Almost had to draw my weapon on some fool tonight-kinda long

[boomerang]

Reporting his drunk driving might even save some lives.

[Excaliber]

Man, that's cold. A good revenge tactic, but cold.

So was putting out a cigarette on the OP's cell phone and then laughing about it.

I like it.

One good turn deserves another.

[Fangs]

[*]You can wait in the parking lot until he leaves and get his license plate and a description of the car and call the police to report a drunk driver.[/list]
There are a lot of things you can do outside the law to deal with bullies.

Although I'm 99% sure that the officer would tell me there's not enough evidence for a case if I tried your first two suggestions, the third one is a really good idea. As long as he was actually driving instead of riding with friends, and if they didn't notice me tailing them (which I bet I could pull off). Wish I'd thought about that... thanks, now I know.

To everyone else who replied, thank you. I never really cared for group therapy sessions, but I have to say this helped a lot.

[2K_Kid]

Forgive me for posting on this thread so late. It was a very good discussion but I felt that more points could be made about staying inside the vehicle vice exiting it. Based upon what I've seen in police shootings on YouTube and on some recreational shooting at junkers, a car is at best concealment unless you are behind the engine or axle/wheel.

With that in mind, sitting in your car while engaging a hostile means you are sitting in essentially one spot while the tango is free to move, find cover and/or a better angle and continue to engage you from a much superior position. In addition, in the situation the which the OP found himself, by staying in the vehicle, any fire directed at him (if the road-rager was actively hostile and shooting) would be in the general vicinity of his wife and son. And we all know how great a shot most folks are when they've just undergone an adrenaline dump and have the fight or flight response making fine motor control (i.e. aiming) go out the window.

I agree that exiting the vehicle could be construed as more aggressive, but I think in this situation the OP would have been well advised to get clear of the car, find cover or concealment, draw the aggressor's attention (and any fire) away from his family and keep his tactical options open.

If you are in a similar encounter but alone in the car, exiting the car and then using it as best possible as cover/concealment would be the most tactically advantageous.

I think the other lesson that occurred to me is that the OP mentioned that after the truck slowed down to keep pace, he sped up and passed the truck, placing it behind him. Based upon the following events as related in the OP's story, I probably misunderstood but regardless, I think a lesson is in similar situations try to never let the bad guy get behind you. With the bad guy behind you, you have to do some pretty amazing contortions to engage him (unless you exit your vehicle) and he can ram you or try to run you over if you do exit. All around a bad situation. In addition, by slowing down or stopping, if it comes to a shooting you have demonstrated to the cops/jury that you afforded the bad guy every opportunity to keep driving, and that he actually had to stop and/or go into reverse and COME BACK to your position to continue the confrontation.

Finally, this is my first post here, so please don't think that I'm trying to say I'm "all that and a bag of chips" on this tactical stuff. The OP did the best he could under a very stressful situation without about 10sec of time to consider everything. I had the luxury of at least 45min. to read his post, think about it, read all the other comments and think about those as well. So Bravo Zulu to the OP, and I can only imagine the relief at not having to shoot someone.

(edited to correct a typo)

[KD5NRH]

In addition, in the situation the which the OP found himself, by staying in the vehicle, any fire directed at him (if the road-rager was actively hostile and shooting) would be in the general vicinity of his wife and son.

OTOH, it gives you a clear advantage from a legal standpoint; if the agressor attacks from a distance, you're clear to use deadly force. Same if he tries to enter or remove you from your vehicle. Of course, if there are others in the car, you still have the justification if he tries either of the above against them, but do you want to be shooting back towards them?

I think the other lesson that occurred to me is that the OP mentioned that after the truck slowed down to keep pace, he sped up and passed the truck, placing it behind him. Based upon the following events as related in the OP's story, I probably misunderstood but regardless, I think a lesson is in similar situations try to never let the bad guy get behind you. With the bad guy behind you, you have to do some pretty amazing contortions to engage him (unless you exit your vehicle)

Once it gets to that stage, traffic laws are out the window, so short of boxing myself in, as long as he's behind me he can't make me stop in the first place. I also get to pick the route, and will do so to the advantage of my vehicle and the detriment of his. If he's drunk, that's just more to my advantage. If he's better than average, I may have to sacrifice a little paint in the venture, but I'd still feel good about my odds of keeping him back there while I get 911 on the line and arrange an intercept.

If he's in front, all I can do is hope that I have an opportunity to turn off before he forces a confrontation, and that he doesn't come back and follow if I do turn off.

If he ends up in a pasture or ditch before I can lead him to a deputy, then he's no longer a threat to me, and I can just give them his last known location.

[Tom Bombadil]

Regarding rolling down the window, or getting out of the vehicle...

One thing you want to avoid, if at all possible, is firing your gun inside the car. That's a very loud noise in a confined area. It can cause permanent hearing damage. (True, better deaf than dead, but it might also put you at a disadvantage in a prolonged encounter.)

[DoubleJ]

What?











sorry had to...