Good To See A Bad Case Dismissed Against A Fellow Aaron

The case against Aaron Spencer has been finally, and properly dismissed.

Dismissed it has been, but not because, as one would think, his conduct in defending the life of his daughter from a predator was justified.

Instead, it was properly dismissed because of police and prosecutorial misconduct - in spoliating evidence.

CBS News: Judge dismisses murder charge against Arkansas sheriff nominee who killed daughter's alleged abuser

A judge has dismissed a murder charge against an Arkansas man who won the GOP nomination for sheriff while awaiting trial for the shooting death of his teenage daughter's alleged abuser.

Special Circuit Court Judge Ralph Wilson Jr. dismissed the case against Aaron Spencer on Thursday afternoon — just a few weeks before his trial on the second-degree murder charge was expected to begin — because a dash camera memory card that may have captured the shooting was lost by law enforcement.

 Apparently the dashcamera itself was initially withheld from the defense, and then only produced with the SD card, which had apparently been reviewed, and then conveniently went missing:

Spencer's attorneys filed the motion seeking to have the case dismissed, contending that video and audio of the dash camera from Fosler's truck may have contained evidence that would have cleared Spencer of any wrongdoing. According to court records, a detective with the Lonoke County Sheriff's Office removed the dash camera from the truck when responding to the scene of the shooting.

But the camera's internal settings were not preserved, and the battery of the camera was allowed to drain, and as a result, the camera went back to its default settings. When the camera was sent to the attorney general's office for a forensic exam, the memory card that was in it when it was collected from the truck was missing. The detective who collected the camera later admitted that it was not logged into evidence right away, but was instead stored in his personal office rather than the evidence room, according to court records.

Yep, that's not suspicious, at all. 

Meanwhile CNN gave its salacious best: CNN: Judge dismisses murder case against Arkansas sheriff candidate Aaron Spencer

 Spencer admitted to gunning down Michael Fosler in the early hours of October 8, 2024, after he found him with his daughter after midnight despite a no-contact order. Fosler, 67, was out on bond while facing dozens of charges, including internet stalking of a child and sexual assault in connection with Spencer’s daughter, who was 13 at the time.

Yep, a 67 year old, with a reputation for being a pedo, is released with charges of internet stalking and sexual assault on a 13 year old, while on bond takes the same 13 year old at night into his truck.  Aaron Spencer, the girls father finds him and stops the truck.  A fight ensures and Spencer then shoots him protecting his daughter.

One would think based on those circumstances, the defense of a third party alone the case against Aaron Spencer should never have been brought.  Add to it the  impressive mishandling of evidence, and the dismissal is more than justified.

On the upside, the detective that mishandled the evidence has been terminated, so that's at least something. 

I certainly hope Aaron Spencer wins the election as Sheriff and helps to clean up the department accordingly so "mistakes" with evidence do not happen in the future.

Stupid Criminals: What We Have Here

Is a massive failure of the victim selection process.

Our stupid criminal decided to rob not just one, but two armed off-duty police officers. 

 ABC7: Man shot while allegedly trying to rob 2 off-duty NYPD officers at Penn Station

Law enforcement officials say a couple, a husband and wife, were boarding an LIRR train between tracks 18 and 19 around 7 p.m., when the suspect tried to rob the husband, an off-duty NYPD officer.

The suspect wound up in a scuffle with the husband, and that's when police say the wife, also an off-duty NYPD officer, pulled out her gun and shot the suspect in the arm and stomach.

Yep, it happily be that way sometimes.

With this being Alvin Bragg's New York, it is no surprise that the robber had not just a laundry list of prior crimes, but had committed an assault last month but was already out on the street when he made his bad victim selection:

Sources told Eyewitness News that the 32-year-old suspect, who lives in a shelter in Brooklyn, has five prior unsealed arrests, mostly for assault and menacing, including one alleged assault that happened just last month. 

Funny how that happens. At least this assault had an ending that may just keep him off the streets and unable to commit crimes for at least another month. 

Some Internet Self-Defense Myths Refuse To Die

 

Saw this gem on Facebook yet again today.

