what would you do in this case?

imported post

imagine you are out in public, and an intoxicated man is very unruly, disorderly, and acting out of line. he gets a little close to you, and suddenly brandishes a knife for whatever reason. imagine he simply does not see your firearm at this point.

what would you do upon him brandishing a knife if he's within 10 feet of you? would you draw down on him and tell him to drop his weapon? or would you simply draw and shoot right away, hoping he doesnt lunge after you with his knife? (considering you dont know exactly how intoxicated he really is)

imported post

The facts are way too sketchy. What are the surroundings? Are there other innocents around? Is there a way to escape?

Depending upon the exact circumstances, escape is the most likely option. Drunks aren't too good at chasing folks down. Odds of me drawing are very close to zero. Odds of firing, even closer.

imported post

imagine you are out in a public place, but it's later in the evening, and there are no people nearby, except for the drunken man. you cant tell if hes mentally disturbed either. he looks like hes crazy, and hes approached you with his knife in hand. at this point, he is about 10 feet away from you with it. you are in the jack in the box parking lot.

imported post

I attempt to escape. A drunk will be no match for a sober me in a footrace.

imported post

First off, distance is your best defence. Back up and get distance. Secondly,call the police or have someone else call and stand by ready to take the next step if needed. If you don't have the time andthings happen to quickly then you you do what you have to. These questions really are to open ended for any set response and really are pointless. Maybe one should think about how to avoid such situations altogether. I for one am not a public defender anddon't carry to protect anyone else but myself and my family. If how ever, I saw a person being beaten to death, or a women being raped then I would step in and use the appropriate force to stop the actions. My first and foremost duty is to myself and family. Remember the key words in this situation, "UNAVOIDABLE AND IMMEDIATE". That's what a judge and jury will look at inthetrial that will follow a self-defense shooting.

imported post

I think we each, as individuals, are getting a completely different image in our heads while reading the story. Some may read the story and just imagine a drunk man, flipping a knife around in the air, in close proximity to you. Others may read this, and picture a very angry, drunk man, holding the knife in a threatening manner, and actually rushing toward you with it. There's not enough detail to answer.

One thing I can say is, if a man is walking toward me violently, with a weapon in his hand, I'm not going to stand there and call the police. I also have no duty to retreat by Washington State law. I would use whatever force was appropriate.

If I didn't find him a threat, and he's just being an idiot, whipping his knife around, I'd probably just move away to another area to avoid trouble. If he's aggressively approaching me, I doubt I would just run away and risk getting stabbed in the back or something.

imported post

Sounds like some are just waiting for a opportunity use lethal force. Like I said before, If I feel my life is in immediate and unavoidable danger then I'll do what I must, but if given the opportunity to retreat and not take a life then that's MY best defence.

imported post

Suburban78 wrote:

Sounds like some are just waiting for a opportunity use lethal force. Like I said before, If I feel my life is in immediate and unavoidable danger then I'll do what I must, but if given the opportunity to retreat and not take a life then that's MY best defence.

Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, if a burglar broke in to your home via breaking the glass in your front room, would you flee your house if you have a window to escape through in your room?

imported post

That's a completely different scenario. For one thing, every person has the legal right to EXPECT complete safety in their own home! Also in my own home I have 5 daughters and my wife to protect and with someone breaking in through a window would be shot no questions asked. Now in the OP scenario, your outside in a parking lotand the laws are different outside of your home at least here in colorado. So keep your questions reasonable and in context of the original question please.

imported post

I'm also assuming that I'm alone and dont have family with me which would also change my actions. Again, like I said in my OP, these scenario type questions are really pointless. To many variables that leave to much to ones own imagination!

imported post

Colorado laws are different than the laws here in Washington.

imported post

eye95 wrote:

I attempt to escape. A drunk will be no match for a sober me in a footrace.

Click to expand...

Since you stated he was drunk. I would back away and leave the area.

imported post

The real question is...

How, and why, did you allow someone acting in a strange manner (drunk and angry or angry and mentally "off" or just angry) get within 10 feet of you in the first place?

The best defense against an attack is to be aware of your surroundings, recognize the potential for problems long before the problem starts, and not be there when it does start.

imported post

Tony Santiago wrote:

imagine you are out in public, and an intoxicated man is very unruly, disorderly, and acting out of line. he gets a little close to you, and suddenly brandishes a knife for whatever reason. imagine he simply does not see your firearm at this point.

what would you do upon him brandishing a knife if he's within 10 feet of you? would you draw down on him and tell him to drop his weapon? or would you simply draw and shoot right away, hoping he doesnt lunge after you with his knife? (considering you dont know exactly how intoxicated he really is)

Click to expand...

