Something that many people don't agree on, is when it's okay to pull a firearm.
I was looking to post a “stupid people with guns” post, so we can analyze more of what people shouldn't be doing with a gun. But, I found this little gem instead. The comments on this video are very mixed. Some are loud in support of the older gentleman who produced the firearm, while others criticize him, saying that he used the firearm to intimidate instead of in self-defense. After watching the video several times, to include a frame by frame play, this is what we discovered:
Before we get there, however—we have to admit that we don't know exactly what was happening beforehand. As you can see, the video began after the altercation had already started.
But, based on what we can see right around the 5 second mark, the punk in the red shirt seems to give serious thought to using his skateboard as a baseball bat.
If you only watch the video once, you'll likely miss it like I, and so many others, did. But, he does rear up with his skateboard, and it wasn't until after this point when the older guy pulled his weapon. How do we know? Well, the moment becomes crystal clear when most of the other upstanding citizens run away yelling the most colorful of language.
Of course, two of the punks decided to stick around and continue taunting the man. I'm fairly certain that the gun equalized a disparity of force. Had it not been equalized, it could have landed the older gentleman in a hospital bed, or worse.
I'm a firm believer that those two skater morons won't live a long and prosperous life. After all, it looks like they have a death wish since they continued taunting the only man with a gun. Thankfully for them, he didn't shoot anyone.
Now, we need to address whether he was on college property, as the punk pointed out. It's hard to hear which college they are at, but it could have been illegal for the man to have a gun on that property, depending upon which state they were in. Then again, maybe he thought that it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6…
Here's the video. If you've got time, rewind it a few times to make sure you see what I'm talking about:
What do you think? Do you believe the gun carrier was justified to pull out his weapon? What would you have done in a similar circumstance? Let us know in the comments below.
Finally, one of the most important things you could ever do as a gun owner, is educate yourself about your state's firearm and self-defense laws. Trust me when I say, you think you may know, but you really don't. Read this article about the best way to learn your home state's gun laws, before you go carry concealed again.
De-escalating a situation is the primary duty of a carrier.
Shame in backing down is more honorable than menacing with a pistol.
Being in a garage is immediately vulnerable, not knowing who is around or behind makes it worse. Some punk slamming a column with a skateboard is not a direct threat, allowing your attention to go to the distraction leaving you open from the back will make your pistol a trophy if those kids were actual predators.
A simple apology may have diffused the emotions, showing your weapon without firing in a true life threatening circumstance is a recipe for felony menacing charges.
If He was allowed to be armed at that place and was in fear of His life or serious bodily harm then He would be justified,But if He instigated the confrontation or not be allowed to have a weapon there He would be the one in trouble.
It looked to me like those teens were taunting that man, not to mention the fact that there were about 5 of them, and only one man, if i were in that mans shoes i might feel a bit intimidated, plus the punk in the red made it look like he was going to swing his board at the man, another reason to protect myself, also they were trespassing, should i go on?