Deans Defensive Shooting offers Precision Rifle Courses at up to 800 Yards
5 Hits from .308 Precision Rifle at 100 Yards
Deans Defensive Shooting now certifying 18-20 year old Sheepdogs under Texas License to Carry (LTC) per recent Texas judicial ruling and DPS policy change!
Call/Text John at 979.203.1534 for details
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Texas LTC/CHL Online Course now available at HandgunLicense.Com
Click here take the essentials at home online then come shoot with Deans
Deans Here - Had the privilege to train with DEA Interdiction - Austin County SWAT Randy Thumann at Deans Defensive Shooting today. We had a great day with precision rifle out to 800 yards, AR-15 in the Rat Trap, and Tactical handgun at Holy Wall and Deadly Distance at 100 yards. I got smoked on my own range, but I got smoked by the BEST! got smoked by the BEST!
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Student of the Month!
From Beginner to 100 Yard Steel Banger in 2 hours!
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Deans Defensive Shooting offers a one day intense 12+ heat Law Enforcement SWAT competition that is scored, graphed and filmed for tactical performance reviews -
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Deans with 90% hit rate with 9MM Glock at 100 Yards (football field)
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Lessons Learned from West Freeway Church Active Shooter Defense
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Full Video Download of West Freeway C of C Active Shooting - Video Analysis
You have made the decision to take responsibility for the defense of yourself and your family. Odds are you already have a firearm and maybe even a concealed handgun license (CHL) (Now Called LTC). Ask yourself the following questions:
Have you been formally trained to fight with a gun? How tight is your group at 7 yards? How smooth is your draw? How stable is your stance? How consistent is your trigger pull? Ever shot on a timer? Can you control your breathing after a run and shoot exercise? How quickly can you clear a handgun malfunction? When have you tried to shoot while laying down? Can you really run your gun safely and effectively?
Deans Defensive Shooting provides firearms training near Brenham Texas. Check out our courses and contact John Deans at 979.203.1534 to make an appointment.
Have you been formally trained to fight with a gun? How tight is your group at 7 yards? How smooth is your draw? How stable is your stance? How consistent is your trigger pull? Ever shot on a timer? Can you control your breathing after a run and shoot exercise? How quickly can you clear a handgun malfunction? When have you tried to shoot while laying down? Can you really run your gun safely and effectively?
Deans Defensive Shooting provides firearms training near Brenham Texas. Check out our courses and contact John Deans at 979.203.1534 to make an appointment.
To schedule your private group
(5+ Students) call/text John at 979.203.1534
Threat Assessment House Training
Why Carry a Gun?
By Thomas Edward Lewandowski
I don't carry a gun to kill people; I carry a gun to keep from being killed
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil; I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the World.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government; I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry; I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone; I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man; I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate; I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don't carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron: Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.
-----------------------
A LITTLE GUN HISTORY
PLEASE DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT, THAT THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY ALSO !!!!!!
In 1911, Turkey established gun control:
· From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control:
· From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
In 1938 Germany established gun control:
. From 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
China established gun control in 1935:
. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956:
. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964:
· From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970:
· From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control.
-----------------------
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
*Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect ONLY the law-abiding citizens.
With guns, we are 'citizens'; without them, we are 'subjects'.
During WW II, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
Gun owners in the USA are the largest armed forces in the World!
If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
· SWITZERLAND ISSUES A GUN TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD! SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT ISSUES AND TRAINS EVERY ADULT IN THE USE OF A RIFLE.
· SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
· IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
· I'm a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please forward this. If you're not a believer, please reconsider the true facts. This is history; and if we do not want history to repeat itself, we must wake up.
By Thomas Edward Lewandowski
I don't carry a gun to kill people; I carry a gun to keep from being killed
I don't carry a gun because I'm evil; I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the World.
I don't carry a gun because I hate the government; I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.
I don't carry a gun because I'm angry; I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.
I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone; I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.
