DRILLING FOR AN ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING

[Ranger+P+]

I have noticed lately a recurring crime around the East Texas area: Attempted kidnappings or actual kidnappings of children in public places such as Wal-Mart and Hospitals. I am putting together a training primer for this very real threat to all parents of young kids. Here is what I have so far, all trainers out there with LE or Personal Protection experience, jump in with whatever you think might help...

I. I start all my training with 3 principles that are basic to self defense: Avoidance, Deterrence, De-Escalation. These 3 Principles cannot always be applied to all situations. An example is an attempted kidnapping, we cannot Avoid these types of scenarios in a broad sense, because a kidnapping can occur anywhere, anytime by a determined person. Using the events of late as an example, we see kidnappers are more brazen now, not waiting until you are alone with your child in a dark alley or parking lot, but striking in broad daylight in a public place such as Wal-Mart. We cannot practice De-Escalation as a general rule either, because if a person has intent to kidnap your child and tries to do it, there is nothing to "de-escalate"--you must use use of force, deadly if necessary to stop that person from taking your child. We can however, practice deterrence by using basic personal protection principles we should practice every day. These principles are:
1. Staying in "Condition Yellow" when we are in public, no matter how mundane the task involved. Stay aware of anything, anybody out of place around you--pay attention to your instincts on this. One of the tactics most criminals use, is the chance you will be distracted by focusing on the task at hand. NEVER GET CAUGHT IN CONTION WHITE. If you want to see somebody in Condition White, just look around most grocery stores when you go--I would say 90% of the folks I see are daydreaming and preoccupied. Criminals count on this. Jeff Cooper stated: "By learning to observe your environment, constantly evaluate it, and react appropriately to what you see, you can achieve a large degree of control over your fate."
2. Controlling your kids in public!! Keep a visual on them at all times. I would go further on this and say keep them within "grabbing distance." I know this is a big chore, for folks who have 3+ kids, this can be an olympic event. Communicate with them if they are old enough, why it is important for them to stay close and not run amok, tell them the stories about kids getting taken--fear can have a good effect on kids, when it comes to safety training. For you parents with mutiple kid-units, let the older children help with the younger ones if applicable. Once again, you can see how some parents let their kids go wild in public--running up and down the aisles, etc..
3. Have a plan if you are separated--this boils down to your family emergency planning that you should have for disasters in your home--same principle: what do we do if.... these are very important items to communicate with your kids. A general plan is "What do we do if we become seperated at the store?" Every parent can customize this answer--because all stores are different in their construction. A good rule of thumb is to locate customer service when you enter the store and have that as your "rally point"--most stores put customer service centers in the middle of the store, near the exits.
4. Training the kids for nightmare scenario: Somebody has them and is trying to take them! This is a tough one, but I have thru experience come up with 3 simple tactics that most children can understand. This is age specific, so parents will have to adapt the routines.
**MAKE NOISE..SCREAM,YELL--DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF, MOST KIDNAPPERS WILL ABANDON THEIR EFFORTS WHEN MADE.
**TEACH BASIC SELF DEFENSE SUCH AS BITING, SCRATCHING, KICKING, PUNCHING ETC. TEACH THEM TO USE WHATEVER WEAPONS ARE AT HAND. I can recall an example where a little girl defeated a kidnapper from the backseat of a car, forcing him to release her by poking the mans eyes with her fingers and using a pencil to stab him.

II. We have covered some very basic deterrence and defense principles you and your kids can do. Now it comes down to what you must be prepared to do with your firearm to keep your kids safe: The primary question here is, if somebody has stolen your child, in a public place, and you are a legally armed citizen, with a clear shot--what do you do?

