Forced Entry Part 2-Defenders
The Defenders
The defenders’ best chance is to break up the three principles the attackers are using for success. They do not know when they are being attacked, but if they make the first assumption that they may be attacked, they can prepare for the attack both physically and mentally. To take away surprise requires vigilance and an early warning system. This can be dogs (see separate paragraph at the end of this section), electronics such as an alarm system(for rural locations even a simple drive way alarm that sounds like a door bell as someone drives up), security cameras, motion detector lights, or sentries (one among many things terrorist and criminal gangs have in common is early warning systems or sentries with cell phones), or just simply looking out the window now and then. Speed can be broken up by physical obstacles, fences or walls, exterior hardened doors (not just an extra dead bolt as most door frames can be knocked off their hinges by a fit adult with a bit of practice), interior hardened doors (a specific safe room is a good idea), or other creative interior obstacles. Even an obstacle that slows down the attackers for a few seconds can be life for the defenders. Overcoming the surprise in the defenders mind and minimizing shock are the most important thing for the defender. Violence of action is best met with violence of its own and a plan, no matter how simple. The attackers are quickly and violently executing a plan, using the surprise and shock that comes with it. The defender’s violence has to not only damage the attackers’ but disrupt their group plan and violence. To do this they need to be armed with the tools to fight with. While various martial arts can use bare hands and feet or blades (I know of a foreign military friend almost killed by a defender with a machete) we will assume modern small arms, since they are the most effective tool . Firearms in a large combination gun safe might as well be on the moon if you only have a hand full of seconds to get them. A weapon on the other side of the house, unless a fast movement away from attackers takes the defender to it, may be useless if the attackers are on you before you get to it. This leaves firearm on your person or within arms’ reach as a realistic option. Then the defenders’ options are a simple plan, wait in ambush, or attack aggressively into the invaders. To best overcome the surprise of a real event, a plan before hand, rehearsed if possible, is best. But needs drive and a plan may have to be changed or made up a second before. It must be quick to break up the attackers’ plan. If done right, as in the case studies, it may turn all the attackers’ advantages of surprise, fear and terror leading to shock on its head.
The defender, when he overcomes shock will have to focus only on the fight and not non-combatants. It is hard not to comfort love ones in extreme situations. If you have enough time, get them to a safe room, for example. Do this only if you have an abundance of time. Do your best before an event to make them combatants. But when the fight starts, fight! If someone you thought would be a combatant and you would look to lead the fight is still in shock and not back in an effective mindset, fight without them. The defender has very limited time to break up the attackers and their plan.
Dogs deserve their own paragraph, as a lot of myths that they give perfect warning and then fight the attackers off are prevalent. Dogs are the most common of early warning systems and have some strengths as well as problems. Most people ignore their dogs’ initial barking for a short period of time before they look. This is more than enough time for attackers to close with a building. The other issue is the belief that the dog will attack an intruder. Having done hundreds of forced entries, in my experience, most dogs will cower and back off from a group of men intent on violence due to dogs’ pack nature. Some dogs will fight, most likely those that are trained as attack animals, but they are exceptions to the rule. Most dogs are told daily to calm down and leave the stranger alone and never to attack a stranger. This is training the dogs to just watch when a real attack happens. Also, experienced attackers know they can kill a dog with a firearm without even breaking their stride. Human and canine nature limits the dogs’ effectiveness unless both are trained and disciplined before an event.
One other fact that aids the defender after the attacker gains control is if they lack discipline or a plan. Home invasions in the media or in the “Armed Citizen” column of NRA publications routinely show prisoners of criminals escaping, arming themselves, and starting the fight over. This generally happens when the attackers take a specific prisoner apart from the others or do a bad job of securing them from escape and leave the room. Once the initial shock has worn off, a defender goes and secures a firearm and turns the tables. This is not a real plan and it depends on luck and inept opponents but since it has been reported dozens of times, it is not to be discounted from the discussion and not only limited to criminals. To the embarrassment of the service, I personally witnessed one instance of this when a detained insurgent walked away at night into a small urban area when the guard’s back was turned and was attacking U.S. forces later that week.
Next: Part 3 Case Studies and Conclusions