Knife Attack! What Would You Do?

By Kevin Michalowski // 09/17/2018

Watch this surveillance video. What would you do if an attacker with a knife went after a person in the checkout line in front of you?It happened recently in a Target department store, and the entire scene was captured on video. Sadly no one had a gun, but even if you were armed, you’d have a lot to think about in this particular situation.What is the right thing to do? What is the right thing for you? You risk everything if you start shooting. You risk a life of regret and possible mental anguish if you do not. Are you trained well enough to be absolutely sure you can make the shot? Are you mentally ready to shoot someone?Are you thinking about target acquisition, target identification and target isolation? If the goal of your personal defense plan is to “get out alive,” would it better serve you and your family to keep your gun holstered and walk away to call 911? This scenario offers a million questions and countless options. But you need to ask yourself what you would do BEFORE something like this happens. The stress of a deadly encounter is no time to be thinking about whether or not you are ready.

After the Shot?In this situation, if you make the shot and rescue the girl, do you have the training and skills to provide first aid to her stab wounds? One more thing to think about.