Friend pulled gun on two guys.

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payne

New member
He told me about this a few days ago, and I got to thinking if he was warrented in pulling the gun.

Bout 2:30pm his car breaks down close to an old abandoned mall parking lot. He sees pay phone (no, he dones't have a cell phone) up besides the mall. Decides to carry Berreta since he would have to walk some 250yd to the phone. When he gets to the phone two guys larger than himself start to walk toward him, and say that he would have to give them $10 to use that pay phone. He laughs and says yeah right. The guys tell him it's $10 or he wont be using that phone. He tells them to stop and not come any closer. They taunt and continue to get closer. when one starts to walk to his other side he pulls the gun. Both guys freak and throw up hands. He tells them to get lost, and they run.

Was he justified in pulling his weapon? Even if he wasn't I probably would have done the same. Two guys larger than myself and taunting me then they attempt to surround me. I believe the last point is the trigger to pull my weapon. Would you have?
 
Absolutely he did the right thing!!! NO question. I would have done it too. That was a veiled threat.

I hope he then picked up the phone and called the police to report it though. If one of those guys went and called the police that some guy just pulled a gun on them then he might have gotten in trouble if his phone call didn't hit the police first. One of the things my CHL instructor told us was that whenever you have to show your gun ALWAYS document it. Tell the police. It looks better on your part.

But anybody who says he did wrong in pulling the gun is a fool.
 
It is difficult to tell if he was justified. Without more specific information about distances involved and his ability to retreat, he may or may not be justified. Of course, the specific state this occured might have an affect on the answer to your question.
 
If he showed he had a gun he is legal. If he pointed the gun he could have had problems.Remember the courts support the PERPS not the law abiding.

Kevin
 
Well done . . . however, I would consider acquiring an inexpensive cellular phone.
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By law, even a cellphone with NO ACTIVE PLAN must be able to dial 911.
If you know someone with an old phone, make sure he gets one, in fact that goes for everyone. There are old cellphones all over the place, everyone should have one with them at all times.
 
Actually what he did was illegal in my opinion, firearms are only sopposed to be pulled when your life is in extreme danger...when you know for a fact that if you dont pull the weapon you would die or be hurt.. the guys were acting like they were going to mug your friend, but they didnt, they were walking around claiming they own the phone, and charging for it's use.

The guy said if you want to use that phone give me 10 dollars... he didnt say give me 10 dollars or else i'm going to kill you... and if he did say an verbal threat like that, that still isnt reason to draw on someone... Firearms are sopposed to be used as a last ditch effort for survival.

My opinion.
 
And what do they do during muggings? They "rough" you up, ranging from shoving you around to slaming your face into the ground. Im sure most people would be hurt when their face meets the ground at highspeed.
 
Depending on where you are, if your life is not threatened, you can't pull your rig.

In MN, being strongarmed (mugged) is not grounds for pulling your weap.
 
he "was in fear for his life" and yes he was justified you don know what perps are going to do . . . If they started circleing like sharks then there was a threat if bodily harm IMO
 
If they have no weapon capable of reaching him and they are...20 feet away then they arent a threat.. just punks..

If they are within arms reach.. in your personal space, then thats a different story.
 
I don't question the veracity of whether anyone "had" to pull a gun, or "had" to use a gun. I feel that there are too many subtlties of the incident that are picked up by the subconcious, and are often lost in verbal communication of the event. I know that has been the case with me. Often we never recognize these intuitive pings until we closely analyze the event later.
That being said:
They taunt and continue to get closer. when one starts to walk to his other side he pulls the gun.
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This is enough reason. When you cannot see both people who are preparing to attack you, it is time.

The demand for ten bucks was not a demand for ten bucks to use the phone. It was a "legitimate" but unreasonable and hostile request designed to stop, engage, probe and distract a potential victim. Anyone who believes that a $10 toll would have resulted in phone usage and free passage needs to wake up. Anyone who believes there was not a pipe or knife hidden on the thugs, perhaps in a shirtsleeve or held behind a leg needs to get out more. If the friend had gone for his wallet instead of his gun, at the very least he would have been hospitalized, and two criminals would have all his cash, credit cards, and his gun.

Think about it. It's a deserted parking lot. Your car is only good as shelter, since it is broken down. It's at least 100 yards away (Don't try to tell me the BG's engaged the friend as soon as he got out of his car........I'll wager they engaged when he was equidistant between car and buildings. They are criminals, not stupid...) Anyway, two males demand unreasonable payment for passage through the parking lot. When you tell them to stop and don't come any closer, they separate and begin encircling you. You are suddenly prey.

Yep, he was justified. If either made a move towards him, IMHO he would be justified in the shoot.
 
2 on 1? Threatening words/manner? Close, and getting closer and circling? Damn right he had reason to believe he was in imminent danger of serious physical injury. Though tINY may be a bit too hard-handed blowing away guy #2 AT THAT POINT, I think your buddy did just right.
 
it's just one of those things where it's a shame so much legality comes into play. once they're in arm's reach it's too late to pull unless you're john wayne, in my opinion. i don't think i could move clothing, undo a thumb break, clear the weapon and aim it in time to keep someone off me if they're within hand-range.

i was in a similar situation once, in the stairwell of my own apartment buildnig a couple years back, and ended up just having to give the guy $20. i was carrying books, a bike and am obviously not in a locality that is in any way friendly to those who wish to exist in safety without having to build prison muscles. oh well. i'm not saying i would have pulled in my situation either, i certainly wasn't worried to be honest, just more of an "aww crap... oh well" kind of thing, but it would have been nice to have some cards in my hand as well.
 
Cougar - I will get 20 feet from you - you try drawing and I bet I reach you before you clear the holster - esp. if I am already moving - after that it is TOO LATE for you. 20 feet is NOT enough space, esp. when you are being threatened.
 
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