CCW Question

[ruffstock]

Some opinions needed....

Okay you get the license to carry, you read the latest books on how to best conceal your piece, what ammo to use, and how to alter your behavior / range of movement while in public to keep your new responsibility a secret. But heres the the hard part.......... What do you do after the decision is made that you have to shoot someone ?

Call 911 report that there has been a shooting ?

Grab witness's and keep them there until police show up ?

Holster your gun immediately after the shooting stops or keep it on attacker until police come ?

What the hell do you do ? I figured either way Im would be eating dirt once police show up but is there something I would be able to do to assure that dispatch and police who respond know I am the victim not the attacker.

Seems like there is allot of right and wrong things you can do and Im sure the first ten minutes of how that is handled could determine where I spend the next 20 years of your life. I have heard stories of what some of the LEO have to go through for a justified shooting so I can only imagine what it would be like for a civilian.

Thanks all for your advise as I hope that it would never come to that for everyone who does get the right to carry but only a fool would accept that responsibility and plan for the worst.

Be safe.....

[biochembruin]

holster up, conceal your gun, and call 911. you can't order a witness to say. if you force them, that can be false imprisonment. people will argue against holstering up, but keep in mind police don't have to say "drop it" or some other warning before they shoot you. and if they arrive to a call with very little info and see you pointing a gun at downed man, bad things will happen. at the very least, holster when you hear the sirens, hold your hands high above your head, follow all commands until taken into custody, AND THEN explain what happened. trying to explain while the police are giving orders instead of following the orders will only make things worse.

[armygunsmith]

I asked a CCW instructor this once. Assuming this occured in California, you will be assumed to be guilty so call 911 and tell them someone has been shot, that's it. Then if the threat has ceased being a threat , reholster and wait for police. Once the police arrive, keep your hands in plain view, don't make sudden movements and inform them that you are armed. You will most certainly be detained and disarmed at this point. My instructor states that you should not make any statements to the police at all until you have your lawyer present because anything you say will be used against you, especially the 911 recordings.

[Fjold]

I was taught to;

Call 911 and report that a shooting has occurred.

If the threat is over, holster the weapon and keep your hands clear

When the police arrive tell them that you have a CCW and a holstered firearm.

Then tell them that the person attacked you, that you were in fear for your life and had to shoot to stop the attack.

Tell the police that you want the "attacker" arrested, that you are to upset to talk right now and would like to have your lawyer present.

[Ron-Solo]

Some opinions needed....

Okay you get the license to carry, you read the latest books on how to best conceal your piece, what ammo to use, and how to alter your behavior / range of movement while in public to keep your new responsibility a secret. But heres the the hard part.......... What do you do after the decision is made that you have to shoot someone ?

Call 911 report that there has been a shooting ?

Absolutely. If you don't, they will look at you more as a suspect.

Grab witness's and keep them there until police show up ?

You can't force them to stay, but you certainly should ask them to stay.

Holster your gun immediately after the shooting stops or keep it on attacker until police come ?

Depends on if the attacker is no longer a threat.


What the hell do you do ? I figured either way Im would be eating dirt once police show up but is there something I would be able to do to assure that dispatch and police who respond know I am the victim not the attacker.

Make sure you give them a good description of you and your clothing. Stay on the line with the 911 operator if possible. Follow the instructions of the dispatcher and responding officers. Expect to be detained at gunpoint and handcuffed until they sort it out.


Seems like there is allot of right and wrong things you can do and Im sure the first ten minutes of how that is handled could determine where I spend the next 20 years of your life.

If you feel uncomfortable, by all means seek the advice of an attorney. The responding officers will try to get a good picture of what happened from statements of witnesses and the people involved. If you have a hostile crowd of the attacker's family members, you know they going to say you shot for no reason. It could be rough for a few, but eventually the evidence will show if you were justified. A brief statement such as, "He attacked me with a knife/club/gun/etc and I had to shoot to save my (or someone else's) life" will be sufficient. If you don't feel right about it, consult a lawyer. If you invoke your rights in a polite manner, you will not offend the officers. They will understand


I have heard stories of what some of the LEO have to go through for a justified shooting so I can only imagine what it would be like for a civilian.

I've been in 2, and even though they were both justified, it wasn't a fun experience but it is not adversarial like they show on TV.

Thanks all for your advise as I hope that it would never come to that for everyone who does get the right to carry but only a fool would accept that responsibility and plan for the worst.

Be safe.....

Common sense and sound judgement are your best allies.

[fullrearview]

I was taught to;

Call 911 and report that a shooting has occurred.

If the threat is over, holster the weapon and keep your hands clear

When the police arrive tell them that you have a CCW and a holstered firearm.

Then tell them that the person attacked you, that you were in fear for your life and had to shoot to stop the attack.

Tell the police that you want the "attacker" arrested, that you are to upset to talk right now and would like to have your lawyer present.

Right after you clear your threat/threats, I would start 1st aid if needed/if you are cerified.

Other than that, you are spot on!

[Unit74]

Very true about CPR/1st Aid. In the court and Jury's eyes, you did what you needed to do to stop a threat against your life. But you also have compassion for human life and attempted to save the very person who tried to take your life.

Put that in front of a jury and see what kind of impact it would have. Me thinks it would weigh heavy on their minds if they were considering a guilty verdict.

[WeekendWarrior]

Rob Pinkus suggests unloading the weapon and putting it somewhere safe and in the open like a car hood, that way you are not posing any threat when the responding LEOs show up.