ccw story

[bubbaturbo]

Several years ago while living in Memphis I walked into computer store while wife and baby went next door to baby "superstore". After I'm finished, I went next door to find family. Automatic doors do not open and employee pulls them open for me and says they are having a problem (I think she means with doors). I walk to back of store where I think wife will be and where I also hear a loud disturbance. I walk up on a man in jeans, t-shirt and baseball cap trying very forcefully to take a purse away from a woman who is laying on the floor yelling for the police. She has also wet her pants. This bizarre scene is being observed by 5-6 people, some of whom are obviously employees, who are literally standing there with their arms crossed doing nothing. I am wearing concealed pistol but have no idea what to do though I think I should help somehow. I do remember the lawyer in the concealed carry class telling us over and over that our guns were for SELF-defense and to be careful about getting involved in situations we know nothing about. I decide to find wife and baby and leave. On the way out, the employee at the door informs me that woman was shoplifter and man in jeans is attempting to arrest her (and is possibly worried that there is a gun in the purse.) I started to say something to her about giving more information to customers when they had a "problem" but I just left and considered myself lucky even though I felt like a bystander who did nothing to help when someone was in trouble. I might have been more inclined to step in if I had not had a gun although that seems kind of stupid too. Whadayathink?

 

[Espresso]

I absolutely believe you were right on the money. It took a good deal of self-restraint, but you were deciplined enough to follow your training. You performed well.

 

[Dutchboy]

Wow...tough one. You were there and I was not. Lot's more info would be needed to "evaluate" if you should have felt guilty or not.

I unfortunatley jump into things. I once tried to dive into the ocean in rough weather and at night to save a friend of ours who had fallen overboard. I say tried because my wife saw me take off running to dive over the side and tried to tackle me. I was still trying to make it to the gunwall (w/5'0 95lb wife attached to legs) when our friend calmed down and started letting the life jacket do the work. I didnt' have one and may have been in serious trouble since it was winter and I was fully clothed w/jacket.

In your case I probally would have shouted for him to stop then let him run off. If that didnt' work I probally would have tackled him. (I wrestled in school and can pin lots of people bigger then me) Imagine my suprise if that same woman pulled a cheap gun out of her purse and proceeded to blast me, the guard, employees and family on her way out.

Do you think you didn't react because the situation had a creepy feeling like it wasn't what it seemed? The back of a store is not a normal place for purse snatching. You still have to run through the store (which has security) to get out with someone yelling to stop you.

You also had your family in the area and your duty is to protect them first and foremost.

Dutch

[This message has been edited by Dutchboy (edited November 15, 1999).]