Warning Shot

[spcbrindley]

My opinion, for what it's worth, he shouldn't have gone outside in the first place. I'd say it' a reasonable assumption that you'd be able to tell they weren't coming to appoligize by the tone in their voices. Yelling "Hey, spotlight!" Leads me to beleive they're there to be a couple of smartasses. I don't think I'd want anything to do with that bs with my family behind me.

 

[Glocktogo]

For the sake of discussion this is purely fiction. Put yourself in the place of the shooter. What would you do?

1. Don't police someone else's property and they wouldn't have come calling.

2. When your "friend" did and they came back on your "friend", step back inside and lock the door, then call the police. If they break in, they're bought & paid for. If not, then you didn't have to shoot someone without cause after a verbal altercation.

 

[918Shooter]

Never said that, my quote was "Something *like* this happened." I wasn't there this was the story I was told.

So now it 'might have happened'?

Some of you guys are like sharks with blood in the water. My "friend" is NOT me.

Seems this discussion could have gone in a much more positive direction. Thanks to those who contributed earnestly.

 

[nofearfactor]

Never said that, my quote was "Something *like* this happened." I wasn't there this was the story I was told.



Some of you guys are like sharks with blood in the water. My "friend" is NOT me.

Seems this discussion could have gone in a much more positive direction. Thanks to those who contributed earnestly.

Sorry if anything I posted seemed acerbic, but youre not always going to get the answer you are seeking. You will get comments from all angles around here. While I answered in one of my posts as honest and positive as I could be I did post a few barbs. I apologize. Welcome to the forum and thanx for giving us something to ponder that we probably have already thought out a thousand times and heard before, but its still a good thread for discussion. Just have to have a thick skin around here. Again, sorry if anything I said bothered you.

 

[SMS]

Holy crap...not another one of these threads.

 

[Glocktogo]

Never said that, my quote was "Something *like* this happened." I wasn't there this was the story I was told.



Some of you guys are like sharks with blood in the water. My "friend" is NOT me.

Seems this discussion could have gone in a much more positive direction. Thanks to those who contributed earnestly.

My advice was about as earnest as it gets. Sorry if you don't like the responses, but we've been down this exact road once or thirty times now.

 

[bettingpython]

I'm always Frank and Earnest with women, in New York I'm Frank, in Chicago I'm Ernest.

Beyond that you got my unwashed unadulterated opinion. No Blood in the water no shark no internet tough guy. I'm pretty darn liberal when it comes to most societal mores but stupid is as stupid does. Actions have consequences, for example you didn't like what I had to say the next time I'm on fire you probably wouldn't cross the street to piss on me, and I'm okay with that. You might cross the street to punch me and I'm okay with that too. I promise I won't shoot you because I shot my mouth off and probably deserve a good smack, but that action in itself would have consequences. Verbal abuse does not beget violent action so fire back I'm a big boy I can take as good as I give and might even change my mind because of it. Or when I get sick of your sniveling I'll add you to my ignore list and we'll all be happy, happy, happy.

I understood those potential consequences.

The moral of this story is the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My good intention was to show you just how stupid and ridiculous your friends situation was, since apparently it wasn't hypothetical after all. It was of his making and he screwed up badly in the final resolution.

 

[jmoney]

There are certainly several issues that come up with this hypo. There would certainly be an issue of whether or not the "friend" was in imminent danger of severe bodily injury/death. Like many said...this is a pretty stupid situation. Maybe your "friend" shouldn't have a CCL. I always go with the advice I heard many years ago, "if that thing comes out of the holster, it better be because you absolutely HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE but to end another life." Warning shots, brandishing, or generally drawing your weapon while still in the "yellow" so to speak; will typically not lead to a good place and is one of the easiest ways to end up sitting behind bars with a pending murder charge. If that had escalated to a firefight think about this. If just one of those gentlemen survived to testify, you essentially have a battle of the witnesses. YOU flashed the light, how do we know you aren't some twitchy guy that was itching to get involved in a firefight with your shiny new CHL permit? Because you say your such a nice guy with a family? What if the other two had families? You see the potential problem here? Keep your freaking weapon in the holster unless it is a matter of life and death. It is stupid situations like these that get well meaning ( but for lack of a better word "stupid") people locked up and prosecuted, all the while giving places like the VPC numbers to pad their statistics.

That situation was completely avoidable and very easy to prosecute, here are simple offenses your "friend" could easily be charged ( not convicted, I say CHARGED)

Pointing a Firearm

First, willfully;
Second, pointing a shotgun/rifle/pistol/(deadly weapon), whether loaded or unloaded;
Third, at any person(s);
Fourth, without lawful cause;
Fifth, (for the purpose of threatening)/(with the intention of discharging the firearm)/(with any malice)/(for any purpose of injuring, either through physical injury or mental or emotional intimidation)/(for purposes of whimsy/humor/[a prank]/(in anger or otherwise).

Reckless Conduct With a Firearm

First, the defendant engaged in conduct with a loaded shotgun/rifle/pistol;
Second, which created a situation of unreasonable risk and probability of death or great bodily harm to another;
Third, and demonstrated a conscious disregard for the safety of another person.

Self-Defense relies on a reasonable person standpoint, there is already considerable debate just here in this thread as to what a reasonable person would do. Imagine having that issue thrown in front of a jury...

 

[daytomann]

Well I can safely say that my wife would have shot both of them before I would or could have. You don't F with a mother bear.
Case closed.
Seriously, no way I can speak about a hypothetical situation or a situation I wasn't in. You're just armchairing it.

However, i do have some opinions and beliefs. I do not agree with a warning shot. Too dangerous and random.
I don't agree with using a weapon to avoid a "fight". (Especially if I technically started it..like this guy obviously did)
Pulling your gun should never be done except as a last, life saving, resort.
I will throw out a caveat...having your family in possible harms way sure does bring that last resort option up a lot quicker.

Honestly though, this scenario has FUBAR stamped all over it. At least no one got killed or beat up.

 

[twoguns?]

I think the valuable take-away here is that we should act to avoid initiating contact with an apparent threat. An "apparent threat" could be a speeder in the campground or neighborhood, a tailgater, a tweaker in the park, etc. In the case of the camper, they had cell coverage and could have just reported the speeder to the sheriff.

I live on a residential through-street, and the speeders drive me crazy. But I realize that initiating contact with them, whether by flashlight, gesturing, or shouting, is likely to create conflict. And since they've already demonstrated a criminal inclination and wreckless disregard for my family's safety, is it safer to assume that conflict will self-diffuse or escalate?

marbles.....thats all the info i can give out