Woman draws gun when BG's say "your coming with us"

[longtooth]

Often it's very easy to tell those who have actually faced and life a death situation from those who haven't just by their comments on these topics. I have been faced with the decision and I'm thankful everyday I haven't had to pull the trigger.
I've met a lot of people over the years who have been in the same boat. Of those who had to pull the trigger, to a man they all wished they hadn't had to. The loss of life bears heavy on them regardless of the persons character.

This is so correct. Good people of Character just dont really want to hurt anyone. This is the reason no one volunteers to be the exicutioner.

[The Annoyed Man]

Often it's very easy to tell those who have actually faced and life a death situation from those who haven't just by their comments on these topics. I have been faced with the decision and I'm thankful everyday I haven't had to pull the trigger.
I've met a lot of people over the years who have been in the same boat. Of those who had to pull the trigger, to a man they all wished they hadn't had to. The loss of life bears heavy on them regardless of the persons character.

It's called "the mark of Cain". There is a nearly universal cultural taboo against killing one's own kind, unless it is demonstrably in self-defense and there is no doubt of the necessity. The taboo is so strong that many people who kill in legitimate self-defense revisit the scenario, torturing themselves with thoughts of what they might have done differently to avoid having had to kill another human being. Even when it is professionally done in the line of duty as an LEO or in combat, police agencies and the military services provide counseling services to those who feel like they need it. Not every does, not should they necessarily, but the fact remains that even in war, where the killing is state-sanctioned, people can have difficulty adapting to actually doing it.

Tough talk serves no purpose. And the fact is that I would rather live in a society in which people question themselves than one full of cold-blooded killers. I don't mean that their self-examination should prevent them from doing what they have to do to survive, but that they have a conscience about it.

[Javier730]

Im glad that she didnt have to shoot the bad guys but had she not been armed, she would of probably not be around to tell her story. I think its a shame these guys get to go home and think about what they did wrong and how to be more successful the next time they try something like that again.

[Salty1]

"Unfortunately she did not shoot them both"

Not everybody is looking to get into the next "Armed Citizen" printing, she escaped without being hurt and incurring any attorney costs which most likely would have happened. I am happy that she was carrying and that it deescalated a potential dangerous situation.............

[jmra]

"Unfortunately she did not shoot them both"

Not everybody is looking to get into the next "Armed Citizen" printing, she escaped without being hurt and incurring any attorney costs which most likely would have happened. I am happy that she was carrying and that it deescalated a potential dangerous situation.............

it is the beat possible outcome for a would be victim. The rest should be left up to the police and the judicial system.

[VMI77]

Unfortunately she did not shoot them both. But otherwise sounded like she did everything else perfect.

I don't think I could disagree with this statement more. Shooting someone should always be the last resort.

While it should be the last resort I understand the sentiment. These guys will go after some other woman who can't defend herself so their continued freedom is a threat that will ultimately just be transferred to someone else. She probably saved herself a lot of trouble by not shooting, and I wouldn't have shot them either under the circumstances, but society would have been better off as a whole if they'd been shot. However, while there is still some vestige of civilization remaining, the proper thing to do is still to let the legal system deal with them unless they give you no other choice.

[VMI77]

Her actions deterred the bad guys from attacking, so by definition she did very well.

However, there are always learning opportunities in situations like this, so I'll suggest a couple things that could be improved not to criticize the woman but to provide food for thought for others.

Asking "Well, what do you want?" to two advancing thugs who have already answered that question is not a productive use of the little time available. It also can convey weakness and spur on an attack.

"I have this and am not afraid to use it" is also a weak statement that some thugs may interpret as she is afraid to use it.

The situation described is beyond the point where questions and statements are useful. This is the time for positive commands while the gun is pointed at center mass of the guy with the bat:

A shouted, "Drop the weapon now! Get on the ground!" does several things:

It removes doubt about whether or not the defender will use the weapon.

It tells the potential attackers exactly what they need to do unless they're willing to get shot.

It notifies anyone in earshot that something bad is happening. This makes them more likely to look and become witnesses and call 911 to get police response started.

These are good things to think about beforehand because they're hard to think up under the pressure of a real impending attack.

I think the talking response comes from too much stupid television and not enough training.