Lights Out? A Tactical Question

[bearkitty]

This not necessarily real-life, but I see it on TV and in the movies, and that's totally real, right? So I thought I would ask. Here goes:

You know the scene, it's dark, and the cops are about to enter the premises......or it's dark, and the non-victim gets out of bed and grabs the gun from the nightstand before moving toward the noise.....

WHY does no one ever turn on the light? It can't be for dramatic effect since my old eyes can't see what's happening on the screen anyway. I probably can't even navigate my own house without my glasses and some light. And that's my point. I'm sure my natural instinct would be to turn on the light. I know it would. It might even seem reasonable that in order to hit the bad guy I'd need a little light.

So friends please enlighten (pun intended) me on this topic. Is it standard self defense protocol, even without night vision optics, to proceed through the dark with a firearm at the ready? I get the whole NOT letting the bad guy know where you are, but he's probably going to find me when I bump into a piece of furniture. Assuming I have kids in other rooms that I am protecting, and I am fully trained and capable of clearing my home, lights on or lights off?

Let's discuss. I am truly curious.

[JediSkipdogg]

The idea is that while you are doing a building search in low light you do not change the conditions of the building initially until it's clear. Turning a light switch on or off allows the suspect to know where you are. Yes, a weapon mounted light will do the same thing, but at least with that if you aim it on the suspect, you can blind their vision temporarily for a clear shot.

You also do not know what each of the light switches do. My living room has 4 switches. One of them is actually flush mount and that is my light. The other three are standard that control my fan, my hallway lights, and a wall outlet. So do you fumble with light switches till you get the proper lights on? At the same time you are fumbling with switches your hands are not both on your weapon and your mind on finding any possible target.

Also, human eyes adjust quite well to low light. A light turning on in a room could actually temporarily blind the officer till his eyes are adjusted to it and his pupils reduce in size.

And yes, the same thing is generally done in real life, especially when it comes to business or warehouses. Imagine turning on a switch that turns on some machine that just cost the company hundreds of thousands. Not a good case of officer mistake there.

[FormerNavy]

I would also add that you probably have a tactical advantage with little or no light - you know your house, the intruder does not. I wouldn't shoot without light on a target, but as far as movement, you have the advantage in low/no light, IMHO...

[Mr. Glock]

Slash with the light, then move in the dark. Repeat.

[bearkitty]

Thank you all.

It looks like I'll be spending a few late nights prowling my own home in the dark. Yes, I do know it better than any intruder. I know where I"m likely to trip over Jr. Kitty's shoes, and where all the good hiding spots are located.

I will have to train myself OUT of the habit of always hitting that bedside lamp, and the switch at the top of the stairs outside my bedroom door.

[Bama.45]

Get a decent tactical light... Doesnt have to be a surefire etc... But a bright light in the eyes will stun an intruder for a moment at least and will let you be able to clearly identify your target.

[147Doc]

Thank you all.

It looks like I'll be spending a few late nights prowling my own home in the dark. Yes, I do know it better than any intruder. I know where I"m likely to trip over Jr. Kitty's shoes, and where all the good hiding spots are located.

I will have to train myself OUT of the habit of always hitting that bedside lamp, and the switch at the top of the stairs outside my bedroom door.

It certainly takes practice, and landmines left by other residents can be a problem, but I practice navigation with no light for more than just "bump in the night" situations.
Severe storm and your power is out... then you hear a window break down the hall. Where's the nearest flashlight? Where's a pair of shoes that will stand up to broken glass?
Then, to get pedantic...
When did you last test that flashlight? Where's the spare batteries? Where's the second flashlight since your kids borrowed your primary?
And on and on.

And it has paid off for me. I have awakened in a dark apartment and a dark house (one each) when the power was out. Made it to the shower, did my morning routine, found clothes (cheated with a flashlight to make sure my socks matched), dressed... all without city power, and except for the socks, all with no light.

[welshj]

I have a totally different scenario... but....

When we bought our sofa and love seat- they came with these six foot long, low light blue led light strips.
The idea is that they glow from under the sofa and light your foot path.

I have two recliners on the other side of the room- where I normally sit and actually sleep at night.
I placed the lights behind them, and they glow throughout the whole front room and dining kitchen area. (my house is kind of an open floor plan with separate bedrooms behind the open front area.)
At night, they provide just enough light that I have a fairly good view across the house. Someone entering would call it dark...
My just opened eyes have enough to see fairly clear.

