Breaking up a fist fight...

[ghost tracker]

That would be battery, friend or not. You'd probably be better off letting the other guys take the heat.

Do y'all have friends that press charges (battery) when they sober-up and realize how ridiculously goofy they had behaved? My friends would thank me (while sheepishly rubbing their jaw).

"Drunk guy picks fight...shoving and punching occurs on both sides. Knife or gun gets pulled."

Bardo, this sort of "what do you do" exercise has no right or wrong answer. I'm not a superhero, crime fighter or LEO. If he's my friend, then I'm absolutely gonna' sheepdog his stupid ass OUT of the situation by sudden and ideally less-than-conventional means. You can't reason with drunks, ever, but I have unfortunately enough experience to know that surprise & confusion provides much better leverage. There are a thousand immediate, situational details to observe before I decide what that action is gonna' be. I'm creating and evaluating response scenarios with the raw urgency of a tail-spinning pilot! How drunk are the other guys? How near is the exit? Where's concealment? Where's cover? Where's the bouncer? Is everyone freaking or is this an every-night event? etc., etc., etc. You can't PLAN a response, you're playing defense, so by definition you can ONLY respond.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ArmyMan]

I would just let him get his ass kicked. Sorry man, but alcoholism has harmed my family for generations and I have no sympathy. If you get drunk and mouth off to the wrong guy and you get you get the McBeatdown, you deserved it.

Yeah I'd step in if the fight was going to far, but don't go get drunk and then expect me to save you from your own stupidity.

[ghost tracker]

Have to agree Armyman. Bad choices = bad results...every single time.

[BkCo1]

You pick a fight drunk or not with me around don't count on me to save your butt. I will help you by calling 911. I won't get in a fight unless personally and physically attacted. Then the attacker won't like my response.

[ComplexKaos]

Say, you're with a friend in a liquor or C-store and because he's drunk he decides it would be a good idea to steal something & rob the place and the clerk starts shooting or fighting to protect his business. Would you still say it would be "automatic" to back your friend up? (Thereby, becoming an "accomplish to your friend's criminal actions.)

It's the same thing; only a different crime.

Without sounding conceited, I was (still am), a pretty bad-a when it comes to fighting and have maimed & almost killed more than one person with my bare hands. But, I stay humble & don't start anything.

Yet, I have "had" friends & acquaintances that know this about me and thought it would be fun to start some $!^+ with people just to have me back them up. This has caused me some real problems in the past & I almost went to prison once.

Thank God, I learned to hang around with a better class of people after my so-called friends started a fight & then bailed on me; leaving me to finish it.

I strongly suggest to examine your "relationship" with this person. My thoughts are a TRUE friend would NOT get drunk & try to get me int a fight by starting one in my presence.

-

Now you're turning this into a "what if he robs a store" good grief we are talking about a drunks and breaking up a possible fight.

Dudes imaginations are running wild in here.

[tcox4freedom]

Now you're turning this into a "what if he robs a store" good grief we are talking about a drunks and breaking up a possible fight.

Dudes imaginations are running wild in here.

No I'm not.
I'm trying to make the point;

"If your friend get's himself in trouble because of illegal behavior (aka drunk & disorderly, assault, etc), you are under NO obligation to jump in and save his butt!"

-

[PEF]

Now you're turning this into a "what if he robs a store" good grief we are talking about a drunks and breaking up a possible fight.

Dudes imaginations are running wild in here.

Lots of drunks have died in bar fights without weapons. Wouldn't be good for you if, say, you jump in and help your "friend" so that he can land one on the opponent's temple, sending him into a coma and eventual death.

Hello Mr. Murder Charge.

[_Hawkeye_]

I would have ignored the whole mess

[GentlemanJim]

Don't go to stupid places with stupid people.

Jim