Ep 34: How Does Law Enforcement Feel About Responsibly Armed Citizens?

Carrying a firearm is empowering, but it adds another layer of complexity to your life. What do you do if you have to interact with the police? Should you behave a certain way in public knowing you have a gun with you?

Millions of Americans carry firearms every day. Most people are completely unaware of that fact. But law enforcement officers know it all too well. The key is to never put yourself in a position where you seem like the threat. Be polite and professional. Never grab your firearm to show it to an officer or anyone else in public.

This video will give you an understanding of how police view responsibly armed Americans. We will also provide valuable tips and tricks for carrying a firearm in public.

What have you accomplished so far by completing this training course? Regardless of your skill level at this point, it is crucial that you take a step-by-step approach when training for self-defense.

This USCCA training series was designed to give you knowledge and skills that will allow you to grow. You cannot safely and effectively grow as a protector if you don’t start with a solid foundation.

Now that you have the foundation, you have an obligation and responsibility to continually improve. Your life and the lives of the people you love may depend on it.

Law enforcement and military instructors often say “complacency kills” to point out when one is getting too comfortable. The training you have done so far is just the beginning. If you stop here, you risk losing the self-defense muscles you have just built and developing deadly bad habits.

Every time you pull the trigger at the range, you are either reinforcing good habits or creating dangerous training scars. You may not even notice that you are doing something wrong.

You might not feel confident when you first take an in-person class or dive into a new online training program. But that is exactly why you need to do it.

Being a responsible protector and gun owner is a lifestyle. If you carry a firearm, you need to continue to build your self-defense instincts with more dry-fire practice, time at the range, online training and in-person instruction.

You survived. You made it through a costly criminal trial and were found innocent. Now what? Many people assume that is the end of the story.

But you may have to survive an extremely costly and stressful civil case. A robber who broke into your home could just as easily sue you for defending yourself and your family. This video will help you understand how civil cases work and what you can do to protect yourself.

Imagine sitting in a courtroom next to your attorney. How is he going to fight to defend you in front of a jury of strangers? It is not a situation any armed American ever wants to face.

Your self-defense training may have saved your life. But your choice of an attorney could save your freedom. Discover the two ways your attorney can fight your case once your trial begins.

Proving your innocence is not a short process. Few Americans understand what really happens behind the scenes of our legal system. Before a formal trial, your case has to navigate its way through the grand jury system and preliminary hearings. In fact, only a small number of cases actually make it to trial.

But what does that mean for you and your case? There is a lot you can do before you ever face a trial. Discover how getting your legal defense started right away makes a world of difference.

The police will likely detain you after your self-defense incident. Understanding your rights is key to staying calm and making the right decisions after that happens.

Valuable evidence starts disappearing after a self-defense incident. So getting legal help as soon as possible is key to proving your innocence. Bail, lawyers and private investigators all come at a high cost. Luckily, there are some ways you can prepare ahead of time.

The immediate aftermath of a self-defense incident will launch a legal process most American gun owners have never even considered. Who will be your first call after 911? How will you find a lawyer? Do you have money for your bail?

You are now entering a critical phase where everything you say and do can determine the outcome of your case. Learn to navigate this difficult period with the help of an actual defense attorney who has been there for his or her clients.

What happens when the police arrive after a deadly self-defense shooting? We sat down with our self-defense expert Kevin Michalowski and Police Officer Sgt. Tim Wilz to discuss how law enforcement approaches a self-defense scene.

Discover what will happen when the police first arrive, what will happen to you at the scene, and what you should and should not do or say.

Avoid the armchair attorneys. There are a lot of myths and misinformation floating around the internet.

Kevin Michalowski and experienced prosecutor and defense attorney Tom Grieve will give you a solid understanding of the legal use of deadly force and your rights. This is your chance to better understand how you will be judged by our legal system. A sound understanding of some key topics could prove vital to protecting your future

Topics include the “reasonable person standard,” your duty to retreat, “stand your ground” laws and Castle Doctrine.

