Pulled My Gun on a Woman Last Night - (Long)

[HankB]

He took my pistol from my pocket and placed it in the passenger’s seat of my car.

then:

. . . the deputy jumped back in his car and drove behind the buildings . . .

At this point I would have gotten back in the car, retrieved my pistol, and left.

If Barney Fife doesn't feel like sticking around and doing his job, I figure it's not up to me to try and do it for him.

 

[pharmer]

KK, I wasn't there so I cannot judge you. 1) lots of cops adrenaline pumping. 2) Confusion as to facts. 3) Me armed w/ no connection to scene. 4) Woman talking inconsistent w/ actions.= make haste to the house. Stuff can be replaced. Even my truck. Joe

 

[Janitor]

Through all of this, other THR members have shared many opinions on the tacticle situation you presented.

Myself - I sit here feeling jealous. Being married to someone who shares your interests enough to be in the same forums as you (and/or you as she) is great stuff imo.
-

 

[gunsmith]

yeah! lissen to yer wife!



anyway you are lucky, I wish I was married to a women that liked thr...

I disagree with (folks telling him to) him leaving the female suspect .
what if she became dangerous and hurt an innocent? how would he feel if she ran over a little kid in an effort to flee?

 

[JamisJockey]

I would have immediately armed myself upon the Sherriff's departure.

.

Amen.

You already know what you did wrong, so I'm just going to say this:
Complain. Write to the Sheriff and explain how a deputy disarmed you and left you with a suspect. If your state has a duty to assist type law, quote the staute. Don't forget, the Sheriff is an elected official.

 

[Kramer Krazy]

There are some disturbing things from the viewpoint of safety:

1) gun in glove compartment
2) habitually unlocked car doors
3) propane gas tank in passenger compartment
4) getting involved in a police pursuit, especially while armed

Good thing you did not get hurt, but you might want to reevaluate your stategy.

1) This is the go-to-work car and company policy is "no guns" on company property. I should carry, anyway, though.
2) Passenger's side is "always" locked, except, as an exception, we used my car this weekend because it gets better gas mileage. As a go-to-work car, the route is quite safe....two main, 4-lane highways and an interstate.
3) I work with pressurized gas cylinders. Tank was completely vented and empty. Drive was 5 minutes from the house. Full propane tank was taken home in the trunk of the car.
4) Yeah, probably not "smart", but it was done so quickly, I'd almost say it was done unconsciously. Not much thought was put into it until I was in the middle of it.

Yes, a reevaluation is still in progress since the situation.

I disagree with (folks telling him to) him leaving the female suspect .what if she became dangerous and hurt an innocent? how would he feel if she ran over a little kid in an effort to flee?

Also....what if there was a weapon in the truck, she went back to retrieve it, and ambushed an officer or two from behind?........Of which, I'd not been very effective, since the Deputy Sheriff put my firearm back in the car......Missashot and I have discussed this on several occasions over the last two days, and we both agree that I was lucky that nothing negative happened to me, there were many things that could have been different which would have had bad consequences, and that we are glad that I took an initiative instead of ignoring the situation, as most people do. Missashot has the same feelings toward area crime and non-reactive bystanders, and we both feel that she'd have probably done the same thing, or something similar.

 

[c_yeager]

Also....what if there was a weapon in the truck, she went back to retrieve it, and ambushed an officer or two from behind?........Of which, I'd not been very effective, since the Deputy Sheriff put my firearm back in the car......

Or what if she was a rape victim, and her attacker evaded the cops doubled back to pick her up. Good thing you held her at the car for him.

You cant really interject yourself into a complex situation that you have no understanding of and then complain about how it went down. You could have simply avoided the whole thing if you hadnt decided that you wanted a piece of the action. You got what you asked for and you could have left at any time.

 

[dasmi]

Personally, I would have pulled off to let the police pass, as you did, and if she had tried to get into my truck, I would've driven away quickly. If her hand happened to still be attached to the door, that isn't my problem. Unless there is some extraordinary circumstance, I'm not getting involved with a police chase. Period. Too easy to get shot, or considered a suspect. I'm staying as far away as I can from the whole affair.

 

[gtd]

The only thing you did wrong . . .

. . . was to fail to re-arm yourself when the cops left.

Obviously the "well trained" police officers made some mistakes. We can second-guess them -- they do this stuff for a living and ought to know better than to leave suspects at loose with weapons nearby.

You're just a guy, though, so I figure you did just fine. You made a judgment call, and then circumstances took over. These things happen so fast it's not fair to second-guess you.

You might get into a little trouble, but you'll probably get out of it, too.

You did what you thought was right at the time, and let the chips fall where they may. Good on you.

 

[Missashot]

Myself - I sit here feeling jealous. Being married to someone who shares your interests enough to be in the same forums as you (and/or you as she) is great stuff imo.

Thank you!
We also both ride bikes . And share other intrests as well.
Kramer Krazy just dosen't realize how lucky he is!
I am just glad that he pulled this stunt off without getting hurt or hurting anyone else.
There is supposed to be something in thelocal paper about it. Should be a good read.

 

[mmike87]

I don't mind that they disarmed you when they arrived, that seems reasonable. But leaving you there (armed or unarmed, doesn't matter) with a suspect??? That's BS. I would have got in my car and left - leaving her on the side of the road - and drove to the Sheriff's office to report what I had seen. And complained. There is no way I would have stayed there with a suspect, even if I was armed.

It sounds like a messy situation and shows just why we carry weapons. Who would have thought this would have happened while getting your propane tank filled?

Thanks for sharing your experience. We can all learn from it. No matter how many times we go over it in our heads, until it happens to you you never really know what you'll do. Glad it worked out well in the end.