What is the proper way to interact with police during/after a Self-Defense situation?

[The Meach]

After the recent situation In Phoenix I got to thinking, what is the proper way to interact with police during/after a self-defense situation?

Situation 1: You are on the street/in a business/or in your home, A assailant attempts to commit a crime against you/the store/somebody near you and you draw your weapon and fire. The perp is down. police are on the way. What do you do once the cops are on the way? Anything to prepare? Once they arrive?

Situation 2: You are on the street/in a business/or in your home, A assailant attempts to commit a crime against you/the store/somebody near you and you draw your weapon and the perp instantly surrenders to you at the point of the gun. What do you do once the cops are on the way? Anything to prepare? Once they arrive?

If an LEO can chime in that would be great. I'd just like to know the proper way to act to show that you are the good guy, and avoid being shot yourself.

In a best case scenario that the Dispatcher or the officers on scene would instruct you, But this is assuming they didn't.

 

[infidel]

IANAL and have no training in this.

What I would do situation 1 : Call my lawyer right after I have reported it to the police. Keep gun in the low ready position, until police arrive, then do EXACTLY what they say because my life depends on it at that point. Tell police that I was in fear for my life and wish to speak to my lawyer. PERIOD, THATS ALL I SAY.

Situation 2: Same thing. If I have a gun on somebody and the police are coming, my lawyer is being notified ASAP.

 

[esigler]

Especially if your in "Occupied IL"!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

1. I holster the pistol.

2. I get my hands away from my body and open them and point at my attacker.

3. I yell for someone to call the police as I've just been attacked.

4. I do not move but look around.

5. I do what the police tell me to do.

If there may still be a threat, I'm seeking cover but doing the same thing.

Remember, "friendly fire" isn't.

 

[Astrocreep]

Giving the dispatcher an accurate description of yourself and asking them to relay this 'good guy is wearing...' info to the responding officers seems like a good idea.

Explaining the situation to the responding officers isn't always a bad idea. Especially if there are friends/relations of the attacker nearby. 99% of the time you will be made out to be the aggressor if they get to talk to the police and you keep quiet and ask for your lawyer.

If you made the call first, you are generally considered the victim. Don't wait and let someone else (potentially friendly to the bad guy) call first.

 

[melensdad]

The proper procedure is to ask for your lawyer to be present before answering any questions.

 

[AndersonIN]

NEVER! I repeat NEVER talk to the police! This is why............

"Don't Talk to the Police" by Professor James Duane#

 

[Kirk Freeman]

The proper procedure is to ask for your lawyer to be present before answering any questions

True, but your most immediate concern is not to get shot by responding officers like the guy in Arizona did.

 

[Pull Trigger Goes Bang]

Situation 2: You are on the street/in a business/or in your home, A assailant attempts to commit a crime against you/the store/somebody near you and you draw your weapon and the perp instantly surrenders to you at the point of the gun. What do you do once the cops are on the way? Anything to prepare? Once they arrive?

In Situation 2, I would be sorely tempted to tell the guy to get lost, holster my weapon, then call the cops.

My rule #1 of concealed carry: Never let someone kill me or someone I love, or commit serious bodily harm to the same.

My rule #2 of concealed carry: Never, never, never let the police roll up on me with a weapon in my hand.

If the police want me to hold their suspects for them until they get there, they can adopt two simple policies, then I would be happy to help them out:

1. Do not shoot innocent people out of confusion as to who is a threat.
2. Do not treat the good guys like suspects, as in put them in handcuffs.

Police would like to do the former, but mistakes happen (e.g., Phoenix). They have no intention of doing the latter.

I really don't think that holding living, uninjured suspects for the police is a good idea.

 

[haldir]

#1 As I saw them rolling up, I would set the handgun on the ground take a few steps away and put my hands on top of my head and start yelling, I am the one that called.

#2 This is a tough one. I would have to assess how likely it is that the perp would take off or grab my weapon if I set it down. I would certainly start yelling that I was the one that called 911.

 

[Shay]

If you are no longer in immediate danger:

1. Get behind cover or put something between you and the bad guy(s)
2. Top off your pistol
3. Put it back in your holster
4. Self check for wounds/start self aid
5. Dial 911 and tell them what you need (police, fire, EMS...) and where you need it
6. Stop talking
7. When officers respond, comply with their requests/orders
8. Politely tell them you would like to speak to your attorney before answering any questions/stop talking
9. Prepare to spend a night or two in jail

 

[DesertDoc]

Okay, Im a LEO and I would recommend that you holster the weapon if the assailant is down. As soon as you see a LEO arrive get your hands up and follow all commands. You are probably going to be ordered to the ground possibly at gun point. Dont freak out, stay calm and do as told. You may be handcuffed. Once the LEO feels the scene is safe he/she will began gaining information. I would recommend telling the LEO what happened and that you were in fear for your life or felt the suspect would take someone elses life. As long as your story checks out you will be good. I have never responded to this type of situation as of yet. I would recommend you tell dispatch exactly what your wearing and hopefully they will relay this to the officers responding. Dont feel you did something wrong if you are initially detained. Look at it from my perspective. I'm being sent to a shooting that just occured and I dont know who the good guy or bad guy is. I dont even know if there is a good guy or if two thugs just shot it out. I dont know how many suspects or guns are going to be involved. Initially our response is probably going to be pretty heavy handed. Stay calm and dont be offended. YOU are the good guy. Once everything is explained you will walk away from this unscathed.

