Hypothetical Situation - DV Shooting

[rogrrr]

In light of the shooting at the Ohio Cracker Barrel, one has to wonder what you would do if you were at the next table when someone came in and started making threats to his spouse/EX-spouse/soon-to-be-EX-spouse and pulls out a gun.... Domestic Violence is always emotionally charged and can often make a bad situation turn for the worse.
Many of us prudently go armed because we are of that "sheep dog" mentality. What's right is not always what's argued by shyster lawyers who are in business for notoriety (and of course, $$$$). They make up litigation for some parties who are not directly involved in an altercation and us sheep dogs have to defend ourselves when we should not have to (like, the family/estate of a career burglar who met is demise during a break-in, or even worse, survived the fight and sued the home owner/shooter, AND WON the law suit).
If I would have been at that next table, I would have to sit there and plot my odds of getting sued for (attempting to) save a life, or liveS by putting down the deranged killer, maybe even before he points and pulls his trigger.

So my question here is: What are we to do if we are "right there" when a situation like this develops ?

I know what I would do. And I would be comfortable with my actions, I would be able to live with myself....

[Domineaux]

In this particular situation, the answer would have been much easier than usual as he walked in with a shotgun. The moment it looked like he was about to point it at anyone, I would have physically intervened. While shooting him would be perfectly good in my book, I too would be concerned with ending up financially ruined after saving a life so would have done what I could before resorting to deadly force. However the same cannot be as easily done when the threat has a handgun so shooting him would have been the best option.

[XJ_MAC]

Interestingly enough, that Cracker Barrel is the one where I have attended several meetings of Ohioans For Concealed Carry.

[Bozz]

He comes in angry, wielding a shotgun and approaches the table next to mine -- he is not getting a chance to shoot someone if I have anything to do with it. At this point I am not worried about legal ramifications, just saving lives. Would I shoot immediately or just command him to drop the shotgun would depend on his demeanor at that exact moment. It doesn't take too long for someone to level a shotgun at someone and take their life so all would happen very quickly.

[eagleeyes]

i'd probably get the hell out of there unless i knew i could take him out without harming anyone else

[Firefighterchen]

My family is priority number 1. If my family is sitting with me at the table next, the guy who is angry with a shotgun is a threat to them. I am entirely outgunned, but he has just threatened my family and me, and that is inexcusable. So...

1. Make sure my family is safe.
- a. Getting away and to cover
- b. if (a) is not possible, stopping the threat immediately
2. If (a) occurs, I am not one to watch someone die, and in WA I can use deadly force against someone committing a felony. It's a "be there" judgement call, and hindsight is 20/20, but I have all ready decided that I would help those in a restaurant and I would risk my life to save their lives. Risk a lot to save a lot, risk a little to save a little. Because I have cover, I will draw and aim COM, and I will shoot when I feel it is right. Only at that time will I know when that time is. It could be immediately, it could be a few seconds later, the BG could leave and I would not have to shoot at all. I would not give him any warning, or yell at him commands, if I were to shoot, all he would hear is a rapid burst of shots, and then hopefully if I have done my job right, he would be on the floor. At which point I would look for other threats, make sure my family is okay and at a safe area, , then I would secure the shotgun (and possibly a quick frisk to make sure the down bg had no other weapons, if I had time, if I had a set of latex gloves to keep his blood of me, and if I felt it necessary at the time), then help other customers get to safety, and start triage and patient care on anyone that needed it. Whether or not I helped the BG, that is situational dependant, but most likely I would not touch him. Too much risk, for so little to be saved.