We are not prohibited from getting into an argument while we are carrying our defensive weapon but doing so raises our personal responsibility for the outcome.
A Chicago Lawn man got into an argument with an unknown male in an alley about 6:45 AM. At some point, the male in a car brandished a firearm. The 37-year-old man then pulled his own gun and fired on the male in the car.
The man has an Illinois Concealed Carry License and FOID card. Local authorities indicated that the victim fired in self-defense. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was uninjured.
Arguments happen. They are in some ways unavoidable, but they don’t have to rise to the level where someone thinks that the only way to solve the issue is with a show of deadly force.
As a law-abiding concealed carrier, our best defense is always to avoid every confrontation that we possibly can. If you sense a discussion starting to get out of hand, it’s in your best interest to disengage, apologize if necessary, and be on your way. It matters not how wrong you think the other person is or how right you believe you are. Your legal responsibilities and risks go up considerably if you are carrying a gun.
It goes to the issue of innocence and possibly avoidance. Could it be argued that you started or escalated the argument? Did you have the opportunity to disengage but didn’t take it? Yes, once the man in the car pulled a gun, the man in the alley is now facing a deadly force threat and would normally be justified in a deadly force response.
May I suggest that when you take your gun out of your safe to replace it with your ego? If you enjoy a little “spirited discussion” once in a while, fine, just be sure to recognize if it begins to get heated so you can shut it down and walk away.
I’m not suggesting in any way the man in the alley wasn’t justified in his actions to defend himself. There’s too much unknown to judge this incident, and I would imagine that the man in the alley had no idea what was about to happen. But that really is the point. It’s why all trainers harp so much about conflict avoidance.
