what would you do?

[backbreaker]

just curious to how some of you would handle this. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer.


You are dating someone you really care about. you might even be married to her. She works at a convenience store.

You happen to pull up to the convenience store, maybe to say hi, maybe to buy something, and it's being robbed by two people.

You happen to live a block away. You know you have a loaded gun at home that you can go get and back back in 2 minutes you live that close.



What do you do?

 

[runner83]

Well over here in the wonderful world of Aus, not everyone has a gun in their bedroom drawer, but assuming I did...

...I think I'd go back and get the gun and head back, but not go in straight away. Instead monitor the situation (plus obviously call the cops).

If they're only in there to rob the joint, then the last thing you want is coming back with a gun, them seeing you, and then getting into a hostage situation with your wife/gf.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

Call the cops immediately.

Everyone fantasizes about shooting the bad guys, but in that situation, if you go running into an establishment with a gun you'll probably get in more trouble than the guys robbing the place (unless they are also armed). Also, chances are good the cops will shoot you when they show up.

You want to kill bad guys, do so ONLY if they are in your house and armed. Even then, you'll probably sit in jail for a couple days.

 

[SoldMySoul]

Play a witness would certainly be best. An alive witness is better than a dead hero. Oh and believe, I am strong proponent of our wonderful second amendment. Much really has to do with what your state laws dictate.

My state is using deadly force is justified in defending your self or a third party IF serious bodily harm or death is possible and of course it states if someone has the intent to murder, rape and rob.

Now if you happened up on it and was armed then you might want to intervene..... but there could be too many variables and that would put much stress on you.

This explains why police officers that have been in gunfights up close fired several shots and may have emptied their magazine and did not hit jack $hit.

Firearms presentation is last resort ONLY and you better prepared to blast away at the would be robbers and you better have spare ammo as well.

SOLDMYSOUL loves GUNS and reloads his own ammo too!!!!!!!!!!

 

[boomerick]

Call the police immediately.....

Probably throw something big at or through the window from the outside as a diversion/distraction which would also let dudes know they were being witnessed while trying to move around so as not to be shot......

Yell as loud as I could that the police are on the way.....

All of which 'might' get them to abort the robbery and leave. ....

If you go and get a gun and then return and engage you very well could end up getting the wrong people shot or you being charged with manslaughter and or wrongfull death because you approached the situation, you were not defending yourself from or trying to escape an immeadiate leathal threat.......

Who really knows untill it happens to them though....

Over and Out.

EDIT: boomerick is also a big gun fan and owner

EDIT2: Another possible option ---- Drive the car right up over the curb, into, and through the place?????....pretty cowboy though ....pretty risky........hahahahah

 

[backbreaker]

the reason i ask is that i was reminded today.

it actually DID happen. to my grandfather.

I have only seen my grandfather, my maternal biological one 2 times in my life. he has been locked up my entire life, becuase of this exact situation. the woman was my grandmother and she was his wife.

he went home, got his gun and killed both of them. didn't think twice about it. he said if he had to do it all over again he'd make the exact same decisiona.

both times i've seen him he's been in jail. Arkansas state pen wightsville unit. he got life for killing both of them, but got out last year. he was locked up about a year before i was born and i was born in 83.

out the blue my fiancee asked mea bout him, we had never really talked about him.. she knew i had "two grandads" but had only really ever talked about one. she asked why he was in jail and i explained to her.

now make no mistake, i'm not painting the man as some type of regular guy who made a decision.. my grandad was ****ing hard core. in and out of jail his entire life and going to jail was not probably closer to gonig to home to him then anything. But this is something hew ould not have done, had it not been for my grand other.

my fiancee pointed out well.. that's pretty ****ed up
(no ****) also becuase, well.. lol, i have two grandads. a biological one and a step grandad (the guy who chased me around the house with a knife becuase he was high and thought i locked him out the house, he's not any better)

the reason i posted it here, is that it's funny that when you think things out, what the hell did he really give up his life for. really. some sense of right and wrong.

