Street robberies and you - The Basics

[Cooter]

When I'm out, I'm always on a swivel. You just have to train yourself to do a threat assessment on EVERYONE

haven't had near the experience you have, but I'm always on swivel/always on alert

[Geor!]

Thanks bud. Interesting and eye-opening.

[ThreeFingerPete]

This was a good read but it raises a few questions for me that I think only seasoned law enforcement could answer. This guy says that in a situation you suspect could be bad....to make it evident...or in fact SHOW your weapon and make it clear you have it and aren't afraid to pull it out. OK....sounds great....but from what I was told in the CHL class...ANY time your gun is shown...intentionally or not...that you should call the police and report it so you will be the FIRST person to report an incident. I've met an awful lot of hot-heated, quick to judge cops that would react VERY badly to a person who reports they drew a gun...whether justified or not. Cops don't like people with guns on their person...licensed or not. SO.....what is the opinion on this of all of you? If your walkin at night and you sense someone unpleasant is about to do something to you...and you brandish your gun...are YOU going to call the cops if it frightens the person away? OR are you going to put the gun back up and go about your business....just a curiosity of mine.

If you call the cops and say that you pulled out your firearm because someone suspicious walked up to you, then you're going to get a hard time. You see, that suspicious person isn't a criminal until their buddy clubs you on the back of the head and they rob you.

[Vertnut]

I have a question about the phrase,"If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed, say "I don't have a gun". Then they will know you do."

I'm not sure what he's saying here.

[mikec]

Excellent read, thanks for the post, and only a damned fool would call the police to report that they drew their weapon. That WILL get logged and if you ever actually do have to pull and shoot it will come back to haunt you.

It's about criminalization of the populace and how much money you can get that populace to pump into the legal system. Nothing more, nothing less.

[mikec]

I have a question about the phrase,"If someone challenges you after you indicate you are armed, say "I don't have a gun". Then they will know you do."

I'm not sure what he's saying here.

Inflection, I think, would be the case here. Kind of a non-challant and flippant "I don't have a gun", with a Clint Eastwood sneer, delivered as a dose of reverse psychology. My take, at least.

[IHaveAMustang]

Essentially to me, unless I am near my car and have to draw for any reason, I am not reporting it.

It's when you get into your car and maybe a witness grabs your license plate and goes

"OMWTFBBQ some white guy pulled a gun on a random person and ...."

[SS Junk]

If you call the cops and say that you pulled out your firearm because someone suspicious walked up to you, then you're going to get a hard time. You see, that suspicious person isn't a criminal until their buddy clubs you on the back of the head and they rob you.

Exactly. You draw first you can be charged with brandishing. My CHL class strongly emphasized not drawing unless you were going to undoubtedly fire.

[BERNIE MOSFET]

Exactly. You draw first you can be charged with brandishing. My CHL class strongly emphasized not drawing unless you were going to undoubtedly fire.

Brandishing is not a crime in Texas. Brandishing a weapon can either be charged as intentional failure to conceal or assault.

[SS Junk]

Unfortunately I live in a Commonwealth that is behind the times.

[ThreeFingerPete]

Exactly. You draw first you can be charged with brandishing. My CHL class strongly emphasized not drawing unless you were going to undoubtedly fire.

That's because that's the safest way to teach someone not get into legal trouble. That's not necessarily the safest way to diffuse a situation. Which method was the instructor there to teach you?

[BERNIE MOSFET]

Unfortunately I live in a Commonwealth that is behind the times.

I wasn't disagreeing so much as clarifying how it is illegal in Texas. Your point is still valid.

[BERNIE MOSFET]

That's because that's the safest way to teach someone not get into legal trouble. That's not necessarily the safest way to diffuse a situation. Which method was the instructor there to teach you?

Right, my impression of the CHL course was that it was more about the legalities of it all, not so much on the practicality of it.

[SS Junk]

I was in a situation last year where, because I was in a fucked up liberal shitbag state, I could not legally carry. Ended up having to brandish my keys between my fingers, which fortunately worked. Never again. My family was a few hundred feet from me when this happened. They could have also been armed.

As far as this is concerned:

He has to accept he may be killed while robbing.

I think more often than not the psychology is rather "It won't happen to me I'm invincible."

[GhostTX]

Exactly. You draw first you can be charged with brandishing. My CHL class strongly emphasized not drawing unless you were going to undoubtedly fire.

Brandishing is not a crime in Texas. Brandishing a weapon can either be charged as intentional failure to conceal or assault.

You're allowed in Texas to present the threat of force (drawing) in order to diffuse a situation.

PC §9.04. THREATS AS JUSTIFIABLE FORCE. The threat of force
is justified when the use of force is justified by this chapter. For purposes
of this section, a threat to cause death or serious bodily injury by
the production of a weapon or otherwise, as long as the actor's purpose
is limited to creating an apprehension that he will use deadly
force if necessary, does not constitute the use of deadly force.