Something plain. Seems like it was said a couple of times but doesn't come across somehow.
Simply, the generally accepted definition of being "allowed" to "brandish" (putting aside for a few moments the exact definitions of both those words) is only when you are preparing to shoot in a justified use of lethal force situation. If your reaction time allows you to see the other is disengaging and you can hold fire to allow them to continue disengaging, then it is what you would do. On the other hand, if you hold fire "
to see if they will disengage" then you were not in imminient danger and, obviously, not drawing to fire but to brandish in the accepted definition of most states' statutes.
I understand Ziggy's comment though that she would rather explain to LEOs or the court that she drew and didn't fire rather than she drew, they disengaged and she fired anyway rather than letting them runaway and report her for threatening them. She envisions a situation where she will have enough time to react and many others dont. She obviously understands her risks and is prepared to pay the consequences. That is her right AND her responsibility. Give her credit that if she has trained properly and prepared herself mentally, she will draw and use her weapon in accordance with that training to the best of her ability.
Perhaps an alternate scenario to consider is when you draw in defense of another (as allowed in many states) or defense of property (per a few states). Still another is what happens if someone brandishes at YOU? Don't picture a mugging, think along the lines of an escalating argument between shoppers, drivers or
nhl_checking
a property owner and a suspected trespasser (you being the suspected trespasser).
Would you back-off (disengage) or would you react to their display with deadly force yourself?