An acquaintance of my father's is a local businessman, and is also a reserve deputy sheriff. This person served as some sort of county jail keeper for many years. He is also one of the nicest people I have ever met.
Let's call this person "John".
One day, "John" was waxing nostalgic about the days when he was more actively involved with the Sheriff's department, and so I asked him if he ever had any hairy situations occur that made it necessary for him to draw his sidearm.
He said that one time, he and another deputy were out serving a warrant, or running radar or something, and it had just gotten dark outside. John was in the front passenger seat, and the other deputy was driving.
For whatever reason, the driver (deputy) was outside the car - either to serve a warrant or to approach a stopped vehicle - I really can't remember. John was sitting in the front passenger seat of the cruiser.
Either way, as he was on his way back to his car, a man approached down the sidewalk carrying something. This man had nothing to do with why the deputies were stopped - I do remember that part. He was a third party that just happened to be there - that was what was so striking to me about this whole thing.
Anyway, the man approached, and was carrying something like a bat or a stick. The deputy asked the man to stop. He kept coming. The deputy repeated the command, drew his sidearm (96FS) and shined his flashlight at the subject. The man kept coming.
At this point, "John" was still sitting in the front passenger seat - now with gun drawn. The deputy who was outside finally screamed to the subject to stop, and the guy that was approaching started asking what all the fuss was about. He was carrying some sort of gardening tool and was on his way home from a neighbor's or something to that effect, and indicated he meant no harm to anyone. (I think I would have told him if he was that stupid to get a hearing aid or a bullet proof vest.)
Anyway, it seems that "John" stayed inside the vehicle during all this - and indicated that that was the most scared he had ever been in his entire life. He said - "Travis, I almost shot him. I wouldn't have gotten out, I would have shot him through the windshield."
I asked him why he would have shot through the windshield - he indicated that the subject scared him so badly that he would have difficulty exiting the vehicle. I don't know if he meant because he was scared and "frozen up", or if he just didn't want to further expose himself to danger.
Now, this local Sheriff's department carries Beretta 96FS (.40) pistols. I *assume* they use hollow-points. I am no police officer, but this doesn't seem like normal protocol to me. I wasn't there, but I believe that shooting through the windshield from inside the vehicle is just about the worst possible thing he could have done.
I know a thing or two about guns and what-not, so let's just say that I wouldn't have wanted to be in the deputy's shoes in that situation - because I am averse to being shot in the back - even accidently.
Also, I wasn't there - but I can say with reasonable certainly that when the deputy saw someone and began yelling - that I would have immediately exited the vehicle to assist.
I really like this guy - he is probably in his mid-fifties, and is a well-respected member of the community. He is one of those people that everyone knows and most people like. However, when he told me this story, I was QUITE taken aback.
Thoughts?
TD
Let's call this person "John".
One day, "John" was waxing nostalgic about the days when he was more actively involved with the Sheriff's department, and so I asked him if he ever had any hairy situations occur that made it necessary for him to draw his sidearm.
He said that one time, he and another deputy were out serving a warrant, or running radar or something, and it had just gotten dark outside. John was in the front passenger seat, and the other deputy was driving.
For whatever reason, the driver (deputy) was outside the car - either to serve a warrant or to approach a stopped vehicle - I really can't remember. John was sitting in the front passenger seat of the cruiser.
Either way, as he was on his way back to his car, a man approached down the sidewalk carrying something. This man had nothing to do with why the deputies were stopped - I do remember that part. He was a third party that just happened to be there - that was what was so striking to me about this whole thing.
Anyway, the man approached, and was carrying something like a bat or a stick. The deputy asked the man to stop. He kept coming. The deputy repeated the command, drew his sidearm (96FS) and shined his flashlight at the subject. The man kept coming.
At this point, "John" was still sitting in the front passenger seat - now with gun drawn. The deputy who was outside finally screamed to the subject to stop, and the guy that was approaching started asking what all the fuss was about. He was carrying some sort of gardening tool and was on his way home from a neighbor's or something to that effect, and indicated he meant no harm to anyone. (I think I would have told him if he was that stupid to get a hearing aid or a bullet proof vest.)
Anyway, it seems that "John" stayed inside the vehicle during all this - and indicated that that was the most scared he had ever been in his entire life. He said - "Travis, I almost shot him. I wouldn't have gotten out, I would have shot him through the windshield."
I asked him why he would have shot through the windshield - he indicated that the subject scared him so badly that he would have difficulty exiting the vehicle. I don't know if he meant because he was scared and "frozen up", or if he just didn't want to further expose himself to danger.
Now, this local Sheriff's department carries Beretta 96FS (.40) pistols. I *assume* they use hollow-points. I am no police officer, but this doesn't seem like normal protocol to me. I wasn't there, but I believe that shooting through the windshield from inside the vehicle is just about the worst possible thing he could have done.
I know a thing or two about guns and what-not, so let's just say that I wouldn't have wanted to be in the deputy's shoes in that situation - because I am averse to being shot in the back - even accidently.
Also, I wasn't there - but I can say with reasonable certainly that when the deputy saw someone and began yelling - that I would have immediately exited the vehicle to assist.
I really like this guy - he is probably in his mid-fifties, and is a well-respected member of the community. He is one of those people that everyone knows and most people like. However, when he told me this story, I was QUITE taken aback.
Thoughts?
TD
Then he gets scared and the first thing on his mind is to use deadly force on some guy who`s walking down the street with a stick? 
