Ruby
Regular Member
No other option?
Please take this as my opinion and nothing more. My opinion comes from the training I have had, so bear with me. It is very easy for all of us to sit back and say what we would have done, but the fact is we weren't there and we really don't know what we would have done until we are faced with our own situtation.
That said, I don't agree with you pulling your gun on the guy. You were safe in your vehicle, he was outside. I assume that by the time he was threatening you, you had locked the driver's side door. The very first thing I do when I get in my car and sit down is hit the door lock button and it stays locked until I get to my destination and get out, at which time I lock it again. So you are now safe in your car and he is outside threatening you with a knife. While he may be a threat, at this point, he is not a LETHAL threat and you are NOT in immient danger. He cannot access the inside of your vehicle unless you unlock the door or he breaks a window. You said there was no one else around. Why not check the cross traffic and if there is no one coming, lay on the horn to alert any traffic approaching and put the pedal to the metal! I was taught that when it comes to self defense, if you can possibly avoid a confrontation, do so, as there is no guanantee you will survive it. The more you can avoid a situation the better your chances for living a long and healthy life. I was taught that drawing your weapon is your LAST option, when other options have failed, not your first option, unless of course it has escalated to the point that drawing your gun is your only option. IMO, if you had shot the guy, it wouldn't have been a good shoot, not under those conditions. He may have threatened you, but he was not in a position to carry out that threat and that is what a judge and jury would look at.
I think sometimes we become overly dependent on the gun and don't think what else we could do in the situation. I have read that this is something to be guarded against. Don't depend on your gun as your only defense; always see if there is another way. There may be a time when your gun IS the only defense option that is reasonable; I hope I never find myself in that postion. The fact that I carry means that I would use it under life threatening conditions but I hope that never happens, as I'm sure most of the people on here do also. Okay, enough. Just my .02 worth, take it or leave it.
Please take this as my opinion and nothing more. My opinion comes from the training I have had, so bear with me. It is very easy for all of us to sit back and say what we would have done, but the fact is we weren't there and we really don't know what we would have done until we are faced with our own situtation.
That said, I don't agree with you pulling your gun on the guy. You were safe in your vehicle, he was outside. I assume that by the time he was threatening you, you had locked the driver's side door. The very first thing I do when I get in my car and sit down is hit the door lock button and it stays locked until I get to my destination and get out, at which time I lock it again. So you are now safe in your car and he is outside threatening you with a knife. While he may be a threat, at this point, he is not a LETHAL threat and you are NOT in immient danger. He cannot access the inside of your vehicle unless you unlock the door or he breaks a window. You said there was no one else around. Why not check the cross traffic and if there is no one coming, lay on the horn to alert any traffic approaching and put the pedal to the metal! I was taught that when it comes to self defense, if you can possibly avoid a confrontation, do so, as there is no guanantee you will survive it. The more you can avoid a situation the better your chances for living a long and healthy life. I was taught that drawing your weapon is your LAST option, when other options have failed, not your first option, unless of course it has escalated to the point that drawing your gun is your only option. IMO, if you had shot the guy, it wouldn't have been a good shoot, not under those conditions. He may have threatened you, but he was not in a position to carry out that threat and that is what a judge and jury would look at.
I think sometimes we become overly dependent on the gun and don't think what else we could do in the situation. I have read that this is something to be guarded against. Don't depend on your gun as your only defense; always see if there is another way. There may be a time when your gun IS the only defense option that is reasonable; I hope I never find myself in that postion. The fact that I carry means that I would use it under life threatening conditions but I hope that never happens, as I'm sure most of the people on here do also. Okay, enough. Just my .02 worth, take it or leave it.
