by John Boch
Perusing IllinoisCarry this morning and saw a post that gave me pause.
ajg2014 Posted 07 February 2014 – 08:03 PM
A week after taking his IL and FL CCW class, I had a situation that I never expected to have. At 7:30 in the morning someone started knocking at my door. The knocks turned into bangs and my wife and children were all scared. I decided that I needed to to do something. I grabbed my gun and loaded a magazine, chambered a round and holstered it. I then went outside to confront this guy. A few weeks ago, I would have been nervous and unsure of myself. I now had a clear understanding of what I needed to do and what I might have to do if things got ugly. I walked outside and drew my weapon and was ready. It’s amazing how things change quickly when you’re looking down the barrel of a gun. The situation ended and he got in his car and left. I was calm, cool and collected the entire time. I knew my rights and I had faith in what I was taught and how I was taught. I owe that to Tom and his knowledge and teaching abilities. I highly recommend his classes and I plan on taking more myself. I’m sorry this is so long. I try not to ramble, but this time, a long story was necessary. If you plan on taking any classes in order to further your knowledge of firearms or are a beginner, trying to understand your rights and learn the basics, Firearm Training Chicago is your best choice and Tom is a fantastic instructor. Check him out at FireArmTrainingChicago.com. You won’t be disappointed.
(Emphasis added.)
Holy Cow!
Firearm Training Chicago.
Looking at their website, here is their final 8-hour course description:
We ARE approved Carry Concealed Instructors with the Illinois State Police.
Illinois Carry Concealed Training Class to obtain your Carry Concealed Permit in Illinois. This 8 hour Training classes will include…
* All applicable State and Federal laws relating to the ownership, storage, carry, and transportation of a firearm.
* Weapon Handling, including dry fire and live fire.
* Live fire qualification with a concealable firearm consisting of minimum of 30 rounds at varied distances.
* Approximately 7 hours class room and 1 hour range time.
Now, I don’t know what Firearm Training Chicago is teaching their students, so I will not criticize them.
I do know the narrative provided by some fellow raving about their class at IllinoisCarry.com.
Apparently he wasn’t paying attention to instructor Tom’s legal lectures at Firearm Training Chicago, or more likely, the Power Point slides. In any event, just as all training courses aren’t equal, neither are students.
Let’s tackle the narrative, shall we?
So, this guy AJG2014 has someone banging on his door so he gets his gun and loads it and holsters it. Fair enough. Seems reasonable and prudent.
Instead of calling 9-1-1 and asking the authorities to confront this individual banging on the door, this AJG2014 fellow leaves the safety of his house – and the whatever meaningful measure of last-ditch security he thereby provided to his wife and kids – and goes outside to confront an unknown quantity on the front porch.
In his own words: “I now had a clear understanding of what I needed to do and what I might have to do if things got ugly.”
Okay, Wyatt Earp. AJG2014 is clearly brimming with confidence from a class where he fired a total of 30 rounds of ammunition, taught by a gunsmith that decided to start teaching concealed carry classes last year. I’m not so sure his confidence is well-placed, given what he claims to have been taught.
AJG2014 goes on to write that once he got outside to confront the unknown person, he drew his pistol and pointed it at the man.
At this point, I think most police officers and prosecutors would consider this aggravated unlawful use of weapons (aggravated because the gun was loaded), absent exigent circumstances that Mr. “I had a clear understanding” doesn’t seem to have one little bit. Are you reading this, Mr. AJG2014? I hope so.
I’m not sure Johnny Cochran could get an acquittal on this one (if he were still alive, that is).
Fortunately for our hero, the door knocker got in his car and left.
For that, Mr. AJG2014 should thank his lucky stars.
“I knew my rights and I had faith in what I was taught and how I was taught.”
AJG2014, you might consider taking additional training before you hurt yourself, your wife and kids or someone hard of hearing who didn’t think anyone heard the knock on the door after trying the doorbell without any luck.
Yeah, it’s gonna cost you a few bucks, but I guarantee it’ll be less than the retainer you’re going to pay after the next time you decide you need to do something and wind up arrested and seriously jacked up.
Folks, if you didn’t learn how and why to avoid putting yourself in a deadly force encounter in your concealed carry class, seek more training.
Nothing good follows a deadly force encounter, aside from you probably living another day. Confronting people who don’t need confronting – especially with your gun out – is a recipe that’s going to go sideways on you more often than not.
Don’t be AJG2014 after your CCW training. Please. I beg you.
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