Tactical Blunders- They can happen to anybody!

[.455_Hunter]

Here are a couple of encounters that happened recently that remind me that you have to always be on your toes. Let me say upfront that neither of these events warranted ANY sort of armed response, but they definitely made me think about what I did wrong. Please comment as you see fit. Thanks!

Event #1- My wife, son (3), daughter (newborn at the time) and I decided to eat dinner at the Breckinridge Brewing Company just northeast of Coors Field in the Lodo section of Denver. We needed to get out of the house for a while (new baby and all ) and Sunday evening was a perfect time to go- beautiful Indian Summer weather, the Broncos had just lost an away game and there was no baseball or basketball. The restaurant was not crowded, and we had a pleasant meal. Due to the pattern of one-way streets in the area, we parked just over a block away from the restaurant. I like to think that I am always operating in a higher level of awareness in Lodo, just because of the nearby proximity of places like the Denver Rescue Mission and the general rates of criminal activity. However, I also strongly believe that if possessing a CCW makes you so paranoid that you can’t get out of your house and enjoy life, then the bad guys have won.

Just before we get to the car, we are confronted by a man who repeatedly asks me if I can take his five one dollar bills and give him a single five dollar bill. Of course, my canned response is “Sorry, I can’t help you. I don’t have any cash” and we hurry towards the car. I am not sure what his motives were, most people would ask to break a five dollar bill, not vice-a-versa . One thing I knew for certain was that I was not going to get my wallet out and start digging in it in front of a perfect stranger on Denver street in the fading twilight while carrying a newborn in a car seat!

After getting to the car, I realized my major tactical mistake- Being left handed, I was naturally carrying my daughters car seat in my left hand. If things had gone REALLY bad with Mr. Five $1 Bills, guess where my CCW piece was? That’s right folks- completely inaccessible in my left front pocket! I would have had to transfer the car seat to my right hand in order to draw the 1911 production Iver Johnson Safety Hammer Revolver (5 shot .32 S&W) I was carrying that evening. Now, I try to carry the car seat in my right hand at all times when in public areas.

Event #2- My wife and I got our son a bike for Christmas. The weather in Denver has been very cold, so it was just last weekend before we could take him out for a good ride. We drove to a nearby by “open space” trailhead that has a relatively flat concrete path used by all sorts of walkers, runners, bikers and hikers. My wife was carrying our daughter in a Baby Bjorn front pack and my job was to help our son with his bike (with training wheels). The trail was not crowded in any sense of the word, with a few widely spaced groups of people. About 200 yards from the car, my attention was focused on our son pedaling about 10 yards in front of us on the path. I was walking on the right edge of the concrete and my wife was beside me on the right side of the “center line” of the trail.

Out of the blue, a man (a runner) blows by me on my right side with just inches to spare. I nearly elbowed him out of pure instinctive reaction! He comes up behind my son and tries to do the same thing, but nearly plows him over due to my son changing course at the last split second. What an idiot! :banghead: Why didn’t he “pass” on the clear left side? I yelled at him, but he had a set of iPod buds shoved way too deep into his ear canals. The main tactical mistake I made here was that I was so focused on my son’s activities that a guy was able to run up and take me completely by surprise from behind. I should have been paying more attention to our surroundings!

 

[smoothdraw]

I think you are always in condition white. You should at least in condition yellow specially when you are carrying. Any when you were approached and followed you should have shifted to condition orange right away. Your weapon means nothing if your mindset is not set properly.

Combat Mindset - The Cooper Color Code
The most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation is, according to Cooper, neither the weapon nor the martial skills. The primary tool is the combat mindset, set forth in his book, Principles of Personal Defense.[3] In the chapter on awareness, Cooper presents an adaptation of the Marine Corps system to differentiate states of readiness:

The color code as originally introduced by Jeff Cooper, had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one's state of mind. As taught by Cooper, it relates to the degree of peril you are willing to do something about and which allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation. Cooper didn't claim to have invented anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state.[4]

White - Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be "Oh my God! This can't be happening to me."
Yellow - Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that "today could be the day I may have to defend myself." You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that "I may have to SHOOT today." You don't have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow. You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don't know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods, as long as you are able to "Watch your six." (In aviation 12 o'clock refers to the direction in front of the aircraft's nose. Six o'clock is the blind spot behind the pilot.) In Yellow, you are "taking in" surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. As Cooper put it, "I might have to shoot."
Orange - Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has gotten your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you do not drop your six). Your mindset shifts to "I may have to shoot HIM today," focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status. In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: "If that goblin does 'x', I will need to stop him." Your pistol usually remains holstered in this state. Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.
Red - Condition Red is fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. If "X" happens I will shoot that person.
The USMC also uses "Condition Black" as actively engaged in combat, as do some of Cooper's successors, but Cooper always felt this was an unnecessary step and not in keeping with the mindset definition of the color code since it is a state of action.

