Obligation to render aid to attacker after shooting?

[444]

I am a paramedic and if I shot someone in my house, the agency responding is the agency I work for.

I would not be worried about bloodborne diseases and all that. However someone mentioned this earlier and I think it is a valid point:
If you shot the guy, and then rendered aid, and the guy died anyway; a case could be made that your "treatment" in some way contributed to his death. AKA: you finished him off.

That may seem farfetched to some, but I have worked in this field for many years and I have seen lawsuits, threats of lawsuits,................... from FAR more ridiculous things than this. Odds are that you would be involved in a civil suit anyway for shooting the guy. No reason to add fuel to the fire.

 

[dprice3844444]

if you had practiced proper shooting technique,no need to render aid

 

[mljdeckard]

Care to elaborate on that?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Tomrkba provided exactly the scenario that my instructor and my CHL lawyer told me to do. The key point is call 911 request ambulance and police so you can get your call in quickly and most important to "SHUT UP". Answer nothing prior to getting a chance to talk to the CHL Lawyer first!

Also my Lawyer said no matter what, go to the hospital and get checked out yourself.

Let me quote his very sound advice again:

Do not give aid. Your job is to keep yourself and others safe, manage the scene so nothing is disturbed and stay alert for more violence. You will need to be on the lookout for the police. Some people advocate holding your wallet with ID and gun permit visible to the police.

911:

"I am calling to report that I was attacked with lethal force and defended myself. I am at <insert location here>. Send the police and X ambulances. I am wearing <insert description> and will comply with police commands when they arrive."

X = number of people injured.

Do not get into a conversation with 911. Everything you say WILL be used against you. Make short declarations and hang up.

Follow police commands when they arrive. Holster your weapon prior to their arrival if safe to do so. If not, then you will need to be very careful.

Your statements should be something like:

"Officer, <that/those male/female/people> attacked me with <insert weapon here, or "lethal force" if you want>. I lawfully defended myself. I will cooperate with your investigation after I consult with my attorney. I positively assert my right to remain silent."

THEN SHUT UP!

You must positively assert your right to remain silent. If you speak after that, you are giving up the right. The new law sucks, but the government has put us into an adversarial relationship with the police. You must protect yourself especially when under the effects of adrenaline. Remember, EVERY misstatement you make WILL be used against you. People are getting time for lying to the police if they cannot get them on anything else.

 

[Mike1234567]

^^^ Hang up on 911? Don't the operators insist on keeping you on the line until LEOs arrive? Also, all that babble seems like far too much to say... it sounds "practiced".

 

[444]

Hang up anyway.

Who is stopping you ?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

That is what my lawyer said. Hang up, and get off the phone. What ever you say will be made public and played on the news. Short declarative statements on the physical details like shown above and then hang up.

 

[Mike1234567]

Hmm... okay then. If I'm ever in that situation like that then I'll state the minimum and hang up. Still... isn't most of the rest of that unnecessary and sound practiced?

 

[brickeyee]

Hang up on 911? Don't the operators insist on keeping you on the line until LEOs arrive?

They have NO AUTHORITY to compel you to do ANYTHING.

HANG UP THE PHONE.

"Anything you say can and will be used against you."

You are talking to an agent of the police, even if they are not a sworn officer.

 

[Kleanbore]

I would not approach the attacker.

If possible, I would have someone else call 911, making sure that that someone gives a description of me as the lawful defender, to allow me to remain aware and to have my hands free.

If I were to call, I most certainly would not hang up before the police arrive. I would want to be able to hear from the 911 operator any information on the status of the police, and I would want the 911 operator to record any sounds--commands, shots, sounds from the crowd, whatever--that might occur after the shooting.

Here's some good advice on the subject.

 

[Frank Ettin]

We seem to be starting to get off track. Let's stay focused on the subject of this thread.

 

[mgkdrgn]

^^^ Hang up on 911? Don't the operators insist on keeping you on the line until LEOs arrive? Also, all that babble seems like far too much to say... it sounds "practiced".

Nothing at all wrong with having the RIGHT ANSWERS practiced. You practice to shoot straight, don't you?

 

[breakingcontact]

Nope.

 

[tomrkba]

This is all on topic because "rendering aid" is included in the post fight activities.

If calling 911 and requesting medical assistance satisfies any requirement to "render aid" then I am fine with that. I plan on calling anyway and it is an easy thing to do. Remember to request an ambulance for yourself in case you were wounded and do not know it yet due to adrenaline. Remember to do a wound check in your after action sequence.

As for sounding rehearsed: that is the least of your problems. Focusing upon that is like making a big deal out of a few popped nails on the deck while your house is burning. We rehearse this because it is very, very easy to start babbling to anyone in the area. Adrenaline does weird things to the brain and you may recite things out of order. Doing so to the police could get you charged with a crime.

Remember, the police are there to help the state, not you. They are there to do a job that does not include being your friend or providing support to you.

 

[Mike1234567]

Nothing at all wrong with having the RIGHT ANSWERS practiced. You practice to shoot straight, don't you?

Keeping basic wrong/right information to state/withhold in mind is one thing. Espousing "practiced" answers is quite another. LEO, investigators, interrogators, prosecutors, judges and juries can smell "practiced answers" from a mile away.

 

[Frank Ettin]

This is all on topic because "rendering aid" is included in the post fight activities....

You didn't see the posts I deleted.

 

[breakingcontact]

Howsa bout this! (said in dirt bag prosecutor voice) "If you approached your previous threat that you just shot...was he a threat in the first place! 10 seconds ago you were afraid of him...and now you arent?!?!"