Were these armed defenders skilled or just lucky in preventing a kidnapping?

The mainstream media refuse to cover most examples of armed defense. Some outlets have never covered a single story of that type. That leads to several problems. We can forget that armed defense occurs. We are also less versed in what we should do if we see a lethal threat. The problem is out of sight so out of mind.

Let’s look at what some neighbors in Port St. Lucie, Florida, saw and at what they did as it relates to the armed defense of a woman who was being kidnapped by an ex-boyfriend while leaving church.

What the defenders saw

Two men were in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church at about 11 a.m. one Sunday morning when they heard a woman scream. Each man walked toward the screams, and they saw a 74-year-old woman being forced across the parking lot by a 64-year-old man. The attacker was pointing a handgun at the woman, who shouted for help as she was being forced toward the attacker’s car.

What the defenders did

Both defenders followed the pair, and both were armed. The victim fell to the ground. Surveillance cameras show one of the defenders placing his hand on his concealed firearm, and both defenders positioned themselves between the kidnapper and woman. The kidnapper then faced an uncooperative victim and two armed defenders. It is unclear if either defender drew their firearm and pointed it at the attacker. The attacker returned to his car and fled the scene while the defenders remained with the woman.

What we know now

The victim and the attacker had been in a romantic relationship, and the relationship failed. The victim broke off contact with the attacker and was assaulted by him. The victim asked for and received a domestic violence injunction. That court order required the ex-boyfriend to stay away from his ex-girlfriend, but he stalked her. He knew she attended a particular church service, and he grabbed her immediately after as she stepped out of her car. Simply being within 100 feet of her car was a violation of the court order.

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The attacker was a convicted felon with a prior charge for violating the prohibition of felons possessing firearms. The attacker had a history of criminal violence and attempted kidnapping. He also was reported to have said, "If I can’t have you, then no one can." He was arrested at his home, where police found a BB gun but no firearm.

In addition to the existing weapons charge, the attacker was charged with the following:

• attempted kidnapping while armed with a firearm
• battery on a person 65 years of age or older
• possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• aggravated stalking (violation of the active domestic violence injunction)
• aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Bail was set at $745,000.

What is best practice?

Here are some important points to remember:

• We want eyewitnesses and earwitnesses. The victim screamed and got help. Criminals don’t like drawing attention.
• It is seldom to our advantage to move with an attacker. If attackers attempt to move you, they are taking you to a position where they believe they have a greater advantage. The kidnap victim in this case helped herself by falling down.
• The victim faced an immediate, lethal, and unavoidable threat. Those factors justified the use of lethal force by the innocent victim. A third party — the two defenders in this case — were justified to use lethal force because the victim was justified to do so. You do not have the right to threaten to use lethal force if you don’t have the right to actually use lethal force.
• Putting your hand on your guns saves time. Even if you have to draw your firearm from the holster, most often you will not have to press the trigger. Is that how you practice at the range?
• We can’t know what might have occurred, and there are risks with every choice. In this case, the attacker posed a lethal threat to an innocent party. The defenders left the victim in danger while they tried to deescalate the situation. It might have been better to stop that threat immediately. It worked this time, but the victim could have been shot while the defenders talked.
• Call 911 if your gun becomes exposed. That is true even if you don’t have to present it and press the trigger.
• If you are in a situation like this one, shout for everyone to call 911. You want to have the phone numbers of witnesses. If possible, gesture to one person nearby to call 911.

That is a lot to think about — and too much to process as the situation unfolds in front of us. In the moment, we can respond to a plan, but we won’t have time to think as it occurs. You can recognize a problem and solutions if you have already thought about it.

About one out of a dozen of us is armed in public. Thank you for thinking about what to do while you have time.

Rob Morse writes about gun rights at his SlowFacts blog and hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast.