conwict said;
I am not so sure I've seen a clear case precedent for what Jeff White's talking about. You really didn't "engage," IMO, by throwing your hand out, at least not in a legal sense.
Yes, he did "engage". Fights start over this kind of thing all the time. Someone is bumped in a crowded bar and responds verbally or with a gesture of some type. Someone is cut off in traffic and the person cut off responds with a gesture. Unless you can prove that the bumping in the bar or the act of cutting the other subject off in traffic was intentional and malicious the person who reacted either verbally or with a hostile gesture started it.
Unfortunately I've had to sort out more of those situations then I care to remember after it's escalated into violence.
Quite simply, when you are carrying a gun, you need to be cool enough not to react to real or perceived slights like that. If you do react and it escalates to the point you used your weapon, you're probably not going to have an easy time getting anyone to believe your claim of self defense.
Guy bumps you in the crowd at the bar and doesn't say "Excuse me", so what. Guy cuts you off in traffic, again, so what. Is your personal sense of self worth going to be irreparably damaged if you don't respond in some way? If you are the type of person who absolutely must respond to these kinds of minor slights from other people, perhaps you shouldn't carry a firearm.
When you are armed, every altercation you get into is an armed altercation and has the potential of very bad consequences for everyone involved.
It's really quite simple. Start a fight, and win it with your firearm and you will likely be facing very serious criminal charges. It's best not to start fights.
Disengage, disengage, disengage. If you are in a public setting, loudly tell the person you are disengaging so that any witnesses will be able to repeat that in their statements.
Jeff