Tactical debrief: Borderline Bar attack
Beau Doboszenski, Owner/Lead Instructor
Originally published November 8th, 2018
As a veteran, the news of last night’s public murder/suicide at the Borderline Bar in California by a disturbed vet makes me extremely angry. When we sign up as soldiers, sailors, airmen, or marines, we take an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign, and domestic. We swear to defend the people.
Veterans across this country are still upholding that oath, often as law enforcement, medical professionals, firefighters, or simply as upstanding citizens. This despicable act of cowardice does not represent us, since every veteran I know would have immediately fought back against an attack or saved lives in the aftermath.
But there is a problem in the veteran community. 22 veterans a day commit suicide. This act in California was a suicide framed in a deep hatred of himself and the world that his twisted mind said was guilty of causing his pain. He is wrong. But today, 21 more veterans will follow him in suicide, though not as violently nor as publicly.
Mission 22 has been working for years to try and stop that suicide count. They’ve saved the lives of hundreds of veterans. Help me spread the word of Mission 22, and reach veterans in need. Suicide doesn’t have to be the answer. There is help. There is hope.
The people who train at Defensive Mindset Training make up an amazing, supportive community. If you know a local veteran who feels disconnected and needs a community, DMT wants to welcome them.
Tactical Debrief
The best summation of this incident, so far, has been coming from the DailyMailOnline. This debrief is based on that reporting.
The attack occurred at the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, California. The Country Western themed bar and restaurant is also often host to large dance parties and concerts. Wednesday is the night in which the venue is opened to those under 21. Borderline Bar was a target-rich environment on Wednesday night, with news outlets estimating more than 100 people inside.
The threat approached the venue from the front. He was dressed all in black, including a ball cap, sunglasses, and a bandana covering his face.
The first target was the doorman/bouncer. In other words, he attacked the security directly. Then he turned the firearm, reportedly a Glock 21 in .45, on the patrons.
Witnesses have reported that the threat utilized smoke devices of some sort, which undoubtedly caused complete chaos inside the venue, giving the threat a further tactical advantage.
According to reports, within a couple of minutes a Law Enforcement Officer, Sgt. Ron Helus, arrived on scene and immediately entered the venue, hoping to stop the shooting in progress.
Sgt. Helus and the threat exchanged gunfire. Sgt. Helus was mortally wounded. It is currently unclear if he also wounded the threat as part of the exchange.
Shortly after this exchange, the threat moved to an office inside of the venue and took his own life.
Training Points
1. There is no place where violence cannot suddenly occur.
DMT describes environments as Safe, Neutral, or Dangerous. A Dangerous Environment is any place where you DO NOT control the access, and there are possible or actual threats in the environment.
Unless the public place you are in truly has controlled access, you are not in a Safe Location. Most work environments are Neutral at best, but places like nightclubs and restaurants are relatively quick to get into and out of, often with little control of access points.
When in a Dangerous Environment, scan often. Reassess people often. Be prepared to engage your Plan of Action:
Create Distance
Introduce a Barricade
Escape - Find Help - Get a Better Defensive Tool
Deter then Defend
If you don’t know the Plan of Action, you can learn more about it here.
2. Identify exits, and give yourself permission to take them.
As you move through any environment, look for ways to get out of that environment as quickly as possible. Remember what flight attendants always say in their safety briefing? The nearest exit may be behind you. The same thing is true in one of these dynamic and chaotic situations. Several witnesses from Borderline Bar said they used bar stools and other devices to break windows and escape.
3. Be the Spark
Don’t wait for someone else to take action. When the situation arises, go. And once you’ve learned how to identify threats at a distance, apply that Plan of Action and take your friends and loved ones with you.
4. Active Shooter Plan
When confronted with an active threat in a confined space where you cannot escape, take these actions, in this order if possible. No matter what, remember that no one has the right to take your life. You have the right to fight for it.
Barricade (Anything that could be cover -preferable- or concealment)
Go Dark (No lights or sound in the space you are defending)
Stack (Place people along the borders of the entry, out of sight, and ready to fight)
Attack (If the threat enters that defended space, attack them with everything and everyone and with anything you have)
To all Law Enforcement that read our Newsletter, remember that DMT has steeply discounted rates for you to train with us. We want you to be as prepared and effective as possible if this situation ever arises in the course of your duties. Contact info@defensivemindsettraining.com for more information.