Have you intervened?

[jsharmon7]

The recent thread about the MARTA gang violence led me to an interesting question. The referenced thread is here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...e_of_teens_attack_rob_marta_passengers-2.html

Have you ever intervened in a stranger's violent situation? If so, what was the scenario? Have you had the chance but for some reason decided not to do so? Has the situation never arisen for you? The poll is PRIVATE so please be honest. If you feel like explaining your reason for not getting involved, feel free to do so if you choose, but I certainly understand if you choose not to explain.

 

[eldirector]

I've broken up a few fights between teens when living in Indy. Confronted some "neighbors" renting a room in the house behind us when they were taking swings at each other (guy, gal, and both drunk). Ran off a group of 3-4 young "men" harassing a girl walking home from school.

Yeah, nothing like that other thread. I just have about this much >.< patience for punks any more.

About the only time I would NOT intervene is if it would put my wife and/or daughter at risk. I've packed them out of uncomfortable situations a few times as well (current neighbor, who I don't care for, was having a fight in the street with some random dude. We just turned the car around, and passed the responding cop on our way back out).

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

i voted yes, although upon further thinking, maybe it should be a never came up. broke up fights among drunk friends, but that doesn't count. the one time i was thinking of was when i was still in college. girlfriend and i were walking to my car when we saw two guys jump on another across the parking lot. i took off to make sure he didn't get messed up, thought the 2 on 1 was unfair. by the time i got there, he had laid one guy out, and the 2nd thought better of it, and left his friend lying there. fight was over by the time i got there, and never did find out what it was all about.

 

[INyooper]

A couple years ago, my neighbors in the duplex I lived in were clearly having a "domestic altercation" moment. The walls between us are actually fairly sound-deadening, though I can "share" my music with the other occupants if I try hard enough!

In any event, it was girlfriend, boyfriend, and girlfriend's teen-aged son in their home at the time. Boyfriend was definitely unhappy with teen-aged son. Words spewing from bf's mouth, loud impacts, the sound of items hitting walls, and screams from both teen-aged son and gf were evidence of something going on that wasn't good.

Like others might do, I initially rationalized the ruckus ...and turned up the tv. After several moments of this continuing, my conscious got the better of me. I went to their front door and asked if there was anything wrong; that what I heard was quite concerning. GF answered the door and said they were "just playing." At that time, BF came out from a bed room and yelled, "what the F#$% does he want?" I told GF that it didn't sound like anyone was "playing" and that I was considering calling the police if it had continued or gotten worse.

The rest of the night was quiet ....and they had moved out within the next few weeks. :/

FWIW, while I was carrying, no guns or other weapons were involved on anyone's part, nor were needed.

Also, FWIW, the "bystander effect" is alive and well in the world we live in. If you're not happy with it, you're welcome to take action to disprove such research!

 

[johenz]

I only intervened once when I was a young soldier. It's really the only opportunity I've ever had.

I was sitting in a bar with some friends having a beer when a guy walked in and grabbed the girl sitting a few stools down off the barstool by her hair. My buddy and I grabbed the dude off her and with the help of a pool cue convinced him to leave the bar. In the meantime, the bartender had called the cops. The woman had a bloody nose. She told the cops that she had fallen down and refused to say anything more.

About a week later, my bud and I stopped by the same bar for a beer and I'll be damned if Mr. and Mrs. America aren't going at it again. We found another bar and never looked back.

