Scenario: Strange tow truck in your driveway.

[kauboy]

If he wasn't arrested, then he wasn't charged with anything. Would there even be a trial of any kind? For what?

Not true at all. The police do not have to arrest you at the scene for the Grand Jury to decide to indict you.

I think I'm gonna just stop posting, since I'm apparently wrong about everything.
Should make your job easier.

[txinvestigator]

...would you have any regrets about not shooting?

For me the answer is yes. Just as I would have regrets about not shooting if a criminal stole one of my guns. Guns are "just" property, but I'm uncomfortable letting a criminal steal one if I could stop it.

Being "comfortable" is an awfully dangerous emotion to be deciding on whether or not to use deadly force.

I remember your post about how you almost shot a guy you knew, who was not threatening you or anyone else, who was holding a handgun in his hand while a fight was going on nearby.

Might have even been legal, but I would never dream of shooting in that circumstance. You and I have a very different worldview

You remember it wrong. I was dispatched AS A COP to a fight in progress. Upon arrival there was a huge crowd, men fighting, and a guy across the street standing there with a huge honking revolver in his hand. He WAS the most immediate threat, even though LATER I realized he was an assistant city prosecutor that I had seen before.

Just because I know a persons face or that they work for the govt does not mean they are not a threat.

Tell me again what YOU would have done in that situation, and tell me then how this scenario and some dude driving away in your truck are the same.

[Paladin]

You remember it wrong.

I remembered it how you explained it.

And, yes I can see your point about dealing with him first, and finding some cover would have been called for, but I would never have opened fire unless he made a threatening move or verbalization.

[txinvestigator]

You remember it wrong.

I remembered it how you explained it.

And, yes I can see your point about dealing with him first, and finding some cover would have been called for, but I would never have opened fire unless he made a threatening move or verbalization.

No kidding? And what did I do?

[Paladin]

You remember it wrong.

I remembered it how you explained it.

And, yes I can see your point about dealing with him first, and finding some cover would have been called for, but I would never have opened fire unless he made a threatening move or verbalization.

No kidding? And what did I do?

You said you would have shot him if he didn't put down the gun right away. Fortunately for him he put down the gun and you didn't kill him.

[txinvestigator]

You remember it wrong.

I remembered it how you explained it.

And, yes I can see your point about dealing with him first, and finding some cover would have been called for, but I would never have opened fire unless he made a threatening move or verbalization.

No kidding? And what did I do?

You said you would have shot him if he didn't put down the gun right away. Fortunately for him he put down the gun and you didn't kill him.

Exactly, I ordered him to put the gun down. Do you know about reaction time verses reaction time? A person can act and bring a gun up and fire in less time than it takes the other to observe the action, recognize it as a threat, decide what to do and then take action.

That means if he had decided to bring his gun up and fire he could have done so before I could have reacted and shot.

Again, what does this have to do with this topic?

[Paladin]

I've been through force on force and I have first hand experience with reaction time.

I understand exactly why you did what you did and it's nice to see that you're comming clean on it.

As I said I wouldn't have done that myself.

[Thane]

If I caught someone hooking up a tow-truck to my truck in the night, I wouldn't shoot at the driver. However, there's a very real possibility I'd empty the magazine into his tow-truck's tires, then reload while calling the cops.
See, my truck is paid for. It's an old truck, but I bought it used and paid cash. There never was a lien on it under my name, and the lien the original owner had was paid off in the early 90's.
Add to that the fact that my repainting home-job on the truck is rather... distinctive... and so there's not much chance of a repo-man making a mistake and grabbing the wrong vehicle. Still possible, but rather unlikely.
So in my situation, it's pretty much a safe bet that anyone hooking up to tow my truck is stealing it. Were it bought on a loan, things would be rather different.

I'd not even think of shooting at the tow-truck driver unless I believed him to be a threat to my person, not just to my vehicle. A few rounds into his truck's mechanicals and tires will stop his theft just as handily. If he jumps out and takes off running... well, tell the towing company, "I'm sorry I shot the truck he stole from them, and here's my description of what he looked like."


In the example situation, I'd definitely NOT shoot at the driver. He may have been legally justified, but I'd have a hard time morally justifying it. Shoulda just aimed at the tires; as stated, it's hard to steal a vehicle when your tow-truck's running on the rims.