If you don't have a gun, and even if you do, here's a way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. Did you know this? I didn't. I never really thought of it before. I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat. 

Wasp Spray -- A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead. 

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use. 

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life. 

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. 

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." 

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. 

It's also one he wants everyone to hear If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Please share this with all the people who are precious to your life. 

Did you also know that wasp spray will kill a snake? And a mouse! It will! Good to know, huh? It will also kill a wasp!!!
And best of all, immobilize a human.

No, no, it really will not.

 

Wasp spray is not an effective stopper against people, it does not quickly incapacitate people. 

It is not in any way as effective as pepper spray.

On top of that, it’s actually illegal to intentionally spray people with it. Whether you would actually get charged for it is an open question, assuming you survive the beat down by the now really annoyed person you just sprayed with it to even get charged.

This is, unfortunately, an internet myth that refuses to die. 

Most likely Val Glinka doesn’t exist or if Val actually does, Val. I'm reasonably sure, doesn’t teach high schoolers at a flipping high school to hit people with wasp spray for self-defense. 

 

 Now, if Val actually does do that, that's quite the commentary on teacher qualification in the school system these days.

Yet Another Reason To Appreciate Being American

You can actually defend yourself if attacked.

Unlike say, Australia, where you can be criminally charged for pepper-spraying someone who is in the act of breaking into your home. 

 Not The Bee:  Australian man criminally charged for stopping home invader with pepper spray

 Yes, really.

Compare to a similar situation in the US but with a much happier ending for the victim in the home, in Illinois of all places:  

Daily Mail: Mom hid her baby in closet then shot and killed burglar who broke into her home in peaceful suburb late at night

The Anglosphere seems to be swiftly shrinking away from what it once was. 

Not A Good Look

Fun window sticker seen on a car today.

Click to embiggen. 

 It says: "If you hit me with my baby in the car...  I'll whoop your ass til the cops come"

That's a great job announcing that the driver is going to commit a violent assault on another individual if an accident occurs.

So, if an accident occurs, and a fight breaks out between drivers, and the driver has this on the car, which driver in the incident do you think is likely going to get charged for the fight?

Yeah, the driver of that car is going to have some explaining to do. 

Announcing you are going to engage in violence where violence is not warranted is not a good look.  That sticker can and will be used against you if things go sideways.

It also tips off others to expect the driver of that car is going to be violent if something happens. They may be a bit extra cautious and then interpret that driver's actions as leading to a physical altercation,  causing them to react more outwardly defensively than the  driver would likely prefer.  It also gives them a head start on a self-defense defense in a fight, after all the idiot driver announced to the world that they would "whoop your ass" of anyone with whom they got into a car accident.

Given the driver of said vehicle was in fact driving like crap, and likely had a phone glued to their ear (which is now illegal in Michigan but still ignored by many), that sticker is just asking for trouble if a fender bender occurs. Given how that driver drove, that is likely at some point.

Don't put stupid stickers on your car announcing your proclivity to engage in unwarranted violence, it's going to make things a lot worse for you.

Why You Don't Intervene In Other People's Fights

You may be dealing with more than you can handle.

By all reported accounts, Rashawn Bryant was a very decent fellow who unfortunately intervened in the wrong fight at the wrong time at a tailgate event at the Eastern Market in Detroit.  

He apparently saw two men arguing at the tailgate and seemingly about to exchange blows, and then apparently tried to step in to stop or deescalate the fight.  Unfortunately, what he thought was going to be a fist fight turned into a gun fight.

The story was first reported as a shooting where the shooter had pulled a firearm and shot without justification: 

The Detroit Free Press: Shooting at Detroit's Eastern Market leaves 1 dead, 1 critically injured.

It now turns out the shooter was determined to have been justified in doing so, as the other person in the fight had escalated the situation and pulled and pointed a firearm at the shooter before the shooter drew his own firearm and shot the attacker: 

The Detroit News: Wayne County prosecutor: No charges in Eastern Market shooting

Sadly, that single round traveled through the attacker and also hit Rashawn Bryant as well, killing them both.  

