How far away is does a person have to be to be a threat?

[oldvet53]

20 ft. and i'm on allert, if they keep aproching,hand on weapon,5ft alreadu drawn and ready to fire!

[DKA]

I'd like to add fuel to the fire here with a new WHAT-IF:

Say it's dark, vision is limited. A sketchy looking character charges DIRECTLY at you, full throttle, from 30 feet away. You KNOW you are being attacked by some means / with some intention, and you fear for your safety, for your very life. But you don't know if this guy coming at you is young or old, armed or unarmed... you're not even certain yet if he's acting alone. It's a blitz attack, and in another second & a half, he'll be on you.
What are you going to do?

In NC, it's an eminent threat of death or great bodily harm or sexual assault. If either of those apply, go bang. Don't wait too long, the attacker will be upon you in an instant. Each person feels different. What I think is an eminent threat of death, or great bodily harm, someone else, might not see it as a threat at all. that's a decision that each individual must make own his own. I tell my students to rehearse in their mind different situations and be ready to react and never let an attacker get within arms length. If he has a knife, you could have a cut throat.

[6shootercarry]

I'd like to add fuel to the fire here with a new WHAT-IF:

Say it's dark, vision is limited. A sketchy looking character charges DIRECTLY at you, full throttle, from 30 feet away. You KNOW you are being attacked by some means / with some intention, and you fear for your safety, for your very life. But you don't know if this guy coming at you is young or old, armed or unarmed... you're not even certain yet if he's acting alone. It's a blitz attack, and in another second & a half, he'll be on you.
What are you going to do?

What ifs are good... A good tactical flashlight is a great addition to any "survival kit". You could see the weapon if he/she has one. Also works to disorient them when the light is in their eyes. It could give you the needed time to get the other tool out (knife or firearm) or at least side step the knockdown, which could be their weapon and a good light, will give you a clearer sight picture.

Kind of hard to say what would or could happen in this case. Blitzkrieg is a very effective way to create confusion and cause hesitation which will work in the attackers favor.
Etymology: German, from Blitz= lightning + Krieg= war...

Chances are if the assailant is charging you, youth is at work here.

Most normal people intent on meeting you or making your acquaintance with peaceful intentions will approach you slowly. Again that’s most not all… So with someone charging at you, going to have to rule it threat and react quickly.

[father-of-three]

In Pennsylvania, the rule in general is that if you can retreat, you must retreat. Again, it's hard to draw real concrete lines on this issue.
At a "Non-Violent Crisis Intervention" training, I was told that at 20 to 30 feet away, an attacker could be on top of you before you could start evading/blocking,etc, depending on your reaction time and the attacker's leg muscles, drug use, psychosis, or all of the above.

[micpl]

From personal experience. I would say that you wont be measuring. If you want to survive and or protect . Stupid question.

[CaptAmerica]

From personal experience. I would say that you wont be measuring. If you want to survive and or protect . Stupid question.

Love it!

As for me it is simple; if I feel my life is at risk, I will defend my self. I don't care if you are 20' away with a rock, or 100 yards away with a rifle. or at my car window with a gun. A threat is a threat.

[6shootercarry]

I was talking to a person last night that said that before they would draw and fire a threat woould have to be within 5 feet. I passed on that at 21 feet that it takes little over a second to close the distance etc. Stil this person was dead set on that distance.
Here is what I am wanting to know at what distance do you see a person a threat that would cause you to draw and then to fire?

I just read this initial post again and had a thought...

Measure your distance at any given time to the location of Barack Obama... I'd call that a threat...

[Piece Corps]

Studies say that most self-defense shootings take place within 5-7 feet. So chances are, it's gonna be personal and up close. But if I see a couple of guys with guns running across a street in my direction, it could be 10-15 yards. I do most of my range shooting at about 25 feet, with silhouettes...don't do a lot of target stuff. And I hope that I never have to pull my gun on anyone closer than that.

[ClearSightTactical]

From personal experience. I would say that you wont be measuring. If you want to survive and or protect . Stupid question.

I agree that you don't measure in self defense situations. I've been in a few encounters and distance was a factor in my mind (Don't want scumbag near me). Thankfully I've never had to use deadly force. I've never considered 'if' someone was a threat when they got hit with OC or laid out for non-compliance.

If you have to use force you won't thik about distance only survival.

I have to disagree with you about it being a stupid question. There is no such thing.

[jimdog]

Obviously, thinking things through at the last minute won't work. One must decide way in advance what his options are, if he is willing to shoot another human being, if he (or she) can deal with the legal implications, and what his or her gates to that decision are. By gates, I mean something like nutnfancy's "unlock codes" or the USMC's Cooper Color Code. Tactical training with lots of fore-thinking will make the decision a matter of conditions and actions. For me, in this case, I KNOW I am being attacked and I KNOW I will be killed if I don't act. Fire!