I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man; I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.
I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate; I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.
I don't carry a gun because I love it; I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.
Police protection is an oxymoron: Free citizens must protect themselves because police do not protect you from crime; they just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.
-----------------------
A LITTLE GUN HISTORY
PLEASE DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT, THAT THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY ALSO !!!!!!
In 1911, Turkey established gun control:
· From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control:
· From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
In 1938 Germany established gun control:
. From 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
China established gun control in 1935:
. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956:
. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964:
· From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970:
· From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
-----------------------
56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control.
-----------------------
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information.
*Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect ONLY the law-abiding citizens.
With guns, we are 'citizens'; without them, we are 'subjects'.
During WW II, the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!
Gun owners in the USA are the largest armed forces in the World!
If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either.
· SWITZERLAND ISSUES A GUN TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD! SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT ISSUES AND TRAINS EVERY ADULT IN THE USE OF A RIFLE.
· SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY CIVILIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
· IT'S A NO BRAINER! DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
· I'm a firm believer in the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please forward this. If you're not a believer, please reconsider the true facts. This is history; and if we do not want history to repeat itself, we must wake up.
Download John's "Safe Defensive Living Column" in PDF format Here - All 26 Articles
Texas Shoot-No-Shoot is now MOBILE and can be held at your Office, Church, or Home!
Check Out Video Below
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Time to step up and become the Sheepdog. Protect yourself and the Sheep by earning your Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL) at Deans Defensive Shooting. Certified by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), John Deans is a CHL instructor who can take you through the process to "Walk Heavy". Other courses can either prepare you to take the CHL course or start your journey of Defensive Handgun Training on numerous level
Odds are during a violent attack,
you will not 'rise to the occasion'
but more likely will 'fall to your level of training'
you will not 'rise to the occasion'
but more likely will 'fall to your level of training'
Featured Video - Handgun Fundamentals
Featured Article
Defensive Shooting Five A’s
The following is compilation of stages one may transition through as a concealed carry licensee. Hopefully the armed civilian will only experience the first three, but should be educated on all five “A” levels. The content has been gathered over decades from military, law enforcement, civilian acquaintances, friends and family members that have lived through gunfights. These valuable advice threads also came from the numerous firearms instructors who prepare sheep dogs to protect themselves and the surrounding sheep.
ACCEPTANCE – For those realists who watch the news, read the papers, and surf realistic web sources, they know violent crime is ever present. Though it has statistically dropped over the years due to increased incarceration and the deterrent of concealed carry, the bad guys are still out there preying on the unsuspecting sheep. We are the sheep dogs—wary, and watching out for the wolves of evil. We sheep dogs are not liked by the sheep even though we are their protectors.
The sheep represent 80% of the population. They have made the Pollyanna choice to take the odds that nothing bad will ever happen to them, so they remain un-armed, un-trained, and un-prepared. The sheep have blown off the God-given responsibility of self-defense and disregard situational awareness.
Another 10% are the wolves comprised of felons, want–to-be gangsters, and downright killers and rapists. These are the evil ones. They kill our friends, rape our women, torture our kids, and take what is not theirs. The wolves rip the weak from their cars, terrorize them in their own homes, and stalk them in the streets.
The remaining 10% is a brigade of law enforcement, military, and an even larger force of civilian marksman and citizen patriots. We will not succumb to the tyranny of the wolves. We know that it is only a matter of time until the wolf will suddenly appear to terrorize our loved ones. We have accepted that this has always been the way of the world. Good and Evil will always do battle. We prepare, we train and we will fight to defeat this evil.
We the sheep dogs accept this reality of Good and Evil. We the sheep dogs understand the responsibility to protect the weak. We the sheep dogs will be ready to ‘walk the walk’ and stand up to the wolves no matter how badly the sheep cower. We the sheep dogs will defeat the wolves. We knew the world was rough and sometime it may be our turn to be ‘at bat’.
