Erickson Dumaual was ambushed last Friday when two home invaders broke into his Santa Ana home at 4 a.m. and held a gun to his head.
While one of the men held Dumaual, a Krav Maga student, at gunpoint, the other started feeling about his room for valuables.
“The guy had a gun right at my head,” said Dumaual, in an interview with KTLA. When the man with the gun turned to look at his partner in crime, Dumaual decided to make a move.
“At that point I went for the gun,” said Dumaual, who took the intruder to the ground. “It was tough because he tried to pin me. It’s a battle, 50-50, who’s going to die here?”
Dumaual managed to wrestle the gun away from the intruder, who was later identified as 19-year-old Bryan Bravo, a documented gang member.
Bravo’s partner-in-crime fled the scene and it was now just the home owner and the one assailant.
“All I want to do is make sure this guy doesn’t hurt me, my family or anybody else,” said Dumaual. Yet even though Dumaual had disarmed Bravo, he kept coming at him.
“I tried to tell him to, ‘stop, stop, stop,’ and he comes at me … I had to pull the trigger. I didn’t want to kill him,” Dumaual said.
Dumaual shot Bravo in the leg. But Bravo was still determined to come after the homeowner. Dumaual began pistol whipping Bravo and then threw him into the backyard swimming pool.
Bravo was subsequently arrested and is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still looking for his partner who was described as a “Hispanic man with a shaved head.”
As for Dumaual, he is doing okay after the harrowing incident. “I’m doing fine, just glass in my feet,” he said.
What Can We Learn from this DGU Story? I jotted down five quick points that I think are important.
1. Get an Alarm System
How do you avoid getting ambushed at 4 a.m. while sleeping in your own bed? Get an alarm system or a dog or motion sensors or something to alert you that there is an intruder on your property. It goes without saying but the element of surprise is critical in any fight or combat situation. It gives one the upper hand. Don’t be caught with your pants down. Take the proper steps so that you are the one surprising the home invader.
2. Bedside Defense
Examining your home defense posture, what do you have at the ready? What’s at your bedside that you can not only access but deploy within a matter of seconds to confront a threat?
Everyone’s home situations is different. By that I mean some people have young children at home so there are limitations as to what weapon they can put where and how secured or unsecured they can situate it within a bedroom. I’m not going to delve into the specifics of that topic here, but what I will say is try to have some type of self-defense implement close by to where you sleep.
3. Can You Fight?
Admittedly, I’m not much of a fighter. But I know some self-defense basics that would help me if I were to ever get involved in an altercation.
Is it enough? Hell no! It’s never enough. The reality is that I’m not even close to being in the physical condition or the fighting form I think I should be in. The only question is what I’m I doing right now to remedy this deficiency? I’ll pose that question to you as well, what are you doing to improve your overall physical condition and your hand-to-hand combat skills?
I think this DGU story is a reminder that I need to get my butt in gear and start training again.
4. Killed or Be Killed
“It was tough because he tried to pin me. It’s a battle, 50-50, who’s going to die here?”
Having the right mindset is probably the most underrated aspect to training for a self-defense situation. Sure, you can have all the right tools and be physically fit, but if you’re not in the right place mentally you’re in trouble.
At some point you have to accept the fact that in a life or death situation it’s killed or be killed. That means it’s either you or him. To quote Dumaual, “It was tough because he tried to pin me. It’s a battle, 50-50, who’s going to die here?”
Are you mentally prepared to take a life to save your own? Have you thought seriously about this question?
5. Don’t Shoot to Wound
It’s not in our nature to kill other people. As Dumaual said, “I tried to tell him to, ‘stop, stop, stop,’ and he comes at me … I had to pull the trigger. I didn’t want to kill him.”
Dumaual shot the suspect in the leg. But that did not stop the suspect from coming at Dumaual. As any self-defense expert worth his salt will instruct you, “You shoot until the threat is eliminated.”
