Criminal interview, again

[Captain33036]

Had my first criminal interview, yesterday. Thanks to those here, I immediate knew what was going on.

I had seen this guy sitting on a bench near the store I was going into, in a strip mall. Thin, scraggly, dirty T shirt.

I spent some time in the store, and when I walked out, this guy was in front of it. As I walked straight out, to get to the parking lot, this character walked briskly from my right. To my left was a large post for the building. So, had I continued, he would have boxed me in towards that post.

Noticing this, I immediately changed course, moved to my right and moved to walk around him, to his rear. As I did, he tried to engage me in conversation. He asked if I knew where a tobacco shop was. Innocent enough, right? Well, the tobacco shop was right next to the store I was in.

I am usually very polite, but in this case, I said, in a stern voice, "no, I do not," without pausing at all and not looking at him.

And that was that.

Could have been a completely innocent incident. But, my sense tells me there was more to it. And thanks to those here, I was mentally prepared. I post this, not because of what I did, but to add to the voice of those who have posted on this subject previously.

Thanks

 

[xXxplosive]

Good that you recognized a possible situation developing.....The answer is always NO...and keep on moving, to cover if necessary.
Handled well....IMO.

 

[bikerdoc]

Situational awareness at its best. You did good.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Could have been a completely innocent incident. But, my sense tells me there was more to it.

My sense agrees with your sense...

 

[David E]

Too many people hear that little voice saying "something isn't right, be careful!"........but then DISMISS IT.

Props to you for heeding that little voice. (Which is usually right every time)

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Trust your spidey sense.

 

[herrwalther]

Trust the spidy sense. It will aid you. It can be wrong and you may have blown off someone who needed help, but it could have been right.

I was in a Wal-Mart parking lot in a bad section of town late at night. It was the closest to where I lived so I went there. As my wife and I were leaving, a man approached us from behind with his hands in his jacket walking from a silver mini van. He asked me if he could "borrow a dollar for gas." I made note that the minivan was already running to respond "Sorry, I don't carry cash." And made on my way.

Another night, different Wal-Mart. I was loading an appliance into my car when approached by an elderly woman in the parking lot. She said he car wouldn't start and needed a jump. I said I don't have jumper cables (I do) but was giving my spidey sense time to work. She said she did and knew how to use them. I drove over to her car and sure enough it wasn't starting. Her husband and grandchildren were in the car freaking out and scared. I gave them a jump and they went on there merry way.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

You meet the nicest people in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

 

[Leanwolf]

33036 - " ... he tried to engage me in conversation. He asked if I knew where a tobacco shop was. Innocent enough, right? Well, the tobacco shop was right next to the store I was in. ..."

Were you a compassionate and caring citizen, you'd have said, "Sir, don't you know that the Surgeon General of the United States has determined that smoking is very bad for your health?"

He might have said, "Uhhh, but, but..."

You could have then interrupted and said, "Sir, I know you want to preserve your health and I suggest you attend a local Smokers Anonymous meeting where you can find some help for your tobacco addiction. You'll thank me later."

Then you could have walked to your car knowing you had performed a great service to another needful human being.

L.W.

 

[rgwalt]

Once when I was in college, the summer after my freshman year I was up on campus taking a summer class and working. One afternoon I was at a gas station where I was approached by a large, muscular man who told me that he just got off the train from Memphis and needed a ride to Wal-Mart. At the time, I didn't know that there was a train station in town, and all my internal alarms went off. I told the gentleman that I couldn't help him as I wasn't going that way (I had decided that I wasn't going any way he was going), but that I could give him a dollar for the bus. He put out his hand, took the dollar, and without saying anything to me, proceeded to ask another guy at the station for a ride. The other guy said yes... To this day I wonder if the other guy made it to the Wal-Mart without losing his wallet, his vehicle, or his life.

My parents (mainly my mom) always warned me about strangers, and the danger of getting into the car with someone you don't know. I always lock my doors at the gas station, even if I'm standing next to my vehicle. I keep all my exterior doors locked, all the time. I figure that we have lots of simple tools at our disposal, including our intuition. These tools help keep us safe, but must be used to do so.

 

[guyfromohio]

I live in an urban area. This scenario plays out nearly every time I go Krogering. Shake down for money, usually.

 

[JustinJ]

Extremely high probability that he was just pan handling.

 

[Sam1911]

Extremely high probability that he was just pan handling.

Fortunately, that doesn't matter.

There is no need to differentiate between being set-up for a violent assault and being set-up for panhandling. Predatory types engaged in either behavior use many of the same techniques. Being aware and responding appropriately to the more grievous danger has the pleasant benefit of tending to avoid the lesser as well.

 

[guyfromohio]

Agree 100% with Sam. The OPs actions were appropriate regardless of panhandling vs violent crime.

 

[Plan2Live]

I have heard more than once through more than one source that during the post event questioning most surviving victims will say they knew something wasn't right but didn't act on that feeling. Trust your gut. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have had an overwhelming urge to "look down" while in my yard or out in the woods and nearly every time I get this urge or premonition I am within a yard or two of a snake. God gave you intuition for a reason, use it.

The other observation I find interesting in this post and some of the replies is......Walmart. I have had four scenarios in the past two years that didn't feel right and I had to take charge of the situation. Three out of the four were at Walmart. Two were handled verbally and two were handled non-verbally. On three occassions I was armed and one occassion I was not armed and had to improvise, with a gasoline nozzle. But that's another story.

You did good, keep it up.

 

[larry_minn]

Extremely high probability that he was just pan handling.
Yep and folks just asking for a buck never get physical...

I recall a night I was in local stop and rob and two gents blocked the exit to "request" I give them a ride to local grocery store (roughly 5 blocks away) I said "NO" They persisted, I could not be convinced, invited them to get out of door...

