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

[BugDude]

I'm not running to anything or from anything. I have been known to walk briskly on occasion, but that's about it. The most valuable thing in the deal was most likely the car window, and it was already broken and insurance will cover it. I never leave anything in my car that would be worth running after.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[turboer]

In the heat of the moment we all may react " foolishly". I am sure you have learned from it and go on with your life a wiser person. I know it has made me think. Thank you for sharing.

[jerp]

Now, that this situation has come and gone. The members of the DC community have given their opinions, thoughts, and statements. Some seem brutal some just make you think. They do care about you and others, hence community. Now, I notice you still havent posted much after you started this story. Remeber these things and think about them some will be questions to answer for yourself. I have learned alot from the people here. Now lets get to the point.

1.) You knew your mistakes after the fact, do you still remember them as not to repeat them?
2.) It gets said alot on here, but its the truest statement i know. (I know you did not have your firearm however) Think, would I do this normally if i was not carrying? That question will still advise you on situations you see/are in.
3.) As a gun owner and CCP holder, when,if,should you ever use that firearm, it not only effects you and those around you but everyone else who owns guns/carries. Our actions all give a stereotype to us, like the physco (example) who went nuts shooting people, he had a CCP. Reflexs bad on all of us. Now, im not saying base your SD actions on this question, but keep it in the back of your mind that one CCP holders actions reflexs on us as a group.
4.) The truth hurts sometimes, when we dont hear what we want to, we get upset. A lot of times here in the scenario thread, it happens. Wedont get what we wanna hear.
5.) Keeping #3 & #4 in mind, did you take their advice? (the good thing about advice is you dont have to take it) Most of these people have experience or different ways to look at things, thats what i love about this site.

Hope that helps!

Now, considering that this has been a while, any updates?

[roninmd]

Once the perp retreated and ran the threat to you and your girl friend was over you should not have gave chase. If you had been armed and used your weapon you would have been at fault an charged on a number of violations and gone to jail. When you carry KNOW the laws in the state your in.

[Bark'n]

I'm not too interested in what your girlfriend or the cop says about it. Your headline in the next day's paper would have been: Vigilante guns down junkie after chasing him six blocks.

True that!

Regarding having no gun with you. There are other less lethal weapons such as OC spray which can assist you in situations where you would be otherwise unarmed completely.

Getting away from chasing the vagrant who broke into your car (as I feel that was a foolish thing to do in the first place), lets just suppose you were confronted by a man on the street with a 10 inch blade.

While, I don't recommend using OC spray against a lethal weapon such as a knife, if that is all you have, it is better than being completely unarmed.

Pepper spray can afford you an opportunity to escape from a knife wielding attacker. And certainly would have been appropriate to use against the accomplice on the bicycle who was unarmed.

Again, I think it was foolish to pursue the vagrant. But in dealing with unarmed assailants, pepper spray is a better choice than going hand-to-hand.

[STLRampage]

Shooting a guy who broke your window, didn't actually take anything, AND that you pursued...

The cop who said there would be no charges is crazy!



Nothing in that car was worth risking your life, or taking the life of another person.

[beararms]

Shooting a guy who broke your window, didn't actually take anything, AND that you pursued...

The cop who said there would be no charges is crazy!

I've seen a few comments like this in the thread.

He was within his rights to pursue a thief. Was it the smartest thing to do? Probably not. Was it illegal? NO!

At the moment the thief pulled out the knife, assuming he was close enough to be an immediate threat (which it certainly seems he was), the OP was justified in drawing and firing. The only legitimate charge I see coming out of this is concealed carry without a permit (in Oregon).

I agree the media would spin it as a vigilante chasing down and killing a thief, but under the scenario described, it would have been a good shoot. In a place like Portland, a DA might decide to prosecute anyway, so that's something to consider. In NC, we had a similar scenario, where the victim chased down the thief and when the thief posed a deadly threat, the victim drew and shot the thief dead. Good shoot, no charges filed.