The reality is you are gambling with your life if you don’t shoot until the threat is eliminated. How do you know he doesn’t have another gun or that he won’t pick up a heavy object and attempt to bludgeon you with it? You don’t know.
Now, that doesn’t apply if you have the situation under control, e.g. the suspect gives up his pursuit or starts to run away, but as long as the suspect is coming at you, thus jeopardizing your personal safety, you shoot until he stops. Period. To circle back to number four, it takes a certain mindset to think this way. So do some soul searching and get your head in the right space.
“killed or be killed”? Not just once but twice!
Sounds to me like your Only choice is DEAD.
Just fix it..kill or be killed. Simple as that.
And NO in am NOT the Grammer police. Your supposed to be a PRO, write like one.
Anyone hear any more about the Democrat that shot up the Republicans at the ball game practice?
OR..if the Republicans got their bill passed allowing THEM, the polititions, to carry a handgun ANY time they travel? Even though WE can’t, and there was NO mention of allowing US to do so!
Just wondering is all.
And why is this titled “Must watch:” if there is no video?!?!?!
Patrick Henry quote “Are we at last brought to such debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defense?”
Some people just don’t understand the implications of assault against them. A guy with a gun pointed at you has the potential of KILLING YOU! What part of KILLING YOU don’t you understand! Someone does that to me they will not leave the area alive. It’s 2 for 2…- 2 in the chest, then when they quit moving 2 in the head. That should pretty well take care of the situation, both now and in the future. JUST DO IT!
By showing a criminal mercy during an incident, you are just inviting a sociopath to either press false charges against you with the police. Or, possibly to file a lawsuit against you in civil court. Been there, done that: next time I will empty my firearm.
Yep, never shoot to wound. I can shoot that accurately but I never would for real – it’s just not effective very often. Before you know it they’re on top of you taking your gun from you!
How can anyone NOT have dogs? I can hardly sleep with out mine in the room with me!
I am 70 years old. I’ve done some martial arts/boxing over the last 30 years, Muay Thai for last 3 yrs. My Muay Thai instructor, an experienced and accomplished fighter, tells me what I already know, run and gun, if not, last resort fight. My wife and I carry, have a dog, and keep an M+P .40 by the bed at night, 12 gauge pump in br as well. If you don’t want to be a victim, you need to take care of your business, no one is going to do it for you.
Passive barriers, dogs, motion lights, alarms, will turn 95 percent. The other 5% intend great lethal harm. Lethal response is all that is left. Defenders did not create the situation, assailants can back off at any time.
I’m surprised this guy didn’t go to jail, it’s Kommiefornia after all.. When I lived there you are supposed to be do everything EXCEPT defend yourself.. Shooting someone in your home is frowned upon, I guess it was good that he used the gun of the intruder, which I’m sure was bought from a gun show right? Dumb ass state..
Good ending for the home owner, thank God!
If someone invades my home to hurt me or my wife, they are not going to get very far. Do I want to kill them? Not necessarily but that depends on them,
Excellent point! Whether I shoot an intruder depends… on the intruder!!!!
Kill the bastards! Some of the very most dangerous criminals of all are the home invaders. By the very nature of the crime, they will kill you if they have to in order to steal your stuff & get away without witnesses. Kill the bastards before they kill you!
A dog to wake you, a large caliber gun & the proper mindset is what you need to protect yourself & your family.
In most states Dumaual would not have been charged if he’d killed Bravo, but in Lala Land, who knows? There’s a better than 50/50 chance that had he killed Bravo, the thug’s family would have sued Dumaual into abject poverty.
It is obvious that the homeowner has not been properly trained. The author’s 5th numbered point may be the most important takeaway from this incident. NEVER, EVER, shoot to wound. There is a reason one of the first lessons of gun safety is “Never point at anything you do not intend to destroy.” Had the homeowner eliminated the threat, the taxpayers would not now be forced to provide a living for the perpetrator. A couple of well placed shots change a 50/50 proposition to 100/0. Advantage: Homeowner!
