Sup guys, I just thought it would be cool to share this. Posted up by C-3 Community Crime Cooperative on facebook.
I thought this was a really good read, I'm sure there are fellow gun owners on the forum and I'd hate to see them getting in trouble when they act upon self defense or for protecting their families.
Quote:
Private shooting incident. (You have now shot a bad guy)
Like any intricate, expensive, dangerous, rare, item that carries a lot of responsibility to own or use, a firearm rates among the highest. Hence, the current Law (FCA 2000) quite rightly enforces a standard of physical proficiency and competency and legal knowledge before you take your new weapon out of the shop.
This article is not going to harp on about weather one should own a firearm for self defence or not, it is aimed at those who already have one, or are thinking to get one and are prepared for an unlawful, lethal attack on themselves. This can be from a home invasion, a robbery in public or even a road rage incident gone wrong. See, like the list above, all those things one should do as much research about the ownership and use of them before and during time of ownership. Preparation for any circumstance is my watchword. (I roll my eyes to the point of pain when someone says, “I know about guns, I was in the ARMY”. You should see some of those trying to remember which end of an R-1 to hold, let alone something newer they have never seen before.)
The internet has its uses. A lot of information in seconds. It could take days of looking through badly indexed books to find what Google can in .0063 of a second. The downside I find, and this particularly applied to “chat forums” is that you really don’t know who the other person is giving you a certain piece of advice. More dangerously is if you take that advice and then make a cock-up. Who are you going to blame? Some random avatar on Facebook? When seeking knowledge and the references and experience of those you listen to is just as important as the information itself. “Learn from the Learned” said Cato.
I hate to say I am “old school” because I still subscribe to and read the printed word. A recent addition to the local newsagent magazine rack is GUN AFRICA. Now I’m certainly not advocating any particular periodical, but I have to mention I was inspired for this article by one of theirs and got permission from the Editor, Francois Rossouw, to use the very valid points he wrote about in his magazine. A good thing about this particular “gun mag” is that they do spend many pages on gunsmithing, practical exercises and legal knowledge. The latter, I have found is quite sound, hence my advocacy of it.
The title of the article was “you have just shot an attacker”. Not, what do I do if… or, can I… We are tackling the immediate after effect. What I will discuss here also has relevance if you have used any other item than a firearm to neutralise an attacker. That could be a knife, spade or frying pan. This scenario also can be in your own home, or at any place where you have defended your life:
1. The first thing to ensure is that your family, or other innocent people are safe. Crooks have friends. You may have eliminated one from the equation but he may very well have armed buddies around. Look about you, clear your tunnel vision by physically turning your head and focussing on things at different distances from you. Look and see who is running away, who is crouching (hiding or another threat) and who is coming towards you. Remember your ears may be ringing and the adrenalin dump will cause auditory seclusion anyway. You won’t hear people even shouting at you. You will have to use your eyes to stay alive for the next few seconds.
2. Do not leave the scene of the shooting. If one of the attackers runs away, it is arguable if you want to chase him. Your job was to protect yourself and interested parties. What if, like I mentioned above, you missed one who stayed behind, now your family is at HIS mercy while you scamper off into the dark. Further, to the Police or any eyewitnesses, you leaving may look like you are fleeing the scene. Stay right where you are. What is done is done. I have myself seen a crook soak up eleven 9mm bullets at close range into his abdomen and still run 60 meters and drop his gun in a bin, before collapsing. If you don’t hit the pump or electrical system, the machine will keep running until the oil pressure drops. The same suspect, lying on his back, now had nice fresh blood flow back to his brain, so he sat up and continued trying to escape. Leaving the scene or dropping your concentration could get you a nasty surprise. Nothing like pointing to a pool of blood and saying…”He WAS here, I promise!” In saying all that. If your life is still in danger and you are being overwhelmed or basically out gunned, you can perform a tactical retreat. But try not to “run away”.
3. Forget your “panic button”. Get on to 10111 and speak to the Police IMMEDIATELY. You are now involved in a serious scene. Any delay in calling the Police may be seen as suspicious. Yes, I have arrived at a place where the suspect is nearly half an hour dead and everyone looks very uncomfortable when I ask the simplest questions like, “How long ago did this happen?” Remember too, all calls to the Police are recorded. Be careful and say things simply. The temptation to babble is real. Don’t say more than you need to. Keep to the basics, “My name is XYZ, I have a suspect in my house. Shots have been fired. Here is my address…” There is no way you should deny anything, but just be cautious admitting things. If you did shoot the suspect then that is a fact. If you deny it one minute or refuse to answer and then admit later, you must understand that will be viewed with suspicion. The Police do not look to arrest or charge people who have lawfully defended themselves, I don’t care what stories you have read or heard. But try not to talk yourself into trouble. Further, ask the Police call taker to send an ambulance. First it shows that you have respect for human life, irrelevant as to who attacked you, but also, you never know who else might need medical attention. Your spouse or even you can go into shock and there will be nothing better than having medics already on the scene.
4. If you wish, call your attorney and inform him of what has happened. Very likely, if he is a good one, he will calm you and explain what procedure will follow. If you want him to come to the scene, understand that it is going to cost you money and he will not be able to interfere with or obstruct the Police’s duty or actions. This is not American TV.
5. Please DO NOT be tempted to touch or move anything.....
It’s your life.
Take it seriously.
Thank you to the gents at Gun Africa for a mature and relevant article and the permission for me to use excerpts out of it.
Sgt Stephen Clark
SAPS Westville
PS, I had to edit some out, too many characters lol - Here's the link -> https://www.facebook.com/pages/C-3-C...77582682300204
So..basically summarized
1- Evaluate your surroundings, be prepared for further threats.
2- Do not leave the scene (even if it means chasing down others).
3- Phone the cops immediately, stick to basics and try not to make things looks suspicious towards you.
4- If you wish call an attorney, he will explain the situation to you.
5- Do not manipulate or move anything at the scene.
6- Try to restrict people from walking all over at the scene.
7- Try taking photos of the scene.
8- When the police arrive, holster your weapon or put it in your safe. (Though keep it close, they will need to take it in.)
9- You will have to produce a written statement, not immediately, but know that if you don't do it immediately the police will only have physical evidence to work off from.
10- Your weapon will be taken by the police and will be examined.
11- A docket which would read "murder" will go to court with the covering minute from the lead investigator. If you acted in the law, the decision will be "Decline to prosecute" and your firearm will be handed to you.
Also, here's a good video about the best shooting distance you could have. Very useful if you're up against someone with a knife etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXwF CukSjWQ (close the gap)