Many people ask me if they need to get involved in situations where they could be helping someone.
My question to them is, “Are you in fear of immediate great grave/or bodily harm for yourself or a loved
one” in this scenario, or are you looking just to stop a “bad guy?”
Many of us with a great moral compass and a love for other humans want to be the good guy and
save the person in distress. However, if you stumble onto this and take action, you need to really be
sure who the bad guy in the situation is. What happens if the “bad guy” was actually the “good guy” and you stepped in? You may have just landed yourself in some deep legal waters. Does this sound like you want to be
involved in this type of situation? Perhaps you see your friend who looks like they are in trouble. Do you
help them? Again, you need to be 100% sure of others’ actions leading up to where they are at right now. And if you step in to help, there was no reluctance on your end to lend a helping hand. Please be sure of
your friend’s innocence prior to helping. I know it sounds like I want you to dismiss your friend, but in
the end, your family will be the ones bearing the brunt of every move you make from this step forward.
Another situation: rare, but it can happen. You have the legal right to stop a mass shooter threat in a
grocery store or other situation and consequently be shot yourself by another concealed carrier who does
not know you are trying to stop the same thing, not realizing you were another good guy with great
intentions. We are not heroes if we can’t save the day or ourselves; we are just dead.
Can you get involved in a situation that dissolved in front of you? Yes, but there might be legal,
moral, or mortal consequences. Choose your battles to protect yourself and your immediate loved ones
and be a great witness for those who may have needed help.
If you own a firearm, you should have some type of liability insurance or legal defense to help with your defense once you have crossed the line from innocent to the defender. Once you use your firearm to help yourself, a loved one, or anyone else along the way, you will need to defend yourself in a court of law.
Your next step in your defense of any kind is to defend yourself from being prosecuted even if
you did everything right. This is where ongoing training helps. Most experts believe that you should
have at a minimum of 4 times the cost of your firearm invested into your training. I know that
sounds expensive, but so is ten years from your life. If you say or do something that crossed the line in
your defense, then you can lose your home, your wife/husband, custody of your children, and this is just
the beginning of your costs.
You could also have an attorney on retainer if you have the means to do so. Remember, with the
insurance. You would be covered as if you had an attorney on retainer. There are many resources to find
information regarding this subject. I personally carry USCCA.
So, if your answer is “I will get involved,” be prepared to know forehand what can happen to you
legally, morally, and mortally.
I too subscribe to USCCA/Delta Defense. Great insurance AND training. The vast majority of us will never be involved in a situation requiring such, but just the chance is well worth the small expenditure monthly, especially considering the skyrocketing crime statistics nationwide. And just the training alone provided by USCCA is worth the cost, in my opinion.