Not counting with a Hal-Ass State Attorney that might charge him with shooting the perpetrator!! He might very well end up paying for that criminal`s medical expenses… Dead people can`t defend themselves, next time; SHOOT TO KILL !!! I`m sure he would have killed you !!!
He should have done the world a favor and shot the guy in the head. It’s not a high priority item in gang banging anyway.
Two in the chest, one in the head. Stops them every time. You only shoot them in the leg or arm in the movies.
ending the perp is the way to a better society. one story is always better than two, the victim will probably get sued by the perp witht the state of todays lawyers and courts.
Sounds like a staged 2nd amendment commercial!
Nothing can be as bad as the staged shooting events, especially like the Virginia reporter shooting which shows just how brazen the anti gun crowds staged events are getting! So easy to pick apart a child can do it!
You are a First Class Grade A Idiot! A man’s life, and the lives of his family members are endangered, and you have the brazen stupidity to call it “a staged 2nd amendment commercial”? You thumb-sucking moronic libtard! I hope you never come face to face with a real armed criminal in a life & death situation. What are you going to do, besides wet your pants & cry like a baby for the Police? Hey brain-dead, remember this; in over 90% of all violent criminal actions against innocent victims there are no cops around! And if you’re dumb enough to believe that pepper-spray, or some stupid little zapper is going to save you, well then you’ll probably get what you deserve anyway! You better hope that one of us law-abiding, CCW possessing, gun-toting 2nd Amendment folks are around to save your sorry sheeple minded ass!!
FIDELLIS AD MORTEM
you mad, bro? Lighten up, Francis. I’m almost positive the poster was kidding, i.e. found the story amusing. So, I suggest you aim your invective to real liberals, the enemy of freedom and personal responsibility, the cowards who blame society instead of individual perpetrators, and the politicians who pander to them.
Well I think this says leagues about the importance of physical combat skills, I know the author mentioned this but really, it’s key. I’m still waiting on my cpl in the mail so I don’t have the opportunity to stay armed and low profile at the same time, open carry in my area although legal, draws to much attention, and that’s not my way of doing things, I do however have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I boxed for 2 years, I practiced MMA for a year, wrestled in high school, and continue today not only firearms training but always new types of hand to hand combat, soft hard force, pain compliance, bladed combat, unarmed vs armed combat. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of these trainings as well as in the past 3 years I have been involved in 2 muggings and one blatant assault where I was attacked with a large kitchen knife. Training is expensive and time consuming but honestly, what’s more important, catching up on the last 3 episodes of your tv show, or learning and practicing so life saving techniques! Ivebeven got a few of my buddies to start sparring with me, picked up some trainer knives and a dummy gun and now my girlfriend and best friends all have at least a very very basic understanding of hand to hand combat…………now I just have to get them to come to some actual classes with me Lol!
Jake, you’re way ahead of me. The only thing I can do is shoot straight! At my age(76), I would have an extremely hard time wrestling with a gunman. Maybe if I was in my 20’s-30’s again, I was a lot stronger then!
Please, so you’re a bonafide Chuck Norris are you ? A .45 in your chest will take every ounce of fight out of you period.Save all that B.S. for you’re drinking buddies.
No, gun in the back will take the fight out of me, gun in the chest(or face) i can take away 100% of the time, i’m only fast enough to disarm a gun in the back about 50%….
My daughter is 1/2 way to her 4th degree in taekwondo, almost 10 years of training, still she will never say she can disarm 100 percent of the time, overconfidence gets you killed, at 16 she is very quick she could break any bone in your body but she is confident just not over confident, I pity the fool that can’t take no for an answer,
Wow- “It’s a battle, 50-50, who’s going to die here?” says it all.
This is why law-abiding citizens need firearms. Who wants to gamble their lives at 50-50 odds? A firearm can give you an advantage that might allow you to survive where all other alternatives end with you dead and the perpetrator “at large”. Society is safer when law-abiding citizens are allowed to defend themselves if they choose to.