Thank God for my CCW!!!!

[Mini D]

I'm willing to bet there needs to be some actual risk involved. Especially when you're in your car in a parking lot. Especially when you're given enough time to reach into the center console and remove a weapon. This is not your home. You are not exposed. "Threatened" is ambiguous.

[Mini D]

PS... by that logic, they could have shot hornet.

[storch]

nope. all you need is a corpse, the words I was in fear for my life and be in your car.  if you are interested look it up.  the handwringers were all fretting about the place becoming dodge city with all the white guys shooting the poor down trodden colored folk.  what has actually occurred is far few fewer carjackings and armed type crimes.  I've noticed lots less road rage and actual downright civility.

I guess heinlein was correct after all.

[eagl]

I guess heinlein was correct after all.

Yea.  An armed society is a polite society.  Amsterdam's corollary is a stoned society is... ummm what were we talking about?

[Airhead]

I'd just like to say that its funny how the anti-gun whiners haven't touched this.  Go figure that when advocates of responsible self protection are proven right they don't have anything to say.

LOL, "responsible self protection?" Give me a break- He's returning home from a bar. If he freaked out and shot the three hip-hoppers (who are now in jail because every story needs a happy ending) then would you salute this as a good thing?

Not that I believe this for a second, mind you...

[Pooh21]

Well if he shot the minority types.

Instead of showing them where he lives, his pooper would still be in an unviolated state 2 weeks from now.

[rpm]

This is a prime example of why I don't live in Virginia.

[Curval]

We're allowed to defend ourselves too. But brandishing a weapon because 3 people are near your car isn't really going to cut it as defending yourself.

As I posted here before my friend in Delaware got 9 years for doing just that...on his own property.  It was reduced to 3 but he served all of them.  He got out early last year.

[SD67]

I could really care less if anyone belives me or not. I'm just recounting the situation I found myself in Saturday night. I'm glad that Virginia is a shall issue state, and that I made the choice when I moved here to get my CCW. Never needed it until the other night but I'm glad I had it, and that I had my pistol in my truck.

Incidents like these always seem a little sensationalised when recounted. Some folk will always have better ways you should have dealt with it, others will call BS. It's just the way of things.

We're allowed to defend ourselves too. But brandishing a weapon because 3 people are near your car isn't really going to cut it as defending yourself.

If you are allowed to CCW, have the right to defend yourself and have a genuine fear for your safety and well being, then how can displaying your ability to defend yourself not be justifiable. Would it have been better that he not bring attention to the fact he had the ability to use deadly force and allow the gangbangers to push the situation to the point that Hornet had no choice but to kill one or more of them?

[Coshy]

I can't speak for Virginia, but here in West Virginia anyone within 21 feet can be considered an threat. Last saturday I completed an NRA basic pistol class in preperation for getting my CCW. As well as gun saftey we also discussed in depth what is and is not considered a threat.

<snip> Anyway I walked into the 7-11 past a bunch of gang bangers, get my stuff and walk back out to my truck. Mind you I'm a white guy wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and a t-shirt that has the "Cowboy Up" logo on the back of it. Well three of the brother start giving me a bunch of crap about the way I'm dressed. I ignore them and continue on to my truck and they start to follow me. I get in my truck and one of them walks around behind my truck and stands there so I can't move, while the other two come up to the drivers side window and start giving me a bunch of crap. I asked them why they are being so racist towards me and they get really pissed off and start telling me they are going to kick my arse.

Considering the story to be as he told it, at the point they started threatening to kick his arse, he (in WV) was completely within the law to draw his gun. Personally I would have aimed it center mass of the nearest threat as laying it on the dash could be considered brandishing. I also would have announced my intent to start shooting if they didn't back off.

Here is where I believe he dropped the ball ...

As soon as you were 'safe', meaning there was no immediate threat, you should have called the police. It turned out well, but it would have been better to have your voice on the 911 tape stating what happened that caused you to draw your gun.

While this is a little Serenity-esqe I'm inclined to believe him as there was no moral/airforceacademy conflict, no pineapple people and no butt-cracks involved.

All in all, I say well done, but next time, call the police yourself. Remember YOU are the responsible citizen.

[Jackal1]

I'm willing to bet there needs to be some actual risk involved.

If three bangers, one blocking you in and two at the window threatening you with bodily injury is not a risk, then I don`t know what is.

Especially when you're in your car in a parking lot. Especially when you're given enough time to reach into the center console and remove a weapon. This is not your home

You don`t have to be in your home. That is the whole point of concealed carry. If it were in your home you would not require the permit to carry.

You are not exposed.

Not exposed to rabies , cholera or chicken pox maybe, but most certainly exposed to a life threatening situation.
Of course we have to make sure we do not harm the bangers running around killing and injuring people ..now don`t we? 
Limp wristed, liberal attitudes make me want to hurl.

[lazs2]

What?  MT can't believe that negros were acting racist?  or that they called the government when they didn't get their way?  I am shocked.

Not sure about the whole story.  Shouldn't any incident where you "brandish" your gun be reported? 

leslie..  what do you mean don't go to that store because there are negros there?  You realize that you are talking segregation here?   You I am sure that there will be a government program to bus white people to the area if it gets too bad...  no.. wait.. check that.. what will really happen is that when it gets so bad that they can't stand it themselves.. the negros will move to a nice white area and destroy it..

lazs

[midnight Target]

What?  MT can't believe that negros were acting racist?  or that they called the government when they didn't get their way?  I am shocked.

lazs

That's not what I said, nor what I meant, but you sir never fail to deliver.

[lazs2]

"So, 3 gang bangers called the cops on you? You realize that this is ... well .... highly unusual?"

there ya go MT...

Not sure that it was even those three according to the story but someone did.  someone who hangs out at such a place with such people..  I am not in the least surprised when they call the cops on white people or sue or whine like little babies for someone to take care of em.

lazs

[midnight Target]

and that's when he informed me that the guys giving me all the crap where the ones who called the police. I looked over and they were still standing there on their cell phones. I pointed them out to the police, and they told me they would go over and have a little chat with them.

He seemed to know when I posted it.

All I'm saying is that real "Gang Bangers" are unlikely to call the police. Just an observation based on experience.