Taking another life, even in self-defense, is a traumatic experience. Your mind and body will go into overdrive trying to keep you alive. But your struggle might not end after the smoke clears.

Expert trainer Steve Fischer and licensed therapist at the Institute of Compassionate Care Jennifer Cisney Ellers will share hard-earned lessons about what happens when someone goes through a fight-or-flight experience. It triggers a physiological change in the fear center of the brain. They will also discuss what you can do after a self-defense incident to take care of your own mental health.

A person’s eyes and behaviors can tell you a lot about his or her intentions. They provide clues that you can use to prepare before an attack. This will give you the best chance of survival.

You can also improve your safety and the safety of your family by planning ahead. Before you ever face a home invasion or a mass shooting, learn how to create a plan and prepare your family.

The fight for your life will not be a fair one. No criminal hell-bent on taking your life has any interest in taking it easy on you or giving you the chance to succeed. In a war for survival, you will have to use everything that lies within you.

Righteous anger can be an incredibly powerful tool for self-defense, but you must learn to control it. Your strength as a protector comes from training your mind and body to defend innocent lives in the face of evil.

Bad guys don’t share the same values that you may consider basic human decency. They have thrown away the value for human life and the rules of society that most of us take for granted.

Evil people come in different forms, from petty criminals to full-blown sociopaths seeking to wreak as much havoc as possible. You have to first win a psychological battle over these evildoers before you can defeat them. Because criminals don’t come for a fight. They come for prey.

Does the mere presence of a gun prevent crimes? Or is there something more sinister behind those who choose to harm others? The media would certainly have you believe that a gun is the cause of crime. But when you look closer into what drives an evil person to cause harm, you will see that this is not the case.

Defeating evil starts with realizing that it exists and preparing to destroy it when it chooses you as the next target. With the help of renowned expert Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, we will examine what drives criminals and how to stop them before they cause harm to innocent lives.

Always remember that you have a firearm on you and you need to defend it. Violent criminals will not warn you that they want to do you harm. They will use surprise and even attempt to disarm you in a fight.

But you can take some steps to make yourself a hard target and protect your gun when the fight gets up close and personal. Uncover expert training tips on how to guard your weapon against an attacker and stop them when they are trying to take it away from you.

Don’t believe the movies. Hiding behind a wall isn’t going to stop bullets. You need to understand what will and won’t protect you during a gunfight. Cover will stop a bullet, but concealment will only hide you from the threat.

It is key that you learn to move between positions of cover and practice engaging around obstacles to give yourself a crucial advantage over attackers. Get ready to outthink your opponent and use every opportunity you have to survive.

Standing still is one of the most common and deadly mistakes you can make when you find yourself facing a violent attack. Avoid the temptation to freeze and get off the “X”. But moving doesn’t necessarily mean retreating from the threat.

Use training like the “Star Drill” to create distance between you and your attacker. Learn how to use situational awareness at all times to assess your environment so you can act quickly and decisively if a threat appears. It could save your life in a gunfight.

How does an armed citizen actually get his or her firearm into a fight to stop an attacker? What are other actions one can take to avoid and end the threat?

That all depends on how you carry your firearm, the clothing you wear and your environment. It’s time to look at how you can access your gun and use movement to defeat your attacker while minimizing the risks to your own safety. All the training you do before that critical moment will determine how successful you are when the time comes to act.

Picking the optimal way to carry your firearm every day is crucial. But don’t make the mistake of thinking comfort is more important than functionality. Concealability and the ability to easily access your gun are key.

Discover how 80 percent of your daily activities dictate the 20 percent of choices you will have when it comes to effectively carrying your firearm. Then strengthen your self-defense skills with drawing drills that will empower you to quickly access your firearm when you need it most.

Alternating between live and dry fire can enable you to see how your body is responding to firing your gun. Are your shots not hitting where you are expecting them to hit on your target? Do you notice a bounce when you pull the trigger while dry-firing?

This simple “5 & 5 Drill” will help you hone your shooting skills by combining the benefits of both live- and dry-fire shooting. Continue to use it to break any bad habits as you train.