AWARENESS – There are five color levels of civilian situational awareness being White, Yellow, Orange, Red and Black. Each awareness color level has specific emotional and reactionary specifics that can transition to the next level in mere seconds.
White Level is the hippy fairy land state of mind in which most pacifists are constantly living. They see no evil and think that no matter what environment or situation they are in, nothing bad can happen to them. These sheep are never armed, seldom trained in self-defense, and are clueless on the real world consequences of violence. In more harsh words, they have never had their ass kicked. Their politically correct world does not comprehend common sense precautions. They walk to their cars at night while texting on their phones, sit in cafés with their backs to the doors, and never suspect the rough guy walking fast towards them in a parking lot may be a threat. These are the sheep living in the White level of awareness. They are the victims the wolves seek out and devour. We sheep dogs are never at this level. We protect those who are stuck here in this pathetic passive oblivion.
Yellow Level is where all sheep dogs reside the remainder of the time. We are in Yellow Level at home, work, play, and even in our sleep. The Yellow Level is a state of mind that keeps one on their toes constantly scanning the environment for the hint of a threat or even something ‘not-quite-right’. We are not “paranoid”, but rather acutely sensitive to changes in human interaction. The sheep dog must see the wolf from afar since the wolf sets the time frame of attack. We must always be alert, prepared, trained and ever armed to battle the wolf. The Yellow Level of awareness enables us to not only be ready to fight, but to also possibly ward off the cowardly wolf with our steely resolve.
Orange Level is Battle Stations! A possible threat has been identified and a mental plan is quickly being developed. The sheep dog has caught a scent or spied an image of the wolf preparing to pounce. We now are evaluating all possibilities, preparing defenses, and boosting our physical apparatuses to do battle. Unfortunately at this point the sheep experience confusion, disarray and denial. We sheep dogs get ready to throw down.
Red Level is battle. The threat has been validated for lethal force and immediate implementation begins. The adrenal glands start pumping, the tunnel vision kicks in, and the fight is on! Hopefully the training, weapons systems, and moral courage all kick into gear and the sheep dog is able to stop the lethal threat of the wolf. Very seldom is the sheep able to reach this level. Their jump from White is usually to Black.
Black Level is defeat. For the sheep, the violence overtook them quickly and they either froze up with fear, rendering them defenseless, or they were dispatched painfully. The Black Level for the sheep dog was an unfortunate end to a valiant fight, but ending in defeat.
These awareness levels can escalate in three hours or three seconds. The wolf picks the time, the place, and the method. The sheep wonders why this just happened to them. The sheep dog must adapt to the wolf’s plan with sub-second reaction time. Be aware and have a plan.
AVIODANCE – If you are going to be carrying a gun (aka walking heavy) then you need to avoid trouble like the plague. It’s nice to have a Glock companion to keep you and yours safe in the car, but flipping off or yelling at the guy in the truck that just cut you off in traffic can never happen again. Even if an aggressive driver succumbs to road rage against you, it is your responsibility as a concealed hand-gunner to have the cooler head and not keep the ball rolling.
A simple rule for the armed sheep dog is to not do stupid things, with stupid people, at stupid places, during stupid times. An example of this is to not go to the bad side of town with a hot-headed friend and start drinking late at night. Gee, what could go wrong there, right?
It may be against ever fiber in your being, but when you are carrying a sidearm you must avoid physical conflicts. This means you must try to walk away from some jerk who’s trying to pick a fight with you. The last thing you want is to be losing a bout of fisticuffs, start taking some life threatening head blows and have to resort to pulling your Smith & Wesson .40 cal and shoot the ‘un-armed’ guy who bumped into you a couple of minutes ago.
There is enough trouble that may seek you out, so don’t go looking for it. Though I admire and support citizen patrols like neighborhood watchers and civilian border watchers, things can get out of hand quickly. Once a bullet leaves your gun, life is going to immediately change for you. Just ask George Zimmerman about that, and his two million dollar legal bill.
