Anyone ever have to actually draw on someone?

[David LaPell]

Twice. Once when I working for an armored car service. Some guy could not read the huge signs about walking past the side of the building (can't remember exact words but "armed" and "deadly force" may have been there. I was guarding a truck into the facility, which involved me standing outside with my gun drawn (policy). There was a large retaining wall and stairs that were about 7 feet tall into the building. This idot comes running around the side of those steps right in front of me. It was more of a reaction but I had my .45 1911 leveled at his chest right quick. He put the brakes on in a hurry. Turns out he was looking for a job application. I think afterwards he also might have needed new underwear. I know that my hands shook for the better part of the day.
That summer I was living at home with my parents, and one night just as everyone was getting ready for bed my mother got me and pointed out something in the row of our hedges beside the house. There was a guy sitting in the hedges, I figure waiting to make a run on our cars or maybe the house. So I got out my gunbelt and 1911 and put them on and went outdoors. I took the pistol out of the holster, and racked the slide. That guy could have won the Gold Medal in the 100 yard dash. I hope to never have to pull a gun ever againon someone, personally it's not worth the stress.

 

[Edmo]

If you do pull your weapon be the first party to call the police.

Even if you are in the right, don't let the only call the police receive is from the other guy with a report of "a man with a gun".

Edmo

 

[58619owner]

^^ This is sound advice. You never want to be second to call LE. The first person is usually thought to be the victim and that affords you a slight advantage in court nowadays

 

[Lightfoot4]

A couple of Christmases ago, I was putting up lights on my front porch at night. Was going in and out of the house, at various times. Had my S&W 915 on my hip in a black holster, so it was basically concealed. While on the porch during one of my trips, I heard the leaves rustle a bit in the front yard. I stopped, and listened. Nothing. I couldn’t see into the dark yard because of my porch light. I stood there in the frosty darkness, staring into the void, listening. Nothing. Then my spidy sense started tingling. I reached down to my holster, unsnapped the retaining strap, and with a very loud CLICK, took the safety off the firearm. Leaves started rustling again and out came my 915. Then I could see some dude quickly walking out of my yard into the street, and on down through the neighborhood. He cut through a cul-de-sac and disappeared onto the next street.

Don’t know how long he had been out there watching me, or if he had wandered up during my last trip into the house. Don’t know if he was trying to use my yard as a cut through to the next street, or if he was peeping. This isn’t a technical draw on someone, but the presence of a firearm sure got the guy out of my yard.

 

[Wingwiper]

As a civilian, don't ever be in a hurry to draw your concealed weapon. But if you do, you'd better be right.

 

[J274895]

This is the sort of question that a gentleman neither asks nor answers in public.

Yeah lowercase shawn, I'm pretty sure that about two pages ago I posted that I didn't know this was such a tabboo subject and we could just drop it, and yet the thread just keeps going.

And FYI, I AM a gentle man.

 

[J274895]

As a civilian, don't ever be in a hurry to draw your concealed weapon. But if you do, you'd better be right.

Fortunately, here in Oregon we have no brandishing law. It is illegal to, either with or without malice, point your weapon at another person.

However, I totally see your point.

 

[red14]

Ironbar,

there are no dumb questions. I'm glad you asked that particular question. I have been intently reading all the answers. Thank you for asking.

We are all in this together. I want to know all I can before faced with a decision to draw my weapon.

You sir, are a gentleman. I appreciate your candor, and have learned much from these answers.

 

[OLDFED]

Thirty four years as LEO...

Many times, but there was nothing funny about it at all. Always glad I never had to shoot but I came within 1/1000th of an inch three times. I can remember talking to the perp, but what I said is still a mystery. They put their weapons down. I hope I never have to do it, especially as a retired old guy, but will if I have to.

 

[Wingwiper]

....I hope I never have to do it, especially as a retired old guy, but will if I have to.

Old retired guys are a perp's worst nightmare

Ex-Marine shoots suspects who attempted to rob sandwich shop - Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Channel 7 News Fox WSVN-TV

 

[Wingwiper]

Fortunately, here in Oregon we have no brandishing law. It is illegal to, either with or without malice, point your weapon at another person.

However, I totally see your point.

Well, aside from brandishing (which is never a good idea) I was thinking more of the "John Wayne" (or "Badge Heavy") types.

 

[browntown]

Fortunately, here in Oregon we have no brandishing law.

This is true, but personally I would'nt brandish unless I felt there was a real good case for shooting someone, in which case I would probably level the sights at the perpetrator. Brandishing as a threat would be more trouble I think.

That said, I carry every day in Oregon and I suppose that I would brandish at my side before I actually pointed the gun at someone, but I'd have to think most of those situations would require a quicker response.

Now you got me thinking...

