imported post
Well, we have multiple "what if's" here to deal with...
Is this aggressor attacking me in the open where I have control over the field of fire, like in a parking lot? Or is it in a crowded mall, or on a busy street at night, filled with people?
Is this aggressor intoxicated?
Are there other witnesses that will back up my story that my response was in response to a perceived threat that was not instigated?
Does the perp have a group of friends with him that are egging him on, or joining in with verbal harassment against me?
Do I have my can of OC spray with me?
When I am out and about, in a place and time where I need to be worried about this sort of thing, I usually carry a can of OC in my pocket along with my firearm on my hip. I don't ever WANT to have to shoot someone. I don't ever want to have to use a knife to defend myself. I don't ever WANT to shoot someone in the face with pepper spray. But you can damn well be assured that most of the time, I'm prepared for whatever comes my way.
But I think given the situation you've described, for me (a relatively in-shape, healthy middle-aged man) my FIRST response would be to try and move away from someone like this--RETREAT is ALWAYS a good idea, because opening the distance with an attacker will allow you to regain some of the lost tactical advantage he has created by closing on you. Secondly, most obnoxious bully types ill simply break off an attack if you walk away--bullys and thugs tend to be stupid and lazy, and when they can't understand something, they usually abandon it. Walking calmly away from an attacker is often so far outside their expected response curve that it befuddles them, and they just go looking for someone else to start a fight with...
Out in the open, I've got no problem using "less than lethal" tools like OC spray or a stun gun. The problem with OC however, is that it's dicey to use indoors--it tends to fog up the whole room, and you might end up with a few dozen innocent bystanders coughing and wheezing out in the parking lot, and a stack of potential "assault" charges filed against you. I've seen first-hand what happens when someone discharges an entire 110gram canister during a barfight into the faces of three big, drunk fighters--an ENTIRE bar full of about 150 people ended up out in the parking lot, crying and coughing...
This is the sort of thing we need to think about all the time. When we decide to carry--firearms, knives, OC, stun guns, WHATEVER--we need to constantly be running through scenarios so that we have a set of pre-planned responses to various attacks in various locations.
The reason that cops and soldiers do drills are so they can develop a mental file of "scenario-assessment-response-resolution" reactions from which they can draw when the SHTF. Having to reason through a particular situation that you've NEVER thought about is a VERY dangerous thing in a life-or-death situation...
Whenever I'm out with my family or friends, I'll play through scenarios in my head when we go somewhere. I look at the exits. I establish plans of egress. I look for effective positions of cover. I determine effective and SAFE lines of fire. I look for safe backstops (brick or stone walls). I keep an eye out for people who are loud, rude, or otherwise obnoxious. And I ALWAYS make sure that someone else in the party has ready access to their cell phone.
Run through the scenarios--that's the only way to answer the question that the OP posed. Every situation is different. Can you retreat? Is the perp REALLY trying to do serious harm to you, and possibly get your firearm, or is he just a drunken a$$hat looking for a weekend brawl? Is he part of a group that might join in? Do you have other options, like OC or a Taser? Can you alert staff (if you are in a restaurant or bar) and get THEM to take care of this putz before things escalate to the point of requiring you to draw?
Think these things through BEFORE you are backed into a corner. Make it a game that you play in your head ALL THE TIME. That way you'll be less likely to be caught completely off guard, and you'll have a stockpile of plans to draw from quickly.
From a psychological and cognitive analysis point of view, it's MUCH easier to "remember" a response than to "create" one...
Good Luck is 90% preparation...
tat2ed_guy brings up a good point. Anyone willing to start something with an obviously armed person is either completely insane (and therefore VERY dangerous) or intent on stealing your firearm (and therefore VERY dangerous). Of course, this person may not be aware you are armed, and may just be an a$$hat looking for a Saturday night brawl...
Master Doug also brings up a VERY important issue. "Duty to Retreat" laws can vary widely from state-to-state. In NC, we don't have a duty to retreat on our own property, bu tout in public, it gets a little "gray" as to whether or not you must try and retreat.
VA has no DTR at all.
In Maryland, the MSP and AG have the official position that, regardless of the law, you as a citizen have the duty to passively accept any beating, robbery, rape, or murder doled out upon you by criminals and thugs, without exerting ANY sort of defensive action. If you DO attempt to defend yourself with deadly force in MD--EVEN in your own home--you WILL be arrested, you WILL have your firearm confiscated, and you WILL end up being further raped and robbed by the Courts...
Gotta love that "states rights" thing... Ain't America Great?
