Nightmare scenario Part 1. What would you do?

[grimor]

So the impersonator in this scenario is driving a car that is the same make and model of the local LEO cars. He is not in uniform (obviously) so there is no way to be sure that he is a LEO. You don't know that he isn't LEO, but you don't know that they guy in the flannel is a state police officer either. If the guy in the flannel dies as a result of being hit with your car, how would you feel about that? You just killed a state police officer while he was in the course of defending himself from a man with a gun.

yeah, life's a ***** like that... Some times we have to make decisions based on what we know at the time and live with it. I can make up scenarios all day long with a gotcha in them. "Oh but the bum was actually a super government ninja fighting a communist disguised as a pork chop" "the man shooting at you was actually shooting mosquitoes carrying malaria and just saved your life"

I learned a long time ago to make the best decision I can, based on the intel I have at the time. No regrets for doing your best, regardless of the out come.

 

[jbombelli]

My first thought is... that impersonator spent a lot of money making his car look like the local Chargers. I see them all the time and know what they look like.

That said, I answered the way I did to find out if this was a trick. It was. Every time I've answered questions like this on internet forums it's turned into a trick, with a "you just killed the cop" explanation, or a "you didn't see the other bad guys" or "the police will show up and kill you, too."

This is why my general rule is Don't Get Involved In Other People's Problems. I guess I can call 911 as I drive away, maybe. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll think it's a bad cop getting shot at by his drug dealer after trying to rob him. And if either one of them or both of them ends up dead because it takes someone 5 minutes to get there, that's not my problem. And believe me, I won't feel bad about my decision to leave somebody else there to get his brains blown out.

 

[JDonhardt]

This gun fight is not my business. Since its taking place a mile and a half from my home, get home ASAP. Do not even consider firing a shot so long as my vehicle is capable of driving away.

 

[eldirector]

Yeah, I'm thinking 911 and be a good (and safe) witness.

Kill my lights, reverse to a safe distance, pull off of the road, and get 911 on the phone. Stay until backup arrives or it is no longer safe. Let the 911 operator know what I'm doing, and where I'm going, in case they need my info later.

No way I'm wading into the thick of things. Especially since I would have NO idea what just went down.

 

[ChaoticMunky]

Not weighing in on this one, but just FYI: In Indiana, for an officer to make a legitimate traffic stop, either he must be in a marked unit or he must be in full uniform.

(emphasis mine)

Blessings,
Bill

Which is why I'd call 9-1-1, let them know of the situation, throw my truck in reverse, and keep an eye on the situation until marked/uniformed officers arrive.

 

[Bubba]

A strange game. It seems the only winning move is not to play.

.

 

[Dashman010]

Edited for content -- see post below.

 

[Dashman010]

So the impersonator in this scenario is driving a car that is the same make and model of the local LEO cars. He is not in uniform (obviously) so there is no way to be sure that he is a LEO. You don't know that he isn't LEO, but you don't know that they guy in the flannel is a state police officer either. If the guy in the flannel dies as a result of being hit with your car, how would you feel about that? You just killed a state police officer while he was in the course of defending himself from a man with a gun.

Lets say I'm in a bank and a guy comes in and slips the teller a note that says "I have a gun -- give me all the money." You're in the next lane over when the teller gives you "the look" and you realize what's going on. You pull your weapon and yell some variation of "freeze" and the guy turns towards you with his hand in his inside pocket. You pull the trigger.

Unfortunately, the guy was the father of 3 kids, 1 of which has some life threatening, flesh eating disease that his insurance won't cover that will kill her in a week without some surgery. He also just got laid off by his employer who fired him for having mental impediment that prohibits his ability to make a decent wage. He's blue collar and has been a worker every day of his life. He's nice to friends and family and nicer to strangers. He was simply doing what he thought his only option was for his kid -- his blood. Turns out he had a cell phone in his pocket, and no gun. And you shot him? Really?

Of course you did. You looked at the situation and reasoned what the most probable scenario was and reacted to save the lives of the people you thought needed saving, including your own. In your officer impersonation scenario, you reacted to save someone you thought worth saving. You might regret your decision in hindsight, but you didn't have that benefit when you had to make the decision. The BG in this case is going to get a murder charge in the end as well. But flip it -- what if you didn't act and it turns out the guy running to the back of the car was a LEO and flannel guy was some crazy a**hole. And you just drove by to learn later that the flannel guy chased the LEO to the back of the car and killed him. My guess is you'd regret that inaction as well.

Point of the matter being that decisions aren't perfect. You will never know all the facts of a situation before you have to make a decision. Things may come out wrong in the end in some small percentage of cases, but if you make reasoned decisions based on the facts you have and the reasonable inferences from those facts, the vast vast majority of the time your decisions will be sound. That's all anyone -- including a jury -- can ask for.

 

[BrandonM]

.

I agree with joshuas post. Btw thats a funny movie he quoted too lol

 

[cosermann]

Ah, the dangers of intervention:

http://www.stoppingpower.net/commentary/comm_dangers_in_intervention.asp