It's a tragedy on multiple levels.  

We still don't know what sparked the original fight between the two parties, but avoiding fights in the first place is always a very good idea, especially when carrying a firearm. It's also a sad reminder not to try and intervene in other people's fights as you likely don't know what is going on, nor where it can lead.

Stupid Criminals: A Case Of Bad Target Selection In Detroit

So, a robber attempted to rob a Detroit citizen at gunpoint last Thursday.

Unbeknownst to the robber, the victim had a CPL, and he promptly shot the robber.

Click On Detroit: Man in critical condition after trying to rob CPL holder at gunpoint in Detroit

 The robber was taken to the hospital and the CPL holder properly acted in self-defense.

Yet another example of armed citizens stopping criminals and protecting themselves.

The Next Time Someone Says A Civilian Doesn't Need More Than A 10-Round Magazine . . .

You can show him this video:

Video is courtesy of Scholl Security Group from their Facebook page.

Note that it took over a dozen shots on Mongo, and he kept on advancing towards the victim even after absorbing a dozen hits.

Now imagine you're the victim on the ground and the police aren't there and all you have is a firearm with a 10-shot or less capacity.

Still feel comfortable with a 5 or 6-shot J frame?  How about a 10-round mini-wonder-nine? You likely are going to come up quite a few rounds short.

Do you ever practice reloading a revolver or a small semi-auto while prone and fending off an advancing attacker with your offhand?  

I'd posit you will most likely be unable to reload the revolver and get it back into action in such an encounter, and probably also unlikely to get a spare magazine out and reloaded in such a situation, even though such a reload is easier than that for a revolver.

Well, you've got the rest of your life to figure it out.

Magazine capacity limits do nothing to stop a criminal, and instead hamper a law-abiding citizen's ability to effectively defend themselves.

Everyone Has A Plan 'Til They Get Punched in The Face

This is Fight Sim week at the jitsu training center I attend.  Fight Sim week is done at the end of each chapter in the training cycle and is about the most exhausting week you get to enjoy.

The general program at the center begins with basics that are applicable to street defense through getting your Combatives belt.  Then the next phase, Master Cycle, which is Combatives belts and up, adds both advanced self-defense techniques and advanced sport jitsu moves as well, and it adds Fight Sim for high intensity self-defense.  

Fight Sim is where the combative and other techniques get put to use in a simulated street-type encounter. Fight Sim deals with jitsu being used to defend yourself in a street fight and the attacker is throwing punches.  Lots of punches. Happily, they are at least wearing 5.5oz gloves that cover the hand fully but you can get your fingers out to do grips and other techniques (or accidentally stab someone in the eye, but more on that later).

At lot of Fight Sim is learning to get through the attackers punches safely to close and effect a take-down, and also learn to be able to reduce the effectiveness of punches an attacker is throwing when they're on the ground. Because they're going to be throwing a lot of punches. 

Punches tend to get your attention.  Knowing how to handle incoming punches matters quite a lot.

Even at 10-20% power (the limit we use for training in this class), a shot to the face makes you eager to want to sharpen your defenses.  Occasionally your attacker gets a little overenthusiastic in the melee and you receive a little more than a 20% hit.  Stings a tad.  Generally Fight Sim is set so the "bad guy"  is not supposed to use jitsu techniques but instead acts as either be an untrained puncher (think wild swings trying to knock you out) or more of a skilled striker with jabs, crosses, hooks, etc.

Jitsu can be for both sport and self-defense.  For example, a Butterfly guard is great for sport jitsu v jitsu, but if you try to use a butterfly guard in a real fight, you will get you bell rung with punches.  Knowing what techniques to use where matters quite a bit and our center always wants us to stay sharp on the self-defense side of the equation.

Very good training, and a 5 minute round defending yourself from someone intent on punching you is rather exhausting.  

You need to close the distance through  punches, or in anticipation of a punch, execute a take-down, maintain control of someone who is using all their weight to buck or throw you off and who keeps trying to punch you even when down, and then get a submission if possible. Like I said, it is pretty darn exhausting but good training.