Combining the previous A’s of Acceptance and Awareness with Avoidance you can prevent the need for the next A of Action. I have been able to avoid (and I believe prevented) four planned attacks since the early 1990s. Each of these incidents ended with the bad guy(s) aborting their evil deeds, since I was Aware of their intent and able to Avoid having them fully commit to the action with a strong stance, a determined stare, and an equipped but hidden right hand. All four times the cowards backed down when they realized I was not an easy mark, and was ready to quickly deploy deadly force to protect myself and the loved ones near me. All four incidents had the result of nothing bad happening which is the best outcome.
So Avoidance is not always staying at home, but rather having a common sense path in life by not taking the risky roads we took in our younger years. It also means being able to see trouble coming and then standing up to it soon enough to have that troublemaker take another route.
ACTION – If the previous A’s were implemented but the wolf is still coming after you, it’s time for the Action of a gunfighter or the Red Level. Whether you are in bed at home, traveling in your vehicle, or on your feet out and about, you need to quickly access your firearm. When evil comes your way to do violence upon you or your loved ones, the threat must be stopped immediately. There are no warning shots, no wounding shots, and no empty threats of gun pointing and yelling.
Under compliance with your State Laws, once that legal threshold has been crossed by the bad guy against you, fire your weapon to center mass of the threat accurately and quickly. Watch the background for innocent bystanders and keep an eye out for secondary threats. Keep firing until the threat is incapacitated and incapable of continuing violence against you. Even after the threat is down, keep your gun up and ready in case he gets a second wind.
In case of an extended gun battle move off the “X”, keep breathing, remember to reload, and seek cover. Your training will hopefully kick in to help you handle the adrenal gland dump, tunnel vision, and sheer terror of mortal combat. You cannot panic and just start throwing lead at your attacker. Try your best to maintain your trigger discipline, find solid sight pictures, and shot accuracy.
Most importantly, stay in the fight. If you get hit, keep fighting. If your gun jams, then clear it and keep fighting. The noise will be deafening, both you and the attacker will be moving around, stuff will be getting in your eyes, fear may be slowing you down, but you must stay in the fight until the threat is stopped. At that moment no one else will help or save you. Not a cop, a soldier, or God himself. It’s up to you to stay in the fight and defeat the wolf.
AFTERMATH – Your odds ran out and evil came your way. Though you hopefully invoked the first three “A”s, the fourth one of Action had to be deployed requiring you to utilize your firearm against another human being. The battle is done, the threat has been neutralized and odds are the bad guy is dead. God willing you are physically whole and have survived the most horrific experience in your lifetime.
After your final shot, scan the area with your firearm at low ready position and reload if necessary. Verify no other threats or buddies of the dead bad guy are about to become a secondary confrontation. After all is safe, immediately call 911 and state you have been a victim of a crime and you had to stop the threat with lethal force to save your life. Hang up the phone, maintain the integrity of the crime scene (make darn sure no one moves or takes the bad guy’s gun), and be alert for more threat potential.
As soon as law enforcement arrives, lay down your firearm in front of you and take a step back with your hands up and visible. Remember, the cops will not immediately know you are the good guy. You may be handcuffed and put in the patrol car. Repeat the same statement you gave to the 911 operator and then tell the officers you are shaken and want to defer to your attorney. In other words, all you are going to say is that, “I was in fear for my life and I stopped the threat.” Period. Nothing else.
Hopefully you do have a criminal attorney to contact or you have purchased CHL insurance from a company like US Concealed Carry or Texas Law Shield (for Texas CHL residents). Contact the attorney, give only them all the details, and let them handle it from that point.
After the incident, attend to any physical medical needs you may require due to any slight or more serious injuries you acquired during the attack. Do not refuse immediate on-scene medical attention since you need to be checked out. During such a high adrenaline event, you may have been shot, stabbed or even fragged with flying bullet fragments, glass, or even gravel and not feel it or notice the bleeding.
