Riot defense senario

D

Doug.38PR

Moderator
Okay:
Something doesn't go the way of the "poor" and "oppressed." A court decision is made or some legislation doesn't go through and riots start breaking out around the city.
It's after 6 and everybody in your neighborhood by and large is home and about to sit down for supper. Then a riot breaks out in your area of town. Police are scattered about and can help you and your neighbors with maybe one or two officers at best (against an entire mob of rioters and looters).

In more detail the rioting has spread and the poor of the HUD Housing apartment projects next to your surburban neighborhood have broken out and started looting the surrounding convenient stores, drug stores and are burning and looting the houses in your neighborhood only a few blocks away. You can hear hooting, hollering and gunshots from the distance.

You have at your estimate 20-30 minutes before they start working their way to your block. What is the best defense? Consider the following things:

Should you distribute your guns and the guns of others on your block among the men in your neighborhood and take positions?

What would be the fastest way to rally everyone? Pick up the phone and start calling around? Run to each door?

Supposing you and your neighbors do rally men enough in time, what is your next move? Barricade the streets on your block off with cars and such, with some men monitoring the back yards on the perimeter of the block?

Where do you put the women and children?

Who is going to be in charge? (If the police can send a man or two then obviously he is your captain.)

For those of you who are LEOs, how to riot mobs typically operate? Are they relatively organized or are they independent lowlifes who just run around burning and looting?
 
I am on the roof with my socom 16, a 15 million candle power spotlight, bull horn, and plenty of ammo. My house is located at a nice strategic corner where I can see all approaches for about 6 blocks from cover on my roof. It’s also at the peak of a hill. Rioters approaching will be ordered by load speaker to go riot some other place, with a few .308 blanks fired off for emphasis. Rioters trying to cross the street 2 blocks from my home are not going to make it. As far as other home owners assisting, I would welcome any help and be glad to hand out a rifle or shotgun so someone could watch my back, but I'm in pansiefornia so it’s not likely to happen.
 
If you have a 20 to 30 minute window why not leave and get your wife and kids out. You can replace most everything else.
 
Rioters flow to the path of least resistance. They are there for opertunity to express their rage and grab what they can while they can. Some of them may take it to a fight if you look easy but most will not attack you if they see you are armed and ready with enough power to make their life over.

Watch the tapes after Rodney Kings verdict. They grab the guys that are sheep and beat them to death yet when it came to the Korean shop owners they couldn't get close. The last post is probably right to get out of the area and let you insurance pay for thing of value. If you can't get out though you better put up a good fight.

You don't have to kill to make a point with a gun and starting out with rubber buckshot (if possible) to warn them off may help. I live where this won't happen and I never worry about it but I still keep rubber buck around so I don't have to kill.

25
 
If you have a 20 to 30 minute window why not leave and get your wife and kids out. You can replace most everything else.
Click to expand...

It's hard to replace a home, funishings, clothes, food etc unless you are extremely well to do. And even then it is costly. Think about all those homes destroyed in Katrinia. Your life is more than just the beating of your heart. They say a man's home is his castle, I say stay and fight for it.

Besides in a situation like that, where exactly are you going to go with riots going on around town. You are on the streets alone and with no friends to aid you and can be pulled from your car, have your car stoned, have your car shot at, etc. Yes you can run over rioters but your car can still be damaged and then you are stranded. Considering that, I'd say it would be best to stick with armed friends and neighbors and fortify your block, street or even home.
 
I agree with Doug. It could be much more dangerous on the street if there is no clear "escape route." Even if I did have a clean escape route, I don't know if I would want to leave my home behind to get trashed. I think most looters will walk by when they see that the homeowner is armed and willing to defend himself and his property. I just hope that this sort of thing never happens where I live.
 
I'd have a 12 gauge with a bandolier full of shells. If someone or a group of people approached my home in a threatening manner, I'd fire a couple of warning shots. If they persisted, then it would get ugly. I'd be standing on my front porch, shotgun in plain sight. The LA riot scenario comes to mind, those that were armed, were by and large left alone.
 
