What should you do with your gun after a justified shooting?

[Hk Dan]

Take Massad Ayoob's MAG 20. He covers this topic in depth, with real world problems and solutions to them. As he specifically asked us NOT to go into such details on the internet, I'll leave the teaching to Mas.

Take the class.
Dan

 

[Messenger Guard]

In my case, look for a second possible assailant while you are tunnel visioned about the first one.

 

[heycatman]

For the sake of argument, I'm curious to your logic as how police not just shooting anyone with a gun pose a higher risk to a home owner than shooting anything with a gun? As in this specific case it would clearly be in the advantage to the homeowner not to be shot by the police as they enter.

 

[heycatman]

Incapacitate then wait

I wouldn't try to restrain or further harm anyone even if they are obviously a degenerate or scum bag, for a few of reasons.

1. Unless you're a cop (or a sadist) you probably don't practice using handcuffs so it's probably not going to be easy or safe.

2. What's the point if they are on the ground and you have a gun pointed at them? You can stand there and easily not threaten an officer while doing it. If not, maybe they are arresting the wrong person. Most police are more than likely just as hesitant as you to shoot or kill someone as are most people. A well trained police officer can and will evaluate the situation before they go guns-a-blazing. Of course that isn't always the case but then again, when was the last time you were shot at by the police? Unless your the <deleted>-head most of the time they're helping you out even when they're giving you a speeding ticket. Also, aren't you obligated to give aid to someone in need? I guarantee if you shoot them and they're still alive they'll need some help after all are you going to sit and watch them die?

3. If someone breaks in, you catch them and shoot them, you might end up on trial even if they are a degenerate. Best left as little harm as possible, isn't that the Christian thing to do anyway?

4. The next thing I'm gonna say many might not agree with but......

If they got up and tried to leave, I'D LET THEM! You just had a deadly confrontation with them and won, anyone willing to continue to detest what you say or do isn't thinking right, anyone robbing a home isn't thinking right. So you're going to further initiate confrontation with this person? Doesn't sound smart. An individual denying these circumstances, is a dangerous individual all you need to care about is that they're no longer a threat to you.

If they are shot they'll end up in a hospital and the hospital will call the police. If they don't end up in a hospital they're liable to end up with an infection or end up crippled in one way or another. Not always, but more than likely. Modern medical science cures a lot of stuff we take for granted. They'll more than likely be caught, assuming they could run any distance with bullet wholes in them anyway.

Unless they are doing something other than robbing your home, it's just business. If you get mad because of that then you are the aggressor, again in a lot of peoples eyes you should sit in jail for it. Now it doesn't always pan out like that and I don't necessarily agree but do you really want to keep killing someone? Some states you can just shoot someone trespassing on your property but that doesn't make it right. Not everyone is born with the same advantage of wealth, quick aim or a well placed shot, that doesn't mean they necessarily deserve to die.

I would simply wait with your gun pointed in a safe direction (i.e. usually the ground) till help arrives trying to make the best of any circumstances form there forth.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Reholster

 

[answerguy]

If they got up and tried to leave, I'D LET THEM! You just had a deadly confrontation with them and won, anyone willing to continue to detest what you say or do isn't thinking right, anyone robbing a home isn't thinking right.

Umm... deadly confrontation? Not if the bad guy is getting up and trying to leave.

 

[heycatman]

Shooting at someone is deadly or potentially deadly. You don't shoot someone you don't want dieing?

 

[Rexster]

Within reason, always do what responding officers say to do, keeping in mind they may not have the whole story. I work for a large agency, and the only way to keep the patrol radio channels clear enough to use is for the region to be divided into master districts, with one or two master districts per channel. If there is a home invasion happening in Northwest, the officers working that channel with hear the call information recited by their dispatcher. On my channel, Central, I will hear, "Fox* and K9 on Northwest!" OK, so I am driving along the Loop feeder road, the boundary between Central and Northwest. Being dutiful, I switch one radio to Northwest channel, and use my MDT to see what is happening.