 

[Que]

I went to a guy's apartment over us and stopped him from beating his wife. That idiot got an Article 15 and was eventually got a bad conduct discharge. I also stopped a few high school fights in my travels. None of these encounters ever involved weapons.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I voted no but when I read johenz's post above, it jogged my memory of one event where I probably could have done something, but didn't. This was a long time ago when my wife and I were in Knoxville, TN. We went down for a football game and had stopped to eat at a FF restaurant. I didnt hear it going on until my wife pointed out that a man and a girl behind the counter were having an arguement. And all of a sudden, he said "well you're taking a night off", reached over the counter, grabbed her, and took off with her out the door. It was just that fast and they were gone. And the restaurant was fairly busy at the time too. I'd never seen anything like that before or since.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

A couple years ago, on my way back to the train station after training at the Aikido Hombu dojo in Shinjuku, I saw a Yakuza-ish looking a-hole verbally abuse and shove a hostess-ish looking woman on the street. I immediately walked over and put myself physically between them and (loosely translated) told the turd to keep his hands to himself, and let him know that if he was looking for a partner to do the Man Dance with, that my dance card was empty. Having just come from class at the Mecca of Aikido, I was more than ready to take care of business if he was feeling froggy enough to jump.

He didn't say anything, and even though he was physically larger than me, he sheepishly walked off because he knew he was in the wrong. I then turned to her and told her she shouldn't tolerate that BS, which I have no doubt didn't make a damn bit of difference in whatever relationship there was between the two. All I know is I couldn't walk by and do nothing.

As a (former) Marine and a life-long student of the martial arts and warrior ethos/mindset, I don't step aside, I step up...

 

[edsinger]

Knife situation, I was 12...it was in a Nashville Bus station.

The Cop was SO mad with me, but I just had to do something. I grabbed the $^%$heads arm and held on for dear life until the cop got there.


No one was hurt, and the %**head went to jail.

 

[TN_Mike]

For me, it's never really come up. But I can tell you, it would have to be something really special for me to get involved in it.

Two adults slugging it out, who cares. Go ahead.

Some drunk idiot and his drunk idiot girlfriend fighting? Who cares? Sounds like they were made for each other.

One drunk swinging at another drunk? Who cares?

Two urban youths trying to kill each other? I hope they both win.

Someone trying to snatch a kid? I'm probably going to get involved.

Some male dragging a woman into an alley and she's screaming help me? I'll probably get involved.

Since my wife and kids are usually with me if we are out and about, my first duty is to keep them safe. I can't do that if I am trying to get between two numbskulls who want to hit each other. My typical response would be to hustle the family out of there. maybe call 911 and tell the cops what is going on. I'm not a cop. My gun is to protect my children, my wife and me.

By the way, the wife is always armed too. So we make a pretty good team.

 

[The Gavman]

I did about 5 months ago, a guy was choking his gf in an alley and I pulled him off her. What I got in return was a broken nose and a disorderly conduct charge because the gf wouldn't press charges against the guy. The outcome is still pending so doing the right thing has left a bad taste in my mouth however I would do it again though I would just knock the guy out and run next time.

 

[Chase515]

I voted had the chance! Most of the time if a guy is getting his ass kicked he deserved it. If it involves a female I always step in. Whats the point of this thread? Nobody is going to admit to not stepping in on a fight. If you walk into a bar and two dudes r slugging it out turn around and go somewhere else. If you walk in a bar and a guy is hitting a chick and everyone is watching turn around and go somewhere else. Lets ask a more loaded question who has pulled a gun on someone?

 

[Gabriel]

I did about 5 months ago, a guy was choking his gf in an alley and I pulled him off her. What I got in return was a broken nose and a disorderly conduct charge because the gf wouldn't press charges against the guy.

Unfortunately this is going to be the most likely outcome for getting involved in something that doesn't involve you.

I intervene for a living and the results aren't much better. Victims won't usually press charges, and in some instances simply attack you while you're dealing with the suspect.

 

[joekoug]

About fifteen years ago I was riding the subway in Chicago on my way to school. There was a group of very loud and very obnoxious girls bothering all of the passengers. One guy gets up and gets in her face and tells her to shut her trap. She tells him to eff off and he grabbed her by the throat. At that time I got up and tried to break up the craziness and the girl said something to this effect, "I don't need to f*&^%ng help form no white boy."

She pulled a bic pen out of her pocket and stabbed the guy in the neck two or three times. The train pulled up to the next stop and all parties involved jumped off of the train and ran to separate station exits. I never saw anything on the news or in the paper.

