Food for Thought about Citizen Interventions

[J.R.@A&M]

From Greg Ellifritz http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/a ... raining%29

[Flightmare]

Very informative! Thankyou for posting!

[The Annoyed Man]

We’ve debated this kind of thing here for about as long as I’ve been a member ... what are the rightful expectations for someone who chooses to carry a firearm? Near as I can tell, there is no right answer. Some favor involving themselves in situations; others say that their duty ends at being a good witness; still others say, “not my monkeys, not my circus”.

But for sure, if you are the first type, you had darn well better know what the heck you’re getting involved in, BEFORE you do something stupid.

[Flightmare]

We’ve debated this kind of thing here for about as long as I’ve been a member ... what are the rightful expectations for someone who chooses to carry a firearm? Near as I can tell, there is no right answer. Some favor involving themselves in situations; others say that their duty ends at being a good witness; still others say, “not my monkeys, not my circus”.

But for sure, if you are the first type, you had darn well better know what the heck you’re getting involved in, BEFORE you do something stupid.

[Charles L. Cotton]

The law in Texas does not require that the 3rd person you are defending be "innocent." It requires only that, based upon the facts as you reasonably believe them to be, you would be justified in defending yourself if you were in the 3rd person's situation. Under the facts of the case in the article, it would be hard to "reasonably believe" that a rape was occurring on the side of a busy road with a fully-clothed woman.

Chas.

Sec. 9.33. DEFENSE OF THIRD PERSON. A person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect a third person if:

(1) under the circumstances as the actor reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under Section 9.31 or 9.32 in using force or deadly force to protect himself against the unlawful force or unlawful deadly force he reasonably believes to be threatening the third person he seeks to protect; and

(2) the actor reasonably believes that his intervention is immediately necessary to protect the third person.

[mojo84]

Perfect example of why you do not shoot first just because you draw your weapon. It doesn't take long to assess the actions of someone to determine if they are actually trying to rape someon or restrain them.

Who has heard of a rapist continuing their sexual assault after someone tries to intervene with a weapon? This is why one has to use common sense when assessing a situation and not start shooting just because you have drawn your gun.