What to do after use of concealed handgun

[USA1]

What to do after use of concealed handgun
clean and oil it

[CompVest]

And if you ever have an opportunity to attend one of Charles Cotton's Texas Self-Defense & Deadly Force Law Seminars, do it. You will receive some extremely valuable information concerning the use of deadly force, Texas laws and things you should/shouldn't do in this type of scenario.

So, how do I find out the whens and wheres of Mr Cotton's good stuff? I'm in Friendswood, so he should be close by.

Keep an eye on Charles' posts. He usually posts when ever he is giving a talk. Charles and PSC will be hosting the TX CHL Forum Day the end of October. There is a thread for registering for the Forum Day. You will have the opportunity to hear Charles and participate in several shooting clinics and other activities.

You will find all the info under the Sub Forum "TexasCHLforum Day at PSC"

[Mithras61]

I think The Lawdog covers it pretty well:

http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2007/01/meditations-on-aftermath.html

[CHLady]

In my opinion from what I've learned, one of the most important things you need to remember is that YOU are the victim and anything you need to say or do to get that through the officers head is to your benefit including saying something like "I can't breathe, I'm having a panic attack, I need to go to the emergency room, officer would you please take the weapon out of my holster....I don't want to touch it right now", etc.

Another thing I deem as important is that once you perceive yourself to be out of eminent danger you should always holster your gun for fear some 'Joe Blow' or even the police will come onto the scene not knowing the circumstances and blow you away as the bad guy.

That's all I have to add from the CHL class I took. Hope that helps a bit.

[CompVest]

Personally, I won't ever consider myself a victim that is the whole idea behind personal defense! However, I do want the responding LEO's to know my life was in danger and I did what I needed to protect myself.

[Excaliber]

In my opinion from what I've learned, one of the most important things you need to remember is that YOU are the victim and anything you need to say or do to get that through the officers head is to your benefit including saying something like "I can't breathe, I'm having a panic attack, I need to go to the emergency room, officer would you please take the weapon out of my holster....I don't want to touch it right now", etc.

Another thing I deem as important is that once you perceive yourself to be out of eminent danger you should always holster your gun for fear some 'Joe Blow' or even the police will come onto the scene not knowing the circumstances and blow you away as the bad guy.

That's all I have to add from the CHL class I took. Hope that helps a bit.

Making clear that the attacker was the aggressor and you the intended victim is most definitely a good thing. You start that distinction by making the 911 call as soon as you safely can, and asking for an ambulance for the injured attacker in the same phone call.

For lots of good reasons, saying something along the lines of "I'm too shaken up to give a statement right now" can certainly work to your advantage. It would almost certainly be true whether you realized it or not due to the neuropsychological effects of a life threatening encounter, and your attorney will breathe a large sigh of relief when you finally get to talk to him.

You need to know that the distorted perceptions that come along with the dump of stress chemicals into your bloodstream and a skyrocketing heart rate won't subside for a while, and memories of the incident won't settle down for 24 - 48 hours. If you try to describe the incident before that time, you are very likely to say things that you believe to be true according to your perceptions at that moment, but that are demonstrably false from the evidence and other witnesses. This can make the difference in the responding officer's determination of whether it was a "good shoot" or not. Things like time, distance and sounds are especially prone to distorted perception. That's why police officers involved in shootings don't give statements until after that time period.

Saying some of the other things quoted above can be unhelpful since they could be construed by a prosecutor to indicate that you were unreasonably fearful, not fully in control of your actions, and were having regrets about what you had done immediately after the incident.

If you're having trouble breathing, your heart is pounding so it seems like it's going to break out of your chest, and you want to go to the emergency room, saying that is fine - but I would leave off the diagnosis, keep quiet, and wait for the ambulance.

Don't worry about the gun part either - responding officers will most certainly disarm you before you get a chance to say anything.

[CHLady]

Excaliber, I think you put it very well and I appreciate the clarification and the continued education. It's nice to have a senior member to bounce these things off of. May we never have to know all these things but may we have the wisdom if and when we need it. Thanks again. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open to learn all I can.

[USA1]

Excaliber, I think you put it very well and I appreciate the clarification and the continued education.

Excaliber is one of the best

[CompVest]

Excaliber, I think you put it very well and I appreciate the clarification and the continued education. It's nice to have a senior member to bounce these things off of. May we never have to know all these things but may we have the wisdom if and when we need it. Thanks again. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open to learn all I can.

I highly recommend reading "On Combat" by Dave Grossman and "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin De Becker if you haven't already. They are a definite read for any that are willing to take responsibility for their own safety.

[Excaliber]

Excaliber, I think you put it very well and I appreciate the clarification and the continued education. It's nice to have a senior member to bounce these things off of. May we never have to know all these things but may we have the wisdom if and when we need it. Thanks again. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open to learn all I can.

I highly recommend reading "On Combat" by Dave Grossman and "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin De Becker if you haven't already. They are a definite read for any that are willing to take responsibility for their own safety.

CHLady, I'm happy I could be of help.

I'll second CompVest's endorsement of both books. They should be "required reading" for anyone serious about self defense. I'll add a third to the list: Sharpening the Warrior's Edge by Bruce Siddle.

This book was written to help law enforcement trainers understand the psychology and science of training, and it is one of the most important references Dave Grossman relied on while writing the "On Combat" passages about the strange things that happen to the mind and body during a life threatening encounter. Examples include tunnel vision, diminished hearing where gunshots are either silent or sound like little pops, the perception that either time speeds up or slows down markedly, visual distortions where ejecting shells may look as big as garbage cans, involuntary release of bladder and bowel contents, and lots of other things that won't enhance your performance. People who have been in a serious auto accident may have some experience with a couple of these, but the effects in combat are much worse.

If you truly want to understand what perceptual and motor changes you can expect in a fight for your life, and how to prepare and minimize them so you do the right things successfully, this book is another "must read."

Those who don't know how to manage the neuropsychology of life threatening events are in for big surprises that will place them at a serious and potentially fatal disadvantage during an incident.

[CHLady]

Thanks from us all!!!

[bkj]

Yeah, I am interested in Mr Cottons Classes as well.


Also, one quick little question and if I need to start a new thread on it let me know. Everyone says I want my lawyer present etc....

I never planned on needing one but now that I have a CHL and will need one if I ever need to use my side warm, how do we go about obtaining one? Why do some folks already have a lawyer? Do they know these lawyers, lawyers know them? Is it a "Just in case" scenario or personal?

http://www.TexasLawShield.com

[shortysboy09]

Mondo2000,

Hmm sounds like a radio host I have heard of lol.

[Rick343]

Make sure there arn't any other threats, holster your weapon, dial 911, take a deep breath and wait for the cops.

[Houpilot2001]

Great tips guys. I've been looking for a forum like this for a while.