As usual, we are only going with was on the paper and does not mean it was what happened
Bradden fired twice at the ground near Johnson’s feet, police in Arlington, Tex., said, one bullet burying into the ground and the second striking his wife’s leg. Johnson fled inside the store, she told the TV station, and told her coworkers to lock the doors.
Then came more gunshots.
Outside, Bradden had fled to his truck and climbed inside, police said. That’s when 35-year-old T.J. Antell, a father of three and CrossFit gym owner, decided to intervene. A concealed carry permit holder, Antell watched the marital dispute unfold, retrieved a gun from his vehicle and approached Bradden, police said.
Instead of abiding by Antell’s commands to stop, police said Bradden climbed out of his truck and fired his gun again. According to an arrest warrant, Bradden admitted to slapping Antell’s gun from his hand before shooting, reported the Dallas Morning News.
“Most men, no matter how hard they lived, won’t throw down on another.”
Captain “Bucky” O’Neil from the mini series Rough Raiders. 1997.
If you made the decision to own and carry a firearm for self-defense, part of your mindset must deal with the fact that you might be called to legally use deadly force. To make it clear: You may end up killing somebody who was a reasonable threat. You need to get used (not comfortable) with the idea and the consequences before anything may happen. At the time of a defensive use of a weapon, you do not have the time to sit down and ponder about it…I am wrong, you do have time… the rest of your life timed in seconds.
And although you know that 99% of the defensive uses of a firearm end up without having to pull the trigger, always think yours will be the exception. Don’t think that your gun is some sort of talisman that will correct the misbehaving of a miscreant 100% of the times. We cannot mentally train our minds for best case scenario or that we will even “win” but be ready when the vampire ignores the cross and comes after you which is what I think happened on the story above.
Think about it: The Good Samaritan approached what seemed to be a deadly force confrontation, he had his gun out, the Bad Guy got out of his truck, armed with his own gun, approached the Samaritan, slapped his gun away and shot him dead. Somewhere in there we had a failure of mindset and probably the expectation of a movie ending.
It did not happen.
Prepare yourself. Train, read, learn.
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Gun is worthless without brain attached.
When I talk to people about CCW and self-defense, I tend to tell them a story involving a founding member of the San Diego Guardian Angels (a certified credential of badassdom if there ever was one) and a dude named Charles Ng. It ends horrifyingly and the point that I use it to make is that, no matter how badass you may be, somewhere out there someone has your number… and if you act a fool instead of showing common sense and good judgement (staying out of problems to begin with, putting shoe leather and gas pedals to work, de-escalation et cetera) you’re going to meet him sooner rather than later.
A+ for what Dave P said; and think of the things that Jeff Cooper, Massad Ayoob, and others have told us. A deadly weapon is for defense against an immediate (!) deadly(!) threat to an innocent person. An ordinary citizen has no arrest authority. There is no ammunition for your gun that is loaded with “intimidation” or “compliance”. From what I’ve read, the shooter was about to leave, and his wife was only wounded, when the other man intervened. Now that well-intentioned man is dead and has left a widow and orphans.
Remember these words. I am not a cop. Had he stayed out of it he would be alive today. The woman had already gone inside. The store would call 911. The police would be there in four minutes. Get the details about the shooter’s car and give it to police. Even with him gone it only be a matter of time before the police would catch up with him.
Agree with all three comments. One thought occurs to me, that I read more than 30 years ago, I think. The quote was: “If you are not prepared to see a burglar’s blood and brains splattered all over the ceiling of your bedroom, then you should not keep a gun at your bedside.” Or words to that effect. It had a powerful impression on me. That is why I tell people, “We don’t want everyone to be armed, especially folks who would rather not be armed. We just want to be left alone if we Choose to be armed. In addition, if the bad guy knows that one or two of the folks in that group over there may be armed — and willing to shoot if necessary — then the bad guy will go somewhere else.” (Of course, this does not apply to nutcases.) In medicine, they have something called “herd immunity.” If 95% of the people are vaccinated against a bad disease, then the chances of that disease spreading to the other 5% is virtually zero. This protects the babies who are too young to be vaccinated and those individuals for which the vaccine is ineffective. If we use that logic to apply to concealed carry folks — who have the mindset and ability to actually use their firearm if necessary — then we only need 2 or 3% of the local population to be armed, in order to achieve “herd immunity” from bad guys. Like Miami after the hurricane. The would-be looters Believed in the signs that said, “we shoot looters.” You didn’t have to have every single honest citizen armed — you just had to have a credible defense. (What’s the actual percentage? who knows? but it is a small percentage of armed citizens who are willing to do what it takes is all that is needed.)
That would be the “Rough Riders” Sam Elliot playing “Texas Ranger/Capt. Bucky O’Neil.
Great movie!
Also good advice Do Not make stupid comments to LEO’s just after the fact let yourself calm down get over the adrenaline rush. As anyone knows you do not slap a firearm out of a Threats hands you STOP the threat and wait for LEO’s to arrive they can clear the firearm from the subjects hands or area.
Yours in service
James Acerra