he risked his life for him and she left him at the end of the day because the idealism of true love did not match the reality of practical living. you know i could sit here and say the kids (my mom and aunt) but my mom was grown by then. she was 18 and was in college (and in the process of making me)

she left him, when i was about 11. that was the last time i saw him. i know he's out, but i haven't seen him nor do i really want to be honest.

it's cute to say 'oh baby i would do anything for you, i would risk my life in a heart beat' i flat out told my fiancee, if that was here in there, i'll call the cops, and that's that. and frankely if that was me in there, that's what you better do and that's it. don't risk your life to save me. if you go to jail, eventually i wold leave just as eventually if i went to jail, you would leave. and that's reality.

the older i get and think about that situation the more i reflect on it.

 

[SoldMySoul]

Thanks for sharing that story Backbreaker! It was very interesting. Do you view grand dad as villain or something? If it was a justified shooting then what? I mean we can all armchair QB Monday morning, but it is hard to say what you would really do.

Here is an example. I spent about 10 years in law enforcement/ corrections then chose EMS as a career before I got injured doing it. Yesterday while traveling down I-75, there was a horrible accident. A car was in ditch all busted up and one car in middle of intestate on its side. It looked seriously bad!!! It had traffic backed up and there was NO emergency personnel on scene. Even with my EMS training..... I thought hard about stopping and trying to assist, but only equipment I had available in my small convertible was latex gloves.

First, my safety is number one!!! The car on its side presented possibly unknown hazards to me because before attempting to render aid, that car must be stabilized by the fire department. I was not about to walk around that car putting myself in harm's way.

Same thing with your shooting scenario. Your safety first! Your grandfather made a decision that affected his entire life. Was it worth it???? Not from what you are telling me.

I often think about things like this as I armed quite often. It is damn impossible to out draw a drawn gun. You stand a better chance obviously if you catch one in the act and can get the draw on him.

Some tough guys would be like, " It would be easy to shoot and kill them. I would sleep like a baby too." Yeah right!!!! I would use deadly force, but would my conscious be so good???? Tough call and I would not want to find out!!!!

 

[backbreaker]

Thanks for sharing that story Backbreaker! It was very interesting. Do you view grand dad as villain or something?

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not really no. the few times i saw him he was pretty cool. but i know enough about him to know that there is nothing he can do to have any type of positive influence on my life.

If it was a justified shooting then what?justified yes. smart no.

Some tough guys would be like, " It would be easy to shoot and kill them. I would sleep like a baby too." Yeah right!!!! I would use deadly force, but would my conscious be so good???? Tough call and I would not want to find out!!!!

i honestly, don't think he gives a ****. i really don 't.



what really got him, was that he had time to go home, think about what he was doing and still decide to come back and kill them.

actually he would have been (a lot) better off had theg un been in his car. then he ould have made an extremely strong case for it being a spur the moment decision.


my grandmother is a selfish woman. he should have known that. the first time she wanted some and couldn 't get any from him she was gone. the first time she had any inkling of trouble paying ab ill she was gone. and justified it as "you can't do anything for me". she doesn't give a **** in all honesty what he sacrificed for him.

in reality, that's part of the reason i never did like my grandmom. that always rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[SoldMySoul]

]\



in reality, that's part of the reason i never did like my grandmom. that always rubbed me the wrong way.

This explains why I have turned over a new leaf and WORRY about me first and foremost!!! You have to Cover your own a$$!!! I mean you have to because nobody else will.

I cannot find fault with your views on granny!!! Goes to show that you got to put you first. The more I learn in life does not mean I like it, but I am better off accepting it that is for sure.

From the sounds of it, I gather that your grand father was a career criminal or led a rough life on his own choosing.... no????

