Would you use your weapon to stop a stranger from being raped?

[roscott]

I would say stop, then shoot.

Yep. I would do this.

 

[Cygnus]

I would draw with the intent of holding him for the cops. Obviously depends on if there's multiple perps. The one I could ID in the act would not be going anywhere.
If time allowed and I had the drop I'd try to have an open line ot 911 for everyone's sake.

 

[roscott]

What does Indiana state law say about these situations, specifically? (As several of you guys seem consistently more informed than me.)

Another side of this scenario is your duty (or not) to other girls that guy might try to rape in the future. If you yell stop and he does, he might go to jail for a couple years. But who's to say he won't just do the same thing once he gets out?

And you probably won't be there to save the next girl.

 

[SMiller]

I would draw down and be ready to pop him, one thing to keep in mind though is that he could have someone watching his back that will attack you, so take extreme caution! Take it one stop farther and keep the bad guy there, I am not letting him go so he can do it again!

 

[OldFaithful]

I see no other choice for an honorable man.

I pull my weapon immediately and without drawing attention to the BG. Then move to a tactically advantageous position and verbally insist that the BG stop or be stopped.

Then I wait upon his decision...but not long.

 

[Jay]

What does Indiana state law say about these situations, specifically? (As several of you guys seem consistently more informed than me.)

IC 35-41-3-2
Use of force to protect person or property

Sec. 2. (a) A person is justified in using reasonable force against another person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person:

(1) is justified in using deadly force; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;

if the person reasonably believes that that force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or the commission of a forcible felony. No person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.

(b) A person:

(1) is justified in using reasonable force, including deadly force, against another person; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;

if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person's unlawful entry of or attack on the person's dwelling, curtilage, or occupied motor vehicle.

(c) With respect to property other than a dwelling, curtilage, or an occupied motor vehicle, a person is justified in using reasonable force against another person if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to immediately prevent or terminate the other person's trespass on or criminal interference with property lawfully in the person's possession, lawfully in possession of a member of the person's immediate family, or belonging to a person whose property the person has authority to protect. However, a person:

(1) is justified in using deadly force; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;

only if that force is justified under subsection (a).

 

[furbymac]

i can't remember the code or exact wording but it says something along the line that you can protect a 3rd person with deadly force if you feel that there is a threat on their life.

 

[furbymac]

ahhhhhh beat me to it

 

[cosermann]

In the context of this thread, we should keep in mind that the rape in question happened in Kalifornia (AND on a school campus), and thus I'm fairly confident NONE of those witnessing the assault had a firearm at their disposal (or legally should have). Police say as many as 10 may have been involved in the assault. Details are still emerging.

So, in this context, maybe a more accurate question might be, if you happened upon a gang of ten young men (possibly armed) engaged in a rape (assuming you know it's a rape), in a reduced light situation, in the jurisdiction of California, what would your unarmed response be?

Sounds like a terrible thing, but I'm not ready to judge the witnesses until all the facts are out.

The dangers of intervention should also be factored in:
http://www.stoppingpower.net/commentary/comm_dangers_in_intervention.asp

Which is why my response had to be, "not necessarily."

 

[Dsgnr_81]

Get the **** off of her.... BAM. ... BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM... *"911, what is your emergency?"

 

[Rev19:11]

Without question, yes.

If the rape was 'about to happen', I'd alert the perp of his impending doom should he continue. If it was 'in progress', he'd be dead.

 

[haldir]

I would happily put one in his head. My daughter was a victim of an attempted rape but managed to get away. The vermin like that do not deserve to live. Guess which one I marked down.

 

[OldFaithful]

Follow-up

It dawns on me that this question is directed to a very specific audience. The fact that we are members of this forum implies a bias that I fear no longer exists in the culture as a whole, especially in California, Chicago, DC, etc. Perhaps that is why we are almost uniformly agreed upon assisting the rape victim and yet we continue to hear on the news that victims across the country are left to fend for themselves. If the whole country voted in this pole with the same proportional results...perhaps there would be far fewer crimes!

It would be amusing (although probably disappointing) to pose this question to some ACLU or other cry-baby forums!

 

[Bubba]

I agree that shooting the assailant right off the bat would not be the wisest of choices and that I'd do everything I could to stop the attack, but I'm fairly certain that approaching them without having my weapon drawn would be asking for it. If they're already raping someone, chances are pretty good that a simple yell isn't going to stop them and a fist fight is out of the question. I would have to assume that they're armed as well.

I never intended my post to mean that I'd try to fistfight the rapist or anything silly like that. I'm talking about yelling first, probably just a heartbeat ahead of beginning the draw stroke. Assuming no force disparity or terrain factors that put me at a huge disadvantage, the scenario I envision goes like:

Of course the OODA loop would continue during and after the attack in case the BG brought friends or surrendered at first but then got uppity before the cops arrived. I just don't see the need to wait to draw before engaging if it's one or two guys who may choose to run away when discovered.

 

[combat_commander]

Yes. I would draw and order to stop. Anything not resembling compliance would be met with lethal force.

^ What he said. Absolutely

 

[rich8483]

how would you know who is raping who? maybe she is raping him and THEN what do you do? your pointing the gun at the wrong person now. LOL i know i know.

 

[GuyRelford]

I would have to be 100% sure it was a rape before I would ever pull the trigger, but I would absolutely intervene. No question.

A rapist is the lowest form of life on earth and a complete waste of any space above ground.

 

[misconfig]

If I know without a shadow of a doubt it was in fact rape. I'd shoot without ordering.

 

[hardtrailz400]

Women are precious and anyone who decides to hurt them doesnt deserve to breathe. I would have to shoot myself if I did not use any means I had to stop the rape.

My signature....Do you condone evil????

 

[Archbishop]

I remember reading a report of a passe by coming on the scene of a rape The shot first and asked questions later Turns out the lady was a prostitute. She only yelled rape to get a passer by to help free her. Police officer just trying to MaKe an arrest. I'm not saying don't stop the rape, but definitely think this one thru!