musick
Member
My post is mainly aimed at civilians, without any "real" training in a "shoot/dont shoot" scenario.
This topic: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=454833
inspired me to tell my story. Its not something I share with too many people, but I suppose the anonymity of forums makes me more comfortable. Ive thought through all of the "what-ifs" a million different ways. Skip to the bottom if you want to get to the point of this post.
Anyway...
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I managed a fast food restaurant a number of years ago, which was in an area I considered "questionable" area after dark. Not only that, but I regularly carried large sums of cash to a nearby bank. I requested and received permission from the owner to carry concealed while on duty. Always w/ 1 in the chamber. So I get a call one night and was asked by the owner, as a personal favor, to close another resturant he owned a few miles away. Told me the closer in the other store (which I have never worked in before) called in sick and he was in a bind, and needed someone to close. I asked my assistant mgr. if she was willing to work some OT and close up "my" store so I could close the other store. She agreed, so I hit the bathroom, to unload, case and lock my Glock (none of my employees knew I carried, and I wanted to keep it that way...its no ones business but my own and the business owner) and I drove off to this other store.
This location had a nightclub across the street, almost within eye shot of the counter. Basically 2 of the 4 walls were glass, so it was easy to see when a customer was walking around the shop. I had a few drunks in throught the night, but nothing out of the ordinary.
It was about 20 minutes until closing time. I saw a lone guy walking towards the entrance. He opens the door, I greet him with a, "Welcome to (resturant name)", and noticed from at least 15+ feet away his eyes...his pupils were the size of dinner plates, no white, just pupil. I felt uneasy straight away and slowly started backing up towards the back of the store. This guy is mumbling/ranting, all I really remember was him saying, "Blood,life,....spills,red..." as he was just walking towards me (there is a large counter in front of us, but he is walking towards the swinging door that would lead him to behind the counter). He said other words as well, but I dont recall what they were...too mumbled. I didnt even have the time/clarity to say anything to him. Too busy feeling the hair on my arms and the back of my neck standing up I guess. As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul, and I didnt like what I saw.
I continued to back up and this guy leaps across the counter. Didnt even go through the unsecured swinging door, but leaped over a 3 or 4 foot tall counter. Hes still about 15 feet away from me when his feet hit the ground, nothing to seperate us now but air. He now has his right hand behind his back, and still mumbling incoherently. I continue to back up and bump into a wall. Not the complete back of the store mind you, but it might have well as been as far as I was concerned. To this day, I still cannot forget those eyes, those pupils. Things are running in slow motion now. Every step he took, every thought in my head...slow motion. I instinctively reach to the small of my back w/ my right hand and remove my firearm. At the time, it seemed painfully slow, my hand not moving at full speed. My left hand seemed to fumble to lift up my untucked shirt. The draw, again, something I will never forget, was smooth, my left hand mirrored my right as I leveled the front sight to center of mass, my finger drawn to the trigger. At this time his right arm has starting to move away from his back and forward towards me, although his hand is still out of my site. I started to depress the trigger somewhat...it was just SO surreal, I cant say for sure. I remember feeling my finger pulling back on that trigger for what seemed like 3 feet!!
The guy freezes....stops moving forward. He looks at me and says, in a completely coherent, clear and logical tone, "Dude...Im just tripping on 'cid." (slang for being high on LSD). He turns around, puts his (now I can see empty) hand on the swinging door and gently pushes it open, and cooly exits the premises. Im still a bit in shock, thinking what almost was, but I walk to the door, lock it up, finish my closing duties (still dont know for sure why, maybe for the routine, the "reality" I was trying to get a grasp on) and got the f out of dodge.
I put in my 2 week notice the next day.
==========================================================
Above all, I feel I am blessed. By who/what, I cannot say, but I also learned a lesson (maybe the MOST valuable lesson) that night - how would I react to a life/death situation. Machismo aside - I wont lie - I was terrified. But I did what I did out of training instinct and am grateful that I know how I would react to a similar situation.
So, to my point if anyone is still reading, one of the most important aspects of training is, "Can I actually do it?". Really, this is a rhetorical question, but one you MUST be truthful with, if only to yourself. I am not speaking of trained military/law enforcement persons, but your average civilian. Do NOT underestimate this critical (and often neglected) piece of training - can you REALLY shoot a human being.