 

[snakeman32]

I had to several times as a LEO and a Soldier. And I am sure I will again next May when I go to Afghanistan. I drew my weapon and fired it one time as a civilian. Fortunately it was not at a person but at a pit bull that had just killed another dog and thought he was going to come and get me. He was wrong. I called the police myself and told them what had happened. Dispatch said there was an officer on the way. I was stationed at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma at the time. I was off post and I have a Kansas carry permit. After the shooting I had reholstered my weapon. When the police showed up, which was rather fast, I put my hands in the air. The first thing they did was come and ask where my weapon was and took it. They never drew thier weapons on me. They asked me what happened and I explained to them. They checked my permit, ran my gun to make sure it wasn't stolen and then returned it back to me. The one that took it from me told me it was ok to go ahead and reload it and reholster. They told me that they had several complaints on the dog for being vicious. After that they sent me on my way. I can imagine that if I had shot a person it would have gone down alot different. Thank God I haven't had to take a life as a civilian.


snakeman

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Once...I had a guy pounding on my front door around 0200 and screaming for help. I had just enough time to put on my glasses, pull my Colt 1911 and rack the slide before he forced the door open. It amazed me then, and still does to this day, that all the things that the Army drilled into my thick skull about command voice, command presence, and the thousands of rounds of .45ACP I fired in practice paid off. I had a very intense front sight focus and in very short order had the home invader proned out on the floor and spread eagled until the cops arrived (truth be told, I was Sgt. Rock from the waist up, but I had a severe case of the "jelly legs" from the waist down.) Turns out the home invader was the victim of a prank gone bad - and he was convinced he was about to be castrated and murdered, and he ran to my door as "luck of the draw". The police officers were trying to convince him to file a complaint against his "friends" for criminal mischief to send a message about how serious their prank was, but the victim was to busy enjoying the limelight once everything had been settled. I then asked the Sergeant if I could have my pistol back, and he complied. In full view of the victim, I dropped the magazine and racked the slide, and the round plopped down right into his lap. He got a little sick look on his face and said "...Oh, you had real bullets in your gun, huh?". The police didn't have any more problems with him filing a complaint after that.

Regards,

Dave

 

[exfebee]

Yes.. many times as a LEO with 31 years. Let me say to the folks who have "never pulled the trigger on another human being", that if or when you do "it will live with you for the rest of your life". You will relive it over and over again forever. I have been involved in that situtation several times and they still bother me greatly.

 

[rchance]

Old retired guys are a perp's worst nightmare

Ex-Marine shoots suspects who attempted to rob sandwich shop - Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Channel 7 News Fox WSVN-TV

It's sad that things like this happen but I'm glad no-one else was severely injured besides the robbers. Maybe others will reconsider once they realize how many concealed carry citizens are out here. I go to Florida a lot and am always alert there. Anything can and does happen in FL. Must be the warm climate.

 

[rchance]

Many times before I retired and once since then. To make a long story short I was standing in my driveway with my German Shepard about midnight when a pickup pulled up, the driver stopped and looked at me briefly then pulled away, he jammed the truck in reverse and came right at me!! Both the dog and I went to opposite sides, I drew my 1911 and would have shot but realized that the home across the street was in the line of fire. Gave a full description and plate # to the local yokels who did absolutely NOTHING!! Four hours later they pounded on my door and told me they couldn't do anything. UNBELIEVEABLE!! As a retired LEO, what had transpired is what I would call attempted murder but these idiots refused to do anything. Needles to say I moved from that city to one wher the PD is a lot more proactive.

This was a textbook case of what could have been a justifiable shoot. It transpired and was over in seconds but in those seconds so much ran thru my mind including if I shoot and miss where will the round hit and knowing that there was another home in the line of fire approx 50-75 feet away is why I didn't. Like they say, your brain just overloads with information when a situation like this is taking place and you have mere moments to make a decision that will have an affect on you for a lifetime!! If it had not been for years upon years of training I might have made the wrong decision which is why I encourage everyone to train, train and keep training and by that I don't mean an afternoon at the range. You need training that forces you to react to different scenarios you may face at some point. Is training expensive? You bet but it's a bargain compared to what a fight in a courtroom may cost you!

This has been an interesting thread and a lot of good stories and plenty to learn from. I hope everyone reads this story and realizes that it's not only the target your shooting at but what's behind your target you have to worry about also. Not only in a situation like this but target practice as well.

 

[PeterCartwright]

Yes.. many times as a LEO with 31 years. Let me say to the folks who have "never pulled the trigger on another human being", that if or when you do "it will live with you for the rest of your life". You will relive it over and over again forever. I have been involved in that situtation several times and they still bother me greatly.

Thanks for your service and for the deadly seriousness of your reminder. I'm always grateful when those who have had to use their gun in necessary but tragic ways lend a bit of reality to our otherwise hypothetical ponderings.

PC

 

[Thuer]

We arnt aloud to carry a firearm in the Netherlands. But I do always carry a knive.
I am a trainconductor. During my shif on the train to a small tow called Gouda there was a nasty looking guy in my train.
I did controll his ticket and dont give him a second tought.
But I intend to go in Goude to the bank to pull some mone from the cashmachine. It was very early and the shops whernt open yet.
I do noticed that the guy from the train was walking in front of me.
When I entred the bank I saw that he was preparing to cross over the street to the citycenter wich is away of the bank. When I had the cash I didi see that he didnt make the crossover but was looking at me from an other point of the street. Right I tought he is after me.
I stept out the bank and noticed that the guy was folowing me.
There was nobody on the street exept us. I decide to scare him off and pulled my knive an held it opend in my hand just enough that he could see it. Lucky for me it worked. The guy backed off. I was glad becouse I sure dont like to use my spearpoint outdooredge on anybody.
It do give some problems overhere.(sorry for my bad english)

 

[woodsltc]

In answer to the OP.....Nope!!!

Compared to many of ya'll I guess I've enjoyed a sheltered life so far.

Don