DGU of the Day: Better A Bad DGU Than No DGU? Edition

Gunnies will know this Washington State concealed carrier made a number of “mistakes” during her DGU [via us tdn.com]. See how many you can spot.

The 35-year-old woman was near Martin Dock around 8:10 p.m. when the man approached her “aggressively,” sat down and began performing a sex act, then suggested she should watch him, according to the woman and accounts from police. “I put the magazine in my gun. I cocked it,” the woman said in an interview Thursday night. “I said, ‘You need to leave or I’ll shoot you. I’m going to blow your brains out.’ ” “Oh, [expletive]!” the man declared, before running away . . .

The woman, whose name is being withheld by the paper because she is the victim of a sex crime, said she has never before brought her gun, a Ruger .380, with her to the lake, but she grabbed it on her way out the door Wednesday because it was foggy and dark.

“I just had a feeling,” she said . . .

As the man fled, she said she sent her dog, a well-trained Norwegian Buhund Hound, after him. In time, the dog had the man cornered at the gate to Lions Island near Kessler Boulevard. She called her dog back, and the man disappeared into the darkness.

For those of you new to armed self-defense, here’s a list of “rules” our Evergreen State resident violated, starting at the end and working our way backwards.

1. Always carry

You never know when you’re going to need your gun. Hopefully, never. Short of that, who knows? Not you. If you depend on a “feeling in your water” for a decision to carry, or only tool-up when it’s a dark and stormy night, chances are you’ll be wrong.

You only need to be wrong once to end up at room temperature. Or worse. To paraphrase Monty Python, no one expects a strange man to sit next to you and whip out his penis (with certain notable exceptions).

2. Walk away

Indecent exposure is a crime. However, it does not constitute a lethal threat in and of itself. (Even though the victim was with her six-year-old son.) Legally, you’re only allowed to brandish or indeed discharge your firearm when faced with an imminent, credible threat of death of grievous bodily harm.

Perhaps the masturbator was about to turn murderous. If so, chocks away. Remembering that any decision to bring your weapon to bear and/or fire it will be subject to the “reasonable person” standard. Would a reasonable person have thought that the flasher was a potentially lethal threat?

Probably. And it must be said the crime is so distasteful that you’d be hard-pressed to find a DA or jury that would give a damn if his rights had been violated. I reckon they’d give the vicitm a free pass even if she plugged the penis pulling perp.

Regardless, I would not recommend that anyone stick around to find out, or attempt to make a citizen’s arrest, on someone engaging in public perversion. As always, it’s better to avoid, evade and escape from any kind of criminal behavior.

The only gun battle you’re guaranteed to win is the one you never have.

3. Carry your gun properly

According to this report, the vic had time to see the perv, retrieve her gun’s magazine (from her purse, presumably), load the firearm, aim it and yell at the bad guy? That’s lucky. What if the bad guy hadn’t sat down? What if flashing was prelude to rape, torture or murder (and not necessarily in that order)?

What if there’d been a second bad guy? And so on. Anyone who doesn’t carry their gun in its maximum state of readiness, including a well-positioned holster, is surrendering the potentially life-or-death advantage of surprise to their attacker(s). If an armed self-defender is uncomfortable with one in the pipe, so be it. But mag out? Really? In a word, no.

4. Keep all commands short 

In a high-stress situation, the ability to process linguistic subtlety disappears. How many bad guys were shot when told “Get your hands up!” followed by “Drop your weapon!”? Plenty.

“You need to leave or I’ll shoot you. I’m going to blow your brains out.” If these are the gun toter’s exact words, they lack focus and direction. Worse, “I’m going to blow your brains out” is a clear signal that the bad guy should attack. Why wouldn’t they?

A gun pointed at a bad guy pretty much takes care of the “blow your brains out” part of the equation. If you have time to vocalize, the actual command should be LEAVE! Assuming, of course, that YOU can’t leave. That said, maybe you could both leave together. You know; separately.

One of my faves: DROP YOUR WEAPON. Which works in this case, albeit in a distinctly ew kind of way. “DON’T MAKE ME KILL YOU!” is another really good shout out, especially if there are people (i.e. witnesses) nearby. Anyway, keep all commands short, simple and clear.

5. STFU

Just as I can Monday morning quarterback this self-described DGU from the comfort of the airport lounge, a DA could contemplate her account and be even more antagonistic to the victim’s action from his political perch. As in decide to yank the flashee’s carry license. Or worse.

Again, the nature of the crime makes that unlikely. But the general rule applies: say nothing about your DGU to the police without a lawyer present. Say nothing about your DGU to the press until and unless the case is fully resolved in both criminal and civil courts. And maybe not even then.

6. Do not sick your dog on anyone—unless you have to

Messing someone up competition: .380 or Norwegian Buhund Hound? I’m sure TTAG’s canine experts can advise us on the dangers/advantages of a “trained” dog vs. a small(ish) caliber firearms for self-defense. But there’s no getting around the fact that you are legally responsible for what your dog does to another person.

I’m more confident in my firearms skills than than my dog control. Then again, my Schnauzers are “assault dogs” only in the sense that a Tic-Tac is an adequate substitute for lunch at Johnny Rockets. YCMV.

Whew! OK, result! An innocent woman defended her honor, and maybe her life. And maybe the lives of other women. A firearm was used to stop a crime and no one got shot. The only thing that would make it better: if the police had apprehended the perv. As for the other possibility, I say nothing.