Any true tales of weapon retention or disarming, or talking down trouble?

[MSC 45ACP]

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That is a greats practice to have, but at that time, I couldn't afford a second pistol. I now have two .45's and my daughter has her Glock .45. If things go wrong, I'll carry hers, or my old Ruger. I do know one thing. If that Ruger is ever used again, and someone recovers a slug from it, it would be a very short amount of time before it was tracked directly to ME. Perhaps I should change the barrel & extractor in it before I use it again.

 

[Tomahawk]

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markand wrote:

I had hoped this thread would attract some additional stories. I suspect many people come close to some kind of dangerous encounter, but aren't aware enough to even know how close they came to violence.

I suspect that if someone once brandished to ward off a criminal assault, they may be worried that they broke some law or other and just want to keep it quiet, especially given the way folks on this website will jump all over somebody for the slightest odd detail.

 

[MSC 45ACP]

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The LEOs that responded to my call treated ALL of us as wanted felons until they got things sorted out. I sat in the back of a squad car for about 20 minutes until I was released. The LEO that questioned me told me I could have legally shot the clown that threatened me and asked why I didn't.

I answered quite truthfully: "Too much paperwork". If I had shot him, I probably wouldn't have slept in my own bed that night, either!

 

[markand]

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MSC 45ACP wrote:

That is a greats practice to have, but at that time, I couldn't afford a second pistol. ...

I know the feeling. Took me awhile to build up a small collection I felt comfortable with.

 

[zack991]

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N6ATF wrote:

MSC 45ACP wrote:

When I was stationed in Texas, someone tried to carjack me in bumper to bumper traffic in the middle of the afternoon near Houston. I was on my way home from the range. He had a large Bowie knife, but I had my Ruger .45...

he approached my window demanding I get out of "His Truck" and I talked him out of the idea when he looked down the business end of my Ruger P 90.

The police STILL took my pistol "to make sure it hadn't been involved in any crimes" and it took me 2 months to get it back.:cuss::cuss:

Criminals!

A big reason I do not call the cops to report anything unless the sob is dead or bleeding out and on his way out.

 

[Sealgar]

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Back in 85' I was just married and living in my old neighborhood less than .5 mile from the old house. The area had changed, and while you could always get a fist fight going any time, a robbery of any type was unheard of.

One day the wife had an upset stomach, so I walked the 75 yds to the convenient storeto get her some Pepto. When I came out and started home I wasn't paying attention to my surrounds and wasn't aware of anything until I heard fast footsteps behind me. I turned and there was a wino asking me if I had any money. In truth, I didn't, and told him so.

He pulled out a 5" Western Cutlery bowie and asked me if I wanted to buy the knife he carried in Nam. I declined and he moved closer moving the blade around so that the light would reflect off the blade in a clear attempt to intimidate me. I stepped back and calmly started shaking the largeglass bottle of Pepto like I was mixing it up. The bum kept talking, and I kept shaking the bottle at over shoulder height so that if he tried anything I could at least brain hi with it.

After a bit without making a verbal threat or demand for money he left and so did I.

I consdiered myself lucky, and made it a point of keeping my SA up to par, and have never let it drop since. It was a good lesson to me. I later talked to a LEO friend of mine, and he told me that since the guy had not made a threat that likely, there was nothing they could do except patrol the area better. No one has snuck up on me since.

 

[markand]

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Sealgar wrote:

...LEO friend of mine, ... told me that since the guy had not made a threat that likely, there was nothing they could do except patrol the area better....

Unfortunately, that's an all too common response. Absent blood or a body, or a signed letter from the assailant making bold, graphic, unmistakable threats, police often seem hamstrung in their ability to do anything about it.

 

[Tomahawk]

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markand wrote:

Sealgar wrote:

...LEO friend of mine, ... told me that since the guy had not made a threat that likely, there was nothing they could do except patrol the area better....

Unfortunately, that's an all too common response. Absent blood or a body, or a signed letter from the assailant making bold, graphic, unmistakable threats, police often seem hamstrung in their ability to do anything about it.

Unless, of course, you have words with somebody while OC'ing, in which case the cops will be there before you can start your car.

Which is what happened to some not-very-bright guy at a train station in Northern Virginia a few years ago who was CC'ing and made the mistake of revealing his gun during an argument.

The rule is generally that whatever divine protection other jackasses have, it doesn't apply to you, especially when you are the jackass.

 

[rmansu2]

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Ezrider wrote:

attempted robbery

This had started out by my car breaking down. I had walked to my brothers house and let myself in (i had a key.) locked the deadbolt behind me. The attempted robber must have assumed no one was home as there where no vehicles parked outside. As i was waiting for him to get home i was on his computer about 4 feet away from the front door. I hear someone start trying to kick the door in. I then grabbed a golf club that he used to prop an window open. I tried to unlock the deadbolt but it was jammed so I had to ram the door back the other way to get it too unlock. I swung the door open and yelled "fore mother****er.". The guy took off running. I called the cops they never found him.

