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This is based on something I saw on the way home from work this evening.

Driving north on a 40mph posted limit road, shortly after I passed through a green light two cars passed me going 60+, weaving in and out, in 5 o'clock traffic. I lost sight of them up the road and kind of figured they were just a couple of crazy kids.

Shortly I came upon the two cars off the road in, and blocking, a parking lot entrance. The passenger door of car one was open and car two's bumper was right up to it. The driver's door of car one was closed, but the driver's door of car two was part way open. These were civilian cars in every aspect.

As I spotted the cars off the side, before I observed their positions, I saw four people running toward a door in a small strip mall. Two pairs separated by a few feet, with the ones that were behind giving every appearance of chasing the ones in front. They charged in a door in the two pairs.

When I got along side of the cars, just a couple of seconds later, I noted their positioning and began to speculate on what was transpiring. Having had to slow for a light I took a second, more careful, look around before grabbing my gun, or my cell phone.

My question, then, is what should be done in the limited circumstances that I saw? This appeared to be some sort of road rage chase.

I know a lot more from my observation, just want to see what might be said would or should have been done under the circumstances leading up to the point where I began to figure out what was really happening.

My opinion would be to keep driving.

If your gut tells you that something is wrong, call the police. If you saw a plate number that would be helpful to them.

For sure keep driving. Remember we as CHL holders must AVOID trouble. Stopping to try to defuse a situation might not help a thing. Also yes they could be cops. When I worked in LE I knew Federal Agents that drive cars that I know nobody would ever even THINK was a cop car. They had no lights, no siren, and most were foriegn made and had plates that if ran went to an empty field or a PO box that never got checked. Anyhow even if it was road rage just call the cops. To tell you the truth even if one was beating up on the other I would just be a good witness, and not try to stop anything unless the one getting beaten was about to get beat to death. Even then I would be apprehensive to pull a gun. Just drive on and be a good witness, get plates, call the cops.

1. Be a witness.

2. Don't be an obvious witness (aka, "target")!

Pull past far enough to be safe, then pull over so you can see what is going on. If you see something that warrants calling the police, then do so. Otherwise, satisfy yourself, then drive on.

Kevin

Write it down...Take a picture...etc etc...

I love my Razor phone...Works real good, because my memory may not really be all that it used to be...

Its my second most powerful tool I carry on me everyday...

The first is between the ears...

(Steve gets ready for ALL the wisecracks!!! )

Well, a couple of days and only a few answers, and pretty much sage advice.

I was actually in the process of dialing 911 when I noticed that the door they were running toward (and it really did look like some kind of chase) was one of those strip mall emergency clinics. Right about that time I also spotted an ambulance coming down the southbound side and watched as it turned into the other drive of the strip mall and pulled up out front.

I have to assume that the people invoved in the "chase" were on their way to the clinic because of an emergency situation, probably involving someone who was already there because of the rapid arrival of the EMTs.

But seeing the cars race by, and the appearance of them chasing each other, and then seeing the cars stopped the way they were and the foot chase, both cranked my adrenalin level WAY up and I actually pulled into the next parking lot to do the last observations and dial the cell phone.

I felt really strange telling the 911 operator "never mind" because the situation seemed to be a medical call that was being handled.

We have two sons that are diabetic and when they were younger we had an emergency or two that required our driving very fast to get to where they were.

Now I am very careful to give the margin of doubt to anyone driving fast or trying to make extra headway and say a prayer that their's is not a medical emergency and that they don't cause one on the way there.