Would you, Could you, with a gun?

[SiNNiK]

If you, for whatever reason, were armed and witnessed this, would you intervene on that woman's behalf?

I would most likely not get involved.

 

[Emily L]

Sinnik, the host of that video is so offensive--in more than one way--that I had to stop watching at the 2:24 mark. But I think I heard enough to be able to answer your question.

I'm very much a coward, but if I had a gun, I would have pulled it out, aimed it at him and stood between him and the woman. I would tell the woman to run out the door as I tried to continue to hold the man at bay, and I would ask somebody there to call the cops. If the man charged me--or threatened anybody else in the store--I guess I would have to pull the trigger, but it would haunt me the rest of my life.

It's easy for me to think I might be able to do that, but all I know for sure is that I would desperately pray that God would lead me to do the right thing.

(Things like this remind me how tough a cop has to be. God bless them.)

 

[SiNNiK]

Sinnik, the host of that video is so offensive--in more than one way--that I had to stop watching at the 2:24 mark. But I think I heard enough to be able to answer your question.

I'm very much a coward, but if I had a gun, I would have pulled it out, aimed it at him and stood between him and the woman. I would tell the woman to run out the door as I tried to continue to hold the man at bay, and I would ask somebody there to call the cops. If the man charged me--or threatened anybody else in the store--I guess I would have to pull the trigger, but it would haunt me the rest of my life.

It's easy for me to think I might be able to do that, but all I know for sure is that I would desperately pray that God would lead me to do the right thing.

(Things like this remind me how tough a cop has to be. God bless them.)

Thank you for a well written response.

 

[ttwtt78640]

If you, for whatever reason, were armed and witnessed this, would you intervene on that woman's behalf?

I would most likely not get involved.

No need for an armed response to an aggressive pan handler.

The YouTube video is terrible due to the profanity laced narrative of the morons accompanying the news report. The “reporter” never got the woman to allege any criminal act had been committed by the homeless man. It was never stated whether (or not) the woman reported the ‘encounter’ to police after she ‘escaped with her life’.

The woman claimed that she wanted the Subway employees to call 911 (to say what was never stated). That doesn’t require use of a gun. I saw no life threatening actions or any physical contact between the homeless man and woman in the video.

 

[ataraxia]

No need for an armed response to an aggressive pan handler.

The YouTube video is terrible due to the profanity laced narrative of the morons accompanying the news report. The “reporter” never got the woman to allege any criminal act had been committed by the homeless man. It was never stated whether (or not) the woman reported the ‘encounter’ to police after she ‘escaped with her life’.

The woman claimed that she wanted the Subway employees to call 911 (to say what was never stated). That doesn’t require use of a gun. I saw no life threatening actions or any physical contact between the homeless man and woman in the video.

When you give the general public unrestricted access to powerful weapons, you’re going to get stupid things happening. Not everyone in the public is a wise freedom-loving patriot.

 

[ttwtt78640]

When you give the general public unrestricted access to powerful weapons, you’re going to get stupid things happening. Not everyone in the public is a wise freedom-loving patriot.

This is true, yet the (most often suggested “gun control”) alternative seems to be converting our 2A rights into mere state issued privileges. BTW, having folks declared as ‘prohibited persons’ (thus possession of any gun is a crime) isn’t allowing them unrestricted access to guns.

 

[zincwarrior]

Welcome to Subway!

 

[ataraxia]

This is true, yet the (most often suggested “gun control”) alternative seems to be converting our 2A rights into mere state issued privileges.

Yes- which is the sensible thing to do.

Modern technology has made the 2A dangerously obsolete. The kind of weapons the general public has access to these days is way too dangerous for unscreened and untrained civilians during peacetime, and essentially useless as a deterrent against a potentially tyrannical modern government, which was the original purpose of the amendment.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Welcome to Subway!

Welcome to anywhere that permits ‘mentally challenged’, homeless, aggressive pan handlers to roam freely among us.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Yes- which is the sensible thing to do.

