Street robberies and you - The Basics

[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?

[SS Junk]

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

[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]

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.

[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 ...."

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Geor!]

Thanks bud. Interesting and eye-opening.

[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

[ram57ta]

Depends on the situation. I pulled a gun on someone at my house (well I was living there as a tenant) because I thought they were scoping the place out to rob it. I made it very clear if they tried anything either I or my room mate would kill them; they promptly left and I did not report anything. I never heard anything about it for the rest of the time I lived there, but for the next two or three weeks I did sleep with one eye open and one hand on my pistol.

Of course I am not saying that is what you should legally do when something like that happens; it is just how I handled the situation.

At your house is a bit different than out on the street..not sure if I'd call the cops or not since Castle Doctrine covers you in your home. Several months back when shit was going south with my tenants I showed up to make a repair to the front door to my house (pre-arranged and they knew I was coming), and my tenant still felt he needed to stand over me and my brother-in-law with a pistol in his back pocket as if to let me know he was the boss. I knew that he was legally entitled to do it so I didn't say anything...but it wasn't a smart move when he owed me 2 months back rent. He and his bitch neanderthal wife were served eviction papers later that week.

[LANTIRN]

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.

Depends on the situation. I pulled a gun on someone at my house (well I was living there as a tenant) because I thought they were scoping the place out to rob it. I made it very clear if they tried anything either I or my room mate would kill them; they promptly left and I did not report anything. I never heard anything about it for the rest of the time I lived there, but for the next two or three weeks I did sleep with one eye open and one hand on my pistol.

Of course I am not saying that is what you should legally do when something like that happens; it is just how I handled the situation.

[ram57ta]

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.

[red95gts]

He starts off with "Lately in GD...."

Anyone know where this guy lives? Just curious.