Jeep goes across my driveway. I'm behind it with the Scout M1A and bandoliers. .45s are on the hips. Only one of my neighbors is as shooter - so handing out my guns ain't gonna happen. If a few of my B-I-L are visiting, they can grab the M1 & carbine. Son will be shooter eventually, but he is a bit young yet, though can hit what he aims at.

Family is in the house. .41 and shotgun are on the porch by or inside the front door.

1st rioter brandishing a gun and heading up the street...becomes their highwater mark on that block.
 
In 1965, I was 18 years old and still living with my parents near LAX, which is about 20 miles away from the Watts area. Everyone within about 100 miles of the riot were scared, but the majority of the looting and burning took place in a relatively confined area that surrounded Watts. There were some minor skirmishes in the City of Long Beach, but they were ended quickly. Most of the burning and looting was done in commercial/business areas, with very few residential areas being involved, and most of those were within Watts.

The police and "whitey" were the targets, but most of the injuries and deaths turned out to be black people. By the way, the "official" death toll was, I believe, 62 people. "Unofficially", however, there were over 200 people that were killed! They only published the "official" list of those that they could identify through fingerprint and dental records. The remainder of those that were killed were supposedly "anonymous" due to having been illegitimately born, without any available ways of identifying them.

The "Rodney King riot" was, for the most part, centered in the South/Central region of Los Angeles. If you recall, the 4 LAPD officers had been on trial in Simi Valley, which is about 95% white. When the acquittals were handed down, the Simi Valley PD feared that their city would have problems, but they didn't! Again, the police (LAPD) and "whitey" were the targets of the rioters, and the looting was carried out, for the most part, in the commercial/business areas within the South/Central region of Los Angeles.

In both of those riots, there wasn't much "organization" on the part of the rioters/looters, but there were a LOT of "agitators", and some were white people. The looters consisted of every race and age groups. About the only thing that the looters had in common was that they were all "low income" folks, taking advantage of the situation to take what they couldn't afford to buy.

Having lived through those two chaotic times, there were several things that eventually became obvious as to why they took place. Both were racially-motivated. Both took place due to previous law enforcement incidents. Both riots took place when the weather was warm and the humidity level was high. Generally, the targetted businesses consisted of (A) liquor stores and "mom/pop"-type grocery stores, (B) many large "discount"-type stores, and (C) the smaller businesses that "happened" to be located on major streets within the riot area. The "racial" aspect of things came out in BOLDNESS, with countless black-owned businesses posting signs that read "Black Owned" in front. Of course, that didn't stop the fires from destroying them! There was even a black L.A. City Councilman's "substation" office that was completely destroyed.

The bottom line: If you live in relatively "safe" place, stay at home. If you absolutely have to go the the grocery store, make it a nearby one and try to use residential streets to get there and back, instead of using any major streets. Don't panic just because the riotting "seems" to be getting closer to where you live. Get with your neighbors, and discuss the situation with them, but TRY to keep it "reasonable", which will benefit everyone. Try to realize that the news media will give a hysteria-based accounting of what is going on. News reporters will be in the fringe area of "Ground Zero", and since they're scared, their reporting will only cause MASS hysteria and even more confusion.
 
Well, though I doubt this would ever happen in my area, this is one REALLY good use for the AK. The guy who commented that the first armed one would be the high water mark was right on the money!
 
Being a So Cal native for nearly 50 years, I totally agree with TooTall. Businesses with desirable commodities paid the biggest price in the Rodney King riots, although the Long Beach/Signal Hill DMV was burned--hmm...somebody with a bone to pick at the DMV?? Go figure. ;) Neighborhoods were not targetted. There may have abeen isolated incidences in residential areas, but they were more likely the result of long-standing grievances between individuals than they were random occurances. People traveling through the riot areas were in more danger than the ones in those areas who stayed home and kept a low profile. BUT there's nothing wrong with keeping your guns close, being watchful, and in talking with a few trusted neighbors to get an idea of the mindset and capabilities on your street.
 
