drew my sidearm, lesson learned

[Comanche]

Definitely lots of armchair quarterbacking here.

It really sucks for the OP that he was trying to do the right thing when witnessing a man hit a woman but in today's day and age of zero tolerance laws and a anti gun media its a really crappy situation to be in when deciding what to do.
I for one have always been a bully buster and have always stuck up for the little guy, the disabled kids in school that got picked on and I definitely can't stand someone abusing kids or Women and I probably would react and end up in jail for " doing the right thing".

Unfortunately women have this propensity to stick up for their abusers and the good guys "us" usually get effed by the system......so is it worth it?
Maybe,......depends on the situation........since obviously the OP did not know if it was a robbery, an attempted kidnapping, rape or whatever..........he just saw a woman in trouble and his manliness kicked in which is commendable.

I say next time just blast the bastard with a mace cannon and hit the Ol lady too if she whines about it.


Then run.....lol.

 

[ironhead7544]

Ted Bundy used vehicles to abduct some of his victims. I know of two incidents nearby here. One woman was taken when her van broke down at night. She was found without her head and hands. Another was abducted from a mall parking lot. She was found dead, nailed to a tree. So, I think calling the police, at least, is in order for these situations. Then let the people involved know, from a safe distance. Be prepared to protect yourself.

 

[Comanche]

Bundy sure was a messed up psychopath.

 

[ft127161]

Well I hope it works out for you. I dont fire warning shots because the Marine Corps taught me never to do so and also I know theyll figure out a way to charge you for discharging a weapon.......... Another reason I dont believe in warning shots is because youre giving a pissed off person the ability to come back at you (alive) at a later date to ambush you. Im a firm believer that if youre going to shoot you must shoot to kill. Ive had to level my 357 on 1 person so far since moving here to GA and I believe I handled it well even though I didnt have to fire. I was coming down the stairs late at night (am really) and I see someone standing outside my door moving around trying to look through the small frosted windows on the sides of the door. I grabbed my gun and a mag light and bolted out the back door quietly to approach from his flank. As I rounded the corner of the house I observed him trying to look in the windows and he had something black in his right hand. As I leveled the gun on him I flipped on the flashlight to blind him. Ordering him to drop what he had and having him get down on his face I had spread eagle. As I walked up closer I realized this was a big kid. Turns out this is a High School senior known by my daughter stopping by to see if shes up. Needless to say word has gone around school and Im sure that will never happen again. So far Ive read about a number of shootings here in GA where the homeowners werent as disciplined and just started shooting. Now how would I have handled your situation .......... I probably would have holstered the weapon but also have grabbed the baseball bat. You had no idea what to expect but then again you werent guarding your property so I would have approached the situation a more cautiously with the idea someone is going to try and sue me. Match force with equal force when possible to keep your ass out of a sling.

 

[Big Ben]

Thank you for your service. I bet you get mad respect from the high schoolers.

Well I hope it works out for you. I dont fire warning shots because the Marine Corps taught me never to do so and also I know theyll figure out a way to charge you for discharging a weapon.......... Another reason I dont believe in warning shots is because youre giving a pissed off person the ability to come back at you (alive) at a later date to ambush you. Im a firm believer that if youre going to shoot you must shoot to kill. Ive had to level my 357 on 1 person so far since moving here to GA and I believe I handled it well even though I didnt have to fire. I was coming down the stairs late at night (am really) and I see someone standing outside my door moving around trying to look through the small frosted windows on the sides of the door. I grabbed my gun and a mag light and bolted out the back door quietly to approach from his flank. As I rounded the corner of the house I observed him trying to look in the windows and he had something black in his right hand. As I leveled the gun on him I flipped on the flashlight to blind him. Ordering him to drop what he had and having him get down on his face I had spread eagle. As I walked up closer I realized this was a big kid. Turns out this is a High School senior known by my daughter stopping by to see if shes up. Needless to say word has gone around school and Im sure that will never happen again. So far Ive read about a number of shootings here in GA where the homeowners werent as disciplined and just started shooting. Now how would I have handled your situation .......... I probably would have holstered the weapon but also have grabbed the baseball bat. You had no idea what to expect but then again you werent guarding your property so I would have approached the situation a more cautiously with the idea someone is going to try and sue me. Match force with equal force when possible to keep your ass out of a sling.

 

[ft127161]

Thank you for your service. I bet you get mad respect from the high schoolers.

Thanks Ben. Yea I had a long talk with the kid since I drove him home afterwards. Turns out he's not originally from GA and recently relocated there from the Northeast. My advice to him was people in GA own guns ........ never snoop around houses here in the middle of the night.

 

[Comanche]

What's really crappy is that there are a lot if kids now days that realize that most gun owners don't want to shoot a kid and they will still act brazen and cocky the whole time throughout a confrontation knowing all too well that you aren't going to shoot them so they run their mouth and talk smack while they back off and away while refusing commands to get face down.
It almost seems that punks such as these want you to shoot them so they can sue you, start a race war, a flag war, and have all kinds of new laws written just because there are plenty of politicians out there trying to gain popularity over any new crisis that may be sensationalized by the liberal media.
I'm a firm believer in hand held mace as an alternative to deadly force yet I understand that deadly force is sometimes necessary.
I once sent two thugs running that approached me at a gas pump with malicious intent by their body language and smack they were talking.
I immediately yanked my shirt up and reached back for my pistol and they were off running before I could even draw.
I've had a couple more weird gas station encounters through the years.
This is what happens when you travel the ATL a lot and have to gas up in different areas, sometimes in rougher areas, but don't be fooled by that because I know a guy who's wife had her escalade stolen at gunpoint by a thug in a predominantly rich and posh part of town.
I even warned him not to buy her that vehicle and I almost slapped him silly when he put chrome 20 something inch wheels on it.
I told him you just made your wife a target for criminals and he brushed it off like I was crazy and sure as shizzle she had her truck, purse and a major work project stolen in less than 10 seconds at a gas pump.

 

[Indirect Fire]

No, I am say I have stepped in and ended it. More times than I can remember, and based on my experience, choosing not to involve myself, my family, my financial future in their drama not involving seriously bodily injury/death makes me a coward according to you. I base my decision on years of being in the middle of the situations you are so willing to step into. What do you base your decision on? Even though I think your thinking is flawed, I am not willing to call you an idiot, a word much less offensive than coward. Another area we agree to disagree on it seems.

It also is a very different matter having a sworn officer deal with these type of events (always messy). Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (in one manner or the other is my policy as a slimy civie

 

[Big Ben]

Thanks Ben. Yea I had a long talk with the kid since I drove him home afterwards. Turns out he's not originally from GA and recently relocated there from the Northeast. My advice to him was people in GA own guns ........ never snoop around houses here in the middle of the night.

Some of the best advice he will ever get.

 

[brad sweet]

I had to draw my pistol when going to a service call..got to a bad place early in the morning..back door was located in an alley and huge dumpster at my back..while ringing the door bell and waiting for someone to open the door.just out of the corner of the dumpster i saw something moving in the window of the door..a bum jumped out with a knife in hand,i spun around drew my pistol and advised him loudly to get on the ground and drop the knife..he complied just as the manager opened the door he sees me holding the pistol on the man..i asked him to call the police he said he would just as a big truck pulled into the alley..the bum jumped up and ran off..The manager was going to make a run to the bank and was getting ready when i rang the door...it was a butter knife someone threw away..he would have been unarmed at this time and he thanked me for helping him not get robbed..no other action was taken and the manager is now a big fan of pistols and carries a 44 mag snubbie..