CHL Stories of self defense

[DoubleActionCHL]

So you proved to him that escalating aggression will get the result he wants?

I was thinking the same thing. It's easier to pay them to leave you alone, I suppose, but in the end, you're rewarding bad behavior.

 

[Jeff]

I think all of us have had that feeling that well, "at least I was carrying..." I can't really think of anything right now where I was carrying and was glad I was (well, I'm always glad to be carrying) but I DO remember a few times, before I obtained my CHL that I really wish I had been carrying because I felt I had narrowly escaped the situation without serious harm or injury.

So, long story short I don't leave the house without my guns, sometimes two. And spare mags.

 

[Charley]

So you proved to him that escalating aggression will get the result he wants?

I'm not in the reform business. My goal is to go home every day, with the least amount of fuss and bother. $10 is damned cheap to keep from shooting someone. YMMV. If so, keep a really good lawyer on retainer, you are likely to need one.

BTW, trying to "buy him off" would look great in court later if I did in fact have to shoot.

 

[Jeff]

I do now remember a time where I was REALLY glad to be carrying. Myself and wife, along with two brothers and their wives were walking in downtown San Antonio. We had driven over from Houston to goto Fiesta Texas just as a one-night get away and were staying in a hotel in downtown SA. We decided to walk to go out to dinner and a few other places. Well, we happened to have to walk through one of the bad areas with total thugs and scum out and about.

It was close to midnight on a Friday night and the streets were pretty crowded. We passed a huge group of guys, prostitutes, just a ton of the trashiest people in probably the whole city. They weren't homeless guys or street people, just thugs and gangsters. All were obviously on drugs, all made eye contact as we walked by. I wasn't trying to start anything but I didn't look away, I looked right back. I stood my ground and kept walking.

As we walked by a portion by a McDonalds there were two guys screaming in each others faces and quickly walked off into an alleyway to fight it out. Not sure what they were arguing over and why they were going to fight, but the way all of these guys acted it seemed that they were obviously looking for trouble. By their making aggressive eye contact, you could just see it in their eyes they wanted conflict. 3 out of the 3 (6 total) of us were carrying (3 of us guys and our wives) and we just wanted to get home safe, as we did. Still, it felt good knowing that I was at least carrying if we were to be attacked. I don't strive to be a victim of some scum trying to get drug money or get jumped into a gang.

 

[blazer]

I used to work just north of there. My office used to be in a bldg behind the Red Roof inn. That is a scary area during the DAYTIME. There is some kind of a homeless shelter and I see alot of transients or homeless people wandering around there. You are right to make a decision to resolve something peacefully if you can. I think most of them are harmless, but they do look scary.

A few years ago, before I got my CHL, I had to park several blocks away from the rodeo. I couldn't have carried if I'd wanted to because of the CHL laws and the crowded rodeo, but during the walk back to my car, two young men wearing baggie trousers were walking in the dark ahead of me. They were between me and my car which was parked in a church parking lot all by itself. The two were making a bee-line straight to my vehicle, and I thought .." I'm going to witness someone breaking into my car!"

However, they reached my car and just walked right by it. They were headed to a lit basketball court behind the church building. So, things aren't always the way we think. I felt a little sheepish, but still would rather have been carrying ... just in case.

 

[tomharkness]

I have two stories about how the CCW help protect me: However, remember that I already had advanced training in Law Enforcement, Advance Military Weapons Training, and 25 years of experience before getting my CHL… so it would be unfair to compare me with the average CHL person.

With that in mind, here are my two stories:

1. I was at a Walmart in North Texas and was trying my best to read the small print on a tube of toothpaste when I just happened to notice a young man about 25 feet away (at the far end of the row) stuffing items into his pocket. This caught my attention and I turned to watch him more carefully. When he noticed that I was watching him, he turned and asked, “What the F*** are you looking at?” I stood silent and made no movement. However, I did not look away and continue to make mental note as to his clothing and facial features. Then he stated, “I said, what the F*** are you looking at M.F.?” At that point he stood up and started moving toward me in a threatening manner. With a casual brush I moved my shirt tail to the rear exposing my firearm and proceeded to place my hand on it. The following was like a “slapstick comedy”. The individual turned, emptied his pockets on the floor, slipped and fell, and then ran off… all in the matter of 2 or 3 seconds. Afterwards I talked with the manager about the incident but conveniently left out the part of the firearm (as I had never actually removed it from safe keeping). Still, I was very paranoid about leaving the store and going to my vehicle as I had no idea where the suspect had gone or what the suspect might be doing (if possibly considering revenge.) However, nothing ever came of the incident.

2. This is actually funny: While traveling through Arizona, I stopped to assist a State Trooper at a Motor Vehicle Accident. Being medically trained, the officer was more than happy to turn the rescue over to me while he attempted to get more information. During the rescue I was supporting one victim and providing life support. At that same time a volunteer firefighter was trying to unhinge the door of the vehicle for better access with a tool called the “Halagon”. In the process the tool slipped and the 8 inch, steel point of the tool that is used for piercing steel was shoved with great force into my right side. A blow that could have been life threatening. The firefighter was clearly shocked and immediately turned to assess the damage… thinking that he now had two seriously injured victims. When he raised my shirt to access the injury he found that the tool had only damaged my folbus holster (carrying my 9 mm). I think that qualifies as a “Self Defense” usage of my firearm… even if there was no “Bad Guys”.