Wadsworth police say a gun-carrying couple helped them catch a man who was allegedly beating his girlfriend in a parking lot in front of her two small children. [More]Let's see, he's 18, sweetie has two kids already, they're not married...
The armed rescuers didn't know that, but still, at most I might have yelled at him to stop and said I was calling the cops. I don't know that I would have drawn on him, with the level of follow-up commitment that requires, unless he decided to turn his aggression against me and I deemed him a credible threat that warranted lethal force to stop.
And I ain't saying I'd necessarily hang around afterward, either.
I see a lot of gunnies cheering this as a victory for lawful CCW. I don't mean to be Eeyore here, but I'm thinking the couple is damn lucky they didn't shoot this kid. Back to the situation broken up here, I'm not sure the girl won't want him back, and the dynamics of the choices fueling that sick situation are a hell of a thing to risk your freedom over.
Be a hell of a thing to have the person you think you're saving end up testifying against you in a criminal court and suing you in a civil one.
[Via lots of you]
10 comments:
This looks like it could have been a shoot & scoot situation.
According to the CCW training I received this is perfectly justified behavior. Good for them.
http://warriorgeek.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/sheepdogs-in-action/
Did they also tell you anybody can sue you for anything and you can go broke fighting it, and that abused women often lie for their tormentors?
David, you make a very valid point. Maybe they should have confronted the abuser first, and then drawn if necessary. But I still think they were justified in brandishing their weapons, and did the right thing.
p.s. Love your work. Peace.
I'm agree with Mr. Codrea.
Evan Marshall (of Handgun Stopping Power fame) wrote an essay on this subject. He discusses domestic violence incidents specifically:
http://www.stoppingpower.net/commentary/comm_dangers_in_intervention.asp
Rob
David,
Your points about the current environment regarding lawsuits is well-taken (not to mention absolutely correct).
But I agree that the couple did the right thing by helping one who needed help.
Yes, anybody can sue me for anything. I am not going to let that stop me from keeping a guy from beating on his girlfriend.
Nor did I say I would.
Do what you feel you have to do. But, you'd better go in with your eyes open and understand that the very person you think you're helping may be the first to either assault you or file criminal or civil charges against you for hurting her sweetheart. Pulling a gun on her meal ticket just might cause her to change her mind about who's the good guy.
Speaking from experience ...
[W3]
I would definitely not have drawn my gun unless it was clear either her life or mine was in immediate danger.
Remember that there are a lot of newly trained or badly under trained individuals who are just starting to carry. We're going to see a lot of incidents that won't work in the real world, and many that don't seem well thought out.
Hopefully, we'll all learn as these things unfold. I applaud the willingness to help someone else. If the actual facts of the incident are as reported (always a good question) I do not think they should have drawn a gun - let alone both of them!
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