I’m assuming that by now you have seen the headline: Woman beheaded at Oklahoma Workplace.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A man fired from an Oklahoma food processing plant beheaded a woman with a knife and was attacking another worker when he was shot and wounded by a company official, police said Friday.
Moore Police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis said police are waiting until Alton Nolen, 30, is conscious to arrest him in Thursday’s attack and have asked the FBI to help investigate after co-workers at Vaughan Foods in the south Oklahoma City suburb told authorities that he recently started trying to convert several employees to Islam.Nolen severed the head of Colleen Hufford, 54, Lewis said.
“Yes, she was beheaded,” Lewis told The Associated Press before a Friday news conference.
Lewis said Nolen then stabbed Traci Johnson, 43, a number of times before Mark Vaughan, a reserve sheriff’s deputy and the company’s chief operating officer, shot him.
Bad guy with questionable associates and intentions goes ballistic and cuts off one head, attacks someone else and ends up getting shot by a good guy. Fortunately there was a good guy in the workplace with a gun, tragically he wasn’t able to move quickly enough to save the life of the woman who was killed. Lesson learned? Even if there is someone close to you with the means to protect you (security guard down the hall), that does not absolve YOU from taking every precaution to secure your own personal safety.
In a perfect world we could all carry to work, and in the open if one felt like it. Granted there are some jobs where it isn’t practical but for the most part I’m sure most of us would carry to work if we were allowed. The fact of the matter is this: there are many of us who are prohibited from carrying at work and there simply isn’t anything that can change it. So what to do about that rather inconvenient fact? As we all know bad guys don’t follow the rules and will take advantage of unarmed people in a split second. There are a few options at our disposal even if they aren’t as palatable as the feeling of a Glock 19 on the hip.
1- Understand your surroundings completely. Know every entrance, exit, closet, and conference room. While it might seem “cowardly” my stance is if I’m unarmed at work I’m not charging head long into a group of bad guys toting AK’s. There is no glory in a stupid and entirely preventable death. Hunker down, E&E, whatever the best course of action might be at the time. Knowing every bit of your facility will certainly help with that.
2- Many things can be used as weapons. While I don’t fancy going up against someone with a gun, I like my chances against a knife as long as I’m holding something long and sturdy. Remember in order to get cut you have to be in close and I’m pretty good with anything that resembles a baseball bat. Maybe you have a custom walking stick propped in the corner of your office, maybe an actual baseball bat mounted on the wall for show and tell. Maybe you have a 9 iron or putter in your work space because you just love golf so much. See what I mean?
3- High powered pepper spray can absolutely be effective. Obviously you’d have to research company policy on this but something like the Kimber Pepper Blaster can be devastating at close range (when used properly). It’s small and easily concealable and more importantly, it’s not a firearm.
4- Situational Awareness! Pay attention to your co-workers. Is someone acting uncharacteristically? Is someone about to get fired? Is someone more angry than usual? While it could be anything it should definitely be something to keep an eye on. Hopefully that person is just having a bad day (or week) because their basement flooded or car broke down but you simply never know. You could work with someone for 10 years and think you know them but in reality who KNOWS what they do outside the confines of the job. Pay attention and be very careful of who you let your guard down around.
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I’ve haven’t worked anywhere with metal detectors in the civilian world. I did work for a company with a no knife no weapons policy. I remember pulling out my knife in front of the regional manager to open a box, he laughed and said “every cowboy needs a knife.” I carried off body when I worked there, in addition to the knife. If I absolutely couldn’t carry, I’d have one locked up in the car and keep some weapons of opportunity around the office.
If we know the criminals don’t follow the law…why should we? I’d rather get in trouble then watch someone I work with get beheaded. If there’s not a metal detector, I carry.
I’m on great terms with the guy I work for now, in fact he’s the guy I get along with best. He let’s me do what I feel is right at the time. Did I mention he’s handsome too, love that guy.
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E5C
Great input. Do what you feel you can get away with and like you said…what makes you feel the most protected. I tend to walk a straighter line in the article but there will always be exceptions brother. 🙂
You should walk a straight line, I get it. I’m not talking about breaking laws as much as breaking company policy. I did reference the unlawful and myself but I should have worded that better.
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No man it’s ok, I get what you were saying. Example, my boss and I had a discussion via the phone today (he is in another state). He would never openly tell me to do something against company policy but made it clear when it comes to safety: “hey man, you what you gotta do.”
Sorry for just responding to this article, A fairly newcomer to this site, GREAT SITE BTW. Been going through the reading material and just had to toss in my 2 cents worth. I personally CC with lots of training, and yes I’m a strong believer in the right to defend myself no matter where the location with whatever means I have to my disposal. For example if one happens to come across a Wally World that has a sign posted that disallows firearms, they better make dang sure ALL entrances are posted if you get my drift. To be honest if you’re carrying CC correctly than nobody should know or see that fact anyways. I happen to do a lot of work around and in schools. And yes I do obey the laws of no carry on school property, BUT I will guarantee that I will park 2 feet just outside the fence and be able to get there in less than 2 minutes. As far as other places, it’s a personal call, but guess what, better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6 as the saying goes. And let me tell you, if you happen to save a life or ten by breaking a stupid “no carry” sign, then give me the fine, I will gladly pay it. FYI I have never been asked in any store or any other place if I’m carrying. Fortunately at work the boss and most employees know where to go in a problem situation, my office… HAHAHA. Seriously these days you never know where and when some nutcase will go cutting heads off or opening up fire in a movie theater. My thinking may be a little radical for this site, and if so I apologize, but my thinking is “Protect yourself and others regardless of some stupid law that will get you hurt or killed” by some nut-job that don’t give a flying fig about laws.. FYI, do know the laws about where and when in your area, don’t just listen to someone’s “well I think”. For example “is it legal to carry in a bank or in a national park”? Lastly, if your workplace does not allow firearms I would first suggest trying to educate the owner, if that does not work than remember it’s just a job, there are a LOT of jobs out there, you only have one life.