Nothing Good Happens After 11:00pm

[Anonymous]

Years ago when I began doing security work I remember one of the veterans telling me “Nothing good happens after 11:00 pm.” Since that time, there has been little to prove him wrong.

On October 18th at approximately 1:00am, Star University of Connecticut (UConn) cornerback Jasper T. (Jazz) Howard was murdered following a stellar performance on the gridiron against the Louisville Cardinals only hours earlier. Howard, who was in attendance at a student dance late Saturday night, was stabbed to death on the Storrs campus. Details of the event are murky while the assailant still remains at large.

As the story unfolds on this tragedy, one can only think of how this could have been avoided. Personally, I have could ended up just like him, a college kid after a big game, in the wrong place at the wrong time. My judgment impaired by alcohol combined with the invincibility of youth would make me an easy target for a street wise thug.

What we learn as we get older is that there are certain situations that increase our exposure to risk. One of those situations is the “witching hour”. That point in the evening when more bad than good can happen. That time is 11:00pm. People out at this time are usually coming home from dinner, happy hour or even a long day at work. Either way, a little drunk or a little tired makes you a prime target.

It has only been through personal experience that you come to realize when you are getting in over your head. Coming home alone after a big game on a college campus one might think that one was safe. But kids away from home for the first time are easy victims of violence They are on their own for the first time, dealing wi th new freedoms and new responsibilities ad of course making new and more dangerous mistakes.

Experience is the best teacher. It’s only by getting burned that we learn how to avoid the fire.The hope is that we can teach others to avoid the mistakes that we made so that we can evolve and grow.

It is unfortunate that we must learn from the mistakes of the innocent and there is no way to bring someone back, but you can honor their memory by teaching others how to avoid this pain and suffering.

The choice is yours, turn a blind eye or swing a clenched fist.

Until Next Time,

Damian Ross
Master Instructor and CEO, The Self Defense Company
Police Investigation is Ongoing

UConn Police and the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit are actively investigating Howard

[Author]

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