Friend was robbed...what would you have done?

[StraussiE WousiE]

Ya know, it really erks me when I can be intimidated, and scared by some thug who can't afford anything, and has to hassle me. Why can't I scare him back? I think I'd draw on him in a heartbeat. I just hate to see injustice. And injustice is me being FORCED to comply with some random dudes demands of money. How would you like to FORCED to do certain things that you just don't wanna do. Like OC'ers being forced to conceal. You would fight tooth and nail to make sure justice is served. Most thugs would take forty shits if the had a gun pulled on them. I hope I'm never in the situation, but I would have the mentality to just be really pissed about the situation.

[Bruce]

[...] he was told that that wouldn't be enough. The robber put his hand behind his back, as if he were concealing in the 6 o'clock position and said, "Come one man, don't make me pull out my piece. That isn't enough, I need more than that." [...] What would you do?

I'd hover my right hand over my Openly Carried revolver (in it's Galco cross-draw holster) and say: "Ahh, a quick-draw contest, eh?" Then grin widely.

Seriously, though, if someone honestly threatened to pull a firearm on me (and I had no reason to doubt that a. they had a firearm and b. they'd draw and fire) while demanding I preform an action like 'hand over money', I do not see any rational, logical and (most importantly) *safe* way to "retreat" from that scenario.

My honest, and wholly personal, belief is that Open Carry would have prevented the whole scene (I know some would argue - and, no, I am *not* trying to hijack this thread into an OC v. CC debate!!! - Just stating opinion regarding "handling" such occurrences). Criminals, especially street thugs, will prey on the easiest targets; like how they'll pick a house without an alarm/robbery system to burgle rather than a house with Central Station Monitoring alarms and surveillance cameras.

Back to the scenario where I am *unarmed* and am being robbed on the street by a thug who probably is armed: I'd do exactly what your friend did. I see no other choice. I'm glad your friend survived - lots of street thugs don't like leaving victims who can identify them alive; or, at least, in shape to give any kind of description (talk to any seasoned City detective about that).

If I was armed? Well - there are simply too many variables in such a "what if" scenario. There are simply too many variables in *any* a "what if" scenario.

All I'll offer is this: if I *believe* (and I'm not the sort who's easily convinced) I am about to die or incur serious bodily harm, and I am armed, and I *believe* shooting my attacker will save my life (or spare me serious bodily harm), then you can consider my attacker shot (repeatedly).

If I certain that I am being robbed - and the threat of being shot is being made - then the robber is committing a *very* serious crime. If there were eye witnesses, that would contribute towards how I would act as well.

Too many variables. Too many *if*s.

And, of course, crapping my pants is also always a possibility. I like to think I'd handle myself every bit as well as John Wayne did on the Silver Screen, but... you never really know how you will act/react to any one specific and particular situation until you are actually in it. Too many variables.
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[bradjc72]

IMO, this is my thoughts. I would think you would be in your complete right of protecting yourself and your life to draw your weapon right at the point that the BG makes that statement, and puts his hand behind him like he is starting to handle a weapon.

What I may have done is to uncover the weapon if I was not OC'ing, and unholster with the weapon pointed down, and start backing up away from assailant. That way you are protecting yourself, while also trying to remove yourself from the situation which is also current PA law as well, but I think you are in your right to do that with the threat that was made.

Good or bad idea?

[Bruce]

If you draw your weapon, it had better be to shoot and stop the threat.
Drawing, to show you have a weapon, is just plain STUPID!!!!!

I understand your opinion. To a degree, I even agree with you: if you draw ("ready" or "aim") your weapon, you should be absolutely prepared to fire it with intentional deadly results.

However, there are... actually, I forget the statistics - but there are so many (a fairly large number of) reported cases every year where the simple 'presentation' of a firearm is attributed to successful 'self defense' and/or 'deterrence' of robberies and violence across America. I think it was one of the NRA magazines that used to (they still might - I don't know) report on these incidents every month. Of course, and naturally, the mainstream media completely sweeps such stories deeply under the proverbial rug.

