Interesting Event This Weekend

[mike_g26]

I was camping this weekend while fishing. Our campsite was at the end of the line which meant we only had other campers on one side. We had one empty campsite between us and a large camper with a family. Around 5PM a bunch of young adults came and setup camp in the spot next to the camper, thus three sites from us. By dark it became obvious that the younger people that showed up were there to drink and party. I have no problem with that and they seemed to be having fun. As the story usually goes in these situations the later it got the more out of control they got. By 11PM they were screaming, throwing bottles and generally being idiots. I actually wanted to call the park office, but they closed at 10PM. A discussion was had about calling the police, but it didn't seem warranted at the time.

I guess it was around 11:30 when the "excitement" began. The two males of the group began arguing and one jumped into his car and peeled out, flying down the campground road. The other male ran after him on foot and at some point they met back up. A few minutes later they returned to camp where they began arguing with the females and threatening one of them. At this point I was on a high level of alert and stopped fishing. I waved another of my friends over and we watched through night vision goggles to see what was going on.

Things calmed down a bit before the male with the vehicle again started screaming at people and again got into his car and drove off, this time in a more controlled manner. By this time I was bored with their actions and returned to fishing and hanging out.

Around 20 minutes later the male with the vehicle comes flying down the campground road and skids through the parking spot down the embankment and into their campsite taking out one of the tents and almost hitting a tree. I dropped everything and started paying attention again. I told a friend we should call 911 and he convinced me to wait, but agreed if the guy in the car started driving again we would. From what we could tell he was upset with his girlfriend and they were fighting. After A LOT of yelling things again seemed to calm down and they began fixing up their campsite. I'm guessing an hour went by where things were pretty quiet and uneventful. One of the girls even walked over and apologized for the disturbances and told us that she would make sure it didn't happen again. She was polite and didn't seem drunk.

Everything was going well when a terrible scream came from one of the tents. It was the type of scream that when you hear it you know it is serious. It chilled me to the bone. The girl screamed again and this time began screaming she was being raped. I instructed a friend to call 911 and me and another friend began moving towards the campsite. (I was carrying as was my friend.) Another scream came and this time I immediately placed my hand on my weapon and began running in the shadows towards the rear of the tent. When I was about 25 feet from the tent the male emerged and walked directly towards his car. They had apparently taken his keys from him so he wasn't able to drive. We were spotted by the other male who approached and told us to leave them alone using many colorful words. I told him that we needed to know that the screaming girl was OK and we were not leaving until we knew and also that the police were called. What we didn't know was the another set of campers had called the police earlier than we had. Before we could say anything else one of the girls yelled "COPS!!" and they all ran around trying to hide the bottles of booze. We headed back to our campsite. Ultimately, we found out they were all underage (between 16-19) and both males and one female were arrested.

Thinking back it was a lot more intense then my long winded story can tell. I was very concerned for the girls safety and would not have allowed whatever was going on in that tent to continue. I don't know what would have happened had he not come out of the tent other than I would have been going in to help her. The thought of a woman being raped as I stood by sickens me. I believe I would have drawn on him had he not left the tent and ordered him out and on the ground. I don't know if this is legally right or wrong, but as I said...I would not have allowed it to continue. I'm grateful it ended the way it did, but it put a very somber mood on our trip.

[RedRaider]

Sounds like everything turned out OK. The only thing I'd do differently would have been to call the police immediately as soon as the male began to operate the vehicle in the way he did. You're family and many others were in danger at that point. Just my 2 cents, glad everything turned out OK and your family is safe.

[gregthehand]

I agree. I would have called sooner. I'm glad you didn't try and go get them to quiet down by yourself before hand and only intervened once you thought someone was in danger. A lot of people may have been more inclined to walk over and have a word with them before the girl screamed. Of course this could have escalated things.

[wheelgun1958]

PC 9.33 covers it.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/LS-16.pdf

[gigag04]

By 11PM they were screaming, throwing bottles and generally being idiots.

Here's where the cops should've been called IMO. Things like this rarely digress.

Good job looking out for the girl.

[KRM45]

I think you should have called the police much earlier in the night.

Your lack of action contributed to the girl being assaulted. It could have ended much worse.

[stevie_d_64]

I'm really going to be hated for this, but then again, it doesn't really matter I suppose...

A rhetorical question:

"Where does it say, or implied that a person who is licenced in this state to carry a firearm for lawful self-defensive purposes, has the duty or obligation to intervene in a situation like this?"

