Home › Forums › Self Defense Current Events and Culture › My crazy weekend! Testimonial, more than self defense.
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Damian (Instructor).
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December 23, 2013 at 7:42 am #10737
Anonymous
InactiveHello my fellow insiders, I have had the most testing weekend in a very long time. With it being Christmas time I’ve been busy with my insurance job and my DJ gigs. Well this weekend started out normal had a small Christmas party in New Orleans to DJ, no problems that night. Then Saturday came, I was awoken to my fiancé “baby get up we need to finish the shopping today” “ok babe”. So we left to go hit the malls and try to be done by 3 so I can get back to New Orleans by 6. Well this is where it all started. The mall were packed with people upset with the check out lines and empty shelves oh well we got our stuff done without a hitch… Until the drive home. At approximately 305 Saturday while driving in traffic, I noticed about 6 kids on bikes wanting to cross the highway so I started to slow down and so did the two cars I front of me. Well what happened next is still stuck in my head. Two or three kids took off and beat the traffic however it seems like a third kid wasn’t paying attention an the next thing I see was a child flying threw the air. My next instinct was to just throw my car in park and take off sprinting to the kid. When I got there to him there was blood everywhere, so I stabilized his head and late him on his back an started talking to him, no response. Next a nurse runs up with blankets and rags out of her car to help me. A few moments later the kid came too and we tried our best to keep him calm and still. As checking him I didn’t notice anything broken just a lot of lacerations including one down to the bone. I think I was in much of shock as he was. A few mins later ems and fire and state trooper showed up to take over. This kid was very lucky, he lived. I spoke with the emt later sat night and he lost over 3 pints of blood with no broken bones. And I was told if it wasn’t for me and the nurse the child would have died. That really hit home, the kid was 10 his birthday was just Friday. I have two kids one 13 and one 9. It could have just as easily been one of them.
Now even more crazy shit happened sat night after my gig on Bourbon St. Me and my assistant left bourbon at about 130 am and had to walk the equipment over 10 blocks to get to my truck, not fun in the rain. Anyway after getting it all loaded up and we left fought traffic an I needed gas. Not cool at 2am in New Orleans. Well I pulled up at the closest exon saw nothing out of the ordinary so I stopped slid my card and started pumping. About that time Jesse jumped out the truck and told me to look inside, this I when I could clearly see the attendants face… Fear was all over it. Then I saw a guy in a hoody, I told Jesse to cal the police and again I went for the danger. I walked inside non shalantly like I didn’t notice anything an went to the back to get a drink while watching the counter. I never saw a gun only the guys hand in his pocket, when he looked around to find me I was already there, I pinned his “weapon arm” and just attacked, tiger claws and edge of hand an he was out. A min or two later the police arrived to see me holding him on the ground, they cuffed him and once try started searching him all they found was a stick in his pocket that he was calling a gun. Now it could have easily been a gun or knife or anything else for that matter but the cashier and myself were ok.Now on to the moral of the story. When you train honestly I believe a switch gets flipped inside that made me want to run towards the danger Saturday. I really any explain it, on both incidents it was like I was in the zone or something. I know at the gas station I shouldn’t have gone in, but I thought what if. What if I didn’t go in there and it was a real gun. What if I didn’t run to the child who got slammed by a caddy. I really don’t know what would have happened I don’t wanna know. I’m just glad to be able to help I don’t want any recognition for saving a kids life or stopping a robbery. I just want people to act and do right. And as adults we should lead by example. I’m glad two people will be home for the holidays with their families.
Guy please be safe this holiday season and train honestly. -
December 23, 2013 at 7:57 am #13338
James Goolsby
ParticipantArchie,
My brother, my friend. Let me tell you something… if you ever get tired of insurance and DJ’ing, and are looking to get into law enforcement (and wouldn’t mind relocating to Nashville, of course
) just let me know. My department is always looking for proactive people like yourself. Freakin’ well done!!!!
Glad your safe, and super-glad the kid made it out okay. You’ve done something you can be proud of for the rest of your life! Good job, bro.
