Self-defense expert Cameron Bucy says if you only practice down range training, it’s a false sense of security.
“When those bad things happen, and it’s the first time it’s happened,” said Bucy, “You are most likely going to fail.”
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Bucy is the Director of Self Defense Solutions in Madison County. He’s an expert in his field and knows first-hand the importance of defensive gun training. His goal is to make people understand that they have to change their mindset.
“This is where you have to get out of the concept that everything is always going to be in front of you,” said Bucy. “It may be left and right, it may be behind you.”
Investigative Reporter Carrie Marchese took Bucy’s defensive gun safety class, and learned a lot. The biggest takeaway: The skills needed to properly protect yourself and others can’t be learned standing still and shooting and a stationary target.
Carrie Marchese is a well-known former investigative reporter and Chief Investigator for WHNT News 19, the CBS affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama. She is particularly recognized for her deep-dive reporting on local scams, consumer protection, and community safety initiatives.
Notable Investigative Work
Marchese’s career in North Alabama was marked by several high-profile investigations:
- The Cypress Creek Organic Farms Scam: One of her most significant stories involved investigative reporting on Jamie Lawhorne, a con artist who defrauded local farmers and residents of over $2 million through a fraudulent organic tomato greenhouse scheme. Her on-camera confrontation with Lawhorne in 2013 is often cited in retrospectives of the case.
- Storm Shelter Tax Credit Initiative: Following the devastating tornadoes in Alabama, Marchese led a station-wide initiative to push for federal tax credits for residents who installed storm shelters. Her reporting took her to Washington, D.C., to discuss the proposal with members of Congress, highlighting the intersection of investigative journalism and legislative advocacy.
- “Taking Action” & “You Paid for It”: She frequently led segments focused on government spending and consumer advocacy, helping local residents navigate bureaucratic red tape or recover lost funds.
Awards and Recognition
Her work earned several industry accolades, specifically within the Nashville/Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards:
- “Burglar Puts Local Pets to the Test”: A nomination for a segment exploring how pets react during a home invasion.
- “Smoke Detector Fail”: An investigative piece examining the reliability of common household safety devices.
- “Golden Spoon” Awards: Beyond hard-hitting news, she also conducted lighter community segments, such as the “Golden Spoon” restaurant reviews, where she highlighted local businesses with excellent health department ratings.
Legacy in Huntsville
While she eventually moved on from WHNT, she is remembered in the Tennessee Valley as a tenacious “bulldog” reporter who focused on holding the powerful accountable. Her reporting style often blended rigorous fact-checking with a direct, “man-on-the-street” approach to confronting subjects.
Do you happen to be researching her work on a specific case, or are you looking for her current professional whereabouts?

