please critique my road rage incident

[gunsmith]

hmm, thanks, many

good things to ponder.

I am going to talk to the police about the whole thing.

many good points here, some I agree with others I don't but still.

After I thought about it I wished I had stayed at the stop light like D naught said, it is a definet hinderance to him... btw D Naught I didn't care that he was so close to my truck ...I thought it was stupid of him.
we did a defensive driving course as armed couriers and he left himslef no room to move by doing that.

At no time was I ever afraid of the guy, if I had in been in fear of my life I would have probably reacted differently. thanks though, this was a real life incident and not a what if and road rage is so common I feel that we all can learn from talking about these things and increasing our survivabillity.

 

[tanksoldier]

Bad guys get way with doing all sorts of things because the average citizen is terrified of doing anything about it, even the average armed citizen.

"I'll be accused of escelating if I don't give the mugger my wallet".

"I'll be accused of escalating if I ask the kids to quit throwing rocks at my window".

If someone tried to run me off the road I would be in "dire fear of my life" until the person was in custody, dead or out of sight. After trying to kill me once, if he got out of his car to approach, I am virtually certain that he would make a movement that I would interpret as "going for a gun". If he did so, he would not be around to tell his side of the story.

 

[mmike87]

All other things aside, the BEST thing you did IMO was to get on the phone with the police, and let him see you doing it. That diffused the sitation right there and then.

Had the situation escalated from there, you'd be entitled to defacto "victim status" having been the first to call. Some may argue that getting out of the car was a bad idea, but it let the guy hear you with the dispatcher, and was ultimately effective.

 

[Nitrogen]

See, Tank, I agree with you 100%. It was just made known to me that it's very possible that a situation like that might be painted to look differently by a police officer, DA, Judge or Jury.

 

[JohnKSa]

If someone tried to run me off the road I would be in "dire fear of my life" until the person was in custody, dead or out of sight. After trying to kill me once, if he got out of his car to approach, I am virtually certain that he would make a movement that I would interpret as "going for a gun". If he did so, he would not be around to tell his side of the story.

1. Retaliation is never legally justified. Defense is about prevention, not about retribution. Since you're both out of your vehicles and safe, there is no longer anything related to the "running off the road" incident that you can prevent. Shooting the guy now (in the absence of a further attack) is pure retaliation, and it's unlikely you would be able to convince a jury otherwise.

2. Shooting a person (even multiple times) with a handgun is no guarantee that he "won't be around to tell his side of the story". His odds of surviving are actually very good.

 

[dakotasin]

i know that i never have troubles w/ road rage...

is it the truck i drive ('91 f-250, 'not factory' tires/ground clearance)?

maybe the nra stickers plastered all over the massive, shiny, chrome 'not factory' bumpers?

perhaps the s&w and springfield stickers stuck on the rear glass?

maybe the shotgun and the ar-15 in the gun rack (clearly visible thru the rear glass)?

or, maybe, its my 'i really do not care what you do, you will not be able to move my truck or intimidate me' attitude...?

i don't know for sure what it is, but i never have a road rage problem. mostly, i just drive, and if it gets somebody mad, they can tailgate, they can pass, they can do whatever makes 'em happy, i just don't care.