Interesting encounter - advice, please.

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Hispanic or any description is a description. Nothing more.

Perople scream profiling every chance they get.
The US Government asks for your Nationality! When the government stops asking me my origin, I will become liberally policically correct.

Race is not an issue. It is a description of the person in question. No more or less important than Jeans, Blue Shirt and driving a Chevy Malibu.

Stop the race issue. Every race commits crimes. It is a description that the LEOS use to get a grip on who they are looking for.
 
I know you have alot of post and are very cognizant of gun issues. I do want to point out where you messed up. If you shouted..."before I shoot this guy". You removed yourselve from the legal protection of being a reluctant participant.

It might have been all another witness heard. And you know how reliable witnesses are NOT reliable.
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Rufus, If you had seen the chiseled mass of man in front of me threatening me you wouldn't have worried about justification. That said you are correct in that I should have chosen a better group or words. Words that would help in court and not hurt. Honesty I was young dumb and angry. This happened close to twenty years ago. I had little carry and zero tactical experience. Plus I allowed anger to effect me. I was ticked off that this guy was using his size to try to intimidate me. Plus I was baking in the sun and getting ready to do a freebie mow on my own yard LOL.

If the situation happened today I would have ended it instantly and or called 911 myself (no cell phone for me back then).
 
Do some of you really think the guy deserved to be drenched with gasoline or pepper sprayed just because he was standing there? Do we know why he was standing where he was? Maybe he was trying to get into the light of the station's canopy because he was fearful of something as well. Maybe he felt more secure being around someone else.

We should be aware of what's going on around us, but we're not supposed to become the aggressor.
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Sport, I think they meant using the pump to spray gas IF the guy attacked.
 
I hope that's what they meant, 'cause it's not what they said...

bob.a said:
Options: Douse the guy with gas. But he never got close enough.
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Ben Towe said:
Actually you probably could have doused him with gas at that distance. Most pumps put out a pretty healthy stream.
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Bear repellent

This stuff will repell any variety of third world miscreant as well as a 1000 pound polar bear. It does the job with out using deadly force and totally avoids possible legal jeopardy that arises from its use.
 
Right. I don't normally go around incinerating strangers. But certainly the pump provides an improvised weapon if it comes to that.

My ambivalence regarding a trunk gun or illegal carry boils down to this: a pistol in the trunk, loaded, is already illegal; if I need it and can't reach the trunk it's not doing me any good, so it makes better sense to carry on my person, if I'm to go that route at all.

As the guy was maneuvering around the vehicle, never closing but always in position to deny me access to the driver's door, and seemed to be trying to give the impression of just hanging around, my suspicions were quite high. There's nothing there to hang around for, unless he wanted to pick up a used car. If he was armed with a firearm, I was screwed; even a knife would have been bad news.

I'm not a scaredy cat; my sense that the situation was Not Right was strong, and I stand by it. I don't care what his genetic affiliating might be, I think I can judge a situation pretty well, and this one reeked of problem.

As I say, I lucked out. I will be taking stronger precautions in future. Bear spray might end up being something no vehicle should be without.
 
Seems to me...

... that some of the folks saying the guy might just have been innocently standing around missed a couple of the OP's points:

1) The guy was in close proximity to the OP (10' or so) and nobody else was nearby; and

2) The guy was in a position that controlled access to the driver's door of the OP's car.

Those two factors would definitely draw my attention, and most likely raise my hackles.

And, as somebody else did notice, the OP stated the guy left his position and departed when a patrol cruiser rolled by.

While we don't know for sure, I'd call it 90% certain the guy was not up to anything good.

Then again, he may just have been a panhandler, who decided not to ply his trade in front of the police. Grey area between BG and nuisance. But a panhandler who's willing to block a person in before asking for a handout is not much different from a strong-arm robber.

I've found with panhandlers that what works best (for me) is being courteous but not friendly. I'm not overtly rude, but I'm not interested in their stories, and I have things to do.

But I'm decent sized, in decent shape, not that old, and live someplace where permits are shall-issue. I suspect I give off a vibe that tells those guys that there are probably easier marks elsewhere.
 
Sport apparently needed clarification.
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I didn't think either of the gentlemen had intended to douse the guy, but though that needed to be pointed out. We're not the only ones that read these forums and don't need folks thinking we're looking for opportunities to disable others.
 
I didn't think either of the gentlemen had intended to douse the guy, but though that needed to be pointed out.
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Why?
I've seen a lot of people jump to conclusions in this thread, as well as make assumptions and just go way far out there (such as the racism comments).

Why do we feel the need to call into question the moral fiber and decision making skills of our fellow members instead of giving them the support and productive advice you would expect to find in a group like this?
Why can we not give them the benefit of the doubt simply because they are part of this brotherhood, one that constantly comes under attack from outside sources and doesn't need internal ones fanning the flames?

Sport I apologize if it seems like I'm attacking you or pointing a finger at you, that's not the case at all, it just really seems that many people here want to pick apart the victim instead of empathizing and offering help that might otherwise not have been thought of.
The OP is clearly not trying to pick a fight, or improvise a flamethrower on the spot, or being a racist, or attempting to break the law, or pull a gun on a innocent bystander, or any of the other cockamamie "negative" connotations that have been inferred by some other posters.