 

[backbreaker]

yeah he was pretty hard core. that and i know enough about criminal behavior to know that i doubt he recieved a phd or antyhing while in prision. if he's to, there is a good chance he's doing what he has always done, and i don't want to be associated with it.

there is more to it than that. my mom kicked me out the house when i was 18 and i was starting my first business, i had to stay with my grandmom, who made it plain an clear she did not want me there but i helped pay rent so she tolorated me. her drug addcit husband was smoking crack and got high, locked himself out the house, and thought i did it and literarly tried to kill me. she gets home, and tells me to pack my **** and leave becuase i pissed him off. i never forgave her for that. i lived in my car for a few months because of that.

then when i actually start making money, she has this change of heart and is all proud and is always calling me because of these bills that she has. and me beng the good grandson i am helps out, only to find that the money is going on the her husbands pipe.

even after THAT i gave her anougher chance, and she was having trouble and was helping out, and i went to floria to stay. i had 2 cars. i had one shipped to flordia and another, an older caddy i had bnought that i was restoring for the hell of it,t hat i had left over her house. i gave her the keys and told her i would send for it soon, but just hold on to it, beucase i don't want to to be there, and come back here.

well i come backf or thanksgiving,i fly back, because, i have a car here, i am not driving my car.. onlyt o find out.. wait, i don't have a car. she sold it for drug money. that did it. she forged my name, and then told me that i had told her she could sell it. then to boot she only sold it for like 400 bucks and i had at the very least 5k put into that car.

i had not talked to her for 4 years until 2 weeks ago. she is not in the best of health and my fiancee had to litearly beg me to come back to little rock to see her, as it might be the last time.. and frankly i could care less. i really could. but my fiancee told me that hey, she is about to DIE and you owe it to her to at the very least let her see her entire family one last time. i could not aruge with that even if i didn't like her. but yes, needless to say we don't get along.

 

[SoldMySoul]

Hey man... I have been thinking about your lady begging you to do something that you are totally indifferent towards. I am not sure of the relationship you guys have and you have not asked me my opinion, but........

DO what you feel is right regardless of what your fiance' is telling you. I say hell with granny!!!! The way she treated you was horrific and YOU do not owe her $hit man!!! She did you dirty, she did gramps dirty and you paved your own way.

If your relationship with grandma would have been on point and like it was suppose to have been then I would say YOU have to see her one last time!

I love this saying and it is your situation perfect: You find me like you left me. In your case, granny did you crappy and as a result, can you live with yourself if you do not see her? If I were in your shoes, I certainly could!!! Seeing her will not do anything to you really except solidify your ill feelings like, " She was a crappy lady and good riddance!"

Think long and hard about it! Family should really be better!!! Your grandmother has a long list of negatives and sorry to hear about it!!! I guess what I really wanted to say was is this: It is your decision and your fiance' is possibly over stepping her boundaries depending on how close you two are. If deep down you do not want to it, DON'T just to make the lady happy.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

I'd go get the gun, hide around the corner, and NOT call the cops until they left peacefully. If they shot my girl, then I might kill them. Not sure about that. I don't think I'd do too well in prison.

I have an uncle (grand uncle?) that lives in Mississippi. he's well into his ninety's. Few years ago somebody broke into his house, while he was home. He calmly got his gun, and shot one of the robbers in the face. (didn't kill him) The other one fled.

 

[squirrels]

In 2 minutes, any decent crook would've been out of there.

I can't fault your grandfather for what he did. Unfortunately, in most states in this country, there's a stigma against "taking the law into your own hands". Of course, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

If I DID call the cops, I would exaggerate it as much as possible to get them to prioritize it. I would say that she had been shot...when they get there, I would say I heard shots and THOUGHT she was shot.

If I lived in Arkansas (and not in this commie sh!thole), I would have a CCW permit and be carrying anyway. Did your grandfather legally own the weapon? Did he have a permit to carry it? Did he have a criminal history? You said he was "pretty hard core"...all of these things could weigh into the decision. In Arkansas, it wouldn't surprise me if race was a factor either...I hate to say it, but I'd believe it.

There was ONE time when I had a suspicion someone had broken into a buddy's house while he was there...but I was by no means confident and didn't want to call the cops. It seemed like a silly notion, but it was one of those gut-feelings that something was wrong and I knew I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do SOMETHING and he turned up dead. So I went to his house by myself to check. Fortunately it was indeed a false alarm. But if it hadn't been, I probably came more prepared for trouble than I should have.