 

[AndersonIN]

Okay, Im a LEO and I would recommend that you holster the weapon if the assailant is down. As soon as you see a LEO arrive get your hands up and follow all commands. You are probably going to be ordered to the ground possibly at gun point. Dont freak out, stay calm and do as told. You may be handcuffed. Once the LEO feels the scene is safe he/she will began gaining information. I would recommend telling the LEO what happened and that you were in fear for your life or felt the suspect would take someone elses life. As long as your story checks out you will be good. I have never responded to this type of situation as of yet. I would recommend you tell dispatch exactly what your wearing and hopefully they will relay this to the officers responding. Dont feel you did something wrong if you are initially detained. Look at it from my perspective. I'm being sent to a shooting that just occured and I dont know who the good guy or bad guy is. I dont even know if there is a good guy or if two thugs just shot it out. I dont know how many suspects or guns are going to be involved. Initially our response is probably going to be pretty heavy handed. Stay calm and dont be offended. YOU are the good guy. Once everything is explained you will walk away from this unscathed.

By YOUR LAWYER, "Once everything is explained you will walk away from this unscathed"

 

[LCSOSgt11]

I can only STRONGLY suggest that you lay the weapon down and be in proximity to it when the cavalry comes. Or holster it.

DO NOT attempt to grab onto it.

If it is holstered, leave it there. We'll get it.

Have some ID handy, have your CCW permit MIGHTY handy, and in your hands when the cavalry shows up.

Be prepared to answer some simple questions. Someone that immediately says "I want my lawyer" might as well say "Oops, I just whacked someone and don't want to talk about it."

With that said, remember, if the facts are that you were the subject of a felonious assault, and if the other participant is no longer talking, you may have to be able to prove your position. You may be arrested.

You may be handcuffed. YOU know the facts of what happened, we don't (yet). What we see is someone with holes in their hide that should'nt be there and you telling us that you are armed and have a carry permit. What would you think?

I have no problem whatsoever respecting someone's rights and I recognize that we all have a right to an attorney. However, in the "fog of war" that may be one of the last things a policeman worries about. First and foremost, we worry about coming home in one piece. Don't think for a moment that the police know who you are and know that you have a CCW permit. Assuming makes an *** out of U and ME.

Am I sort of demanding that you should tell us a brief synopsis of the situation? No, but saying nothing at a potential homicide scene does make one wonder, especially only if there were two of you there, and you are left standing. Make no mistake, the facts will come out, but after you would be so gracious to provide the scenario of the incident.

I know, the lawyers out there will probably pillory me for mentioning the above. There are not many attorneys that will show up at a shooting scene (unless their title is preceded by "Prosecutor"), but we're talking real world here. If YOU did not call the police, someone else did, and here we have a shooting where someone is dead, and that other participant wants their attorney. Under those specific circumstances, at the very least, you will be cordially invited to come to the police station where your attorney will be contacted. You should hope that he or she will be accomodating and show up.

The comments that I have listed above are not designed to intimidate, frighten, or cajole someone into talking without an attorney present. I base my comments on twenty-seven years of real law enforcement experience, and also with a significant portion of that investigating serious crimes against the person.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

Here's Massad Ayoob's take on the subject:

Guns & Ammo 2.0 Videos

 

[haldir]

I really have no desire to be thrown to the ground and my arms pulled behind my back (I have a bad shoulder that would cause me great pain). Will the LEOs give a crap?

 

[Jay]

STAY ON THE PHONE WITH THE DISPATCHER. He/she is your only communications link to the responding officers, prior to their arrival. If the dispatcher doesn't tell you what to do, ASK..... your best advice is gonna come from those officers arriving on scene. If those arriving officers encounter surprises....they aren't gonna like it, and YOU aren't gonna like it either...

 

[CombatVet]

STAY ON THE PHONE WITH THE DISPATCHER. He/she is your only communications link to the responding officers, prior to their arrival. If the dispatcher doesn't tell you what to do, ASK..... your best advice is gonna come from those officers arriving on scene. If those arriving officers encounter surprises....they aren't gonna like it, and YOU aren't gonna like it either...

Good call! Communication is usually the key to every bad situation in my humble opinion!

 

[IndyGunSafety]

Can somebody post a link to the Phoenix story? I have not seen it.

 

[IndyGunSafety]

If you are no longer in immediate danger:

1. Get behind cover or put something between you and the bad guy(s)
2. Top off your pistol
3. Put it back in your holster
4. Self check for wounds/start self aid
5. Dial 911 and tell them what you need (police, fire, EMS...) and where you need it
6. Stop talking
7. When officers respond, comply with their requests/orders
8. Politely tell them you would like to speak to your attorney before answering any questions/stop talking
9. Prepare to spend a night or two in jail

I agree. I'm not about to take my eyes off the badguy to funble through my wallet and get my ID and LTCH. The LEO's will have plenty of time to sort those things out. Clear the area and break tunnel vision. There may be more bad guys. Then like Shay said, get to cover, top off, call 911 and ask for police AND AN AMBULANCE for the BADGUY. This helps show some intent not to kill, just to defend. I'm not going to get into a long distracting conversation with the dispatcher either. As the LEO arrives I'll holster unless for some reason I didn't see him coming.

It's great to think about a plan, but there are so many variables and "what ifs" that it is hard to plan for every possibility. Good discussion. It just goes to show how we will all act in different ways and that LEO's will face different reactions from different people, adding to their stress as well.