Today

[sig p6]

Today while waiting for my barber to come in at" 7:00 am" , I had a man come to the passanger side of my car and start to ask me questions through my CLOSED WINDOW!I had my 18 year old son with me and thank god he did not roll down the window. The man kept asking me somthing through the window, but could not understand what he wanted, and I raised my hands like " i don't know what you what you want" but he would not leave. That's when I got out of my car" driver's side and put my hand on my gun , but not pulling it out!
The man seeing my actions ask me if I knew if "qt's" bar was open, in which i replied NO!
.
I think in my mind I just missed having a strong armed robbery tried on myself and son, what do you think, this is an area that is in the " bad new area of my town

 

[NavyLCDR]

Seems like it would have been safer to drive away. The man threatened you in no way and you get out of your vehicle and put your hand on your gun. You threatened him first. Good way to lose your permit.

 

[Eidolon]

I think in my mind I just missed having a strong armed robbery tried on myself and son, what do you think, this is an area that is in the " bad new area of my town

I think in my mind that you just missed getting arrested for aggravated menacing. Why in the world would you get out of a locked car to confront the guy? DRIVE AWAY.

 

[kelcarry]

Today while waiting for my barber to come in at" 7:00 am" , I had a man come to the passanger side of my car and start to ask me questions

That is how it starts sig. In retirement I was a barista for several years and would assist manager in opening the store, which was in a shopping center with a 24 hours grocery store. Dark and alone at 5AM waiting for manager, a guy comes up to me and starts with inane comments and questions---do you have a light? when do you open? can I purchase one of the tied up morning papers?--you just can feel it. I walked away real quick towards the grocery and that was the end of it. I tend to agree with others though--I was on foot--no where to go and thank god for the 24 hour grocery and people but you were in your car--you leave--get son to call 911--maybe a timely police response.

 

[JimTh]

Maybe it was nothing at all. Could have been a simple EDP. The pistol is a goto when you need to. So far all you have shown is that you brandished your weapon in a threatening manner. The other guy talking stupid is considered non threatening...1st amendment stuff. It is possible that the guy was on the prowl for a victim but you are the one that would have been convicted for your Wild West attitude. Stop giving the antis fuel.

Just one other question...why do you go to a nasty area of town armed. I cannot understand this thinking at all. Can't you find a barber in an area that is not haunted by bad guys or do you think you are safe to go to the bad guys turf because you are armed. Hopefully you are not "a gun looking for something to shoot".

 

[RJT CCW]

Maybe it was nothing at all. Could have been a simple EDP. The pistol is a goto when you need to. So far all you have shown is that you brandished your weapon in a threatening manner. The other guy talking stupid is considered non threatening...1st amendment stuff. It is possible that the guy was on the prowl for a victim but you are the one that would have been convicted for your Wild West attitude. Stop giving the antis fuel.

Just one other question...why do you go to a nasty area of town armed. I cannot understand this thinking at all. Can't you find a barber in an area that is not haunted by bad guys or do you think you are safe to go to the bad guys turf because you are armed. Hopefully you are not "a gun looking for something to shoot".

Your question does not seem to match your quote below. Are you saying he should go to areas unarmed or are you saying he should restrict where he goes due to the potential for a problem.

I agree the OP should have just drove away. Why start a confrontation when your first option is escape.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I notice the OP has not come back to share any more thoughts with us.

 

[JimTh]

Your question does not seem to match your quote below. Are you saying he should go to areas unarmed or are you saying he should restrict where he goes due to the potential for a problem.

I agree the OP should have just drove away. Why start a confrontation when your first option is escape.

There was a guy in my area of Virginia that went with a female friend and parked in a darkened parking lot. This particular area is not super safe when it is daylight...everyone in town knows it too. Anyhow he was pestered by a guy for money. He refused the bg's request. The bg came back a bit later with a knife and demanded money. The guy in the car shot the bg dead. Now I ask...of all the places to park a car in a darkened parking lot, why chose one that you know may be trouble. You sure ain't gonna do it unarmed...so why do it when you are armed. Is it because you feel safer because you have a gun. That's why I ask...are you a gun looking for something to shoot. Why invite danger...so you can feel better about killing a bad guy? Most people I know that carry a pistol (open or concealed) do not go to places they know they might have to use their guns. I don't think the purpose of carrying a weapon is so you can go places you wouldn't go if you weren't carrying a weapon.

 

[Eidolon]

There was a guy in my area of Virginia that went with a female friend and parked in a darkened parking lot. This particular area is not super safe when it is daylight...everyone in town knows it too. Anyhow he was pestered by a guy for money. He refused the bg's request. The bg came back a bit later with a knife and demanded money. The guy in the car shot the bg dead. Now I ask...of all the places to park a car in a darkened parking lot, why chose one that you know may be trouble. You sure ain't gonna do it unarmed...so why do it when you are armed. Is it because you feel safer because you have a gun. That's why I ask...are you a gun looking for something to shoot. Why invite danger...so you can feel better about killing a bad guy? Most people I know that carry a pistol (open or concealed) do not go to places they know they might have to use their guns. I don't think the purpose of carrying a weapon is so you can go places you wouldn't go if you weren't carrying a weapon.

