Opinion
Beware the shod foot!
On 17 Oct 25, an aging City of Baltimore DOT employee (unarmed) was out in the city. He approached (on foot) a parked car occupied by a woman and her teenage daughter in order to politely tell them that someone was waiting for the parking spot.
The teenage girl became instantly enraged, bolted from the vehicle, and immediately attacked the DOT employee with her fists. The girl’s mother also exited the vehicle and quickly joined-in, jumped on the DOT employee’s back, forcing him to the ground.
Both mother and daughter then kicked and stomped the DOT employee’s head severely enough to cause significant brain injury, which in fact proved ultimately fatal. The hospitalized DOT employee never recovered and died from his injuries the day before Thanksgiving.
The mother was subsequently arrested. She is a convicted felon, and was “out on parole” at the time of the incident. No signs the daughter has been arrested or charged.
Lessons:
1) This City employee was doing the job he is paid to do. The rest of us need to be acutely aware of the fact that our world is full of unstable people, and many among the “unstable” are precipitously homicidal in certain circumstances, as we see!
Accordingly, confronting unstable people, in any circumstance, is extremely dangerous. We are thus well-advised to be very good at minding our own business and not voluntarily inject ourselves into other people’s affairs.
“Road-rage” is not confined to roads!
2) Many fail to appreciate the dynamics and extreme dangers associated with a “gang-beating.” It does not take much to get knocked off your feet, and once you go down, you’re within easy range of lethal stomps and kicks. Being thus simultaneously attacked while on the ground by multiple assailants is often mortal (as it was in this case). Your attackers will probably not be barefoot, and concrete does not provide much of a “cushion!”
3) Gunfire will disperse most mobs, even homicidal ones, instantly! Smoothly drawing your concealed pistol and shooting accurately while on the ground are critical skills, and ones that will prevent you from being stomped to death!
4) As our Secretary of Transportation recently pointed out, “civility” is currently at a historic low in our civilization. Aggravated verbiage, particularly with people you don’t know, needs to be averted, but quickly de-escalated when unavoidable.
A little courtesy goes a long way!
5) Everyone, but especially those of us who go armed, need to periodically review the places we go and the people with whom we associate.
“Don’t be there” continues to be the best way to handle any dangerous situation.
“Get out of there” continues to be the second-best!
“The ‘moral high-ground’ gets real windy at night” ~ Tommy Norris (played by Billy Bob Thornton) in the 2024 “Landman” TV series.
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor, John Farnam will urge you, based on your beliefs, to make up your mind about what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to ensure that its students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
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The daughter damn well better be charged!
French General Napolean saw more battlefield deaths than any human that ever lived. But wrote it was death by civilian mob that was always his worst fear.