Personally, . . . I really like the idea of gitting my stuff and gitting, . . . trouble is, . . . there really ain't no better place for me to go to.

I have water, food, shelter, ammunition, weapons, communication, and a certain amount of "control" here on my 10 acre hacienda, . . . on the road I am at the mercy of every one else.

I think I would probably opt for the stand still and stand tall scenario. If I knew I had 20 - 30 minutes, . . . I might use it to put up a hasty sign that let anyone coming down the 600 foot driveway know that a 3 x 9 is watching their every move.

May God bless, . . .
Dwight
 
This has a touch of I want to shoot someone.

Let's back up. Years ago I took military history from a major general PhD who became a prof. He taught that you start with a strategic goal.

My strategic goal is not to get hurt and not for my familty to get hurt. I've almost died a few times and doing it for my couch and wedding album doesn't appeal to me. Nor does making a political statement about the 'poor' - always a subtext in these thread - mean anything to me.

Thus, my actions branch towards whatever keeps me unhurt and my loved ones unhurt. If I can get away - that would be my first priority. I have insurance and even if I didn't - I would prefer to rebuild without having to recover from serious injury. Even if you were commando boy, do you want to exchange rounds with some folks who might pepper your house and nail your loved ones.

Also, with 20-30 minutes, you might fantasize organizing the neighborhood to follow you but it might turn into herding cats. For example, I live in a diverse but nice neighborhood and when white commando boy opines about shooting minorities - some might take offense when they see one drooling anticipation over the coming outrage. If we were to organize, I hope there is a military man or LEO to come to the fore rather than an internet commando. I certainly am not listening to some wild eyed youngster.

If you really live so close to a transitional neighborhood - move if you fear the riot.
 
In general, I think you're much more exposed to harm if you leave your home, rather than stay. As a resident of the Texas Gulf Coast (NW Houston, right off of the "parade route" where many were being funneled out of town), we had a little problem when everyone tried to escape Hurricane Rita. Be it a natural disaster, or a man-made catastrophe, if I'm home, I'm staying. If I'm NOT home, I'm going there if I can. I have food, water, clothing, guns, etc at my home. That's the place to be if you ask me. I don't know about a neighborhood posse, but teaming up with at least one other like-minded individual would be good. At least you could sleep in shifts, should there be a need for watching your property on an extended basis.
 
For some of us

running is no longer an option. I'd stay put and defend my home as best I could. If I lived in town? I might think different.
 
TooTall and Glen Meyer: Put these together and you have the right idea.

If you live right in the heart of the rioting, I don't know what to tell you other than have loaded weapons and good luck.

If you are as close as you describe, it's probably best to just sit tight. In the Liberty City riots in Miami in the late '60s and in 1980, the damage was pretty much confined to Liberty City itself. Most damage was to businesses on the main streets through that area, 27th and 22nd avenues, and little elsewhere. The only other people killed were those who happened to get off the main highway (i-95) and wander into the area.

I was maybe 5 miles from the area, so it never occurred to me that I was in danger, but it was pretty frightening at nights when I could hear lots of sirens and helicopters and what I thought was gunfire.

In the 1980 riot, I was about to leave to drive down to FIU for a class. I stepped out on my front porch and saw a plume of thick black smoke in the direction of the Miami Airport. I figured a jet had gone down, and I thought briefly of driving over to see it. Good thing I was running just in time for the class, because that smoke was from Norton Tires, set fire by the rioters.
 
TooTall's post was great.

it seems like if you knew exactly where the rioting was and could avoid the area then i'd suggest leaving.

but this type of knowledge is probably not so certain that you could assure yourself a hassle free getaway.

defending yourself from a mob of people (some armed perhaps) with a few pistols would be exceedingly difficult.

even if you had a custer's last stand on your front lawn i could envision the mob approaching and after you shoot towards them they get even more pissed and charge toward you. then its 20,30,150 to 1,2, maybe five.

even if they aren't armed at all but charging at you it'd be really difficult to take them all down unless you've got a full auto carbine or ak.

i'd say arm yourself to the teeth and leave on the safest known route.
 
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