BTW, you shoulda grab the — ahem — “gun” and whipped his ass with it for being a douchetard!
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December 23, 2013 at 8:37 am #13343
Damian (Instructor)
KeymasterJame, I’ve done my share of security work in Miami lol. No I’ve always wanted to be an officer even took all the test when I moved back here this past year. The city took way to long on everything and I was really forced to find another job. But it’s in life insurance lol I can help people after their dead. Joking aside Saturday was crazy and not the first time I’ve run to danger. I’m really glad the kid will be home for Christmas, banged up but he will be home. I know it was tramatizing for him, and me every time I close my eyes I see his face, and I see him flying one way and his bike another. I’ve seen some really bad shit (the Miami zombie) I was a block away working security at a hotel when that happened. But this one is really wanting to stick with me. I just keep thinking if my kids and last night I had a long talk with them on situational awareness.
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December 23, 2013 at 8:46 am #13344
Damian (Instructor)
KeymasterOh also James I’ve really never considered myself proactive. But when I see danger I’ve always run towards it. It could be the way I was raised, the Boy Scouts, JROTC , sports or maybe because I’ve been thru a lot in my life. I always want to help people even at my own expense.
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December 23, 2013 at 4:25 pm #13355
Dallas Williams
ParticipantGlad everybody including you is ok Archie and because of your actions a child’s life was saved and what could’ve been a bad and possibly deadly situation at that gas station was averted and the bad guy was taken into custody. We need more people, more civilians, like you that will step up and act when it is needed and more tragedies that we hear about on the news every day where people get hurt or killed could be stopped or at least the damage and loss of life minimized. Common sense would dictate that one run away from danger such as an armed robbery or rape or murder in progress and call the police and let them handle things, no offense to you James as a police officer but police, firefighters, and paramedics, can only do so much and a certain amount of time will pass under the best of circumstances before they are able to arrive on scene and this is even more of a problem in rural areas. When emergencies occur many times the lives of those in danger very well depend on the action of bystanders and their choice of whether or not to step in and take action.
For instance, Archie if you didn’t act in the situation with the thug in the gas station if he had of had a real gun while he was holding the clerk up by the time police arrived he could have already shot and killed him and robbed the cash and been long gone and innocent blood would have been shed and we could still have a criminal out there on the streets just waiting his next opportunity to strike and this time possibly have and use a real weapon or take hard working people’s hard earned money that he has no right to. Or if he was still on scene when they arrived it could’ve turned into an ugly long and drawn out hostage situation or shootout with police with police officers lives being endangered and the clerk still possibly loosing his life in the process. But a seemingly innocent bystander walking in just to purchases a drink and pay for it seems a lot more benign and not nearly as threatening to a robber as he thinks the person has no idea what is even happening and even if he does thinks he will have the upper hand since he has a weapon, and makes things a lot easier for a well trained and prepared citizen such as Archie to take action and take the thug out before he even knows what hit him. The point is police and other first responders are there to serve, help, and protect us but they can only do so much and respond do so once they’ve arrived on scene, the rest is up to civilians who are willing to take action when needed to help our fellow man and save lives. -
December 23, 2013 at 5:39 pm #13356
Damian (Instructor)
KeymasterYea saturday was really crazy I’m just really glad the kid made it out ok. I really do wish more people in this world would step up when shit happens. I don’t consider myself a hero by a long shot I just was doing what was right to protect the kid and the store clerk. I’m just waiting on the phone call or the mail to go to court as a witness in the attempted robbery, and hopefully the judge doesn’t say to much about the beating that guy got. Damian I have to thank you for the SDTS and that it has given me more of a protector mindset and not that killer instinct, big difference in the two.
Guys and gals please be safe over the holidays, and to every guest who is trolling the forum for whatever reason happy holidays to you too. If you haven’t signed the dotted line for the insider please believe you will not regret it one bit. Money problems, hmmm is your life worth $20 a month, I would hope so.
