TexasCHLforum.com

dewayneward wrote: I did answer that question earlier in these posts :-) I wouldnt have done anything differently.

I have had some time to reflect on the event (and appreciate TAM's and a few others responses) and I can say now that they were actually out looking for trouble.

I had actually gotten into the self checkout line and as I was checking things out is when the event unfolded. I latered realized something, none of them were actually buying anything....which leads me to the conclusion that they were out to cause problems.

May I make a friendly suggestion? For the safety of you, your loved ones, and those around you please leave your firearms at home until you figure out the nuances of concealed carry, such as knowing how to avoid (or back down) from trouble before you're sucked into a confrontation.

I'm not a psychologist/psychiatrist, but it certainly appears to me that you are in denial. The consensus on this thread is crystal clear: You escalated the issue, the refused to de-escalate as you tried to prove your point with these individuals. Several people (including myself) have given you many good options as to what you should have done, but you refuse to listen.

I am glad that there are some that will be able to benefit from this experience. I will say that I am a little surprised at some of the responses , but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Yes, they are. But you ignore the opinion of the group as a whole at your own peril, and threaten the lives of those around you by your refusal to listen to those who know. (I don't consider myself an expert by any stretch. But there are several here whom I consider to be experts and who have responded to your request for clarification. I'm at a loss as to why you'd ask for opinions, and then simply ignore them.)

dewayneward wrote: your quote about shooting someone over a verbal altercation is the thing I find issue with, by this logic, then the only time you would shoot someone is if you were being physically attacked....meaning that you were actually being hit before you shot. quite frankly, at that point, its too late to shoot.

Keep in mind that you escalated the situation by confronting the man without clear provocation on his part. I'm just saying that if you go around armed, you should consider your actions and ask yourself if it's really necessary to confront an individual, or if it might be better for all involved (especially you and your family) to simply walk away, or ignore the behavior.

If the guy would have removed the cart as my barrier, I would have felt that the physical attack was imminent and shot him. If he wanted to run his mouth, I wouldnt have shot him.

All the same, you would find yourself in the situation of explaining the events that led up to the shooting. And in the end, it would be clear that you got the ball rolling.

if at all possible "walk away" in the sense that you dont become the aggressor.

Exactly my point.

Another option: Simply walk away and shop somewhere else. On the way out, let mgmt. know that you don't appreciate your son being subject to that type of behavior. I've done this before. I simply choose not to engage myself in confrontations unless absolutely necessary, especially when armed.

All this stuff about reasonable belief doesn't counter the fact that if you shoot someone over a verbal altercation, you will most certainly find yourself at trial.