Would you help defend others?

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Drjones

New member
Allright, here's a new one:

If you were carrying a weapon (not like anyone here does... :rolleyes: ) and came across a situation, say someone accosting a woman, attempting rape, attempting robbery, something like that... Would you intervene?

I'm not talking about playing cowboy and taking on 5 guys, but if you seriously could make a difference by intervening. For example, I read this story about a guy who saw some man punching his girlfriend in the middle of an argument. The guy had a CCW permit, and was carrying his Glock. He basically made the guy aware of his weapon without drawing, told him to take off, and he called the cops.

Would you do something similar?

Drjones
 
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gorlitsa

New member
I'd help even if I wern't carrying. Because I can't carry for a few more years.

It's probable a dangerous thing to do, but I could not live with myself if I didn't at least let the attacker know that he is being watched and that I will be searching for a phone....
 
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DadOfThree

New member
Been there, done that. No guns involved though. Probably not the smartest thing to do. May have opened myself to legal liabilities if the punk that was harassing the lady got his ego bruised. Still, I could not, would not stand by and watch others be preyed upon by thugs.
 
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Blast

New member
Absolutely

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The evil ones will never escape justice...NEVER
 
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kpw

New member
I can't see people not doing anything. Even a phone call or make them aware they are being watched. My wife and I watched a couple argueing at a gas station about 10 years back. All was fine until he started beating on her pretty good. She couldn't have been more than 18. Before I could get out of the car, my wife told me to stop it. It happened to her before, in front of a large group of people when she was trying to break it off with an ex boyfriend and nobody did anything. Left him in the parking lot and drove her home. Her dad came out and we told him what happened. He thanked us with tears in his eyes and said he was calling the police. Seems she had been trying to break it off with him but he wasn't taking no for an answer. Some say that is a stupid thing to do, mind your own business but what if it was your wife or your daughter and nobody helped?
 
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Jim March

New member
Been there, done that. No T-shirt :) but no problems either.

Unless lethal force is already in evidence, your best "start" is to verbally object to what's going on. If there's less actual problems than it appears, it'll become clear...if it's what you think, the reactions of each party will speak volumes about who's really the problem child :D.

One caveat though: when you have two people who each want a piece of each other, all you can do is watch. Once one of 'em is down for the count, fine, step in to keep him from getting killed. But you cannot deal with two antagonists coming in from opposite sides who both think you're butting in. Not without backup and training.
 
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Hkmp5sd

New member
Totally depends on the situation. As Jim March touched on, especially in domestic arguments, trying to invervene can shift both combatants into attacking you (and when the cops show up, both combatants tell the cop YOU started the hole deal). Unless physical violence is about to break out, it could be better to call the cops and let them handle it. Obviously, if one is beating the hell out of the other, you don't have time to wait.
 
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Hal

New member
I read this story about a guy who saw some man punching his girlfriend in the middle of an argument. The guy had a CCW permit, and was carrying his Glock. He basically made the guy aware of his weapon without drawing, told him to take off, and he called the cops.
Click to expand...
Verrrrry iffy and borderline.:rolleyes: It's far too brief a description, but it sounds like the CCW holder exceeded the rules of escalation of force. There isn't any indication of an immediate life or death situation. I can see where in some places the CCW holder would walk with an attaboy, while in other locations he'd face felony charges. While in still other locations the boyfriend could successfully claim he was in immeditate fear of his life and be justified in blowing away the CCW holder.

In answer to the original question:
yes/no/maybe.
 
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David Scott

New member
Florida law has a "stand in the shoes" doctrine. You are justified in using force to defend another person if they would be justified using it themselves. Yes, if it was a clear case of robbery, assault, rape or the like, I would feel a duty to intervene. Cover the bad guys, tell them to lay off, allow the victim to disengage, and retreat. If force is offered, it would be met with force.
 
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David Blinder

New member
Depends. Unless I personally know one of the parties involved and know them to be innocent victims, I would be less likely to take an active role other than being a good witness & calling 911. My first priority is to my family and getting hurt/dead doesn't fulfill that (although my mother-in-law would argue that point). Things are not always what they seem and it would truly suck to misjudge the situation. I won't say never but before mounting my white steed and charging to the rescue, I'd want to be pretty confident that I knew what was really going on. For example, there is a true story about a guy who comes upon a scene of a man punching a woman, but not beating here continuously. He intervenes by beating up the guy. It turns out that the woman had just attempted to grab the man's child and he stopped her. Just be open to the idea that intervention without knowing the whole scoop may not be all it's cracked up to be.
 
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Larry Wright

New member
As others have said, I would intervene to prevent bodily harm. I also would add the caveat that I would try to make sure all was what it seemed before i go rushing in.
On a funny note, over twenty years ago, some friends and I were walking through the parking lot toward a bar. We saw these guys getting ready to fight and one had a putter or some other golf iron. I said to him in a mild and friendly way, " I'm not trying to get into your business but if you use that club, you'll probably go to prison. If you go to prison, you'll probably get beat up or #$%%%ed about every day. Think about it and maybe y'all rather just go back inside and have a beer." Well, in reality I think the one was scared and the other glad of it, so they ceased their "hostilities" and went back inside. Sometimes it works.
 
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Christopher II

New member
It depends on the situation, but generally no.

Situations like the one you describe are very hard to analyze; you don't really know what you are walking in to. Is it a robbery or a felony arrest by undercover officers? Is it a guy beating his wife or a case of self-defense? Tough to be sure. And in this day and age, intervening in something without a clear idea of the players and the game is a one-way ticket to prison. Or worse.

My general game plan with events that do not directly concern myself, family, or friends, is to be a good witness and call the professionals at the first opportunity.

- Chris
 
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