Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance
tools for independent minded people…
ISSN 2161-5543
A
Digest of Urban Survival Resources
What should
you do if protestors surround your car?
One can rarely turn on
the news without hearing about mob violence, especially from black lives
matters or the uncivilized anti-Trump protestors. My wife and never go anywhere unarmed and we
avoid problem areas and usually don’t even drive at night.
I often wonder why law enforcement no longer makes use of water
cannons as a means of crowd dispersal…they were very effective in their
day. Below you’ll find some ideas on
protecting yourself…
Street
protests are all too common these days, and blocking traffic has become one of
the favorite methods of public protest. If you, as a motorist, round a corner
and find yourself in the middle of a protest march, or if protestors suddenly
surround your car, you need to take action quickly.
Dave Young,
founder and director of Arma Training, stresses that immediate action is
important, but such action requires forethought and a thorough understanding of
the laws of self-defense in your state.
“Most
state’s self-defense laws allow you to use reasonable force to defend yourself
and your family, but you may not use deadly force unless you are facing an
imminent threat of death or great bodily harm,” Young said. “Some prosecutors
could see using your car to drive away from a protest as using force, even
deadly force. So the first thing you must do is assess the threat level.”
If the
protestors are merely blocking your way, you may be able to use a reasonable
level of force to get out of the situation, but you must remember that someone
who was not at the scene will evaluate your decisions.
In
Wisconsin, the use of force is outlined in state statute 939.48, which reads:
(1) A person
is privileged to threaten or intentionally use force against another for the
purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be
an unlawful interference with his or her person by such other person. The actor may intentionally use only such
force or threat thereof as the actor reasonably believes is necessary to
prevent or terminate the interference. The actor may not intentionally
use force which is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm
unless the actor reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent
imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.
Call 911
Local law
enforcement may already be aware of the protest and may even have people on the
scene. If you make them aware that you are trapped in a large, angry crowd they
may take action to attempt to disperse the crowd and facilitate a rescue, but
don’t count on it. Officers at the scene may not be prepared for a riot
situation, and it may take several minutes or more before police feel they have
the resources to take on a large crowd. You could be injured or killed waiting
for help.
Capture the Images
One of the
best ways to show what you were facing and begin the basis for an effective
legal defense of your actions is to record video of the incident. Most cell
phones have video recorders these days. If you are with a companion, have the
companion record as much of the incident as possible. Try to remain quiet while
recording so as to caption the words as well as the actions of the protestors.
Do not
attempt to record video and drive if you are alone. In that case, start the
recorder, capture as much of the action as you can, then leave the recorder on,
put it down and focus on your escape.
Keep Moving If You Can
Turing
around and immediately leaving the area, if possible, is your best option. If
you cannot turn around or go around the group, driving your car slowly through
a group of protestors may be seen as a reasonable use of force. But unless you
can articulate a reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm, you can’t use
your car as a deadly weapon by driving over people or accelerating through the
crowd.
“If you can
drive away, do so. That might mean driving on the sidewalk or on the shoulder
of the road or through the median,” said Young. “Escape is your first option.”
If Things Turn Violent
If the
protest turns violent and people begin throwing objects, striking your vehicle
or attempting to overturn your vehicle, you have to act quickly. If you
reasonably believe the protestors are going to attempt to enter your vehicle,
drag you out and injure you, the time to use force — perhaps even deadly force
— has come. Young suggests the following:
1.
Immediately get
your family to lay down in the car while shielding their eyes and covering
their skin to protect them from breaking glass or hard objects thrown at or
into the car. If possible, pull the back seat down and take cover in the trunk
area.
2.
Get your car out
of the danger area. Drive where you need to in order to escape. Avoid areas
where your car might get stuck or hung up. If you can’t see effectively,
driving “blind” is dangerous — but you have to weigh that danger against the danger
of remaining where you are. If you have to use your car to push people out of
the way or drive over people trying to stop you, then you must do it. Remember
that you will be held accountable for your actions, so make sure you can prove
that you believed you were in immediate danger.
3.
Get out of sight
of the protestors. If you are in contact with the police, tell them where you
are going. If not, call them immediately after you get out of the dangerous
situation and be prepared to make a full report.
If Your Car Is Stopped, Stalled or Disabled
If you can’t
move and the crowd does not appear to be dangerous, you might just be better
off sitting tight and waiting for things to disperse. But if the crowd appears
to be dangerous, you are now in a very serious, life-threatening emergency. And
this requires a plan (and likely some very intense actions on your part). You
will have to determine if you can safely and effectively leave your car and
move to a protected area.
Again, if
protestors are not attempting to make entry into your vehicle, it may be better
to just sit tight until things subside. But Young suggests immediately leaving
the vehicle if any of the follow things happen:
1.
The vehicle is
not operational, has stalled or will not move.
2.
There is fire
inside or directly outside your vehicle.
3.
Protestors are
smashing your windows or attempting to make entry into your immobile vehicle.
This is
where an effective plan is all but required. If you are planning to leave your
vehicle, remember that you will likely be fighting your way out of your vehicle
and fighting your way to safety. Do not leave in a panic. Think things through.
First and foremost, Young suggests looking for an area that could provide
relative safety and determining a direction of travel to that area.
If you are
responsible for family members or others who are with you, explain the
importance of trying to stay together. This may limit your movement and
defensive options, especially if you have young children, but is it paramount
that you keep everyone accounted for.
Access your
defensive situation, taking a quick inventory of all the items you may be able
to use as weapons when fighting your way to safety. In addition to your
personal firearm, do you have knives, impact weapons or anything else you can
use in your defense?
Do not leave
your car without ensuring you take important items with you. This includes your
identification, house keys, cell phone and any weapons.
Young
suggests you consider the following as you prepare to fight your way out of the
situation:
1.
Can you operate
your firearm effectively from inside your vehicle?
2.
Have you ever
fired through glass? (Flying glass could cut you or damage your eyes.)
3.
Are you and your
companions prepared for the discharge of a firearm in a confined space? (This
is extremely loud.)
4.
Is everyone
prepared to move when the time comes?
“Fighting
through a large, violent crowd is one of the most dangerous situations in the
world. Often the sheer number of attackers can overwhelm even heavily armed and
well-trained individuals. Exiting your vehicle is the last resort in a very
dangerous situation,” said Young. “The first and best option is to avoid such
situations. If you happen upon such a protest, do your best to get away
immediately because there is no telling when the crowd can turn violent.”
— Kevin
Michalowski
Yours for another revolution,
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’
Additional
Resources
The Anatomy of a Breakdown
The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster
Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary
Contact! A Tactical Manual for Post Collapse Survival
Arm Up System-Defense Without Regulation
PM’s Guide to Home Defense
PM’s Guide to Home Defense
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