I am not suggesting I think firearms should be "drawn" for "effect" only. When a (law-abiding) citizen 'draws' a firearm, they should absolutely have every single intention of 'using it' if/when they have to.

Personally, I'd think it would be a much happier ending if the thug in the OP found himself staring down the barrel of his victims firearm, then crapped his own pants, dropped the comb he was grabbing at in his back pocket, then ran off and gave up his life of crime because he decided it was just too dangerous.
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[Helter]

At the first movement/mention that suggested an armed encounter, I'd be drawing to concealed ready at the least, while moving off the line of attack and telling him to stop and move away. If he keeps acting threateningly, I keep going and aim in. If he doesn't, my gun stays behind my leg and I back away.

I can go from concealed ready to firing *much* faster than I can go from concealed to firing.

[glockmaster]

I would have turned my strong side away from him, Acted like I was going for my wallet, get a good grip on my pistol, start backing up while saying, "Don't make me pull my piece".

Continue to back up to get to safty.

If the threat tries to pull a gun, you gotta do what you gotta do. . .

I agree with this scenario by biggs88, it makes sense. You're retreating and removing yourself from the situation while at the same time letting him know you're not fucking around. I don't agree with waiting until he produces the weapon after he's already stated he has one and is reaching, thus possibly putting yourself at a disadvantage. I'd rather be judged by 12 then carried by 6...

[bradjc72]

I do agree with that scenario as well, it makes sense, but while faking getting my wallet, at that point in this scenario BG has already made the threat, so instead of making the threat to pull, I would have pulled but in a safe direction (the ground) and started to pull away.

[bradjc72]

this brings up one more thing. Not everyone is comfortable with carrying with one in the chamber, so does it take it to a different level if you would unholster your weapon while backing away, AND chamber a round?

Would or could that now make it a problem for you with LEO's, or does it not change a thing?

[Halftrack]

Well, in any event, it would be your word against the BG if you draw and he doesn't have a weapon. Yeah, like you're walking around Philly looking to hassle street people.

If he doesn't have a weapon and you do draw, heavy odds are that he'll run like the wind and never look back.

If he has a weapon and you off him, so much the better. The ensuing shitstorm will most certainly suck, but he'll be dead and you will be alive.

[XD40coyote]

Third, RUN! I will admit that I am giving advice sitting in an office and having no idea of all of the details of the situation, but sometimes it's time to boogie. I'm willing to bet that he's not going to chase after another dollar. If he does, you put an obstacle between you and him for cover and to create distance and then go for the gun.

This seems to be one of the more used responses in Baltimore when thugs try to rob someone else in the hood. Sometimes they get shot at as they run, sometimes they don't. LOL follow the Guardian Angel's guidebook and run in a zig zag.

Of course the very first mistake is lack of situational awareness and/or inability to take proper evasive action. But sometimes you try all that and the thug just pops up from your blind spot. However for most people, they are not even tuned into what is going on around them, and by learning to do cond yellow and learning evasiveness, the odds of being a victim go way down.

LOL when I lived in Baltimore attending school, I got a reputation among the student guards ( I was not one myself-unarmed guard? hell no), and when one of them mentioned a student safety class that was going to be held, they joked that I should be the one teaching it. Of course my #1 deterant was the big dog, but my back up was dressing weird and walking like some predator on the hunt. I also worked out with 8 pound each dumbells every day to strengthen my upper body, and as far as legs went, I have been a good sprinter since about age 5.

One time some kids tried to get me to give them my fur lined hat, and they showed no interest in the dog, and the dog showed no interest in them either. The dog's behavior made me feel the kids were full of it and bluffing. The kids showed no weapons and didn't imply they had any. I just said a big fat NO to them a couple times and walked away ( but still watching them from the corner of my eyes). I guess they thought they were little badasses and could easily scare white women. They did not follow me.

Thugs get away with being thugs because people let them. It is all these years of pansy liberal bullshit about not fighting back, and that shooting " that poor man who needed crack money" is bad bad bad. The liberal guilt trip is even more intense if you are white and it's a black person robbing you.