{"id":74402,"date":"2021-11-18T16:27:20","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T22:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=74402"},"modified":"2021-11-18T18:36:20","modified_gmt":"2021-11-19T00:36:20","slug":"74402","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=74402","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

While they’re being simplistic when it comes to actual ‘use of force’ and do the standard clueless journalist bit about confusing “Self Defense” with “Stand Your Ground”,\u00a0 at least they’re acknowledging that self defense and concealed carry are ‘normal’.<\/p>\n

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Amid crime surge in Seattle, some take steps to defend themselves<\/a><\/p>\n

Reports of violent crime this year in Seattle have already surpassed the historic high number that were reported in the city last year.<\/p>\n

It is perhaps not a coincidence then that more people are turning to ways to defend themselves and opting to stand their ground.<\/p>\n

From self-defense classes to skyrocketing gun sales, more people are looking for ways to defend themselves amid concerns that they are on their own when it comes to random street crime.<\/p>\n

Just a few weeks ago, Morgan Zion, who lives in Seattle, could be heard on cellphone video standing her ground from an attacker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to be the person who says, \u2018Oh Seattle has gotten so much worse,'” she said. “But it has.”<\/p>\n

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\"Stand<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a9\u00a0Provided by KOMO-TV SeattleStand your ground: Amid crime surge in Seattle, some take steps to defend themselves<\/p>\n

Zion and her friend were running the Howe Street stairs in the Capitol Hill neighborhood when she says that run was interrupted by a man in crisis blocking their path who demanded drugs before he started punching.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ducked a little bit and then he punches me again,\u201d Zion said. \u201cI just went into mother attack mode and just grabbed him by the shirt and I put him down near the stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zion eventually chased him out of the area, but she wasn\u2019t sure how much force she could legally use.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know the right decision to make and the right move to make either,” she said. “And that is the worst place for me to be in.”<\/p>\n

More people are worried that they are on their own when it comes to defending themselves against random crime especially since more than 300 officers from the Seattle Police Department have left the department.<\/p>\n

According to police data, there were 4,439 incidents of violent crime last year, compared to 4,546 incidents of violent crime in Seattle this year with more than a month remaining in the year.<\/p>\n

Some people are now trying to give themselves a fighting chance, enrolling in self defense classes to protect themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time they get there it\u2019s too late,\u201d said Caroline Ly, one of those who has started taking self-defense sessions\u00a0 as is one of the newest members of a Latosa Escrima, a self-defense class at\u00a0Seattle Close Range Tactics<\/a>. She said she was attacked years ago in Seattle, and she\u2019s sharpening her skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis city isn\u2019t the same anymore,\u201d Ly said. \u201cI think every woman in particular should absolutely take self-defense of some sort.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Stand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9\u00a0Provided by KOMO-TV Seattle<\/span>Stand your ground: Amid crime surge in Seattle, some take steps to defend themselves<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The class is designed to teach students to respond to sudden extreme violence.<\/p>\n

Head instructor Cory Walken calls it self-defense for the streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to survive,” he said. “It\u2019s not (to) beat them up.”<\/p>\n

Walken has been involved in teaching self defense classes for 16 years, and has noticed more people taking his class, which he said could also be COVID related.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s an uptick in people taking their own personal responsibility to defend themselves,\u201d he said, adding that one of the biggest lessons is to be aware of one’s surroundings, and if you can walk away then do it. \u201cYou go until the threat is neutralized enough that you can escape.”<\/p>\n

Turning to a firearm<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Then there are those who want to take their protection to another level.<\/p>\n

Tiffany Teasdale , owner of Lynnwood Gun and Ammunition, said since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic her shop has seen an 80 percent rise in first-time gun buyers coming in armed with questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are saying, ‘I never thought in my wildest dreams I would every buy a gun and here I am standing here buying a gun,'” she said. \u201cWe ask what made you change your mind and their like, ‘I\u2019m terrified to go to work. I\u2019m terrified to be home by myself. I\u2019m terrified to go out to dinner with my girlfriend or my friends.'”<\/p>\n

With more guns in hands, Teasdale’s staff emphasizes safe handling and education first for her customers.<\/p>\n

“With less officers on the streets, and longer response times so it makes people think, ‘Well, maybe I should find a way to defend myself instead of waiting for somebody to defend me,’\u201d Teasdale said.<\/p>\n

Legal ramifications of standing your ground<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But being prepared, may not keep some out of legal jeopardy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have seen individuals make correct decisions,” said\u00a0 William Kirk, a\u00a0gun law attorney<\/a>\u00a0in Washington state. “And unfortunately I have seen individuals make incorrect decisions, and it cost them legally.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Washington, people under attack do not have a duty to retreat if they are located where they have a legal right to be, according to Kirk.<\/p>\n

He said, however, that the force that is used has to be proportional and reasonable.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t get to bring a gun to a fist-fight,\u201d he said. \u201cThe amount of force that you use to defend yourself has to be proportional from the amount of force you are protecting yourself from.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to guns, Kirk said a person can only use\u00a0deadly force while defending themself<\/a>\u00a0when they are in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“While you have a Second Amendment right to protect yourself with a firearm, it is a right that comes with a huge level of responsibility,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd a lawful and responsible gun owner is always going to go out and do all the proper all the training. So that they\u2019re not only proficient with the firearm itself from a physical standpoint, but they are also an educated firearm owner who makes responsible choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zion said she has a better understanding of how to stand her ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hyper aware than I\u2019ve even ever been before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Police and sheriff departments run required background checks on every person who purchases a firearm in their jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

In King County<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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