Now with that being said, let me quantify that previous statement...

Yes, every moral citizen should feel obligated to step in and be at the very least a visual clue to another person that their activity(ies) are a little over the top and unreasonable...I have no real problem (not that I am an authority to dictate policy, but I tend to interject an opinion that irritates some, but expands others thought processes) with that action taken on that evening...

But, just because you have a gun, and the sober faculties to reasonably determine if force, or deadly force, is immediately necessary to stop a threat to you or another person...This is CHL 101...Do you have to wait to see (reasonably determine) if others who are not in control of their faculties will escalate???

In this case most would know that this is going to get out of hand in due time...Once I see, in my opinion, that there are minors in a group that are consuming alcohol, whether I am right or wrong in that determination, a call would have been made to some authoritative body, and that would have been that...

The underlying issue I see is the lack of parental responsibility and counsel of those parents of the kids going out and doing this, regardless if the ages are 18-19 for some, and minors of the others...

They would have never known who would have made that call that evening, they can assume all they want after the fact...I would not accept paying for a camping spot to go fishing, and put up with the crap going on nearby, just to be near a bunch of idiot underage kids drinking themselves into oblivion...

By eventually standing up and walking over towards the kids, to make sure you are seen, is escalating, as evident by one of them telling the poster to take a flying leap (basically), this is another thing that is a CHL 101 no-no...

But to keep it fair, the incident eventually was taken care of by lawful authority...And we should give Mike_G26 kudos for it turning out that way...That was a hard decision to make sir! And you did ok...

The most powerful tool anyone of us has is that grey matter between the ears, and the next tool is that phone (cell)...The least important, in this situation, was what you have holstered on your hip...

I hope I am not considered to harsh, or just a plain pain on this, but just because you have something, most others do not, and should not know about, hanging off your belt...Should not give you any reason to step in and physically intervene in cases like this...

Shooting a drunken kid who happened to notice you scowling at them because of their debauchery will not do anything but screw your life up in the end...

Just my opinion based upon what was said in the original post...I'm not trying to be mean, uncaring or preachy, but it is just the way I analyzed this situation...

We are expotentially smarter than this, and being clever, without any desire to be noticed in this world because we are, is way more satisfying, than dragging our knuckles on the ground because we know we have the ability to end most bad situations very decisively...That is the way to go though the rest of our lives, and encouraging others to do so similarly is a way to make real change in this state and our country...

//off the soapbox//

[frazzled]

By 11PM they were screaming, throwing bottles and generally being idiots.

I disagree. While annoying, I'd proffer most campgrounds during spring break have that issue.

[PuntoQuatroCinco]

I think you should have called the police much earlier in the night.

Your lack of action contributed to the girl being assaulted. It could have ended much worse.

I'm not sure she was assaulted. Sounds like the kid went in for his keys and she cried "rape" to attract attention and get him to back off.
Girls don't seem to recognize the possible consequences of falsely yelling "rape."

I've given this lecture before: "...and what happens when somebody hears you yell rape, doesn't know you're joking, shows up and shoots me?" I can't remember for certain, but I think we were toasting 'smores and wound up wrestling for the last marshmallow...something silly like that...

[dihappy]

You waited TOO LONG to call the police.

I dont have patience for this sort of stuff. Id rather call and have nothing come of it than to wait till blood spilled or things got out of hand.

[karder]

IMO I think you did very well. You stayed out of it and minded your own business, until you heard someone call for help. At that point you chose to intervene. Opinions will vary, but I think you handled things well.

[C-dub]

A nice BRIGHT flashlight could have been useful. I have a couple of 6D cell mag lights and a 2 million candle power cordless spot light. The later is by my weapon on my nightstand. Talk about disorienting someone senses with light.

[Oldgringo]

By 11PM they were screaming, throwing bottles and generally being idiots.

I disagree. While annoying, I'd proffer most campgrounds during spring break have that issue.

If nothing else, it's disturbing the peace. The police should have been called at the onset of unruly and obnoxious behavior. Most campgrounds list "quite time" as between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM.

BTWW spring break is not an excuse for rude, inconsiderate and unlawful behavior.

[SouthEndXGF]

I think you did fine. good job OP!

[mgood]

IMO I think you did very well. You stayed out of it and minded your own business, until you heard someone call for help. At that point you chose to intervene. Opinions will vary, but I think you handled things well.