In short, the Color Code helps you "think" in a fight. As the level of danger increases, your willingness to take certain actions increases. If you ever do go to Condition Red, the decision to use lethal force has already been made (your "mental trigger" has been tripped).

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

Huh, I'd never really thought about it, but if I'm carrying I always take groceries in my left hand.

Also, if I'm holding my girlfriend's hand (when we're in the states, LOL) I always move her to my left side if I see a shady looking person.

 

[Fremmer]

So I guess Cooper was constantly walking around in some color-coded state of high alert? Constantly, all the time? Come on, really?

There were no blunders by the OP. Sometimes stuff just happens unexpectedly. That's not a blunder, or a mistake. That's just the way life works.

 

[walker944]

I think you are always in condition white.

Smoothedraw - Unless you are related to, live with, or have been stalking the OP, how can you possibly draw such a broad stroking extreme conclusion based on only two related experiences by the OP?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Humans are... human. We zone things out sometimes when we're focused on something else. We forget. We make (believe it or not) mistakes.

None of us are or ever will be 100% Masters Of Tacticality. It just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, as Southnarc puts it, "Your awareness fails." The only big problem with that is, every once in a great while, some thug is giving us the once-over in the victim selection process when we zone out- and we pass selection. That's NOT good. And that's the real problem we need to be thinking about. It isn't the zoning out- it's what might possibly happen as a result of zoning out.

All we can do is try to learn, and try to do better. Thanks for sharing your lessons, Hunter.

lpl

 

[.455_Hunter]

Thanks for the comments!

I do generally try to follow a system similar to Col. Cooper's. But like everybody, sometimes I fail to operate in the correct "color".

These stories are examples of where, for whatever reason, I was not able to notice a possible threat (the runner), or was response impaired (Mr. Five $1 Bills).

Please see them as "teachable moments" for us all.

 

[uspJ]

to the op

thanks for posting, i'm glad to see you recognized what you did wrong and you seem intent on correcting it in the future.

your post made me take a good look at how easily we can become complacent in our daily tasks and not think in a more aware mindset.

i have a friend who was recently robbed outside a convenient store, he said he thinks he was robbed because a customer directly behind him made a comment as he was checking out about how much money he had in his wallet. when he walked out of the store another man came out behind him drew a gun and demanded his money. since then i pull out enough money for what i plan to buy or my debit card and stick it in my pocket before i get out of my car to enter a store/restaraunt, any change i have goes back in my wallet when i get back in my car.

just thought i 'd share that.

 

[thebigc]

usp i do a similar thing i take my card out beforehand if going into an atm and put the cash in my pocket usualy the one with the knife or the oc if somebodys around (the one i go to is a dual atm in a building)
and arrange it later and i try not to go fiddling around with my wallet in front of people i don't know or let them know where i carry it im not old enough to carry a gun and the only time i got surprised walking up the street by some shady persons blocking my way at 11 o clock at night asking all kinds of questions about borrowing money a quick display of my knife got them to go away i was only 15 at the time so it may not of been the best idea but it worked.

 

[9mmepiphany]

just a comment on the runner passing you on the right and i'm sure this differs depending on location, but

on the local "bike trail", it is considered back form to block one whole side of a trail and dangerous to cross the middle line to pass...it's different than the rules of driving.

usually runners, or bikers, will yell ahead that they are passing and walkers on the trail are expected to stay to the right to allow them to pass...the faster traffic isn't expected to slow down...YMMV

 

[HOV]

At times I have carried two wallets. One is a regular wallet and contains some cash, an expired credit card, store discount club cards, and my federal-issued ID. That's the fake/sacrificial wallet. But having cash, club cards, and an ID, it still serves a purpose. I leave my federal ID in there because if it's stolen, that would raise the level of the crime to something federalish.