Unfortunately, I had one session yesterday with someone who got a tad overenthusiastic and his hand did a nice ricochet off my blocking hand and then went on to smack me right at the right eye with a finger poking out of his glove,  so I have a rather impressive shiner right now.   Not intentional at all, but minor injuries do happen.   I've iced it and its overall ok, just doesn't look great.

Aside from that it went well, but I can say that being paired up with someone stronger and bigger than me as a bad guy makes for an exhausting bout. 

Of course, this is good training as it is unlikely that someone smaller and weaker than you is going to pick a fight and attack you in real life. 

But, it got hairy and I had to work hard to avoid getting pounded even at 10-20%, especially when in one case my bad guy started in mount position as part of the scenario.  Being mounted when punches are flying just plain sucks. Managed to get out of it and establish a good defense, and then control him, but I was pretty much spent after that 5 minute round.

The class then ended and we then spent 15 minutes doing standard jitsu rolls afterwards which felt pretty easy by comparison as no punches were flying.

Heckuva good class and great training.

I'm Suprised It Has Taken This Long - Stupid Game Player Wins Stupid Prize

Social media pranks are all the rage - scaring people and other fun hi-jinks played on the unsuspecting.  Many such have left us shaking our heads that such actions are going to lead to someone doing such antics getting shot sooner or later.

The pranks often are safely executed in locales where the unsuspecting scare-ees are unlikely or unable to be carrying weapons or be inclined to violently defend themselves from the scare-ers.  But, one Youtuber just managed to commit such an act of stupidity where armed citizens happen to be not so rare to come across.

With rather predictable results.

FoxNews: Tennessee man, 20, shot dead during YouTube prank robbery: cops

In short,  the prankster, along with a fellow accomplice, approached a person not in on the joke with drawn knives and acted like they were attempting to rob him and his friends as a prank.  This ended with the prankster assuming ambient temperature after being shot.

The prankster wasn't the victim here.  Instead it was the law-abiding citizen being forced to shoot the dumb schmuck who both assaulted him and made him justifiably believe he was facing a deadly threat requiring him to react with deadly force.

Chalk Another One Up For The Good Guys

The Detroit News: Deceased suspect in robbery at Roseville car wash identified as Detroit teen

2 attackers try to rob a car wash customer at gun point.      The customer happens to be legally armed,  shoots back and nailed at least one of the attackers, who later died.

 Police say they've identified the suspect who was shot and killed during an alleged attempted robbery at a car wash Tuesday as a 16-year-old male from Detroit.

 Authorities say they also are looking for a second suspect in the attempted robbery.

 Excellent result from an armed law-abiding citizen.

Enhanced Spicy Treats In Michigan

Thanks to our legislature and Governor Snyder making this change at the end of in 2018, which I somehow missed until I did a recent dig through the Michigan Complied Laws, Michigan residents can now carry more effective pepper spray without violating the law.

Previously it was a maximum of 5%, then it was increased a few years back to a maximum of 10% oleresin caspiscum.

Now, thanks to a law passed in late 2018, you can carry up to 18% pepper spray in Michigan, catching us up to 45 other states.

It can also now contain an ultraviolet dye for later identifying the attacker, which is nice.

A Very Timely Tome That Could Save Your Life

Marc MacYoung, is probably one of,  if not the, foremost practical experts on violence and anti-social interpersonal dynamics.  He has just come out with a book in a most timely manner:

Multiple Attackers: Your guide to recognition, avoidance, and survival

If that doesn't strike you as vital information for this day and age, well, go buy the book anyways and you'll figure it out.  

Available just on Kindle, it's not a traditional book but instead its rather interactive with links to videos that highlight and demonstrates the points he's getting across.

Tons of useful and timely information and concrete practical advice, and given what is going on in our urban areas today its a must-read.

Again, this is some highly recommended reading.

So, What Are The Odds?

Approximately, and the data seems to be hard to find,  1 in 50 Wisconsinites overall has a felony record.

So whats the odds that it turns out that all 3 of the attackers of Kyle Rittenhouse had felony records?