So they walked to station wagon and drove off...... (so what would have happened with one beside/one behind me in car????

I go to work. Security at college I was going to. Not even on clock and calls about two gents demanding money... So off I go. They tried to block me in, get close, one had nice 6" hunting knife..... Police (who I had called) showed up, I tell Officer who I had done rides with "That one knife, right side" disarmed both/cuffs..

They are making threats on how on reservation they deal with Police, security... I carried at work for a while after that. (not legal but two on one........)

 

[Fred Fuller]

Being aware and responding appropriately to the more grievous danger has the pleasant benefit of tending to avoid the lesser as well.

Worth repeating...

 

[Deaf Smith]

Criminal interview, again

Oh you mean some crooks checked you out?

I thought you mean the IRS was interviewing you for a job.

Deaf

 

[coyotehitman]

I am usually very polite, but in this case, I said, in a stern voice, "no, I do not," without pausing at all and not looking at him.[/

Situational awareness at its best. You did good.

Lets not go overboard here. This is not situational awareness at its best. While better than walking around with his head fully engulfed by his rectum, the OP was not in condition orange, where he should have been. What part of not looking at the threat seems like a good idea to you guys who were quick to pat him on the back? Not only should the OP have been very in tune to his surroundings, he should have visually dissected the perceived threat: where are his hands, what is his height/weight/hair/eye color, what does his face look like (facial hair, pocks, acne, earrings), specifically what type of clothing is he wearing (blue jeans with the right knee ripped out, a red t-shirt with Satan written on the front and a hole on the right shoulder, a grease stain across the stomach, and white Nike high tops). The fact is that the hands kill and not being fully aware of a perceived threat, and most importantly that threats hands, is a fatal error and a giant FAIL regardless of how much you noticed him sitting outside a store when you walked in. The OP didn't do horrible, but has work to do. To the rest of you, praising behavior approaching mediocrity does nothing but provide the OP with the incorrect impression that his skills are up to par when they clearly are not. So you dealt with a panhandler (a very low stress encounter) and did mediocre, how would you fare in a high stress encounter? Rather than patting your own back, critique yourself and further refine your awareness skills.

 

[Captain33036]

Coyote

Thank you for your note. I did not pat myself on the back, but rather report some information that added to a previous post (by someone else) on the subject of the criminal interview).

I appreciate your concern, but my situational skills are fine, garnered from a couple decades of govt and military service, much of it overseas.

I wrote that I noticed this guy before I even walked in the store. I had assessed him as not being a significant threat, still, as someone else rightly pointed out, avoidance is the best strategy. I have no idea what this guy was, pan handler or bad guy. Does not matter to me. Avoidance is key and the key information in this thread.

By not looking at him (in the eyes), or seeming to gaze in his direction, I gave him zero opportunity to engage me further. Let's be clear about this...when you look at a stranger, especially, looking them in the eyes, after they have made an attempt to engage you in conversation, this gives them permission to engage you further. That is not avoidance and simply prolongs the criminal interview.

But, please be well assured, I knew where his hands were and what his actions were. Had he moved to a more threatening position, I had 10 scenarios already worked out long before.

But, thanks for your contribution. I agree, I did nothing major league. It was very simple. The subject here is not my actions, but to contribute to the notion and general dissemination of information regarding the criminal interview.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

You followed what we been taught or discussed here. Good job.

 

[Captain33036]

Hi Delta

That was exactly my point. What was posted and discussed here previously was excellent information that helped me understand, more quickly, what this situation could have been.

Thanks to the original poster who posted "the criminal interview" some time ago. And all those who contributed.

Life is about learning. I hope to continue to learn, everyday. And have learned a great deal here. Will continue to do so.

Thanks, everyone

J

 

[jawman]

Totally agree with coyotehitman. First thing I thought when I read the OP was, why the hell didn't you keep your eyes on the target and see where his hands are? Not terrible situational awareness but definitely needs improvement.

 

[Captain33036]

Jawman

You make a good point, that I thought I clarified. However, we will again. Human vision has a wide field and is also particularly acute at discerning movement.

Normal human vision spans some 120 degrees. Thus, you can easily perceive what someone's hands are doing, without looking [directly] at that person.

The scrawny guy was wearing a T shirt that was pretty old. He had outgrown it a bit. It was tight and short on him. If he was carrying, it would have been easier to spot.

As I noted, my strategy was to move behind him, as he approached me, so, rather than allow him to CLOSE the gap between us, I opened it up. And it continued to widen as I walked away.

I never let this guy within 5 ft of me. The purpose of the criminal interview is to enable the criminal to get close to you. They do not try anything from some distance away.

So, in order to engage me any further, he would have had to STOP and TURN, and move towards me, which would have been very noticeable.

The simplest, easiest strategies are often the best and most effective. My approach had a simple set of goals: get this person away from my front, maneuver behind and away, avoid any engagement (thus I did not look directly at him after he asked his question).

Was this a BG? I have no idea, nor do I care. If you stop to assess whether or not someone you do not know and gives you a bad feeling is a BG or not, you give a BG the chance to engage you.

What I do know is that he tried to ask me where a tobacco store was, while just 10 feet from one.

Hope this clears it up.

Thanks

 

[Pyzon]

Was this a BG? I have no idea, nor do I care. If you stop to assess whether or not someone you do not know and gives you a bad feeling is a BG or not, you give a BG the chance to engage you.

I am in agreement that the outcome here was perfect, and far be it from me to criticize you or score your performance.

Sure, now and then a person with innocent intentions is going to be insulted and disappointed or even worse.

But read the headlines, friends. We are in a tough world these days, and situational awareness is the tough part to learn and does not come naturally to most of us. We do not often hear about the successful defenses that are happening every day in every town in America.