Modern technology has made the 2A dangerously obsolete. The kind of weapons the general public has access to these days is way too dangerous for unscreened and untrained civilians during peacetime, and essentially useless as a deterrent against a potentially tyrannical modern government, which was the original purpose of the amendment.

Hmm… what, exactly, are the “kind of weapons” for which you would require “screening and training” (by ???) to (legally) possess?

Of course, whatever 2A ‘infringements’ you propose would have to be acceptable to the majority of our current SCOTUS justices.

 

[SiNNiK]

No need for an armed response to an aggressive pan handler.

The YouTube video is terrible due to the profanity laced narrative of the morons accompanying the news report. The “reporter” never got the woman to allege any criminal act had been committed by the homeless man. It was never stated whether (or not) the woman reported the ‘encounter’ to police after she ‘escaped with her life’.

The woman claimed that she wanted the Subway employees to call 911 (to say what was never stated). That doesn’t require use of a gun. I saw no life threatening actions or any physical contact between the homeless man and woman in the video.

Thank you for your response.

 

[zincwarrior]

My funmeter is low. I was hoping to see them start sandwiches and toppings at the BG, while shouting "welcome to Subway!"

 

[JMB1911A1]

Sinnik, the host of that video is so offensive--in more than one way--that I had to stop watching at the 2:24 mark. But I think I heard enough to be able to answer your question.

I'm very much a coward, but if I had a gun, I would have pulled it out, aimed it at him and stood between him and the woman. I would tell the woman to run out the door as I tried to continue to hold the man at bay, and I would ask somebody there to call the cops. If the man charged me--or threatened anybody else in the store--I guess I would have to pull the trigger, but it would haunt me the rest of my life.

It's easy for me to think I might be able to do that, but all I know for sure is that I would desperately pray that God would lead me to do the right thing.

(Things like this remind me how tough a cop has to be. God bless them.)

And you would be breaking the law. Brandishing. The only reason to draw your firearm is to respond to the threat of deadly force.

I will use my firearm to protect me and my family from threats. That is it.

 

[Emily L]

And you would be breaking the law. Brandishing. The only reason to draw your firearm is to respond to the threat of deadly force.

I will use my firearm to protect me and my family from threats. That is it.

"Brandishing"? Why wouldn't it be protecting the life of the woman who was being threatened?

 

[JMB1911A1]

"Brandishing"? Why wouldn't it be protecting the life of the woman who was being threatened?

Varies depending on state. Under Florida state statute 790.10, it’s illegal for any person to exhibit a firearm or other weapon in a “rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner.” Under this statute, the reckless display of any weapon is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 in fines.

If you or anther person are not under credible threat of deadly force (yelling is not deadly force), then there is no reason to draw a firearm. This guy was rude and yelling. Not a threat.

Now, if he physically attacks her or draws/raises a weapon capable of deadly force (baseball bat, skateboard, knife, firearm), then circumstances change.

 

[Emily L]

Varies depending on state. Under Florida state statute 790.10, it’s illegal for any person to exhibit a firearm or other weapon in a “rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner.” Under this statute, the reckless display of any weapon is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 in fines.

If you or anther person are not under credible threat of deadly force (yelling is not deadly force), then there is no reason to draw a firearm. This guy was rude and yelling. Not a threat.

Now, if he physically attacks her or draws/raises a weapon capable of deadly force (baseball bat, skateboard, knife, firearm), then circumstances change.

The woman was moving away from the man, and he was going after her in a threatening manner. Would I have to wait until he actually stuck her before trying to stop him? That would be a bad thing.

I'm confident that what I would have done would not have broken any laws. My defending the safety of the woman would not be "rude, careless, angry or in a threatening manner." Those phrases are meant to describe someone who pulls out a gun for no good reason, and I'm sure this would be a very good reason.

 

[JMB1911A1]

The woman was moving away from the man, and he was going after her in a threatening manner. Would I have to wait until he actually stuck her before trying to stop him? That would be a bad thing.

