Purse snatch at Wal-Mart. What would you have done?

[kyreb]

I am a CHL....not a cop. Been several threads here and elsewhere lately where some CHL chases down a BG and hold him at gunpoint until the police arrive. In my opinion, way too many things can go wrong in those situations that can get you killed, sued and/or spending a long, long time behind bars.

[TacShot]

A taxpayer paid vacation to Club Huntsville is not worth a purse, nor a personal ideology about good and evil.

[johnson0317]

If we are not willing to pull our weapon, and use it, when the proper time comes, we need to just leave it at home.

I do not believe in the logical fallacy of the "if/then" argument. Nothing is ever cut and dry.

No, nothing is ever cut and dried. Even the most simple presentations, before the fact, will seem completely different if they actually come to pass. However, if the situation seems clear cut, it appears to have every hallmark of the appropriate time to pull your weapon, then you must be ready to do so.

RJ

[03Lightningrocks]

Police work is a big step up from CHL holder. Anyone making that choice best be darned good and ready to suffer the possible consequences. For me to intervene, I am going to have to KNOW exactly what is what and there is going to HAVE to be injury of some sort going on. For instance seeing a woman getting raped or assualted, seeing a handicapped person getting the crap kicked out of them, old person getting dragged around the floor... you get the idea. Two bruisers pounding it out in the parking lot and I am going to film it for you tube.

Some lady screaming "help... he stole my purse"... is going to get an offer to call the cops. I will stand there with her while we wait for the cops to show up and offer condolences. Risk life or injury for a property crime??? Not me!!!

Grab my daughters or a girlfriends purse and I am gonna drop you from behind... I couldn't care less about what article you want to quote from what statute. Steal my wallet and run off... I would be less likely to blast ya. I am real defensive of my loved ones and the law be darned in that situation!

[Oldgringo]

Police work is a big step up from CHL holder. Anyone making that choice best be darned good and ready to suffer the possible consequences. For me to intervene, I am going to have to KNOW exactly what is what and there is going to HAVE to be injury of some sort going on. For instance seeing a woman getting raped or assualted, seeing a handicapped person getting the crap kicked out of them, old person getting dragged around the floor... you get the idea. Two bruisers pounding it out in the parking lot and I am going to film it for you tube.

Some lady screaming "help... he stole my purse"... is going to get an offer to call the cops. I will stand there with her while we wait for the cops to show up and offer condolences. Risk life or injury for a property crime??? Not me!!!

Grab my daughters or a girlfriends purse and I am gonna drop you from behind... I couldn't care less about what article you want to quote from what statute. Steal my wallet and run off... I would be less likely to blast ya. I am real defensive of my loved ones and the law be darned in that situation!

Did you intentionally omit the reference to a Batman license?

[03Lightningrocks]

Police work is a big step up from CHL holder. Anyone making that choice best be darned good and ready to suffer the possible consequences. For me to intervene, I am going to have to KNOW exactly what is what and there is going to HAVE to be injury of some sort going on. For instance seeing a woman getting raped or assualted, seeing a handicapped person getting the crap kicked out of them, old person getting dragged around the floor... you get the idea. Two bruisers pounding it out in the parking lot and I am going to film it for you tube.

Some lady screaming "help... he stole my purse"... is going to get an offer to call the cops. I will stand there with her while we wait for the cops to show up and offer condolences. Risk life or injury for a property crime??? Not me!!!

Grab my daughters or a girlfriends purse and I am gonna drop you from behind... I couldn't care less about what article you want to quote from what statute. Steal my wallet and run off... I would be less likely to blast ya. I am real defensive of my loved ones and the law be darned in that situation!

Did you intentionally omit the reference to a Batman license?

I am secretly working on the copyright protection on that one and didn't want to mess up my case.

[drjoker]

What would you have done if you would have been able to do something about it? Just curious.

Call 911 and give a description of the persons and vehicles and watch from a safe place. Under the circumstances that you described, I wouldn't intervene.

I can't stress this enough. You are not Law Enforcement. Our CHL is there for personal protection. Call 911 file a witness report and move on.

I will probably be unliked for saying this but o well. Stand by and do nothing while the bad guy gets away and then move on. That just doesn't set well with me. Just because it doesn't say "Law Enforcement" anywhere on my shirt. I guess we are supposed to just "move on". Well if there was more enforcing going on then we wouldn't have to worry about it. I think that is what is wrong with our world today. To many people doing nothing and waiting for some one else to do something. While innocent people are the ones who pay the price of either being killed, beaten, or just having what belongs to them taken away from them. If I had been 1 minute later walking to my car and been where I could have done something about it, I don't think I would have just "moved on" as you put it. I would have made sure he would have thought twice about doing it again. Like I said, its just what I would have done. Even if you beat the snot out of the guy for being a punk, you would probably go to jail for violating the scumbags rights when the "law enforcement" shows up. So either way you lose. Thats just my opinion and no disrespect to any police out there. I have spent enough time working police and most of my friends are police and they know how I feel as well. I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but it probably will be.

I agree with you. Where are all the real Texans? You know, the ones who would be deputized and join a "posse" to hunt down a fugitive to defend your neighbors? The ones who forged a hard scrabble living with his/her bare hands and defended it from terrorists/thugs with a six gun against all odds? Where are the men and women of action but few words?

Now, in their place we have men and women of no action and many words. People like greasy politicians and crooked lawyers use these words to put us down and away for many years just for doing the right thing. State-ists who wait for the "gov'ment" to do something FOR them is so laughable as to be comical. Look at Katrina. Did the government give the flood victims timely help or did they confiscate their guns and invade their homes? Look at Japan. Did the government give the radiation victims help or did they sit around arguing about it while people died? Look at the gulf oil spill. Did the government clean it up or did they just ignore it and arrest news reporters who tried to take pictures of the dire truth?

