Close Encounter: How The Smallest Of Marbles Can Tip The Scales

I was trying to be all tactical by shutting my headlights off early as I pulled over onto the shoulder and rolled to a stop.  The call for the domestic disturbance was a house or two away and I was setting myself up for a quiet, very tactical approach on foot.  It was a dark stretch of road with random patches of gray light shed from distant porch lights that cast light and shadow to the street.  I was the first car on scene and I figured I’d stop to listen and get the lay of the land before walking up.

The address I was headed to was on the opposite side of the road and on my driver’s side.  I stepped out of my cruiser and began to swing my door shut with my right hand.  I had every intention of guiding it closed so that it didn’t slam and give my presence away.  While closing the door I turned my head and looked left and right like a good little Johnny Tactical before crossing the street.  Then something, or should I say someone, caught my eye. 

The Apparition

To my left there was a dark figure backlit by the porch lights.  The figure was silently crossing the road and walking straight toward me like the alien in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Of course, my attention became immediately absorbed by this apparition just as my cruiser door swung closed the last few inches and latched shut.

The Problem

The only problem was that I had held onto the frame of the door a split second too long and had successfully closed the door on the thumb of my right hand.  Did I mention that I’m a righty?  Did I mention the door was locked?  No?  Well, I am and it was.

Imagine taking your right arm, moving it directly behind you, then turning your hand inward at the wrist and point your thumb straight back.  Now shut a car door on that thumb.  And lock that car door.  And have a dark, nondescript figure quietly walk toward you like a demon coming for your soul.  That was exactly where I found myself.  

Trapped

So, there I was in an arguably awkward and difficult position, both literally and figuratively.  If this guy was there to kill me, he had the advantage.  I was like a mouse with his tail caught in the mousetrap.  Now, I had learned how to draw my gun with my left hand, but not like this.  This was ridiculous.

With every intention of hiding my panic and with the hope that this approaching being had no idea of what I had just done to myself, I calmly and firmly told him to, “Stop right there!” as I casually tugged on my thumb.  I tugged faster and harder as he closed the distance.

It wasn’t budging.  

He wasn’t stopping.

Gone Sideways

Quickly and awkwardly, I took my car keys in my left hand, twisted myself toward the door handle (which put my back to the approaching extraterrestrial) and was able to unlock the door and free my pulsating thumb.  I don’t know if you’ve ever brushed your teeth with your opposite hand, but the whole door unlocking process was about as coordinated as that. With a thumb that looked like a turnip, I bit my lip and carried on.

In the end, this guy didn’t try to kill me, abduct me onto the mother ship, or even steal my soul. It all worked out in the end, but my planning, my approach, and my good intentions, had all gone sideways.

Stuff Happens

This wasn’t the kind of scenario you train for in the Academy.  There’s no defensive tactics class or day on the firing range where everyone puts their weapon hand behind their back, shuts it in a car door and locks it, just before the instructor yells, “Threat!” or whatever super high speed instructors say these days.  This wasn’t the kind of thing you saw on TV or in the movies because it wasn’t tactical, practical, planned for, or sexy.  But it happened.

We can’t train for every scenario, control the day or the time, or always predict what other people will do.  We can’t rely on luck or chance.  All we can do is mitigate risk.  These variables are like a set of dice rolled together on a turn in the game of Yahtzee.  Sometimes they roll in our favor, sometimes not so much.  But I believe that Fortune favors the prepared.

Tipping The Scales

Now, picture old fashioned scales, like the scales of justice, hanging on a balance.  Winning is on one side, Losing is on the other.  Sound principles that lead to good tactics will drop marbles onto the scale on the side of Winning.  Poor principles, carelessness or apathy, will lead to poor tactics and will drop marbles onto the scale on the side of Losing. The goal, of course, is to tip the scales in our favor, no matter how slight.

I did a couple of small things right that night which helped tip the scales and offset my screwup.  Had I done all dumb things or careless things that night, and the other guy was a real bad guy, I most likely would not be here to write about it.  But by doing several smart things — little things like parking a ways away, using light and noise discipline — I began to tip the scales in my favor before the last marble dropped.

Remember, tactics are many but principles are few.  Principles apply to a wide variety of scenarios while tactics are scenario specific.  Scales can be tipped even with the smallest of marbles.

Simple Principles

1. Distance is your friend.  Cover is your soulmate.
   • Distance equals time to think and to react
   • Cover stops bullets
2. Understand when and how to utilize white light
   • Your headlights and flashlights let you see what’s in front of you, but they also announce your presence
   • Light on you is bad
   • Light on the threat is good
3. Practice noise discipline.
   • Understand when it’s better to approach on foot
   • Always close cruiser doors quietly
   • Use an ear bud on your collar mic to silence your radio
   • Keep your gear snug so it doesn’t jingle or knock together
4. Avoid shutting your fingers in car doors

_____________________________

• Are you following sound principles?
• Have you let the little things slide?
• Are you relying on luck to tip the scales?