BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 25,895
- 113
These are mostly cases I worked in some capacity (lead or assisting), but do include some from detectives I've asked to notify me of instances of citizens fighting back so that I can get information from Sex Crimes, etc. that I don't work.
19 total cases. I'd hoped for a larger sample, but after I culled domestics and criminal v criminal encounters I had fewer than I thought I would. I've gone through over 300 cases at this point to get these, which is a combination of two factors. Few people are targeted by random crime, and fewer fight back when they are.
Total shots fired:
N/A (weapon used was not a firearm) x5
0 shots x5
1 shot x4
3 shots x3
4 shots x1
11 shots x1
Number of shots to resolution (suspect disabled/began to flee or citizen disabled/disarmed):
0 shots x7
1 shots x6
3 shots x1
Distance at time of resistance
Contact x 7
0-3' x 5
3-7' x 3
7-21' x 3
21' + x1 (bad shoot)
Was speed of the draw a consideration in the outcome:
Yes, from body carry x5
Yes, from off body carry x2
No, had firearm in hand prior to need to engage x3
No, had other weapon in hand (knife, blunt, etc) prior to need to engage x 2
No, draw speed of weapon was not a consideration (disabled prior to beginning draw, bad shoot and suspects already fleeing before 1st shot, etc.) x5
N/A, unarmed resistance x2
Reload:
0 incidents
Additional equipment needed:
0 incidents
Win/loss/tie (tie defined as at least one party on both sides disabled/killed)
W x 13
T x 1
L x 5
Outcomes of win
Suspect fled without sustaining injury x6
Suspect killed x3
Suspect disabled/psychologically stopped due to injury x3
Suspect restrained (not seriously injured) x1
Outcome of tie:
Victim injured during commission of crime/suspect injured during flight
Outcome of loss
Victim failed to deactivate thumb safety, victimized
Victim carrying with empty chamber, killed
Victim killed reaching for weapon
Victim engaged 2 suspects he can see, shot from behind, suspects flee
Victim wrestled suspect, was shot, suspect fled.
Citizen weapon used:
Victim weapon
Handgun-pistol x7
Handgun-revolver x5
Handgun - other x1
Unarmed x2
Golf club x1
shotgun x1
knife x1
taser x1
Suspect weapon
Unarmed x13
handgun x7
unknown weapon x1
Number of victims
1 victim x14
2 victim x3
3 victim x2
Number of suspects
1 suspect x 10
2 suspect x 5
3 suspect x 4
Citizen averages vs single suspect:
0.67 shots
80% won encounter
Citizen averages vs multiple suspects:
0.57 shots
50% won encounter
Citizens with firearms won 64% of the time. However citizens who could employ their firearm (removing those reaching for off body carry, failing to deactivate safeties, etc) won 81% of the time. Other methods of resistance had an 80% success rate. The element of surprise was more important than the specific weapon employed, ie ambushing someone with a golf club and knocking their teeth down the stairs was better than attempting to reach for a handgun while under direct observation of an armed suspect. Citizens using other weapons were more likely to use ambush tactics and were also closer to their opponent.
Due to the small sample size, this should be viewed as preliminary information at best. I will attempt to build on this database and will attempt to update every 20 incidents, (ie next update at 40 incidents)
19 total cases. I'd hoped for a larger sample, but after I culled domestics and criminal v criminal encounters I had fewer than I thought I would. I've gone through over 300 cases at this point to get these, which is a combination of two factors. Few people are targeted by random crime, and fewer fight back when they are.
Total shots fired:
N/A (weapon used was not a firearm) x5
0 shots x5
1 shot x4
3 shots x3
4 shots x1
11 shots x1
Number of shots to resolution (suspect disabled/began to flee or citizen disabled/disarmed):
0 shots x7
1 shots x6
3 shots x1
Distance at time of resistance
Contact x 7
0-3' x 5
3-7' x 3
7-21' x 3
21' + x1 (bad shoot)
Was speed of the draw a consideration in the outcome:
Yes, from body carry x5
Yes, from off body carry x2
No, had firearm in hand prior to need to engage x3
No, had other weapon in hand (knife, blunt, etc) prior to need to engage x 2
No, draw speed of weapon was not a consideration (disabled prior to beginning draw, bad shoot and suspects already fleeing before 1st shot, etc.) x5
N/A, unarmed resistance x2
Reload:
0 incidents
Additional equipment needed:
0 incidents
Win/loss/tie (tie defined as at least one party on both sides disabled/killed)
W x 13
T x 1
L x 5
Outcomes of win
Suspect fled without sustaining injury x6
Suspect killed x3
Suspect disabled/psychologically stopped due to injury x3
Suspect restrained (not seriously injured) x1
Outcome of tie:
Victim injured during commission of crime/suspect injured during flight
Outcome of loss
Victim failed to deactivate thumb safety, victimized
Victim carrying with empty chamber, killed
Victim killed reaching for weapon
Victim engaged 2 suspects he can see, shot from behind, suspects flee
Victim wrestled suspect, was shot, suspect fled.
Citizen weapon used:
Victim weapon
Handgun-pistol x7
Handgun-revolver x5
Handgun - other x1
Unarmed x2
Golf club x1
shotgun x1
knife x1
taser x1
Suspect weapon
Unarmed x13
handgun x7
unknown weapon x1
Number of victims
1 victim x14
2 victim x3
3 victim x2
Number of suspects
1 suspect x 10
2 suspect x 5
3 suspect x 4
Citizen averages vs single suspect:
0.67 shots
80% won encounter
Citizen averages vs multiple suspects:
0.57 shots
50% won encounter
Citizens with firearms won 64% of the time. However citizens who could employ their firearm (removing those reaching for off body carry, failing to deactivate safeties, etc) won 81% of the time. Other methods of resistance had an 80% success rate. The element of surprise was more important than the specific weapon employed, ie ambushing someone with a golf club and knocking their teeth down the stairs was better than attempting to reach for a handgun while under direct observation of an armed suspect. Citizens using other weapons were more likely to use ambush tactics and were also closer to their opponent.
Due to the small sample size, this should be viewed as preliminary information at best. I will attempt to build on this database and will attempt to update every 20 incidents, (ie next update at 40 incidents)
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