Are you prepared to meet an aggressive stranger while you’re trying to get into your car and leave? In this video, USCCA Training Operations Manager Steve Fischer breaks down what to do when you’re approached at your car and how to maintain a defensive mindset during an escalating situation.

Stranger: Can I get a ride?

Driver: I’m sorry, I’m late for something.

Stranger: I just got to go to Maple Street.

Driver: I’m sorry sir, I’m late.

Stranger: It’s only a couple blocks. Come on.

Are You Prepared?

So you just watched this video where a young lady is trying to get into her car. I hope that stimulated some thoughts. It certainly got me thinking, and I’m going to try to show you how I might work through a situation like that.

Here we are in a parking lot. You can see cars all over the place. We even have some witnesses here too, right? I’m going to get into my car. However, here comes this guy, and he’s kind of aggressive. He’s approaching me and making me feel uncomfortable.

He’s about 20 feet away. Now, because of the “Tueller Drill,” I know that it takes about 1.5 seconds for the average person to cover 20 feet. I don’t know that I can get into my car in 1.5 seconds. So I act quickly. I want to create distance between me and that person who’s making me feel uncomfortable. I want to create that distance by putting the car in between us.

Remember, now, that there are witnesses all around, so it’s important to speak loudly and give clear directions. This way, I’m communicating not only to the bad guy but to all the people who are around. They become witnesses and understand that I’m possibly a victim.

Tell the guy, “Stop. You’re making me feel uncomfortable. Please don’t come any closer. All I want to do is get in my car and leave. I know you need some help, but I’m not able to give that to you at this point in time.” Now I have to read what that guy’s response is to me after I communicated that I’m feeling uncomfortable.

When to Use Force

I’m carrying a firearm. I know that I have a flashlight and pepper spray. And I know that I have a knife. I have all these options available to me, including my own hands and feet, so I can run and get help. I can get to other people or I can get inside of the nearby building. Maybe I can just zigzag through here and beat him over to the door. I need to be able to make those decisions, but I haven’t thought about this before. I’m not going to know what to do once the pressure is on me.

Ultimately, it would be great if I could get in my car and go, but he’s not letting me do that. So how do I know if I have to go to one of these weapons that I’m carrying with me? Maybe he chases me around the car, and I can’t get away from him. So I grab my pepper spray. I might be able to spray him now and then get back around the car and get in because he’s over there wiping the pepper out of his eyes.

Maybe that’s the case. Maybe not. Maybe that person has made me feel that I am in danger of losing my life. I am scared. I can’t get away because he’s catching up to me. Maybe he caught up to me. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I know that for a justifiable use of deadly force, a reasonable person has to believe that I had no other alternative than to go to my firearm (or knife because that’s deadly force as well).

Have a Self-Defense Plan…

These things all have to be thought through before it happens. Not after it happens, and definitely not while it is happening. I have to have this plan made, and I have to be ready to execute that plan.

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