 

 One pedo sex offender, one felony domestic abuser, and one felony burglar.  Quite the trifecta.

For those of you wondering what the answer is, and what the odds actually are, well, per a statistics person I know who just communicated the answer to me, the odds are roughly 1 in 10,000.

One Way To Resolve A Self-Defense Incident - With A Plea Bargain

So you're innocent and accused of a crime. Say in this case felonious assault after you drew your firearm to protect yourself.

Felonious assault in Michigan is, as the name suggests, a felony with a penalty of up to 4 years in the clink if you're found guilty, plus restitution, plus an additional sentence for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

In short, it's not a pleasant prospect to be facing.

As described previously, I was retained and helped my client get bailed out. On to the next steps.

First, there's the probable cause conference where you meet with the prosecutor and discuss things with them and the court. I have a nice discussion with the prosecutor in this case, explain my client's version of things and that we have an additional witness to back up the story. She notes the other party also has a witness to back their side of events. Very civil chat and it ends with her offering my client to plead to attempted felonious assault, which is a 2-year high misdemeanor.

This is obviously better than a 4 year felony but he's still looking at jail time and BATF would consider that disqualification from owning firearms as the sentence potential is over 1 year. Not a great offer at all, and my client understandably doesn't want to accept that so we fight on.

Next comes the preliminary exam.

The preliminary exam is where the prosecutor must prove: 1. A crime was committed and 2. The defendant more than likely was the one who committed the crime. Not a high bar to get over, and darn few cases are dismissed at the preliminary exam. It is however often worth using to test the prosecutor's witnesses and see what they have and lock in their testimony. In a self defense case, there's an additional burden the prosecutor has - to show my client most likely did not act reasonably in self defense.

So we do the preliminary exam. Good news - while the "victim" is available to testify, his witness apparently has refused to appear, including disobeying a subpoena to appear for the prosecution.

The prosecutor takes the witness, the prosecutor's victim and in our side of it the aggressor, through the event including the argument between the parties that led to the altercation.

I then get to cross-examine and establish that it was the "victim" that started the argument, the "victim" had threatened other people (who weren't there) with being shot if he saw them, setting the stage for willingness on his part to threaten deadly harm.

He stated it wasn't a heated argument, unlike what my client stated occurred.

I also got him to admit that: 1. During the argument my client appeared visibly afraid during the altercation; 2. My client had asked him to leave multiple times, and he had refused; 3. That he, the "victim", (who was open carrying) had his hand near his firearm, but he claimed not on his firearm, during the argument before my client drew his firearm. My client then drew and pointed it in his general direction, telling the victim he was going to shoot him, which the "victim" happened to catch on his phone video, but he conveniently caught none of the events precipitating that. The video didn't make my client look great and he wasn't exactly using his words in a beneficial matter and wasn't quite perfect. But, the aggressor then left and my client put his gun away.

This is right when my client should have called the police, because the "victim" sure as heck did -- claiming my client pointed a gun at him without any good reason and the witness that failed to show up had backed his statements at the time, leading to the charges being pursued.

Overall, there was some pretty good and some useful testimony for our side, and some for their side. Some other evidence entered with another witness called and some testimony taken, arguments made, and we're done. At this point I've definitely done some damage to the prosecutor's narrative of the case, not to mention locked in the testimony of the prosecution witness.

In short, we've got a He Said - He Said situation with some serious differences in testimony as to what happened and whether it will amount to a reasonable act of self defense or not.

The judge then says: I'm going to take a break and decide how to rule on this matter. I'd suggest the parties talk and see if something can be worked out. If I rule that there is sufficient evidence the case goes forward up to Circuit Court, and it is a low burden for the prosecutor to meet to have this happen, but if I rule against the prosecution then it will be dismissed so you may all want to talk before I make my decision.

In short the judge just gave both sides an impetus to try and resolve it short of his making a decision. He told us to talk, and so we do. I will say the judge had a rather excellent poker face at that point.

The prosecutor and I then talk.

