military training will verify that if a person(s) is willing to trade their life for yours, only your self-defense actions can stop them, nothing else!

Get Training and Practice

If you are going to own a “firearm,” get some professional training and practice! Just because you have shot a “firearm” doesn’t mean you can use it well or will be able to in extreme life or death situations.

The Navy Seals have a saying: “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” meaning that if you practice, it becomes second nature. If you own a “firearm” for self-protection, practice with it as if it will save your life because one day it just might! On our challenge coin, which we give to our Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) and CCW renewal students, is a saying,

“I train not to be a hero, but I refuse to be a victim.”

There are many things to learn from watching this video, but my emphasis is on what happened after the shooting.

I often talk about how to prevent being involved in a confrontation. Someone recently asked me why the person who was shot in another video I discussed didn’t receive medical attention from the responding officers.

What Happened After This Shooting Caught on Body Cam

This is a separate case that recently happened in Chicago. The officer on top of the individual in this video is a Field Training Officer (FTO). A couple of people have said the second officer was fresh out of the academy (I haven’t been able to 100% confirm this, but the pieces fit).

This article is NOT ABOUT TACTICS and what could have been done better. Its focus is after the shots are fired.

In the body cam, the man tells officers to kill him as they wrestle over his gun. The younger officer dropped his firearm during the altercation to help the FTO. After several seconds, two shots were fired during the struggle on the floor. The individual clearly was not going to allow himself to be arrested and ended up getting shot. He even said multiple times, “Shoot me.”

After the shots are fired, it goes from bad to worse. The younger officer, who did not fire his weapon, runs out to the squad car to get a first aid kit, then returns to the house.

• It appears the officer had no medical supplies on him. Not even a tourniquet (TQ)
• When he looks for a medical kit, it is not readily accessible, and when he opens the trunk, he rummages through things, looking for what he needs.
• The gloves to prevent blood contamination are not in the kit. If they are, he is not aware of it. Again, those few seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

You often hear the term “Individual First Aid Kit” (IFAK) when referring to a small medical first aid kit someone would carry.

It was almost a minute before the officer returned and would have been ready to render aid. I don’t think there was any chance of saving the guy, even if they could have immediately treated his wound.

The suspect did not survive, but neither officer was physically injured. Emotional trauma for the officers involved is a different story.

WARNING: This is for training and awareness; some people will find it difficult to watch. Not as much because of the medical aspect, but you can feel the officer’s emotions. It does an excellent job of showing what these guys go through.

The full video can be seen here. All of the case files are here that have been released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).

How Long Does It Take to Bleed Out From a Gunshot?

A person can bleed to death in as little as 2 minutes if someone doesn’t stop the bleeding. The average time it takes for a person to bleed out following severe physical trauma, such as a gunshot wound, is between three and five minutes. The average response time for emergency personnel is 7 to 10 minutes. In some areas, this wait time can be considerably longer.

In the image, you can see how easily it is to carry a tourniquet you can get to quickly. This is on the holster of an officer from the Allen, Texas, Police Department. This department responded to the Allen Mall mass shooting in May 2023. In this incident, people who had been shot were receiving critical care, including tourniquets, before emergency medical help had arrived.

A tourniquet can easily be carried even if you do not have room for a full IFAK. Different types are available, including the one shown above that attaches right to your holster, made by RDR Gear. Even if you conceal carry, options are available, like the Flatpack that goes on the Phlster Enigma.

Bleeding out can happen fast, and seconds count. I was at the Texas DPS facility outside Austin a few months ago. I got to talking with a combat medic, who told me of a story where he had to stick his finger in a wound to stop the bleeding. His finger remained there in flight and all the way to the hospital. Fortunately, the person survived, but I could tell it was something that the medic would remember forever.

Should You Provide First Aid to Your Attacker?

That’s a question there is no straightforward answer to. Is the scene safe? Are you trained to provide first aid? Can someone else provide aid? This is a topic of its own. I will emphasize that not all incidents are safe, and treating the injured is not always practical.

Your personal safety comes first.

I’m a strong advocate of being able to provide medical care, and “Stop the Bleed” is available all over the country. The program is available for anyone to attend, even if you are the average person wanting to learn what to do if you are the one who needs help.

Officers arrived at the scene and found two masked men dead from gunshot wounds.

The business owner told the police that he had just returned from the bank when he was hit with something in the back of the head. He turned around to find two individuals wearing masks and gloves standing in front of him, so he fired his gun in self-defense.

When the owner’s employee came out of the store and saw what was happening, he also shot at the robbery suspects. A third suspect got away in a black Lincoln Navigator.

“One of the employees of the business heard the commotion, came out, and saw what was taking place,” Assistant Chief Chandra Hatcher said. “The employee also began discharging a firearm.”

According to investigators, the shooting was the outcome of a jugging attempt.

“Jugging” is a term often used to describe a specific type of criminal activity that involves observing individuals who have withdrawn money from a bank, ATM, or financial institution and then robbing them of the cash.

Asst Chief Chandra Hatcher Media Briefing on Fatal Shooting of Two Robbery Suspects at 1703 S Sgt Macario Garcia https://t.co/rZOkLFWhEy

— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 16, 2023

Houston police Asst. Chief Chandra Hatcher said, “I want to appeal to anyone who is watching. Please consider your actions. Please consider your decisions because your choices have consequences. Unfortunately, the suspects here, I would believe, have loved ones who will now be grieving their loss.” “Choices have consequences. We don’t ever advocate for violence or crime, but our citizens have the right to defend themselves. Choices have consequences. Crime does not always pay.”

“His business has been robbed in the past, so this is a traumatic experience for anyone who is involved in something like this,” Hatcher said.

Once again, this stresses the importance of situational awareness. Pay attention to what is happening around you, and stay off your cell phone when walking. Have your keys ready before you walk to your car so you can immediately unlock your doors.

Use your head and keep your eyes open because they are crucial when it comes to self-defense.

It just so happens the class is a few miles away from this road rage incident.

Thank’s @MrHaddox, for what will most likely be the best part of the class this weekend. It’s always good to have real-world examples.

Ryan (the guy who took the picture), if you ever want to set in on a class, it’s on me.

I had some time before takeoff, so I put together this quick article.

They found the two men who were shot dead outside the home when the police arrived, while the other two managed to flee the scene. The house’s occupants were unharmed, including an adult woman, a 12-year-old boy, and two 17-year-old boys. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the district attorney will present the case to a grand jury.

While using a shotgun can be effective in home defense, it’s a tragedy that a young man had to resort to violence to protect his loved ones.

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