What should I do in a situation

[Fishinmastr1]

Okay I'm at work and I stop at a gas station to get drink and a bite to eat. All the sudden a State trooper pulled a guy over right in front of me and I had a side view of both patrol car and the truck he pulls over on driver side. The officer was checking his window tent. Which was very dark. The guy that gotten pulled over seemed really up tight and nervous to me. But the officer didn't seem to really have his guard up to much or really paying attention. The officer finished, gave him his ticket and went on his way down the road. I was watching everything that happend. But what If the guy getting pulled over decided he was going to go after the officer with any kind of weapon and I'm stuck watching, and I am carrying my concealed M&P sheild, what would be the smart thing to do in this situation? Do I go after that guy Just thinking about it.

[steveincowtown]

What department do you work for?

[Fishinmastr1]

I'm actually a plumber and I was just on lunch break

[gljjt]

What should you do? I'd say you won't know unless/until it happens. Somewhere between "run Forrest, run" to actively engage/assist, depending on too many factors to hypothesize.

[n5wd]

Steve's point is that unless you're a law enforcement officer, sometimes it's better to be a good witness than to jump into something that you've not been formally invited into.

Imagine, the guy gets the drop on the officer, who's sitting in his car, then turns around and starts to leave. You jump out with your Shield, and start popping off shots towards the driver's supposed position in the car (remember, the tint (not tent) is dark, so you can't really see where he is positioned in the car). After you unload into the car, you dash over to check on the officer, who's been wounded, but not immediately incapacitated and who has been on his radio calling for help.

As you get to the officer, with the Shield in your right hand, another cop, just a block away, pulls up and see you squatting there by the open door with a gun in your right hand. Just what do you think is going to happen, then?

Ask yourself this: did each one of your shots hit the car you intended to hit, and ONLY the car you intended to hit? Were you off by just a little bit on one of the shots, and missed the car, only for the bullet to smack into the forehead of a young kid walking to lunch across the street? Or, worse still, did you miss multiple times?

Does the responding police officer take a look at the situation unfolding before him and assume you're the bad guy? Does he unload into you without knowing that you're one of the "good guys"?

There have been well publicized instances where civilians have used firearms to come to the aid of a police officer, and have made the difference between a dead officer and one that sees his family again - but, I'd venture you have to be awfully confident in your abilities, not only marksmanship wise, but also legal-wise, and clearly sure of the situation if you're going to interject yourself into a situation.

[The Wall]

I would say assist the officer in any way you can if needed. Definitely announce yourself before pulling out your firearm. Ask the officer if he needs assistance might be a good idea.

[Fishinmastr1]

Man that makes complete sense! I would have never thought about it that way. I think now if that had been the situation I was stuck in, I think I'd want to be a good witness. I've only had my CHL a couple months. Its good to ask questions now though huh lol

[fickman]

My opinion only, and not universal advice:
If an officer is actively getting beat down with no apparent reinforcements, I will pitch in somehow and some way.

If the officer is holding his own, I'll be a good witness and be prepared to act if the officer becomes overpowered. If it's a draw and the perpetrator is not relenting, maybe offer the officer your assistance with a loud, clear request, "Officer, do you need help getting him to the ground?".

If the perpetrator is fleeing, call 911 and render first aid.

[Charles L. Cotton]

What department do you work for?

The Dept. of Human Compassion.

Chas.

[steveincowtown]

Steve's point is that unless you're a law enforcement officer, sometimes it's better to be a good witness than to jump into something that you've not been formally invited into.

Yup, got tied up and didn't get to post my follow up email. Thanks.


To the OP, it is always wise to be a good witness, rather than a "back up."

[Charles L. Cotton]

Steve's point is that unless you're a law enforcement officer, sometimes it's better to be a good witness than to jump into something that you've not been formally invited into.

To the OP, it is always wise to be a good witness, rather than a "back up."

Until you happen to be the crime victim and everyone around takes your advice.

Chas.

[mojo84]

What department do you work for?

The Dept. of Human Compassion.

Chas.

Sure amazes me how so many are unwilling to help someone else when needed. Times have sure changed in our great country.

[steveincowtown]

Steve's point is that unless you're a law enforcement officer, sometimes it's better to be a good witness than to jump into something that you've not been formally invited into.

To the OP, it is always wise to be a good witness, rather than a "back up."

Until you happen to be the crime victim and everyone around takes your advice.

Chas.

To be clear, if someone's life (LEO or other) were in imminent danger, of course I would intervene.

In general though I believe being a good witness is going to be the right move 99% of the time.

If in the situation the OP describes something had "gone down" pulling a gun could have got him shot by the perp or the LEO. I am all for helping, but it better be at a point when the LEO knows darn well whose side on I on.

[cb1000rider]

Sure amazes me how so many are unwilling to help someone else when needed. Times have sure changed in our great country.

Maybe what is being taught should change then? Like above, I was taught to call it in and witness. That's certainly the conservative approach. If the right thing was 100% certain without a doubt, I'd help to, but it's that gray area that causes a lot of confusion and liability.

[The Annoyed Man]

Steve's point is that unless you're a law enforcement officer, sometimes it's better to be a good witness than to jump into something that you've not been formally invited into.

To the OP, it is always wise to be a good witness, rather than a "back up."

Until you happen to be the crime victim and everyone around takes your advice.

Chas.

There is that. If you are willing to come to someone else's aid, you might hope that someone would come to yours. Even so, it is a question that not everybody can answer in the affirmative — and not necessarily out of a lack of desire to help. Some of it has to do with your own level of training and physical capabilities. If I were younger and less crippled, I'd have been more likely to jump right in than I am at my current age and condition. While it is true that a civilian citizen can get themselves trained to a fairly high level of competence, that can also be expensive, and in all fairness, it's unrealistic to expect that all CHL holders are trained to that level. The Good Book says that greater love has no man than to give his life for his brother, but it IS possible that an untrained, unconditioned person could make things worse instead of better by intervening physically. But certainly there might be other things you can do that would help, beyond merely watching and being a good witness.

My point is that the only question I think that people have to answer for themselves in advance is "will I try to be of help?" Because it simply isn't possible to predict all permutations of bad juju that can happen, it is equally impossible to specify what you might do in each. Maybe just being a good witness IS the best response if other squad cars are already rolling up to the scene. But if there is no one else there to help, then maybe getting physically involved - at least within your own abilities - might be the best response.

Here's another possibility..... I posted a cop's description the other day of a shoot out he was in, and one of my own questions is, if I were witnessing this shootout, and I had the drop on the bad guy from another position of cover, and he didn't know I was there while he was shooting at the cop, would it be legal for me to snipe the bad guy either with my pistol - or, if I was shooting from inside my house for instance, with a long gun?