Perceived Penalty For a Miss

A phrase that we often use in firearms training is the concept known as the “perceived penalty for a miss” (as in missed shot).  This idea of the perceived penalty for a missed shot can apply to any scenario in which you use a firearm, be it home defense, self-defense while out and about, or even while shooting targets at the range.  But for the context of this article, I will concentrate mainly on firearm use in home defense.

I am regularly on the lookout for news articles where firearms are used to save lives and protect property.  I recently came across an article about a man who shot a home invader, but then ended up accidentally shooting his wife as well.  This unfortunate incident clearly illustrates that in the course of defending our homes, not only are we responsible for the safety and protection of our families, but that we are also responsible for what happens as a result of our using deadly force as part of our home defense strategy.

Let me be perfectly clear about my own personal philosophy in this matter: Firearm ownership is an individual right that calls for individual responsibility.  I do not endorse in any way, shape, or form the legislating of every single aspect of firearm ownership.  Training, firearms storage, and safety are our individual responsibility as gun owners.  We already have thousands of laws governing firearms ownership – we don’t need any more.  They can’t even enforce the ones we have. 

We are individually responsible for taking it upon ourselves to maintain marksmanship proficiency with our firearms, and being able to simultaneously and quickly think past the front sight of that firearm when we choose to engage a threat.  In other words, we need to be able to quickly engage and stop a threat, as well as make sound decisions about that engagement based on risks and possible outcomes.  Once that bullet leaves the muzzle, it can’t be called back.  There will be consequences resulting from the defensive use of our firearm, and the final resting place of that bullet.

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Something that we emphasize in firearms training over and over, and that I also see very heavily emphasized in the advanced tactical training I have taken to keep up my own proficiency, is the idea that this concept of a penalty for a missed shot is very closely related to a fundamental firearms safety rule.  The rule basically instructs you to know your target, know what is between you and the target, and know what is beyond your target.  If you understand and apply that basic rule, you will better understand and apply good decisions based on the amount of perceived penalty in case you miss your target.

Firearms and self-defense expert Rob Pincus of I.C.E. Training mentions that the perceived penalty for a miss translates to how worried you are that you will miss, or what happens if you miss.  What happens if you miss can be a factor of where you are in relation to the threat, in relation to everything else.  Are there other people, either seen or unseen, that can be in jeopardy?  What is behind that threat?  Can you move so that if you shoot at the threat, you shoot towards a more solid backstop where there is less of a chance of over-penetrating into a soft wall and hurting unknown people behind that wall?  This is an example of how training is an important factor in helping with decision making and will be discussed in part 2 of this series.  But I wanted to give an example of the types of things that come into play when thinking of the perceived penalty for a miss.
 

As I mentioned above, there will be consequences (outcomes), positive and negative, resulting from the use of deadly force in protecting your home.  For all of the scenarios below, a violent criminal enters your home with the intent of doing you and your family harm.  You are armed and intend to exercise your natural and legal right to defend your home.  So let’s take a look at just a few of the possible outcomes.

Scenario 1:  You engage the threat, your bullets hit their intended mark, and the threat is stopped.  No other people are hurt or property damaged.  The police come to investigate.  You are found to be a victim of a home invasion who successfully and lawfully protected yourself and your loved ones.

Scenario 2:  You engage the threat; your bullets hit their intended mark, but over penetrated and went through a wall.  Or some of your bullets missed the bad guy altogether and went through an interior wall of your house.  Another family member or pet may or may not have been on the other side of that wall – you didn’t know that when you fired the shot.  You later find out that you also wounded a family member.  The police come to investigate.  You may or may not be charged with negligence, but you will forever be emotionally scarred knowing that you hurt someone you love.

Scenario 3:  You engage the threat; you panic and shoot wildly hoping to hit the bad guy.  Your shots miss and go through some interior walls and some outer walls of your house, go into a neighbor’s house, and wound a neighbor.  The police come to investigate.  You are found to have negligently discharged your firearm and are arrested to face possible charges.