The prosecutor makes one heckuva offer: Misdemeanor brandishing, with a controlled conditional plea that there's no jail, no probation, and only a $100 fine and that is it. In short, aside from my client being unable to have a CPL for 8 years, it is close to the equivalent of pleading to having been caught spitting on the sidewalk.

I then explain the offer to my client.

He understands that he could continue, go to trial and win, but if he lost at trial he'd be looking at jail time and a felony record. He states his boss is also annoyed with the times he's had to take off for work for the case already, and the obvious expense and time involved in going to Circuit Court and all the stages and mandatory appearances that have to happen before trial would add to the fun he's been having from this incident.

He also understands that he can end it now with paying $100 and not having a CPL for 8 years, but not otherwise risk losing his firearms rights and his freedom.

He decides to take the deal and move on with his life.

In short, not a bad result.

While I would have liked to take it to trial and think we would have won, I'm happy to have been able to get him such a good deal. It is always the client's decision to accept or reject a deal. A fine of $100 with a minor misdemeanor on his record, and in return getting rid of a felony charge and all risk of jail, fines, with no further court appearances, and no further problems is not a bad way to resolve the matter.

Some Legal Considerations For After A Self-Defense Incident

I'm currently representing a client in a self-defense case where he succeeded in defending himself in an incident but is now being charged by the prosecutor with felonious assault with a firearm, a 4-year felony. He did not discharge his firearm during the incident.

Without discussing the case further, as it is pending, and while it is a self-defense case, it has some "he said - he said" and conflicting witness accounts with grey areas that certainly let the prosecutor bring charges.

So Here's some Important Things to keep in mind in a self-defense incident:

1. Expect To Be Arrested.
You may have done it right, but the police and prosecutor may not agree or not even care to know at the time. My client had been arrested on the weekend, after the incident, and got to spend a night in jail as there was no judge available for Sunday arraignments. He did get a phone call, and he used it to contact me which was good. He also cooperated completely with the police and jail staff during his arrest and jail stay. This is important - don't do anything to increase any charges against you or make a court reluctant to grant you bail by acting out when under arrest. Instead, continue to behave as a law-abiding citizen at all times. Yes, it sucks, don't make it worse.

2. Have Bail Money.
At the arraignment, I was able to get the judge to see my client's perspective concerning the incident and presented an outline of the evidence to set the stage for it being a self-defense case. This was good and the judge actually told my client to thank me as based on the prosecutor's urging and the public defender, who I replaced at the arraignment, he was going to set bail at $50,000 (which my client did not have). But instead, based on my lawyering, he set it at a $2,000 / 10% down bond, meaning my client had to come up with $200 to get out of jail.
In short I did a nice job.

The problem was, my client didn't have $200 on him, nor did his family member who came to pick him up. This led to some interesting moments but it got worked out. Make sure whoever is coming to pick you up has money available for bail. Instead of buying your umpteenth firearm, have some money set aside in an envelope that your family member or trusted friend can get to for these ugly occasions. While item 3 below may help with bond, it can take time to get that arranged, so having cash easily available beats sitting in jail waiting to get bailed out. Trust me, you don't want to stay in jail any longer than you have to.

3. Concealed Carry Insurance Is Highly Recommended.
Good lawyers are not cheap, bail money isn't cheap, potential expert witnesses aren't cheap. The judicial process in a felony charge situation is not cheap. Having Concealed Carry Insurance is a darn good idea. I can say that the client has USCCA insurance and the USCAA is really stepping up and providing coverage for him which is vital. I have no experience as an attorney with other insurance programs for CPL holders, but based on my interactions with USCCA in this and prior incidents for clients, I can say their personnel, including their legal staff, are extremely responsive, on the ball, and do step in to get their member help. USCCA does get a retainer to the representing attorney, fast. Unless you have $5k-10k lying around just for a retainer for a felony case, you will want insurance, and an insurance program that pays up front.

4. Please be the one to call (or have someone on your side call) the police immediately and report the incident.
While no lawyer wants you making voluminous off-the-cuff statements where you may unknowingly be implicating yourself, any time you draw your firearm to protect yourself you're in a race to the phone. Not contacting the police immediately afterwards is very much not helpful. It is sufficient to state in the call that you were attacked; the attacker went that-away; you used a firearm to protect yourself; and you will happily stay where you are and wait for the police to arrive so you can report the incident (assuming that's safe to do, otherwise state you will drive or otherwise go direct to the police station); and yes, you do want to press charges if they catch the attacker.

