[Liz]

Keep in mind, I was not armed. I am still waiting for my acceptance letter in the mail... grrr.

I took my 2 year old son to the park the other day. It was beautiful outside, so there were tons of people.

When we pulled in and parked and as we were getting out of the car a man started running towards the parking lot and waving down one of his friends that was driving down the road.

The friend pulled in and parked one spot away from my car. My son and I made it to the play ground; I turned around and they were running around my car putting their hands all over it. The one guy was trying to stay away from the others. I guess they were fighting or play fighting, who knows. I yelled at them to stay off my car. (I just got a new car, so I'm a little protective!) I had to yell at them several times before they finally backed away. There were 3 guys in total, mid 20's I'd say. I don't think I would have said anything to them if I was carrying at the time; probably just call the police.

I told my son it was time to leave; I didn't want to have to deal with it anymore. The guys had started heading to the playground as we decided to leave. We got to my car, and I noticed they started heading back our way. I quickly got in the car and locked the doors. I started backing up, and they would deliberately stand behind me to keep me from backing up. I finally inched back far enough to turn and get out. I started heading for the exit and a guy got in front of my car telling me to roll my window down. He wouldn't let me leave. I just kept shaking my head no and motioning for him to move. He finally did and I bolted out of there. My fiance suggested in that circumstance if I was armed; to call the police the second all of this started and to also lay my gun on the dash when he was trying to get me to roll down my window.

That was a scary situation for me, especially since my 2 year old was with me and I was unarmed. At the same time.. what if I would have had to use lethal force? There were kids and people everywhere. In hindsight I like to think if they just saw the firearm they would have thought twice about messing with me and I wouldn't have had to do anything. But, I know you can't think that way if you carry. You need to be willing to use it.

What would you guys have done in this situation? Gun or no gun. And honestly hindsight is 20/20, I should have called the police instantly anyway I guess.

 

[BigJon10125]

Run him over.

Calling the cops would be the ideal thing to do. Get a license so you could find them for insurance purposes if anything happened to your car. These are the types of people who need to get Molly Whopped and taught a lesson, but it doesn't seem to happen often enough.

Glad you and the little one are safe.

 

[OldVet]

Armed or not, I would have said something with them messing with my new vehicle. Carrying does not mean muted. Should they have wanted to pursue it further, then I would have been on the line.

 

[Harryball]

Do not take this as me being mean. Next time keep your mouth shut. Armed or not. You could have just left when you saw them messing with your car. What you did, was turn a non-situation, into a situation....

 

[ConditionZero]

You don't mess with another person's car...

 

[paaiyan]

Yeah, I would have said something about them messing with the car no matter what. Laying the gun on the dash is iffy. If they're blocking me from getting out, I'll call the cops and sit as long as they're not menacing me in any way. If they brandish a weapon or show intent and ability to harm, I'd run them over. Your vehicle can be both your best weapon and your fastest escape at the same time in this case.

 

[zonker1986]

NEVER display your weapon unless you are in the process of using it. Good way to get arrested for brandishing a firearm. Unless you are in fear for your life, showing your weapon is a very, very bad thing to do. Also......NEVER assume that you will be the only one in the game with a gun. What would you have done if you had placed your gun on the dash.....while each one of them then produced their pistols? You then just turned a verbal confrontation into a gun fight. Not good.


....always be aware that for every action on your part, there will be a reaction on the part of guys like this. You ask them to get away from your car, and their reaction was to "mess" with you.....and you have no way of knowing if THEY were armed as well. Could have escalated ugly real fast. While I understand the whole new car thing, it would have been more prudent to say nothing and get your 2 year old and you in the car and leave while dialing for the police. Sometimes, eating a little pride
is the best way to possibly save your life.

 

[Stevew]

Generally, kidnapping occurs when a person, without lawful authority, physically asports (i.e., moves) another person without that other person's consent, with the intent to use the abduction in connection with some other nefarious objective. Under the Model Penal Code (a set of exemplary criminal rules fashioned by the American Law Institute), kidnapping occurs when any person is unlawfully and non-consensually asported and held for certain purposes. These purposes include gaining a ransom or reward; facilitating the commission of a felony or a flight after the commission of a felony; terrorizing or inflicting bodily injury on the victim or a third person; and interfering with a governmental or political function (Model Penal Code § 212.1).

