“John Faust had stopped at a San Bernardino gas station in the early morning hours of June 24 when he was suddenly approached by two male robbers armed with guns,” ktla.com reports. “One of the robbers said, ‘Give me your wallet,’ according to Faust, and then punched the 78-year-old great-grandfather in the face. ‘The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground,’ Faust said.” Yes. Yes he was. The remarkably clear surveillance video that reveals the severity of the punch. In fact, the attack could have killed Mr. Faust. There are a few lessons to be learned here . . .
1. Gas stations are not a great place to be “in the early morning hours” – Where else can a robber rob at o’ dark? Equally, late night gas stations are easy-in, easy-out; usually positioned at crossroads. They’re excellent for quick getaways.
2. Gas stations offer excellent visibility and security – for the bad guys – Gas station thieves can see cops coming from a long way off. They can loiter or hide without seeming suspicious. They can plan their attack, wait for the right moment and then strike. Not to mention the fact that they can pin good guys in, as they did here.
3. Crank-up your situational awareness to 10 at a gas station – If you don’t see the bad guys coming and they get as close as these perps did to Mr. Faust, you are WAY behind the eight-ball (a.k.a., OODA loop).
4. Have a plan – be ready to forget the fill, flee your car, run around your car (putting it between you and the perps) and/or draw your gun to defend yourself. Do NOT let the bad guys get within bad breath distance, assuming compliance will save your proverbial bacon.
5. Carry a gun. Always.
[h/t DrVino]