Road rage turns fatal in San Antonio

[zbordas]

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- In an apparent case of road rage, a motorist shot a driver to death who threatened him with a baseball bat.
Police said that the shooting just after midnight on New Year's Day appeared to be in self-defense, so they didn't plan to charge 24-year-old Brian Correa.
"It was apparent to us that he was defending himself," said police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino, who added that the shooter had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Correa shot the 24-year-old driver three times with a handgun, a police report said. The Bexar County medical examiner's office identified the deceased driver as Tomas Garza.
Correa and several witnesses quoted in the report said that Garza had maneuvered his Mitsubishi Lancer behind Correa's Chevrolet Camaro around 1 a.m. Tuesday and began driving aggressively, trying to hit the Camaro.
When the cars came to a stop at a traffic light, Garza got out and hit the Camaro several times with the bat, according to the police report.
Correa told Garza to stop, but Garza began toward him so Correa fired at him, according to the report.
Witnesses corroborated Correa's account with police.
"I'm still really shaken up. I don't really want to talk about it at all," Correa told a reporter with the San Antonio Express-News when contacted at his home.

I'm curious what would other people do:

• Shoot the scumbag without thinking.
• Show that I'm armed and try to scare him away.
• Pull out my baseball bat and start fight.
• Run away.
• Fall on my knees and beg for my life.

?

 

[Andrew93]

Id give him 3 seconds to run away after i pulled the gun out. If he didnt then id shoot him.

 

[Tibu]

Draw; issue verbal command time allowing; if he kept coming at me, then two in the chest ought to do it.

 

[HarrySchell]

Might give him a little time, but not much...if he was on the other side of the car. The BG was much closer in than the 30 foot rule would allow..not much room to hesitate.

 

[Pat H]

Mr. Correa was being assaulted via automobile for quite a long time. The assault continued at the stoplight, and the aggressor had a weapon capable of inflicting great bodily harm or death. Use of force that could be lethal to end the assault was warranted.

 

[ducktapefetish]

I know that legally your suppose to only shoot or even show a your gun if your life is at risk. But you should be able to defend your property just as you would your life since your property is the product of your Liberty, time, and efforts it is yours to defend and protect from anyone attempting to harm it just as you would your life. To deny this is to deny that you own your own liberty and have the right to protect it. With that said I would have try to stay in my car until police arrived but most likely I would give a verbal warning and if he keep forward I would put 2-3 in his chest and call it a day.
~Greg~

 

[MyGunsJammed]

Congrats to the shooter for defending himself....

if it were me and the buy with the baseball bat were swinging his bat at my beloved sports car, I might just empty the whole friggin clip into the guy....

 

[BillCA]

In a situation like this, provided you can't just drive away; my thinking is that it's probably best to try to exit the vehicle on the far side from the suspect and command him to stop. As long as I have a vehicle between us there is some protection. However, if he runs around front or rear, I'm backing away. If he gets to my side of the vehicle(s) about a car length away, he has one chance to cease hostilities because I will be pointing the firearm at him. If he advances, a controlled pair at a time greets him until he stops.

If, instead, he stops but remains "armed" and hostile, I'll back up to keep the distance. If he disarms and surrenders, my plan is for the PD to find him already in a felony prone position, just waiting for handcuffs.

I'd much prefer that he live so he and his insurance company can make restitution for damages, legal fees, rental car, etc.

On the other hand, if my wife and kids are in the car, as soon as he threatens them with danger, he becomes a test-target for JHP ammo.

 

[GHF]

Tueller Drill - Weapon Within 21 Feet Poses a Potentially Lethal Threat

I would shoot, based on the fact that unless the GG was driving a stretch limo, the BG was inside the 6 meter range...

The "Tueller Drill" is named after its developer, Sgt. Dennis Tueller of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Based on the results of his own experiments, he showed that pretty much anyone, regardless of age, weight or height, could physically close a distance of 21 feet (6 meters) in about 1.5 seconds. A person armed with a knife or club within 21 feet poses a potentially lethal threat.

 

[thallub]

How quaint: Perp brought a baseball bat to a gun fight.

 

[LarryH]

Hmmm...Can't run the red light without a chance of getting hit... stay in your car...road rager breaks the windows and assualts you with the bat...get out of your car...road rager chases you down and assualts with the bat...well i do have a gun...the choice seems fairly obvious don't cha think?

 

[Sigma 40 Blaster]

This is a tough one...after the guy came after me with a bat I'd give him a few seconds to see that he is looking down the wrong end of a .40 cal and tuck tail and run. He advances I'm shooting if I cannot safely drive off...if he's already hitting my car that means he WAY too close for comfort.

Car's not worth killing for IMO...all those statement assume that I am alone. If family is in the car I would probably be willing to shoot a little faster if I couldn't get away. Hope that's not backwards.

 

[Al Norris]

Despite the apparent legal questions involved, the Opening Post, makes this a "What If" scenario. "What Ifs" belong in Training and Tactical, not L&P.

However, because of the poll questions, it would make a mockery of that forum (serious tactical scenarios need only apply).

Therefore, closed as being off topic, instead of just being moved.