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breamfisher
Senior MemberPosts: 13,894 Senior Member
Happened a few years ago but... Vann Streety, an example of not giving up
breamfisher
Senior MemberPosts: 13,894 Senior Member
I've never met him, but back in 2009 FWC officer Vann Streety was shot while stopping a motorist in a remote area late at night. One shot hit Streety's holster and ricocheted up into his dominant hand, rendering the hand useless, locking the pistol in the holster, and bending the slide of his issued Glock, rendering it a single-shot at best. Another shot hit the top of his left humerus, rendering that arm immobile. His gun hand wasn't able to close on his firearm (even if he could have gotten it out of his holster) and his support arm could only lay there by his side. Other shots hit him in the back, arms and shoulder.
Streety retreated to a concealed position and then made a call to dispatch. To do that he had to lift the hand that worked (his left) with his functioning right arm to get it over to the microphone. He then drew his ankle gun by lifting up the cuff of his pants with his right arm, grabbing the Kahr 9mm with his left hand, then pulling it out using his right arm to manipulate his left arm and bring the pistol up. He had enough gross motor function in his right hand to move his left arm, but not much more. In that position, he was now ready to defend himself.
Local news story about the incident:
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-03-14/wildlife-officer-lucky-be-alive#.U0QDS4XLLnE
More dramatic retelling via Police One:
http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/2000595-Ambush-in-the-brush/
Of note is that Officer Streety never gave up. He retreated but even with two arms that weren't fully functioning he did his best to stay in the fight and be able to defend himself. Even to the point of using a functioning arm with a bad hand to manipulate a non-functioning arm with a good hand. How is this relevant to personal defense? Simple: never give up. You will have the rest of your life to solve your problems, and how well you have to solve it may depend on how determined you are and how well you react. But rolling over and saying "I'm toast" won't solve anything.
Other lessons: Improvise. Find a way to make things work.
Just because you're shot doesn't mean you're dead.
Keep your focus on the issue at hand, and keep thinking through the problems.
Streety retreated to a concealed position and then made a call to dispatch. To do that he had to lift the hand that worked (his left) with his functioning right arm to get it over to the microphone. He then drew his ankle gun by lifting up the cuff of his pants with his right arm, grabbing the Kahr 9mm with his left hand, then pulling it out using his right arm to manipulate his left arm and bring the pistol up. He had enough gross motor function in his right hand to move his left arm, but not much more. In that position, he was now ready to defend himself.
Local news story about the incident:
http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-03-14/wildlife-officer-lucky-be-alive#.U0QDS4XLLnE
More dramatic retelling via Police One:
http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/2000595-Ambush-in-the-brush/
Of note is that Officer Streety never gave up. He retreated but even with two arms that weren't fully functioning he did his best to stay in the fight and be able to defend himself. Even to the point of using a functioning arm with a bad hand to manipulate a non-functioning arm with a good hand. How is this relevant to personal defense? Simple: never give up. You will have the rest of your life to solve your problems, and how well you have to solve it may depend on how determined you are and how well you react. But rolling over and saying "I'm toast" won't solve anything.
Other lessons: Improvise. Find a way to make things work.
Just because you're shot doesn't mean you're dead.
Keep your focus on the issue at hand, and keep thinking through the problems.
I'm just here for snark.
Replies
Damn straight. A good example of that is Officer Stacey Lim of the LAPD. Takes a .357 Mag at point blank range through the heart, advances on her attacker and puts a bunch of 9mm on target. She survived as well:
http://www.policemag.com/videos/channel/women-in-law-enforcement/2010/09/lapd-officer-stacey-lim-s-lethal-force-encounter.aspx
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Sent from my SM-S907VL using Tapatalk
Anybody shoots a cop has plenty of room in his skull for extra thoughts, because he has very few brains.
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When somebody shoots a cop, in my opinion, they are not real good at reviewing their options. And, he/she might also be lacking in judgment. Because you can bet your ass LE is coming to find you with all possible speed and you ain't gonna win. Totally brainless. You just want to shoot something, go shoot a rabbit or a squirrel. Then at least you have supper. Don't shoot a cop because you may have supper everynight for the rest of your life, in a cell.
In other words, if brain cells cause cancer, he'll never get it.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Surprisingly, among a lot of people, the less know about a something--the more stubbornly they think they know it. I've seen it on this forum as well.
:yikes:
Not believing in one-handed techniques is simply a lack of imagination.
A few excuses not to practice one handed techniques when you're healthy, able and have the time.
Feel free to add to the list.:beer:
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain
I'm pretty sure they don't teach that at the academy...
Certainly would also make the case for point shooting applications. (Tools in the Toolbox)
I'm not trivializing here but to keep it short:
"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" and having a "I'm not Dying Today" attitude seem to apply.
Some things can be taught, others you learn the hard way or not at all. I wish it didn't have to be that way.
How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and [how] hard it is to undo that work again! -- Mark Twain