Good Friend Got Into A Gun Fight

It takes a good man to stay cool while looking at a shotgun muzzle. Proper training and mindset paid off for him. A good job, well done.
 
He said he not only didn't use his sights, he doesn't remember any loud noise or recoil.
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Okay, if we know the laws of physics don't change under stress, then we knew there was noise and recoil. That he doesn't recall either doesn't bode well for the credibility of using his sights or not. Logically if the shooting was described, then he probably never really had a chance to even bring his gun up, him pushing away the muzzle of the shotgun at the time and being at contact/interview distance. Still, what people recall from high stress situations often has issues.

People often believe in time dilation during high stress, where time slows down, they see certain things in amazing detail, but apparently that doesn't actually happen. They recall the event with time dilation, but don't actually experience it where action actually appears slowed to them.
 
CM9 doesn't have much recoil or report to speak of, and I'm sure his brain was busy processing visual input more so than auditory.

Regarding time dilation, that's a function of most people not paying attention to anything most of their life. When something serious happens, all of a sudden their brain wakes up after being 9/10s asleep for the last decade. It's simply being in a flow state (Buddism) or "in the zone" (sports analogy).
 
"The perp saw the gun as he drew and began to step backwards.

When he fired the perp was moving/falling towards the rear of the truck."


That sure makes it sound like the perp was retreating before being shot (perp says: Sorry Dude, I didn't mean anything by it - have a nice day.).

Hope the lawyers don't make an issue of it.
 
It could easily be argued the BG stepped back to retain control of the shotgun the defender was deflecting. Pretty sure the defender doesn't have to worry too much.
 
booker_t said:
Regarding time dilation, that's a function of most people not paying attention to anything most of their life. When something serious happens, all of a sudden their brain wakes up after being 9/10s asleep for the last decade. It's simply being in a flow state (Buddism) or "in the zone" (sports analogy).
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Or if my memory of one of my Psych classes serves me right, the release of Norepinephrine speeds up brain processes, thus time dialation.
 
Jamesmrj: Or if my memory of one of my Psych classes serves me right, the release of Norepinephrine speeds up brain processes, thus time dialation.
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Please explain to me how the release of Norepinephrine (a vasopresser, raises the blood pressure by constricting blood vessels) causes an actual, measurable delta in elapsed time between two observers of the same event.

Point is, there is no actual time change. You're simply repeating what I said with soft-science references and no citations to demonstrate correlation or causation.
 
bookert, there's a difference between actual elapsed time changing, and the perception of elapsed time changing.

If you've ever been in a bike or car wreck, (or bodyboarding wipeout...), you might have experienced the phenomenon. Time doesn't change, and reaction speed doesn't miraculously increase, but the events from the first-person perspective seem to take painfully long.

As in, "Oh, this is really going to OUCH!!! hurt; here comes the ground a- OOOF!! -gain; I hope I don't break my AAAARGH!!! neck...)

Been there, done that. It wasn't a memory of "time compression," I noticed it at the time it was happening. Didn't give me super-human powers to correct the problem (not a lot to do when ballistic, and still attached to the bike in mid-air; nor when one's car is spinning down the interstate after catching the shoulder when avoiding another car's sudden wreck), but I was amazed at all the things I was noticing as my control of events went away completely.
 
You should have the hood of your car come open while going down the interstate, just to test your reactions! It happened to me.
 
If you've ever been in a bike or car wreck, (or bodyboarding wipeout...), you might have experienced the phenomenon. Time doesn't change, and reaction speed doesn't miraculously increase, but the events from the first-person perspective seem to take painfully long.
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+1, I have had a few close calls where I could have easily been killed and what happens in a matter of a few seconds seems like a lifetime. The strange thing is in each instance I expected myself to panic, but actually I stayed very calm and my mind was clearer than it ever had been before. I was able to make quick calculated decisions in a time where you would not expect yourself too. Until it happens to you it is tough to explain, very strange how the mind and body works. One of the instances I actually remember from 3rd party perspective, almost like an outer body experience... Crazy stuff
 
You should have the hood of your car come open while going down the interstate, just to test your reactions! It happened to me.
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How about someone driving up an exit ramp and entering the wrong side of a freeway....forced car into a skid so it wouldn't be a head-on collision, seemed like it took forever for him to hit me even though it was only a second or two
 
Been there, done that. It wasn't a memory of "time compression," I noticed it at the time it was happening. Didn't give me super-human powers to correct the problem (not a lot to do when ballistic, and still attached to the bike in mid-air; nor when one's car is spinning down the interstate after catching the shoulder when avoiding another car's sudden wreck), but I was amazed at all the things I was noticing as my control of events went away completely.
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And they say the hand is quicker than the eye, LOL.

Neat free fall study involving high stress/fear and time dilation.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/extreme-fear/201003/how-the-brain-stops-time

Turns out, things participants could not see that happened too fast in normal life also happened too fast in high stress time dilation life. Certainly things may get noticed more than others, but that is a product of selective attention or inattentional blindness. Pax posted on this sometime back. Here are fun tests...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMLqRcsCPik

So yeah, the brain gets really busy. It is like your old 486 computer trying to run with 20 windows open at the same time. Some it won't run at all. Those are things shut down temporarily as more necessary things occur.
 
couple more comments:

He was carrying a Taurus 709 Slim in an IWB in a kidney location.

After they confiscated his gun, I loaned him my CM9.

All three local news stations gave it positive coverage.

When the perp stepped/fell backwards he was still holding a shotgun, so there will be no "shot will retreating" issue.

My friend's in a good frame of mind. Spent a couple hours with him yesterday.
 
He said he not only didn't use his sights, he doesn't remember any loud noise or recoil.
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I've had a couple of attempted break-ins at my my house in the last few months that I've posted about. I've never had to deal with anything like that before, so, during the first one there was a huge adrenaline dump. I had what I would call tunnel vision as I was focusing on what I needed to do. I didn't have to shoot but if I would have I don't think I would have heard it. It wasn't like my hearing was gone, but it was somewhat "focused" for lack of a better description. I was hoarse the next day for some reason. Maybe I was yelling at the 911 operastor.

I didn't have an adrenaline dump the next time, though, as I was a bit irritated that it was happening again.
 
I'm glad to hear that your friend is OK. I'm also glad to hear that the robber survived the encounter though not because I'm particularly concerned about him. The reason that I'm glad the robber survived is so that your friend doesn't have to carry the burden of taking another human life on his conscience (even in cases which were completely justified, some people never completely get over having to kill someone else).
 
MLeake said:
bookert, there's a difference between actual elapsed time changing, and the perception of elapsed time changing.

If you've ever been in a bike or car wreck, (or bodyboarding wipeout...), you might have experienced the phenomenon. Time doesn't change, and reaction speed doesn't miraculously increase, but the events from the first-person perspective seem to take painfully long.

As in, "Oh, this is really going to OUCH!!! hurt; here comes the ground a- OOOF!! -gain; I hope I don't break my AAAARGH!!! neck...)

Been there, done that. It wasn't a memory of "time compression," I noticed it at the time it was happening. Didn't give me super-human powers to correct the problem (not a lot to do when ballistic, and still attached to the bike in mid-air; nor when one's car is spinning down the interstate after catching the shoulder when avoiding another car's sudden wreck), but I was amazed at all the things I was noticing as my control of events went away completely.
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Its adrenalin. I saw a thing about it on Science or Discovery. It acts like a "drug" and your senses are heightened which makes time feel like its slowing down...but you're just more aware.


Great job by the OP's friend.
 
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