Beaten on Live TV… A Lesson That Help Only Arrives in the Movies
Who remembers Reginald Denny?
On April 29, 1992, during the early hours of the Los Angeles riots, a white truck driver named Reginald Denny was pulled from his vehicle by a mob at the intersection of Florence and Normandy. He was punched, kicked, stomped—and then struck in the head with a cinder block while lying motionless on the pavement.
It was broadcast live on television.
Every American with a screen watched it unfold in real time. No help came. Not when it mattered.
Eventually, law enforcement would find and prosecute the attackers. But justice delayed is not protection. In that moment—when the bricks started flying and blood hit the pavement—the system was absent.
The LAPD, under orders and overwhelmed, did not respond. The State had effectively stepped aside. The only thing between Reginald Denny and death was luck—and the decency of a few locals who drove him to the hospital.
Fast forward 33 years.
In June 2025, rioters blocked the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles and hurled boulders and cinder blocks onto trapped vehicles below. Some were aimed at CHP officers. Others hit civilians. The same tactics. The same weapons. The same motive: fear, chaos, destruction. Law enforcement was again present—but not empowered to act.
Nobody came. Again.
These weren’t protests. These were coordinated, malicious acts of violence intended to cause grievous bodily harm or death. And if you were in one of those cars—unarmed, untrained, and unprepared—your survival would not depend on a badge or a siren.
It would depend on you.
What Are Your Options?
Avoidance. If you can steer clear of volatile environments, do so. This is not cowardice—this is strategy. Never underestimate the madness of the mob.
Escape. If you’re trapped in a vehicle surrounded by hostile attackers, do whatever it takes to escape. Ram through. Drive over. Crash your way out if you must. Steel and paint can be replaced. You cannot.
Lethal Force. If you cannot escape, you are morally and legally justified in using lethal force to defend your life.
Here’s Why: The Three Criteria for Deadly Force Are Met
To lawfully and ethically respond with lethal force, three conditions must be present:
Jeopardy – There must be a clear intent to cause you serious harm. If attackers are throwing bricks or dragging people from cars, that intent is evident and undeniable.
Opportunity – They must be close enough to carry out that harm. If they can reach your car, your window, your body—they have the opportunity.
Ability – They must possess the means to do harm. A cinder block, a rock, or even fists in sufficient number—these are lethal weapons.
In these situations, all three boxes are checked.
That is not hyperbole. That is legal, tactical, and moral reality.
You are not obligated to die waiting for a uniform.
You are not required to endure injury to avoid judgment.
You are justified. And you must act.
Training: The Line Between Victim and Survivor
There are only two types of people in a crisis: trained and untrained.
You will not rise to the occasion—you will fall to your level of training. And more specifically, to your unconscious competency—the things you’ve practiced until they become instinct.
That’s why training matters. It’s not about paranoia. It’s about preparation.
Training is mindset made physical. It is the antidote to panic. It is the power to respond when time disappears and decisions must be made in fractions of a second.
So ask yourself:
Are you trained to recognize danger?
To escape it?
To fight when no other option remains?
The world has changed. The system has shown its limits.
You are not helpless.
You are not powerless.
But you must be ready.
Because the brutal truth is this:
Nobody is coming. Train accordingly.