This is sub-situation specific--so many variables play into this--(background is a big one) My goal is to prepare you for the "worst possible scenario" & the "ideal scenario". I know alot of you are saying:"No way I am going to shoot somebody holding my kid!!" I would propose to you this: Your child statitsically stands a better chance of surviving if you do take that shot than if you don't in most cases. When I first started VIP protection, we were inundated with kidnapping data: the reason was to show us the grim facts: if we did not stop them, 88% of the time, the principal was killed. I am sad to say the data for kidnappng today is worse, and it involves almost all the time, sexual molestation and rape.

You have to drill to make yourself comfortable in making tough shots--no amount of drills, no matter how real, can compare to the stress involved in this type of scenario--but you still have to drill with putting your bullet into a tough spot, on demand. Hostage Targets and Force on Force Training are the answer--in my next segment we will discuss my courses of fire for this.

[jbirds1210]

When I first started VIP protection, we were inundated with kidnapping data: the reason was to show us the grim facts: if we did not stop them, 88% of the time, the principal was killed.

Can you point me in the direction of the source for this data? I would enjoy doing some further research......a starting point would be most appreciated. Thank you for the post, it is interesting.
Jason

[fm2]

Excellent points! The awareness net needs to range a little farther with kiddos around.

There was some kidnapping stories related to me last year at KR training. They happened in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in some small town near Austin.

[longtooth]

**MAKE NOISE..SCREAM,YELL--DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF, MOST KIDNAPPERS WILL ABANDON THEIR EFFORTS WHEN MADE.
**TEACH BASIC SELF DEFENSE SUCH AS BITING, SCRATCHING, KICKING, PUNCHING ETC. TEACH THEM TO USE WHATEVER WEAPONS ARE AT HAND. .

Ranger, this is excellent, Excellent, EXCELLENT.
Learned some time ago that kids & ladies that make noise need to make correct noise to get the right kind of attention drawn.

Child should scream, YOU ARE NOT MY DADDY, TURN ME LOOSE, CALL THE POLICE, YOU ARE NOT MY DADDY.
This removes the thought of the unrully child spoken of above.
Bystanders that are usually in white & will do what they are told by a criminal will also "do imediately what they are told by the victim."

Women should scream, "You are not my husband...same as above.
Lets it be known, this is not a domestic.

In a parking lot combat setting I consider every warm body a soldier. Give commands. Some will obey even though some desert.

At home & in training at the range I practice giving the commands before & after shoots. My 76 yr old Mother has gone from timid Barney to Patton in 4yrs. (minus his profanity of coarse)

You have given me some more pointers here too. Thank you.

[glocklvr]

Sounds like a very good presentation but I might point out that nobody carrying a gun should ever be in conditon white not only to protect 1's self and family but also the weapon. Overall I would say

[AG-EE]

In this type of scenario, i.e. assailant running away with your child, is the best place to shoot the pelvis, to cease mobility of the bad guy? That also seems like it would mitigate risk to the child as well.

[nitrogen]

In this type of scenario, i.e. assailant running away with your child, is the best place to shoot the pelvis, to cease mobility of the bad guy? That also seems like it would mitigate risk to the child as well.

Some experts feel that handgun rounds lack the power to shatter the pelvis. Having never shot anyone in the pelvis, I wouldn't know, but when I asked teh same question at frontsight, that's what I was told.

[txinvestigator]

In this type of scenario, i.e. assailant running away with your child, is the best place to shoot the pelvis, to cease mobility of the bad guy? That also seems like it would mitigate risk to the child as well.

Some experts feel that handgun rounds lack the power to shatter the pelvis. Having never shot anyone in the pelvis, I wouldn't know, but when I asked teh same question at frontsight, that's what I was told.

All of the schools I attend suggest pelvis shots. Besides the bone, there are ligiments, muscle, tendons, blood vessels and an artery..........

[Rex B]

I would say that any hit anywhere on the torso or thigh or leg would cause most miscreants to change their priorities, or at least their speed of egress. At the very least you have marked them, and they will likely be seeking medical care in the nearterm future. Hopefully pain and the need for treatment will take precedent over their plans for the abducted child

[GlockenHammer]

If the children are of age to be trained, one thing they can do is to grab a hold of anything and hold onto it for dear life. A skateboard, a display stand, bicycle, etc.

