a little different spin on the walmart scenario...

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I wouldn't intervene either unless directly threatened but in my state (FL) the law states if I or another person is in grave bodily harm or death I have the right to use my weapon.
 
I discussed this with BIL the Cop

His answer
As far as he understands the law with the basic info given of the scenario.
As soon as he started shooting you could have dropped him.
But why would you. The thugs would end up killing each other sooner or later anyway.
If you involve yourself you are asking for at least some trouble if only a ruined afternoon and possibly the threat of retribution from fellow gang members.
Call him he gets paid to have ruined afternoons and his gang's bigger than their's

I agree
 
The Legal Thing To Do: You could have dropped the guy.
The Moral Thing To Do: you could drop the guy if innocents are threatened.
The Prudent Thing To Do: Get yr butt outta Dodge, calling the PD if you can.

No one ever went to jail for being prudent.
 
i would have been very selective of my involvement. if they were indeed thugs i would have let them have each other i've have been giddy with glee. i doubt if i would have risked anything to help unknown bystanders. i will protect myself, family and friends. not going to risk my hide for strangers.

go ahead and hate me :eek:
 
as I said once before on the topic:

myself said:
Everyone around me in my state can get thier permit as easily as I did. If they will not take it upon them selves to defend themselves, why should I risk anything of mine to do it for them?

I will protect those close to me, no doubt, but a stranger, frankly, is not my problem.

Please do not take this the wrong way. I am not a completely incompasionate person. I jsut do not see the need for me to be a hero for all around me. I bought my pistol and got my permit for personal protection. I will protect my person.
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I'll agree with everyone else that you were right in staying out of the fight. In the same position, I would have liked to get my hands on my weapon in the process of moving away from the area just in the event that the fight moved my way. Once armed, shooting individuals pursued you, if they did, you would likely be justified in bringing your gun into play. Once armed criminals are after you, as the old saying goes, "better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6."
 
now i think i did the right thing in this situation, but if shots had started flying around the parking lot would i have been justified in dropping him? what would you do in this situation if the bullets had started to fly?
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Shots DID fly around the parking lot. You said he fired 3 shots into the air.

Those shots came down somewhere. Someone could have been killed by them.

I think you did sorta the right thing. Number one, to me, would have been to let them do their thing and GET MYSELF SAFE. Do you owe the guy who had the gun put to his chest anything? How do you know that the reason for the altercation is not that he raped and disfigured the sister of the shooter? Really want to save his life at the possible cost of your life or your freedom, or thousands of dollars you'd have to pay a lawyer? In my book, not worth it. I mean why? So you could feel like a Rambo?

My feeling is the best course of action in this scenario is to GET SAFE, which means put distance between you and them, and then notify the police of what's going on. You are not responsible for saving the gang banger's gang banger victim, or anyone else in that lot, for that matter. And the LAW certainly would not cut you slack for going in there guns-a'blazin'.

Nope, you'd be jailed.

-blackmind
 
I wouldn't even go to my car if I had to come near that situation to do so. I would go back in the store and call the police.

If I felt heroic, I would get the woman and child down, behind the cover of a car, and keep my hand on the butt of my revolver. Intervening in that situation is not wise for the reasons already mentioned.

I'm all for gang-bangers wasting each other, but I wish they'd leave civilized areas to do so. Perhaps our government could use some our tax money to build an arena.
 
Obviously "Wannabe Ganstas"...my experience with Thugs is that if they are Hard, they WILL have each others back and not deserted, there would have been multiple weapons at the ready (though not visible) and very well likely drawn at the first *pop*. The guys who tackled the shooter would most likely have been shot by his crew...then they would have bugged the hell outta there.
I think that you made a prudent choice. I personally would have started to get the nearest people too me outta there, then pull out the cellular. Screw the gun and the bullets...not knowing the situation and perhaps the folks actually being Thug's, you very well may have escalated the situation, then YOU would be responsible for all kinds of doo-doo, if anything ensued...if you would have tried to get to your gun and intervene. You may be combat trained...or not, if not, then I would not want to run the risk of getting in a gunfight against multiple attackers with unknown firepower, possibly getting yourself and other innocents shot and killed due to the number of lead bullets flying through the air. If you are combat trained, you had better make dammm sure that you understand the situation CLEARLY...cuz if it goes sideways...you are going to be in some really, really deep doo-doo!!!
 
doesn't mean it can't be done, dude. Maybe you think punks are suicidal, but I've got about 10,000 x as much experience with them as you do, and I'm telling you that hitting "just' 3 of them would send the rest fleeing, and that can be accomplished in 1 second flat, no problem, to include the ccw draw. 1 second, it will be a complete surprise, and thus, you'll have stationary, frontal targets.
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Roughly 40 ft away in a crowded parking lot. Sure.
:rolleyes:
 
I'm curious, Swath - your credentials for such a feat with real firearms against so many opponents are?

You also assume that your hits are instantly incapacitating? How about dat!
 
Oh and by the way, carrying a gun in the parking lot of wal mart is also illegal. They have issued statements and signs prhohibiting the carry of firearms anywhere on their property, unless it's being carried in the trunk. So as soon as you take that gun out you're breaking the law.

Police officers don't even have the right to shoot someone unless the criminal aims the gun at them, or is actually shooting in the parking lot. So if you think you can just shoot someone because they have a gun you're incredibly naive and ignorant. Half the people here seem to think that the ccw permit gives them more rights than the average citizen, or somehow makes them security guards.
 
Pt111gr, you are stating law's and regulations that don't exist.

Those postings on walmart property are not laws. And I personally have not seen these posters/signs. Walmart sells guns. Think about it....

And about shooting at someone, youre totally wrong. Before purging wrong information out think about what youre typing, ask a LEO or lawyer or look it up.

You can fire on ANYone (In Florida, and most of the US) armed or not that threatens you in a way that you feel that you have no other options but to fire, although escape should always be your first option if youre not in your house/car/boat or workplace.
 
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and further more, your negative comments about people here is not appreciated, You have less than 10 posts and you are already knocking regulars? Not a good way to start.

Oh and by the way, just a quick bit of information, NO we do not think we are guards, as you can tell the majority of the thread stated they will walk away and/or avoid conflict with the person holding the gun.
 
Oh and by the way, carrying a gun in the parking lot of wal mart is also illegal. They have issued statements and signs prhohibiting the carry of firearms anywhere on their property, unless it's being carried in the trunk. So as soon as you take that gun out you're breaking the law.
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I believe you are wrong about that. State the law that bans carry in Wal-Mart. Be sure and make sure it's a federal law so it will cover every state.

Police officers don't even have the right to shoot someone unless the criminal aims the gun at them, or is actually shooting in the parking lot.
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I believe you are wrong here as well. Many LEOs have shot, injured or killed suspects who had no gun, and no charges were filed. Again, please state the law you are referencing. A cut and paste or a hyperlink will do nicely.

Have fun searching! :)
 
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