Prefer To Watch The Video?

If you carry a firearm for self-defense and are truly prepared to use it, this article may be one of the most important you’ll ever read.

If you read carefully and apply what you learn, it can mean the difference between going home and going to prison.

Make sure you stay with me until the end when I will share a little-known bonus advantage very few gun owners know about. It’s a game changer you don’t want to miss.

Using, or even just threatening to use deadly force will likely change your life significantly. The wheels of justice begin to turn so fast and there are so many moving parts happening at the same time.

Think about how overwhelming life can be with just the normal stuff you deal with every day.

Well, if you use or threaten to use deadly force, you can times that 100-fold.

Why? Because when you have a bad day at work, a fight with your spouse or your kids drive you crazy. You get to go home, and tomorrow is another day.

Not so when deadly force is used in self-defense. Oh no! In that case, the ordeal has just begun. And the mental, emotional, and financial toll is no joke.

Now, I’m not going to kid you by telling you that if you take my suggestions today, all will be easy peasy. It won’t.

However, if you avoid making these huge mistakes gun owners often make after a self-defense incident, I can tell you that your chances of getting through the ordeal on the right side of the law without being mentally, emotionally, and financially ruined will increase exponentially.

So, let’s begin.

Mistake #1. They talk too much at the scene of the incident. When our adrenaline is pumping like Niagara Falls, we tend to talk faster than we can think. We want to justify to the 911 operator and the officers on the scene what happened and why we did what we did. That’s a huge mistake.

Because you cannot take back what you say and anything you say will be used against you. So, learn how to properly handle a 9–1–1 call (last week’s article) and learn what to say to police at the scene.

Mistake #2. They have no clue what to do when law enforcement arrives. If you have a deadly weapon in your hand when the police arrive, place it on the ground, move away from it immediately, either get on your knees or lay on the ground and put your hands on your head.

Remain calm, which is easier said than done. Keep your mouth shut, and let the officers do their job in securing the scene. Do not, under any circumstances, volunteer any information to describe what happened, as we discussed in mistake number one.

Mistake #3. They don’t ask for an attorney right away.

If you have to say something, state your name, that you are the victim who called 9 1 1, and that you will cooperate fully once you have an attorney present. If you do not invoke your right to an attorney, ASAP, anything you say prior to that is admissible as evidence. Once you exercise your right to legal representation, the police are no longer allowed to question you without your attorney present.

It doesn’t mean they won’t. Just don’t answer any questions and don’t volunteer any information until you have consulted with your attorney, and he or she is present.

This is a powerful advantage, and you need every advantage you can get at one of the worst times of your life.

Mistake #4. They don’t treat the officers with respect. Officers arriving at the scene have little if any information as to what’s in store for them. They have a protocol to follow and are trying to stay safe and go home to their families.

Their adrenaline is pumping hard too.

They may treat you roughly, whether it’s throwing you on the ground and cuffing you or placing you in the back of a cruiser and making you wait. They are just doing their job. It’s not personal. Even if you know your rights and feel unjustly mistreated, the scene is not the place to debate. Again, invoke your right to legal counsel, go through the motions, as uncomfortable as it may be, and let law enforcement do their job.

How you conduct yourself throughout the process may be recorded in the police report and potentially brought up at trial if there is one. Don’t give law enforcement and the prosecutor a reason to paint you as an aggressive and temperamental suspect which may bias a jury.

Mistake #5. They don’t have a legal plan in place. I’ve been paying car and home insurance premiums for many years. The one accident I had, which was my fault, caused a claim to the tune of almost $20,000.

I got off easy, because no one was injured.

If you live in Florida, as I do, a big hurricane or tornado can easily cost tens or hundreds of thousands in damage to your property.

You may bitch and moan about the high premiums year after year, but when a disaster occurs, you count your lucky stars you were covered.

If you use or threaten to use deadly force in self-defense, you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars just to be bailed out and arraigned in court. If it goes to trial, you’re easily looking at a six-figure bill for the criminal trial and potentially the same for the civil trial. That’s not including damages.

Do you have that kind of money lying around for a rainy day?

If you say that you’ll just use the public defender, well, with all due respect to you both, you get what you pay for and are taking a major gamble with your freedom.

Will your family be better off with you at home or in jail?

Is that a gamble you’re willing to make on their behalf?

The good news is that you don’t have to. Because for about $15 per month, which is so much less than car and home insurance premiums, especially in Florida, you can have the peace of mind of unlimited resources and access to the best legal defense money can buy.

So, if you lawfully use or threaten to use deadly force in self-defense, you and your family don’t have to lose everything to get you back home where you belong.

Mistake #6. They talk too much during the interview with police. Make no mistake, you will almost definitely be brought to the police station for questioning. The detective assigned to your case will ask you questions.

He or she are trained to get you talking.

They will pretend to be your friend and claim they really want to help you. They will ask you to tell your story over and over and will be looking for any inconsistencies in each version.

That’s where they apply the pressure and often make your defense weaker and weaker.

If you crack, you’ll likely find yourself under arrest and awaiting trial.

So, as we discussed earlier, invoke your right to an attorney before you say anything aside from, “Hello, detective.”

Mistake #7. They don’t fully understand that everything they say will be used against them.

From the moment you use or threaten to use deadly force, the evidence begins to collect and will be used against you.

Witnesses taking videos or being questioned at the scene by police.

The 9 1 1 call is recorded.

Any statements you volunteer to law enforcement at the scene and the interrogation room.

Your social media posts will be reviewed with a magnifying glass.

And any modifications you made to the firearm used in the incident, however innocent will likely be used against you.

Mistake #8. They don’t have a plan to post bail.

If you end up being charged with a crime but are given the opportunity to post bail and go home until the trial begins, you’re looking at twenty-five to fifty thousand dollars in most cases.

You can either pay it in cash…

or use a company that specializes in that for 10 percent of the bail amount.

If you had to post bail right now, are you able to come up with at least 10%?

Will you have to ask family or friends?

Until bail is paid, you remain in jail and if you don’t show up for the trial, that money is gone.

Again, self-defense insurance can solve that issue for pennies on the dollar.

Mistake #9. They think that once they are released, it’s all over.

Being released after your interrogation simply means the police don’t believe you’re a threat to the public, for now. However, their investigation is still ongoing. If they find evidence to incriminate you, you’ll be back fighting for your freedom and the road ahead is much longer and harder. Once again, having a legal defense plan in place will ensure you have the financial resources to put up the best fight money can buy.

It doesn’t guarantee you’ll win, but it’s far better than the alternative.

Thank you for reading this far, and as I promised, here is a game changing tip to implement at the scene of the incident as law enforcement attempt to ask you questions.

When a police officer is involved in a shooting while on duty, it is common practice to remove the officer from the scene for up to 72 hours so he or she can calm down, get checked out by a doctor, seek legal counsel, and get their head and story straight without the pressure of the moment. This is not a privilege for law enforcement only. Everyone is entitled to the same treatment. So, if officers at the scene keep prodding you, request to be checked out by paramedics, and invoke your right to an attorney immediately.

Be polite and respectful, and let them know that you will cooperate once you’ve been checked out and your attorney is present.

Unfortunately, too many gun owners spend years training in firearm skills for a self-defense event that lasts two to three seconds and neglect to prepare for the aftermath that may last for months and even years.

Don’t YOU make that mistake.

Train Hard, Often, and SAFELY!