Folks, it finally happened.....I pulled my gun this afternoon in self-defense!!!

[BugDude]

Our system at work only keeps 7 days rolling, so timeliness of requesting is essential. I hope they catch these creeps. I'm betting this wasn't their first crime and won't be their last.

Keep your eyes peeled for these creeps when you are out and about. Chances are you won't see them again. They know you're not an easy target.

Take care.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[DwnRangeKing]

Glad you are ok! Thanks for letting all of us know about this situation. Looking forward to your updates.....Hope the LEO's catch these guys

[WHEC724]

Wow. 'Just Wow.

The great news is that you've been tested and you passed. I've seen folks who have been trained to the 9's, and choked in real life. You now know that you won't choke. Carry that knowledge. Congratulations!

[bruce21b]

UPDATE:

hey everyone.......

finally got to sleep last night......feeling better than i did yesterday, i think my body has "physically" returned to normal now and feeling okay there....

mentally i am still a little shaky, but more angry than anything........

my thoughts now focus not on myself but on others......i keep thinking that if it was someone ELSE washing their truck who did not have a concealed weapon how that would have ended for them....., and what those three thugs would have done to the innocent person......

the ONE thing i think i will never forget is not WHAT that guy said, but HOW he said it......the very menacing tone he used to speak "I think youre lying to me, i hate when people lie to me, and i think youre going to give me what i want"....

it sounded so evil and menacing, and think that will stand out in my memory.....i could just imagine what some defenseless person would have felt being told that.......

the only way i can describe the feeling is this:

this sounds weird, but it reminded me of that guy in the movie Deliverance, the mountain man ordering Ned Beatty into the woods........very strange but thats the only way i can describe the "feeling".........

this is gonna be with me for a long time, but seeing all of your responses on here, words of support and encouragement have really helped me these past hours.....

thank you all.....and remember......ALWAYS CARRY....ALWAYS BE AWARE.....ALWAYS LISTEN TO THAT 'INNER VOICE'.......

[grady]

Grady, I know I don't type very tactfully. I wasn't trying to take a stab at what you were saying, because your point is very valid. I was trying to express my feelings about what my natural actions would have been had I been in that situation. I probably would have felt a little on edge, wondering why that truck was parked there, but I would have went about my business. Not because I feel tough, but because of who I am and where I've been decrease my sensitivity to shady folks hanging around while I'm in public. I don't think I would have been so freaked out that I would have left the car wash. The OP is probably replaying this episode over and over in his mind, thinking about how he could have done things better. I don't think he could have done anything differently, and I also feel that he was highly responsible in his actions.

Gotcha. I agree there is a time and place to confront evil head-on, otherwise it will run rampant.

In my younger days, I probably would have made a point to not leave early, maybe even lingering longer just to prove a point. But I'm older, slower, and not as strong as before... plus now I have people depending on me.

But I fully agree there is a time and place to confront evil, and I think we'll see more of those situations in the days ahead. I am already hearing on the news about more of those events occurring around here, with a noticeable increase in the last two months.

unless i am at work or asleep, my Glock 19 will NEVER be off of my side.....so many times i have left the house without it just to run up to the store, get gas, get the truck washed, gone to Mcdonalds.....NEVER AGAIN will i not carry....

This decision may save your life again some day, and the lives of your family.

i am also a firm believer in carrying with one in the chamber....i always have

Such an adrenaline dump would increase the odds of me failing to chamber a round correctly. I read a quote here a few years ago that sealed me on carrying chambered. Someone said, "I'm too inexperienced to NOT carry with one in the chamber." Sounds like you've got that one covered already.

NEVER again will i armchair-quarterback and try to tell someone what i would do.....

But it's good to discuss these issues. After-action reports are how we learn. I guarantee you I'll think of your story the next time I go to a car wash, and as a result I'll be more prepared. That's one reason I very much appreciate you posting your descriptive account.

Also, I'm going to have my teenage daughter read your account today. She can learn much from your account, and it will have the added value of not being from Dad.

Thank God and Heaven above for Kentucky and its Concealed Carry laws.....i think i am going to write a letter to Rep. Damron, the man who drafted the CCW bill here in the state and staked his career on getting it passed..Thanking him for what he did for us in the state

Excellent idea!

I just got done talking to my father, who is 82 and in a nursing home....

