Last week (counting Sunday), there were 98 people shot in New York. The same time period last year had 53 people shot.
Some of these shootings happened during the West Indian parade, some were scattered all over New York City.
What does one do to survive these incidents?
In case of a general shootout -- drop to the ground. If you hear gunfire on the street, run away from the gunshots or drop to the ground. Most gunmen are not going to be firing into the street. If you feel you must run -- run at right angles to the sound of gunfire ... bullets do not make sharp, 90-degree turns.
And, now, the "controversal" part ....
What happens when you hear the words, "Police! Freeze!"
You freeze. You stop completely dead. You make no sudden movements. You do not reach into a pocket for ID, you do not reach for a pocket for anything. If you are holding something, do not move ... in fact, you may want to drop it.
The only motion you are allowed is -- if the sound is behind you -- to turn your head to confirm that there are, in fact, police badges on display. In which case, you remain still as a board.
I say turn your head, because if you turn your entire upper body, that means thatit would be a sudden movement. You will get shot.
If you reach for a pocket, you will get shot.
If you turn to face the police and you are holding something in your hand, you will get shot twice.
So, when police say says "Police! Freeze!" they want you to freeze. They are not speaking in code.
If you move, you will be shot, and you should be shot.....
Notice, that this is generic. Cops do not care who you are, where you are, or why you're there. They are professionally wired to see threats, because the time it takes to be 100% certain that there is a weapon, that usually means that someone it already bleeding to death.
For example, psychological tests have shown that if you show the same, similar shadow to two different people, they will see two different things. Flash an L-shaped objects a cop, or to a carpenter,one will see a gun, the other will see a power drill. Flash a long shadow at them, the cop will see a knife, the carpenter will see a screwdriver.
Which means that if you had something dark and blocky flashed at you, you might see a book, or a tablet, or an iPhone ... a cop will see a gun. If you have something long and silvery flashed at you, you might see a pen or a stylus ... a cop will see a knife.
Then you will get shot.
Police have a different mindset from the average population. Mainly because they have a different professional viewpoint from the average population. They have to, because they live a different life from the average population -- one where they can't wait the extra two seconds to make 100% certain that the person turning towards them has a knife, or a gun.
Because two seconds is all it takes to get killed.
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