Junkie pulls out 10" survival knife!(visiting a city with no CCW reciprocity)

[Chesafreak]

The only way you should ever give chase is if the bad guy is running away with something thats worth taking a life over. Not things, but maybe a kidnapper. If the bad guy runs away then you are no longer in danger. Chasing them down and then shooting them can get you tried in court depending on how gun freindly the DA is. People can say or call me what they want, but I wont even leave my house to confront someone breaking into my car. Thats what the police are for. There are too many things that can go wrong and get you killed and I have kids to provide for. Now if I'm confronted in my home or out in public then I'm drawing my CCW and shooting. If they break off the confrontation then I don't have any business going after them.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[CaptSmith]

Glad you are posting...and I enjoyed this thread..At your age, I would have done exactly as you did, and put my boots to the thief...now I'm smarter, Welcome to this Forum...

[Michaels]

Sometimes the BG is not the scariest person on the street.

[Okemo]

Sometimes the BG is not the scariest person on the street.

[Orange Boy]

My girlfriend said "hey that guy just broke into my car, get him"

Find a new girlfriend, this ones going to get you killed some day.

[xrmeav8r]

Yeah, Yeah. Just stand back, call the police and let them get away with it. You wonder why they continue to commit crimes.

[Stubborn]

Welcome to the forum, there is a world of wisdom here for all...young and old.

Glad you are posting...and I enjoyed this thread..At your age, I would have done exactly as you did, and put my boots to the thief...now I'm smarter, Welcome to this Forum...

I thought the same thing "CaptSmith"... 25 or 30 years ago someone would have had a knife sticking out of his butt and someone else would have had a bicycle half way up his.
I'm much older, and I like to think much wiser now. I don't go to stupid places and I don't do stupid things.

To the OP, you seemed almost disappointed that you weren't carrying after the responding LEO's made remarks about "too bad you're not a CCL holder" and "it would have been a good shoot" you need to seriously ask yourself, are you carrying a weapon to defend yourself, or just to "get away" with shooting someone.

Just my 2 cent thoughts.

[Chesafreak]

Yeah, Yeah. Just stand back, call the police and let them get away with it. You wonder why they continue to commit crimes.

There's a fine line between justified self-defense and manslaughter. Making the BG pay is not as important to me as staying alive, protecting my loved ones, and staying out of jail. I would have run after the guy in this situation, but I would not have gone so far as to leave the scene and my girlfriend alone. A quick sprint to tackle the guy, yes. Running a couple of city blocks and around a corner or two, no.

[Harryball]

To the op, what you did wrong. You gave chase, you escalated the situation, you allowed someone else to dictate your response (girl friend), you left your girl with a recovered junkie. I think rather than a defensive handgun course, you should seek out Massod Ayoob and learn when its time to go, and when it is not...

[xsigma40cal]

The cop summed it up pretty much, you were affecting a citizens arrest when the knife was pulled, with an additional accomplice to the perpetrator constituting a disparity of force. The problem is that even though the police wouldnt take you in, the spineless, bedwetting liberal prosecutors of Portland would file the charges on behalf of the "victims family". Go figure.

At this point in the game, be happy you walked away with your life and this pile of trash doesnt have his blade any more.

[.3O8junkie]

I appreciate all the responses.
I have already ordered "in the gravest extreme", and will begin my reading on the subject with that as was suggested earlier.
@ Stubborn, I carry to defend myself. I took chase without a weapon. I am not sure how you got disappointment out of what I said, but I assure you it was not intended. I consider myself blessed to have never drawn my weapon in defense.
@ Harryball, appreciate the response.

[Stubborn]

I apologize if I "misread" what you intended. That was simply my take on what I got from reading between the lines.
My intent was NOT to insult you, sir, but rather to make you stop and think. I don't really think any of us here at DC wants to take a life.
However, we are willing to in defense of ourselves and our loved ones.

You kind of got a "tough love" welcome here with your first post, don't let it discourage you.
We all learn here, almost daily...thats the best part of this place.
As long as you can learn from your mistakes and no one was hurt...it worked out well.
Stay safe.

[INccwchris]

I'm betting as he ran around that corner he was throwing a CCW badge around his neck and an armed citizen sash around his body for easy identification. OP, you risked your life for nothing. You are not police, you are not security, you are not a town marshall, you are not Wyatt Earp, you are not Clint Eastwood in any of his movies. You need to figure out what your priorities are in life because your girlfriends ego about got you killed. Hope that would be comfort to your family to know that you loved her so much you took her advice of Get him so much to heart that you then took a knife to the heart over her precious purse. Seems to me like shes willing to get you killed if it protects her belongings.

[oakchas]

I appreciate all the responses.
I have already ordered "in the gravest extreme", and will begin my reading on the subject with that as was suggested earlier.
@ Stubborn, I carry to defend myself. I took chase without a weapon. I am not sure how you got disappointment out of what I said, but I assure you it was not intended. I consider myself blessed to have never drawn my weapon in defense.
@ Harryball, appreciate the response.

Most of us are pretty hard nosed about this stuff... and a new poster can be put off by the piling on... don't be. We want every concealed carrier to prevail, to survive, and hopefully never have to use his weapon at all. I posted a link to a local article about the real costs of using a weapon in self defense... HERE

It demonstrates just how important it is to know the laws re: SD (especially with a firearm)... This guy got off thanks to a jury... By the letter of the law, maybe he shouldn't have... But it cost him his home, his furnishings, his guns, and 112 days of his life... and in the end, he was adjudicated not guilty, and saved by a jury of his peers.

I'm betting as he ran around that corner he was throwing a CCW badge around his neck and an armed citizen sash around his body for easy identification. OP, you risked your life for nothing. You are not police, you are not security, you are not a town marshall, you are not Wyatt Earp, you are not Clint Eastwood in any of his movies. You need to figure out what your priorities are in life because your girlfriends ego about got you killed. Hope that would be comfort to your family to know that you loved her so much you took her advice of Get him so much to heart that you then took a knife to the heart over her precious purse. Seems to me like shes willing to get you killed if it protects her belongings.

Chris, I think he's taken plenty of abuse so far... Without claiming he wants to grow up and be like you. And, no purse was taken, read for comprehension.

[Paymeister]

308junkie -just wanted to echo what the others said recently... glad to have you here, and I respect your attitude.