A BLUFF store owner who fired at armed assailants as they accosted him and his son in February has not ruled out that the incident may have been an attempted kidnapping and hopes the footage, which went viral on social media last week, would force people to be vigilant.
With the high incidents of kidnapping, the man, whose identity will be withheld for safety reasons, said he remains hyper-alert since the traumatic incident and added that being trained in self defence is an added benefit and skill that everyone should possess, especially since the crime rate increases daily.
The man said although he was initially criticised for firing live ammunition at the local mall on Tuesday, February 22, he did so after quickly calculating the risks and using various combat techniques.
Like a scene from a movie, the man is seen exiting his vehicle with his son, when three gun-wielding men alight from a vehicle parked a short distance behind them. While two of the men try to grab a hold of the man, his son is seen grabbing one of the armed men’s arms in an attempt to get the man away from his father. The man, a former veteran, uses a self defence technique to escape the grip of one of the men, and runs towards the back of his vehicle before drawing his firearm. The man was captured by CCTV footage opening fire on the men who fired at him shortly before they were deterred and fled.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/EovHH9ECGbY
“I noticed the men jump out of their vehicle and when they approached me and I saw the firearm, I knew I had to do something. I kept telling my son to go into the shop while I threw my cellular phone away from me. I knew that they would try to grab it, whether it was for the value of it, or if they were going to kidnap me. I knew either way, this would buy me a few seconds. I led them away from the entrance of the shop and I knew I could not allow these armed criminals into the shop, where they could harm staff and my family,” he said.
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“I am thankful that I was in a position to safeguard myself and my loved ones. Had I not been able to properly escape from the man’s grip or I was unarmed, I shudder to think what would have happened. I thank God for having has hand over our lives and urge other residents and business owners to learn how to be able to defend themselves, as this incident proves that self defence techniques can save your life,” he said.
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