Road Rage-Golf Club Scenario

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motorcityhitman

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I searched through scenarios but didn't come up with one like this one. If I did miss one I am sorry. Okay,here goes..
You're driving along in bumper to bumper traffic.Traffic speeds up and separates and some person cuts right in front of you.Traffic comes to a complete stop and the guy in front of you jumps out of his car with a 2 wood golf club in hand screaming that he is going to cave your head in for some imagined disrespect. As he pass's he:
#1-Takes out your headlight still screaming
#2-Puts a good sized dent in your hood..still screaming about caving your head in.
#3-Rears back and puts club through windshield getting bits of glass all over your wife and yourself..screaming.
#4-Rears back again to take out side window to get to you..screaming obscenities..
You are blocked in by other cars so there is no escape and evading.At which point would you feel justified in pulling your handgun and using it then a short explanation on how you chose and why.
Thank you in advance for your answers.
I have posted this on other forums so you're seeing not double.:)
 
Well considering I'd be laughing right up until he swung it I'd say after #1.
He's now exhibited he is a threat and a significant level of derangement with a lethal weapon.
 
As soon as he got out with the golf club, I'd be on the phone dialing 911. I would feel protected from the golf club by my locked vehicle and not feel that my life was in any jeopardy. As soon as he went for the window, that is when I would imagine I'd start to feel threatened. That broken window exposes me and my passengers to the potentially lethal strikes of the golf club and I would use whatever tools I had at hand to stop him. Although, with my vehicle, I might attempt to ram his car forward enough for me to get around him. I'd much rather cause a little property damage rather then killing anyone.
 
I would probably go for my machete in the back first for more of a dramatic approach, even deranged psychos with golf clubs know machetes are not fun to be taught a lesson with.
 
As an LEO, I was once approached by a man across a parking lot who obviously wanted to speak to me.

While he was still 70+ feet away, another man exited a car behind him carrying a golf club, walked rapidly behind the first man and lifted the club to swing at his head.

While I (thankfully) did not have to shoot him, it forever revised my conception of shooting 'well enough', I have to say. And a man within arms reach of me swinging a club destroying property would have my undivided attention, since the time between when he cocks his arm back and when he aims and swings at my head might be a very, very short interval.

Larry
 
I am really surprised you did not come up with any results for how to deal with Happy Gilmore.

I am guessing I would be spraying my favorite chemical agent his way after swing number one and then sicking Bob Barker on him. After that I would have to see.
 
A golf club is a deadly weapon just as much as a blade or a firearm. I would consider anyone approaching me, issuing threats and swinging a golf club to be an imminent deadly threat and react accordingly.
 
sDot said:

I would probably go for my machete in the back first for more of a dramatic approach, even deranged psychos with golf clubs know machetes are not fun to be taught a lesson with.
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In Tennessee, that is likely to get you in deep trouble, moreso even than if you were to shoot the perpetrator.

You are guilty of carrying an illegal weapon with intent to go armed. With a permit, you have a "handgun carry permit." This has been adjudged to not extend to knives, brass knucks, billy clubs, baseball bats and the like. Maximum knife blade length is, I believe 1 3/4" or so. And there is a distinction made between home and auto.

Bob Wright
 
A golf club is a deadly weapon just as much as a blade or a firearm. I would consider anyone approaching me, issuing threats and swinging a golf club to be an imminent deadly threat and react accordingly.
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Exactly. If I could get the vehicle out of the situation instantly, then its a self defense situation at that point.
 
Once he exited the vehicle with a weapon I would be on the phone to 911.
Once I had 911 on the phone I would lay the phone on the dash on speaker phone and prepare to do what ever needed being done.
This way the 911 operator could hear what is transpiring and any warning I my give that he is about to be sent to the great driving range in the sky.
 
I once had a gentleman approach me in traffic and although he had no golf club he did make his dissatisfaction with me very clear. I basically sat in my car and ignored him until he approached my car and began to strike the window with his hands and elbow. At this point I simply showed him a small .38 and he reconsidered his previous course of action and returned to his car.