I would say not the best idea to open the door, but if it's true that's what you said, I would have to say the guy probably laughed his a** off later.

 

[crossbreed]

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I moonlight in a adult club as a bouncer.

One night not so long ago one of the patrons was upset and a little drunk. He started lunging at another group of people yelling stuff about his homies.

After about three attempts by him to get into a brawl I asked him to come with me and grabbed him by the arms. This dude asked me, "want to get knocked out?"

Well I like a good fight now and again. I told him to meet me out front where we can move, when he walked out the door i shut it behind him.

Could have been alot worse than that, whew.:celebrate

 

[4armed Architect]

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Early afternoon, Summer in suburban Los Angeles area, 1969. I'm a scrawy, long-haired, 17 yr. rock 'n roller sitting with my brother and his friend (similar description) in our living room. Front door open, screen door shut. Dad at work, Mom visiting relatives in Tennessee.

We hear a car come screeching up and voices of teenage girls screaming and piling out of the car. Our band had a gaggle of local young groupies, a few of whom had been driving about this Summer's day and attracted the attention of some older slugs who began chasing them in their car. Since the girls were nearest to our place, that's where they headed.

The 4 girls ran through the door panicking about these creeps that were chasing them. While standing there somewhat stunned by the sudden activity a muscle car comes roaring up and 2 big mid-twenty something ruffians jump out and come barging into the house!

WTF??? "Get the !@#$ outta here." we scream at them. "Are you gonna make us?" one of them asks.

I start heading to my bedroom. I answer to them, "When I come back, it will be with my shotgun - you'd better be gone." I get to my bedroom and can hear that they haven't left. As loudly as I can, I work the bolt (yes, it was just a single-shot, bolt-action 20ga) and hear one say "If that a****le comes out with a shotgun..." followed by heavy footsteps and the sound of the screen door squeeking open then slamming. The muscle car roars off.

I did come out to the living room with the shotgun and we all just stood there mumbling things like "holy crap!" I decided to keep the shotgun out for a while in case they returned. They didn't.

Middle of a quiet Summer day in an quiet suburban L.A. area neighborhood. Out of nowhere. I'm still waiting for my crystal ball which has been on back order since that Summer of '69.

And yes, I could own a firearm at that time. My parents allowed me to purchase the shotgun when I turned 13, if I had completed the NRA's Hunter Safety Course. There were rifle/shooting clubs at our High School.

The big meltdown about guns was just starting (major assassinations were beginning to give the grabbers fuel to restrict things) but shotguns weren't in the cross-hairs. At the time, I kept the shotgun unloaded, in my closet, never thinking(remember I was a 17yr. old twit) I would need it for home defense. I'm glad it was there though.

 

[jay75009]

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this may be a little long but........




About 2 days after my 19th birthday *2004* i was sittin in my bedroom with my girlfriend joycelyne. it was about 2am we were just listening to music and making out *as most teenagers do* . i heard something ping off my bedroom window wich was not un-common seeing as my freinds drowned around at all hours of the night. i opened it and saw my friend who was also joycelyne's ex boyfriend on the lawn. he said "duuuuude i need coffee! come to 7-11 with me" wich was also a regular occurance since 7-11 gave out free coffee after midnight. Joycelyne and i decided to go with him but on the way out i grabbed my 1st gen Glock 17 and pancake holster and slid it onto my belt before going out the door.

Craig said "lets cutt through the baseball field the cops are doing roadchecks up there , i dont feel like gettin my backpack rifled through again" so i agreed and we started into a dark baseball field. about half way through it i hear heavy and fast footsteps coming up behind us, i quickly turn and see an old but disconnected friend adam running up behind us. i ignore it thinking he hes just trying to catch up to the 3 of us.......about 5 seconds later i feel a very sharp pain in the back of my head and i go to the ground. again. again .again i feel the pain and realise adam is ontop of me hitting me with something. i am able to push down with my arms and legs on the ground and throw him off balanace. i turn around to see four other people standing there, and craig holding joycelyne to the ground. i figure this is not a game . i place my hand my G17. they all see this and before i can actually draw they all scatter off like bugs in different directions. i dont remember how but i ened up a half block down at a Former Marines home, i guess he heard the commotion and came outside though the details after are fuzzy. went to the hospital, got 13 staples in my scalp . turns out the kid was hitting me with a piece of a brick............situation could have gone very badly if one of them had made a move.......i dont really know who won that incounter.....anywho i always carry now.

 

[Tomahawk]

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jay75009 wrote:

....!

Um, okay.

 

[Grapeshot]

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jay75009 wrote:

this may be a little long but........

