Self-Defense New Story

[Hank_Z]

This is a self-defense news story from 2 years ago. The event took place in Costa Rica, where I live. I thought some might like to comment on this. I copied this from http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/02/70_year_old_vet.html

"SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - An American tourist who watched as a U.S. military veteran in his 70s used his bare hands to kill an armed assailant in Costa Rica said she thought the attempted robbery was a joke — until the masked attacker held a gun to her head.

“I thought it was a skit. But then he pointed the gun at my head and grabbed me by the throat and I thought I was going to die,” Clova Adams, 54, told The Associated Press by telephone Friday from the Carnival Liberty cruise ship.

The assault occurred during a ship stopover Wednesday in Limon, 80 miles east of San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital.

Adams was with 12 American tourists who hired a driver to explore Costa Rica for a few hours. They were climbing out of the van to visit a Caribbean beach when three men wearing ski masks ran toward them, she said. One held a gun to her head, while the other two pulled out knives.

Tourist fights back
Suddenly, one of the tourists, a U.S. military veteran trained in self defense, jumped out of the van and put the gunman in a headlock, according to Limon police chief Luis Hernandez.

Hernandez said the American, whom he refused to identify, struggled with the robber, breaking his collarbone and eventually killing him. Police identified the dead man as Warner Segura, 20. The other two assailants fled.

“I was very scared at the moment,” Costa Rican bus driver Roberto Frances Allen said in an interview in Limon.

“The bus was shaking and women were screaming,” he recalled. “There were two shots and I heard him (Segura) try to fire more, but the gun didn’t fire. Luckily, the tourists had forced his hand up and the shots hit the roof of the bus.”

Afterward, the tourists drove Segura to a hospital, where he was declared dead. Sergio Lopez, a Red Cross auxiliary, examined Segura’s body and said he died from asphyxiation.

Lopez also treated Adams for a panic attack.

“She was very nervous after the assault, but she had not been physically hurt,” Lopez said..."

[Grant Douglass]

g'day HankZ, nice to see you back & in one peice.
it was an interesting article, i can only comment for myself.
The vet did what they thaught was right!
but i've ogt the luxery of 20/20 vision & no pressure sitting here in the study.
i wasn;t under the pressure all those faced on the bus.

it's a pretty risky busness taking weapon off someone who has it at somelses head.
if you get it wrong ther may be no second chances.
The captive was extremely lucky they didn't get blasted or the 2 stray rounds didn't hit another passenger.

I think that under the circumstances, i would probably hand over my cash then put evryone else in the bus at jeapardy.
Like i said i'm sitting here light years away from the episode.
but we alo need to ask ourselves this.
It was all down to luck!
If you where the person who tried to rescue the hostage & got it wrong or luck went the otherway. the hostage got wasted or one of the 2 stray ronds hit a ( mushroom) innocent bystander maybe a man woman or child.
Was it worth it. ? Luck was a HUGE FACTOR in this one!
If you know that the gunman wants money , & you can get out of it that way, then that would be the way to go.

If he got his money then said " THAT HE WAS GOING TO KILL YOU !then it would be a case of you've got nothing to loose.
please don't take this as me putting a vets couragious actions down, BUT was it handled the best way?

what do you all think?
Oh yeah Hank z did you get Robs book yet?

i recently got in a situation with 4 young scumbags & a knife, could of tried to disarm the knife weilder & take out his 3 buddies all in a confined space.

I chose to use some of Rob's teachings, if i went the pysical option on that last one with the 4 guy & the knife , do you think it would end without me not getting cut?
i came out of it with out getting cut or having the lady presen getting hurt, & all 4 got arrested. i did't even get off my backside. *& no one died.

That was a good result.
Once we take the physical option there are NO GAURANTEES HOW IT WILL END< it will all come down to fate & Luck.
Digger.
Hank z good artcle mate.

[Alan_OldStudent]

Hi Grant,

You ask excellent questions and make sensible points in your post.

Greetings from the contralateral corner of the world.

Regards,

Alan

[Hank_Z]

Thanks for the comments, Digger.

Yes, I thought the hero was extremely lucky. The result was great, but I'd be surprised if doing this against three armed attackers would work more than 1 out of 10 times. Or less. I agree with you. I'd have given them my money.

It's important to think about legal ramifications. The fact that the hero was 70 years of age and used only his bare hands against one gun and two knives reduced the chance of legal problems. Plus...the Costa Rica government would not want to make Carnival Cruise Line angry.

As you say, it would be very difficult to think through things rationally in the midst of such an emotional event. That's why it's important to think through such scenarios many times before something like this happens. The action needs to be automatic.

I'm looking forward to Rob's book. The book is waiting for me at a place that handles my mail for me. I don't have a car and will need to take a good half day to pick up my mail.

Happy weekend, mate.

Hank