The other is a cloth front pocket wallet and contains real credit cards, larger amounts of cash, my CCW permit, and my driver's license. That's the real wallet. It doesn't print and doesn't even look like a wallet.

Just another tool in the toolbox.

 

[Averageman]

.455 Hunter was the first mistake where you parked or having the car seat in your strong hand?
If my child wasn't in the car seat I wouldn't hesitate to use it to shield myself or bash the Bums head in.
If your child was in the car seat, you are pretty much at his mercy, aren't you?
Park closer, park in the light and keep yourself between your family and anyone not known to you.
Slipping in to a feeling of safety or not being 100% aware is pretty natural, especially after a nice meal.

 

[Balog]

OP: thank's for sharing, it's always good to think things through.

People on internet gun boards tend to be a bit... unrealistic. Spend enough time in S&T and you'll find a number of people who claim they never allow strangers within 10' of them and are impossible to approach without being detected. Those claims are silly and unrealistic unless you never leave the open moors and venture into civilization. I always get a smile on my face imagining these people with their multiple guns (each with multiple reloads), multiple knives, flashlight (anyone carry more than one flashlight?), baton, pepper spray, stun gun, real wallet, fake wallet, pocket first aid kit, bug out kit, CCW "badge" and Lord only knows what else slicing the pie every time they walk around the end of the aisle at the grocery store, giving a steely eyed stare to the soccer mom in line behind them etc...

Do the best you can, and learn from your mistakes. I'd say you done good.

 

[.455_Hunter]

just a comment on the runner passing you on the right and i'm sure this differs depending on location, but

on the local "bike trail", it is considered back form to block one whole side of a trail and dangerous to cross the middle line to pass...it's different than the rules of driving.

usually runners, or bikers, will yell ahead that they are passing and walkers on the trail are expected to stay to the right to allow them to pass...the faster traffic isn't expected to slow down...YMMV

Good point!

In my home town of Boulder, the Boulder Creek Bike Path is just a you describe- very focused on high speed bike travel, with limited sight lines (heavily forested).

The trail in question here is quite the opposite. The view is wide open, and bikers are subservient to hikers/walkers and horses.

Most of the time, faster people just say "on your left" to give you a heads-up and pass without issue. Unfortunately, this was not the case for that jackass.

.455 Hunter was the first mistake where you parked or having the car seat in your strong hand?

The car was in the same general spot that we always park when patronizing the restaurant. I probably could have found a closer space, but one of the goals for the evening was to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors. Its not much fun if you have to treat going to dinner like an armored car drop-off.

 

[Bliggida]

"If you carry... never carry anything!"

This statement is in regards to keeping your 'gun-hand' empty and available at all times.
Some people extend this and allow something *that can be dropped* to be carried in the 'gun-hand'.

 

[smoothdraw]

I'm sorry to all if I sounded sarcastic.

The combat mindset is a discipline. The more we practice it the more it becomes a habit, a way of life. We'll not be 100% sound tactically but the more we do not practice the more we will be unaware. If you come to think of it is not really difficult to be aware (condition yellow). It doesn't mean that nobody can smile at you or nobody can get 10' away from you. It just means that you have a constant push to yourself to take time to glance around you and see what's happening. You should also always be aware that you are carrying a weapon. If you are hosting a party you should know if there are gate crashers. If you are pulling your wallet you should know if someone is behind you etc.

Also it is upto you if you want to believe col cooper laws or you see him as an internet blog item. Military and Law Enforcement adapts them. Shooting foundation IPSC and IDPA follows them. Weapons training schools follow them. He is very much respected in the gun industry. Col Cooper's combat mindset and 4 basic gun laws are not only seen on the internet but almost in every book/videos related to guns. You can even see it on the manual of every modern weapon. So it is upto you to believe it or not.

I forgot to thank .455Hunter for sharing his story. Like what he said, they are tecnical blunders and he wished he could have been more aware. And that is the key be aware (condition yellow) and if thing is not really good then be ready to defend yourself (condition orange) and if your life or your love ones life are threatened then you should be ready to apply lethal force (condition Red). - Unrealistic??? Not for me.

 

[Balog]

No one is saying attempting to have good situational awareness is a bad thing. People taking it over board on the internet has nothing to do with the validity of the basic concept. I will say that restating the color codes on a gun board as though they are a profound revelation is a bit silly. I'd imagine most people here are very familiar with white/yellow/orange/red, just as they are with the four rules.

