Shooting at a car trying to run you down?

[Bardo]

This happened:

Dads' fight outside N. Phoenix school ends with 1 run over, killed

And it got me thinking... of course, we don't know whether he hit him from behind or the front, but for the purposes of this discussion, let's assume from the front.

In this case, there's a couple of things here:

1. The distance at which a knife is considered a dire threat has been established, but what about a vehicle? A vehicle has a lot of wiggle room in which direction it can go once it's headed at you... even at 60 miles an hour, it can be right up on you, but it might swerve at the last second. When would you consider it a threat?

2. If you shoot the driver of said vehicle, you stand the risk of causing the vehicle to crash into other structures or innocent bystanders. Could it be argued that by shooting you are inevitably putting innocents at risk? Could that be used against you, even if no one actually gets injured?

3. I know you could be held liable for the damage caused by your sidearm (ex: if you miss and put a hole in someone's house) but would you also be liable for the damage caused by his vehicle?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Lish]

Somehow in my mind, I picture he was walking home and the car came from behind. I don't know why but that's how my mind's eye sees it. I wonder if he even realized that the car driving up was the guy he had an argument with and was coming for him...

If I knew a car was coming at me, I'd try to jump out of the way. Honestly I know they could swerve towards me, but instinct would be GET OUT OF THE WAY! Behind something the car won't go through if there's anything around. I'm sure I'd draw too but the jump would come first - if he hits the tree (building whatever) I've hidden behind and comes out of t he car at me I want to be ready for that.

It doesn't take a high speed impact to kill you if you're hit right. I had a friend killed in a school parking lot by someone dropping off their kid, going 10-20 mph tops. I'd take a car coming right at me at any speed as a serious threat.

[Hoganbeg]

We take for granted that we are safe from cars traveling on a road only feet away. We expect drivers to be competent and obey the rules. We seldom take into consideration a mechanical failure or medical emergency with the driver, and virtually never that someone will purposely try to run us over. I suspect that was the case here, although the victim should have been on high alert, given the previous confrontation.

In regards to shooting at a car trying to run me down, I wouldn't want to waste the time. Handgun rounds tend to be highly inaccurate through auto glass so you are talking about standing there and emptying your magazine while about to get run down. Even if I shoot and kill the driver, the car is still coming at me. Granted, I can now try to evade the car without a driver compensating for my movements, but all-in-all, I think the best defense is to try to get out of the way by moving at a right angle to the car's path while interposing whatever solid obstacles are available.

Oh, by the way, you wouldn't shoot at the car, but at the driver.

[PEF]

^^^^^^
Agree. I'd be running perpendicular to the path of the car.

Plugging the driver through the windshield so the car veers off seems a bit Hollywood to me....

[NC Bullseye]

The couple of seconds it'd take to draw and get some reasonable aim would be far better spent getting off the x if you knew the car was coming at you.

[Maltz]

There was just such a situation a few years ago around here. A guy tried to rob a local bank's drive through. (yeah yeah, I know...) Anyway, the cops arrived, and he tried to run one of them down, I believe in an attempt to pin him between cars. The cop shot and killed him.

[CPanther95]

^^^^^^
Agree. I'd be running perpendicular to the path of the car.

Plugging the driver through the windshield so the car veers off seems a bit Hollywood to me....

Yeah, can't imagine a scenario where the gun would be very effective. My final bit of energy, assuming I couldn't evade, would be spent trying to get enough height to clear the nose of the car.

[buckeye .45]

Yeah, can't imagine a scenario where the gun would be very effective. My final bit of energy, assuming I couldn't evade, would be spent trying to get enough height to clear the nose of the car.

There was a situation here a few years back where a man shot and killed a teen who had stolen his car, and then tried to run him down with it. I don't believe he was even charged. I'll find the specifics.

[ANGLICO]

Hummmm.... A ton or more of car.... Run away, or outta the way. Mass and intertia are aganist you on this one.

[BenGoodLuck]

This is the most bizarre part of the story: "Parrinello wanted to settle the disagreement with a fight at a nearby Walmart." (Walmart - everyday low prices and your one-stop fight-shop!)

Why in tarnation would he want to take the fight to Walmart? This was obviously a disturbed person.

[CPanther95]

This is the most bizarre part of the story: "Parrinello wanted to settle the disagreement with a fight at a nearby Walmart." (Walmart - everyday low prices and your one-stop fight-shop!)

Why in tarnation would he want to take the fight to Walmart? This was obviously a disturbed person.

Because when it's over, you got band aids, gauze, and nachos readily available.

[atctimmy]

Shooting at cars is for the movies. In real life you get off of the X and get behind something that stops a car.

[dukalmighty]

Find me a BAT and use it (Big Ass Tree).If he stops and jumps out he is either getting pepper sprayed or shot depending on situation,Walking down a road after an argument with a hot head would keep me in condition orange at the very least,too many enraged idiots nowadays

[archer51]

If you see it coming, try to put something substantial between it and you. If it's coming from behind, unless you hear it accelerating, your pretty much screwed.

[jon_volk]

Move out of the way. If the car comes to a stop and the driver gets out and advances with malicious intent, game on.