Self Defense Scenario Tips: When to Fire Your Gun

Have you thought about what to do if someone suddenly sticks a gun in your face and demands your wallet? A million thoughts will stream through your head at once, but will you choose the right course of action? In this short video, U.S. Concealed Carry Association Director of Content Kevin Michalowski describes a hypothetical mugging and all of the variables that contribute to whether or not one may decide to fire his or her concealed carry pistol at an attacker.

00:00 If you can avoid shooting someone, don’t shoot them.
00:37 No healthy private citizen relishes the thought of having to shoot anyone. Killing cannot be undone. Bullets cannot be Control-Z’d back into a gun. Never shoot anyone unless it is the absolutely last resort to save your life.
01:05 Deciding whether or not to shoot someone carries with it myriad variables. It is never a red-light, green-light situation.
01:18 Kevin sets the scene of a hypothetical self-defense scenario in which he illustrates what could flash through your mind while deciding whether or not to shoot a young mugger.
03:38 What if the attacker is trying to pass a pellet gun off as a real firearm?
04:23 Time is running out. Kevin needs to decide how to deal with an armed mugger he suspects is only carrying a pellet gun.
04:43 Have you thought about how you would react if someone waved a pistol in your face and demanded your wallet? If not, you should.
05:17 Someone waves a gun in your face. Should you shoot? Let Kevin know in the comments below.

#wwyd #concealedcarry #uscca

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[URGENT] Attention Gun Owners:
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Want the same peace of mind enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of responsibly armed Americans like you?

[ryanespinoza]

I’ve been in this scenario. I was delivering pizza when a fake order (robbery setup) turned into a teenager pointing a light tan semi auto at my chest and demanding my belongings. He presented it as a firearm so I treated it as one. I reached in my left pocket and dropped my wallet and car keys. I reached in my right and pulled my CZ75 and kept pulling until he dropped. The detective asked me if I noticed anything unusual about his gun. I told her “I didn’t have time to check. It was threatened as a firearm, I treated it as such.” It probably was a pellet gun. I don’t know 3 years later. But I’m a free man who didn’t have to bankrupt myself in court because I had US Lawshield (it was no billed at grand jury anyway).

[evyl]

armed robbery is armed robbery...just because a criminal uses a pellet gun dies NOT mean he/she is NOT carrying O T H E R W E A P O N S! a threat to your life is a threat to your life either way.

[sbentsen]

The fact that we're even having this discussion shows what's wrong with our system

[ghostwolf]

He clearly wanted me to believe it was a deadly threat. I would honor his wish and accept his actions as a lethal threat, and respond in kind.

[johnlutz]

I wish the answer was so easy to answer. I go through scenarios like this in my head all the time, hoping I'm ready to make the correct call if it happens to me, and my importantly, hoping it never happens to me.

[GunSam]

A few years ago, not far from where I live a naked man stumbled into a home that wasn't his, passed out on couch. Homeowner shot him with a shotgun at point blank range while he slept. Home owner wasn't charged, but rightfully so everyone thought the homeowner was wrong, as do I. People need to know that their moral compass should always be higher than their legal one, that's why our country has trouble.

[garybkatz]

You said he was posturing like he was ready to pistol whip you, so that's potential lethal force, even if the gun is empty. Just throwing that out there.

[davidcreely]

I would absolutely pull and fire. The time window for self defence is way too small to determine if an “object that looks EXACTLY like a firearm”, is real, orbeez, pellet, BB, or just plain fake.

If a person points a weapon at me, I’ll assume it’s real.

YMMV

[gabe]

If someone is willing to pose an imminent deadly threat to me or my family with a deadly weapon, to take my property, I'm going to believe them and act accordingly. They made that decision, not me. I don't have control over what happens after, so I train, understand my state's/county's laws, get quality gear, and carry self defense insurance. The rest is out of my control. As long as I have my bases covered and live my life as a sane, good person, I HAVE TO trust that I'll make the right decision. If the state feels I was in the wrong even though I reasonably felt I had no other choice, than that's what insurance is for, to fight on my behalf. If you don't make that decision before that deadly event, you will freeze and make an even worse decision.

[TheDuemaster]

If someone did this to a cop, they would not think twice. The assailant would hit the ground full of 9 mm holes.

[cjalexanderjr]

I'm in liberal New York State (not NYC) and I spoke with many attorneys who are gun owners about different scenarios including what's covered in this video. I was told if you feel your life is in danger, you're allowed to use deadly force.

[cycleking]

always fight back if you can or if it's absolutely necessary to protect yourself or your loved ones from danger

[williamwenrich]

Every time I go armed, I say three prayers. I don’t want to have to draw. I don’t want to shoot. I don’t want to miss.

[brown]

I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by

[jpsopris]

When does presenting your firearm to scare off a would be criminal become brandishing and you get in trouble for doing so. I never want to pull the trigger but sometimes just presenting your weapon will scare off the criminal then, he/she files a police report against you and now your the bad guy.

[johnny]

Im a new gun owner. And going over different scenarios in my head, I’m always confronted with that question, “to shoot or not to shoot”. “If you can avoid shooting someone, don’t shoot.” Most people that rob at gunpoint want money or belongings. In which case, is it not worth protecting your belongings? Even if takes to kill someone? Should we only fire only if our lives are directly threatened? I’m not suggesting anything. These are real questions and dilemas for me.

[ecay]

It is very hard to decide what you're going to do or say what you would do in a situation from a scenario you can't get. The real feeling that you would be feeling you won't have the fear, the urgency and you have far less time in reality than you do in a scenario. Scenarios can be tailored any direction you can change manipulate facts in a scenario to change it up. Give you something to think about but scenarios will never truly 100% prepare you for reality.
I remember a situation when I worked as an armed security officer in the early '90s. The manager who was interviewing me at the time had told me early in the interview that they were not fond of their officers defending themselves in any situation that there was no reason ever that you should be defending yourself, especially using lethal force. The scenario they gave me was I'm working as an armed officer at a gate and an entrance at an apartment complex and somebody shows up and refuses to sign in or acknowledge security and just walks through. What do I do then they added. Now they show up with a gun but are not pointing it at you then it was. Now they're pointing it at you. Now they're shooting at you. What do you do? But remember they had just stated defending yourself was not acceptable and would be a terminating offense regardless of the threat to your life. I don't like scenario situations because of that because they never truly represent what really can happen or what you're really thinking about at the time. Oh by the way my answer was run away. Try to take cover because I wasn't allowed to defend myself. They issued a rusty revolver and five bullets that were green with corrosion. Wasn't even sure the thing was even going to work and we weren't allowed to clean it.

[samsky]

My son who is a Firefighter in Baltimore was held up by 4 older teens who had a gun. He thought it might of been fake, but wasn't sure. My son is very capable of defending himself, but thought 4 was too many. You can.t carry in Maryland, so he had to comply. They stole his badge, money and phone. Thank God he wasn't hurt!

[JdubbJdubb]

I think I’m the eyes of the law if someone pulls a gun on you, it’s it’s justified self defense.

If someone is walking up on me with a fake gun, and i draw my weapon, and the person puts his hands up, and surrenders i will not shoot.

But if someone is walking up on me with a fake gun, and i draw my weapon, and the other person continues to advance, then I’m shooting. I don’t know if the gun is real or fake and I’m going to assume that it is a threat to my life.

[LawrenceArnell]

Your description of the thought process is gut-wrenching.