Owen Sparks
member
- Joined
- May 27, 2007
- Messages
- 4,523
A buddy stopped by the house visibly upset with story that I would like to relate here. This was his first time out with his CCW permit and new Glock, the first gun he has ever owned. He went to the city and was confronted by a very aggressive panhandler who would not take no for an answer. He never actually threatened my friend but his demands became increasingly more insistent and as he followed my friend back to his car as the situation escalated. My friend swept his Hawaiian shirt back to reveal his CCW as he retrieved his keys. This caught the man’s attention and he backed off. The friend got in his car and drove home. That is all there was to it.
This seems to be a grey area between begging and robbery though this panhandler was obviously getting close to crossing the line. Then again my friend was careful not to cross the line either as all he really did was get his keys out of his pocket. He did not make any verbal threat to the panhandler or acknowledge the fact that he was armed.
My question: Did a crime take even place?
And if so was my buddy required to report it?
Suppose things went a little farther and he had to draw but the man backed off and fled?
Then what? He certainly could not chase him down and hold him at gun point until the police arrived because he could not back up his threat by shooting the man.
Would there be any point in him calling the police and filing a complaint? They would probably never catch the guy and being that the city is over 100 miles away he poses no future threat to my friend so he just let it go.
This seems to be a grey area between begging and robbery though this panhandler was obviously getting close to crossing the line. Then again my friend was careful not to cross the line either as all he really did was get his keys out of his pocket. He did not make any verbal threat to the panhandler or acknowledge the fact that he was armed.
My question: Did a crime take even place?
And if so was my buddy required to report it?
Suppose things went a little farther and he had to draw but the man backed off and fled?
Then what? He certainly could not chase him down and hold him at gun point until the police arrived because he could not back up his threat by shooting the man.
Would there be any point in him calling the police and filing a complaint? They would probably never catch the guy and being that the city is over 100 miles away he poses no future threat to my friend so he just let it go.