Joseph H. is a criminal who lived in Buxton, Maine, a small town with a population of around 8,000 residents.
Around 3:40 a.m. one morning, police responded to a report of a home invasion.
A woman called 911 after hearing noises downstairs and told the dispatcher that her husband grabbed his gun and flashlight and went to investigate.
Meanwhile, downstairs, her husband reached the dining room just as Joseph broke down the side door of the house.
The husband used his flashlight to blind Joseph as he moved around the house.
After blinding Joseph with the flashlight, he ordered him to move to the bathroom and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
When police arrived, they located the homeowner holding Joseph (who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol) in the bathroom.
Before breaking into the house, Joseph stole a car where he found a handgun.
So, he was charged with multiple crimes including burglary, criminal mischief, refusing to submit to arrest, and theft.
This type of crime typically doesn’t happen in rural Maine.
So, it was a good thing the homeowner was armed and prepared.
But the story above is also a great example of how effective a flashlight can be in self-defense.
Most quality self-defense flashlights have different modes.
For example, many have a high beam, low beam, and strobe setting.
High beam and low beam make sense for self-defense depending on the situation, but what about the strobe setting?
What is a strobe flashlight setting?:
The flashlight company SureFire was one of the first to add a strobe setting to defensive flashlights.
The strobe mode on a flashlight causes rapid, repetitive flashes of light.
The strobing can disrupt the normal way human eyes visually process what they see.
The quickness of the on-off cycle disorients the brain and confuses the way the mind interprets where the light is.
Simply put, it causes a “whirling” sensation in the brain.
Strobe for self-defense:
Many gun owners, including myself, use a flashlight as part of their home defense plan.
If there is an intruder in your house, you want to find them as fast as you can and stop them.
Of course, at the same time, you don’t want the bad guy to see you before you see him.
This is where a strobe setting can give you an advantage. It can obscure your movement and make it harder for the intruder to see you.
Another benefit of using the strobe setting is that it’s very disorienting.
The psychological impact of a strobe flashlight can deter an intruder.
A strobe setting can even cause temporary blindness, and most people react to this by closing their eyes, giving you time to engage the threat or to get away.
Drawbacks to a strobe flashlight for self-defense:
One issue with using a strobe setting is that it can trigger seizures in some people.
Of course, this might not be a concern if there is a bad guy in your house trying to hurt you.
Yet, if you are using a strobe setting and accidentally shine the light on a sensitive person it could disorient them.
So, if you have a family member that suffers from epilepsy don’t use a strobe setting.
Believe it or not, some states have laws about using strobe flashlights.
For instance, some states restrict the color of the strobe flashlight or the use of it on public roads.
These laws are designed to prevent people from impersonating police officers.
Now, if you choose to use a strobe setting on a tactical flashlight, make sure to train with it so you know how you and your family members react to the light.
Lastly, always remember that a strobe setting might disorient a bad guy, or it might not, so don’t rely on the strobe, be ready to act.