About 2 days after my 19th birthday *2004* i was sittin in my bedroom with my girlfriend joycelyne. it was about 2am we were just listening to music and making out *as most teenagers do* . i heard something ping off my bedroom window wich was not un-common seeing as my freinds drowned around at all hours of the night. i opened it and saw my friend who was also joycelyne's ex boyfriend on the lawn. he said "duuuuude i need coffee! come to 7-11 with me" wich was also a regular occurance since 7-11 gave out free coffee after midnight. Joycelyne and i decided to go with him but on the way out i grabbed my 1st gen Glock 17 and pancake holster and slid it onto my belt before going out the door.

Craig said "lets cutt through the baseball field the cops are doing roadchecks up there , i dont feel like gettin my backpack rifled through again" so i agreed and we started into a dark baseball field. about half way through it i hear heavy and fast footsteps coming up behind us, i quickly turn and see an old but disconnected friend adam running up behind us. i ignore it thinking he hes just trying to catch up to the 3 of us.......about 5 seconds later i feel a very sharp pain in the back of my head and i go to the ground. again. again .again i feel the pain and realise adam is ontop of me hitting me with something. i am able to push down with my arms and legs on the ground and throw him off balanace. i turn around to see four other people standing there, and craig holding joycelyne to the ground. i figure this is not a game . i place my hand my G17. they all see this and before i can actually draw they all scatter off like bugs in different directions. i dont remember how but i ened up a half block down at a Former Marines home, i guess he heard the commotion and came outside though the details after are fuzzy. went to the hospital, got 13 staples in my scalp . turns out the kid was hitting me with a piece of a brick............situation could have gone very badly if one of them had made a move.......i dont really know who won that incounter.....anywho i always carry now.

Must have happened when you were on leave from the USMC - what did your CO say when you returned with damaged government property?

Would guess that you have a hellova scar too.

Yata hey

 

[Streetbikerr6]

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markand wrote:

Tomahawk wrote

Markand, that's a remarkable list of encounters you have. I would chalk it up to Baltimore (Charm City, what a joke) but many of them happened in Virginia. You seem to be a magnet.

Tell me about it. Charm City is far from it! Baltimore is a nasty place to live. The list, as long as it was, isn't even complete. A now ex-wife tried to run me down with her car. I stood behind a tree. Three guys who had just robbed a CVS pharmacy were burning rubber straight for me as I was crossing the parking lot. I stepped between some parked cars and wrote down their tag number. I watched with growing concern one evening as my teenage daughter and a female friend were tracked and stalked by several older guys as they walked across a parking lot. My oblivious daughter and her friend drove away before the guys got close enough for things to get intense. And I've been the first on the scene and rendered first aid for dozens of car wrecks and have put out 4 car fires, once having to get a severely injured guy out of the car before it (and he) burned to a crisp. I once tried to figure out the number of times I've called 911 and lost count well over 100. None of it for petty stuff, either, quite a few for serious car wrecks I encountered traveling all over the east coast for business.

I've been fortunate, to say the least.

I had hoped this thread would attract some additional stories. I suspect many people come close to some kind of dangerous encounter, but aren't aware enough to even know how close they came to violence. Like my daughter in the parking lot, they don't pay much attention and are never even aware of the situation.

Your stories are pretty insane. I mean the odds of that much shyt happening to one person are nuts. I've had one encounter with a bum who approached me late at night after getting out of the office.It was an empty parking lot hidden from any view of a street or anyone.He came up from about 20 yards awayto me rambling about losing his dog but his demeanor was not of a concerned pet owner. I told him multiple times I had not seen a dog yet he kept approaching me as if he wanted to rob me. He was about 8 feet away at this point so I immediately changed my stance, balled my fists and pretty much shouted I had not seen a damn dog and to stay away from me. Who knows though, he could have just wanted to come closer to ask for money, but his face didn'treflect that. But to think if he had a knife or a gun... this was when I was 17, I couldn't even buy a gun then.

 

[markand]

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Streetbikerr6 wrote:

markand wrote:

Tomahawk wrote

Markand, that's a remarkable list of encounters you have. I would chalk it up to Baltimore (Charm City, what a joke) but many of them happened in Virginia. You seem to be a magnet.

Tell me about it. Charm City is far from it! Baltimore is a nasty place to live. The list, as long as it was, isn't even complete. A now ex-wife tried to run me down with her car. I stood behind a tree. Three guys who had just robbed a CVS pharmacy were burning rubber straight for me as I was crossing the parking lot. I stepped between some parked cars and wrote down their tag number. I watched with growing concern one evening as my teenage daughter and a female friend were tracked and stalked by several older guys as they walked across a parking lot. My oblivious daughter and her friend drove away before the guys got close enough for things to get intense. And I've been the first on the scene and rendered first aid for dozens of car wrecks and have put out 4 car fires, once having to get a severely injured guy out of the car before it (and he) burned to a crisp. I once tried to figure out the number of times I've called 911 and lost count well over 100. None of it for petty stuff, either, quite a few for serious car wrecks I encountered traveling all over the east coast for business.