I never pointed the gun at him and was a long way from feeling the need to take any other action. However, I felt it best to let him know what awaited him if he did gain entry to my vehicle. I guess the point is sometimes simply letting the other person know you are prepared to defend yourself might be enough to defuse the situation.
 
I'd probably draw discretely when he headed my way with the golf club. However, a golf club is only dangerous when the guy can actually hit you with it, so I would only shoot if/when the car was breached.
There are moral reasons.
But, I try not to discuss morals on the interweb.
There are fiscal reasons.
Since I drive a relatively new car on icy roads, I have insurance. So, the most money bashing my car up could possibly cost me is $500, and it seems likely that shooting someone would wind up being considerably more expensive than that.
Finally there are "situational" (maybe even "tactical"?) reasons.
In the given scenario traffic is packed so tightly that I can't get away. If that's the case, cars are certainly too close to start shooting unless it's absolutely necessary. Granted I only carry a woefully underpowered little 9mm, so it's probably just going to bounce off the car doors like a rubber ball ;), but shooting into standstill traffic still seems like a great way to shoot an innocent.
If it came down to shooting or seeing my wife/kids hurt I'm pretty sure I'd shoot, but fortunately, with him outside and me inside at least I'd have some time to think.

This actually seems like one of those rare situations where a can of mace would be more useful than a gun.
 
Yelling clear instructions at the assailant like, BACK OFF NOW! Maybe honking your horn to draw witnesses attention - more witnesses the better. You can't defend yourself with a gun until you feel threatened with imminent serious harm or death. I think that happens as he's trying to bust into your passenger compartment.

Situations like this are why I'm about to install my own front and rear cameras on my vehicle. I have the cameras, just need to put them in. They are very affordable and record into a HD card, have their own batteries and plug into the cig-liter.

Could really save your butt in a self-defense road rage situation like this. Documenting the other crazy guy's behavior and ultimately the assault better than any other evidence including 911 calls and witnesses (all are going to be biased). You cannot often recreate what happened 5 minutes earlier by calling 911, and even if you can, it's still your word versus other people.

Hopefully the video would record the jerks actions, and your telling him to back off.
 
I would be holding up my phone taking a video of the golfer both to have his actions recorded and also in some hope that him seeing that those action are being recorded might give him reason to re-think those actions.

I would also have my HK USP45 out on the seat next to me - which is legal in New Mexico with - or without - a carry permit. If him seeing that he is being video taped and seeing my pistol do not deter his actions, once he has breached my side window I would need to act to protect my family. The tactics taken are dynamic and depend on how the situation unfolds from there.
 
My wife and then 3 year old kid were in a similar situation a few years back. We were followed, chased and nearly ran into by the perps ( man and a woman). I began to dial the phone when they gave up their pursuit. Most people wielding clubs or bats usually smash the windshield on somebody first. I had at that point years ago made up my mind that if he had done that he would be shot.
 
Tiger!!

Perhaps send your scenario to Tiger Woods. I hear he is pretty expert on cars and golf clubs.

And yes an iron would be preferable to a wood.

To answer the question, once the passenger compartment has been breached, my own and my passengers lives are in danger, and I will act accordingly.
 
I would feel the necessity to defend myself when the perpetrator had demonstrated the opportunity, ability, and intent to do so.

Screaming that he's going to bash my head in is intent. The golf club is the ability. So opportunity must be when he has reached the car with the golf club.

I believe you can justify deadly force in my state when met with fear of death or great bodily harm or to stop the commission of a forcible felony. You can use force (not deadly) to meet force. In either of these circumstances, in my state, you are permitted to draw a weapon.

Waving a golf club and threatening to use it is assault, if not assault with a deadly weapon. My personal firearm would probably be drawn from its location near me (check your state laws to see if it is legal to keep there) and held in my right hand while I went for the phone. If he remained at a distance, I would use the phone. If he got closer but didn't attack I would use the phone but level the gun and make it clear of my intent to protect myself. At the start of the attack would be when I felt necessary to shoot.

Of course, this is all hypothetical and perfect world scenarios. Who knows if you have time to call the police before your windshield is busted? Maybe it happens in seconds, you raise your gun, and the guy gets back in his car and speeds off before you can even dial. There are a lot of variables.
 
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