Did I handle this correctly?
- Thread starter ncgsdguy
- Start date
Thank you all, and BillCA, He goes to the range with me, the only thing he don't like and is jittery of is the vacuum cleaner, he actually watches fireworks and barks at them, and he sleeps the whole time at the range so gunshots dont bother him....he was ready to go after those scumbags.....and he hits hard, I have used bite suits on friends and they say they can feel the pressure when he bites...thats my boy
I think he did the right thing.
I am ALWAYS for running if possible, even if it means leaving stuff behind. However, I don't believe a dog to be "stuff". I wouldn't leave my dog to be tortured and killed by 5 drunk jerks. Don't fool yourself, the dog will attack them, and they will in turn beat and kill it.
It is VERY HARD to get a growling, barking, pissed off, 100lb dog into your truck to flee when 5 drunk dudes are approaching.
I would also guess the instant you start fleeing, they come at you faster (even if their intent is to just scare the crap out of you) because they assume you are defenseless and scared. Being drunk and empowered by the thought they have you running scared, I wouldn't put it past them to jump into the bed of his truck or stand in the road blocking his escape before he has a chance to get away (I'm assuming like most fishing holes there is only one road). At this point, I believe the chances of someone getting shot, hit by a truck, or falling off a moving truck just got a lot higher.
He kept himself safe while giving the BGs a choice. He made it clear that he was capable and willing to defend himself and everyone had plenty of time to make a good decision before he needed to open fire.
My biggest suggestion would have been to get behind cover before (or quickly after) drawing your gun. That way if they have weapons you have the tactical advantage, you are covered and sober, they are in the open and drunk.
Running is only the best option if you can get away.
I am ALWAYS for running if possible, even if it means leaving stuff behind. However, I don't believe a dog to be "stuff". I wouldn't leave my dog to be tortured and killed by 5 drunk jerks. Don't fool yourself, the dog will attack them, and they will in turn beat and kill it.
It is VERY HARD to get a growling, barking, pissed off, 100lb dog into your truck to flee when 5 drunk dudes are approaching.
I would also guess the instant you start fleeing, they come at you faster (even if their intent is to just scare the crap out of you) because they assume you are defenseless and scared. Being drunk and empowered by the thought they have you running scared, I wouldn't put it past them to jump into the bed of his truck or stand in the road blocking his escape before he has a chance to get away (I'm assuming like most fishing holes there is only one road). At this point, I believe the chances of someone getting shot, hit by a truck, or falling off a moving truck just got a lot higher.
He kept himself safe while giving the BGs a choice. He made it clear that he was capable and willing to defend himself and everyone had plenty of time to make a good decision before he needed to open fire.
My biggest suggestion would have been to get behind cover before (or quickly after) drawing your gun. That way if they have weapons you have the tactical advantage, you are covered and sober, they are in the open and drunk.
Running is only the best option if you can get away.
More of an asset than 5 drunk @##hats trying to jump him.
He gave them plenty of chance to walk away. Had they chosen to continue the attack, I would not feel too sorry for them.
My dog is very well trained and very well behaved, but when she is pissed and growling at something threatening her/my family, she doesn't respond to "get in the car" nearly as fast as she normally would. Its probably going to take some tugging on the leash and probably scolding her (which I don't like to do when she is doing her job).
When she barks at the kids riding their bikes down the street, I yell at her, but thats because she's just wagging her tail and thinks its a game. When my brother in law came into our house unannounced at 2am and she crouched at the top of the stairs growling with her fur standing straight up... I wasn't going to scold her, she was doing her job. I simply ordered her to stay, and she did, but I would be kidding myself if I thought she would leave her position at the top of the stairs without some coercion.
I guess the simple point I am making with my really long post is that just because your dog takes some effort to get into a car when someone is threatening it, doesn't mean they are uncontrollable. I also wouldn't leave my dog to be killed when my chances of fleeing are slim anyway. I think what he did had the best probability of having a happy ending for all involved (including the dog).
He gave them plenty of chance to walk away. Had they chosen to continue the attack, I would not feel too sorry for them.
My dog is very well trained and very well behaved, but when she is pissed and growling at something threatening her/my family, she doesn't respond to "get in the car" nearly as fast as she normally would. Its probably going to take some tugging on the leash and probably scolding her (which I don't like to do when she is doing her job).
When she barks at the kids riding their bikes down the street, I yell at her, but thats because she's just wagging her tail and thinks its a game. When my brother in law came into our house unannounced at 2am and she crouched at the top of the stairs growling with her fur standing straight up... I wasn't going to scold her, she was doing her job. I simply ordered her to stay, and she did, but I would be kidding myself if I thought she would leave her position at the top of the stairs without some coercion.
I guess the simple point I am making with my really long post is that just because your dog takes some effort to get into a car when someone is threatening it, doesn't mean they are uncontrollable. I also wouldn't leave my dog to be killed when my chances of fleeing are slim anyway. I think what he did had the best probability of having a happy ending for all involved (including the dog).
Sounds like you handled it quite well. Nobody was injured, especially you and your dog, and you lived to question yourself another day. I see no flaws in your actions. Using the brights only shows that you were being properly observant.
I have no idea if you would have been legally justified in using potentially lethal force; it depends on where you live. In my view, any further aggression would have demanded that you fire upon them until they ceased aggression. There was a clear disparity of force, with the multiple assailants, one of which who had already committed an assault (in most, if not all locales). They were verbally aggressive and threatening. It would seem that you already had sufficient grounds to fire upon them, but you used remarkable, and possibly hazardous (to you) restraint.
Stop second guessing yourself on this one. You passed the test with flying colors.
twb
I have no idea if you would have been legally justified in using potentially lethal force; it depends on where you live. In my view, any further aggression would have demanded that you fire upon them until they ceased aggression. There was a clear disparity of force, with the multiple assailants, one of which who had already committed an assault (in most, if not all locales). They were verbally aggressive and threatening. It would seem that you already had sufficient grounds to fire upon them, but you used remarkable, and possibly hazardous (to you) restraint.
Stop second guessing yourself on this one. You passed the test with flying colors.
twb