Aware of other citizens?

[TJSieling]

Had a random thought while I was smoking and thought I would bring it up to everyone here.

Let's give an example that I see a pair of people, or a group of them, having a very heated discussion and a gun (or other deadly item) is pulled out and pointed at someone.

Am I obligated to pull out my own gun, even though it is not my fight? If I am given the chance to save someone's life at the possible expense of a threatening person, should I take it, even though it isn't my fight to begin with?

I heard someone say that the best way to keep yourself out of trouble is to keep out of other's problems, but something like that seems to require immediate action, even if it's not my problem.

 

[MarkM]

If you feel like the gunman is going to kill or harm anothe person you have the right to protect that person. Even if it means you have to pull the trigger. If you are licensed to carry and it is a clear cut case of self defense and you were defending a helpless person you will be good to go.

 

[TJSieling]

Alright. I know I'm nowhere near LEO status (hopefully I can say "yet), but it would cause many sleepless nights if I seen something like that and couldn't do anything about it.

 

[Joe Williams]

JOC, how do you know which is the bad guy, and which is the good guy?

 

[LEaSH]

You are not obligated to intervene. In fact, you're opening yourself up to liability and many dollars spent on legal fees.

Unless you're Charles Bronson, or you have a hero complex, better to have somebody call a cop and only use your weapon if you 100% certain it needs to be used.

 

[MarkM]

You are not obligated top intervene. In fact, you're open yourself up to liability and many dollars spent on legal fees.

Unless you're Charles Bronson, or you have a hero complex, better to have somebody call a cop and only use your weapon if you 100% certain it needs to be used.

+1 when i posted i meant to put extra stress on that you have to feel that they will KILL or EXTREMELY harm the individual before you intervene.

 

[TJSieling]

You are not obligated to intervene. In fact, you're opening yourself up to liability and many dollars spent on legal fees.

Unless you're Charles Bronson, or you have a hero complex, better to have somebody call a cop and only use your weapon if you 100% certain it needs to be used.

This is the reason why I asked. I have no real hero complex, it's just a thought.

This is why I ask questions here, I always get a lot of answers to think about.

So I'll try to put you guys in this situation. If you're walking around somewhere and then you see a guy waving a gun around while talking to another person (whether somewhat civilly or just losing his mind), what would you do?

 

[E5RANGER375]

your not obligated to do anything. If im in walmart and I see 2 hood rats arguing and then star shooting each other then i will seek safe cover and watch with excitement as 2 vermin eliminate each other. but i will be prepared to deffend myself if neccesary.
if i see a man hit a woman or a parent ABUSING (not spank) a child then thats 2 of the only times i will step in and open a can of whoop ass.
MAYBE if i see a robber about to kill someone i will do something but my priority is my family, friends and self first. the rest of the world can be cannon fodder for all i care until those people are safe. im not a cop BY PERSONAL CHOICE and damn proud of it. its not my job to police and save the world.

 

[figley]

your obligation is to yourself and your loved ones. ask them how they would feel if you got seriously injured or killed, because you were meddling in someone else's business.

you don't know the facts, and you don't know which side you'd be on if you did. you may be risking yourself to save someone who, if you knew all the facts, you may also deem as someone who "had it coming". you may interrupt another citizen who is in the process of using deadly force to save his own hide. ever heard of a cop going into home to quell a domestic dispute, only to end up with both parties against him?

healthy adult? they had just as much opportunity as you to apply for LTCH. I'd probably get myself away from the situation (don't invite the man into your life), and never lose sleep over it

child, disabled, or infirm? don't feel unjustified, and whether or not it is your "duty" may vary depending on your own very personal system of beliefs and ethics.

being a private sheepdog isn't an all-or-nothing game. you get to decide how many of the sheep you're willing to put yourself on the line for. from a personal standpoint, if you don't live in my house, or I've never lived in yours, chances are slim to none that I'm going to intervene in your personal business only to get shot or beaten, or shoot or beat someone else on your behalf.

 

[MarkM]

I would one call the police. Wait and watch while they are on thier way. And if it escalated to where the gun was being pointed at the other individual and i felt danger was iminent. I would then step in. I have no hero complex either, but i could never stand by and watch someone get hurt. But i would watch to make sure the guy with the gun is indeed the bad guy. Even a civil conversation. he should not have a gun out and waving it around what if it goes off and injures and innocent bystander.

 

[figley]

...or what E5RANGER said

 

[jbombelli]

I'm going to protect myself, my family, and my friends. Anybody else? Not my responsibility, not my problem. I'll call the police, and let them know what/where, but that's about it.

 

[88GT]

Had a random thought while I was smoking and thought I would bring it up to everyone here.

Let's give an example that I see a pair of people, or a group of them, having a very heated discussion and a gun (or other deadly item) is pulled out and pointed at someone.

Am I obligated to pull out my own gun,[NO] even though it is not my fight? If I am given the chance to save someone's life at the possible expense of a threatening person, should I take it,[DEPENDS] even though it isn't my fight to begin with?

I heard someone say that the best way to keep yourself out of trouble is to keep out of other's problems, but something like that seems to require immediate action, even if it's not my problem.

I witnessed that very thing one time. Except in my scenario both parties were thugs and more than likely criminals. On my property they started posturing, cussing, namecalling, and then one pulled a gun on the other.

I retreated back into the house and waiting for them to shoot and kill each other. I had no interest in jumping in to that melee and risking my own life. As I saw it, neither party was truly innocent, and removing one or both of them from the oxygen demand on this earth would have been the best of all endings. I went home disappointed on that front.

Ironically, as I'm watching this unfold, I distinctly remember thinking to myself: Wow. I believe Indiana law would actually permit me to shoot the guy with the gun in this situation. Then, discretion being the better part of valor, I walked backed into the house and prayed to the Lord that the walls were sufficient to stop whatever caliber he was using and to direct any fired rounds into the most deserving individuals.

 

[finity]

You are under no "obligation" to do anything. At least externally to you. If you CHOOSE to do something that is completely up to you & your values.

The only word of caution would be to make absolutely sure you know the FACTS of the situation before you act. If you've seen/heard the entire thing unfold & KNOW exactly who the GG & BG are then you are in much better shape than if you walked upon a situation already in progress. If that was me in that case there is NO WAY I would intervene.

As for the former I will go out on a limb & reply with a firm "it depends".

 

[RichardR]

The correct answer is to just yell: "you just got served suckas!" and then start break dancing in order to defuse the situation.

According to the urban documentary film Break Dance 2 Electric Boogaloo this is the proper way to handle potentially violent encounters with inner city youth.

 

[Hiram2005]

If it was a case of thugs, I would yell to them, that if you run out of ammo, I have more for ya!

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

It must be time for our monthly would-you-shoot-a-bad-guy thread too. Alzheimers must be setting in.

Depends. If it is obviously two bad guys I 'd grab popcorn and make sure the game remained between two players. No need to intervene in a personal dispute between dirtbags. Last thing you want to do is upset the balance of power in the wrong thugs's direction.

Having said that, if it's clearly a situation of an innocent person about to be smoked, that's a little tougher. It again depends on a lot of factors, but I'm probably more likely to engage a situation where I think the wrong person is about to be wronged more.