How do you fire a warning shot?

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Doug.38PR

Moderator
I have heard a sheriff deputy say once that police cannot shoot someone running from them, unless it is at night, unless they first call out to them once or twice, and then fire a warning shot in the air and then shoot them. Now, warning shots have their place I'm sure although the way they are required today on police seems a bit absurd as between the time it takes for you to call out again and again and fire a warning shot the criminal has put more distance between you and him making him a much harder target to hit and increasing the chance of missing him and hitting something or someone :eek: else. (remember the scene in It's A Wonderful Life in the end when alternate universe Burt the Cop pulls out is OP and yells "Stand Back!" and opens fire on George Bailey ACROSS THE TOWN SQUARE where people are walking all over the place :eek: ) But as far as warning shots themselves go, how would you do it safely. Firing it in the air, as I understand police are allowed and even required to do, seems to be dangerous to me as that bullet has to come down somewhere (or one someone:eek: ). Seems to me it would be better placed in the back of the criminal. Perhaps a warning shot fired into the ground would be better...then again, in urban areas there is so little actual ground around you can't really do that. You certainly can't fire it into the concrete as it will ricochet into something (or someone :eek: ). So unless I am in a front or back yard or in a fieldor wooded area, I really can't employ firing it into the ground. I could fire it into an object like a car or a tree, but as far as a car goes, that is damage to property. And a tree, you have to take aim and even then it could ricochet.

So what about warning shots? In my view they are a bad option (or requirement) for police and an equally dangerous option for the rest of us.
 
warning shots are a waste of ammo and will usually do nothing but get you in trouble. Even if fired into grass, it could bounce off a sprinkler head, rock, muffler, cat or anything else you don't see. Also, you just fired your weapon in a public area, since you did not hit a target that was considered an immenient threat then you have surely violated many laws and comprimised public saftey. There should only be a verbal warning, then the warning shot is the one in center mass, warning the BG that a second is coming.
 
Warning shot into the air? Where's the bullet going to land.. That violates one of the first rules of safely firing any gun, know your back stop! Call out once or twice, then a warning shot, then shoot them as they run away? Sounds like a lazy cop out in a field somewhere, at night, again violating possible safe gun handling know your target. (harder as distance increases) Glad their not on our police force!!
 
Warning Shots

At the law enforcement agencys that I am familiar with warning shots are forbidden by department general orders. This is for obivious reasons.
 
Doug.38PR said:
I have heard a sheriff deputy say once that police cannot shoot someone running from them, unless it is at night, unless they first call out to them once or twice, and then fire a warning shot in the air and then shoot them.
Click to expand...

:eek:

Last I heard, it was illegal for anyone to shoot someone in the back, regardless of any warnings, at night, or being some sort of LEO, when they are RUNNING AWAY FROM YOU. Aren't we taught to only draw our weapons IF and only IF we feel our lives are in grave danger? Someone running away from you isn't a threat anymore. So, if you shoot them, regardless of warning shots, nighttime, etc., you'll go to jail.

Unless I've missed something, like this person shot you twice first, then ran? :confused:

Warning shots can go anywhere, and can be dangerous to people around the problem. The more urban the area is, the worse the problems a warning shot can cause. From my readings, warning shots are a big no-no.
 
You can shoot someone who is fleeing from YOU if you are positive they are on the way to do more immediate harm. So a dude comes at you with an AX, you challenge him and he turns and runs howling towards the school bus.

Might be oversimplifying the doctrine but I think that's it.

Warning shots are a universal no - no - unless you get the new IPOD which attaches to the rail on your 1911 and plays guns shots and the ever popular racking of your shotgun. :D
 
Okay, everyone seems to agree with me , warning shots bad idea.

well, it used to be I think before the lawyers brought in all these so called civil-rights for those poor not-so innocent criminals, you could shoot a perpetrator as he was running away (at least police could). A robbery or violent crime was committed Police wanted to question some thug, they take off running, they have obviously done something wrong...otherwise why run. If they spot someone mugging someone and they take off, popum one if they don't halt. It makes sense to me. the police can't just let them get away, can't always run after them, what if they are faster runners than the cop, what if the cop does run them down, tackles them and they pull a knife and stick the cop. as they are running, they put other innocent people in danger while they are loose, best to just stop them there wounding them possible but stop them never the less.
 
That was very fun Glenn. If another new iPod or iTool comes out in the next month...I'll just have to buy stock in Macintosh.

Warning shots don't exist. Never do them. Not an option unless signaling for help when lost in an abundance of wilderness. Even then, not a great option.

You can shoot someone who is fleeing, as Glenn pointed out. I believe you would have to have witnessed them do an extremely violent crime or murder in order to do so and that you believe they are capable or will repeat their actions. It's a huge if question.

As civilians, I believe witnessing an axe murder would be quite rare, although that would surely be grounds for lethal force.

They should make a tactical iPod. I'm sold on it.
 
That's odd... all the warning shots i've ever fired, not one has ever bounced off a cat.

But that's just me.

12-34hom
 
A friend who was an embassy guard in a war-torn country said SOP was:
(In the event of encountering an insurgent)
1. Fire warning shot
2. Yell "HALT!"
3. Engage BG

Actual sequence:
1. Shoot enemy
2. Yell "HALT!"
3. Then fire warning shot:D

Our training in the USAF clearly stated (as well as signs all over the base): WARNING SHOTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED!

Probably afraid we might accidently shoot down a KC135:D
 
You can't fire warning shots-if you fire, deadly force must be justified.

You can shoot a fleeing felon if you have probable cause that the person will do imminent harm if he contiunes to flee- screaming freak with a gun, knife, etc.

This in MA.
 
:D :D Never pull a gun unless you are in personal danger and can prove so in court, then when you do put two to the body as a warning then one to the head if BG fails to heed that warning.

IMHO that is all the warning the criminals should get.

25
 
There is only need to fire one shot: the one that impacts the BG right between the eyes. His/her/its warning is the sound of the gunshot.
 
When I was in Bosnia, the ROE called for a warning shot. When we did our convoy brief every morning before rolling out for a mission, the team sergeant always briefed that the warning shot would be aimed COM, and the real shot would be aimed at the spot where the BG was lying on the ground bleeding. Best convoy briefs I ever got. :D
 
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