gun owner shows some restraint

[workinwifdakids]

At the moment he pointed the gun at my face, I'd have rolled out the driver's side door, popped up, and drilled him.

I'd have felt bad afterwards, but pointing a gun at someone's face merits a hard reaction.

[Combat Controller]

That was some restraint. I will not arm chair quarterback this guy, he did what he had to do, and he did draw down on the guy and disarm him. I hate crazy drunks like that. Hope the fucker gets 5 years and loses his truck.

[Netpackrat]

Yep, and if the bad guy had been holding a real gun, and fired while our hero hesitated, we'd all be saying how he should have shot first.

[Aglifter]

Yeah, I think this is too much restraint -- the man's alive because of pure luck, in all likelihood -- I've seen some real idiot drunks and I could see why a man might feel like he could disarm a man safely, but... well, I'm glad it came off for him.

[TmjUtah]

How about we look at it from the other side?

Joe Dirt is judged to be intoxicated. He delivered verbal and physical threats. He then, without provacation, pointed a pistol at a stranger.

Here in Utah, this would be a real short story.

John Q. Citizen disarms Joe Dirt, but then allowed him to rearm himself with a four thousand pound missile. This, in spite of earlier direct evidence of the truck being operated in a manner unsafe and threatening to others.

IF he had survived pulling and aiming his pistol here, and events unfolded where he was relieved of his pistol, he'd have been proned out and held for the local law enforcement folks vice given his truck back and turned loose on the mountain.

I concede "heat of the moment" as a factor here, but the guy was a threat and should have been placed under citizen's arrest until the law could come and start the paperwork. Nobody else was hurt this time. And that's just random luck playing the right way; next time it could be nine people run down on the scenic overlook, two or three cop cars driven off the mountain road, and a hostage situation that ends poorly. Like I said, just random.

[Malthorn]

My two friends noticed the disturbance and came over to see what was going on. As they approached he pointed the gun at both of them and told my male friend to "stay the @#$% back"

That would have been the last action he got to take.

[kparker]

If you read a bit further into the OCDO thread, you'll see him express concern about the background; lots of people milling around the area and never a time with a clean shoot where a passthrough wouldn't have likely endangered someone else.

[Jeffro]

IF he had survived pulling and aiming his pistol here, and events unfolded where he was relieved of his pistol, he'd have been proned out and held for the local law enforcement folks vice given his truck back and turned loose on the mountain.

Yes, this is exactly where the situation could have gone completely awry. The unwillingness to shoot is understandable if hitting others is a major concern - but even that line might have to be crossed as well. Letting the assailant back into his truck was a major error.

[Older Gunner]

I've never shot anybody and I hope I never do. However, with this guy drunk, waving a gun around, and pointing it at my face and then at my friends, I think I'd have shot him.

[martini]

I have to agree with the majority on this thread, if it had been me I would have shot him. In Louisianna a drunk in a truck (leathal weapon) pointing a gun (lethal weapon) provides a "clear and present danger" which would make me "fear for my life or great bodily harm." That pretty much covers it right there as all the CCW classes I have had that is the threshold here and I don't think there is a DA in the state, outside of New Orleans possibly not even there, that would push for charges. I woudl have been upset about it afterwards, but I don't really think it would have made me more upset to find out i was a bb gun.