Regardless of whether justified or not, you will feel sad about killing another human being. It is better to be sad than to be room temperature.

If you are involved in a shooting and are the survivor, this is what you MUST DO:

During the first second of post-shooting quiet, do a tactical reload and store the ejected, but not yet empty mag in a convenient pocket, DO NOT put it in your mag pouch! This will prevent you from grabbing it later thinking its fresh. During this reload do a 360 sweep clearing the area for additional BGs.

Draw down on the Bad Guy's center mass and watch his hands as you approach. Hands kill! Everything else is just a distraction! Clear the Tango of any weapons and make sure he is secured. (read: no longer a threat) DO NOT shoot again unless he moves at you. By this time you will more than likely be on someone's candid camera!

If the Tango is still alive tie his hands/feet. Once the Tango is secured, safe and holster your weapon. The officers responding have no idea what has happened, won't know who the good guy is, won't know who the bad guy is, and if they find you standing over a body with a gun in your hand you're likely to get a bad reaction.

Start to administer first aid (you are not a doctor that can pronounce) and stay alert! This guy was trying to kill you just minutes ago! Continue your 360 sweeps for any BG’s that may show up! Start yelling "CALL 911! CALL EMS!". DO THIS until someone confirms they have called!

If you are alone and while performing CPR, with your cell phone call 911 and tell them "There has been a shooting at **your location**, I'm doing CPR, get here fast!" and say nothing more. Do Not hang up and set the phone down while still connected to the 911 operator allowing then to find you. Do not speak to anyone, frequently visually clear the area for BGs and continue CPR until the police/EMS arrives. Personally I could give a **** if the BG lives or not! What I do care about is having the first responder put in his report that when he rolled up on the scene that I was trying to save the Tango’s life! That single statement in his report will show contrition on my part and instantly protect me from a prosecutor trying to portray me, the CCW permit holder as a blood-thirsty vigilante.

When asked by the police the only thing you EVER say is, "He said he was going to kill me. I believed him. I'm sorry, Officer, but I'm very upset now. I can't say anything more. Please let me speak with my attorney. I assure you that you will have my full cooperation after I consult with my attorney."

You will need to surrender your identification, CCW license and weapon. With this completed, request to be released to return home, you’re about to be sick. If everything is in order they should return your ID and CCWL and let you go. With the exception of yes or no answers to ID questions DO NOT answer any other questions! You have invoked the attorney card and are not required to speak to them. You are upset, sick and want to go home! By now they have run and verified your info, know where you live and should let you go.

Be sure you have a lawyer prior to carrying. Call the attorney now. If it's late, you will probably get a service or machine. Go on record then, do not wait until you can speak to him in person and leave this message; "This is (You) and I require your services for a shooting I was involved in an hour ago."
NEVER (did I say never?) say you shot somebody, not to anyone other than your retained lawyer and not even to him on the phone.

If you re-read the above you will notice you have NOT once said you shot your gun much less the Tango. You have not lied but more importantly, you have not provided the Tango's legal defense team anything they can run with. This is very important. Invoke the attorney card and say nothing, even when questioned about you gun being full. You are not required to! Keep saying, "I'm sick and need to go home."

Mark Twain said it best; "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

CCW is what I perceive to be the most personally responsible decision I have made third only to my wedding vows and active service to this great country. Concealed carry is NOT playing cowboys and indians (pardon my age tell) and I’m afraid that’s exactly what many are doing today. When we post encounters as entertainment rather than a positive outcome from our correct decisions we only feed to a “Denny Crain” type response.

When you decide to carry a concealed weapon, you have burdened yourself with tremendous responsibilities including, but not limited to, physical fitness, firearm and CQB training, in-depth knowledge and handling skills of your weapon of choice and the moral obligation that the issuing authority extracts from you when you applied for the CCW license.

When your 'go criteria' are met, you MUST draw your concealed carry and if nothing else has changed, it’s not time to talk, it's time to defend yourself with your loud finger. If that reaction isn’t one smooth ‘muscle memory’, you’re dead! PLEASE NOTICE: I did not say if you draw you must shoot. That’s why I included the “CHANGE” caveat because if the BG turned and ran I would clear the area and then reholster.

I would also report the incidence to the local police/county sheriff. This gives them a heads-up on the BG in their area and protects me for going non-concealed. Brandishing, here in South Florida, is prosecuted harshly to control the gangsters and road rage.

There is no fun in concealed carry; it’s a profession that must be executed by professionals. If you do not embrace this school of thought, you have no business being armed. If you don't embrace this, it is my fear that I or my loved ones could become part of your collateral damage.

I need to emphasize the gravity of this carry decision with these two points;

A. Use your head (your most powerful weapon) and only draw and fire your weapon to save you or someone’s life. This is the only righteous shooting. Anything else will find you in a cage or a box. Long before you put yourself in the ‘shoot’ position, you better have completed all the legal requirements that allow you to be there. In addition you must complete the following personal conditions;

1. Training,
2. Understand and accept the moral obligation that the issuing authority extracts from you when you applied for the CCW license,
3. Training,
4. The moral mettle to take a life,
5. Training,
6. Know and keep up on the laws covering carry in the location you are
7. armed (political boundaries and building restrictions),
8. Training,
9. At a bare minimum have a gun rights lawyer’s phone number on your cell’s speed dial,
10. Training,
11. Retain that lawyer if you can afford it,
12. and did I mention training?

B. See A or you will get yourself killed!

We are neither a vigilante nor a hired gun, just a survivalist.

 

I hate when people say not to be a vigilante and assume to look after only themselves. I'm not saying be a hero or look for trouble, but I personally wouldn't be able to live with myself if a situation occured where I could of possibly changed the outcome of that situation. It seems in the carrying community everyone is very opposed to looking after fellow innocent civilians. Just my opinion however.

 

If someone else's life was endanger, I would do what I could. Just a personal choice. Remember though,you are liable for those shots fired.

 

Another thing, if your ever do take a life while defending yourself, you will forever have a murder charge on your record. It can be a justified shooting and you never see a cell, but you will have been arrested for murder on paper.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. If someone was breaking into my neighbors (who do not own firearms) house, I would go in after them.... But There is a lot to be said for handcuffs. I always carry a pair, as I'm sure you do KO, and I'd do my best to diffuse the situation without ever firing a shot.... but I'd be willing to if called upon

 

yep, always a pair of cuffs. I also carry extra zipties in the truck. Whether a fellow stunter needs some or a make-shift pair of flexicuffs

 

good read btw!

 

just a piece of advice, dont pull a gun till your ready to pull the trigger

 

vote to sticky!

good post!

 

you live in va tho

 

Yep, words I live by. If I pull my gun, it's get'n used.

 

Personally Im more likely to beat someone to death than even draw on em. Unless they brandish first it doesnt come to mind that I am even armed (if I am armed). Once someone, any one, in a confrontation brandishes a weapon the situation has been escalated to life or death.

 

I didn't write the article

 

Mohawk, awesome post. Did you write this?

 

See above.

 

MoHawk, best post I've seen on SL!!

also the longest post I've ever actually read...lol

 

Yo Mohawk, got a new personal defense round I'm researching. I'll shoot you the specs when I'm done

 

Let me know KO