Man stabs 3yr old in neck at Houston playground

[MotherBear]

I think it's easy to justify deadly force if this were your own child being attacked.

How about if you were a parent of another child at the playground when this happened. Would you get involved to protect someone else's child in this case?

Who's to say my child isn't next? That guy looks deranged enough that he could just be on a kid-stabbing spree. There are a lot of factors that would ultimately play into my decision, but by default if there's a crazy guy stabbing children in the neck on the playground where my children are then yes, I would very seriously consider getting involved.

[TomV]

I think it's easy to justify deadly force if this were your own child being attacked.

How about if you were a parent of another child at the playground when this happened. Would you get involved to protect someone else's child in this case?

Is this a serious question?

Yes, it is. I consider this a good, safe place to discuss these types of scenarios. Like mamabear says, there are a lot of mitigating factors. I think there are plenty of armed parents who would secure their own children first and leave.

[jmra]

I think it's easy to justify deadly force if this were your own child being attacked.

How about if you were a parent of another child at the playground when this happened. Would you get involved to protect someone else's child in this case?

Is this a serious question?

Yes, it is. I consider this a good, safe place to discuss these types of scenarios. Like mamabear says, there are a lot of mitigating factors. I think there are plenty of armed parents who would secure their own children first and leave.

Anyone with the means to stop a child from being injured and does nothing is an oxygen thief.

[SQLGeek]

How about if you were a parent of another child at the playground when this happened. Would you get involved to protect someone else's child in this case?

Absolutely. I understand being hesitant to get involved in third party disputes especially if we're not privy to all of the facts. I absolutely get that. This is not one of those times.

[mamabearCali]

You I know I would not intervene in all 3rd party scenarios. Sometimes there is a history and a story you don't know and could not trek what is going down. This......there is no question what is happening here. A child is being attacks....who cares why. This is not a situation where there is ambiguity.

Now I am not sure that firearms are the first play here. Pepper spray is probably a good hands off option (depending on the wind). I can get it off the kid (I usually have water on hand) while the other guy is out of commission. If that is not available, any club handy will do, or simply body tackle the wretch. Just with a kid there it is going to be hard to get a good shot.

[Cedar Park Dad]

I think it's easy to justify deadly force if this were your own child being attacked.

How about if you were a parent of another child at the playground when this happened. Would you get involved to protect someone else's child in this case?

Is this a serious question?

Yes, it is. I consider this a good, safe place to discuss these types of scenarios. Like mamabear says, there are a lot of mitigating factors. I think there are plenty of armed parents who would secure their own children first and leave.

Anyone with the means to stop a child from being injured and does nothing is an oxygen thief.

In this instance...yep. There's no domestic dispute issues going on here between spouses etc. No matter how you er, slice it, absent an emergency medical procedure, stabbing a child is a felony no matter who and why and use to stop the threat highly likely to be legal and justified.

Unfortunately I could see how this could happen even if a CHL. Guy could run up out of nowhere. Guy could be talking to you and again run at the child, etc. Reaction times are such that things happen.

[SQLGeek]

Now I am not sure that firearms are the first play here.

Depends upon my proximity to the situation. If the circumstances allowed for it, I'd take a contact shot in a split second. I'm not tackling a person holding a knife.

[Abraham]

We wrestle with: Should I get involved using my gun to prevent a property crime?

Recently, a woman's purse was being stolen and a GG stepped in and saved the day using his pistol. It worked out well, but it may have gone badly and many wonder if they would step up to the plate if property is the main concern...

If you see a child being lethally attacked, there's no hesitation. You immediately do what's necessary to help.

No waiting.

No hesitation.

Act!

[WildBill]

We wrestle with: Should I get involved using my gun to prevent a property crime?

Recently, a woman's purse was being stolen and a GG stepped in and saved the day using his pistol. It worked out well, but it may have gone badly and many wonder if they would step up to the plate if property is the main concern...

If you see a child being lethally attacked, there's no hesitation. You immediately do what's necessary to help.

No waiting.

No hesitation.

Act!

There is no justification or defense for a man attacking and stabbing a child with a knife.

[Selina Kyle]

Very disturbing!!!! I'm glad the little boy is going to be ok.

[mamabearCali]

Now I am not sure that firearms are the first play here.

Depends upon my proximity to the situation. If the circumstances allowed for it, I'd take a contact shot in a split second. I'm not tackling a person holding a knife.

It depends. I am a pretty good shot up to about 25 yards, but I'd need a clear target. You might be much much better than me.

[SQLGeek]

It definitely depends. There's not much needed in the way of accuracy when taking a contact shot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_shot" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). If circumstances presented that I could take one without further endangering any innocents I would choose that over wrestling with somebody holding a knife. It'll be ugly and brutal and may get me eviscerated in the court of public opinion but it'd be the most effective choice to end the deadly assault right then and there.

Wrestling with somebody while armed is going to present two possible situations that I'd very much like to avoid, me getting slashed/stabbed or me loosing my gun during the fight. Neither of those is very appealing to me.

[mamabearCali]

ah I see (thanks for the link). Yeah a contact shot would do it. No I don't want to wrestle with an armed person either. That is why I recommended the pepper spray. But your way works better.

[philip964]

The safety would have been off at the sight of the tatooes.