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Happened here yesterday: Case of mistaken identity

3K views 26 replies 26 participants last post by  arcticelf 
#1 ·
Another "what do you do?"

Say you stop at a fine fast food eating establishment(McDonalds, in this case), park in the parking lot and start to walk across the lot to go inside. Upon exiting your vehicle, a car loaded down with "hip urban youths" accelerates from the street into the same parking lot and, with a scream, one cuts loose with several rounds in your direction from a handgun. What is your choice? You can head back to your vehicle and get behind it, or get into it and try to leave. You can even head into the restaurant...lots of people in there, they wouldn't follow you, would they? You can beat feet down the crowded city street.

I know we're a little bit short on background info, but what kind of reaction would you have to being attacked in a crowded afternoon parking lot by kids in a car. The kids never dismounted, and cut loose a few rounds and fled the scene in their vehicle. Shoot at a moving vehicle? Remember, you're beside your vehicle in a downtown area, so there is almost nowhere to point a gun that doesn't put innocent lives in jeopardy.

We dealt with this yesterday. Even managed to catch the kids, with a little investigation. Turns out they saw the vehicle being driven by a black female as somebody they knew and decided they had a score to settle. Turns out it wasn't the person they thought it was, just some lady trying to get a hamburger. :rant:
 
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#3 ·
Be a good witness from behind cover. I would have tried to put as much of my truck between the BGs and me as possible while dialing 911. If they came after me, I would return fire from behind cover.
 
#4 ·
That's why I'm an Arby's fan... you'd never have stuff like that happan at classy place like Arby's!

Kidding aside, I agree with Lowflyer. Get behind cover, get 911 on the phone, and be ready to do more if they try to pursue.
 
#6 ·
shoot or not

:image005: I would probley head for the car for cover. If they weren't shooting at me I would try to get a tag number and call 911. I would not shoot due to the crouded area. I would like to shoot though. If They are shooting at me and my life is on the line then I would shoot.
 
#7 ·
That's why I'm an Arby's fan... you'd never have stuff like that happan at classy place like Arby's!
Yeah, well there is a string of robberies at Arby's in Southwest Ohio all believed to be done by one BG, and he has been at it for a couple years.

Under this situation, try to get back behind my truck and call 911, be a good wittness, probably draw while behind cover just in case they stop, re-holster as soon as they leave the lot.

I have never tried to shoot a fast moving vehicle, don't imagine it would be too easy. Return fire only if they got out to make sure the job was done. Too many innocents to do anything else.
 
#9 ·
Yeah, well there is a string of robberies at Arby's in Southwest Ohio all believed to be done by one BG, and he has been at it for a couple years.
Did I say Arby's?

I meant...... uh......... Taco Bell....... Yeah that's the ticket.

All kidding aside, its stuff like this that finally convinced me to take a proactive approach to my families safety.
 
#8 ·
Head for cover...quickly...call 911...

Wouldn't do much else...certainly wouldn't want a gun out when the police arrive!

ret
 
#10 ·
This is a definite 'no shoot' - too many bystanders and besides, they're gone before you really had a chance to shoot.

This is a situation which is possible in many public parking areas, and I’m not sure how you can really avoid it. The BG’s can turn into the lot and begin blasting in the blink of an eye.
 
#21 ·
Yup! Remember, BGs don't care about rule #4, you have to. From the description, they were not shooting at you and were in the process of beating feet outta there quick so you had the chance to not shoot.
 
#12 ·
Fast moving scenario. Duck and cover. Probably be over before you can get your plan together or have your wits sufficiently organized. The only option I see is to recognize the potential threat before it comes to you.

I was foot patrolling a high crime subdivision at night once as part of a 4 man security team, had a car roll slowly by us. Suddenly a large barrel comes out the window. Before any of us had time to take evasive action or draw, we were all covered in water. It took a great amount of restraint on my part not to light up the back of that car!
 
#13 ·
I would ask them if they would like fries with my 40's!!!
No, actually as the others said find immediate cover, try and find out where the fire is coming from and where their attended target is. If it's me I am returning fire if safe to do so, if somebody else is the target calling 911, and monitor the situation. May choose to protect victim depending on variables, if they are fleeing stay low and gather as much info as possible.
 
#14 ·
Head for cover ...dive to the ground and do the ol' "combat roll" if nothing else...and call 9-1-1. Now, if they stop, and start exiting the vehicle in my direction, return fire if possible to do so without blowing away any innocent bystanders...
 
#16 ·
I would perform the following procedures in order:

1) secure my family and me.
2) try to get license number and car description if I can without increasing my danger.
3) Call 911.
4) Talk to police when they arrive.
5) Go home to change underwear.
6) Maybe come back later for some fries.
 
#17 ·
We had a thread similar to this a few weeks back. It comes down to this:

In almost every state, it is illegal to shoot someone who is fleeing the scene. They are in a car. Even if they are rolling away and you draw and fire, technically the threat is "gone" and your legal right to return fire is null.
 
#20 ·
I'm with the majority on this. Take cover, be a good witness, prepare in case of another go around and wait for the police. I'd much rather be a good witness compared to taking a shot in an area where innocent civilians could be hit.
 
#22 · (Edited)
This happened to me once in a mall parking lot. It happened so fast I couldn't tell where the shots were coming from exactly, but as i walked toward the mall sidewalk the shots came from behind me (hince the actual parking lot or perimiter road) I dove behind a large planter with a tree in it, which was next to the sidewalk for cover. Car kept going, I still don't have any idea who it was and don't think they were shooting "at" me as there was no sound of bullets coming my direction and no impacts nearby. ( this made me think of a question. When rifle bullets go past real close, you sort of feel or hear them, would that occur with a handgun bullet at subsonic speed?) But I digress:

My point is, in a case like this, it happens so fast that unless they keep coming at you, you really probably don't have time to react. I didn't, except to take cover behind the nearest solid object. Had I been in the lot itself, I would dive behind the nearest auto. Draw my weapon, and see if the perp was fleeing or coming to play.
 
#25 ·
Turns out it wasn't the person they thought it was, just some lady trying to get a hamburger. :rant:
. . . who will now want to see guns banned because of the close call she had. :rolleyes:

Watch for the mayor of that city and the police chief to recruit her as a poster-woman at their next proposed gun ban or gun "buyback."

Never mind that an argument can be made that if they had approached further, she might have needed a gun to defend herself.
 
#27 ·
Hit the deck. I'll go for cover and ground to start with. If they aren't gone by the time I'm out of the open I'll think about returning fire.

Probably the best thing you can do is move. Its damned hard to shoot at stationary targets from a moving vehicle (from experiance at IDPA matches), never mind moving targets. The reverse is also true I suspect.

AE
 
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