Famous Last Words Department

[scmhogg]

Last month, I was retained to represent a man who had just been arrested for murder. He was not charged and was released, pending further investigation. I'm pretty sure he's not the guy, as his story/alibi check out.

Now, the report quotes an ear witness to the homicide, who heard the decedent shout, "You going to shoot me now? You going to shoot me?." He then heard three shots.

It seems to me that those are not the questions you should ask when someone is pointing a gun at you.

Any thoughts on what you should say, assuming that you are unarmed and have no black belts.

Steve

[wreckwriter]

I guess it depends on why he's considering shooting you. Denial or apologies perhaps?

[JBCrooks]

Hmm...here's a good one

Shoot me in the belly, where the pain is greatest, that my screams may haunt you for the rest of your life.

That's not what I'd really say, of course. I think the moderators would delete it out if I wrote that.

[MilDoc]

I'd probably just faint ... and hope he missed

[just4funsies]

"You're gonna hurt your hand that way... Let me show you the correct way to hold the gun..."

[Warren]

Depends on how close the shooter is to you. It is fairly easy to render certain pistols inoperable if the assailant is close enough. It is also fairly easy to deflect the weapon and step inside a shooter if he is inexperienced. The trick is for you not to talk and get the shooter to talking as that slows reflexes and gives you time for a response to the threat. If the shooter is too far for either reaction. and you know he/she will shoot, charge. Step forward and slightly outside of his/her gun hand and assail as viciously as you can, trying for control of the barrel. Let him/her, with your assistance if necessary, discharge the weapon once it's pointed in the correct direction. Don't let go of the gun, ever. Use your feet, knees, teeth, head, whatever you've got to attack the assailant as viciously as possible. Don't stop until you're either dead or the assailant no longer a threat.

The thing to remember is that a person with a gun thinks they are in control. They've seen TV and movies. That idea and getting them talking may give you the split second you need for a response. It may not, but you have nothing to lose if they are intent on killing you.

And, if you are sucessful, say absolutely nothing to the police except name and address until your attorney is present. And, I mean nothing.

[SteveJ]

that guy reminds me of of a man in Pensacola a few years back who was being sentenced for shoplifting.

The judge looked at a man who was to be sentenced and said "I sentence you to sixty days". The man says to the judge, "make it a year, I don't care", so the judge says, "ok, sentence is one year", the man then says, "why don't you make it two", I really don't give a f.... , so the judge says, you got it, "sentence is two years"... so, at this point his attorney who had been trying frantically to get him to shutup finally got him to leave the court room, to begin serving his two year sentence.

Steve

[430752]

charge a gun, run from knives

I always read you charge a gun, as in run towards it, but run away from a knife. The logic being a knife can only be used in close quarters, unless the holder is skilled in knife throwing. Whereas a gun can shoot you at close range as well as long range (to a limit) and thus running away won't help much and at least with charging it, you might get lucky.

Now, whether I'd actually put that logic into plan when confronted, I doubt it. I'd probably pee myself and ask for mercy in the face of a gun at midnight in a dark alley.

curt j.

[TheRic]

Since most gun toting killers are guys.

Look over his shoulder and say:

"Boy that streaker has a nice pair of b**bs!!"

Has he turns around to look run!! Remember to zig zag a little!!

Most robbers can not shot accurately at a moving targets, and one that is moving away from them.

[Russianwolf]

I always read you charge a gun, as in run towards it, but run away from a knife. The logic being a knife can only be used in close quarters, unless the holder is skilled in knife throwing. Whereas a gun can shoot you at close range as well as long range (to a limit) and thus running away won't help much and at least with charging it, you might get lucky.

Now, whether I'd actually put that logic into plan when confronted, I doubt it. I'd probably pee myself and ask for mercy in the face of a gun at midnight in a dark alley.

curt j.

not quite accurate.

Run away from Rifles and pistols. They only have one projectile that follows a straight line. The further away you are from the source, the less accurate it is likely to be. Hope your gunman is a bad shot.

Run towards shotguns. They have a spread pattern of many projectiles. The closer you are the less accurate they are, the further you are the more likely that you are inside the "spread". Of course if you get hit at close range you take it all.



What would I say, "Yeah, I bet you can't even shoot those _________." and make sure there are more of them than there are bullets in the gun.

[scorrpio]

My personal philosophy is that if someone is pointing a gun at you, he WILL shoot if not getting what he wants. The kind of criminal who wants to hedge his chances in a courtroom would resort to theft, not armed robbery. A cool-headed criminal will break into a home only after making sure noone is there, will carry no weapon, and will opt for escape if confronted. The chance that someone waving a gun in your face is thinking: "I am already committing an armed assault, better not add a murder to it", is less than 1%. If the guy with a gun perceives an immediate danger (say, police arrives), he might realize that he is alive only as long as he doesn't start shooting.

Now, if the guy wants your wallet, probably best to look scared tell him sure, produce the wallet, and move to hand it to him - and if you really intend not to part with your wallet, go for the gun then, at the moment when he is sure he is getting what he wants, his guard is at its lowest, and you are right next to him. Still, should realize that unless you trained for this, you run a pretty high chance of getting shot. If you notice the gun is on safety or isn't cocked, you are in luck - it gives you a bit extra time.

[Rounder]

Okay, tough question as 99.9% of the time, I am armed. I guess it depends on why the weapon is being pointed at me. Is this a robbery, or is this a hit?

If it is a robbery, I am emptying my pockets and offering him the keys to my truck. I will even offer to drive him to the ATM machine. If it looks like he is going to shoot me, I am going to offer him my wallet and deploy my weapon.

[JR]

Okay, tough question as 99.9% of the time, I am armed.

A fact not introduced into evidence before now, George!

I guess family court is a contact sport in Florida, eh?

JR

[Warren]

Okay, tough question as 99.9% of the time, I am armed. I guess it depends on why the weapon is being pointed at me. Is this a robbery, or is this a hit?

If it is a robbery, I am emptying my pockets and offering him the keys to my truck. I will even offer to drive him to the ATM machine. If it looks like he is going to shoot me, I am going to offer him my wallet and deploy my weapon.

If someone is threatening me with a gun, knife or other weapon, I really don't care what his motive is. From my training I will try for an edge and then we'll simply see who is the best shot.

When I was a cop I believed in escalation. If a suspect used his fists, I went to the stick or "Kel-lite" (pre pepper spray era), if he had a knife and was within 10 feet out came the Python. If I was going to a gun fight or shots fired call, out came the scatter cannon. I always figured I was issued all those tools for a reason. I understood that I was paid to take risks, but that didn't include injury through studipity. The old adage "better to be tried by 12 than carried by six" was my credo.


I know some states require a citizento back down when threatened, when possible. That's no longer the case in Alaska.

[gchapman]

I was in a hold-up when I was sixteen. Ski masks, left tied up, the whole thing. I can only remember the feeling that the guys did not want to hurt anyone and that the only thing that would have gotten me hurt was trying something on the guys. I will never forget the look of fear in the guy's eyes. One look and I knew that I wasn't going to try to stare the guy down, because too long a look from me would have been a threat. When I first realized what was happening I thought double leg take down, since I was a wrestler and I felt I could take him physically. His partner coming up the other aisle would have really made that a bad choice. Bottom line cooperation was easily the best choice. I can't imagine what I would have been able to do with a gun of my own other than get someone hurt.

By the way, the openning of the barrel of a gun pointed at you looks huge! It must be an optical illusion.

I would not have asked the guy to shoot me, that's for sure.

Glenn