Posted on 06/15/2015 7:10:11 AM PDT by marktwain
Link to Video:
Would you shoot a suspect who claims to have a gun? That is the decision that Pharmacist Pete Spallito faced on Tuesday, the 9th of June, in Kansas City, Missouri. In the video, Spallito is confronted with a masked woman who demands all the Oxycontin in the store. She said that she had a gun in the bag that she was carrying, and placed the bag on the counter. From kctv5.com:
Pete Spalitto described Tuesday's events to KCTV5. He said that after the woman confronted his employee that the employee turned to him. The woman then demanded OxyContin from him.
He headed to the counter where he had his .45-caliber gun tucked away.
"I pointed it at her. I come into a good position behind the counter. I pointed it at her head," Spalitto recalled. "She says, 'I've got a gun in this bag.' I said, 'I've got a gun too.'"
The woman decided her best course of action was to flee and headed for a maroon-colored SUV with temporary tags. Spalitto gave pursuit until his hamstring had other ideas and he had to pull up. He is disappointed that he didn't catch her.
He said he feels sorry for the employees of pharmacies owned by big chains who aren't allowed to carry a weapon.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if you're selling drugs in this day and age you should have a gun on you," he said.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No.
If she didn't have her hand in the bag, the second she made a move to do so, I would've shot her.
My answer:
Maybe.
And I won’t (can’t) make the final decision unless I’m actually in that situation.
Perhaps next time she will shoot, then grab the Oxy.
BTW, thanks for posting these. I find them interesting and informative.
He saved his employer a potential civil rights lawsuit.
Other than that, I don’t see much upside to this story.
(She lives on to terrorize another pharmacy)
I hope I never have to find out what I would do as I’m usually armed when I’m out and about.
I think I would probably shoot if I thought I were actually being threatened, but I hope I don’t ever have to make that decision.
Yeah. It’s easy for me to talk big from the comfort of my own living room. If I ever face that situation myself, there’s no telling what I’d do. I know the adrenaline would be pumping that’s for sure.
A dopehead robber, threatening my life or others? With a hidden gun that may or may not exist?
I’d shoot to kill. Without batting an eye.
So many circumstances go into that, mostly having to do with how likely the threat is to be true. In a robbery, the risk is different than if it’s a little kid playing. I’d tend to believe the robber.
It comes down to two words: ability and intent.
Intent was clearly demonstrated.
Ability, not so much.
Therefore, arm yourself and display the weapon but don’t aim at the perp.
I’d expect a robber to be sincere about it.
If I am in arms length I will just take the gun ... simple technique
No.
I believe I’d be morally justified if I did so, but I’d have to see the weapon. Even if she did in fact have a gun, odds are you would be crucified because it wasn’t visible. If she had no gun, it’s time to meet your new boyfriend in the big house.
Not until you see ‘something’ that could easily be believed to be a gun.
Yes, If I felt my life or great harm was likely to occur and I could not safely get away.
The pharmacist acted appropriately. He’s safe. His employees are safe. He doesn’t have taking a human life on his conscience, which even if justified has to be hard to live with.
“I’d shoot to kill. Without batting an eye.”
Same here.
Dopers can’t be trusted to make idle threats when they want their dope.
When a doper wants their dope they will do whatever they have to do to get it.
The problem is handguns can be fired from within bags like the one she uses.
Or in jacket pockets.
It will always be a judgment call, but he would not have been wrong to fire in this instance, IMO.
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