To get involved or not?

[Hawk]

First off if the woman can yell anything she is not being strangled. If she has air to yell she has air to breath. Secondly, you never know the whole story when you "think" you're coming to someones "rescue". She could have been a bitch from hell and needed a time out from hurting the kids (you don't know). Seriously, unless you know the whole story, stepping in is a crap shoot. I'd probably just ask someone to call the cops and go over and push/pull the guy off her just to stop the attack in progress.
If his focus turn to me after that, I'll just stall for time until the police show up. If needed, I'd take him to the ground an either bust his elbow or put him to sleep. The last thing I'm going to do is shoot someone.

[cephas]

Then winds up there herself a few weeks later.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I meant the victim was the woman that was beat up.

[djeuch]

All of you must be in much better shape than I. Unknowns aside, I don't think I'd not intervene in some form or fashion, but that includes yelling to stop as well as dialing 911 myself or have someone else do it.

All from a safe distance! Call me a wimp, but I'm not getting physically engaged!

[scruff]

All of you must be in much better shape than I. Unknowns aside, I don't think I'd not intervene in some form or fashion, but that includes yelling to stop as well as dialing 911 myself or have someone else do it.

All from a safe distance! Call me a wimp, but I'm not getting physically engaged!

This. Dial 911, then order him to stop, from a distance, and tell him the police are on the way. Hopefully, that brings him to his senses. Have the gun ready to defend yourself if necessary. I'm not doing any more than that because I don't know if she was the aggressor, in which case my use of deadly force would possibly be illegal.

That's for an assault. If I saw him actually choking or stabbing her to death, then all bets are off and he's got incoming lead.