How do you handle this?

[Irving]

Foxtrot made an important post, and it is important to think through these situations all the way through, in your head, before you get into one. This is a perfect time to do so. You want to think through the scenarios in your head all the way through and not just past the part where you draw your gun, lest you find yourself regretting your actions for the rest of your life. Good job for pointing out the potential reality foxtrot.

[Wallary]

I would do a Dirty Harry on the first guy and shoot twice in the chest and once between the eyes and then do a little Joe Cartwright spinning cigarette roll and blow the knees off the other two as they try to bolt out the door and then for the grand finale, I'd put on my Rambo bandana and pull out the machete and start hacking off their...wait ahh ahh what!... WTH? what just happen here... I must have been day dreaming or something, gees I was watching TV land and checking my E-mail and kind of dosed off. All I know is when I woke up Death Wish with Charles Bronson was on the tube and my computer was on the floor. Scratch that! I'm hiding behind 7IDL

[GreenScoutII]

A wrong is forever a wrong, there isn't anything you can do to bake shit into a cake.

A work friend of mine recently got into some trouble in a situation similar to this one.

He, his wife, and thier two sons were broadsided by another vehicle which blew through a stop sign. My friend exited the vehicle to confront the other driver. Words were exchanged, but no physical violence.

This all transpired in a residential neighborhood where there happened to be people out and about. Two of these people were young men who, apparantley, were friends of the driver who ran the stop sign. They informed my friend they were going to kick his ass. Friend withdraws a Leatherman tool, yes, a Leatherman tool and opens the knife blade. He tells them GET. THE. FUCK. BACK!! They comply...

Someone from the group of people who witnessed the whole thing calls the police. When the cops arrive, my friend, instead of being assisted out of an ugly situation, is arrested and charged with a FELONY!

Fortunately for him, he is 43 years old with NO criminal record of any kind prior to this incident and was given a deferred sentence and will have no felony record if he completes his probation. Totally bogus deal IMO..

What did he do wrong?

He needlessly escalated the level of danger in the situation.

He was running his mouth and talking big shit out of anger..

The lesson? Don't draw a weapon unless there is no other alternative.

The cops will not necessarally see your side of it. They can and will charge a guy with a felony even if no one was harmed in any way...

[SA Friday]

I've said this before to a few people. I'll say it here. If in doubt, error to the side of cowardice. Tough guys get convicted or killed.

Leave the store, call the cops, give them an amazing description of the retard, and then do a street ID for them. Then, go testify against the retard.

Cowardice, BTW, is fear in the face of danger or pain. Victim's fear is a required element of brandishing and the various assaults. Battery takes physical damage, so you don't have to technically fear it but you do have to take an ass whoopin.

I'll take cowardice over an ass whoopin any day.

[GhostRider]

if my family is there and I can walk far enough to get them out, then so be it, but if they are in the middle and no way to get out then its my way, they know that, even my kids know "in coming" in a situation as that. They will duck and cover. Me?! well the old soldier and old law enforcement guy in me would have to take one of a number of actions, but I never was one to be intimidated or run. I wont leave the public if I feel there is no other way out for them either. If walking and calling 911 at the time is the action that will preserve the most life, then that is what I would do. But if a more violent action is required then that is what he would get. It is a decision that I would have to make at the time and rely on my training.
Some of you have said that he would have to pull the gun on you. This is not true. 1. he has the means to do harm. 2. he has the opportunity, 3. and this is the point that would have to be decided at the time, if you honestly felt a danger to yourself or others. You have the right to do what is needed to protect yourself and others. No this does not mean kill everyone and let God sort them out. This mean what is necessary. If you HAVE TO harm to protect this is justified, but if the other teens are not aggressive then you can't harm them. It would all depend on how it went down at the time and the immediate threat to life at the time.
In reality we can all train for the perfect situation but that is not what will happen. I have been in shooting situations before, each is different, each has its own response that is appropriate. God willing we will all make the right one if needed, and more importantly we wont have to.

[rondog]

How about just knocking the motherfucker out if he's in striking range?

[BushMasterBoy]

Just hope an NRA like minded juror is in the jury box if you ever go to trial!

[Graves]

How about just knocking the motherfucker out if he's in striking range?

If he was alone it'd be lights for him for sure, but since his buddies were there I'd just make my way to the car and phone the man on his ass. I'd be supprised if he was the only one with a gun.

[bjl913]

I'd be supprised if he was the only one with a gun.

...if there is 1, treat it like there is 2...

[TFOGGER]

In this situation, I guess it would depend on how much of a threat I felt these jokers were. My first inclination would be to avoid confrontation, keep my eyes on the punks(s), leave the store, and call the cops with words that include "brandishing" "gun" "armed robbery" and "potential shooting" I'd stay close enough to be a good witness, and try to take note of things like the type of car they were in, the plate number, and detailed descriptions. I may have a permit and a gun, but nobody's paying me to play cop/security guard, so unless there's an immediate and grave threat to health and life, the only person who is gonna know about my sidearm is me.