There are many other possible scenarios, and I won’t presume to know or report them all here.  But the above illustrate just a few of the very real and possible outcomes.  Again, minimizing risk while protecting your family member’s lives is what it’s all about.  The ultimate goal is for your family to be safe, and NO lives put in jeopardy.  Of course, when the criminal invader chose to enter your home and commit a violent crime, he or she made the decision that they were willing to take the risks of injury or death in doing so.  That’s a risk mitigation that is out of your control.  But what IS in your control is the ability to decide whether or not to engage the threat with deadly force, and if so to hit your intended target by building marksmanship and proficiency, and making sure that you know your target, what is between you and the target, and knowing what is beyond your target.

Now that you have an overview of the concept behind the “perceived penalty for a miss” and the background behind the thought processes for reducing this risk, we will now discuss getting back to basics and remembering the fundamentals of firearms safety.  In particular, the rule of knowing your target plays a big part in minimizing the risk of causing harm to others in a defensive incident.  

SHAMELESS DISCLAIMER: The strategies and scenarios depicted in this article are not all encompassing.  There are many possible scenarios and strategies – I do not presume to know them all.  Your own situation and environment will certainly vary, so you have to use common sense and be able to think through your strategy for yourself.  In other words – everything you read here is based on opinion derived from my most diligent research possible, and my own ability to think critically. I am not responsible for other people’s inability to use common sense or sound decision making skills. I and NCFST are not responsible for the actions taken by the readers of this article series.

 So having said all that, here are some suggestions for reducing the risk that a missed shot may cause unintended harm.  You need to think these through for yourself, and apply them in a way that makes sense for your own unique situations.

 

Know and APPLY The Fundamentals of Firearm Safety:  Think about and constantly remember those basic rules you learned when you were first introduced to firearms.  Then, actually APPLY those rules every time you handle firearms.  Whether you are going to the range, carrying concealed while out and about, or just having a ready firearm to defend your home, you are responsible for applying these common sense rules.  In case you need a refresher, here they are again:

• Always assume that every gun is loaded
• Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction
• Always keep your finger OFF of the trigger until ready to shoot
• Always know your target, what is between you and the target, and what is beyond the target.

Know Your Home and What is Around Your Home:  Think about all the possible places where a home invader will enter and travel throughout the home, as well as what they might be looking for.  Think about where your family members will likely be in proximity to these places, and where you will be in the course of defending your home and stopping the attack.  Walk through your house and think about each of the walls – what is behind those walls?  Don’t forget floors and ceilings – what’s on the other side of those?  A basement, a bedroom, a bathroom, or other frequently inhabited area?  Think about those exterior walls.  What’s on the other side?  Are the houses in your neighborhood close together?  Do you live in a townhouse or apartment with a neighbor just on the other side of that wall?  What are the walls made of?

Know Your Plan of Action: What will you and your family do if you hear or suspect a break-in or the intrusion alarm goes off?  Can you all get to a safe room, or will family members be in areas scattered all throughout your home?  Can you all stay barricaded in one place until the police arrive, or will you be forced to go on a “room clearing mission” so that you can secure other family members?  “War Game” possible scenarios and think about how to get all of your family members to a safe room in case of an emergency.  If that’s just not possible, then think of where you would position yourself in any of your rooms in case you have to shoot.  Think of how you can reposition yourself in relation to the invader’s position in order to take a better and safer shot.  You need to be aware of your entire home and environment in order to minimize the risk of a bullet missing and going into an area where people may be.