Tony Santiago wrote:

imagine you are out in a public place, but it's later in the evening, and there are no people nearby, except for the drunken man. you cant tell if hes mentally disturbed either. he looks like hes crazy, and hes approached you with his knife in hand. at this point, he is about 10 feet away from you with it. you are in the jack in the box parking lot.

Click to expand...

I would move away from the drunken knife-wielder. That should not be hard to do, if done decisively and immediately. When separated by a safe distance I would call 911 and report what I saw.

Good question, TS. What would you do?

imported post

Suburban78 wrote:

That's a completely different scenario. For one thing, every person has the legal right to EXPECT complete safety in their own home! Also in my own home I have 5 daughters and my wife to protect and with someone breaking in through a window would be shot no questions asked. Now in the OP scenario, your outside in a parking lotand the laws are different outside of your home at least here in colorado. So keep your questions reasonable and in context of the original question please.

Click to expand...

Excellent point. If it is just the drunk and I in the parking lot, I can protect myself more assuredly by leaving than by shooting the knife wielder. If I am at home, there is more to protect: my family, my property, and myself. Leaving only protects myself, so escape is out of the question.

That's the problem with "lifeboat" questions. They try to take complex problems and boil them down to just one or two variables. Life is much more complex.

If the OP is just trying to find out if there any circumstances under which I would shoot a drunk with a knife, just to protect myself, as a last resort, yes. If there are other reasonable options, no.

I would feel more comfortable about "lifeboat" questions if those who post them would do so honestly, and state their intent of the question. Instead, I get the feeling the such posters are setting self-serving traps.

If you really are trying to learn something, just be open and honest about how you ask.

imported post

My actions, BANG!!! drop the knife.
Edited: Seriously, a drunk within ten feet and I'm armed, Adios drunk

imported post

Honestly, when I read the original post, I pictured a drunk man pulling out his knife at a distance of 10' from me, and moving toward me violently. I don't know, but that's not really a distance where I'd feel comfortable turning my back and running at that point.

imported post

Suburban78 wrote:

That's a completely different scenario. For one thing, every person has the legal right to EXPECT complete safety in their own home! Also in my own home I have 5 daughters and my wife to protect and with someone breaking in through a window would be shot no questions asked. Now in the OP scenario, your outside in a parking lotand the laws are different outside of your home at least here in colorado. So keep your questions reasonable and in context of the original question please.

Click to expand...

I have a legal Right to expect complete safety where I can legally be!

Did the OP specify legal jurisdiction restrictions?

imported post

Tony Santiago wrote:

imagine you are out in public, and an intoxicated man is very unruly, disorderly, and acting out of line. he gets a little close to you, and suddenly brandishes a knife for whatever reason. imagine he simply does not see your firearm at this point.

what would you do upon him brandishing a knife if he's within 10 feet of you? would you draw down on him and tell him to drop his weapon? or would you simply draw and shoot right away, hoping he doesnt lunge after you with his knife? (considering you dont know exactly how intoxicated he really is)

Click to expand...

So, is this simply a hypothetical question?

imported post

wrightme wrote:

Suburban78 wrote:

That's a completely different scenario. For one thing, every person has the legal right to EXPECT complete safety in their own home! Also in my own home I have 5 daughters and my wife to protect and with someone breaking in through a window would be shot no questions asked. Now in the OP scenario, your outside in a parking lotand the laws are different outside of your home at least here in colorado. So keep your questions reasonable and in context of the original question please.

Click to expand...

I have a legal Right to expect complete safety where I can legally be!

Did the OP specify legal jurisdiction restrictions?

Click to expand...

And I didn't say you don't, but the laws regarding a self-defense shootingare different out side of your home. THE RIGHT TO EXPECT COMPLETESAFETY IN YOUR OWN HOME come from legal working straight from colorado laws regarding selfprotection in your home and the MAKE MY DAY LAW. If youwere following the post as they read, then you would know that the legal jurisdiction restriction comment was a reply to a completely out of context scenario question that I was asked and had nothing to do with my original answer to the OP. But never the less, an appropriate answer to the OP question would have to take legal jurisdiction into account and I also NEVER said that I or ANYONE else dose not also expect complete safety at anytime or place but simply that depending on thecircumstances and location, that different actions could be needed. I too would shot if need be, but as said in another post,"HOW DID THIS GUY GET THAT CLOSE TO YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE?" which brings me back to another point I made in my first response to the OP, The better question is how do you avoid these situations in the first place! If you SITUATIONAL AWARENESS is that poor to begin with, then your the biggest danger to yourself!