NEW: Texas Clown Issue

[steveincowtown]

OK, so I decided to start a new thread about this. Please feel free to carry on the conversation after the question and answered. So my wife and I were talking about the clown assault in Texas. This is where the clown was chasing two kids with a baseball bat down the street. If you witness this what would you do?

I made the comment to my wife that I would pull my car in front of the kids and stop so I was cutting the clown off from the kids. I would then draw my gun and scream for him to STOP!!!! and if he didn't stop, I would shoot the clown in the leg if he still continued I would shoot him center mass. If he was caring a knife , Then I would shoot center mass, same for any kind of knife, chainsaw, sledgehammer or any other life-threatening weapon.

Is it ever justifiable to shoot someone in the leg to stop the threat? Does shooting someone in the leg put you in more path for civil liability then shooting to kill? Am I weird for thinking that a baseball bat is less life-threatening than a knife? Or machete?

Be a good witness, and only intervene if deadly force is justified. CHL does not equal LEO.

[suthdj]

OK, so I decided to start a new thread about this. Please feel free to carry on the conversation after the question and answered. So my wife and I were talking about the clown assault in Texas. This is where the clown was chasing two kids with a baseball bat down the street. If you witness this what would you do?

I made the comment to my wife that I would pull my car in front of the kids and stop so I was cutting the clown off from the kids. I would then draw my gun and scream for him to STOP!!!! and if he didn't stop, I would shoot the clown in the leg if he still continued I would shoot him center mass. If he was caring a knife , Then I would shoot center mass, same for any kind of knife, chainsaw, sledgehammer or any other life-threatening weapon.

Is it ever justifiable to shoot someone in the leg to stop the threat? Does shooting someone in the leg put you in more path for civil liability then shooting to kill? Am I weird for thinking that a baseball bat is less life-threatening than a knife? Or machete?

Be a good witness, and only intervene if deadly force is justified. CHL does not equal LEO.

Sorry I dislike the phrase "be a good witness" how about be a good citizen, protect the innocent when nessary. Being a witness is for the sheep.

[SoloXCRacer]

Is shooting for the leg that much different than shooting for the heart? Seems like a hit to the femoral artery would be really bad news.

This. Even if you were able to miraculously pull off a leg shot, hitting the femoral artery would be guaranteed death if not immediately treated.

[Javier730]

Pelvic hits are a good tactical choice. Probably stop someone faster than a COM shot. Usually isn't covered by armor, and busting up base structure is a good way to collapse it.

I would be more apt to aim my vehicle at them at that point.

[locke_n_load]

Clown in the street one over from me was chasing kids with a baseball bat. I don't care if the clown is playing or not, if I saw that, I would be drawing. He was apprehended by police later that evening.

[locke_n_load]

OK, so I decided to start a new thread about this. Please feel free to carry on the conversation after the question and answered. So my wife and I were talking about the clown assault in Texas. This is where the clown was chasing two kids with a baseball bat down the street. If you witness this what would you do?

I made the comment to my wife that I would pull my car in front of the kids and stop so I was cutting the clown off from the kids. I would then draw my gun and scream for him to STOP!!!! and if he didn't stop, I would shoot the clown in the leg if he still continued I would shoot him center mass. If he was caring a knife , Then I would shoot center mass, same for any kind of knife, chainsaw, sledgehammer or any other life-threatening weapon.

Is it ever justifiable to shoot someone in the leg to stop the threat? Does shooting someone in the leg put you in more path for civil liability then shooting to kill? Am I weird for thinking that a baseball bat is less life-threatening than a knife? Or machete?

Be a good witness, and only intervene if deadly force is justified. CHL does not equal LEO.

Sorry I dislike the phrase "be a good witness" how about be a good citizen, protect the innocent when nessary. Being a witness is for the sheep.

Amen x10. I don't want to witness someone being hurt or killed while I'm on the phone with 911 waiting on police. If I feel that someone's life is in danger and that I'm capable on stopping it, I will do so. Would be hard to live with myself if I could have done something and didn't, and an innocent was killed.

[Deitz83]

I am dialing 911. Blowing my horn. Tell them to stop. Follow if they do not stop. If the clown starts hitting the person(s) who they are chasing with the bat and the police have not arrived; then the next course of action would need to be determined.

Leg shot, center mass shot,head shot !! Dead kid!!! If they are non white you really screwed up. Protesters, riots!! You live with the aftermath, News coverage, this forum taking about you for the next 5 years, prayers for you the victim and everyone saying, why didn't he do this or that.

[bblhd672]

In light of this clown nonsense, all of us should be allowed to carry clown "cannons" - the ones that fire a full load of confetti!

[Pawpaw]

In light of this clown nonsense, all of us should be allowed to carry clown "cannons" - the ones that fire a full load of confetti!

