Self-defense tactics to use against an armed attacker Action News Investigates takes a closer look at the most recent FBI report on violent crime statistics and gets a self-defense demonstration from a personal security expert. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT AND HOW YOU CAN PROCEED SPECHT YOURSELF. REPORTER: I AM -- PROCEED SPECHT YOURSELF. REPORTER: I'M LIVE IN ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT COMMUNITIES IN OUR STATE. HERE ARE HINTS AS TO WHERE I A AS TO WHERE I AM BASED ON THE MOST RECENT STATISTICS FROM 2014. THIS COMMUNITY HAS A POPULATION OF A LITTLE MORE THAN 3300. NOW IT'S 23 SQUARE MILES BUT IN 2014 THERE WERE 76 VIOLENT CRIMES HERE, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PER CAPITA THIS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY IS MORE VIOLENT THAN PHILADELPHIA. I'LL TELL YOU WHERE I'M STANDING IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES, BUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE SAFE AND IT STARTS WITH NOT FEELING HELPLESS. >> IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION THE PROBLEM IS -- REPORTER: FOR MOST OF US HAVING A GUNPOINT NED OUR FACE WOULD STARTLE US OR MAKE US FREEZE. BUT SAM ROSENBERG, OWNER OF IMPACT, THE PERSONAL SECURITY ACADEMY IN WEXFORD SAYS INSTEAD IF YOU ACT FAST YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE THAT WEAPON. HE PUT THE GUN IN MY HANDS TO SHOW ME. >> WHEN I GO FOR THE GUN ALL I WANT YOU TO DO IS JUST SAY "BANG" AS YOU SEE ME MOVE. READY. >> THAT IS PROVE ROSENBERG SAYS THAT IT SAKES ABOUT HALF A SECOND FOR THE GUNMAN TO EVEN REALIZE YOU'VE MOVED. THEN ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS ON THE GUN ROSENBERG SAYS IT'S EASY TO SILL SIMPLY TAKE IT. >> GO UP, ROTATE TOWARD ME, PUSH STRAIGHT AHEAD AND PULL STRAIGHT BACK. RIGHT WHEN YOU PUSH AND PULL IT'S ALWAYS LIKE THIS. REPORTER: ROSENBERG SAYS THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO TAKE CONTROL, AND IF YOUR ATTACKER IS UNARMED AND ATTEMPTING TO GRAB YOU ROSENBERG SAYS YOU CAN FIGHT BACK NO MATTER YOUR SIZE. HE HAD ME PUT MY HAND IN A STOP MOTION FRONT BUT IF THE ATTACKER IGNORES THAT AND KEEPS GOING ROSENBERG SAYS GO FOR ONE SPOT. >> ALL YOU'RE DOING IS PUSHING THIS LITTLE NOTCH IN MY NECK, THIS IS CALL THE SUBPOENA PRACTICE STERNA SUPRA STERNAL NOTCH. YOU PUSH THERE, PERFECT. REPORTER: IT TAKES NO STRENGTH TO PUSH SOMEONE IN THAT SPOT, ATTACKERS WHO ARE OFTEN OPPORTUNISTIC WILL RUN. IF THEY DO COME BACK TOWARDS YOU USE WHATEVER YOU HAVE ON YOU. A PEN ABOVE THE COLLARBONE ARREST A MAGAZINE THERE WILL PHULT TPAOEU THE FORC PHULT TPAOEU THE MULTIPLY THE FORCE OF YOUR FISH. THIS TIME USE FORCE. >> SMASH, SMASH, SMASH, ONE MORE TIME. REPORTER: HE SAYS IT'S OFTEN TOUGH TO THINK ABOUT THAT CLOSE TO SOMEONE TRYING TO HARM YOU, BUT IN EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS, THAT SMALL DISTANCE CAN ACTUALLY HELP. >> HE'S PUTTING YOU IN THAT POSITION TO INTIMIDATE, BUT THE REALITY IS HE'S REDUCING HIS OWN REACTION TIME AS WELL. SO YOU HAVE CONSIDERABLE ADVANTAGES, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF. REPORTER: ALSO, MOST IMPORTANT, BE AWARE, IF YOU ARE AWARE ABOUT TWO MINUTES AGO YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED I'M STANDING IN A SMALL COMMUNITY OF MOUNT OLIVER, THIS IS THE MOST VIOLENT COMMUNITY IN OUR AREA. IT IS ACTUALLY SECOND IN THE STATE. ALSO IN THE TOP FIVE HOMESTEAD AND MCKEESPORT. BY THE WAY FILLED IS 18th. THE LIST OF THE TOP 26 VIOLENT PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES IS ON OUR WEBSITE WTAE.COM.

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