If the shooting was in a jurisdiction with a populace, law enforcement, and judicial entity that are self-defense friendly and your shoot was inside the state’s lethal force parameters, you should be legally sound. Keep in mind that a defensive shooting in Washington County will be treated in a more common sense manner compared to Austin County. Just like one in Texas would turn out much better for the good guy than in New York or California.
It may take weeks, months or more for the legal woes to pass, and during that time the emotional rollercoaster may daunt you. Seek professional help if the internal mental scars of taking another life are haunting you. Everyone will handle it differently since no two people are the same and no two shootings are identical. Talk to others in the military and law enforcement with similar experiences to get their guidance for your piece of mind.
Just remember that you did what you had to do to remain on this side of the dirt. The wolf came for you and you had to protect yourself. Pray to the Lord for his solace. Live your life that you have defended to continue.
John Deans
Civilian Marksman
NRA Firearms Instructor
The following is compilation of stages one may transition through as a concealed carry licensee. Hopefully the armed civilian will only experience the first three, but should be educated on all five “A” levels. The content has been gathered over decades from military, law enforcement, civilian acquaintances, friends and family members that have lived through gunfights. These valuable advice threads also came from the numerous firearms instructors who prepare sheep dogs to protect themselves and the surrounding sheep.
ACCEPTANCE – For those realists who watch the news, read the papers, and surf realistic web sources, they know violent crime is ever present. Though it has statistically dropped over the years due to increased incarceration and the deterrent of concealed carry, the bad guys are still out there preying on the unsuspecting sheep. We are the sheep dogs—wary, and watching out for the wolves of evil. We sheep dogs are not liked by the sheep even though we are their protectors.
The sheep represent 80% of the population. They have made the Pollyanna choice to take the odds that nothing bad will ever happen to them, so they remain un-armed, un-trained, and un-prepared. The sheep have blown off the God-given responsibility of self-defense and disregard situational awareness.
Another 10% are the wolves comprised of felons, want–to-be gangsters, and downright killers and rapists. These are the evil ones. They kill our friends, rape our women, torture our kids, and take what is not theirs. The wolves rip the weak from their cars, terrorize them in their own homes, and stalk them in the streets.
The remaining 10% is a brigade of law enforcement, military, and an even larger force of civilian marksman and citizen patriots. We will not succumb to the tyranny of the wolves. We know that it is only a matter of time until the wolf will suddenly appear to terrorize our loved ones. We have accepted that this has always been the way of the world. Good and Evil will always do battle. We prepare, we train and we will fight to defeat this evil.
We the sheep dogs accept this reality of Good and Evil. We the sheep dogs understand the responsibility to protect the weak. We the sheep dogs will be ready to ‘walk the walk’ and stand up to the wolves no matter how badly the sheep cower. We the sheep dogs will defeat the wolves. We knew the world was rough and sometime it may be our turn to be ‘at bat’.
AWARENESS – There are five color levels of civilian situational awareness being White, Yellow, Orange, Red and Black. Each awareness color level has specific emotional and reactionary specifics that can transition to the next level in mere seconds.
White Level is the hippy fairy land state of mind in which most pacifists are constantly living. They see no evil and think that no matter what environment or situation they are in, nothing bad can happen to them. These sheep are never armed, seldom trained in self-defense, and are clueless on the real world consequences of violence. In more harsh words, they have never had their ass kicked. Their politically correct world does not comprehend common sense precautions. They walk to their cars at night while texting on their phones, sit in cafés with their backs to the doors, and never suspect the rough guy walking fast towards them in a parking lot may be a threat. These are the sheep living in the White level of awareness. They are the victims the wolves seek out and devour. We sheep dogs are never at this level. We protect those who are stuck here in this pathetic passive oblivion.
