How do bad guys react if you aim a laser sight at them?

[cjwils]

Is there real-world evidence (not from the movies or TV) as to how a potentially violent assailant or a residential burglar is likely to react when confronted by a laser gunsight that is clearly aimed at or very near them? Are they likely to surrender? Try to escape? Or maybe fight back?

 

[Hartkopf]

Would a person notice a little red dot on their chest? I don't know how a person would react but I bet most people would not notice for quite a while.

 

[cjwils]

My laser lights up a lot more than a little dot except when in direct sunlight. In the dark you can pretty well see what is happening across the room. Bright daylight is different, but many bad situations happen at night or indoors.

 

[lsudave]

I've got lasers on a couple of ARs. They are cheap and mostly for fun. The green one is particularly bright in a dark room, almost like a nightlight. I expect someone would notice that.

In a casual non-dark of night setting, I doubt it would be attention-grabbing. I think the 'target' might be drawn to notice the laser device (and thus, the shooter).

I don't see my shirt unless I look in a mirror, once I put it on. I don't see any reason why I would notice a laser dot on it.

 

[jeepnik]

Hint, never point a laser at someone’s eyes. You might unintentionally damage their vision.

 

[CapnMac]

Because of the "focus" of the laser beam, it may not be very noticeable when pointed at a person.
You would probably have to sweep the dot across a wall or the floor to get a person's attention.

 

[The Black Prince]

The downside her is that from what I've seen on the new there are usually multiple assailants. That said a laser would give a second assailant a point of aim if they decide to fight back. There's no honor amongst thieves so I'd anticipate sacrificing his buddy to get a shot off at you wouldn't be a hard decision.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Unless you're being attacked by housecats, I'm not sure they will notice

Seriously, I don't know, don't think anyone has studied it much or has many real world cases of it mattering. See it in movies but I'm not sure someone on drugs or adrenaline is going to have that level of awareness. Many report tunnel vision in shootings so I think they are not likely to see it.

As others have pointed out, if they do notice it you may have lost any surprise you had on them and given away your location. I think gunfire would ensue shortly after the laser was pointed at the target and it would be a bit moot also. May only be one side of the story to share afterwards and the laser may not even come up.

 

[Idahou]

I just came back from shooting range where we had similiar disscussion - on indoor lane with smoky air was laser very noticeable but mostly from side or actually behind laser

I would say its not a factor in "split second" situations or in adrenalin rush
It could be in "talk phase" ("look at that red dot, punk! There i will shoot you if you dont f*** off from my lawn!")

Never heard about situation when laser help such a situation

 

[luzyfuerza]

OP, you'll only find gun people here. By definition, we're not felons. Except for the cops and criminal lawyers on this board, this is generally the wrong group to pose this question to.

If you really fantasize that a residential burglar or violent assailant would be intimidated by a laser sight, then I think that you need to get to know more violent criminals. This is a serious suggestion, not simply rhetoric. Go on some ride-alongs with your local LEOs. Find a way to volunteer at your local jail or prison, talking with the inmates. You'll find that their thoughts, values, fears, assumptions, and behaviors are very different from yours.

Once you have that perspective, perhaps you will find the answer to your question.

Based on my interactions with incarcerated felons, I'd bet that very few of those with violent tendencies would be intimidated in any way by a laser sight. YMMV, of course.

 

[High Plains]

The person the laser is pointed at is more likely to see the dot on the end of the weapon or the sight and not the red or green spot on their body. Not knowing what a chemically altered brain can accurately process, they might not know what they are seeing if they’re high.

 

[Shanvanvocht]

Why would you paint an attacker with a laser sight unless you have already made the decision to shoot? Using a weapon as a threat is not only tactically, but also legally indefensible.

 

[High Plains]

Maybe a laser will be developed that puts two dots about 4” apart so the perp COULD think there are two barrels pointed at him..

 

[lightman]

A Chinese friend had a family liquor store in a small town and they lived above it. Sometimes on a Saturday night the thugs would gather up out in front of it. When the paying customers would complain he would go up stairs and open the window and paint one of them with "spot". Pretty soon one of them would notice his buddy had a spot on him and they would all freak out!

 

[Masaca1]

It's not a one size fits all question. Depends on the Bad Guy. Some BGs just get pissed that they lost the drop on you but others freak out when the gun barrel and laser are on them.

 

[The Night Rider]

Is there real-world evidence (not from the movies or TV) as to how a potentially violent assailant or a residential burglar is likely to react when confronted by a laser gunsight that is clearly aimed at or very near them? Are they likely to surrender? Try to escape? Or maybe fight back?

Decide what the worst of those options is and prepare for that.

I can tell you that my work put me in contact with multiple petty criminals (and maybe a few not so petty) and I don't think any of them were the slightest bit intimidated by the fact that I was armed.

 

[The Night Rider]

Why would you paint an attacker with a laser sight unless you have already made the decision to shoot? Using a weapon as a threat is not only tactically, but also legally indefensible.

That's pretty gray.

Most defensive gun uses end with zero shots fired are those legally indefensible?

 

[herrwalther]

We used EOF (Escalation of Force) visible lasers in the sandbox. Good for pointing out stuff. Or letting BG know he was about to get lit up if it was someone we wanted to take alive. Sometimes the fear of being laser painted worked. Most times it didn't. I wouldn't rely on using a laser to scare someone off unless I had a fireteam of other guns with me. Uncle Sam didn't want it back and it doesn't see any use other than sitting in my safe.

 

[Old Dog]

Uncle Sam didn't want it back and it doesn't see any use other than sitting in my safe.

PEQ-15? What? The only thing I got to keep that I was issued in Iraq were all my sunglasses...

In my post military career, a partner and I had to take a prisoner to another county for yet another felony detainer after time served, this person had already violated the conditions of release from state custody after serving 16 years for murder. We pull into the jail salle port (an indoor parking-garage-like affair) and get the prisoner out of our vehicle -- 4 red dots on the torso (the jail deputies had LL shotguns and 40mm launchers trained on the prisoner -- who had a reputation as a tad non-compliant and disruptive. Talk about freaking out: "Get me the f*** out of here, they're gonna kill me!" (We took our time.) This was the only time I've ever interacted with or witnessed a reaction from someone that had a laser trained on them. In my agency, we could use WMLs, but not lasers. Never did any night stuff in the military where I saw any reaction from a human noticing the laser.

 

[herrwalther]

PEQ-15? What? The only thing I got to keep that I was issued in Iraq were all my sunglasses...

Not those, I wish! Our EOF lasers were green visible lasers that were the diameter and length of a pen. Ran on a couple of AAA batteries. PEQ15 rode on top. EOF was on the right side of my rifle.

 

[Old Dog]

Not those, I wish! Our EOF lasers were green visible lasers that were the diameter and length of a pen. Ran on a couple of AAA batteries. PEQ15 rode on top. EOF was on the right side of my rifle.

You must've been Army, eh? And a lot later than me (last deployment '04 - '05).

 

[P5 Guy]

Flash the eyes and blind assailant?

 

[Robert]

This is a very specific question for which there may not be an concrete answer. We can speculate all day long, but without actual data it is worthless.