You draw a weapon on a man, but he still keeps coming...

[alberich]

At what point can you fire?

Assuming that I really had a good reason to pull the gun, ie. I evaluated the situation and under my best knowledge I found that a life is in danger, I'd shoot immediatelly after he ignored the first warning.

However I'd never draw a gun when not in a real danger. I believe that posing with a gun - or even worse, thinking that a gun is some kind of a human remote control - is the worst error one can do. I mean a gun is a tool for killing things and one should never pull it if s/he is not in a situation when killing is morally justified (for our moral and experience is the only things we can use to make our decisions namely in a danger).
For me, a handgun is a last line of defence. For other than openly life threathening situations I'd rather use bare hands, telescopic batton or cajune pepper spray.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

The jails are also full of people who were either innocent or where the decision of guilt was very controversial.
+1. Thank You!

Let that be sweet consolation to you during your 25-life for murder. Remember those words as everyone around you expounds on their own innocence.

Originally Posted by David Armstrong
I would suggest that is a terrrible tactic.

I disagree. i would rather take my chances going to prison and guarantee my survival than risk my or my family's life.

You should NOT be considering the law during a SD shoot. There's no time. You need to make those considerations and decisions WAY before you need them and you'd better be right. You only get one chance.

If someone threatened you life you wouldn't consider shooting them?

Therein lies the problem. What I'm asking you, and the OP, is what exactly this guy has done that you feel is a threat to your life? I see no reason that the gun has been drawn in the first place. Now that it has it is YOU who must be able to articulate to the law WHY you not only drew on but shot this man. I can absolutely guarantee that "He was walking toward me and wouldn't stop!" will NOT be justification enough.

If you trip and fall then what? I am willing to bet he can close that 50 feet faster than you can get back up. In which case it would be a ground fight.

What if your gun doesn't fire? What if... What if there are an infinite number of "what ifs" so as to make any scenario mean anything to anyone who would like to insert the appropriate "What if.."

 

[OldMarksman]

Let that [(the assertion that the jails are full of people who were either innocent or where the decision of guilt was very controversial)] be sweet consolation to you during your 25-life for murder. Remember those words as everyone around you expounds on their own innocence.

That's great!

 

[pax]

And with that: closed.

pax