He felt threatened and brought it to us, his brothers, to get our productive thoughts on the matter and how we can help him to avoid future issues of this nature. Don't we owe it to him to assist him to the best of our ability?

Just the way it's coming across to me is all,
Chef
 
If you live in one of the communist states where you are unable to protect yourself with a firearm I would say to get a taser if legal or pepper spray. Also you should stay situationally aware which it sounds like you are, and maybe take a self defense class.
 
Wow! I believe that I would be carrying any damn ways. Just dont advertise it. Better safe than sorry. That or start exercising and a practicing with a good old long cane Hickory walking stick.
 
Bob.A Congrats for being aware of your surroundings & able to make assessments. Since you live & work in states that do not allow CCW, I would also recommend a tazer, Kimber pepperspray & a cell phone. Wolfeye, you keep going through life as you are & we will read about you being a victim some day. Nothing good comes from being politically correct.

Getting back to the point, I have carried now everyday for 23+ years & only drew my firearm 2 times. Granted, I'm not a small fellow but do go into less than desirable area's daily for work.

Along with ccw comes a great responsibility of when to use deadly force both legally & morally. I seriously encourage everyone to try to take at least one course in it or read books relating to carrying. Most colleges & local gun clubs or ranges have such offerings. NRA certified courses such as First Steps, Protection in the home, Protection outside the home & advanced Carry are just a few. If you want to drive a car, motorcycle, pilot a boat or fly an airplane you are required to study & take a test why not to carry a gun?

Nothing can totally prepare you for a life or death situation but being educated & proficient can be helpful if yourself in harms way. Do not allow a firearm to give you a false security either. Try to avoid confrontation if at all possible. Trying to not put yourself at risk should be paramount. Be alert & leave yourself an out always.
 
Bob.A Congrats for being aware of your surroundings & able to make assessments. Wolfeye, you keep going through life as you are & we will read about you being a victim some day. Nothing good comes from being politically correct.

Getting back to the point, I have carried now everyday for 23+ years & only drew my firearm 2 times. Granted, I'm not a small fellow but do go into less than desirable area's daily for work.

Along with ccw comes a great responsibility of when to use deadly force both legally & morally. I seriously encourage everyone to try to take at least one course in it or read books relating to carrying. Most colleges & local gun clubs or ranges have such offerings. NRA certified courses such as First Steps, Protection in the home, Protection outside the home & advanced Carry are just a few. If you want to drive a car, motorcycle, pilot a boat or fly an airplane you are required to study & take a test why not to carry a gun?

Nothing can totally prepare you for a life or death situation but being educated & proficient can be helpful if yourself in harms way. Do not allow a firearm to give you a false security either. Try to avoid confrontation if at all possible. Trying to not put yourself at risk should be paramount. Be alert & leave yourself an out always.
 
Be confident

I wouldn't let anyone enter my space and hang around without asking them a simple question "What's up?". I don't wait for surprises and I try not to be an a$$ but I agree showing awareness works in your favor most of the time.

If you suffer from poor health, you should carry an equilizer in order to feel safe if you need to go out at night.
 
Best Defense...Good Offense or Avoidance?

Interesting scenario - more so that it is real and affects a LOT of us guys hitting 50 and beyond. Women (those who don't walk around oblivious, anyway) likely experience this all too often. How can you prepare? Tasers suck, unless the target is wearing only a thin t-shirt. A medium jacket can deny contact points. Plus they require some time to deliver an incapacitating charge. A stun gun requires close personal contact. Bear spray is a big can - wear it on your belt outside your jacket, or you won't have it when you need it.

A cane can be a great defensive weapon, if you know how to use it. On an unskilled opponent, you may not even need to know how to use it - just beat the snot out of them. Put a lanyard on it to aid in weapon retention. Better still, carry a Sjambok - google it if you're not familiar. Nothing better for a beatdown and it's generally not legally considered a weapon - check your laws and ask your police if it would be legal where you live.

Still, a gun is the best equalizer that exists, and is especially empowering for the elderly, infirm, or female. I'm not that small, but i'd hate to take on a kid even my own size these days - i'm 50 years old and "aint what i used to be", even without any disability or medical conditions. Disparity of force is real, and getting more real every year. I would suggest you seriously consider the likelihood of a threat to your life, or that of your loved ones. If the threat is enough to make you carry a knife (the single worst self-defense weapon possible, suitable only for maybe Steven Segal) you need to seriously consider the pros/cons of carrying your pistol.

No, i do not advocate breaking the law. But a law that disarms the law-abiding and leaves them vulnerable to criminal attack is unjust and not working. Work through your elected representatives to get this law changed. If you decide that the threat isn't sufficient, or the consequences too severe if caught, then follow the advice about threat avoidance and alternative defense strategies. And let your electees know how you feel and what you want changed. If you decide to carry anyway, make absolutely sure you don't print and don't talk about it - to anyone. Oh, and avoid metal detectors.

You know the world is screwed up when you have to carry a weapon in order to defend against criminals, but doing so makes you a criminal.

Good luck.
 
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