Posted by sixgun67: OldMarksman, out of curiosity, what makes a 'uniformed police officer' any different to you than a member of the general public?
Good question.
My answer is that his identity provides significant clarity regarding what is happening.
If it
appears that an apparent "bad guy" is attacking someone, and you intervene, you may be in for one heck of an unpleasant surprise.
If what you have actually seen is a domestic disturbance, and you intervene, you will likely have both parties testifying against you and perhaps seeking damages.
If what you have actually seen is a caretaker or parent trying to intervene in the case of a
grand mal seizure or choking situation, and you intervene, you may end up contributing to the death of that person.
If what you have actually seen is a dispute between members of two rival gangs, and you intervene, your problems may extend way beyond civil and criminal liability.
If what you have actually seen is an off-duty policeman trying to apprehend a dangerous felon who has just committed a heinous crime, and you intervene, you may end up contributing to the death of the officer and to the escape of the felon.
These examples are indicative of the reason why attorneys where I live strongly advise against trying to defend someone unknown to the actor, or a policeman who has requested help--even though it is lawful to use deadly force when immediately necessary to protect an innocent third party from imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm.
Depending of course upon the circumstances, I would likely not wait for a request for help from the officer.
Does that help?
I will not risk my life for another human other than my family.
I would extend that to any child in my care at the time.
However, if a uniformed law enforcement officer is under fire, letting the perp prevail by not acting could well put one's life at risk.
If I could neutralize the threat immediately without putting myself at risk of being mistaken for one of the attackers, and without endangering innocent citizens "down range", if you will, I think it might well be prudent to try to do so.
And, I also don't post much info in writing and never will. I'm careful--I know it will come back to haunt a person, fair or not. First hand experience there.
While I think it more important to be careful what you write than to limit how much (Jim Wilson, Rob Pincus, and Mas Ayoob write quite a lot), that's not bad advice.