First rule of firearms carry (besides always carry) If you wouldn't do it without a gun don't do it with a gun

 

[RJT CCW]

I carry a gun because I have the right of peaceable journey and the right to self-defense. YMMV

Although it may not be the best idea to knowingly go to a neighborhood of seedy values it may be a necessity none the less.

The gun should be the last resort, not the first response.

Carry on and carry safe my friends.

 

[Axeanda45]

I see MANY have gone to yelling "brandishing" when the OP VERY CLEARLY STATES that he never pulled it out of his holster.... Typical....

 

[BC1]

As a PP instructor I can honestly say you blew it. Keep your mouth shut and drive away. Don't respond. Don't engage. NEVER get out of the car. The first rules of PP are awareness and avoidance. Keep that up and you'll be needing a lawyer.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I see MANY have gone to yelling "brandishing" when the OP VERY CLEARLY STATES that he never pulled it out of his holster.... Typical....

And we have your typical EXAGGERATED response. 1 person has mentioned brandishing so far. ONE. I'm sure that JimTh sincerely appreciates your correction to his post #5 - the only mention of brandishing in this thread other than yours.

 

[Axeanda45]

And we have your typical EXAGGERATED response. 1 person has mentioned brandishing so far. ONE. I'm sure that JimTh sincerely appreciates your correction to his post #5 - the only mention of brandishing in this thread other than yours.

I included YOU accusing him of THREATENING the guy when he did NO SUCH THING, and eidelen accusing him of aggravated menacing..... So go ahead and sue me for generalizing the effing comments into "brandishing"....

 

[NavyLCDR]

I included YOU accusing him of THREATENING the guy when he did NO SUCH THING, and eidelen accusing him of aggravated menacing..... So go ahead and sue me for generalizing the effing comments into "brandishing"....

So, what you are telling us is that YOU don't know the difference between THREATENGING and BRANDISHING. I can threaten someone with my firearm without brandishing it. The entirety of the circumstances of "I got out of my car driver's side and put my hand on my gun , but not pulling it out!" in no way, shape or form will paint a picture of a person taking defensive action against a crime being or about to be committed against them to anyone with any common sense especially when such action is taken because "I had a man come to the passanger side of my car and start to ask me questions through my CLOSED WINDOW!"

 

[Eidolon]

I included YOU accusing him of THREATENING the guy when he did NO SUCH THING, and eidelen accusing him of aggravated menacing..... So go ahead and sue me for generalizing the effing comments into "brandishing"....

Because where Eidolon is at what the OP did was in fact Felony Menacing. Well actually it's assault with a weapon

(1) A person commits the offense of assault with a weapon if the person purposely or knowingly causes:
(a) bodily injury to another with a weapon; or
(b) reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury in another by use of a weapon or what reasonably appears to be a weapon.

IOW If you get out of your car and put your hand on your gun and you aren't justified in doing so you've done something that would give your average person a "reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury"
and you can go to prison for up to 20 years for it

 

[BluesStringer]

Because where Eidolon is at what the OP did was in fact Felony Menacing. Well actually it's assault with a weapon

(1) A person commits the offense of assault with a weapon if the person purposely or knowingly causes:
(a) bodily injury to another with a weapon; or
(b) reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury in another by use of a weapon or what reasonably appears to be a weapon.

IOW If you get out of your car and put your hand on your gun and you aren't justified in doing so you've done something that would give your average person a "reasonable apprehension of serious bodily injury"
and you can go to prison for up to 20 years for it

Yeah, and don't forget Link Removed, or both the fine and 20 years in prison.

 

[sig p6]

I think there is some miss understanding here, I never pulled my gun out!I did however have my hand on it and the "man" was on the other side of my car, may have seen me move my arm to my right side.
I will have to agree with alot of the people who have posted that the best thing I could have done was just drive off.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I think there is some miss understanding here, I never pulled my gun out!I did however have my hand on it and the "man" was on the other side of my car, may have seen me move my arm to my right side.
I will have to agree with alot of the people who have posted that the best thing I could have done was just drive off.

There are security cameras everywhere these days, not to mention possible unseen witnesses. We have to be careful because the video and/or other witnesses may make things look just like the prosecution is describing things. "This poor guy was just trying to ask directions when the defendant comes charging out of his side of the vehicle and the video/witnesses clearly indicate that he made a move for his gun before the poor victim did anything at all to threaten the defendant...". It doesn't really matter what really happened so much as what the jury is going to see and that's why in a situation where there is no real danger of anyone getting hurt immediately, it's best to leave the situation.

I made the mistake of approaching a strange vehicle on my property and it was when I went to investigate with my gun at low ready that the person inside the vehicle popped their head up (it was a drunk woman sleeping it off). I feel like I was wrong in that situation because I could have watched the vehicle from my house while my family called the sheriff to come investigate and that would have been much safer for everyone involved. As it was, the sheriff came and investigated and it happened to be a woman that my neighbors knew and she thought she was on their property. I did have a little bit more legal protection because it was on my property, but it still could have caused me unnecessary legal problems.

 

[sig p6]

Yes I remember you posting that some time ago . And in the future I will keep a more watchful eye on my surroundings .However if you were thereyou would have had the same feeling that this guy was up to somthing. Thanks for your replys