All these false "if then" scenarios where the only reaction to rape or robbery is whipping out your gun and making it go "bang" with disastrous consequences are just ridiculous excuses for inaction. Thugs look for easy prey. Just letting them know that you're there and ready for action will make 99% of them back off and look elsewhere for easier pickings. I saved a lady from a purse snatching in a similar situation just by yelling at the punks. And... no I'm not big and I don't look tough at all. Even when you do have to take action, you don't have to use your gun. A gun is the last resort and the least powerful weapon in your arsenal. Your BRAIN is the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. Another time, I stopped a robbery of a woman and her child just by shining a flashlight on the thug's eyes. It blinded him in the dark and he ran away. Gunfights are hard work. If thugs wanted to work hard, they'd get a job. That's why just letting them know you're there and willing to help the victim will make 99% of them run away. Remember, evil prevails when YOU do nothing.

How can the holocaust happen in Germany, an educated, civilized first world country? Because people did nothing to stop evil. You might be surprised to find that we need to take action and show solidarity in the face of evil or evil shall prevail.

[03Lightningrocks]

It is pretty easy to talk tough on a message board. It is pretty easy to sit and picture yourself being the hero from the comfort of a living room chair. It is a whole different game when the bad guy has a neck like a tree trunk and four buddies sitting in the get away car waiting for him.

[Oldgringo]

It is pretty easy to talk tough on a message board. It is pretty easy to sit and picture yourself being the hero from the comfort of a living room chair....

...especially so if you don't have a gun or a CHL.

[speedsix]

...this thread keeps going in the same circle...from someone who would become involved, to someone who thinks he's stupid to do so, to someone who reminds us we're not cops, to someone who calls us Batman or ninja....to someone who feels his CHL is for the benefit of himself and his own family only...about 6 different positions...and who's right? We're talking about a hypothetical situation where 6 different guys may react six different ways...and all be right...the decision has to be based on each person's background, training, mindset, value system...knowledge of what's happening... and who's to say who's wrong or right??? We talk down on the guy who'd step up to stop evil...unless it's our wife or daughter he's rescued...then he's a hero...we cheer for the guy who steps in...till we find out he misunderstood and is headed to prison for shooting the wrong guy...it would behoove us to respect each other's positions...and realize that the best thing to do may be a mixture of everyone's answers...or none of them...I pray for wisdom every day, should something happen in my presence...twice in the many years since I was a cop, something very bad happened...and I was given the wisdom to make the right decision...and I'm humbly grateful...who...of themselves, has that???

[Oldgringo]

...this thread keeps going in the same circle...from someone who would become involved, to someone who thinks he's stupid to do so, to someone who reminds us we're not cops, to someone who calls us Batman or ninja....to someone who feels his CHL is for the benefit of himself and his own family only...about 6 different positions...and who's right? We're talking about a hypothetical situation where 6 different guys may react six different ways...and all be right...the decision has to be based on each person's background, training, mindset, value system...knowledge of what's happening... and who's to say who's wrong or right??? We talk down on the guy who'd step up to stop evil...unless it's our wife or daughter he's rescued...then he's a hero...we cheer for the guy who steps in...till we find out he misunderstood and is headed to prison for shooting the wrong guy...it would behoove us to respect each other's positions...and realize that the best thing to do may be a mixture of everyone's answers...or none of them...I pray for wisdom every day, should something happen in my presence...twice in the many years since I was a cop, something very bad happened...and I was given the wisdom to make the right decision...and I'm humbly grateful...who...of themselves, has that???

[drjoker]

It is pretty easy to talk tough on a message board. It is pretty easy to sit and picture yourself being the hero from the comfort of a living room chair. It is a whole different game when the bad guy has a neck like a tree trunk and four buddies sitting in the get away car waiting for him.

I thought I made it clear that I'm NOT tough and NOT brave:

I'm not big and I don't look tough at all.

The point I was trying to make is that ANYONE can make a difference. You don't need to be tough nor brave.

...this thread keeps going in the same circle...from someone who would become involved, to someone who thinks he's stupid to do so, to someone who reminds us we're not cops, to someone who calls us Batman or ninja....

The point that I was trying to make was that there is a middle ground between hero/batman and doing nothing. You could yell at the thug, shine a flashlight in his eyes, etc. There are other things you may do to help unique to the situation you find yourself in. Just relax and THINK. What you need to do will come to you. Remember, your BRAIN is your most powerful weapon. 99% of the time, there is no need for violence and certainly no need to be a cop.

[03Lightningrocks]

It wasn't really a comment made to you personally drjoker. It was meant for everyone reading the thread. Just the same, it has been duly noted that you aren't a tough guy.

[Oldgringo]

I don't understand why so many seem so willing to shoot the male purse snatcher in this thread yet no one seems willing to shoot the woman beating up another woman in this thread ?

Whatever happened to this "equality" thinghy we hear so much about?

[tacticool]

I agree with you. Where are all the real Texans? You know, the ones who would be deputized and join a "posse" to hunt down a fugitive to defend your neighbors? The ones who forged a hard scrabble living with his/her bare hands and defended it from terrorists/thugs with a six gun against all odds?

I think they moved to Oklahoma or Arizona when the carpetbaggers passed UCW and other antigun laws in Texas.

Where are the men and women of action but few words?

They're probably doing something instead of sitting around and talking a lot on internet boards.