Today I feared for my safety and pulled my gun - lessons learned

[Roadrunner]

FUD that's a name I haven't seen in quite awhile, I remember his stories.

Florida, huh?

Did you ever go by the name FUD?

 

[0007]

Just a thought. Maybe it's time to consider installing some sensor-controled outdoor-lighting. Car pulls into driveway, lights go on, oops dog in yard, check out dog, doesn't look threatening, get out of car and go into house, day is done. Airplanes flying overhead can see my house at night when it's lit...

 

[Treylis]

Not when the safety is on.

Well, there's kind of an implicit assumption that one's simply going to have to disengage the safety before racking the slide, heh.

 

[Girlwithagun]

Well, there's kind of an implicit assumption that one's simply going to have to disengage the safety before racking the slide, heh.

Yes, but wouldn't it be easier to just rack the slide rather than take the safety off and then rack it?

And back on topic, I happened to see a skit on "The Amanda Show" (my kids had it on ) yesterday that reminded me of this thread. It is a family called the Overreactors and a little kitten is in their house and they all freak out.

 

[Treylis]

Yes, but wouldn't it be easier to just rack the slide rather than take the safety off and then rack it?

Oh, indeed, but it would be easier still to just carry Condition 1.

 

[Shootcraps]

Oh, indeed, but it would be easier still to just carry Condition 1.

I agree. IMHO, to carry a 1911 in anything but Condition 1 is improper. That's the way it's designed to be carried, and if you can't feel safe with it perhaps you need to be carrying something else.

 

[prezzz]

Maybe it's time to consider installing some sensor-controled outdoor-lighting

Maybe so.

 

[dukeofurl]

I love how a lot of people seem to have thought I was loaded up with beer.

Yes, I did go to the bar. No I did not order anything.

Yes, we had beer at the movie. All my friends are borderline alcoholics and drank it all before I got a chance to grab one.

So there.

 

[prezzz]

LOL!!

I had to go back you edit my post after that!

I got to hand it to ya'. I was pissed.........but your good attitude about this whole thing just changed my whole outlook on this thread.

You could have come back and posted a pretty nasty post, but I admire the route you chose.

I also must say that you have pretty big "nads" to even post the experience in the first place.

 

[Denko]

Duke,glad to see your still with us.If you think we are being hard on you,please think again.Think how the arresting officer,the prosecuting attorney,the judge and jury would look at you.Just because you have a pistola doesn't mean you can use it at will.Also realize that just because you are in fear of your life doesn't mean you can shoot.The legal system has to agree with your decision to shoot, or your going to be in deep brown matter.It will cost you a lot of money.Then there is the civil suit that is sure to follow.My attorney just got done defending a dog shooter,the shooter paid 10K to the dog owner.I did not ask the legal fee,but it was more.Most dogs are friendly,they have been conditioned since birth to view people as friends.When the dog put its head between your legs,it wasn't checking out your mass,it was looking for some petting.That is why their called pets.A flashlight and a snapple bottle to piss in would have come in handy.Often the best course of action is to assume a tactical position and do nothing.

 

[Shootcraps]

Duke, why are you selling your Para???

 

[pahrumpcaveman]

Well I cant say that I see this situation as threatening ,as you described it , but I was not there . I will however share two canine incidences with you where I was very worried . When I was about 19 or 20 living in an upstairs apartment building I had a hair raising encounter with a pink , yes pink , pit bull . Ya see it was part of my morning ritual to go down and start my bike and let it warm up while I finished my last cup of coffee before heading to work . Well this fine morning I went down and just as I straddled the bike a cat came flying over the brick trash can enclosure . Not 10 feet behind him was one huge , and quite mad , pink pit bull . Well I about sh?t foam , let the bike fall over , and made tracks . Ya see he was actually a white pit bull when not covered in blood . I got up the stares and watched this chase go on in amazement , while calling the cops . I have never seen a dog so hell bent on something in my life . He would clear the eight foot block wall like it was nothing . In the enclosure , out of the enclosure , under cars , OVER cars . I ,to this day , still cant believe it . Finally they took the chase around the corner and through the other buildings . I left and went to work , still no cops . Not until that weekend did I hear the cat belonged to a tenant in another building . Apparently the dog got his catch and the cops got the dog . The cat was not the only victim that day as he had gotten someone's dog too . Why did I not shoot it you might ask ?? Well for one it was in the city and another I owned no guns at the time . That has changed . Oh and the other time was not to long ago . I had decided to go out and do some shooting one morning , like most weekends . I got to the spot in the desert where we shoot around here . Parked the truck ,got out the guns and put them on the tailgate in nice orderly fashion . Grabbed some of the shoot and see targets I had and headed to a shot up old car to put some of the stickers on it . When I got to about ten feet of the car I hear this real deep growl !! Where do you think the guns where ?? Yup . I backed up slowly and got back to the truck . Ya see around here in the sticks city folk like to drop off there unwanted dogs and they just don't fair to well in the desert in the summer and against the coyotes . As I said I got back to the truck , picked up my AR and let the car have it . Out from under came the biggest meanest black dog I have ever seen . And I will leave the story off there . So even though I cant say I see the concern in your situation , I was not there . But I can relate to being concerned for ones life involving a stray dog . Lessons learned ??? NEVER leave ALL the guns on the tailgate and beware of pink pit bulls.

