How do you handle this confrontation

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

ghbucky01

New member
This did not happen to me, but to a relative.

During summer in the South, he was legally CC in an ankle holster. As he was about to cross in a crosswalk in a busy urban area, a car cut across in front of him so close he actually had to push off of the car to get away from it.

The driver (Mr. Steroid from now on) stopped and began threatening him for touching his car. My relative responded by moving away from the guy, basically putting the guy in a spot where he had to abandon his car in the middle of a street to pursue. Mr. Steroid leaves in a hurry.

My relative is rather freaked out, so he leaves the street to get out of sight in a parking lot and takes a moment when he is out of sight to move his Glock from ankle holster to his pants pocket and continues on his way.

But, Mr. Steroid managed to find him, pulled up and jumps out of his car. My relative continues to open the distance, but Mr. Steroid begins approaching him threatening to kick his ass.

So, what is the correct course of action here?
 
I would continue to get as far away from the guy as possible while yelling, “leave me alone, help police, leave me alone, help police”. If possible I would call 911 on my cell phone and let know what was happening or at least here me calling for help. If he got too close I would stop and yell, “stop, leave me alone” as I pulled my gun. At this point I would hope he stopped pursuing me and/or that the police arrived.
 
Tough situation, but I can tell you that it's a bad, bad, BAD idea to ever put a Glock in your pocket. Plaxico Burris is the most obvious example, but I'm sure there are others.

Best thing I suppose your relative could have done given the BAD circumstances are to be extremely apologetic, almost to the point of absurdity. Give in to the irrational behavior of the obvious idiot in the equation, even if it means putting your own ego out of the equation.

Because in the end, it comes down to possibly (likely?) being assaulted, and then finding yourself in the position to maybe have to draw a gun, or shoot a man, or kill a man. None of those are better options than taking the high road and attempting to give in to the ego of the idiot who has caused the confrontation.

Even far worse to bring a handgun in to the situation if the other person isn't brandishing an obvious weapon of some manner. It gets to be far more difficult to prove the justification in the escalation of force. (I am not saying it isn't justified, it just leads to a far greater potential hole of liability for the good guy with the handgun)
 
I can't speak for the actual law, but if the situation came to that, I would draw my gun and hope he stops approaching upon seeing a firearm. If he didn't stop, I hate to say it, but I probably would shoot. I have never had to use/draw a firearm in my life, so I can't say for sure how I would react.
 
In reading your post again, it seems as if this actually happened but you did NOT share the end of it.

I will go ahead and say that if nobody got shot
and nobody got beaten
and the good guy with the gun didn't end up with charges filed against him
and he didn't end up losing his handgun to an evidence locker at a police station

...then whatever he DID was as close to EXACTLY RIGHT as could be expected given a very difficult situation that happens at warp speed.
 
In reading your post again, it seems as if this actually happened but you did NOT share the end of it.

I will go ahead and say that if nobody got shot
and nobody got beaten
and the good guy with the gun didn't end up with charges filed against him
and he didn't end up losing his handgun to an evidence locker at a police station

...then whatever he DID was as close to EXACTLY RIGHT as could be expected given a very difficult situation that happens at warp speed.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are exactly correct... it did happen and I didn't share the ending....

I can't speak for the actual law, but if the situation came to that, I would draw my gun and hope he stops approaching upon seeing a firearm. If he didn't stop, I hate to say it, but I probably would shoot. I have never had to use/draw a firearm in my life, so I can't say for sure how I would react.
Click to expand...

... this in fact is exactly how my relative reacted. He was frightened enough to draw his gun and hold it prominently displayed, but pointed at the ground.

The response very nearly turned disastrous. Mr. Steroid actually laughed when he saw the gun and asked: "Do you want me to get mine?" and turned toward his car.

Thank God the guy just got in and drove off.

I think my relative said he tried to apologize, but the guy seemed determined to have a fight over it (hence my moniker, Mr Steroid)
 
He did the right thing by walking away.

Why would you shoot someone who was yelling at you as you walk away?

Call the cops and walk into a populated area and keep walking.
 
Not familiar with the laws in KY but rest assured that whatever State one happens to be in, pulling a gun will significantly change your life, whether or not it was used. In this scenario, all well that ends well. If this guy, Mr. Steroid, were coming at me and i felt that my life were in danger or I was about to be on the receiving end of great bodily harm, you bet I will unholster my gun for that's why I carry it. The key here is that I would have to know that unless I presented my gun, my perception is that I would die or be severely beaten. And as mentioned in another post, it wouldn't be a Glock that I would put in my pocket without a trigger guard protection. Great way to end any situation by shooting oneself.
 
+1 to Sevens comment.

I know one possibility is the guy backs off after the pistol comes into play and tells a heck of a whopper to LE, they hold his pistol for the next several months waiting to see if the 'poor victim' presses charges. Right & Wrong and the Law are not always the same.
 
It is equally acceptable (but looked down upon by those who cannot sacrifice their ego) to be apologetic and concede to the aggressor.
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend. You are right, you are the man, and I am a little weakling. I promise I will not ever do anything so stupid in your presence ever again. You have an Outtie, and I have an Innie."

Far too often people are forgetting that for the responsible armed citizen, it is up to them to do EVERYTHING possible to de-escalate. Matching aggression with aggression, BEFORE an actual threat has been made, either verbally ("I"m gonna beat your blanking-blank, you blank-of-a-blank!") or physically (aggressor displays a weapon of some sort) (aggressor has a disparity of force based on size) (aggressor has multiple black belts in martial arts and happens to be wearing them for the world to see), is ill advised.

Just because you concede and are apologetic when you are in the right, does not make you less of a man.
 
I would say ask yourself what would you do if you did not have a firearm, and do that.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

One good option for plan "A"!

Have a plan "B" also.
 
Did this change the way your cousin feels about ankle holsters?

The fact that he moved the pistol to a more accessible location tells me that he thought twice about it and changed his mind.
 
If I have de-escalated by getting as far away from Steroid-Boy (SB)as possible, I've done all that is truly necessary to articulate that I did not escalate the situation. It's hard to do when someone is being an ass, but I probably would have shouted "Sorry!" as I was hurrying away.

If SB has now tracked me down, the situation just got real in a hurry. I'm going to continue to make distance as quickly and safely as I can, but if SB continues pursuit, and gets close enough to ascertain that an attack is likely ... that's a huge disparity of force between an older man and a younger man in much better shape.

Ballistic equalization will be applied in any and all such circumstances.
 
Did this change the way your cousin feels about ankle holsters?

The fact that he moved the pistol to a more accessible location tells me that he thought twice about it and changed his mind.
Click to expand...

There really wasn't another option for him.

He is a professional, so he was wearing light, summer 'office casual' clothing that doesn't allow for waistband carry without being obvious about it in an office environment.

Ankle carry beats no carry. But yeah, he obviously realizes that it isn't exactly accessible there, hence why he moved the gun when he feared a confrontation was coming.
 
Distance is your friend.
Be as civil and polite as possible under the circumstances.
Call 911 FIRST if stuff starts going south.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top