Tough situation, for sure. Usually I'm alone when I go to Home Depot or such places, my wife thinks I wander the power tool aisle too much!
So many variables, including whether I knew the place to usually have paid security officers that might panic and shoot me. It's a risk whenever you carry a handgun, even if if accidentally flash it. Brandishing the pistol is even more dangerous. I think that if I were near enough to judge whether of not the guy was alone, I'd likely draw my weapon, train it on him and let my big, deep voice boom out "DON'T MOVE!... POLICE!...DON'T MOVE!... POLICE!... until he either complies or I drop the hammer. By continually shouting commands, I minimize the chances of being shot by a cop, security guard, armed store manager or another customer. Once he's down and disarmed, may handgun is returned to its holster.
There was an incident about eight or ten years ago, where a prisoner on a work detail managed to disarm one of the guards that was watching him. Running through downtown New Orleans on foot with the police close behind, he stumbled into a city police officer who was on traffic detail. It happened just as people were leaving their offices for the day and this cop was handling the outflow of traffic from an indoor high-rise parking garage. He was focused on the traffic when the fleeing criminal came running around the corner. Before the policeman could even draw his pistol, the gunman had shot him dead.
Tragic though that may be, the interesting part that is relevant here is that this was before concealed carry was lawful in the State. Nevertheless, a motorist sitting in traffic just 30 or 40 feet away saw the officer get shot. This citizen pulled out a handgun, rolled his car window down and opened fire on the fleeing gunman. He hit the guy, too, though not fatally. The wound made the guy try to "hole up" under a parked car, but the cops arrived and took the guy into custody. The gunman did later die, some attributing his demise to "police brutality".
That was pretty much a snap decision on the part of that armed citizen, and his action may have prevented another innocent person's death. No mention of that bit of assistance from the armed motorist was ever made public, but when you know witnesses...
So many variables, including whether I knew the place to usually have paid security officers that might panic and shoot me. It's a risk whenever you carry a handgun, even if if accidentally flash it. Brandishing the pistol is even more dangerous. I think that if I were near enough to judge whether of not the guy was alone, I'd likely draw my weapon, train it on him and let my big, deep voice boom out "DON'T MOVE!... POLICE!...DON'T MOVE!... POLICE!... until he either complies or I drop the hammer. By continually shouting commands, I minimize the chances of being shot by a cop, security guard, armed store manager or another customer. Once he's down and disarmed, may handgun is returned to its holster.
There was an incident about eight or ten years ago, where a prisoner on a work detail managed to disarm one of the guards that was watching him. Running through downtown New Orleans on foot with the police close behind, he stumbled into a city police officer who was on traffic detail. It happened just as people were leaving their offices for the day and this cop was handling the outflow of traffic from an indoor high-rise parking garage. He was focused on the traffic when the fleeing criminal came running around the corner. Before the policeman could even draw his pistol, the gunman had shot him dead.
Tragic though that may be, the interesting part that is relevant here is that this was before concealed carry was lawful in the State. Nevertheless, a motorist sitting in traffic just 30 or 40 feet away saw the officer get shot. This citizen pulled out a handgun, rolled his car window down and opened fire on the fleeing gunman. He hit the guy, too, though not fatally. The wound made the guy try to "hole up" under a parked car, but the cops arrived and took the guy into custody. The gunman did later die, some attributing his demise to "police brutality".
That was pretty much a snap decision on the part of that armed citizen, and his action may have prevented another innocent person's death. No mention of that bit of assistance from the armed motorist was ever made public, but when you know witnesses...