Life In Danger Question

[mark4140]

I'm sure this has been discussed but I've been searching here for a couple hours and could not find what I was looking for.

Lets say that I'm walking to my car. The parking lot is pretty empty and I see a gangster looking thug about 20' away walking directly at me. He has that "up to no good" look and is obviously fixated on me but no signs of a weapon. He could be coming out to help me load my groceries- or to rob me. What do you do? No real time for any real verbal communication. Do you just wait & see? Do you put you hand on your cc weapon but leave it holstered? Do you draw to a low safe position? What would be legal in that circumstance?

Lets say he walks up and, as expected, demands your wallet, keys, & your watch. No sign of a weapon yet. What do you do?

Just trying to get a feel of what "life in danger" really looks like in a real world situation.

[TTUchris]

Tough to tell. A lot of my actions would probably depend on the circumstances and surroundings. If possible, I'd probably alter my course and walk in a different direction to avoid any potential contact altogether (and if he alters his path accordingly, you know he's up to no good). That would of course depend on spotting him early on and surveying the area for an escape route. If there's no way to do that, and our paths MUST cross, I'd probably get my phone out and act like I'm answering a phone call with my left hand and keep my right hand free and ready. If pocket carrying, there's no reason not to put a hand in the pocket and be ready. Definitely wouldn't want to panic and draw on a dude with no reason. My first objective would be to keep distance between me and him by changing direction. Even if it is obvious what I'm doing and seems rude, oh well - I'm ok with that type of profiling if it reduces the likelihood of a confrontation.

[RPB]

Good advice above. ... About 35-40 years ago I had a guy pull a knife out when I went up to his car to ask what time it was. I had left my watch at home and I was on my motorcycle that day ... guess I looked scary and up to no good. I just didn't want to be late for class again back in College.

You didn't say if there was a shopping cart. If so, I keep the cart between me n them. If not, usually when I leave a store, I am wearing my hat (photo below) and I have a "set" of keys about 2-1/5 feet long on a chain, I swing them like nunchucks and almost anyone in a parking lot notices me (no one gets too close, they don't want to get hit with my keys. So anyone approaching me is being watched by everyone too.
Also, my beard and hair are long and I look like sort of like a biker .... it's rare anyone would approach me.

But, back when I looked "normal" I was still aware of my surroundings. My "personal space" is quite large and I don't know how that guy would be within 20' of me in the first place. But if he jumped out from between other vehicles, yeah, I'd be alert, I may have my shirt untucked and thumb under te shirt to raise it if needed, or hand in pocket if pocket carrying, but I doubt I'd be brandishing a weapon when he's 20' away if he's just walking towards me instead of at a dead run.

At home, I'm "the grey man" but when I'm out, everyone sees me as described above (also part of "the grey man" methodology.)

(The Grey Man: excerpts:
The Grey Man is private, always invisible, but in plain sight. ... The Young Grey Man is dismissed as a wimp, the Older as a doddering old fool. ... If he must resort to use of a public facility ...At such times he would probably wear bright clothing, to be remembered only as ‘that guy in the red jacket and sunglasses’, a quite different person from his usual persona....Described as ... “He’s just a guy. Comes every Wednesday morning for his coffee. Always pays cash, always has that hat on, nice old fellow, probably retired and on welfare".
(Who wants to steal from a broke person? I look more like a panhandler than the panhandler does.
I don't wear my solid gold watch shopping, I wear the Casio. I keep a few bucks in a spare moneyclip I'll be happy to throw and watch someone pick up as I run, or draw, or get in my car and leave and they can have the Casio too. ) All depends on the situation.

[USA1]

I would look him square in the eye and with a strong voice say "Stop, That's Close Enough !" while holding my hand up in a Halt motion and being prepared to draw my gun if need be.

If he did not comply with my demand I would take it to the next level and grip
my gun while repeating my command to stop.

Last resort would be to draw on him and if that diffuses the situation, fine.

Absolute last resort if I reasonably felt that my life was threatened or felt threatened with bodily harm would be to stop him with deadly force.

[RPB]

Also good advice, I might hold up left hand and say "WHOA, be careful, you don't want to run into me/have an accident" (I'm in a 1-horse town ... whoa means stop here)

[shootthesheet]

Avoid if you can and try to make them show their intentions. Pulling is the last option and not letting them get inside that 20 or so feet is the first.

And remember that it isn't always "The Type" that you may expect doing the bad things. Male, female, young, old, pants on the ground or around the armpits, etc... The only time I have ever had a gun pulled on me (1992) was from a group of maybe 12 year olds in NC. I can't tell if the gun was real because I got back in my car and drove off. I think the kid was just showing off but I didn't ask and don't care. Avoid if you can.

[Dragonfighter]

Avoid if you can and try to make them show their intentions. Pulling is the last option and not letting them get inside that 20 or so feet is the first.

a matter of semantics, I believe that pulling is the second to last option.

[marksiwel]

Officer "What happened Son?"
Gand Looking Kid "There was this guy in the Parking lot, and I found his wallet when i walked up to hand it to him he pulled a gun on Me!"
Officer "Then what happened?"
Gang Looking Kid "I have a CHL and I shot him sir, it was self defense."

[MadMonkey]

Officer "What happened Son?"
Gand Looking Kid "There was this guy in the Parking lot, and I found his wallet when i walked up to hand it to him he pulled a gun on Me!"
Officer "Then what happened?"
Gang Looking Kid "I have a CHL and I shot him sir, it was self defense."

I would hope that a CHL holder would understand the danger/stupidity of simply walking straight up to someone without any communication, especially when dressed like a thug (how many CHL holders dress like that anyway?).

[rthillusa]

I'll second the "You can't tell by looks" post. My wife was assaulted in front of her grand-mother's house at 4:00 in the afternoon by a guy who looked like he had just stepped off the tennis court at a country club. Years ago, we were staying in a motel in a decent part of town. I went out to the car about 2:00 AM to get something and saw a guy dressed in slacks and a sports coat trying to cut the ropes that tied some of our excess luggage to the top of our car.

and if you are in the down town Dallas area, you can only wish that no seedy looking pan handler comes no closer than 20 feet and hits you up for a buck or two.

[RPB]

You mean CHLs come in all flavors?

I thought they only issued to people with haircuts like in the Marines who wore shiny shoes and business suits.
I Learn sumpin every day

Most bikers gimme a biker salute, even though the only motorcycles I ever owned were 40 years ago, a Hondamatic 400 and a 70 cc scooter. However, bikers/thugs/pantsondagrounds/pandhandlers etc don't bother me, nor scare me, but "regular" people do who pull knives/guns to protect themselves from me when I just need to ask what time it is.

I have been robbed twice at places I used to work. Once by 2 guys with revolvers (they got away with $50.00 from the register), the other time by 5 guys with shotguns and pistols (They all got arrested down the street). Neither time did they want my wallet, watch or anything of mine, we got along just fine. Avoidance, Deterrence, and De-escalation works sometimes, whether you are armed or not.

[marksiwel]

There was a guy in my CHL class, Tats, long hair, Punk metal t-shirt ect. He was a mean shot with his Xd and he and I scored the highest in the class in shooting and the test. Great guy, but he looked like a punk.
Also walking up to people is a shootable offense now?

[casingpoint]

walking up to people is a shootable offense now?

It's not a real good idea to approach strangers.

[LaserTex]

LOL - this worked for me - but he grabbed my basket.

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... ilit=+whew

Doug

[marksiwel]

walking up to people is a shootable offense now?

It's not a real good idea to approach strangers.

I guess it depends.