I'm sure he's proud of you, and reassured that you can take care of yourself.

a WWII Vet who fought bravely on the beach at Normandy......he tells me "There are monsters in this world that walk among us......and today you came across one"........

Wisdom.

Thanks to your father and others with him for what they did for us.


Be on the lookout. Those guys wanted your stuff once, and they may want it again. Since they know you're armed, they may change tactics: either more surprise, or armed with guns themselves.

Watch your back.

Well done.

[nutz4utwo]

You have my best wishes for a speedy recovery and hope that no BG's ever cross your path again.

It funny, when I go to the range, I am usually armed to the teeth :)

[WHEC724]

the ONE thing i think i will never forget is not WHAT that guy said, but HOW he said it......the very menacing tone he used to speak "I think youre lying to me, i hate when people lie to me, and i think youre going to give me what i want"....

it sounded so evil and menacing, and think that will stand out in my memory.....i could just imagine what some defenseless person would have felt being told that.......

...

You've met evil. It's a wierd and freaky thing. It's not like in the movies. It makes your skin crawl and it burns a place in your mind.

It's why we carry . I hope you sleep better tonight.

[garyacman]

well done, sir and thanks for posting.

[TJK68]

Bruce,
Glad you are ok, sounds like you did fine. I hope they catch the SOB'S!!!!!. Stay safe and stay armed.
Tom

[tradermike69]

Bruce glad your okay, And able to go home to your family,, I live in a town of less than 4000, sometimes I figure why carry today? I guess I need to any, time , any where, anybody? Not to hijack your thread,, Really Glad your okay,, thanks tradermike

[MattInFla]

UPDATE:

hey everyone.......

finally got to sleep last night......feeling better than i did yesterday, i think my body has "physically" returned to normal now and feeling okay there....

mentally i am still a little shaky, but more angry than anything........

my thoughts now focus not on myself but on others......i keep thinking that if it was someone ELSE washing their truck who did not have a concealed weapon how that would have ended for them....., and what those three thugs would have done to the innocent person......

the ONE thing i think i will never forget is not WHAT that guy said, but HOW he said it......the very menacing tone he used to speak "I think youre lying to me, i hate when people lie to me, and i think youre going to give me what i want"....

it sounded so evil and menacing, and think that will stand out in my memory.....i could just imagine what some defenseless person would have felt being told that.......

the only way i can describe the feeling is this:

this sounds weird, but it reminded me of that guy in the movie Deliverance, the mountain man ordering Ned Beatty into the woods........very strange but thats the only way i can describe the "feeling".........

this is gonna be with me for a long time, but seeing all of your responses on here, words of support and encouragement have really helped me these past hours.....

thank you all.....and remember......ALWAYS CARRY....ALWAYS BE AWARE.....ALWAYS LISTEN TO THAT 'INNER VOICE'.......

Glad you're feeling better today. Make sure you take some time for yourself, and recognize that for the next little while as you return to normal, you may be hyper-vigilant and a bit stressed.

Hang in there, and remember - you did well yesterday.

Matt

[F350]

finally got to sleep last night......feeling better than i did yesterday, i think my body has "physically" returned to normal now and feeling okay there....

mentally i am still a little shaky

All you nasty conservitives lacking any compassion have expressed no sympathy for the other guy....

Imagine how the poor working class thief must feel; the above quote probably could have come from him too

[dnowell]

Keep an eye out for nightmares and such. People sometimes end up with mild PTSD after things like this even if there's no shooting. That stuff can haunt you for years. On the other hand plenty of folks don't end up having problems. There's no shame in getting help if you end up needing it.

[bruce21b]

Keep an eye out for nightmares and such. People sometimes end up with mild PTSD after things like this even if there's no shooting. That stuff can haunt you for years. On the other hand plenty of folks don't end up having problems. There's no shame in getting help if you end up needing it.

I was just discussing what happened with a co-worker and she brought up our benefit at work called EAP (Employee Assistance Program) which is a counseling service.......i think i might call them next week and just talk about it and the way it has made me feel.......

[xXxplosive]

Well Bruce......having been there twice myself, now you know whats on the other side of the line you just crossed.
It happens unnanounced and immediately. Trouble doesn't wait for an invitation.....glad you were carrying and now you will never ever forget what could have been.