The other day I was walking my dog on a big 6 hour loop around town we did.
While coming up this parking lot behind a dinner there was a guy screaming and punching the brick. He was about 1 foot ball field away and I was watchful. He then got naked and was slamming his pants around. They were pajama pants. He then put the pants back on; now I was fairly confident he had no weapons.
I believe this guy was tweaked to gills on methamphetamine. Like a hasn't slept in days and smoked as much as he could come across in that time span.
Now dog and I had passed him some and were skirting other side. He started running towards us in a totally stiff upper body, mouth twitching and eyes wide as can be. Shirtless, no shoes and body full of home done shitty tattoos (I like tattoos, have many, they were all shit work). he throws his hands up and is running in like a tree position with his arms towards the end.
Dog barks (make uuupptt noise to calm him). Guy skids to stop 3-4 ft out. The defenses I have is A. My voice and talking, B. Dog, C.Hunting knife on hip. I had not got the knife out while walking though when I had determined this guy had no weapon. If he had had more clothes on and ran at me like that I would have got the knife out earlier and had it in a position that the blade cannot be stabbed back into me easily.
When I saw him at a distance I consciously chose to not get the knife out. I believe an open carry knife is an excellent deterrent for more rational minded people who may want to mug you. When dealing with irrational people though there is no rationality. So a knife or a gun could escalate the situation greatly and increase your likelihood of a scuffle.
Dog barks some more and he backs up half step and then said something like: "moutherfuck I don't give a fuck, I'll kill you and the dog".
I bluntly and dead eyed stared into his said "No you won't, we're walking". Then he said "walking, walking, that's all I'm doing is walking". I think I said "then lets walk on".
He then started yelling about how "he didn't give a fuck, bro, you know that, I don't give a fuck, LOOK AT THIS" then rubbed blood from his bleeding finger on his chest. I did not look at his chest and continued to stare him in the eyes; I'm also tracking where his hands are to ensure near him". My legs are one foot forward one back but I haven't moved since he skidded to a stop.
Then gestured wildly and arm got a bit closer, dog jumped up mouth open at his arm as he pulled it back. I made a fairly loud *AHHHhh* that I can use to redirect a major behavior from my dog. He missed his arm but mouth clamped down hard after his half jump. The noise I made also had the affect of making him move back a bit. Then he cursed about the dog and killing it. I told him "I'm talking to the dog, but he's gonna bite you if you keep doing that".
Then he finished rubbing his chest and said "yooooooooou gottta cigarette"
*deadpan eyes locked*. "yeah bud I do" *still eyes locked reach in pocket and get pack out* "you want two?" and then I held out two high up in the air where his tree arms were. He then had to watch his hands to physically use the 2 fingers to grasp them. Then he ran off.
While I handed the cigarette with my left hand my right had the elbow bent to throw at his neck if he came at me. I have no experience with this move and should find some practice but I did plan it and it feels fairly natural stance wise.
Conscious thought under these stressors is important. Making active choices to do or not do and then fully committing to the decision once there is no going back.
I believe if I had pulled a gun on this guy as he ran at me I would have likely shot him because he would have yelled about killing me and the dog, then kept moving. The likelihood of getting into a knife fight with a methed up no pain junkie would have gone up had I pulled the knife, the knife being pulled would *maybe* deescalate someone with a knife or someone who is hoping for easier target. You must COMMIT to knife fighting if a knife is pulled and it will end up with both people cut.
I think pepper spray would have been the best weapon here as I could have had it palmed and ready in that arm I had ready to throw the elbow. I had one but moved a few months ago by airplane and haven't got another, but now am going to pick one up. He would not have known it was there and I could have deployed it as soon as these verbal tactics failed.
People like this are predators and they want to seek weak people. So there are people who are smaller than me (lightweight 6ft, beard and facial piercings) or also who display differently that may have more issues. Lots of people walk around staring at their phone with very obviously new flashy backpacks full of stuff, headphones in and not situationaly aware.
I have a friend who is female, 5'3 and can present herself in a manner that in her eyes and stance you absolutely know you should not try to fuck with this woman. So anyone can improve upon this posturing from where they are now.
So another thing I offered was an increased reward level. He got 2 ciggies from me and this gesture lowers threat level of me as competitor.
For work I support people who experience intellectual developmental disabilities and fairly regularly deal with people who are, somewhat rational or irrational, angry and maybe violent. Threatened with screw driver, swung at, wheel chair charge, walker throws, slamming and shaking etc. People are often seeking reactions in these behaviors to illicit shock or fear, surprise from you and then utilize that weakness to get whatever goal they see in their mind (remember often irrational). I was also a Resident Advisor in college for 3.5 years and dealt with a lot of drunk people and these sorts of tactics have been successful there.
Submitted July 19, 2021 at 09:44PM by ccnnvaweueurf https://ift.tt/2UYnyeI
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