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Scenario: In defense of others?

Ok, sometimes these "scenario threads" disintegrate into silliness, and that's ok too. :) But there are usually some good answers and some thought provoking discussions mixed in. So I thought I'd go ahead and try to lay out a scenario. I'll try to keep it fairly simple and straightforward and see if we can agree on an appropriate response. If you normally carry concealed, then assume you're carrying your usual EDC. If you don't normally carry, then assume you're not armed with a gun.

You're at the local bowling alley with your significant other. It's evening, business is steady but not packed. There are entrances/exits in the front and rear of the building with parking on both sides. The rear parking lot is generally less populated and not particularly well lit. You leave your date at your bowling lane and walk over to the snack bar to get a couple of cokes. The snack bar is near the rear entrance. As you pass the back door, a person excitedly rushes in and says "There's a man beating a woman in the parking lot! She needs help right now!" Through the open door you can see a woman laying on her back in the middle of the parking lot with a male figure straddling her, standing over her yelling in an aggressive manner, but not physically striking her at that time. He is not visibly armed. She is clearly upset and crying. They are about 15-20 yards away.

Now what? :pop2:

Call 911 and be a good witness.
 
Where's the option of visit her in the hospital and give her 1. A can of pepper spray, 2. Business card to a self defense instructor, and 3. Business card to a firearms instructor? ***** should have been packing.
 
Don't forget if you do decide to walk out back, grab several others from inside as well. Mr. Tough Guy is less likely to start a free-for-all with a group, and now you have several more reliable (as can be expected) and hopefully unbiased witnesses of what actually is happening. That will help keep you out of a situation where it is your word against Mr & Mrs Tough Guy.
 
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OK guys, in case anyone hasn't figured it out yet, the scenario in this thread actually happened to me about 10 years ago. I did change a few minor details for the purpose of the scenario and there is one big obvious difference. I was an off duty LEO at the time, not an armed private citizen.

I was at the bowling alley at the time because there was a girl I was trying to hook up with. Fast forward several years, she's now my psycho ex girlfriend, but at the time I was chasing that tail. :lol: She was there with some of her friends and they were bowling at a lane near the rear of the building. A person that I didn't know well but who knew me as a LEO ran up to me and told me that they just saw a man beating a woman in the back parking lot and that she needed help. I told the witness to call 911 immediately and to tell the dispatcher what was happening and also that I was there off duty and in plainclothes.

I stepped out the back door and did in fact see a woman lying flat on her back in the middle of the parking lot crying hysterically while a LARGE male stood straddled over her screaming at her. He wasn't hitting her at that moment but it was crystal clear that she hadn't slipped and fallen and that this was no minor lover's quarrel. He was bent over her and didn't see me at first. I moved over to a position of cover next to a parked car about 15 feet away from them. I was carrying a S&W 642 Airweight .38 at the time. I held up my badge with one hand and pointed my gun at him with the other and yelled at him "SHERIFF'S OFFICE! Stop what you're doing and move away from her NOW!" He turned and looked at me and for an instant I could see that he was mulling over his options. So I repeated "SHERIFF'S OFFICE! Get away from her and get face down on the ground NOW!!" At that time, he decided to go ahead and comply. I got him proned out face down on the pavement and told her to stand up and move over to the sidewalk, which she did. She was very shaken and a little scraped up but didn't need any emergency medical attention. As angry as he had been, he fortunately became very docile after that. I told him that there were patrol cars enroute and that we were going to just be calm and wait for them. He agreed. I told him to sit up but not to get up and he did. I kept my distance but went ahead and put my gun away and the deputies got there within just a couple of minutes. I gave them my statement and off he went to the county lockup.

Fortunately this situation was resolved like so many others, without the need to fire. In retrospect, I don't really think I would have done anything differently. I'm a pretty big guy but this man was bigger, younger, and definitely looked stronger than I am. I would have certainly had my hands full with him. Because I had gone to the bowling alley to meet a girl, I didn't have any of my male friends with me and I'm not really sure if there was anyone present who would have helped me. Maybe, maybe not. Because of all this, I felt completely justified in detaining him at gunpoint and would have done so again. If he had decided to strike or kick her at that point I probably would have fired. If he had charged at me, I probably would have fired.

Again, the fact that I was acting in my capacity as a LEO really changes the scenario as compared to a private citizen so I agree with everyone who posted here about erring on the side of caution in terms of presenting a firearm or intervening etc. That said however, I certainly wouldn't have an issue with a citizen responding in the exact same fashion. Clearly ability, opportunity, and jeopardy were present and she was in legitimate danger of serious bodily harm. Use of force would have been justified for cop or citizen alike if the suspect had escalated rather than de-escalated.

This was one of only two times I ever drew my gun off duty. The other time was just as a backup capacity for an on duty LEO and that one ended peacefully as well. Whew.
 
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