 

[MedWheeler]

I try to maintain the mindset that, if accosted by an individual while out with my wife and daughter, I would act to engage the threat while distancing myself from them. So, in the hypothetical situation of a threat presenting as your first scenario did, the child seat (which I always carried at full arm's length down) would probably be dropped as I shifted sideways away from it and drew my sidearm. I would hope that my attacker's eyes would follow my movement. My wife would then swoop in to retrieve the car seat, and has been instructed to get away from me in such a situation.
I'm LH, also, and am guilty of carrying things in that hand. My right hand is so "foreign" to me that it lacks even half the coordination of my left; the only thing I really do with it is shoot long guns. However, virtually anything I carry can be easily allowed to slip from my fingers as I go for my weapon.
If you think a car seat being carried is a hindrance, wait until your child outgrows it! You cannot safely drop a toddler being carried on your hip like you can drop an infant carrier/seat. My daughter is now a toddler, and I have not yet developed a sound tactic for divesting myself of her while going for a weapon. I need much more practice with carrying her safely and snugly on my right (weak) side, but it is still much more dangerous for her to be on my side while my other side is engaged in a gunfight than it is for her not to be on me at all.

 

[Autolycus]

Your son changed direction and almost hit him? If your son is not ready to ride a bike and is still learning, perhaps you should not take him to a trail where he will get in the way of others? I don't blame the runner, I think you should have re-evaluated the situation.

I cannot stand when I am jogging or riding my bike and someone is either standing there on the sidewalk or trail and I have to readjust because they don't have the courtesy to get off the sidewalk. And it is not really your kids fault as he is not aware.

I think perhaps you should take him to an open area where there are less people around and not such a narrow pathway to get used to riding his bike. Perhaps an empty parking lot?

As far as the situation in Denver, I think you did the right thing. If he was trying to break a five dollar bill I might have been more sympathetic and less suspicious.

 

[Autolycus]

By the way I have never left condition yellow since January 13th, 2000. I have gone above condition yellow into orange and red, but never condition white.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I should have made this clearer...

Your son changed direction and almost hit him? If your son is not ready to ride a bike and is still learning, perhaps you should not take him to a trail where he will get in the way of others? I don't blame the runner, I think you should have re-evaluated the situation.

This is a multipurpose civic trail (bikers, runners, hikers, walkers, horses, families, elderly with canes, wheel chairs, etc). The trail is located in a open grassland valley with little vegetation. The line of sight distance is close to 1/2 mile at least. When my son changed direction, I mean he varied his angle travel by probably 10 degrees.

I think perhaps you should take him to an open area where there are less people around and not such a narrow pathway to get used to riding his bike. Perhaps an empty parking lot?

The path is 10 feet wide (not narrow in my book). The spacing between groups of people was probably 150 yards. That should be plenty for any runner that I know!

I cannot stand when I am jogging or riding my bike and someone is either standing there on the sidewalk or trail and I have to readjust because they don't have the courtesy to get off the sidewalk. And it is not really your kids fault as he is not aware.

In Colorado, bikes yield to pedestrians and horses. Anyway, the jackass did not even announce his presence and give us a chance to make MORE room. He had the whole half of the trail to go around anyway!

 

[model of 1905]

A man walking a trail (just off a busy intersection) in Santa Fe today was approached by two twenty something males who demanded money. The man gave him the small amount of money he had on him. One of the two males then produced a gun and shot the man once in each arm. The man is now recovering in a hospital and the two are still at large.

Be aware and stay safe.

 

[James T Thomas]

walk on the wild side

I empathise with you. You went there to rest and relax, and have to be in some agitated color state. Disgusting state of affairs as Wm. Bendix would have said.

Perhaps have your wife follow behind you; oriental style, so that any trouble coming encounters her first and you can be free to come to her defense.
Squad file sir.
As seemingly rediculous as this may sound at first, I would not think that she would face lethal danger without the perp having to consider you first.
Now, how will you explain to your American wife that she must trail behind you? Good luck with that.

Any adult runner who is so egotistical; engrossed in self, that they cannot slow their pace cautiously for a child, needs to be corrected. It's simply civilization.

Sir, I would carry a hiking staff on my walks, if I were you. I may gain you some respect from the fools, and you do remember the butt stroke, smash,
slash, and thrust, don't you? And one for your wife too.