Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

I thought it would be interesting to see how our concealed carry membersmight react when faced with certain situations, what should they do? What are they legally able to do? What would YOU do?

Here's the scene:

You're walking around the house it's around 7:30PM, the game is coming on in a little while and you realize you don't have a stinkin' thing in the house to snack on.[:-] Its a nice night so you decide to take a quick walk up the block to your local Quickie Mart, its a walk you've made a thousand times, its your neighborhood but you still decide to slip your (brand X) concealed carry gun into it's holster or pocket for the walk.
You get to the market and there is only one car in the small parking lot and that belongs to Fred the 40 something clerk behind the counter. You see Fred pretty much everyday and know each other by name........"Hey Fred! gonna get out of here in time for the game!?" He mumbles and smiles and calls you a dirty word because he knows you know he's there til midnight.
You head down the last isle and pour over the endless bags of flavored potato chips and pretzels breifly contemplating the nutritional value of the giant bag of corn chips you just picked up. Hmmmmmm Maybe some peanuts, where are the peanuts? You head around the oversized display of 2 liter soda bottles on sale for $.99 and the magazine rack catches your eye.........Oh look at that, Maxim's "Hot 100" year end special. Sweet!:D
You aren't aware of the man who came in the store as you reach for the magazine, and since you walked here, he doesn't know you're there either.

You are 1/2 way down the pictorial for Angelina Jolie and you hear it. Loud shouting, panicked shouting. Its so loud and out of place it startles you for a second while your mind tries to grasp what is happening. Instinctively you walk to the end of the isle and there it is, your worst nightmare.[:o]

There is a large man standing there arm extended aiming a revolver at Fred. In all the fast forward confusion and adrenaline you are shocked that your mind focuses on the gun, a snub nosed something or other. You are that close you can see the glare of the overhead lights reflecting off the blued cylinder.
Your mind races as the armed man continues to shout at Fred who is pleading for his life while fumbling with the register.
"I told you to open the damn register NOW! or so help me!......."

My God you realize you can't be more than 10ft from all of this but you didn't make a sound. You are at a solid 45 degree angle to the man just out of his peripheral vision, he has no idea in the world that you are standing there. Its this odd swimmy feeling of things moving really fast yet in slow motion at the same time.

In the matter of literally a few short seconds that all this is taking place you suddenly snap to the realization that you too are armed. There is nothing behind the man but a bank of generic cigarettes and scratch off lottery tickets.
You could pull that weapon silently and take careful aim,he's so close you couldn't miss. You instinctively remove the gun from his holster suddenly aware of the deadly serious feel of it. Its not that comfy fun at the range feeling anymore. Your hand tightens on the grip............with just enough time to run it through your mind. The concious thought: WHAT DO I DO!?[:-]
At just that moment Fred notices you and you make eye contact.

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

At the moment Fred makes my eye contact it is an unintended give-away to the perp that someone else is present, and if my training holds and I don't freeze I would prepare for the moment that the perp would turn on me, and when he did turn towards me with his weapon swinging my way, I am afraid that I would be forced to shoot him ... instinctively forced to shoot him.
In my state (Michigan) I'm aware I'd probably be arrested, processed, and maybe have all my guns siezed from my house.
But I think that is what I'd end up doing in the scenario you depict.
I'm aware that I should probably take cover and wait it out, but that could be at the risk of seeing Fred killed or losing my life, or both. It is hard to realy say until you're are faced with it, and your scenario doesn't take it to the next few crucial moments....not knowing if the guy just wanted the cash, or if he was a nutty meth kook with no coordination of the trigger finger.......tough call but if I already had the weapon in my hand I'd prepare for Fred's eye contact to give me away.

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

Great job Fred! When Fred made eye contact with me, the robber would most likely instinctively turn his head to see what Fred was eyeballing. By the time I'd taken aim, I would have shot his knee caps... or the general area. He is an immediate threat to me... I'm not sure if shooting him without reasoning first is against the law, but I'm not about to try to reason with him; its my life I'm dealing withhere. I could get shot in the process. A shot below the waste is not attempted murder, so thats what I would do. I'm cant tell you what I'd do next... it depends. Will he drop to the floor and release the weapon? Will he drop to the floor and NOT drop the weapon and aim at me?

A tough scenario, I'll give ya that Matt! :D

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

After making the decision to shoot, it would be shoot to kill, no way would I chance a wounding shot. The lone ranger I ain't.

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

I wouldn't have made it to WHAT DO I DO?

I would have either been reloading OR I would still be looking at the magazine, unaware of the robbery.:)

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

Hey Chris.... Welcome to the wonderful world of getting your butt hauled into civil court, because the scumbag you just crippled by shooting him in the knees is going to sue you... If someone is turning toward you with hostile intent and a gun in his hands, you don't shoot to wound. You aim center mass and you shoot until the threat is eliminated.

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

Absolutely !!!!!!

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

So I should drop him dead?

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

This is a good question.

I'm going to ask my dad, who is a police officer and has a concealed carry permit tomorrow on the ride to our hunting camp for some fishing and shooting.

I'll post what he says he would do and what the law says he should do. Should break up the 2 hour ride nicely :D.

RE: Shoot Don't Shoot scenario "The Quickie Mart"
 

I tossed this question to a friend of mine that is a cop this past year while at the shot show since I carry EVERYWHERE i go. You can shoot this scumbag in this situation because you are STOPPING a violent felony in progress. You only have to believe that Fred's life was in danger. I was told, as a person with a CCW, you have a moral obligation in THIS situation to stop it.
#2) many states, To include michigan i believe, have passed laws that state you do not have to retreat this situation. You can stand your ground. Because you are already in the store, you are part of this situation. If you were outside the store, you may not get the red carpet treatment for going in and shooting though. If you are outside the store, you need to be calling the police first.
As soon as bad guy turns in your direction, gun in hand, there should be no question, drop his butt. Remember this if nothing else if you are ever in this situation. "I was scared for my (and or Fred's) life. I have never been more scared than I was right then." If this bad guy is willing to break the law and rob a store at gun point, then you have to believe that he will use it. Are you willing to gamble with your life, or the life of somebody else that this criminal won't shoot.
In most states deadly force is authorized if you believe that your life, or the life of another person is in immenent danger. (remember the above statment... I was scared.......)
Not sure who said it, you shoot this scumbag to wound him, unfortunatly, in alot of places he can sue you, and even though he was pointing a gun at the store owner, or you, he can sue you in civil court. Check your local laws on this. There are a few great states that do not allow these suits to happen. You always shoot to kill him. 2 reasons, 1) I think we all have been taught since we all started shooting, you never point a gun at a person unless you are prepared to kill them. NEVER..
2) If you kill him, your one side of the story carrys more weight since it is the only side told.

Hope that this helps some and doesn't confuse too much.