Law enforcement gives tips on being prepared

A fire extinguisher might be the most effective way to drop a home intruder.

Put yourself in the shoes of the agitated person confronting you while recognizing signs they are about to attack.

Be aware of your own body language and tone of voice in the midst of a potential conflict.

Those are among the pieces of advice Mason County Sheriff Ryan Spurling and Shelton Police Captain Daniel Patton shared at a forum on emergency preparedness May 28 in the Shelton Civic Center. About 75 people attended the two-hour event sponsored by the Economic Development Council of Mason County.

"There's a difference between being prepared and being paranoid," the sheriff said.

Later, he added, "We have to change the idea of prey or predator."

Patton and Spurling asked audience members to state what they wanted to learn at the two-hour event. The first question they tackled is how to react if they are in a store and someone holding a weapon walks in.

'Pay attention to where you're at and where the exits are," Patton said. A man recently threatened to set a bomb off at the Shelton Walmart, he said.

"It can happen in Shelton, not just in Olympia or Seattle."

When someone brandishing a weapon appears, "We want you to run, to get away from the threat," Patton said.

"If you can't escape, hide ... If you can't run or you can't hide ... and that person comes in, you have to fight," he said, adding "using anything possible."

As for choosing a weapon, "It's all about your comfort," the police captain said.

Guns and pepper spray are good weapons, and the guns need to be locked in safes, which can be opened in a split second, Patton said.

When it comes to brandishing weapons, Spurling said the "big takeaway" he hopes attendees remember is "a fire extinguisher is your best house defense." Spraying an assailant in the face means they can't see or breathe well - and then you can hit them with the heavy device, he said.

Spurling said that when a brain is "in crisis," 80% of people can't access their frontal lobe of the brain, where decisions are made. They frantically search through a "card file" in their brain looking for a response.

"You do what you're trained to do," Spurling said. He said if there are no references available, for men it's "fight, flight or freeze." Studies show women react differently: "They respond with gather and protect - mother bear."

The sheriff talked about the differences between effective aggression and predatory aggression.

Effective aggression is people who are preparing to attack you. The sheriff said if the potential assailant dries the sweat off their hands it might indicate they are going to put their hands on you, and then their right foot will drop. "If you're paying attention, you can see these things happen ... Know what normal looks like and what abnormal looks like because it will jump out at you," he said.

Predatory aggression "is completely devoid of emotion ... that's the scariest kind of aggression," Spurling said.

Spurling said to look for profuse sweating, the thousand-yard stare like they're looking right through you, the use of incomplete sentences and threats – that might mean they are about to attack you.

The sheriff also recommended trying to engage the potential assailant - everyone wants to be heard, respected and valued as human beings. Interest them and make them a better listener by asking, "Are you trying to say this?" he said. "Ask a clarifying question about what they just said ... it's a very effective way of communicating."

The sheriff encouraged empathy: "Care about the person ... give them the time of day ... Help them ... Put yourself in their shoes ... We have an obligation to help people in crisis."

There are generational differences in observing people, Spurling said. The amount of time youths focus on their screens prevents them from learning the body language of others, he said.

Also, be aware of what your own body language is projecting and how you talk to people, Spurling said. "Ninety-three percent of communication is your delivery."

The sheriff also talked about his 37 years in law enforcement. He was a drill sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and then joined the Army Reserve and the Washington State Patrol at the same time. For 10 years, he worked as a Trooper on Snoqualmie Pass. The route is used to transport drugs between Seattle and Yakima, he said, and he stopped vehicles where he was "outmanned and outgunned." That's where he learned to recognize signs people are about to attack, and how he could de-escalate the moment.