You can’t be a victim because it just doesn’t happen to people who mind their own business?
Last night 04/21/2009 I was at a gas station in South-East Albuquerque in full uniform in a marked Security car putting gas. I received a text message on my phone, while I was reading it a Hispanic male on foot walked up to me and asked if he could borrow my phone. I told him it was a company phone so I couldn’t. He said “you’re lucky I didn’t jack (steal) it from you” I wasn’t sure if I heard him right so I asked him to repeat. He replied with “you F***** heard me, you wanna do this, I’ll f***** kill you.” I am completely unarmed at this time. I was sure we were going to at least fight. He started to approach me aggressively reaching for his back. That’s when I was sure I was going to get shot or stabbed.
Luckily, I’ve received training in verbal commands and physical presence from when I worked for Robb Hamic/Summit Security and now we teach the same techniques with OverWatch Security, and believe it or not it works. A simple “Back up” in a clear loud voice not only shows your attacker that you’re not afraid, but it also draws attention to you, who wants to stab or shoot someone with a bunch of witnesses? I was ready to fight, and fairly certain that someone would call an ambulance for me when I was on the ground bleeding from being shot or stabbed. I continued using verbal commands to “Back up, Calm down” he called me a p**** and started walking away. I entered my vehicle and called the Police. He was willing to act that way to a Security guard in uniform in a marked car imagine what he’d to do someone in regular clothes!
I’ve received plenty of great training but I’m not bullet/stab proof and neither are you. I was minding my own business just getting gas. How many times a week do you fill up? How many times is your wife, girlfriend, or children with you? Can you stay calm yourself while being in a stressful situation?
This man could have hurt or killed me, I could have hurt or killed him all over a stupid cell phone. These things do happen, and the only thing you can do to increase your chances of survival is training. Self defense or firearms courses through Summit Self Defense, or even a physical presence/verbal command course. These things may have saved my life, or at least saved me from having to use force on an idiot who had a bad temper and a big attitude.
Tips for dealing with aggressive people:
Be assertive but do not talk down to them. Ie: “Back up!” not “you better back up”.
Do not be confrontational. When I was telling him to calm down I said “Look there is a pay phone right there (which there was) you can just use that, I’m sorry it’s a company phone I can’t let you use it”. Truth be told I just didn’t want some random guys face on my phone…
SCAN YOUR AREA: For all I knew at the time he had 3 of his friends close behind him ready to pounce on me. I was constantly scanning left----forward---right---glance over shoulder forward and repeat. (use good judgment, if they are 2 feet from you keep focused on them and their hands.
BY: Anthony J. Landavazo
Member, OverWatch Security, LLC
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