Yellow Level is where all sheep dogs reside the remainder of the time. We are in Yellow Level at home, work, play, and even in our sleep. The Yellow Level is a state of mind that keeps one on their toes constantly scanning the environment for the hint of a threat or even something ‘not-quite-right’. We are not “paranoid”, but rather acutely sensitive to changes in human interaction. The sheep dog must see the wolf from afar since the wolf sets the time frame of attack. We must always be alert, prepared, trained and ever armed to battle the wolf. The Yellow Level of awareness enables us to not only be ready to fight, but to also possibly ward off the cowardly wolf with our steely resolve.
Orange Level is Battle Stations! A possible threat has been identified and a mental plan is quickly being developed. The sheep dog has caught a scent or spied an image of the wolf preparing to pounce. We now are evaluating all possibilities, preparing defenses, and boosting our physical apparatuses to do battle. Unfortunately at this point the sheep experience confusion, disarray and denial. We sheep dogs get ready to throw down.
Red Level is battle. The threat has been validated for lethal force and immediate implementation begins. The adrenal glands start pumping, the tunnel vision kicks in, and the fight is on! Hopefully the training, weapons systems, and moral courage all kick into gear and the sheep dog is able to stop the lethal threat of the wolf. Very seldom is the sheep able to reach this level. Their jump from White is usually to Black.
Black Level is defeat. For the sheep, the violence overtook them quickly and they either froze up with fear, rendering them defenseless, or they were dispatched painfully. The Black Level for the sheep dog was an unfortunate end to a valiant fight, but ending in defeat.
These awareness levels can escalate in three hours or three seconds. The wolf picks the time, the place, and the method. The sheep wonders why this just happened to them. The sheep dog must adapt to the wolf’s plan with sub-second reaction time. Be aware and have a plan.
AVIODANCE – If you are going to be carrying a gun (aka walking heavy) then you need to avoid trouble like the plague. It’s nice to have a Glock companion to keep you and yours safe in the car, but flipping off or yelling at the guy in the truck that just cut you off in traffic can never happen again. Even if an aggressive driver succumbs to road rage against you, it is your responsibility as a concealed hand-gunner to have the cooler head and not keep the ball rolling.
A simple rule for the armed sheep dog is to not do stupid things, with stupid people, at stupid places, during stupid times. An example of this is to not go to the bad side of town with a hot-headed friend and start drinking late at night. Gee, what could go wrong there, right?
It may be against ever fiber in your being, but when you are carrying a sidearm you must avoid physical conflicts. This means you must try to walk away from some jerk who’s trying to pick a fight with you. The last thing you want is to be losing a bout of fisticuffs, start taking some life threatening head blows and have to resort to pulling your Smith & Wesson .40 cal and shoot the ‘un-armed’ guy who bumped into you a couple of minutes ago.
There is enough trouble that may seek you out, so don’t go looking for it. Though I admire and support citizen patrols like neighborhood watchers and civilian border watchers, things can get out of hand quickly. Once a bullet leaves your gun, life is going to immediately change for you. Just ask George Zimmerman about that, and his two million dollar legal bill.
Combining the previous A’s of Acceptance and Awareness with Avoidance you can prevent the need for the next A of Action. I have been able to avoid (and I believe prevented) four planned attacks since the early 1990s. Each of these incidents ended with the bad guy(s) aborting their evil deeds, since I was Aware of their intent and able to Avoid having them fully commit to the action with a strong stance, a determined stare, and an equipped but hidden right hand. All four times the cowards backed down when they realized I was not an easy mark, and was ready to quickly deploy deadly force to protect myself and the loved ones near me. All four incidents had the result of nothing bad happening which is the best outcome.
So Avoidance is not always staying at home, but rather having a common sense path in life by not taking the risky roads we took in our younger years. It also means being able to see trouble coming and then standing up to it soon enough to have that troublemaker take another route.
