A few weeks ago, I posted, "Have you ever used it?" I also started a thread at CoCA on the same subject. Coincidentally, Mike related the following account of a knife attack to Sam and me the morning after it happened, then committed it to me in an email. I think it deserves a post of it's own. If you have feedback, please comment at the CoCA thread. Thanks- Nathan
Mike Frezza
Nathan, on 25 may 07 I was with my volunteer fire crew picking up dinner. One of the female firefighters walked in to the pizza place and told me that while she was in line at another place, a man (about 45-50 yo.) wanted to know (rather loudly at her ) why the F##k she was looking at him. This clown continued to rant and rave at her until he left the store. She said that all she was doing was glancing over her shoulder to make sure that I wasn't going to the fire truck for a call. She didn't know that this guy was even behind her. All she remembers was his blood-shot eyes.
We both walked out to the burger joint where all this took place. Then she saw the same guy walking out to the parking lot. I was keeping an eye on this guy in case he returned to rant on at her. Anyway, he sees me, now I'm his target of affection, wanting to know why I'm looking at him.
I ignored him at first, but he continued to come at me, calling me a racist pig and other warm greetings. I figured that this guy had some problem so I asked him what's wrong, something I can help him with etc., all the time watching his hands and body language. Now he gets right up to me, I can smell the booze on his breath, I said to back off, I'm not a cop I'm a firefighter, leave me alone. He made a movement that I took as a threat, basically put my hands up to block and bump him off and see were we go from there.
He then started fumbling into his right front pocket, stumbling away from me, dropping his phone, keys and money out. I saw the knife which he was swinging at me, I threw a front kick towards him to time his movements, and he continued to back away, but still swinging the knife. He wanted to know why I was trying to kick him, I inquired why was he trying to cut me. This fine gentleman continued to stumble back, yelling more choice words, but to me, breaking off contact. While this was going on I was on the fire department radio inviting the police to come to the "party".
This guy stopped with the Zorro act, picked his belongings up (still ranting on), walked towards his car and got in. I called in his plate numbers and while he was leaving the parking lot, decided to take a shot at me with his car. Anyway, P.D. arrived (a lot of them) took info down, later that night the SWAT team went after him, but he wasn't home.
What I need is some feed back, from you guys:
Should I have let him get that close?
Should I have charged him prior to the knife being pulled out? A couple of police officer's that I told this to, (not involved in the case), said that would have been justification for deadly force.
While the attack was going on I had thought about a number of things:
1.) Time his sloppy, wide swings to pin his right arm down, elbow to his face, then a push into the curb.
2.) Time another front kick into his hip, throw him off balance and move in behind him for a rear naked choke
3.) Yes I was excited, but kept in control. Behind me was a store full of onlookers and the nice fireman shouldn't be beating up the local people! One lady wanted to know why I was fighting, not knowing what was going on. This guy wouldn't or didn't engage (or so I felt) for me to "take him out". Now after all was said and done, I might have handled the situation differently when he got up into my face.
4.) Please, any thoughts, comments or guidance will be helpful.