 

[Gunsnrovers]

I grew up as a paperboy in Honolulu for 3 years. 4:30~5:30AM riding my bike delivering papers in the dark. We used to carry penny sticks to ward off the evil things. Take $1.50 in penny rolls (3) and tape them together with black electricians tape. Made a flexible and nasty piece and set you back all of $2 including the tape.

Riding around in the dark and working around the dogs, you get a pretty decent idea about their intentions. The only time I did get nailed, a doberman leapt from behind a hedge as I rode up and knocked me from the bike. 100% blind sided me. Absolutely no warning. No bark. Just a blur out of the corner of my eye and whomp! I was flying. Seeing as I was all of 11, the dog probably outweighed me. Once I stopped riding and I was down, the dogged came up and sniffed me. Gave me a "huff" and walked away. I guess he just didn't like my bike riding techniques! I saw him again and he never took interest in me after that. I must have been a game he wanted to try out.

Anyway, it seems like you have major dog issues and need to learn to analyze things a little better. You were in the car. You were 100% protected. You controlled the situation. When you draw the gun, you were no longer in control of the situation. The situation has gotten so out of control you felt that you would need to terminate a life to regain that control. You could have stayed in the car. You could have opened the window and spoken to the dog to gauge it's reaction. It's not like it has the ability to rip open the door and pull you out. Time was on your side, as was a higher IQ (hopefully ) and opposable thumbs. Having to get inside and take a pee doesn't justify killing a dog so you can get to your front door and use the restroom. It's not a matter of letting the dog get the better of you, it's a matter of being better then the dog.

It would be extremely difficult for me to sit on a jury of self defense case and try to 2nd guess why someone had to kill another to save their life or defend someone else. I would not want to have to 2nd guess at what point the situation reached the point that this was necessary. The one time I was on a jury for a three strikes criminal, I was the lone juror who drew the deliberations out from the 3 hours the others wanted to give the the case, to 3 days. Trying to put myself in the shoes of the person on the stand to see what was happening at the time wasn't cut and dry and when you're in a position to have a major impact on another persons life, passing judgment is pretty weighty. That being said, nothing in your story suggests you ever reached that point and if you were in front of a jury regarding this situation, I would find against you.

I'm also curious what laws you might have been charged with had you discharged your firearm in a residential area and killed your neighbors dog. Reckless endangerment? Illegal discharge of a firearm in city limits? Just wondering. I have no idea. I would assume you'd get hit pretty hard civilly too.

 

[JPM70535]

I completely agree, You over reacted. As long as you were not dealing with a Pit Bull, (Junk Yard Dog) or an inbred Dobie or Chow or some such, you probably could have yelled at it and the dog would have left Poste Haste.

My question to you is, why was your gun not in a ready to use condition?
If the dog had been one of the types I mentioned, you could have been seriously injured before you ever got off a shot, and I have seen Pit bulls take several hits before they went down.

Before I get flamed over the merits of the Pit Bull as a home companion, if you love your Pit Bull, keep him home. If I see him runing loose,and he comes my way, it's DIRT NAP TIME!

 

[Highpower1]

Glad it wasn't a cat,,those are sneaky lil devils.

Seriously, you over-reacted.

 

[campbellcj]

Likewise as somebody stated above, I now keep pepper spray in the center console of my car for these kind of situations. Another one in my briefcase as well and one in the pocket (along with a nice folder) when hiking etc. This is largely because here in the Republik of Los Angeles, around 8mil of us can't legally carry much else (concealed or not).

 

[HKGuns]

While reading I kept waiting for "the dog was growling or snarling" or something that indicated its intent.....heck, the dog was probably trying to cop a 5:30 breakfast too.

Sorry, but I too fall into the over-reaction camp. It almost appears you were looking for a reason to pull the pistol.

Consider a scenario similar to your dog story, only replace the dog with a homeless drunk asking for directions or a light.....Would you have pulled on him, or worse, if he approached you quietly? I'm not asking this question to elicit an argument. Just trying to give you something to think about.

I'm glad it worked out and you didn't shoot the dog.

 

[griz]

I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon that's running you over, just one free piece of advice. If a dog bumps into you it means you no harm. He's just saying hi. Dogs are good natural predators and will never give up the element of surprise for an attack. They may warn you with a growl or other form of intimidation, but that isn't an attack.

Live and learn.

 

[effengee]

Doesn't your state have a leash law???

Mine does...

If ANY animal, domesticated pet or rabid beast comes on my property, anytime of day or night, and causes me enough concern to draw my weapon, it's getting a lead pill to cure it's headache...
I live in an area where wild dogs and several other species of "I don't care if you're a human, I'll bite you anyway" animals live...
Granted, most any dog has signs it is friendly.
But it is an animal and WILL react upon instinct.

I was once bitten and shot the damn mutt the second time it came after me in my own yard...

The neighbor/owner got all bent out of shape, but the cops told them I was perfectly in the right.

I warned them not to let their dog stray and had the police advise them as to the ordinances concerning pets on other people's property.
I don't hate animals, but if they want to tangle with me, they get no mercy.

JH

 

[PBIR]

As long as you were not dealing with a Pit Bull, (Junk Yard Dog) or an inbred Dobie or Chow

I had two AKC Chows growing up & they were great dogs. Guess I just don't fall into the scared of dogs category.