ACTION – If the previous A’s were implemented but the wolf is still coming after you, it’s time for the Action of a gunfighter or the Red Level. Whether you are in bed at home, traveling in your vehicle, or on your feet out and about, you need to quickly access your firearm. When evil comes your way to do violence upon you or your loved ones, the threat must be stopped immediately. There are no warning shots, no wounding shots, and no empty threats of gun pointing and yelling.
Under compliance with your State Laws, once that legal threshold has been crossed by the bad guy against you, fire your weapon to center mass of the threat accurately and quickly. Watch the background for innocent bystanders and keep an eye out for secondary threats. Keep firing until the threat is incapacitated and incapable of continuing violence against you. Even after the threat is down, keep your gun up and ready in case he gets a second wind.
In case of an extended gun battle move off the “X”, keep breathing, remember to reload, and seek cover. Your training will hopefully kick in to help you handle the adrenal gland dump, tunnel vision, and sheer terror of mortal combat. You cannot panic and just start throwing lead at your attacker. Try your best to maintain your trigger discipline, find solid sight pictures, and shot accuracy.
Most importantly, stay in the fight. If you get hit, keep fighting. If your gun jams, then clear it and keep fighting. The noise will be deafening, both you and the attacker will be moving around, stuff will be getting in your eyes, fear may be slowing you down, but you must stay in the fight until the threat is stopped. At that moment no one else will help or save you. Not a cop, a soldier, or God himself. It’s up to you to stay in the fight and defeat the wolf.
AFTERMATH – Your odds ran out and evil came your way. Though you hopefully invoked the first three “A”s, the fourth one of Action had to be deployed requiring you to utilize your firearm against another human being. The battle is done, the threat has been neutralized and odds are the bad guy is dead. God willing you are physically whole and have survived the most horrific experience in your lifetime.
After your final shot, scan the area with your firearm at low ready position and reload if necessary. Verify no other threats or buddies of the dead bad guy are about to become a secondary confrontation. After all is safe, immediately call 911 and state you have been a victim of a crime and you had to stop the threat with lethal force to save your life. Hang up the phone, maintain the integrity of the crime scene (make darn sure no one moves or takes the bad guy’s gun), and be alert for more threat potential.
As soon as law enforcement arrives, lay down your firearm in front of you and take a step back with your hands up and visible. Remember, the cops will not immediately know you are the good guy. You may be handcuffed and put in the patrol car. Repeat the same statement you gave to the 911 operator and then tell the officers you are shaken and want to defer to your attorney. In other words, all you are going to say is that, “I was in fear for my life and I stopped the threat.” Period. Nothing else.
Hopefully you do have a criminal attorney to contact or you have purchased CHL insurance from a company like US Concealed Carry or Texas Law Shield (for Texas CHL residents). Contact the attorney, give only them all the details, and let them handle it from that point.
After the incident, attend to any physical medical needs you may require due to any slight or more serious injuries you acquired during the attack. Do not refuse immediate on-scene medical attention since you need to be checked out. During such a high adrenaline event, you may have been shot, stabbed or even fragged with flying bullet fragments, glass, or even gravel and not feel it or notice the bleeding.
If the shooting was in a jurisdiction with a populace, law enforcement, and judicial entity that are self-defense friendly and your shoot was inside the state’s lethal force parameters, you should be legally sound. Keep in mind that a defensive shooting in Washington County will be treated in a more common sense manner compared to Austin County. Just like one in Texas would turn out much better for the good guy than in New York or California.
It may take weeks, months or more for the legal woes to pass, and during that time the emotional rollercoaster may daunt you. Seek professional help if the internal mental scars of taking another life are haunting you. Everyone will handle it differently since no two people are the same and no two shootings are identical. Talk to others in the military and law enforcement with similar experiences to get their guidance for your piece of mind.
Just remember that you did what you had to do to remain on this side of the dirt. The wolf came for you and you had to protect yourself. Pray to the Lord for his solace. Live your life that you have defended to continue.
John Deans
Civilian Marksman
NRA Firearms Instructor