I can cover the whole front of the house inside from my recliner at night. including both entryways and windows.
I use small low light led nite lights thru the hall and bedroom area, providing similar coverage.

But next to my chair on the end table- where I set my EDC at nite, in arms reach... right next to my surefire light for back up.

just another Idea.

[ApexShootingTactics]

There are tactical considerations for leaving the lights off or turning them on.

For LE and Mil if you are going into a virtually unknown location and your presence is already known we typically turn on the lights ASAP. An unknown location may be full of potential hazards and having the lights on will limit confusion. If you have the element of surprise in your favor then leave them off. If I am going into a potential meth lab I want to see what I am stepping on and possibly kicking. Likewise, we have a factory in our city that is roughly 300 yards long and 200 yards wide and the vast majority of it is an open floor plan with tall machines and material stacked. When we go in there for alarms we light up then entire place, otherwise we would pass by too many hiding spots.

The flip side is my house. I know it better than most in the light or dark so I will keep it dark until I feel like I no longer have the advantage. An advantage I have is I can control the downstairs lights from upstairs and the upstairs from downstairs. This offers me a tactical advantage.

Those are just a few things but I tell people when talking tactics, don't box yourself into thinking a tactic or technique is the gospel. Sooner or later it will deceive you.

[MyWifeSaidYes]

... don't box yourself into thinking a tactic or technique is the gospel...

+1000

Each technique is just another tool in your belt.

Learn as many different techniques as you can and use the ones that work best in that specific scenario.

[medmandan]

If I am going into a potential meth lab I want to see what I am stepping on and possibly kicking.

I am assuming you haven't made too many entries into a structure based meth lab, huh? Great way to blow yourself up, and is an absolute necessity for scene safety to NOT be flipping lights on due to the booby traps that are probably present.

Yet another scenario that calls for a good flashlight. Sorry for the off topic...

[JonasM]

The flip side is my house. I know it better than most in the light or dark so I will keep it dark until I feel like I no longer have the advantage. An advantage I have is I can control the downstairs lights from upstairs and the upstairs from downstairs. This offers me a tactical advantage.

This bring up an interesting question: If you're upstairs with your entire family, and there's a disturbance downstairs, would you potentially secure your family, then turn on the downstairs lights to let the intruder(s) know that you're aware of them? In my house, there's no way an intruder could make it up the steps without me having a clear shot before I'm spotted. I would think most intruders would bug out at that point (lights on and knowing that the homeowner is aware of you), but of course not all.

Thoughts?

[Werz]

... don't box yourself into thinking a tactic or technique is the gospel...

+1000

Each technique is just another tool in your belt.

Learn as many different techniques as you can and use the ones that work best in that specific scenario.

Become acquainted with every art ... do nothing which is of no use.
--- Miyamoto Musashi (1645)

[Klingon00]

This brings to mind a question I've had as well. If you are forced to defend yourself by shooting at someone who gets away in the middle of the night and call 911, should you go and turn on all the lights so that the responding police can see better who's who and what's going on even if you don't know the whereabouts of the bad guy?

I mean it makes logical sense to me...

[JediSkipdogg]

If I am going into a potential meth lab I want to see what I am stepping on and possibly kicking.

I am assuming you haven't made too many entries into a structure based meth lab, huh? Great way to blow yourself up, and is an absolute necessity for scene safety to NOT be flipping lights on due to the booby traps that are probably present.

Yet another scenario that calls for a good flashlight. Sorry for the off topic...

Bingo. #1 rule of a meth lab entry is to not touch anything. Again, we go back to you have no idea what those wall switches do. One could be plugged into a burner that you do not know about. That's why they invented weapon mounted lights and flashlights.

This brings to mind a question I've had as well. If you are forced to defend yourself by shooting at someone who gets away in the middle of the night and call 911, should you go and turn on all the lights so that the responding police can see better who's who and what's going on even if you don't know the whereabouts of the bad guy?

I mean it makes logical sense to me...

If you can make it to a bedroom you can always secure that door and turn on that light. The biggest thing you don't want to be is moving around clearing your house when police arrive. They will head toward any movement, lights on or not, and assume that's the suspect. If the lights are out, then gun in hand + dark room = bad shoot no matter who fires first.