Scary Situation

[falcn]

Your friend could get this guy dishonorably discharged in a heartbeat if this ever got back to his CO.

So if YOU were there, and saw this guy going for his rifle - before he loads the magazine (if he is being hostile and saying he is going to shoot someone) would it not be better to intervene before the guy has a loaded weapon trained point-blank one someone's head?

The pistol is not your only weapon just because you have it on you. Can you think of no other alternative?

Everyone that is saying they would have shot the guy... we don't know how long it took to escalate to that point. If at any point it could be shown you could have walked out the door and de-escalated the situation, would you? Or do you have too much testosterone?

Why stay at someone's house when they are obviously being belligerent to you and it looks like it may get physical? Just leave.

[General Geoff]

As a complete stranger to the situation, and watching it unfold, I'd have tried to stop him from loading the rifle in the first place.

If I just showed up when the rifle was already pointed at the guy's head, it's hard to say. If the guy with the rifle was a complete stranger, I can't help but think that I'd draw my own sidearm and create a bit of a mexican standoff.

If I knew the guy to not be violent, I'd probably try to talk him down before drawing on him.

Bad situation all around, though.

[Vertical453]

The question of justification IS a discussion of legalities. In your OP you stated that you did not believe that deadly force was necessary to protect your friend. Necessity is a component of justification.

I meant there would be no need to further discuss legality if you agreed with me.

The conclusion that I have came to (and I have thought about this for about the last 2 weeks) is that I wouldn't have to draw my weapon because I didn't believe that he would fire. I just wanted to get opinions on what others thought before I said that.

With that said, even though I thought to myself that he wouldn't pull the trigger I still can't see how I would lose in court. My friends life was in danger whether I believed he would pull the trigger or not.

[cigarmanpa]

With that said, even though I thought to myself that he wouldn't pull the trigger I still can't see how I would lose in court. My friends life was in danger whether I believed he would pull the trigger or not.

if you didn't feel anyone was in danger of death then you had no reason to fire.

[Philbert]

I meant there would be no need to further discuss legality if you agreed with me.

The conclusion that I have came to (and I have thought about this for about the last 2 weeks) is that I wouldn't have to draw my weapon because I didn't believe that he would fire. I just wanted to get opinions on what others thought before I said that.

With that said, even though I thought to myself that he wouldn't pull the trigger I still can't see how I would lose in court. My friends life was in danger whether I believed he would pull the trigger or not.

Because: #5.

[CHEMICAL]

I meant there would be no need to further discuss legality if you agreed with me.

The conclusion that I have came to (and I have thought about this for about the last 2 weeks) is that I wouldn't have to draw my weapon because I didn't believe that he would fire. I just wanted to get opinions on what others thought before I said that.

With that said, even though I thought to myself that he wouldn't pull the trigger I still can't see how I would lose in court. My friends life was in danger whether I believed he would pull the trigger or not.

because if you dont "believe" your friends life is in danger because you don't "believe" the guy will pull the trigger then you just lost your legal defense....

prosecutor: "well sir, if you truly didnt believe that your friend was in danger or that the man with the rifle would fire what justification did you have to draw and shoot?....the law only states that you should do so if you "believe" someone to be in imminent danger!"

[Vertical453]

if you didn't feel anyone was in danger of death then you had no reason to fire.

Heh, this is such a tough situation for me. I am sounding very contradictory here. How about this.

If I don't think the guy will shoot my friend, is his life not still in danger because he has a loaded firearm pointed at him?

[cigarmanpa]

Heh, this is such a tough situation for me. I am sounding very contradictory here. How about this.

If I don't think the guy will shoot my friend, is his life not still in danger because he has a loaded firearm pointed at him?

just read the law and make your own decision....

[Vertical453]

because if you dont "believe" your friends life is in danger because you don't "believe" the guy will pull the trigger then you just lost your legal defense....

prosecutor: "well sir, if you truly didnt believe that your friend was in danger or that the man with the rifle would fire what justification did you have to draw and shoot?....the law only states that you should do so if you "believe" someone to be in imminent danger!"

Just because I didn't "think" he would pull the trigger doesn't mean that my friend was not in imminent danger or that he couldn't have pulled the trigger.

[CHEMICAL]

Just because I didn't "think" he would pull the trigger doesn't mean that my friend was not in imminent danger or that he couldn't have pulled the trigger.

no but it means that had YOU no reason to believe that he was in danger, YOU'RE not justified in pulling it!