Sounds like it was getting pretty close to kidnapping. I would call the mayor and file a complaint with him/her. Some parks are geared for small children, some for teens and adults. I would just take my child to a park for children and stay out of the ones that have a bunch 20 year old men hanging out. Not to stereo type, but folks that age hang out at parks and drink and smoke pot.

 

[Liz]

I agree with you on not starting a confrontation. Like I said, hindsight is 20/20. I didn't want to head back to my car while they were around it though. It takes a few minutes to put a kid in a car seat with my back turned ya know?

 

[MasterGadgets]

Weapon on the dash not a good idea. That could be construed as "brandishing". That could get you into deep hot water with the cops.

 

[ConditionZero]

Do not take this as me being mean. Next time keep your mouth shut. Armed or not. You could have just left when you saw them messing with your car. What you did, was turn a non-situation, into a situation....

Definitely agree with not starting a situation. But she had just gotten there with her kid to play at the park. Not sure if I would have just turned around and left immediately if some guys were playing ring around the rosey with my car. I would have just said, "hey, do you guys mind, I just got that car". If it had escalated, then yes, I would have gotten out of there especially if I was carrying.

 

[Harryball]

I agree with you on not starting a confrontation. Like I said, hindsight is 20/20. I didn't want to head back to my car while they were around it though. It takes a few minutes to put a kid in a car seat with my back turned ya know?

The way I see it, your child is the primary concern in all of this. This could have gone really bad for you, but your 2 year old was with you. I hate to imagine that.....

 

[Liz]

Thank you for the advice guys. Being new to this, hard to say what is right and what is wrong in these situations.

 

[Harryball]

Definitely agree with not starting a situation. But she had just gotten there with her kid to play at the park. Not sure if I would have just turned around and left immediately if some guys were playing ring around the rosey with my car. I would have just said, "hey, do you guys mind, I just got that car". If it had escalated, then yes, I would have gotten out of there especially if I was carrying.

I do not normally advocate being passive. However I do advocate avoidance. She said something that triggered the young men off. I would have approached and said " excuse me guys, I am leaving now " and that would have been that. Instead she offered a challenge to there man hood...See what Im saying....

 

[Liz]

I would have changed the way I reacted to this situation had I been armed. I do know that. I would have called the police and stayed around the other people in the park. I wouldn't have said a thing to them.

 

[Harryball]

I would have changed the way I reacted to this situation had I been armed. I do know that. I would have called the police and stayed around the other people in the park. I wouldn't have said a thing to them.

Your reaction should not change because you are armed. If the threat warranted you calling the police while armed, you should have called the police while not armed.

 

[OldVet]

The way I see it, your child is the primary concern in all of this. This could have gone really bad for you, but your 2 year old was with you. I hate to imagine that.....

I'm perfectly capable of having multiple concerns--all at the same time.

 

[Harryball]

I'm perfectly capable of having multiple concerns--all at the same time.

Oldvet I am sure you are...:wink: But the OP might not be able to. :yup:

Liz (OP) I am not directing this at you in the form of an attack. I am giving you advise on How I think you could of handle the situation better. A lot of what I am telling you I tell my students. So please take it as such...

 

[Liz]

Your reaction should not change because you are armed. If the threat warranted you calling the police while armed, you should have called the police while not armed.

Good point. I guess I just didn't expect it to escalate. Now, I should assume any situation will escalate; safer that way.

 

[floggindave]

Im new to this as well, so pardon if my questions are a bit silly. Someone had earlier stated that Liz (OP) turned a non situation into a situation. A few 20 somethings putting hands all over my car would seem to be the beginning of a situation. Asking them to stop should end it. If they continue on, aren't they the agressors here? Besides, if 3 20 something men were all over the car and refusing to let her move forwards or backwards, doesn't that justify desparity of force, especially with her 2 year old? They didn't seem to have a deadly weapon out, nor did they seem to be beating on the vehicle, just them being jerks, so I don't know if pulling the firearm at that point is warranted, but it seems to be a really thin line.