Hello everybody!
I've done some searching and didn't find anything that answered my questions but if I'm just blind feel free to point it out. One of my biggest issues regards reasonable vs deadly force.
Ideally I would want to protect my life, permit, and property in that order. My life is not replaceable, the permit once revoked - could be difficult or impossible to replace, and property can almost always be replaced.
There are a few things I've been researching/trying to research. I've been drilled numerous times that you should not draw unless you plan on firing, and you should not fire unless you plan to kill (i.e. no shooting to wound, etc). Now I fully understand the ideas behind this - but I was thinking about some situations where simply drawing/pointing may put an end to the conflict but I wanted some opinions/thoughts/interpretations of those with more experience than myself.
I am extremely new to firearms/carrying and I'm of the belief that there are no stupid questions. I'd rather ask and be told I'm an idiot than not ask and not know.
I'll propose a scenario - please feel free to ask for elaboration or to modify it to fit your ideas/explanations. You obviously do not have to respond to the scenario and/or any or all questions, but responding would be most helpful.
Situation - An individual comes onto your property and is attempting to break into your detached garage which is unoccupied. The individual does not appear to be armed and you catch them in the act. Slight variations of this situation would be that they're armed with a knife, or they're armed with a gun and you're aware of it.
It's my understanding that you can draw and point to stop an illegal activity and/or to detain/hold an individual committing a crime until the police arrive but that you need a reasonable fear for life or limb to use deadly force so I'm trying to use a real-world example to help make the differentiation clear in my mind.
If I'm way off base as far as reasonable vs deadly force - feel free to point out the errors in my thinking and/or understanding. I'm trying to learn here, so I won't be upset if you basically tell me I'm an idiot (but do try to be educational in the process, please).
I've done some searching and didn't find anything that answered my questions but if I'm just blind feel free to point it out. One of my biggest issues regards reasonable vs deadly force.
Ideally I would want to protect my life, permit, and property in that order. My life is not replaceable, the permit once revoked - could be difficult or impossible to replace, and property can almost always be replaced.
There are a few things I've been researching/trying to research. I've been drilled numerous times that you should not draw unless you plan on firing, and you should not fire unless you plan to kill (i.e. no shooting to wound, etc). Now I fully understand the ideas behind this - but I was thinking about some situations where simply drawing/pointing may put an end to the conflict but I wanted some opinions/thoughts/interpretations of those with more experience than myself.
I am extremely new to firearms/carrying and I'm of the belief that there are no stupid questions. I'd rather ask and be told I'm an idiot than not ask and not know.
I'll propose a scenario - please feel free to ask for elaboration or to modify it to fit your ideas/explanations. You obviously do not have to respond to the scenario and/or any or all questions, but responding would be most helpful.
Situation - An individual comes onto your property and is attempting to break into your detached garage which is unoccupied. The individual does not appear to be armed and you catch them in the act. Slight variations of this situation would be that they're armed with a knife, or they're armed with a gun and you're aware of it.
- Would you just call the police and hope they show up before BG finishes their illegal activity/leaves?
- Would you verbally warn them, being ready to draw and fire if required (i.e. perhaps hand on gun but not drawn)?
- Would you draw and point, and be ready to fire and verbally warn (i.e. perhaps to keep them in-place and halt their actions while you wait on the police)?
- Would you draw and fire (at the BG)?
It's my understanding that you can draw and point to stop an illegal activity and/or to detain/hold an individual committing a crime until the police arrive but that you need a reasonable fear for life or limb to use deadly force so I'm trying to use a real-world example to help make the differentiation clear in my mind.
If I'm way off base as far as reasonable vs deadly force - feel free to point out the errors in my thinking and/or understanding. I'm trying to learn here, so I won't be upset if you basically tell me I'm an idiot (but do try to be educational in the process, please).