(Photo courtesy of CCW Safe, submitted by the author)
September 17, 2024
By Keith Wood
John Wyche wasn’t looking for trouble. The former Marine and small business owner simply needed to pick up a few groceries on his way home from the gym. He was on the phone with a female friend when he pulled into the convenience store’s empty parking lot. Though there were no other cars outside, he saw that the store was crowded with people. The individuals inside looked questionable so Wyche decided to wait in his van and continue his phone call until the store cleared out.
Minutes later, a car pulled suspiciously close to Wyche’s vehicle and stopped short of parking fully into the space. The male passenger began striking the van with his door, prompting Wyche to respond. He stepped out of his vehicle and calmly pled with the man not to damage his van. The man became aggressive, threatening to retrieve his handgun. As Wyche attempted to diffuse the situation, he became concerned when he saw that the female driver was searching for something inside the vehicle.
The male then changed tactics, offering to buy Wyche a drink and embracing him with a handshake. As he did so, the driver became extremely aggressive and Wyche turned to face her. Immediately, the passenger struck him in the head with an unknown object, knocking him to the ground and rendering him temporarily unconscious.
“It felt like he’d either shot me in the head or hit me with a brick,” Wyche said, “I felt excruciating pain.” Concussed and disoriented, he heard his licensed and concealed handgun fall from his waistband onto the asphalt by his side. “The first thing that came to my mind was ‘Oh my God, if he gets my gun, he’s going to kill me’, I saw him coming toward me getting ready to come on top of me.”
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Self Defense (Photo courtesy of CCW Safe, submitted by the author) Wyche retrieved his handgun by feel and fired a single round that passed over his assailant and struck the building behind him. “I didn’t really aim; I was just trying to get him off of me. I don’t think he realized that I’d shot because he still kept coming. I then shot twice and struck him in the torso.”
As Wyche retreated back toward the building, he heard the driver make a phone call—it sounded like she was summoning the attacker’s friends for revenge. Still dazed from the blow to the head and the adrenaline dose from the life-or-death struggle, Wyche called 911. The police and an ambulance arrived within minutes and he was held at gunpoint until backup arrived. While he waited, Wyche had the presence of mind to text a previously saved photo of his CCW Safe membership card to friends and family.
Under questioning from the officers, Wyche respectfully asked to speak to his attorney. He was handcuffed and placed in the patrol car—under arrest for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a serious felony under California law that can carry additional penalties if a firearm is used. Just as the police car left the scene, Wyche saw carloads of his attackers’ friends arrive. Despite being under arrest, he was relieved to be in police custody rather than be at the mercy of the angry mob.
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In hindsight, it became obvious that the entire attempt was likely a coordinated robbery attempt rather than a simple parking lot dispute. “Sitting in jail, I really knew in my heart that if I didn’t pull my weapon I would probably be seriously injured or dead. Still, I thought that the life that I knew could be over.”
CCW Safe (Photo courtesy of CCW Safe, submitted by the author) Wyche’s friend called CCW Safe immediately and legendary criminal defense attorney Don West answered. Well-known for his successful defense of Floridian George Zimmerman in a case that made worldwide news, West serves as CCW Safe’s National Trial Counsel. West worked quickly to activate CCW Safe’s network, arranging bail and dispatching experts to the area. Within a day, two investigators were on the ground assisting in the case. Wyche visited the scene with a CCW Safe investigator and walked him through the events that had transpired. CCW Safe worked with Wyche to choose a local defense attorney who would work in close consultation with Mr. West.
“The level of service blew me away,” Wyche said, “the network that they activated was amazing. These guys were on the ground and made me feel like I was protected. I had a team of experts that were there on my behalf.” Wyche’s attorneys helped him prepare a statement that was presented to the investigators. Thanks to the facts of the case and CCW Safe’s diligence, the situation was resolved quickly. Prior to his first court appearance, the District Attorney dismissed the case and Wyche was a free man.
“The sense of relief that I felt was amazing. If I didn’t have CCW Safe, I would have not known what to do. If I didn’t have advocates fighting for me, it could have easily gone a different way.”
In the wake of the event, CCW Safe provided Wyche with access to mental health resources to help deal with the trauma. “I was pretty shaken up. That’s the part that you can’t train for. If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t explain that feeling you get.” CCW Safe, along with Wyche’s strong group of friends, helped him navigate that aftermath. They are also covering the cost of having the arrest removed from his record.
Membership Plans and Perks (Photo courtesy of CCW Safe, submitted by the author) For a $179 annual Protector Plan membership, Wyche was provided with a defense that was worth tens of thousands of dollars. “It was the best money I’ve ever spent. The level of protection that they offer for those prices is amazing. This is incredible.”
CCW Safe was established specifically for situations such as the one that John Wyche found himself in. The company was founded by Mike Darter, a veteran Oklahoma City police officer. While on duty, Darter was involved in an incident that resulted in civil lawsuits being filed against him. Because of his status as a law enforcement officer, great resources were available to him that protected him from liability. When he retired, he recognized that he would no longer have such protection. When he looked at what was available in the civilian marketplace, he recognized that none of the existing coverage came close to the assets that are available to law enforcement. Darter and his co-founders set out to recreate those programs for retired law enforcement officers as well as everyday citizens. The result was CCW Safe.
“It’s a holistic program,” CCW Safe Kent Brown said, “yes, there’s the financial element but there’s also peer support, we factor in what’s going to happen to you emotionally, what’s going to happen to your personal life, and so they built out this model.” The program is so good that thousands of active police officers have memberships that provide them off-duty coverage.
CCW Safe isn’t the largest program of its kind, but it strives to be the best. As John Wyche learned, their assets are unparalleled as is their in-house legal expertise. The program also offers a host of training resources to its members, all of which are included with even the most basic packages. Brown stressed to me that CCW Safe’s focus is on evolving to best meet the needs of their membership. “We just try to constantly focus on the member and try to make sure that, whatever they might get into that’s related to self-defense, we can help them out.”
Realities (Photo courtesy of CCW Safe, submitted by the author) Many of us train regularly to equip ourselves for the realities of a life-or-death defensive scenario. What few of us are prepared for is the legal aftermath of such an event. As a former prosecutor, I have seen the lives of good people ruined because they thought that the law would protect the “good guys”. The judicial system can be harsh and unforgiving, particularly when it comes to jurisdictions with radical prosecutors who seem to favor the rights of criminals over law-abiding citizens, particularly gun owners.
After surveying the market, I signed up for the CCW Safe Ultimate Plan, which protects both me and my spouse from criminal and civil liability in the event of a self-defense scenario. CCW Safe has a plan for every need and, with prices starting at below $200 per year, you can’t afford not to have protection.
