If something happens and you need help or you have defended yourself against a bad guy, people will show up. Despite being unadvised people will run towards gunfire and fights to see what is going on. So, more often then not there will be people present just after a crime happens. You’ll need to be the good guy to these people just as you need to be the good guy to the cops, and they can help you.
Becoming the good guy is as simple as saying I need help. Then tell people what you want them to do. People’s minds’ will fill in details that they don’t know or see. Thanks to movies people are always looking for the good guy and the bad guy. Be the good guy! Everyone will help you and then tell the police what a great person you are. They will also tell the jury the same thing if it goes that far.
Once you have told people you need help, tell them a quick one-sentence what happened (He tried to rob me!). Then start telling individuals what to do. If you just say “Call 911” everyone will stand around and think someone else will do it. Look at someone, point, tell him or her to call 911 and stay there. Then tell someone else to find out if anyone else is hurt, then return.
Get as many people involved as you can. They will all want to help and think they are helping the good guy. The hard part is keeping your voice from cracking or from shouting. If something just happened, you will get an adrenaline dump. It’s hard to not get really excited, start yelling, and have your voice crack and go up an octave. The voice you need to find is that one your mom use to use when you where in trouble and she wanted you to do something (if you where me that voice only came out after I tried to explain why my hand was in the cookie jar).
Practice, out loud, with your mother’s voice. I make everyone practice in front of the group when I teach seminars. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it gets a little of the stress for people to practice under. Look yourself in the mirror and practice. When you say, “call 911!” and you scare yourself, then you’ve got it.
Stay Safe,
Ben