You want to know why? Because I think one surely should be cautious when it come to the use of Deadly Force. As well, past occurrences do not guarantee future results. Crap happens, there have been good shoots in many areas where the good guy got jammed up. Let us also not forget that in a Deadly Force scenario there can be two sides to the legal coin Criminal and Civil. Just because you have been "No Billed" or found innocent of criminal charges does not exclude you from civil proceedings. We all know that we live in a highly litigious society.
I know what can happen. Callous as it may sound my duty is to myself and my family. I really do not need the financial burden of being a "Good Samaritan". That coin I mentioned earlier actually is multi-faceted. There are physiological implications to taking a life, unless that is, one happens to be a sociopath. Also one should not expect to be hailed as a conquering hero after a incident as purposed by the OP. There is the potential to achieve the status as a social pariah.
As far as I am concerned everyone else has/had the right to do as I have done and obtain a gun and get trained. I'm not looking for a fight and I am going to walk away every time I can. However if I or one of my own is in jeopardy I just may be walking away with a little less ammo.
I didn't say one shouldn't be cautious. I used the word MORE to suggest that while I may be cautions, you appear to be MORE cautions. Please don't put words in my mouth.
With that said, you don't have any argument with me re who I owe more to and your inclination to walk away. My first responsibility is to my family then myself. I will do anything necessary to maximize the chance that I will come home, including running away.
However, if I felt that I could get a clean, unchallenged shot in on someone who was holding a gun on someone, I don't know exactly how I'd react.
I think the best thing is to try to get to know yourself. Know your limits, strengths and weaknesses.
I've been in 2 real situations in my life while carrying (I lived in New Haven in the late 80s and early 90s when the crime rate was MUCH higher than it is now) and they both worked out without having to fire a shot. So I am confident that my cool head will prevail.
But I am going to share a stupid thing I did within the last two years that was pure idiocy. Its interesting, my other hobby, flying has culture where we share our screw ups with each other in the interest of learning something. Hopefully we won't make the same mistake.
So here it is. My wife was away on business and I was sleeping with my dog on the bed. He was a field bred Lab and was very Alpha and assertive. Not like most labs. He was also very very territorial. So this night I'm asleep and am awakened by my dog flipping out. Barking, pacing, hair on his back standing up. I tell him to shut up and go back to sleep. Then I hear WHAM, coming from my front door. I'm in denial. tThen again, WHAM. Holy crap, someone is trying to kick in my front door.
As an aside, I live in a nice town. I've been here for 20 years and in that time there has never been a homicide. In fact, other than domestics, there has never been a homicide in any adjacent town in as far as I can remember.
So here I am. Denying whats happening. Then the noise again: WHAM!!!
Like a switch I fiip to angry. . . ANGRY. HOW DARE THEY TRY TO COME INTO MY HOUSE. . Now I'm angry and aggressive. I grab my Glock 34 and surefire flashlight that I won in a raffle (I'm too cheap to buy one) and go down the stairs. Nixon, the dog is ahead of me barking his head off. I know the house instinctively, as we all know our own homes, and leave all lights off. As I'm passing the front door, WHAM!!!! I can see light come in from the outside as the door flexes against the deadbolt. I am TERRIFIED but very very angry.
I decide to go out the back and flank him. As I come around the front of the house (naked) with the Glock and the flashlight, I light the home invader up. Only instead of seeing some burly ex-con from my nightmares, I see two apparentlyt drunk teenagers who have stupidly decided to smash my pumpkins by throwing them against my front door rather than in the street.
They turn and see a (naked) man with a gun and a flashlight and take off into the dark. A few seconds later I see the lights come on on an old Suburban down the street and they take off.
So . . what did I learn.
1) Your perception IS your reality. For most of this encounter, I thought my home was being invaded
2) KNOW YOUR TARGET - I got this one right.
2) Don't get angry - I was the only human in the house. I should have gone to a defensible position and dialed 911. I put myself at much greater risk because I got angry.
I learned a lot more, but my kid is crying and I need to get her. Flame away.
Don