| Daniel "Brian" Blackwell is an American private | | | | Brian was the chief executive officer of CFS |
| investigator, security expert, and entrepreneur. | | | | Financial Services until an incident occurred June |
| Editor of The Blackwell Brief | | | | 25, 1993 that changed the course of his life. |
| Director of QI Security and Investigation | | | | After surviving a random murder attempt (gang |
| Brian Blackwell was born September 11, 1963 in | | | | initiation) by four male teens, Brian decided to |
| Ilion, New York, to New York State Police | | | | devote the remainder of his life helping people |
| Trooper Carl Blackwell from Brooklyn, New York, | | | | protect themselves against criminals, forming |
| and Freida Marie Scott from Binghamton, New | | | | Quantico Intelligence Services, a protective |
| York. | | | | services and private investigation company |
| Brian lived most of his childhood in Norwich, New | | | | located in Seattle, Washington. |
| York, living in the two-story house at the corner | | | | "It happened in a parking lot. I was in the wrong |
| of Tanner Hill Road and Chenango Lake Road. | | | | place at the wrong time. When I got out of my |
| Brian's parents divorced early in his childhood. | | | | car, I heard a group of people running towards |
| "Their marriage was very volatile, with arguments | | | | me from behind," says Brian. "I knew what it was. |
| and fights occurring regularly", says Brian. "They | | | | I knew what was about to occur." |
| divorced soon after my younger sister, | | | | "I knew I wouldn't have time to get back in my |
| Constance Lee, died in December 1971." | | | | car and take off. I knew the only chance I had of |
| "There was a lot of drama and trauma in our | | | | surviving was to confront the situation," says |
| home," says Brian. "My parents drank a lot, which | | | | Brian. "Only one of the perpetrators had a |
| added fuel to the fire." | | | | weapon and I was able to wrestle the handgun - |
| When his parents divorced in 1972, Brian and his | | | | a .45 Cal. - out of the shooter's hand without |
| older brother, David, lived with their father. Brian's | | | | being seriously injured." |
| father remarried in 1973 to Ann Elizabeth Ripley | | | | "I disarmed the weapon by ramming my left |
| (maiden name: Lane) from Sherburne, New York. | | | | index and middle fingers behind the trigger |
| Brian lived in Norwich, New York until the age of | | | | preventing the gun from firing," says Brian. "If he |
| 14. Soon after his father retired from the New | | | | couldn't fire the gun, he couldn't shoot me, so I |
| York State Police in 1977, Brian and his family | | | | grabbed the gun, pushed it away from me and |
| moved to Prescott, Arizona for a year then | | | | rammed my fingers behind the trigger." |
| Carlisle, Pennsylvania. | | | | The others stood by doing nothing. "The others |
| Adulthood | | | | watched in awe," says Brian. |
| In 1981, at the age of 17, while still in high school, | | | | Brian was able to take the weapon away from |
| Brian enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National | | | | the perpetrator without being seriously injured. |
| Guard earning commendations for exemplary | | | | Once he secured the weapon, all of them ran |
| duty while serving with the 108th Field Artillery | | | | away. |
| from 1982 to 1986. | | | | Brian only sustained minor injuries - scratch |
| After high school, Brian continued to serve with | | | | wounds and bruising to his left index and middle |
| the 108th Field Artillery while working as a radio | | | | fingers from ramming them behind the trigger. |
| broadcaster and private investigator. | | | | Education |
| Brian also played bass guitar for The Blades during | | | | Accounting, Political Science, and Criminal Justice. |
| this time. The Blades were a metal group from | | | | Ancestry |
| Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that played venues in | | | | English, Scottish and German. |
| Eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland from 1982 to | | | | Company |
| 1988. | | | | Formed in 1993, Brian relocated Quantico |
| In June 1986, Brian enlisted in the active duty U.S. | | | | Intelligence Services to Las Vegas, Nevada in |
| Army and served until November 1991. Brian | | | | 1998 and changed the name of the company to |
| earned numerous awards during his service and | | | | Brian Blackwell QI Services. He moved his |
| was awarded two commendations for his service | | | | company to Denver, Colorado in 2005. - Brian |
| in the Persian Gulf War. | | | | Blackwell QI Services, Inc. |
| After being honorably discharged from the army, | | | | Private Investigations |
| Brian founded CFS Financial Services, Inc., a | | | | Protective Services |
| mortgage and consumer credit company located | | | | Security Services |
| in Seattle, Washington; served as a petty officer | | | | U.S. Defense security contractor |
| in the U.S. Naval Reserve, and a reserve police | | | | Brian-Blackwell. |
| officer. | | | | |