20 years carrying-once out of the holster...

[DngrsDan]

This happened a short while back. I got some flak from some people that I shouldn't have had it out of the holster, I should have had a gas can in my trunk, shoulda been prepared, etc. That kind of response.
In response to "being prepared" it was an unknowable event that put me in this position. Personally, I feel I acted in the right manner. The scenario:

My mother had passed out while driving on the PA turnpike. Fortunately she had felt it coming on and managed to pull over to the side and stop her car in time.

My sister got a call from the highway patrol that mom had been taken to Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh, which she relayed to me and we met at the hospital to check on mom. She was OK, but they were going to hold her overnight for observation. My sister had been out for the evening and was dressed nicely with her necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc. when she had received the call and rushed to the hospital. As we were ready to leave she discovered she was, basically, out of gas, the needle sitting below empty.
The ONLY gas station in range was a few blocks from the hospital. Anyone in here from the Pittsburgh area knows what the area around Mercy is like. Let's just be polite and say it isn't the nicest neighbor"hood" to be in.

Told sis to follow me to the station and pull up to the pump but NOT to get out of her car until she saw I was out of mine. I pulled into the corner of the lot-about 10 feet from the pump- and got out of the car with my arms crossed over my chest with my right hand inside my coat. In that hand was my Para-Ordinance 14-45.
She saw I was ready so she got out and started pumping her gas. As she was doing so two . .. how do I say this politically correct?... neighbod"hood" youths walked by and the one saw her, nudged the other one and gestured at her with his chin. At that point they started heading in her direction, they had not seen me standing there. On purpose I shifted my weight from side to side just to make a movement, nothing extreme, aggressive, or obvious. It caught the attention of the first guy, and, once again, he nudged the other and gestured with his chin at me. When he saw me they both changed direction and proceeded in their original line.

As I've said, I got flak from some that I had it out of the holster prior to HAVING to have it out. But I have seen police approach situations with an un-holstered weapon that didn't require they HAD to have it out. It was a precaution on their part, I do NOT fault them at all. I felt THIS was appropriate.

I felt having it out (though NOT displayed) was the prudent thing to do in the area I was in - let's call it "drive-by central" - where having it holstered and having to reach for it and draw (IWB - 4 o'clock) would be a provocative, and maybe too late, action on my part. Which is why I had SIS pump her own gas.

I FIRMLY believe that the two guys who were heading for my sister TOTALLY understood the situation. They KNEW the how, what, when, and why I was standing there. Especially HOW, secondarily WHY. Which I, just as firmly, believe prevented a bad situation from turning worse.

As stated, I've CCW'd for more than 20+ years and this was the only time I've felt a need to withdraw it from it's holster. But only as a precautionary move. I really wish and pray there never comes a day when there will be a need to use it.

Do I wish I didn't have to be in that situation? Unquestionably. Could it have been avoided? Yeah......if I had a gas can in my trunk, sis had had a full tank, the moon was in the right phase, whatever.

What would you have done in the same situation?


Dan

[Aggie_engr]

Might I ask why you weren't standing right next to her while she was filling her car up instead of across the lot? I'm sure just the sight of you standing next to your sister would have prevented any attempt by these thugs. I do not think you were wrong to feel that a heightened sense of awareness was necessary given the location you were in. I also don't think you were wrong to conceal your gun the way you did, as long as it stayed concealed, no one saw it etc. then no harm done? I have on numerous occasions while pocket carrying my LCP stuck my hand in my pocket and grasped the grip while in a sketchy situation just as you held on to yours. Think about it this way, had you been carrying via shoulder holster and placed your hand on your gun without drawing, it would have been in the same position as you had it in your situation, just not in a holster. Had it been me, I wouldn't have gotten out of arms reach of your sister. I know the places you are talking about and avoid them like the plague. But it seems under the circumstances it was a necessary stop.

p.s. glad to hear your mother recovered and is okay.

[quidni]

The only other option I can think of right now would have been to take your sister's car to get gas, while she waited at the hospital. That may or may not have been feasible for various reasons.

However, speaking as a sister myself, you sound like the kind of man any woman would be lucky/proud to claim as her brother. Thank you for looking out for her!

(and to answer the other poster - 10 feet away isn't that far, and tactically it gives a wider view of potential threats.... )

[Excaliber]

It sounds to me like you acted very reasonably under the circumstances.

You knew from previous experience that someone dressed like your sister was that evening would be seen as "food" by the predators known to prowl there. What actually happened validated your concerns.

Two predators made an initial target identification and began their approach when they detected your presence and correctly interpreted your purpose and equipment. They then executed a "mission abort" and went on their way.