We are! It's called a "shotgun" and it fires lead confetti.

[Javier730]

I am dialing 911. Blowing my horn. Tell them to stop. Follow if they do not stop. If the clown starts hitting the person(s) who they are chasing with the bat and the police have not arrived; then the next course of action would need to be determined.

Leg shot, center mass shot,head shot !! Dead kid!!! If they are non white you really screwed up. Protesters, riots!! You live with the aftermath, News coverage, this forum taking about you for the next 5 years, prayers for you the victim and everyone saying, why didn't he do this or that.

You would wait until the clown hit the child with the baseball bat to determine your next course of action?

If saving the kids life is your reason for intervening, your next course of action might be a hit to the head too late.

[steveincowtown]

Sorry I dislike the phrase "be a good witness" how about be a good citizen, protect the innocent when nessary. Being a witness is for the sheep.

I clearly said "unless deadly force is justified." I am not suggesting you sit there and watch a clown beat children to death. I am just saying don't shoot someone unless it is justified. In the scenario the OP described, any of the below could actually be what is going on:

- Big brother has dressed up like a clown to scare his little brother

- AV students from their local high school are filming a documentary about the crazy clown problem in Texas

- Clown and the kids were actually working together to lure you out of the car, once your attention was on the clown you are attacked and they take off with your car and family.

- and so on and so forth.

Protecting myself and my family comes way before being a good citizen. But hey, if you want to pop a clown..go for it.

[MrMcCullster]

Schools across Texas are beefing up security after another rash of threats on social media from accounts featuring creepy-looking clowns — which has prompted some Members to wonder what their self-defense options are if they’re confronted by one of these pranksters.

The threats have been circulating nationwide on websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, prompting a response from many school districts. Headlines:

14-year-old arrested after terroristic threat against high school
Man wearing clown mask arrested in park
Student, 14, arrested in connection to clown threat
Threat posted on clownFacebook page prompts letters to parents
Clowns fight bad PR with clown commandments
Professional clowns worried that creepy counterparts will hurt reputation
What’s with the creepy clown sightings?
Creepy-looking clown wanders streets
In many of the messages sent to parents, school officials said investigators have determined that the threats are “not credible,” but extra measures were being taken to ensure the safety of students and staff as a precaution.

News about the threats have prompted a lot of member comments on the [Pre-paid legal service] Facebook page. Here’s a sampling:

“Andrew Warren” wrote, “I gotta say, if one of those clowns approaches me and mine in an aggressive manner, whether they mean it to be a prank or not, I’m gonna probably at minimum make my sidearm visible.”

“Nancy Jo Poole Smith-Babbitt” said, “Only 3 reasons to ever be dressed as a clown: 1. You’re in the circus. 2. You’re a clown for hire. 3. It’s Halloween. So if a clown is in my yard and none of the above apply, he’d better be able to out run my dogs and bullets.”

“Paul Wooden” said, “So a clown said he would be visiting a school? Am I missing something? How is that a threat?”

“Johnny Crawford” said, “I’m kinda with Paul here. You can’t shoot someone because they are creepy.”

“Amy Purdom Delaisse” wrote, “Ok, serious question. If one of these [clowns] approaches you and you command them to stop, if they don’t, are you within your rights to shoot?”

Independent Program Attorney Edwin Walker answered, saying, “Texas law DOES NOT allow a person to use deadly force against a trespasser. Texas Law does allow the use of deadly force against someone who is unlawfully and forcefully attempting to enter into or remove someone from an occupied habitation or vehicle.”

Walker added, “As tempting as it may be, please, please, please do not shoot a clown who is doing nothing more than standing in your yard” or otherwise isn’t making threatening movements.

That really big Texas self defense attorney group on Facebook posted a blog post about this issue just the other day about the legal part of all of this clown stuff. I tried to post a link but the board has a specific tag that prevented the name of the company in the link. It's still a relly good read about what you asked about, so I posted it in the comment above.

[bblhd672]

Clowns to the left, Jokers to the right...the rest of us stuck in the middle.

[Abraham]

So terrifying children is ok with some of the knuckleheads in the world.

What if terrified child runs in front of a car trying to get away from what appears a life threatening situation or falls down in a bad spot or, or, or, or, or, or,

Anyone that comes charging at me with a baseball bat he'll rue the day...wearing a clown suit isn't a license to terrify.

[bblhd672]

So terrifying children is ok with some of the knuckleheads in the world.

What if terrified child runs in front of a car trying to get away from what appears a life threatening situation or falls down in a bad spot or, or, or, or, or, or,

Anyone that comes charging at me with a baseball bat he'll rue the day...wearing a clown suit isn't a license to terrify.

Those people need a good old fashioned butt kicking.