What would you do if you witness police shooting...?

Exactly, the cops might start shooting back. And then what? You get killed. Or maybe, better yet, maybe you defend yourself and start shooting at the cop too, to save your own life? Explain that one in court, Einsteins. Assuming they take you alive.

Good grief. If the thought of jumping in to help the cops makes you excited and a grin forms on your lips, please go to the phone right now, call your local PD and have them come and pick up all of your guns and ammo. You are a danger to yourself and I don't feel like paying taxes to support your surviving family.
 
First I would take cover and try to see what happens. You've already witnessed something and so are obligated to stay and fill out forms and make statements. If it becomes apparent that the LEO or someone elses life is in danger... that is when decisions must be made. Yes, you may get shot by another cop.... life is tough and dangerous sometime.
 
JSP,

I'm sure that no one here is grinning to jump in and try to become Mr. Hero. Most are just expressing that a human life is at stake and that most will try to be good witnesses but if the chips are down for the LEO, that maybe, just maybe, helping out another is warrented.

Could anyone here, with the tools needed (firearms), actually just sit back and witness a killing instead of using the tools that they have to help?

Would anyone here do that? To just say to themselves, I did right, I was a good witness and that is all that I needed to do and so that is all I did.

Can you justify it to yourself that you just witnessed a cold bloodied murder, you had the tools on you to make a difference, and you just sat there and did nothing.

Have we gotten to the point in our humanity that we could just turn our heads at such a sight and continue on when we had the tools to maybe help out our fellow brother or sister in need.

Have we sunk so far down that anothers life is worthless when we have the tools to help in such a situation and refuse to use them.

Wayne
 
Ever watch COPS on tv?

The cops don't look like they are likely to be calm enough to notice that you, a un-uniformed civilian, are on their side.

I tell you this, if you ever try to help me in that situation, I'll assume you are a bad guy and send 3 right at you.

You carry to protect yourself from a one in a million situation. By intervening, you turn a one in a million situation into about a one in two situation that a well trained professional will attempt to kill you. And the totally clueless backup cops that will arrive in seconds will definitely shoot you.

The initial report of a traffic stop will not mention volunteer militia. So the backup assumes everyone involved is on the perpetrators side.

The secondary "shots fired" radio transmission will not probably include an accurate description of the only people that should be shot on arrival.
You are not trained and I can guarantee that for the length of the interaction all of the people with guns, bad guys, first cop and all of the back-up will assume that you are a danger. So you will have at least 3 people, maybe dozens ready to blow your ass away.

Get in your car, seek cover and call 911 on your tactically muted cell phone.
 
JSP,

I don't know if you are an LEO or not, if so, please clarify, but what I am getting is that if you are, and you are being fired upon, and you are hit, and you are about to be murdered, that your advise to me is to just watch?

If that is the way that the LEO's feel about it, then who am I to get involved and take action.

You have given me my out for not doing what I may feel is correct.

I go home to my family, the LEO that I've just let be murdered, well, I was told to just shut up and leave (I don't have a tactical cell phone so I can't use the one that I have).

Okay, can do.

Wayne
 
No, I'm not a LEO. I own my own business importing and wholesaling automobile parts.

I am just saying that in this situation the LEO doesn't need another variable to deal with. The distraction might cause a split second delay in action that gets him killed.

He might assume you are an unaccounted for bad guy and shoot you.

The bad guys will also be shooting at you.

The backup cops are likely to shoot at you.

All in all, unless its going to be a long drawn out affair (that bank robbery with the guys in body armor) you would probably be in danger and maybe little help to the cop.

But I'm willing to be corrected by Capt. "What's his name". etc.

I'm just giving my best advice. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say you helping would turn out badly 9 out of 10 times.
 
The police never were mean't to protect everyone. We are all in this community together. I agree that if say the police have a man cornered in his busted car or house, it would make little sense for me to walk up with my gun and try to help. They have the situation under control, they have all but apprehended the bad guy, that's their job.
Sometimes things just don't work out that way. I'm not saying we should get CHL licences and go out and play G.I. Joe, you do want to be discerning, but A policeman, like everyone else, can need help sometimes. He is part of this community too, and if the badguy kills him and or gets away then the next target might be someone else.

Yes, the police might mistake and ununiformed person to be another bad guy. But heck, friendly fire happens in battle all the time. It's part of the risk of combat. That is not sufficient argument to say that we should stay out of the problem. In fact, to that argument, I would say what if a plain clothes detective was present during the incident of the traffic cop being shot at, he could be mistaken for a bad guy if he pulled his gun and started shooting couldn't he? Does that mean he should stay out of it? Of course not.

I will just turn this posting over to a former Austin Policeman and Texas Ranger. Ramiero "Ray" Martinez. He was the policeman who killed the sniper at the UT Tower in Austin Texas back in 1966. This is taken from his book "The Call Me Ranger Ray" on page 84

I was and am still upset that more recognition has not been given to the citizens who pulled out their hunting rifles and returned the sniper's fire. The City of Austin and the State of Texas should be forever thankful and grateful to them because of the many lives they saved that day. The sniper did a lot of damage when he could fire freely, but when the armed citizens began to return fire the sniper had to take cover. He had to shoot out the rainspouts and that limited his targets. I am grateful to the citizens because they made my job easier.
Click to expand...

I think that pretty much says it all. That's quite different from what the stupid movie "Deadly Tower" portrayed. (In the movie these civilians were portrayed as a bunch of trigger happy Texans shooting anything that moved) However as Martinez put it, you gotta take that movie with a ton of salt. (He reeeeally didn't like that movie as he expressed both in his book and in person)
 
I think that undercover police officers are quite likely recognized by traffic cops.

I think that a long running gun balltle like the sniper situation is different. I said as much.

I also think that you owe your life to your family and need to think twice about leaving a family without your presence. By the time you get into the fight, its probably over anyway.

But if your wife and kids vote for you to get into it, feel free. Ask them to not fiel for welfare if the worst happens though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top