Would have drawn my weapon: Pan handler/drunk beggar/?

[KittySlayer]

Need those drive thru liquor stores like Ohio.

 

[churchmouse]

OP, I don't think you did anything wrong. Putting your hand on your holstered weapon is not a crime despite what some want you to believe.

Good Situational Awareness. Good use of your car to get out of harm's way.

Question: what would you have done if the guy had started banging on your car or attempting to break in through the window? Was it dark outside? would have been better to stay inside the store and let the employee know that there is a man outside with a weapon loitering around the front? what about when you first saw the guy and thought you saw a weapon... You could have turned around going back in your car and went to the next liquor store down the street I assume but why didn't you?

Come on Biscuit....he was thirsty.....

 

[Gluemanz28]

It is easy to say what we would do and that the OP was justified or not from where we are sit. I rely on several things including my Spidey Senses to let me know if I need to get prepared for a could be issue. My wife and I were in a Penn Station Sub shop the other night picking up an order to go and three Street rats came in ahead of us and got an order to go. They were pretty much toasted and both my wife and I kept an eye on them until they left just ahead of us to return to their van to eat the subs.

They were walking around casing the place the whole time. My wife knows that I will generally sit at a table with my right side towards the wall if I'm in a booth. I have on more than one occasion lifted my shirt, jacket or any thing in the way to give quick access to my EDC.

We kept a close eye on them until we entered our vehicle and left. The OP never pulled his weapon on the guy so just thinking about what to do just in case is good training.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Come on Biscuit....he was thirsty.....

I know, but I had to ask

 

[Bigtanker]

I had a guy approach me the other night at a dark gas station as I exited my vehicle. He came up and said that he was trying to get home and asked if I had $3 for a gallon of gas. I looked him up and down, made careful observation of his hands... then I told him to pull up to pump #1 and i would go in and prepay for $3 of gas. He thanked me and that was it.

I didn't put my hand on my gun or run away.

Seriously.....you were not in an area described by the OP.

Yeah. You were in MISHAWAKA for heavens sake!

Just kidding. Bad stuff can/does happen anywhere and everywhere.

 

[Bunnykid68]

not to mention he didn't just see the same guy pull out a shanking tool and try to stab the building.

How crazy must one be to stab a building? Was he trying to get the building to cough up some change?

 

[17 squirrel]

The OP stated that there was a drunk guy tapping on the exterior of the liquor store with some sort of spike. This drunk guy approaches the OP a few seconds later with the oldest ploy on the books prior to a mugging, i.e. asking for a light, a few dollars, etc. He also ignores the OP's first order to cease his advances. While I don't think it was time to draw a weapon, I think the OP would have been a fool to not try and keep some distance between him and the drunken individual.

Frankly, for a retired LEO who has been there a few times like you have claimed, I am a little surprised at how you are making light of the OP's concern for his physical safety. In my opinion, the conditions were "right" for things to get bad quickly. I don't see where the OP did anything wrong by making an effort to keep on high alert in order to avoid making things easy for a possible mugger.

OP never stated a ' order to stop advancing ' how does that work ?????
STOP walking towards me asking for money !!!!! Or I will pull out my pistol ???
Its only a threat in your mind....That man did nothing in a threating manner towards the OP.
OP said no weapons could be seen at that time..
If OP was concerned about his personal safety, He never should have gotten out of his truck in the beginning..
It was nothing more than a man bumming some change for a drink.....

And let's again read the last sentence the OP wrote,
P.S.S. Wrote this after drinking all 6 beer

 

[churchmouse]

OP never stated a ' order to stop advancing ' how does that work ?????
STOP walking towards me asking for money !!!!! Or I will pull out my pistol ???
Its only a threat in your mind....That man did nothing in a threating manner towards the OP.
OP said no weapons could be seen at that time..
If OP was concerned about his personal safety, He never should have gotten out of his truck in the beginning..
It was nothing more than a man bumming some change for a drink.....

And let's again read the last sentence the OP wrote,
P.S.S. Wrote this after drinking all 6 beer

-Never post after drinking a 6 pack.
-Never get on Brownells site after drinking a 6 pack.

 

[17 squirrel]

I had a guy approach me the other night at a dark gas station as I exited my vehicle. He came up and said that he was trying to get home and asked if I had $3 for a gallon of gas. I looked him up and down, made careful observation of his hands... then I told him to pull up to pump #1 and i would go in and prepay for $3 of gas. He thanked me and that was it.

I didn't put my hand on my gun or run away.

Well, Your a good man.... But apparently popular opinion here is, After the non-threating meeting you had was over, You should have driven home with you hand on your sidearm when you got back in your car..

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

-Never post after drinking a 6 pack.
-Never get on Brownells site after drinking a 6 pack.

AGAIN?!

 

[Bunnykid68]

-Never post after drinking a 6 pack.
-Never get on Brownells site after drinking a 6 pack.

Then when am I suppose to post?

 

[churchmouse]

Then when am I suppose to post?

Well, your call but neither works out well for me.

 

[17 squirrel]

-Never post after drinking a 6 pack.
-Never get on Brownells site after drinking a 6 pack.

That might be hard on a credit card... hahahahahahaa

Is this how it went, I'll take this ...and this. And thisss...anddd gotta have 2 of these and a hour later ...checkout time.

 

[churchmouse]

That might be hard on a credit card... hahahahahahaa

Is this how it went, I'll take this ...and this. And thisss...anddd gotta have 2 of these and a hour later ...checkout time.

Closer than you know.
What started as an ignition group up grade on my Springer RO blossomed into a full on steel challenge gun.
Not the 1st time either.

 

[17 squirrel]

Given law enforcements propensity of killing innocent unarmed citizens for offenses ranging from selling single cigarettes to seatbelt violations, I somehow question your expertise on matters regarding self control and escalation of force. I also question your having survived a career in law enforcement for any amount of time if you held yourself to the same rules of engagement as you did the OP. If I were in the same situation I would have been equally concerned. The guy was simulating an act of violence with a weapon less then two minutes prior to approaching him. If that isn't a reason to elevate your awareness and assert yourself, I don't know what is.

But yet there was nothing threating done by eather man to the OP..
Where is your escalation of force ?????? Its in your mind... that's where it is...
And I am shocked that you did not know that is normal for all policeman and LEO to ride call to call holding there sidearm.

 

[ViperJock]

So I had a trainer give me this idea once:
Carry a handful of George in your front pocket. Anyone scary asks for cash you throw it on the ground towards them. You are out a couple bucks, you get good Karma, and if they step over the cash your other hand is already on the hog leg. Thoughts? I'd rather be out a handful of quarters or ones than have to shoot a man. Key is to keep them outside your reactionary gap when tossing the cabbage. Also I wouldn't do this for every pan handler, just the one I want to distract or dissuade.

 

[cavskillz]

He noticed the guy stabbing the building on his way in. Object was not visible when approached after leaving the building. What makes you think he didn't have it hidden? Better safe than sorry my friend. This isn't a happy go lucky world we live in.

 

[SteveM4A1]

I see nothing wrong in the OP. I probably would have went to a different liquor store after seeing the guy stab the building, but that's just me. Saying he overreacted by touching his firearm is overreacting IMO.

 

[HoughMade]

All I know is, I like the way this thread is going.

 

[Cameramonkey]

-Never post after drinking a 6 pack.
-Never get on Brownells site after drinking a 6 pack.

QFT