Above all, I teach my kids the advice from Longtooth. The key to getting bystanders involved is assuring them that this is not a domestic dispute. Most folks won't get involved in a domestic even if the actor is clearly a thug. But if they are convinced this is a real crime, you may find someone willing to act.

[GlockenHammer]

I know alot of you are saying:"No way I am going to shoot somebody holding my kid!!" I would propose to you this: Your child statitsically stands a better chance of surviving if you do take that shot than if you don't in most cases. When I first started VIP protection, we were inundated with kidnapping data: the reason was to show us the grim facts: if we did not stop them, 88% of the time, the principal was killed. I am sad to say the data for kidnappng today is worse, and it involves almost all the time, sexual molestation and rape.

You have to drill to make yourself comfortable in making tough shots--no amount of drills, no matter how real, can compare to the stress involved in this type of scenario--but you still have to drill with putting your bullet into a tough spot, on demand. Hostage Targets and Force on Force Training are the answer--in my next segment we will discuss my courses of fire for this.

I think another argument to present to your students is the survivability of gunshot wounds. If medical attention is swift, a single gunshot wound is rarely fatal. However, it will slow down a kidnapper and/or change his mind about completing his crime. Depending on how the child is being transported, even a shot to the leg area (below the pelvis of the child) could stop the kidnapping without death. That's a hard pill to swallow for a parent, but it might make a difference.

[fm2]

Any hits on the BG are good hits, it's just a pistol, make your shots, if the BG is still in your sights keep shooting.

The BG may not show up looking like you imagine, don't let that delay your actions when justified. Ask yourself if you are prepared to defend against the bad girl as well. I use the term BG generically it can be; bad girl, guy, teen, skel, tweeker, homeless person etc... anyone that shows up to prey upon your family/you.

[KBCraig]

When we first started letting our daughter go the mall without supervision, we drilled into her one absolute rule: "If someone is trying to force you to go with them fight like your life depends on it, because it does. If they manage to take you, you're going to die. Fight, scream, raise a holy ruckus, get everyone's attention. If they're going to kill you, force them to kill you in public in front of witnesses."

At first, we repeated the admonition every time she left the house. About three years later (she's 17 now), we still remind her now and then.

[GlockenHammer]

I'd like to relate a "hostage shot story" that is highly relevant here.

When Mrs. GlockenHammer decided she would be willing to use deadly force to protect our children, we had a special range session. I set up an IDPA threat target at adult height and "our son" lower in front.

I backed her up to about 25 yards--clearly too far to take a clean shot for her skill level at the time . I told her this man was abducting your son and you "caught him" in the act. She was supposed to verbalize with him as she approached until she felt like she could take a safe hostage shot. I played the role of the attacker (verbally).

What happened was a little disappointing and perhaps something you should find a way to teach your students not to do. She verbalized okay as she approached, but she began taking shots too far away and was shooting over the top of the threat in order to clearly not hit our son. In the drill, the bad guy just stood there until she finally got one low enough to drill him. In real life, those bullets went unknown places and a hostage almost surely would not stand still for you to take more.

I have not studied hostage dynamics, but I think that would be an important part of a class where you teach the use of deadly force against a kidnapper. What are common ways they react when faced with a deadly force threat? If they have a gun, how are they likely to use it?

Tough stuff. I wish you success.

[casselthief]

Child should scream, YOU ARE NOT MY DADDY, TURN ME LOOSE, CALL THE POLICE, YOU ARE NOT MY DADDY.
This removes the thought of the unrully child spoken of above.

yeah, I can't wait until my GirlFriend's daughter starts doing this to me.
that outta make life just hunky dory!!!

All of the schools I attend suggest pelvis shots. Besides the bone, there are ligiments, muscle, tendons, blood vessels and an artery..........

Well, I'll tell ya where aorta shoot'em.