Attempted Kidnap with a Gun Scenario [Joan’s Response]

Editor’s Note: Joan Helson’s (SISU Women’s Self Defence) response to the abduction scenario and analysis here. It talks about what you should do when confronted with a gun to enter a vehicle.

No one can tell you what to do. Only you are in your shoes and all we can do is make suggestions for you to think about now – before any danger should strike – so you have a tentative plan in your head and understand better that every choice has consequences. We all have to make decisions as we see them in the best interests of our safety, but deciding you’ll buy yourself time if you get in the car is something you really, really need to examine carefully.

Odds are not in your favour when you get in the vehicle. In other words, I’m not here to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, only to give you my thoughts and get you to work through the possible outcomes.

When a person pointing a gun at you says “get in the car and you won’t get hurt”, what you can know for a fact is that this is NOT a situation where there is a trust relationship. If they are willing to threaten you with violence, you cannot trust that they will keep their word. All you can trust is that they want to hurt you and you have a decision to make. Your decision should assume the person means to attempt to hurt you or kill you either where you stand or where they take you.

At the moment you are approached, you presumably know exactly where you are standing. You know what’s nearby. You may know the area well. Odds are if you get in the vehicle, you will end up somewhere that is isolated or at least far more advantageous to your attacker than to you. In other words, you’ll most likely be much worse off if you go because you’ll be secluded and possibly be completely unfamiliar with your surroundings.

Regardless of what you choose, you are going to need to be your own superhero.

My opinion – from I’m going to have to fight for my life, I’ll do it on my own terms on my own turf, not somewhere where help cannot find me if the outcome is bad. If I’m hurt – wounded or shot – I have a much better chance of getting help when I know where I am. I’m a stand and fight girl and I will take my chances where I stand at my first and earliest moment. You are at your greatest strategic advantage before you get in the car. You might not think so, so think carefully about it now – before it happens. Whatever is going to happen, it’s going to happen while I know where I am.

Get trained. Learn some basic self-defence skills so you can respond to a wide variety of scenarios – mental and physical training. Don’t wait for such an attack. Don’t assume it won’t ever happen to you.

For a comprehensive analysis and understanding of this attempted kidnap scenario, click here.