a reply to:
Flyingclaydisk
You know, you've made some good posts in this thread but this one takes the cake!
Out here, even an active shooter situation takes 15 minutes for the cops to arrive, and that's assuming they're driving around with nothing to do at
the moment. That's why we have guns. A whole heck of a lot can happen in 900 seconds, considering it takes a fraction of one of those seconds to pull
a trigger. We have to take care of our own. 911 is for medical emergencies and cleanup after the fact.
A mall is different, especially an upscale place like the Galleria. As I said, I have been there; security is armed and there are always some police
on site. Out here, I'll use my gun to protect anyone innocent; there it's not my call. There, I protect myself and my family only.
I also want to point out that Mr. Bradford was running with his gun drawn. Why? There is no reason to pull that gun until you have a target in sight.
Burdening one hand with a weapon is not helping you to get away; it is hindering your progress. This ain't the Old West and you're not about to have a
duel at 30 paces. Your first instinct should be to hide... if for nothing else to get a stable position where you can aim. Then, and only then, do you
decide whether or not to engage.
I have walked my property before with a gun drawn, but in that situation I was already in position, hunting an intruder. I cleared my property about
the time the police showed up. Understand, now, that I was standing in the middle of my driveway wearing nothing but a pair of pants (and the hogleg
of course) and waved my empty hand in the air to get their attention. The cops saw me, I saw the searchlight hit me full blast, and heard "Drop the
gun!" I immediately tossed it sideways into some soft grass, raised my hands, and shouted my name and that I was the homeowner.
It took several minutes as it was to get the misunderstanding cleared up, during which time I was staring at a couple of barrels. I do not fault the
cops for drawing their weapons; they had no idea who I was, except for the fact that I was toting a .357 Magnum. I
do fault one of them for
being so scared the gun was literally shaking in his hand... that scared me more than anything else. That's the training issue you mentioned. It's OK
to be scared, but not OK to show it. That boy needed a desk job... he was not street cop material. The other one (his superior based on the
conversation) was more seasoned and more secure.
It all boils down to being aware of your surroundings. Had I been surprised by a cop, things could have gotten ugly quickly; I was searching for an
intruder already. Had I resisted in any way, things could have gotten ugly. Once the cops show up, you are no longer in charge, and you better make
sure they know it immediately.
TheRedneck