I'm confident that what I would have done would not have broken any laws. My defending the safety of the woman would not be "rude, careless, angry or in a threatening manner." Those phrases are meant to describe someone who pulls out a gun for no good reason, and I'm sure this would be a very good reason.

Honestly, I expect that might be arrested and then offered a plea deal. Ot you might go to trial with all the risk that entails.

 

[JMB1911A1]

The woman was moving away from the man, and he was going after her in a threatening manner. Would I have to wait until he actually stuck her before trying to stop him? That would be a bad thing.

I'm confident that what I would have done would not have broken any laws. My defending the safety of the woman would not be "rude, careless, angry or in a threatening manner." Those phrases are meant to describe someone who pulls out a gun for no good reason, and I'm sure this would be a very good reason.

Some guidance:

Should You Use Self Defense Guns to Defend a Stranger?

Better understand the answer to the question, “Should you use your self-defense guns to defend a stranger?” by PDN.

www.personaldefensenetwork.com

Don’t introduce a weapon unless its use is justified … and you would actually use it.​

• Pulling out a gun to stop someone from verbally abusing another person would be reckless. Pulling a gun on someone for stabbing, raping or abducting someone would be reasonable. Consider that the justification for using lethal force to defend someone else will basically be the same as you would face for using it to defend yourself. If you wouldn’t use your gun to protect yourself from whatever you are witnessing, don’t bring it into the situation hoping to calm things down. The fact is that you would actually be escalating the event.

So, if you were in her place and had a firearm, would you pull it?

 

[Emily L]

I would gladly go to jail for trying to keep that woman from harm.

Having said that, I'll respectfully bow out of this thread. It might be a while before I go to a Subway again.

 

[ttwtt78640]

"Brandishing"? Why wouldn't it be protecting the life of the woman who was being threatened?

What (beyond a reasonable doubt) evidence exists that she was being threatened or had been a victim of any crime? The homeless man could easily say that he was simply trying to reach the chips or examine some other items in the store.

Basing your freedom and retaining your 2A rights on how some strange woman appeared to have been threatened by a strange man is a bad bet. Since the (two?) Subway employees seemed not to see any reason to call the police you would be unwise to try to threaten the strange man with deadly force and count on them being your witnesses that a serious crime was in progress. There is no guarantee that the strange woman (and/or the Subway employees) wouldn’t see your drawing of a gun as being even more threatening than the babbling of a homeless man.

 

[Rich2018]

If you, for whatever reason, were armed and witnessed this, would you intervene on that woman's behalf?

I would most likely not get involved.

I would call 911, or if I worked there, I'd offer the woman a safe room to wait for the cops to arrive.

 

[phoenix2020]

If you, for whatever reason, were armed and witnessed this, would you intervene on that woman's behalf?

I would most likely not get involved.

The video’s host was too horrible for me to listen to for more than a few moments. What a vile, terrible human being.

I would have helped the woman to a safe room in the back then leaned against the shut door while I or a coworker called police, while minimizing engagement with the homeless person.

 

[SiNNiK]

I would call 911, or if I worked there, I'd offer the woman a safe room to wait for the cops to arrive.

Thank you for a sincere reply.

 

[SiNNiK]

The video’s host was too horrible for me to listen to for more than a few moments. What a vile, terrible human being.

I would have helped the woman to a safe room in the back then leaned against the shut door while I or a coworker called police, while minimizing engagement with the homeless person.

Thanks for replying

 

[SiNNiK]

The woman was moving away from the man, and he was going after her in a threatening manner. Would I have to wait until he actually stuck her before trying to stop him? That would be a bad thing.

I'm confident that what I would have done would not have broken any laws. My defending the safety of the woman would not be "rude, careless, angry or in a threatening manner." Those phrases are meant to describe someone who pulls out a gun for no good reason, and I'm sure this would be a very good reason.

I agree with you that the homeless person's behavior warranted an armed response, in the very least covering him with your firearm, I just wouldn't do it.

While I don't normally engage in speech as colorful as the host does, I don't disagree with much of what he says.