Self-Defense & Communication: Be Careful What You Say

This is what I learned and keep with me

Phone Calls to Make in the Aftermath

Rounds were fired, make three calls:
1. Call 911. It is your obligation to seek medical attention if someone is injured! Remember that you are being recorded! Keep your 911 call short and to the point:
A. My name is _______ and I need to report an attack at (address, intersection, etc).
B. The attacker (ran away / is injured / needs an ambulance).
C. I'm wearing ________ and I do have a permit to carry a firearm so let the police know that I'll place my firearm (on the front seat of my car / on my hood / back in my holster) before they arrive.
D. I need to (go help my family / watch the attacker / get to a safer place) so I'm going to hang up now.
2. Call your attorney.
3. Call your family. Inform them that you've been involved in a defensive situation and instruct them to speak with no one -- not the police, not the media, no one! Tell family members to inform the police that they DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH OF YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY and that they will answer no questions unless your attorney is present.
 
Curmudgeon said:
This is what I learned and keep with me

Phone Calls to Make in the Aftermath

Rounds were fired, make three calls:
1. Call 911. It is your obligation to seek medical attention if someone is injured! Remember that you are being recorded! Keep your 911 call short and to the point:
A. My name is _______ and I need to report an attack at (address, intersection, etc).
B. The attacker (ran away / is injured / needs an ambulance).
C. I'm wearing ________ and I do have a permit to carry a firearm so let the police know that I'll place my firearm (on the front seat of my car / on my hood / back in my holster) before they arrive.
D. I need to (go help my family / watch the attacker / get to a safer place) so I'm going to hang up now.
2. Call your attorney.
3. Call your family. Inform them that you've been involved in a defensive situation and instruct them to speak with no one -- not the police, not the media, no one! Tell family members to inform the police that they DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH OF YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY and that they will answer no questions unless your attorney is present.
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Decent advice. A better option however, would be to unless absolutely impossible, do not make any 911 calls yourself; have someone else do it. That way you’re not on a taped, admissible recording, likely very stressed out, and saying something yourself that could be misconstrued later. Trust me, people say all kinds of weird shit after a high adrenaline situation like a gun fight.


Also, tell the responding officers that you need to go to the hospital to get checked out. Don’t talk to them about anything other than this.

Then, call an attorney to go with you before you give your statement.
 
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Curmudgeon said:
3. Call your family. Inform them that you've been involved in a defensive situation and instruct them to speak with no one -- not the police, not the media, no one! Tell family members to inform the police that they DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH OF YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY and that they will answer no questions unless your attorney is present.
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This is something you had better repeatedly man-splain long before you need it.
If you make that call after the fact, and you get the wife/mom/sister/daughter on the phone, there is no way they can just follow instructions.
"OMG where are you! Are you ok? I need to know where you are! Are you ok! What happened! I need to know what happened! Where are you! Your Father and I are coming! Where are you! Do I need to call the police! Are you ok! Where are you!"

Good luck with that.
 
Derek8404 said:
Decent advice. A better option however, would be to unless absolutely impossible, do not make any 911 calls yourself; have someone else do it. That way you’re not on a taped, admissible recording, likely very stressed out, and saying something yourself that could be misconstrued later. Trust me, people say all kinds of weird shit after a high adrenaline situation like a gun fight.


Also, tell the responding officers that you need to go to the hospital to get checked out. Don’t talk to them about anything other than this.

Then, call an attorney to go with you before you give your statement.
Click to expand...

If it unfortunately ever comes to pass my by-pass surgery scars will come in handy. You never know how it will effect you. Maybe I will have a stress related heart issue after such a stressful time.
 
There are some subtleties to post shoot scene management that I was made aware of by an experienced and knowledgeable person...

Witnesses can be confused due to the trauma of the situation and are often susceptible to suggestion by other's making statements such as, "Did you see that? He shot that dude in cold blood!" OR conversely, "Did you see that? That wacko tried to kill me! I had no choice!"
The one they hear the first and/or loudest will often be the story they repeat. It would be good if it's the same story that YOU tell.
And generally speaking, the fewer the stories the better.
I believe I was told that requesting medical attention interrupts the questioning process.
 
What I pretty much remember being taught is saying you were forced to defend yourself. You will sign a complaint against the attacker (this also indirectly serves as a statement that killing them wasn’t your objective as you’re assuming they’ll live and face legal consequences). If there is physical evidence point it out to the cops, e.g. his gun/knife is over by those bushes, etc. Keep it minimal but don’t assume they’ll find it. State that you want medical attention, which yes, does interrupt the questioning.
 
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Never leave a witness. Your story must be the only story.
 
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