Know Your Defensive Ammunition: Is the defensive ammunition that you use in your home defense strategy going to stop the threat, but also over-penetrate and go where you don’t want it to go?  Now is the time to think about other types of ammunition that are possibly better choices for home defense, such as frangible or “safety slug” ammunition.  Glaser Safety Slugs, for example, provide optimum penetration, yet fragment very quickly to prevent over penetration.  These rounds are a popular home defense round, and are available in many common handgun and rifle calibers.  Using a home defense shotgun with a shell containing non-lethal rubber balls as the first round, followed by rounds of bird shot or #4 buckshot is another popular choice.  You have to decide what types of ammunition and home defense firearms you are comfortable with.

Know and Constantly Improve Your Own Skills:  Being proficient is a huge responsibility, and perhaps the most important of all of these strategies.  Becoming highly proficient in firearms deployment for defensive uses may take a lot of your time, but the effort expended is beyond measure in its worth.  Do you regularly practice your marksmanship?  Do you regularly practice defensive skills such as drawing from a holster or shooting on the move?  When was the last time you took advanced formal training beyond just the basics?  Continuous training is extremely important.  Maybe participate in IDPA or defensive pistol matches on a regular basis.

Wrapping it All Up:

The penalty for a missed shot can be huge if you don’t prepare and you will never completely eliminate all risks.  The best you can do is to mitigate the risks to the extent possible, use due diligence in your preparation, and use some common sense in your actions.  Armed defense is an individual right, but with rights such as this come great individual responsibility.  Prepare, practice, and be sure to get back to those fundamentals from time to time.  Know and apply the basic safety rules of gun handling, know your environment, know your plan, and know your equipment.  Always strive to improve them.

Be sure to visit the NCFST blog where I have also posted this article series in its entirety.  You can also learn more about the use of firearms in home defense by visiting the new sister-site to the US Concealed Carry Association, the Home Defense Association of America. 

Be informed, be protected, and be safe!

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How Long Until The Police Arrive?!

We often hear the saying that “when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.”  I had a chance recently to test that notion, albeit that the test of this often repeated saying happened quite by accident.  Still, it was an eye opening, although accidental test.  At about 5:30am, my alarm clock went off; I got out of bed, and in a bleary-eyed state of being went down stairs to let the dogs out.  Still half asleep, I walked right past the alarm panel, and forgot to turn the alarm system off before opening the back door.  You guessed it:  The alarm immediately went off.  I ran back to the alarm panel and frantically fumbled to put in my code to turn it off.  Finally got the alarm turned off, and I figured that ADT would probably call me to ask about the alarm.  But since I had reset the alarm right away, perhaps they would not call.  They would see the hour of the morning and figure that the owner forgot to turn it off before opening a door.

A few minutes passed, and I let the dogs back in when they scratched at the door.  I went to the stove to put on some water for morning tea, and sat back down on the sofa.  Finally, the phone rang – but it only rang once and stopped.  Possibly ADT calling?  Sometimes that happens – the alarm system takes control of the phone line and people who call can’t get through.  As it turned out, they next called my cell phone, which was on the end table, turned off and charging.  They called my wife’s cell phone – also turned off and charging.  Having seen an alarm, and not being able to contact the homeowners, they called the Fort Collins Police.  

So before I go on, let me say that I have nothing but total respect and admiration for the Fort Collins Police and the Larimer County Sheriff’s offices.  The men and women who make up our law enforcement agencies in our community do a thankless job on a tight budget.  I mean after all, the City of Fort Collins has found it important to pay artists thousands of dollars to put fancy paint jobs on all of the electrical boxes in town, but seem to be kind of stingy when it comes to funding our police and fire services.  In fact, I remember awhile back receiving a letter from ADT stating that the City of Fort Collins was piloting a program where, due to budget constraints, was ordering the police department to provide quick response to calls from the alarm company ONLY if a second verification could be obtained that an actual break-in was occurring.  Otherwise, they were to respond on an “as available” basis.  

So back to the story… Meanwhile, I went up to my office to check email and wait for the water to boil.  The water finished boiling; I went down to the kitchen and started my tea brewing.  Went back up to read the news, work on my web site, and do a few more things in the office.  Then a few minutes later, the dogs start barking wildly and shortly after the doorbell rings.  Yep – it was the Fort Collins Police.  I explained what happened, the extremely professional and friendly officers understood completely, and then left.  Let me just say that I am thankful that there were two of them responding to a potential home invasion, and not just a lone police officer.

