One of the first questions you may ask yourself is how can you help? During this strange and highly politically charged time, our society has seen efforts to defund the police and other endeavors that make law enforcement officers less visible in various communities. And when police are present, certain elements may taunt them, drawing them into an altercation. Those events are filmed without all the initial instigating events that brought law enforcement to the attention of the culprit while they are taking the law breakers into custody. And in some communities, so called social justice warriors have successfully pulled off the zero bail that allows those who have been arrested to almost immediately return from the jail to the streets to commit similar crimes within a matter of minutes.
We have also seen countless cases of violent criminals attacking innocent civilians as well as armed police officers with impunity, while others stand by to watch or film the violent encounter on their cell phones. Most of these violent encounters are perpetrated by the following types of individuals: thugs who may have the unfair advantage of sheer numbers, a violent career criminal, and/or those who are organically or chemically emotional disturbed persons. Often the attacker is larger, meaner, or crazier than the average law-abiding citizen who may be simply walking down the street.
The recipients of these unprovoked attacks are against innocent citizens: elderly, female, or people who were alone and ambushed by two or more assailants. Often the victims failed to see the attack coming until violent barrage began and in some cases, the only thing they could do is attempt to cover their head and face while being beaten.
The first question you should ask yourself is what would you want others to do if either you or a loved one were on the receiving end of a violent encounter? Would you want someone to silently watch and not get involved? Would you want someone to close and lock the doors of their home or business to prevent the thug from entering their building, while the violent attack continues uninterrupted?
Would you want those who witness the attack to continue going about their everyday business and heap pity on the victim of the violent crime as they walk past the crime scene? I would venture to guess that you would want someone to intervene somehow to stop the violent attack from continuing in whatever fashion they could.
Whenever these crimes make headlines, I secretly wish I were physically present to be able to intercede on the victim’s behalf. Because of my skills, I have the ability to bring the attack to an abrupt stop and take the person into custody if the situation is conducive to a citizen’s arrest.
Should you be unfortunate enough to be present as a witness as one of your innocent citizens are the victim of a violent beat down, make the following determinations before you get involved:
Determine if the attacker is armed with a deadly weapon (handgun, long gun, or edged weapon) which will make all the difference with your potential involvement. If the attacker is armed and you are also armed with your concealed firearm and have the training as well as the knowledge of what to do and how to do it, you may be able to take the necessary actions to stop the violent attack. If the attacker is not armed with a deadly weapon, you will have several options:
#1: Determine if the attacker is by themselves or accompanied by others who are either actively participating in the melee or standing nearby agitating the attack or even just watching.
If the attacker is alone, AND you have the requisite skills, if you step in to intervene with the intent to stop the violent attack, keep in mind the attacker may turn his or her attention towards you. You will then need to protect yourself against their violent attack on you. You must know that you are legally justified in the required actions you may need to take, to use the appropriate force to stop the attack.
If the attacker is accompanied by one or more persons know that if you intervene, your personal safety will be at risk. Although your intent is to stop the violent attack on the innocent person, you are more than likely to also become a victim of their attack as one or more assailants turn their attention towards you.
Be a secret witness!
If you are observing a violent attack by a person who is armed with a deadly weapon, or you are not prepared to intervene because the attack is by multiple violent offenders, you will want to be a secret witness to the crime. By being a secret witness, you will observe the attack from a safe and concealed distance that does not let your presence be known to the attackers, and from such a location where you can make an effective escape if needed.
Summon law enforcement to the scene by calling 9-1-1. Advise the 9-1-1 operator of the location, the details of the altercation. If the attacker(s) is armed, advise of the type of weapons involved (i.e. handgun, long gun, shotgun, knife and the physical description of the assailant or assailant(s).
If there are vehicles involved, provide the descriptions and license numbers if possible. If the assailant(s) flee from the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement, provide the direction of travel or places where the assailant(s) have gone.
If you are inside a vehicle, multi-task by first using your telephone to call 9-1-1 to alert them to the on-going attack. If your car does not have a system that will allow you to talk through the car’s speakers, put them on speaker phone as you film the attack from a safe distance. The 9-1-1 operator will need to know that location and severity of the event.
Roll your window down and yell at the attacker to stop. Yell loudly to the attacker the police are on the way. Perhaps the attacker will stop their attack and decide to flee the scene. Do not give chase to the attacker but ask the 9-1-1 operator to summon an ambulance for the victim if one is required.
If you are not in a vehicle, quickly look around to see if you can get others to join you in your rescue of the innocent person. Once again, multi-task by first calling 9-1-1 to alert them to the on-going attack.
Remember that once you intervene, the chances of the thug(s) turning his/her attention on those attempting to rescue the person is a possibility. Hopefully, the people you have asked to help you will not abandon you during any subsequent or potential physical altercation with the thug.
If the help you summoned decides to abandon you and you find yourself on your own, be prepared to take defensive measures for yourself. You do not have to fight fair! Learn how to apply a carotid restraint hold. This is not a “choke hold.” It is a hold that restricts blood flow from the aggressor’s heart to their brain which causes the aggressor to be rendered unconscious. You are not bound by any legal restrictions in the same manner that law enforcement might be in some jurisdictions.
Hopefully, you have already located improvised defensive weapons in your environment for use against the thug if need be. Items such as a medium size rock or another piece of stone can be used to strike the thug to prevent them from overtaking you.
If your attacker gets you in a wrestling type of altercation, you can bite the aggressor. Go for areas of their face or throat. You are not biting to leave teeth marks; you are biting to inflict pain.
The bottom line is that you are not just an innocent by-stander who will either drive or walk by one of your fellow citizens being attacked. You have already decided what actions you will take if you should witness this violent crime and are ready, willing, and able to do what is necessary to potentially save their life as well as protecting yourself at the same time.
Once law enforcement has arrived on scene, you may be asked to provide a written statement as to what has transpired and your participation. There are two major concerns with any statement you provide to law enforcement. The first is to make certain that if you took any physical action that might be viewed as questionable, that you are not incriminating yourself. You must know the actions you took were legal before you intervene, and in subsequent reiterations both verbally and in writing of the information you provide to law enforcement.
The second concern is to make sure your actual physical address is not disclosed to the assailant(s). Instead of giving the address of your home, provide the address of your place of work or a Post office box. You can provide you telephone numbers (work, home landline and cell phone).
Know that if/when the case is adjudicated in court, if the assailant(s) have an attorney, they will be granted Discovery where all documents pertaining to the incident/crime (including the crime report and all written witness statements). The records should have redacted any personal information about your identity, but sometimes things slip through the crack and may have some if not all your personal information included.
Whatever address of your home and/or work you provided to law enforcement may be inadvertently on display to the defendant(s) in the case via the attorney’s discovery of documents. If the defendant(s) is bent on intimidating any witnesses or seeks retribution, they will know where you live. You will always want to take precautions to avoid any assailants from knowing the address of your residence. It is therefore incumbent on you to make sure you do not include your home address.
The bottom line is that if you elect to step in to protect another person, you must also be prepared to protect yourself, not only at that moment, but in the immediate and distant future.