This topic: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=454833
inspired me to tell my story. Its not something I share with too many people, but I suppose the anonymity of forums makes me more comfortable. Ive thought through all of the "what-ifs" a million different ways. Skip to the bottom if you want to get to the point of this post.
Anyway...
==========================================================
I managed a fast food restaurant a number of years ago, which was in an area I considered "questionable" area after dark. Not only that, but I regularly carried large sums of cash to a nearby bank. I requested and received permission from the owner to carry concealed while on duty. Always w/ 1 in the chamber. So I get a call one night and was asked by the owner, as a personal favor, to close another resturant he owned a few miles away. Told me the closer in the other store (which I have never worked in before) called in sick and he was in a bind, and needed someone to close. I asked my assistant mgr. if she was willing to work some OT and close up "my" store so I could close the other store. She agreed, so I hit the bathroom, to unload, case and lock my Glock (none of my employees knew I carried, and I wanted to keep it that way...its no ones business but my own and the business owner) and I drove off to this other store.
This location had a nightclub across the street, almost within eye shot of the counter. Basically 2 of the 4 walls were glass, so it was easy to see when a customer was walking around the shop. I had a few drunks in throught the night, but nothing out of the ordinary.
It was about 20 minutes until closing time. I saw a lone guy walking towards the entrance. He opens the door, I greet him with a, "Welcome to (resturant name)", and noticed from at least 15+ feet away his eyes...his pupils were the size of dinner plates, no white, just pupil. I felt uneasy straight away and slowly started backing up towards the back of the store. This guy is mumbling/ranting, all I really remember was him saying, "Blood,life,....spills,red..." as he was just walking towards me (there is a large counter in front of us, but he is walking towards the swinging door that would lead him to behind the counter). He said other words as well, but I dont recall what they were...too mumbled. I didnt even have the time/clarity to say anything to him. Too busy feeling the hair on my arms and the back of my neck standing up I guess. As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul, and I didnt like what I saw.
I continued to back up and this guy leaps across the counter. Didnt even go through the unsecured swinging door, but leaped over a 3 or 4 foot tall counter. Hes still about 15 feet away from me when his feet hit the ground, nothing to seperate us now but air. He now has his right hand behind his back, and still mumbling incoherently. I continue to back up and bump into a wall. Not the complete back of the store mind you, but it might have well as been as far as I was concerned. To this day, I still cannot forget those eyes, those pupils. Things are running in slow motion now. Every step he took, every thought in my head...slow motion. I instinctively reach to the small of my back w/ my right hand and remove my firearm. At the time, it seemed painfully slow, my hand not moving at full speed. My left hand seemed to fumble to lift up my untucked shirt. The draw, again, something I will never forget, was smooth, my left hand mirrored my right as I leveled the front sight to center of mass, my finger drawn to the trigger. At this time his right arm has starting to move away from his back and forward towards me, although his hand is still out of my site. I started to depress the trigger somewhat...it was just SO surreal, I cant say for sure. I remember feeling my finger pulling back on that trigger for what seemed like 3 feet!!
The guy freezes....stops moving forward. He looks at me and says, in a completely coherent, clear and logical tone, "Dude...Im just tripping on 'cid." (slang for being high on LSD). He turns around, puts his (now I can see empty) hand on the swinging door and gently pushes it open, and cooly exits the premises. Im still a bit in shock, thinking what almost was, but I walk to the door, lock it up, finish my closing duties (still dont know for sure why, maybe for the routine, the "reality" I was trying to get a grasp on) and got the f out of dodge.
I put in my 2 week notice the next day.
==========================================================
Above all, I feel I am blessed. By who/what, I cannot say, but I also learned a lesson (maybe the MOST valuable lesson) that night - how would I react to a life/death situation. Machismo aside - I wont lie - I was terrified. But I did what I did out of training instinct and am grateful that I know how I would react to a similar situation.
So, to my point if anyone is still reading, one of the most important aspects of training is, "Can I actually do it?". Really, this is a rhetorical question, but one you MUST be truthful with, if only to yourself. I am not speaking of trained military/law enforcement persons, but your average civilian. Do NOT underestimate this critical (and often neglected) piece of training - can you REALLY shoot a human being.
