Las Crusas, New Mexico, police officer Jonah Hernandez was stabbed to death.
It was captured on his body cam.
That footage has been released.
https://twitter.com/shanermurph/status/1764791763804299638?s=19
It took about 40 seconds for him to die.
I couldn’t find any details of his injuries, but at the 57 second mark you can see a huge spray of blood. It looks like he was probably stabbed in the neck.
I don’t post this for entertainment, I post this for educational purposes.
From the time the vagrants rushed him to when officer Hernandez was down was about four seconds.
A knife is an extremely dangerous weapon.
People can close distance fast.
At close range, a man with a knife can have you bleeding out and die before you can think avoid getting your gun out to stop him.
Do not, under any circumstances, underestimate a man armed with just a knife.
Dick Tueller proved that 21 feet is way too close, 35 feet is the minimum distance for having any sort of defense against a knife.
History since then has shown proper defense will involve something with a caliber measured in centimeters, not millimeters, because even “shots on target” inside the 10-12 yard danger zone will not stop the attack.
All that said, the moment one sees a knife – or any motion that even hints at the presence of a knife, at any distance – you better have your gun out, your trigger prepped, and a plan on how to get off, and stay off, the X while administering corrective measures.
Or find a way to Be Somewhere Else RFN.
If I understand correctly, the 21 foot distance was the length of the room the experiments were conducted in. Had they been done in a larger area, the 21 foot rule might very well be the 35 foot rule, or maybe even the 50 foot rule.
This is something that needs to be repeated over and over. I taught students who work in public service jobs that when someone is becoming confrontational, to try to keep a solid object–desk, heavy table, etc.–between them and the person, to ensure some space and to buy time if things turn ugly. It’s not a great solution, but a second or two could give them the time to open the distance and escape.
I’ve “disarmed” a fellow student, who had a training knife, hundreds–maybe thousands–of times on the training mats, and I will not face a knife with empty hands. Better to run, throw things (like chairs–there’s no good way to catch a chair), or whatever is necessary. Standing there within the “workspace” of a knifer is a good way to end up in the hospital or dead.
This famous video shows the legendary Guro Dan Inosanto–an associate of Bruce Lee–in a training exercise with experienced police officers. Things go from normal to horrible in just a second or two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYl2KCdFNgo
Distance is your friend!
“like chairs–there’s no good way to catch a chair”
I do not know, maybe that woman in the Waffle House brawl got some special training or something…
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Seriously though, you are correct. Throw something, and the larger/weirder it is, the better. It is very difficult for someone to ignore the instinct to duck when they see something coming at them. That buys a second or two, and tossing stuff does not require a lot of training to perfect. I keep a three hole punch on my desk at all times, just in case…
I’ve “disarmed” a fellow student, who had a training knife, hundreds–maybe thousands–of times on the training mats, and I will not face a knife with empty hands.
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I had an instructor I did not like, but there were a few things he said that stuck with me and are worth repeating. One of which: “Suppose you can block or parry successfully at the phenomenal rate of 80%. Against a knife, that just means you get cut 20% of the time.” (His emphasis.)
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The rubber training knives are nice, but if you really want to test your skills, put on a white t-shirt and have someone “attack” you with a red marker a few times and really try to mark you up — no holding back. See how clean you can keep that shirt. After you’re done, consider the implications of how and where it got marked up. Ask yourself: What kind of injury would that have been, what would it have hit, and what effect would it have on your continued ability to fight back?
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Blocking/parrying 80% of the time is pretty good in training, under controlled conditions and with a more predictable adversary (i.e. your fellow students). In real life, at speed, with no controls and an unpredictable opponent, 80% is a fantasy. “Phenomenal” is an understatement.
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I’ve “disarmed” fellow students countless times as well, but I agree with you: I’m not facing a knife-wielding assailant with empty hands. However “good” I may be (or think I am), it’s not good enough to risk it.
Seriously, I have a tough time not marking myself up with a marker when I am working on some home improvement project. Odds of getting “attacked” by someone wielding a marker and not showing bad cuts all over are zero.
The truly dangerous assailant doesn’t display his weapon or his intentions until he is very close.mm
The video is gone. (3-5-24)