For the civilians, a small, super bright, tactical flashlight, and a good knife can accomplish a lot in an unplanned nighttime encounter.
For this "civilian" a Kimber Compact would stand in for a knife.
And yes, I detest the police calling someone a civilian. My first question to the cop is which branch of the military are you serving in?
Cops seperating themselve from the population like that makes for a cop vs civilian situation that we don't need. How about us vs criminals.
Jack
I used civilian for short hand, I'm not a cop, and I share your view on the cop usage of the word, I just meant to imply those of us that don't have a gun on us.
My real advice there was meant for Californians and New Yorkers and such.
My concealed carry license is not good here in California, so I have to carry a fighting knife, combining a blinding flashlight with it can make a great difference.