Trouble in Troup

[Dr.Accumulator]

Howdy folks.. Lurker gone legitimate member here.. If I can have your audience, I need some critiques and opinions of a situation:


Travelling Northbound at 1:30am down 2 lane farm road with my girlfriend in the passenger seat, we approach a 35 mph zone in the outskirts of Troup Tx. The zone is a very sharp right handed turn with a city road to the left as you travel north in the middle of the curve. I notice a vehicle stopped in the southbounf lane. I slow my speed to 15 or so MPH as I get further into the curve and see the vehicle is occupied with one black female, and in the ditch on the northbound lane 2 black males viciously assaulting what appeard to be a young black female. I stopped completely told my GF to get into theback seat of my SUV and lock the doors and call 911. I armed my self with my G22, but concealed still as I open my door.. check my 6 make eye contact with the driver of the stopped vehicle, turn and issue the loudest "STOP NOW AND GET ON YOUR KNEES" I could muster while still covered by my SUV door. I did not draw down on them..I was at low ready..Subject number 1 moves away from the bably beaten and apperently pregnant 14 yr old female, but subject 2 walks to the center of the road and stops ,still screaming and cursing the young female.As I command the black female to go collect the 2 male subjects, so I can keep eyes on all three the subject takes off in a jog to the female in the ditch, shouting, cursing , and begins to grab and shake her ect.. The female subject exits her vehicle and begins screaming thier about to get shot , that man has a gun ect..The 3 subjects run 10-15 feet away from me and back to the vehicle and make a fast exit headed southbound. PD arrives EMS arrives and they tend to the female in the ditch. The officer asks the people who live in front of the home this all occured what all happened. They said they came out and only witnessed them leave, but I offered my statement to the officer. As we walked I told him if none of the other witnesses have mentioned yet I was armed initially and but I had disarmed when he arrived. I said I had engaged them verbally but did use any force. He said he would defer to the deputy that had arrived but wanted my word I was not armed at that time. I agreed and told him my weapon was sitting in my back seat unloaded and the chamber cleared and locked open for his inspection. As I was writing out my statement a vehicle approached slowly from the side street. as they began to turn I immediately recognize the vehicle and the subject and informed the officer who approached the vehicle and stopped it on foot. He ordered them out and into custody. The subject stated he had dropped his wallet during the scuffle and returned to collect it.. After the officer placed the 2 into seperate vehicles he looked over my statement, shook my hand as said thank you for stopping..ect..ect.. and I was released from the scene.

Now.. I ask for your critiques and feedback..

Thanks
DR. A

[cyphur]

Sounds like that was the best possible outcome. Diffused the situation may have saved that girls life, and you didn't have to fire a single shot.

Excellent display of what a responsible armed citizen can do in times of need.

[txinvestigator]

Have you posted this on another forum before? It sounds familiar.

At any rate, welcome to the forum.

I would say you handled the situation well, and I am sure the assaulted female was glad you were there. I am curious as to why the inclusion of the race of the people.

It was proper and decent for you to intervene.

[seamusTX]

I think you are brave and lucky. You risked your life and saved strangers from injury and possibly death.

Now make sure the newspaper finds out. Also inform the Armed Citizen at 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400. (I think they require independent documentation.)

I can't see that you did anything tactically wrong, but I'm just an armchair expert.

How far do you live from the crime scene? I'd be worried about the perps or their families seeking retribution.

- Jim

[Dr.Accumulator]

TxInvestigator: This is my first time posting as it happened this very morning. I dont belong to any other forums. Race was included for accuracy, and detail. Feel free to omit that if you repost elsewhere.

seamusTX:
I live 15 miles away, but I have a very distinctive vehicle, and travel that area almost daily.. Ill fuel up elsewhere or find an alternate route.

[seamusTX]

The detectives or district attorney's office ought to be talking to you. You might want to ask them whether you need to worry.

- Jim

[KD5NRH]

Sounds like that was the best possible outcome. Diffused the situation may have saved that girls life, and you didn't have to fire a single shot.

Agreed. The only thing I'd change would be to seriously consider a long gun for the car. IMO, the M1 Carbine would be a great choice from a tactical standpoint, but a good lever-action in 44Mag is at least as effective, at least as fast with practice, and a lot more politically correct.

Given the size of the charging handle on most semiauto rifles, I'd be more confident in a lever gun anyway since all my long guns are kept with mag full but chamber empty. (Too much variation in the safeties to try to remember where and which way to push it in a high-stress situation.)

OTOH, with what you had available, you did exactly what had to be done for the best possible outcome. Now, hopefully, the prosecuting attorney will do his part as well as you did yours.

[txinvestigator]

I think you are brave and lucky. You risked your life and saved strangers from injury and possibly death.

Now make sure the newspaper finds out. Also inform the Armed Citizen at 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400. (I think they require independent documentation.)

I can't see that you did anything tactically wrong, but I'm just an armchair expert.

How far do you live from the crime scene? I'd be worried about the perps or their families seeking retribution.

- Jim

Perps? We don't say "perp" in Texas Thats a yankee word. :)

[seamusTX]

We don't say "perp" in Texas. That's a yankee word.

My slip is showing. I was born and grew up in Chicago. What's a good East Texas word?

- Jim

[anygunanywhere]

We don't say "perp" in Texas. That's a yankee word.

My slip is showing. I was born and grew up in Chicago. What's a good East Texas word?

- Jim

A good East Texas word wouldn't qualify for the 10 year old daughter rule.

How about bad guy.

Anygun

[seamusTX]

Can I use "mope"?

- Jim

[Dr.Accumulator]

Sounds like that was the best possible outcome. Diffused the situation may have saved that girls life, and you didn't have to fire a single shot.

Agreed. The only thing I'd change would be to seriously consider a long gun for the car. .

As far as the long gun comment, I did have an SKS with a Druganov stock and the standard 10 rd fixed mag in the vehicle but I would have had to break cover to retrieve it. I guess I could have crawled over the seats but from my view the subject was tryng to choke her with what looked like a do-rag. The G was adequate and concealable in a low ready stance behind the door. A rifle wouldnt allow that, and the range wasnt enough to need a rifle for accuracy. Same capacity with 10 in the G and 10 in the SKS.

Havent been contacted by a detective but the local news has called 2x. I declined comment.

Dr.A

[nitrogen]

It's awesome that you stopped to help.

I don't know that I would have done that. I don't know if you know, but the huge truck chase on Sunday was precluded by a carjacking. One of the guys that got carjacked was held up at gunpoint when he went to help what he thought was a stranded motorist.

My personal feeling is, I carry my gun to protect me and my own. Every bullet has a lawyer, as well as at least a 5-15K laywer bill attached to it. Call me what you will, but I will not go 15K into debt for someone I do not know, and might not even want my help.

Having said that, you chose to help, and that's commendable. I wish there were more people out there like you, and fewer like myself; the world would be a better place. In the action you chose to take, I have nothing but praise for.

[Glockamolie]

We don't say "perp" in Texas. That's a yankee word.

My slip is showing. I was born and grew up in Chicago. What's a good East Texas word?

- Jim

Tom
Union
Robert
David

[seamusTX]

Got it.

- Jim