So again – this story isn’t meant as any kind of criticism against our law enforcement community.  The men and women of law enforcement really are professionals and most deserving of our respect and gratitude.  Rather, this story is a testimony about the somewhat dubious thought processes of our legislators.  This is clearly another example (and there are many) of why it is that law abiding citizens should NOT be legislated against when it comes to the right to defending themselves or their homes.  From the time the alarm went off to the time the police finally arrived, I had time to let the dogs out, let them back in, boil a kettle of water, make some tea, check email, read a news story or two, and start doing some work on my web site.  

If someone had actually broken into a typical Fort Collins home at that time of morning, with the family there (and possibly still asleep), how much damage and injury could an intruder have done in that time?  In our family’s case – not much – we’re also armed and have a plan.  But still, several minutes elapsed before law enforcement arrived.  Give it some thought, folks.  Are you willing to hope for the best until help arrives?  Or are you resolute in developing a plan to keep your family safe?  Take a look at our past articles on defense in depth for the home, and stay tuned for more tips on staying safe and refusing to be a victim.

It also helps to know a little more about how home alarms operate in the United States to help understand what you can do to increase the priority level of your alarm event in the case of an actual break-in.  After writing the original version of this article for the news letter, security expert Wayne Crook, creator of "The Pistol Pad" sent me the following:

"Every alarm company in the USA and, to the best of my knowledge, every State by law or rule recognizes the following three (3) alarm response categories.

Priority 1 - Fire. Takes precedence over any other signals being processed by the central station. Emergency responders notified immediately.  No Verification Call to the location. This represents a catastrophic threat to human life and property.  Priority 1 – Fire devices can not be bypassed or disarmed; only silenced and/or reset.

Priority 2 - Panic. Takes precedence over any other signals (except Fire) being processed by the central station. Emergency Responders notified immediately. No Verification Call to the location. This represents a serious threat to human life.  Priority 2 - Panic devices can not be bypassed or disarmed; only silenced and/or reset. 

Priority 3 - Intrusion. Lowest level taking precedence over administrative communications only. May require one or more verification calls prior to notification of Emergency Responders.  Delays of 15 seconds or more may be required before any communication attempt to the central station is initiated following activation of an intrusion alarm.  This represents a threat to property only.  Priority 3 - Intrusion devices can be bypassed or disarmed.

For any monitored alarm system owner that has a panic button immediately available; even if the system is in full alarm with the sirens blasting, Push The Panic Button! This changes the status of your alarm signal from a Priority 3 - Intrusion to a Priority 2 – Panic and should significantly increase speed of notification to and response priority of Emergency Responders."

Source:  Wayne Crook, The Pistol Pad

  

So what can you do?  For starters, here are some important things to remember:

• Your alarm system is (or at least should be) only one part of a multi-layer system of defense for your home and your family.  If able, also call 911 and get the response rolling as soon as possible.
   
• Get a wireless "Panic Button" from your alarm company, but it in your safe room, and know where it is.  Use it to elevate the alarm priority so that the police will know that you are in fact being invaded and to respond at a higher priority.
   
• Get another "Priority 2 Panic" device such as the The Pistol Pad which can also serve to help increase the alarm priority.
   
• Have a plan – if your alarm does go off, or you hear the obvious signs of a break-in, be able to get yourself and your family to a “safe-room” that can provide protection and give you time to call 911, and again - upgrade that alarm priority level by pushing the panic button.
   
• Get trained in self-defense and defensive firearm use.  Your safe room will only keep you safe for so long from someone absolutely determined to get to you and do you harm.  Your firearm is your last resort for defense, but you need to know how to deploy it in an absolute crisis situation.