Drawing your gun and preventing the attack is only the first stage in the encounter, winning the race to the phone is the next stage. Yes, bad guys do lie, call the police, and claim they're the victim and demand charges against you. It happens in real life.

5. Expect Not To Be Allowed To Own Firearms While The Case is Pending.
Most release terms for felony charges will include no alcohol, no drugs, and no possession of firearms. It's not a bad idea to have someone you can trust be ready to take possession of your firearms in such a situation.

In short, unless your self-defense incident was absolutely crystal clear, your protecting yourself and prevailing in the face of a violent attack is just the beginning.

In The Place Where Great Britain Used To Be

Sky News: Pensioner held on suspicion of murdering 'burglar' pictured

Yes, a 78-year old managed to kill one of at least a pair of armed home invaders who broke into his home is now being held on suspicion of committing murder.

Reportedly, the home invaders, armed with screwdrivers, backed the man into his kitchen where at least one of them found out you shouldn't bring a screwdriver to a knife fight.

In most civilized countries, a 78-year-old facing and successfully fighting off two armed home invaders would be praised.

Unfortunately, this occurred in the United Kingdom, where permissible acts of self defense are now reduced to lying down and thinking of England.

WTH Canada?

I'm really hoping there's more to this story to explain this travesty of justice.

A fellow in Nova Scotia, Canada is at home when the home is invaded by three intruders who are armed with firearms.

In the struggle that breaks out, he gets ahold of one of their firearms and shoots at least one of them, causing them to flee.

One would think this is a happy result, yes? Well, the story isn't over......

He is then charged with attempted murder and unauthorized possession of a firearm and a raft of further firearms related charges including improper storage of a firearm.

No kidding.

Herald News: Break-in suspect shot, man in home charged

Police said that three men entered the residence with guns and a struggle took place with two men inside. The two in the home seized a firearm from one of the suspects and several shots were fired as the suspects fled. Police later located one of the suspects, who had non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Munroe [the guy who beat back the home invaders] faces charges of attempted murder, intent to discharge a firearm, intent to discharge a firearm when being reckless, careless use of a firearm, improper storage of a firearm, pointing a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm knowing that possession is unauthorized, and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

I had no idea that Nova Scotia had turned into the United Kingdom when it came to self defense, and I expected better of the RCMP.

Today's Self-Defense Lesson: Pottery Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

No, pottery should not be your first choice to defend yourself against an attacker, nor your second for that matter.

Especially when being attacked by a crazed home invader with a golf club, pottery is a very poor means of self-defense.

Detroit Free Press: Cops: Homeowner tosses pottery, flees burglary suspect

However, it appears that was all this particular home owner had available.

Luckily the pottery throwing delayed the attacked long enough for the homeowner to get upstairs and then jump out a window from the second floor to safety.

Methinks the homeowner should consider upgrading his self-defense options from pottery to something from the Iron age or later, such as perhaps the Tenifer age.

Yet Another Example Of Why You Need More Than 10

The Detroit News: Police: Off-duty officer shoots way out of holdup

Reading the article you can see he fired "at least ten rounds" which likely means more than that. If he was carrying the Detroit Police Department issued M&P 40, that would be 15 in the magazine and one in the chamber for potentially 16.

So much for the argument that no one would possibly need more than 10 rounds in a magazine, or that 10 is a magical "common-sense", "reasonable" limit.

While some may argue "But he was a police officer", He was off duty and acting completely as a law-abiding citizen when he was waylaid by the two individuals, at least one of whom had a rifle. Ten plus rounds were needed to protect himself, and fortunately he had that and lives in a state without an arbitrary and capricious magazine capacity limit.

He hit at least one of the two in the encounter, and that one was caught when he showed up to a hospital. The officer got out of the attack unhurt, so that counts as a win for the good guys.