Thugs live by making these calls correctly every day and they're good at them. That's how they stay alive until they mess one up, which happens sooner or later.

I agree that taking the vehicle and gassing it up yourself would have been an option, but I don't see anything wrong with the way you actually handled it. An unholstered pistol is always faster to bring into action than a holstered one, and keeping it concealed met the requirements of the law.

Managing a threatening situation without engaging in a gunfight is always preferable when it is possible. This appears to be a good example of situational awareness and effective nonverbal communication prior to the moment of predator commitment, which allowed everyone to go home in one piece that night.

[DngrsDan]

quidni....
that was exactly why I was 10 feet away. Had a better view of what was around us, things in that area of town are kinda squished together. Where I was located I had a wall to my back so I knew I wasn't going to be approached from that side. In response to another question, if I was to try pumping the gas I would have had to keep my gun holstered and my attention in an area that I couldn't see the surroundings very well. I had given that option some thought at first but saw the problem I would run up against if I did so.
Besides, I KNOW I can hit what I'm aiming at from 10 feet away (Ask me sometime about the two off duty police officers who had set up next to me at an indoor range one day. ), and I was ready to close the distance if those two guys had continued on their course towards my sister. I figured that if I just shifted my weight as I did it would make them aware of my presence, which is what occurred. And I knew that just from my presence and demeanor they would not press the issue.

[Aggie_engr]

Sure you would have a little better field of view. My reasoning for standing right next to her would be:

1.) The thugs would for SURE know that you are somehow related to this woman i.e. family, husband, boyfriend, and not just some random person standing around that might possibly just turn around and run or ignore thier attack. This would more than likely thwart the attack and not draw them in.

2.) Say they don't think you are related to this woman, and you standing away from her to yourself draws them in to attempt an attack. Now you are forced to draw your gun at a pile of people with your sister somewhere in the mess, whereas if your were standing right next to her and they still decided to attack, one arm pushes her behind you while the other draws your gun on the perps. Now they have to get through a gun, and you to get to her, effectively putting a barrier between her and them.

3.) As always these are just opinions and plans that I have made in the event someone is targeted while in my presence, be it girlfriend, family, friend and the op did fine since no one got hurt and the thugs dismantled. Just another view on what I plan to do if put in that situation.

[boomerang]

Your story is a good reminder of one of the reasons why it's good to refuel often instead of letting it get close to empty.

I think there's nothing wrong with having a gun in your hand and keeping it concealed if you're in a questionable situation. I have done it with pocket carry several times and in my car once or twice. It's better to avoid iffy situations when you can but it's not always practical and sometimes not even possible.

I'm glad everything worked out for your family.

[Purplehood]

Might I ask why you weren't standing right next to her while she was filling her car up instead of across the lot? I'm sure just the sight of you standing next to your sister would have prevented any attempt by these thugs. I do not think you were wrong to feel that a heightened sense of awareness was necessary given the location you were in. I also don't think you were wrong to conceal your gun the way you did, as long as it stayed concealed, no one saw it etc. then no harm done? I have on numerous occasions while pocket carrying my LCP stuck my hand in my pocket and grasped the grip while in a sketchy situation just as you held on to yours. Think about it this way, had you been carrying via shoulder holster and placed your hand on your gun without drawing, it would have been in the same position as you had it in your situation, just not in a holster. Had it been me, I wouldn't have gotten out of arms reach of your sister. I know the places you are talking about and avoid them like the plague. But it seems under the circumstances it was a necessary stop.

p.s. glad to hear your mother recovered and is okay.

I like the idea of some distance between myself and who I am conducting overwatch for. Seems like there is more chance of hitting perps rather than your loved-one.

[ELB]

You done good. There rest is just nit-picking.

I am convinced that a service pistol with a high cap mag is the best all-round handgun for self-defense, but lots to be said for a J-frame or P-3AT that you can have in your hand in your pocket as well.

elb

[bryang]

You did a good job. This was a great learning experience for you and the rest of us, since you posted it....
Thank you.

I am very thankful that you, your sister, and mother are all doing fine. I am thankful, also, that your mother was able to get the car off to the side of the highway before she passed out.

-geo

[Dan20703]

+1 on being alert and acting the way you did to deflate the situation. In the end you are both able to continue your lives unscathed.

[Reloader]

Where I live, everyone knows I am an amputee with a dangerous "sheepdog" demanor. It tends to simplify matter and to discourage miscreants. Congrats on your body language. Itis somehting to emulate. Even my church is glad the "sheepdog" is in the house.