I've been fortunate, to say the least.

I had hoped this thread would attract some additional stories. I suspect many people come close to some kind of dangerous encounter, but aren't aware enough to even know how close they came to violence. Like my daughter in the parking lot, they don't pay much attention and are never even aware of the situation.

Your stories are pretty insane. I mean the odds of that much shyt happening to one person are nuts. I've had one encounter with a bum who approached me late at night after getting out of the office.It was an empty parking lot hidden from any view of a street or anyone.He came up from about 20 yards awayto me rambling about losing his dog but his demeanor was not of a concerned pet owner. I told him multiple times I had not seen a dog yet he kept approaching me as if he wanted to rob me. He was about 8 feet away at this point so I immediately changed my stance, balled my fists and pretty much shouted I had not seen a damn dog and to stay away from me. Who knows though, he could have just wanted to come closer to ask for money, but his face didn'treflect that. But to think if he had a knife or a gun... this was when I was 17, I couldn't even buy a gun then.

I've certainly had an "interesting" collection of events happen to me over the years, and the time frame does cover a 30+ year span from the 1970's to the present. And believe it or not, that list is incomplete. I could have added several other encounters. Somehow, by the grace of God, I've been spared injury and have never had to injure an assailant.

It looks like you fared well with your encounter. "Bums" and "homeless" people are exceptionally dangerous IMHO. Many are on drugs or alcohol. Some have mental health issues and aren't quite "right" in their minds. Some seem to have all of the above going on. That makes for a very unpredictable individual who could go off at any minute. A BG who's making a living robbing people just wants your money or valuables and might want to silence your permanently so you can't testify as a witness. Nasty, but logical and understandable. These "homeless" and "bums" might go violent just because of stuff they see in their heads that nobody else can see. I always give these guys a wide berth and avoid interaction.

I think your stance change and raising your voice penetrated whatever this guy had left for brains and identified you as somebody who might not be worth messing with. Good job!

 

[thecrystalman]

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If streetbiker6 gets freaked by markand's few encounters,then I had better not list mine or the encounters of any of a dozen or more of my friends.

 

[simmonsjoe]

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a couple of years ago.

I stopped at the WAWA next to Richmond Int'l Airport. I spotted shady looking dude on my way out. I walked toward my vehicle. The parking lot was mostly well lit and they were very busy. He started behind me when I was going to get in my Nissan pickup. He was going to be there when I was at the 'kill zone' (halfway in your vehicle and helpless) He was most likely going to ask for change. However the Timing with the kill zone is, for me, is one of those 'code red don't care if its santa in a wheelchair' things. I opened my door, threw my southwest salsa chicken wrap in, then spun and closed the door, continuing past the door and drew at the same time (unexpectedly). I kept my 38 snubbie pointed down at my side, but far enough away from my body to be clearly visible. Shady Dude stopped in his tracks, backs up a few steps slowly. He had nothing in his hands.
me: "Can I help you with something"
Shady dude: "I think I made a mistake"
me: "I think so too."( at this time a police car is pulling into the lot, I can see Shady Dude can't)
Shady dude: "your not what I was looking for" (police car parks in spot on other side of my truck)
me: "maybe they've got what your looking for." (I nod towards cruiser)

At this point shady dude RUNS OFF AT FULL SPRINT. Meanwhile I pull my jacket back and re-holster me snubbie in plain view of the cops.

THE COPS GET OUT OF THEIR CRUISER AND WALK INTO WAWAS
talk about lack of situational awareness!!!
I just got in my truck and went home.

It is possible that I was guilty of brandishing, and the 'kill zone timing' thing may be too obscure or seem convoluted to some to qualify for the exemptions for brandishing.

However I think the very odd conversation by itself is pretty damning(Though obscure), regardless of the whole running from the law thing.

 

[markand]

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thecrystalman wrote:

If streetbiker6 gets freaked by markand's few encounters, then I had better not list mine or the encounters of any of a dozen or more of my friends.

Some lead a charmed life with few issues or hassles. Would that you and I were among them!

 

[markand]

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simmonsjoe wrote:

THE COPS GET OUT OF THEIR CRUISER AND WALK INTO WAWAS
talk about lack of situational awareness!!!

Its hard to be in condition orange all the time. People get comfortable and complacent around places they go all the time, even cops. Look at those officers who were shot and killed in Washington State. They were apparently heads down absorbed in their laptops. The wacko who killed all 4 shouldn't have been able to do so, but he did.