{"id":100848,"date":"2024-03-20T10:56:21","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:56:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=100848"},"modified":"2024-03-20T10:56:21","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:56:21","slug":"100848","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=100848","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

An Armed Citizen\u2019s Guide on What To Do When Calling 911.<\/a><\/p>\n

PICTURE THE SCENE:\u00a0<\/strong>You\u2019re about four minutes into your worst wak\u00ading nightmare. You had to pull your gun and use it; that\u2019s the bad news. The good news is, you\u2019re still alive. You know that because you can still smell the gun smoke and feel your heart pounding with adrenaline. The would-be offender is dead, or at least isn\u2019t moving. It was him or you, no doubt about that. And because you\u2019re confident you\u2019re justified in your actions, it\u2019s time to fulfill your obliga\u00adtion as a responsible and law-abiding person and notify the police.<\/p>\n

But not so fast. You may have pro\u00adtected yourself against a deadly threat, but now it\u2019s time to protect yourself against potential recrimination. Ev\u00aderything will be scrutinized by police, prosecutors and maybe a jury, starting with the call you\u2019re about to make. For you, and almost every other defensive shooter, 911 is the first point of contact with the justice system. What you say matters. Get this one wrong, and your 911 call could play out on broadcast news , turn your community against you and feature prominently for some enterprising prosecutor who might have crowed in the last election that getting guns off the street is a priority, but doesn\u2019t distinguish between crimi\u00adnals and law-abiding gun owners.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t panic. It\u2019s just the rest of your life that could change based on the words you pick\u2026at exactly the time when your nervous system is still try\u00ading to claw itself back down to normal from almost dying.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t blow it.<\/p>\n

HISTORY<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The use of a three-digit emergency number got its start in the United Kingdom with the advent of the 999 call system. Under the Johnson Admin\u00adistration, the Federal Communications Commission hatched a plan for the 911 call system with AT&T in the late 1960s. Soon after, states began building their own networks. While only half of resi\u00addents in the United States had access to 911 by the end of the Reagan Admin\u00adistration, most of the U.S. is served by some form of the system today.<\/p>\n

And yes, despite what you may read on the windows of pickup truck cabs or at gun-friendly thrift shops, most people do call 911. (Those stickers can potentially create trouble for you by the way in the event of a defensive shooting, but that\u2019s another story for later.) According to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) there are more than 3,000 911 call centers in the United States, field\u00ading some 240 million emergency calls each year.<\/p>\n

If your scene is safe and the threat is contained, it\u2019s time to make an impor\u00adtant call.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

911 Fact: When Does the Recording Begin?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Everything you say on the 911 call will be recorded and submitted as evidence. To the surprise of many, though, that recording begins the second you push that last 1. Before the operator even picks up the call, the recording has begun. It\u2019s important to know this because you may be having a private conversation with someone about the event and potentially say something that can be caught in a recording and be used against you in court.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, let\u2019s establish that 911 should be your first call.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only is it likely that you or someone else needs medical atten\u00adtion, but the sequence here matters,\u201d says Colorado attorney Doug Richards. \u201cIf this goes to trial, your phone will likely be searched. If you called anyone else first, or delayed calling without a good reason, it won\u2019t look good.\u201d He notes that most of the calls his office receives are about altercations in public be\u00adtween at least two parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou probably won\u2019t be the first one to call 911, but if your neighbor, a bystander or even the perpetrator calls 911, you should call them too, and be the first one, if possible,\u201d Richards, who is an Independent Program Attorney for U.S. LawShield\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

Next, you should know that 911 starts recording as soon as you dial, even before dispatch picks up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means what you say can come back to bite you, even if no one is on the line,\u201d says James Phillips, a Florida-based U.S. LawShield\u00a0Inde\u00adpendent Program Attorney. If (like one defendant) you\u2019re heard profanely saying to yourself while waiting for the 911 operator to pick up the person shot \u201cdeserved to die,\u201d it won\u2019t play well in court.<\/p>\n

Since even a justified shooting is likely to leave you frantic and agitated, one defense attorney with U.S. Law Shield I spoke with advises you to keep things simple and to the point, using the acronym: NASH\u2019D. This stands for:<\/p>\n

NAME<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

ADDRESS<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

SHORT TRUTHFUL STATE\u00adMENT<\/strong>\u00a0of what happened,<\/p>\n

ask for\u00a0HELP<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

and\u00a0DISCONNECT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

There are other mnemonic devices with acronyms that can help you re\u00admember the precise points to share on 911 and to go no further, but this is one of the easiest to remember. The basic rules of what to say and how much or little follow:<\/p>\n

YOUR NAME\u00a0<\/strong>because there\u2019s no reason to conceal your identity, and it will help police properly identify you once they arrive.<\/p>\n