When you look at your target, what do you see? Can you identify what the patterns of the bullet holes tell you about what you are doing right and wrong?

Maximize your gun’s potential with shooting drills that allow you to control your movement and shoot more efficiently. We will help you understand your target and eliminate accuracy-killing mistakes.

It is time to take your skills and new drills to the range. This training video will take what you have learned so far and put it to practice with actual live-fire training so you can get more comfortable with your firearm and identify accuracy issues that are hurting your performance.

With the help of our expert trainers, you will learn how to correct your accuracy mistakes and maximize your time shooting without building the bad habits that plague many shooters.

Properly loading and unloading your firearm is a skill that will keep you safe on the range and build a deeper familiarity with your firearm. It will become instinctive with practice.

Similarly, training to fix the most common gun malfunctions will help you build muscle memory to keep your gun in the fight and avoid dangerous mistakes on the range.

Dry-fire training allows you to build your accuracy without even having to go to the range. This training will introduce you to the “Wall Drill,” a simple and effective way to train in your own home and develop your ability to quickly get on target.

Learn how to properly focus on your sights and control your trigger pull. With just a few minutes of practice each week, you can dramatically improve your shooting success without spending a single penny on ammunition or ranges.

Responsible gun owners understand that owning and using firearms comes with personal responsibility. Our firearms training experts will give you the knowledge and skills to confidently handle and train with your firearm.

Following these safety rules and techniques when handling firearms is a proven way to train effectively and save lives. Learn how to control your muzzle, build trigger discipline, and develop a proper shooting stance and grip.

The right holster and belt can save your life. The wrong one could cost you everything.

How you carry your firearm is critical. Selecting the wrong holster and belt are two of the most common and costly mistakes made by gun owners. Make sure you understand all your options and what is best for you before you buy it.

What will you wear every day: A Kydex, leather, nylon or hybrid holster? Should you pick an inside-the-waistband (IWB) or outside-the-waistband (OWB) holster? Whatever you choose, don’t let a cheap belt ruin a good gun.

Want choices? Well, you have a lot of them when it comes to picking the ammunition you are going to use in your firearm. Understanding what ammunition to use and when can be one of the most confusing aspects of being a gun owner. It is also key to training smart and saving money.

Should you train with the same ammunition you carry for self-defense? What is the difference between full metal jacket and hollow-point bullets? And what the heck does “+P” really mean?

Semi-automatic firearms are easily the most common guns available to most Americans these days. In fact, the 1911 pistol is perhaps the most iconic American handgun of all time.

But semi-automatic pistols come in a host of different shapes, sizes and magazine capacities. While they share many similarities, they often function very differently. So it is essential to build an understanding of how they work and to train your body to use your gun effectively.

Does the firearm fit your hands right? What is the difference between single-action and double-action? And most importantly, is it a gun you can shoot well and will carry every single day?

Reliability, simplicity and effectiveness. These are all fundamental traits of a great self-defense gun. Revolvers are a classic self-defense choice for exactly that reason.

But every firearm has its own advantages and disadvantages. Before you choose to use a revolver, there are some key things to understand about them that might make or break your decision.

What gun should I buy? What’s the best holster and ammo? Every firearms trainer has heard those questions over and over again. But the answer is not so simple.

Self-defense experts Kevin Michalowski and Steve Fischer will help you avoid the costly mistakes most gun owners make when starting a self-defense journey. Now you can get exactly the right tools for you while saving time and money along the way.

As a responsible gun owner, you have embarked on a lifelong journey to become an empowered protector. This video will give you the blueprint for the training ahead so you are ready to sharpen your skills and create a solid foundation for all your future training.

The rest of the Armed & Ready video lessons will fill your self-defense tool chest with top-notch advice from experienced leaders in the field of self-defense training and the legal system.

Discover real news stories and statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice about the dangers honest, hard-working Americans face every day. Violence has a way of finding even peaceful people. That is why it is so important to face the hard truths about the threats in the world around us.

As an armed American, you can make a difference. But failing to prepare ahead of time is the same as preparing to fail.