BAM! I see I am less than a block from a home invasion, in progress. I will be the first arriving officer, but I have NOT heard the descriptions of the good and bad guys. OK, so I pull out my reading glasses, and pull up the call on the MDT. Or, do I? Perhaps I hear an update on the radio, that the situation has deteriorated, requiring an immediate response. Perhaps I am already right in front of the address, making myself a target, and therefore must dim the MDT screen and keep my safety glasses on, not sit there and read the call details. Perhaps the first Northwest officer has arrived, and needs help NOW!

In any of the just-mentioned scenarios, I will not know the homeowner from Adam, even if the 911 operator or EC operator got all the details right.

Oh, and don't try to handcuff a suspect alone. The quotes provided from the other thread, by a moderator, look awfully familiar.

*Fox = short for Foxtrot, the call sign for the helicopters. If there is an emergency call anywhere in the area, a message will flash to all dispatchers to broadcast that any available/nearby aircraft and K9 units, and any other available unit in the area, switch to the channel where the emergency call is occurring.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

I always assumed I'd always describe the bad guy breaking in no matter the situation i.e. "Purple male, in a black polo & jeans is trying to climb in my window, Help!!" That way every responding cop would be looking for that guy. If the green male in pajamas has the purple male proned out, I hope I wouldn't get shot.

However, I'd rather hold tight in my bedroom with a gun pointed at the door, call the police tell them where I am, and let them figure out what the bad guy looks like. That's what my grandfather's neighbor did, and they found out a deer had jumped through his living room window! Go figure.

 

[Pingn]

There is a lot of good advice here. Calling for help. Making sure dispatchers and the incoming LEOs have the info they need. Keeping the BG covered. Great advice for the lead up. Based on what I've learned when the police arrive its best to look at it like a school fight. In the beginning they don't care who started it or why it happened as much as getting control and stabilizing things. Keep that in mind. It doesn't matter if your the good guy. They need to be sure so they may demand you drop your weapon, get down, and handcuff you. Don't be alarmed, offended, or defensive. It is an important step of their methods.

Take a look at hostage rescue team's sop. They detain, restrain, and isolate 'everyone' till they can get investigators in. They do similar things in every situation. From hostage rescue to a simple domestic spat in a trailer park. Not as dramatic for the latter of course.

For me. I may wait as late as possible before I lose my weapon. But when they do.... Its their show! I'd probably wait till the last moment before they came through the door. That way the BG wouldn't have much time to do anything. Definitely not grab my gun. I'd toss it the other direction. The only thing they might do is run. As much as I'd like to see the BG in jail where they could do no more harm. I could care less. As long as me and mine are safe. I've done my job. So if the BG wants to make a break for it. That's fine. If that's all that is happening. Most of my local investigators have good heads on their shoulders. I'm sure they would run a check and seem I'm the home owner. As long as I have kept my head I believe it'll come out in the end.

 

[mljdeckard]

heycatman,

NO. I don't want them to die. I want them to stop what they are doing. I'm not trying to kill anyone. I'm trying to stop them from killing me.

Once the deadly force light is on, I will not assume that any of their actions are not hostile. He was trying to KILL me. If I have just shot him, and he gets up, the main thing on his mind might be to get away, but it might also be to finish what he started. I would be foolish to let him. That wouldn't be the Christian thing to do either.

 

[x_wrench]

Own and learn how to use handcuffs!!

NOT 4 ME! i have arms, and will use them if necessary to protect myself and loved ones. as far as a "perp" goes, i am not going to try to handcuff anyone! i have a really bad back, to handcuff someone would REQUIRE me to set down my weapon, and THAT, is NOT going to happen! i have 2 kids, if someone besides my immediate family is in my home after normal operating hours, they are going to be in deep doo doo. all i can say is that they had better hope that they can run faster than i can squeeze the trigger! as for the police, i will shout to them as they enter my home and drop the weapon upon their orders. if they shoot me, well, that is still better than letting the b.g. get one of my family.