THE ADDRESS\u00a0<\/strong>of your house, or the cross streets closest to the incident\u2014 will help authorities arrive as quickly as possible. There\u2019s an old joke about the driver who hit a pedestrian and calls 911. \u201cWhere are you located?\u201d the dispatcher asks. \u201cEucalyptus Street,\u201d the man replies. \u201cCan you spell that?\u201d the dispatcher asks. \u201cHow about I just drag him over to Oak Street?\u201d the \u00a0driver offers. (Of course, you\u2019d never tamper with physical evidence, but the lesson stands: Have an address ready for dispatch if at all possible.)<\/p>\n

THE STATEMENT AND ASKING FOR HELP\u00a0<\/strong>It may be tempting to describe yourself so police will know who you are, but knowledgeable self-defense attorneys point out that 99 percent of the time, the descriptions police get while en route to a crime are of the suspect.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not want police arriving with an image of you in their minds,\u201d says Richard Hayes, a program at\u00adtorney in Texas.<\/p>\n

The statement should be very short and focused on what happened, something like, \u201cA crime has taken place,\u201d or, \u201cA person was attacked,\u201d or, \u201cShots have been fired.\u201d Avoid reporting your own actions (e.g., \u201cI just killed somebody\u201d) and avoid ex\u00adpressions of guilt, remorse or fear of consequences that prosecutors could later use as the evidence of a guilty conscience.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the tone of your voice may betray emotion,\u201d says Phillips. \u201cIt may be justified by circumstances, but it will still look bad, or at least require work to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, it\u2019s best to avoid dispar\u00adaging the perpetrator\u2014such as one 911 caller who, when asked about the shot intruder, exclaimed \u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s alive or not, I don\u2019t care!\u201d In the courtroom calculus of a hostile prosecutor, that could look like callous disregard for life.<\/p>\n

You may want to avoid canned expressions like, \u201cI feared for my life.\u201d This is a common instruction in self-defense classes, but attorneys say at this point such phrases sound rehearsed, like that\u00a0South Park\u00a0<\/em>episode where poachers shout, \u201cHe\u2019s coming right for us!\u201d to justify killing endan\u00adgered animals.<\/p>\n

Ask 911 to send two ambulances if someone has indeed been shot or hurt\u2013one for the person who attacked you and now lies wounded and one for you\u2013you\u2019ve just been what is likely the most traumatic event in your life. Cardiac issues and other health issues are not uncommon at such moments.<\/p>\n

DISCONNECT\u00a0<\/strong>Then, politely inform dispatch you\u2019re going to hang up now, and disconnect.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may feel counterintuitive,\u201d Hayes acknowledges. \u201cBut if the threat is con\u00adtained, your next goal is staying out of court, and the longer you\u2019re on the line, the higher the risk you\u2019ll say something you shouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dispatch will call you back repeat\u00adedly; they\u2019re trained to get as much information as they can.<\/p>\n

But you aren\u2019t required to give it, or to keep a recorded line open for authorities to collect evidence. You\u2019ll be frantic enough as it is, and even something as simple as excited breathing can make you look psychotic to jurors listening from the tranquility of the jury box. So, you aren\u2019t going to answer.<\/p>\n

Besides, you\u2019ve got another call to make.<\/p>\n

LAWYERING UP<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Your next call should be to your attor\u00adney. If you\u2019re a gun owner, given the heightened responsibility and possibility of using a gun to defend yourself, you should have one already in mind. For members of services such as\u00a0U.S. LawShield<\/a>, this next move is made easy. The number located on the back of your U.S. LawShield\u00a0membership card gives you direct, 24\/7 emergency access to an attorney, and now is the time to use it.<\/p>\n

When the attorney answers, be calm, alone and honest. Be calm, because the lawyer wants to help, and needs you to communicate clearly. (Start with the basics: your name, location and a good emergency contact.)<\/p>\n

Be alone because attorney-client privilege might not apply if the whole neighborhood is listening in. If you can do so safely and authorities permit, go somewhere private to speak with your attorney.<\/p>\n

Be honest because conversations with your lawyer are legally protected, so you should give them as much infor\u00admation as they ask for, good or bad.<\/p>\n

With all the stress, it\u2019s tempting to regurgitate everything that\u2019s happened, but that can be difficult to follow and wastes precious time. The attorneys are likely to ask you if police are there yet, and if you have privacy. Listen carefully to the attorney\u2019s instructions, and respond directly to their ques\u00adtions, because each one is calculated to extract specific information to provide the best advice possible.<\/p>\n

TOMORROW:<\/strong>\u00a0What To Do When Police Arrive<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Armed Citizen\u2019s Guide on What To Do When Calling 911. PICTURE THE SCENE:\u00a0You\u2019re about four minutes into your worst wak\u00ading nightmare. You had to pull your gun and use it; that\u2019s the bad news. The good news is, you\u2019re still alive. You know that because you can still smell the gun smoke and feel … Continue reading “”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100848"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100849,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100848\/revisions\/100849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}