It was a very very interesting altercation to say the least. Good ol Chicago...

 

[superjoe76]

I did about 5 months ago, a guy was choking his gf in an alley and I pulled him off her. What I got in return was a broken nose and a disorderly conduct charge because the gf wouldn't press charges against the guy. The outcome is still pending so doing the right thing has left a bad taste in my mouth however I would do it again though I would just knock the guy out and run next time.

As the saying goes, "No good deed goes unpunished."

I have intervened watching smaller kids walk down the street and new bigger kids were waiting and obviously up to no good!

 

[kickbacked]

i have broken up a couple fights, had a guy charge a girl and stepped infront of him to hold him back. other than that nothing to my knowledge

 

[Sticky]

For me, it's never really come up. But I can tell you, it would have to be something really special for me to get involved in it.

Two adults slugging it out, who cares. Go ahead.

Some drunk idiot and his drunk idiot girlfriend fighting? Who cares? Sounds like they were made for each other.

One drunk swinging at another drunk? Who cares?

Two urban youths trying to kill each other? I hope they both win.

Someone trying to snatch a kid? I'm probably going to get involved.

Some male dragging a woman into an alley and she's screaming help me? I'll probably get involved.
...

^ That looks like my own criteria. I might call 911 if an "innocent party" appears to be involved.

I intervened twice, once when 6-7 15 to 20 year-olds were beating up another juvenile. They all waited 'till the police arrived, which surprised me. No weapons were drawn.

The first time was very unremarkable.

 

[db1959]

A friend and I helped a cop once who was getting his ass handed to him by a drunk. We just grabbed the guy and held him until the cop could get the cuffs on him.

About 10 years ago I was driving through town and saw 2 teenagers picking on someone a little younger than them. Next thing I know one of the punks decks the poor kid. As the kid was lying on the ground they started kicking him, then one of the punks drops down and started punching the kid in the side of the head. I pulled up, got out of the car and told them to stop it. The one still standing stepped back but the other one ignored me so I kicked him in the face and they took off running. The kid that got beat up wasnt hurt bad. I flagged a cop down, he called the EMTs and took statements. Never did hear the outcome.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I voted that the situation has never come up, but one night, at the south Walmart in TH, I thought I was going to have to.

What transpired: Elderly gentleman waiting on a parking spot near the entrance. Person had got in their car, and he was waiting for them to back out. Person took unusually long amount of time before starting the car and backing out. 2nd car waiting behind 1st car was a beater, windows down, gangster music playing. Guy keeps honking and yelling and waving his arm outside the window. Elderly gentleman motions several times for the car to go around. The 2nd car refused to just go around, instead he just kept honking and yelling. I'm in the 3rd car, my senses go on alert. Car finally backs out, 1st car pulls in. 2nd car stops behind 1st car, gives a death stare, then moves on. I find my parking spot and get out, elderly gentleman is still sitting in his car, seemingly in a state of shock or concern. This was a good move on his part. Gangster thug or whatever he was parks his car and heads straight for the car of the elderly gentleman. I stopped just inside the door of Walmart. Not only was I a great witness to what transpired, I just didn't want anything to happen to this guy. So I watched. The thug walks around the guys car several times, yelling screaming, nearly to the point of rage. But not once did he touch the car, or making any seriously threatening motions. So I only observed. Finally he walks back to his car, and the older gentleman backed out of the spot and left (probably a good move on his part). We then continued our shopping trip.

 

[88GT]

Shoot! I voted "situation has never arisen" but almost immediately remembered otherwise. I've seen two groups of gang-banger thug types verbally spar on the front lawn of one of my rental units. At one point, one of them pulled a gun on another.

Since in this case, I didn't necessarily see either side as an innocent victim, I left well enough alone and retreated to the interior of the home. I chose not to intervene, but for less than laudable reasons.

So I suppose I'm actually somewhere between the two answers.