Since the age of 15 (I'm 36 now) I have had to Five times.
1. Age 15. Prevented my sister from being raped in our front lawn of my parents' rural home. I held the two men until the poice came with an AR-15.
2. Age 16. Halted an abusive boyfriend from beating my sister during an arguement. After warning him not to strike my sister again and to leave, I was threatened to "butt out" and he continued. I stopped him with a Ruger Security Six .357 magnum and waited for the polilce. Interestingly enough, this was at a gas station where he saw my sister and I getting gas. Several adult witnesses did nothing and watched a young girl get beat. It fell to a 135 pound kid to do something.
3. Age 30. Stopped in traffic when I was living in Orlando, FL. A "punk" kid decided that he didn't appreciate me "looking" in his direction while stopped at a light. I had the radio on and ignored him. When I finally saw that he was screaming at me, I turned down the radio to see what he wanted. After realizing his problem, I rolled the window back up, looked off and ignored him. He got out of his car and started beating on my window. I still couldn't drive off due to the cars in front of me and the light still being red. After realizing he was about to break out my window with his fists, I began to roll it down. He reached in and grabbed me by the throat. As he is doing this, I raised my Glock 19 in my far hand and aimed it across my body at his head. I didn't have to say anything. He screamed and jumped in the passenger window of the girl he was with's car. She sped off and ran the red light-- almost causing a major wreck. I waited at a gas station across the street for the LEO's to arrive-- I figured witnesses had called 911, and I was right. After taking statements from me and the other witnesses, I was free to go.
4. Age 34. While staying at our hunting and fishing camp for a couple weeks, I heard something out by our pier on the river. Upon dressing and going down, I was able to determine that a boat had pulled up to the pier and was attempting to cut the chains that secured my father's boat. I shouted a warning to reveal themselves. I got no response. When I stated that I was armed, the boat sped off. Turns out that they had released and was letting the current carry them downstream before turning on their motor.
5. Age 35. Trespasser on deep in our wooded lands on our private roads. The person was evasive when approached and would not address me or identify himself. In the dim conditions, I could not see any details. After repeating my request to identify himself, he got out of the car and began making long, fairly rapid strides towards me. I requested that he remain where he was and not to come any closer. This was ignored. I repeated my request that he not come any closer to me. When this too was ignored, I allowed the AK underfolder that I had slung over my shoulder but behind me to fall into a position where I could aim and fire if I had to. This halted his advance and he became very forthcoming with indentification. Turns out this was a drunk 22 year old who was taking a date somewhere to be "alone." I let him go with a stern warning not to trespass on our land again and to NEVER ignore a guy telling him not to come any closer again. For anyone who wonders why I was insistent that he not come within arm's reach of me, my father had a friend who was killed by a strike from a trailer hitch cupped in an assailent's palm in EXACTLY the same situation.
At any rate, that's where I am. I don't put any of that up for debate. I am comfortable with my actions based upon the situations and with my actions with the law. Its very easy to "armchair quarterback" situations when you aren't in them. Some will believe they would do similar or dramatically different. I hope you never find out.
-- John