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December 26, 2013 at 6:50 am #13364
James Goolsby
Participant@Dallas Williams said:
Common sense would dictate that one run away from danger such as an armed robbery or rape or murder in progress and call the police and let them handle things, no offense to you James as a police officer but police, firefighters, and paramedics, can only do so much and a certain amount of time will pass under the best of circumstances before they are able to arrive on scene and this is even more of a problem in rural areas.
Dallas,
No offense taken, my friend. In fact, I’ve always preached that “when seconds count, we’re only minutes away!” Most people (i.e., sheep) don’t like to hear this, but the reality is that at least seven times out of ten we don’t arrive until after it is all said and done. The bulk of my job, sadly, is cleaning up the mess and filling out the paperwork. It is very rare that we ever make it to a scene when the incident is still occurring, unless of course we happen to be just a few blocks away when the call comes in. Needless to say, I am a HUGE advocate for people learning how to defend themselves and others. If we could get more people to join the SDTS family, my job would be whole lot easier. Okay, maybe not easier, but I would gladly rather take a report from a “survivor” than a “victim” any day!
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December 26, 2013 at 3:25 pm #13368
Dallas Williams
ParticipantIf the liberals had their way your job would be a lot harder because if Obama was able to disarm the public of their firearms as he would like to do we would have very little means of protecting ourselves or families from criminals who would find ways to get guns no matter what kind of legislation there is. Police would be doing a lot more cleaning up after the fact and filing out paperwork after the victims had already been robbed, raped, kidnapped, murdered, etc. And if you guys are able to get there before the thugs were able to get away yall would be having to shoot it out with them and possibly dealing with hostage situations, whereas when civilians are armed and trained in how to protect themselves if need be the optimal situation would be by the time you get on scene the attacker is already either dead or being detained by the victims which ends up being a much happier ending for everybody. I know as a SDTS guy that guns are far from the be all end all of self defense, but if you can and have time to deploy a weapon and use it the odds become stacked much more in your favor than if you have to rely on empty hand tactics alone, especially if the attacker is also armed or has buddies to back him up which in most cases he always is.
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January 13, 2014 at 6:51 am #13487
Damian (Instructor)
KeymasterUpdate: over the weekend I was at a store not to far from where the incident with the child happened and I over heard two older ladies talking about one of there grandsons was hit on the highway. I kinda butted in and asked where it happened and one of the ladies said “right here on Hwy 11 about a mile down the road, the Saturday before Christmas”. At the point I was pretty sure they were talking about the incident where I helped out. I had to introduce myself and explained to them I was the first one on the scene and held on to the boy and stopped the bleeding while waiting on the ambulance. At the point the grandmother broke down, she hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe. All she could say was thank you over and over. As we were talking I asked how he has been doing and she replied that he is doing well and has learned a very valuable lesson about riding his bike by a highway. Then she tells me he is out in the car playing in his phone an I asked I I could speak to him. So I went to the car and when I saw him he still had a lot of stitches left, and I spoke with him a. Asked if he coul remember anything from that day and all he could say was that a guardian angel saved him. At that point I had some tears running and I told him I was that angel. I explained to him that as soon as I saw him get hit all I could so was block traffic and run to him. After tht all he could say was thank you mister thank you for getting me home for Christmas. That’s really touched me and all I really could do was sit there and cry with him. Yes real men do cry, but no more than once every five years lol. Any way he is doing well and I supposed to start getting the stitches out here in the next cpl weeks. And he has a new look on life, he told me he wants to be an emt when he grows up so that he to can help save peoples life too. It is a small world and it’s changing one person at a time.
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January 13, 2014 at 6:12 pm #13488
Dallas Williams
ParticipantReally proud of you Archie, if only there were more people like you in the world it would be a much better happier place to live.
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January 14, 2014 at 5:59 am #13489
Damian (Instructor)
KeymasterThanks Dallas. I was just doing what everyone should do in a bad situation. I know most people wouldn’t do it but I was always raised to help people in need. After hurricane Katrina a lot of people here were waiting for their government hand out while me and my dad got his construction company together and started pulling trees out of houses. I was the one climbing the tree to wrap the chains, with out safety lines. It was something that needed to be done and no one wanted to do it. But hell I had fun with it, acting like Tarzan lol.
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