Former Cop Gives Advice on What Women Should Do at Gunpoint: ‘Pointers Don’t Shoot and Shooters Don’t Point’

Gun violence is a widespread issue in the United States. But when people are held at gunpoint, many won’t know what to do. A former cop, who has served for eight years in an undisclosed city in the US, gave advice on what a woman should do if she’s ever faced with this grim situation.

“I’m going to give you my very controversial, yet very real advice on what to do if a man has you, a woman, at gunpoint,” he said on TikTok. He made it clear that the advice is specifically addressed to women who are being threatened by a man with a gun.

“So, I have my own philosophy. I call it ‘pointers don’t shoot, and shooters don’t point,'” he said. The ex-cop explained that if a man pulls out a gun and points it at a woman, it’s because they want something from that woman they’re threatening.

“They’re going to want your purse, your keys, your car—they’re going to want you to get in the car. They’ve already made a decision,” he continued. Essentially, he believes that people who point the gun for a prolonged period have already decided not to shoot their target.

“If they wanted to shoot you, they would’ve shot you already. The gun would’ve gone off before you knew what was even happening,” he argued. The situation is tense, but the former cop believes that the perpetrator is merely using the fear of the gun to manipulate their victim into compliance.

Cop says don’t make it easy for the perp

“Here’s what I want women to understand. Your goal in these interactions is to make compliance more costly for them than just letting you go. The moment someone points a gun at your face and starts making demands, your hands are going to go up on your head and you’re going to start screaming,” the ex-cop advised. It seemed to go against conventional wisdom. Often, people are told to simply surrender their items in hopes of surviving the ordeal.

“Here’s what you’re going to scream: ‘He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun! You’re going to shoot me on camera! Help, he’s going to shoot me!'” In conjunction with the screaming, the ex-cop said that the victim should put their hands above their heads, flare their shoulders out, and move their heads like a windshield wiper.

Instead of shooting, the ex-cop believes that the perp will try to pistol whip the victim in the scenario instead. But if their target’s head is covered with their arms and hands, the perp would have a harder time trying to hurt the target.

But why scream? According to the ex-cop, screaming draws witnesses, creates documentation pressure, and shatters the control the perp has over their target.

Never go to the second location

“Don’t comply when they try to move you. Do not move you where they want you to go,” the ex-cop said. He believes that after doing the actions above, the target should start passively resisting the perp. Essentially, the victim should be loud about the interaction. They should go limp onto something so that they aren’t ushered into another location.

The former cop estimated that the perp would have only five to ten seconds to take their target away. But by resisting, the target might just foil the plans of the perp.

“Everything you’ve done so far has just completely ruined it for them. And now, they’re in full-blown panic,” he said. The ex-cop warned that being forced to go to a second location is “the most dangerous thing” that the victim can comply with. Because in the second location, the perp has further control over the environment and the victim.

“Does resisting the way that I tell you carry risks? Of course. Does getting into a car at gunpoint mean some very, very bad things are going to happen to you? Most definitely,” he weighed in. Both options carry risks, but people should choose the one that offers them a better shot at survival.

(featured images: 4thpig)

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