Posted on 07/13/2016 7:59:19 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
In a sane world, one would consider someone who just hit and ran, and was still driving as a current deadly threat.
The first thing is: I do not have to prove anything, that’s the job of the police and the prosecutor, which I am not. In this case my obligation as a good citizen is to be a good witness. Pulling a gun escalates the situation dramatically, and if you’re not justified or prepared to kill someone, don’t do it.
He should have followed the vehicle from a safe distance as he contacted 911 and if possible obtain some pics of the suspect vehicle.
Then again, it would be a horrific tragedy, if after hitting the pedestrian the suspect sped away and killed a crosswalk full of people as the good samaritan followed from a safe distance.
What if were a stolen vehicle, how would they find the suspect? And why should cops risk pursuing vehicles if they can simply find the suspect later?
As to the right thing, that’s a tough one. Wasn’t there, didn’t see the accident, didn’t have the jump in adrenaline, etc.
Sounds like it worked out well for all concerned. The ‘offender’ was apparently compliant so the sheepdog did not have to discharge his weapon. The victim of the hit and run will recover, and the sheepdog appears to be in the clear. Could have gone sideways at any point.
...Should have handled it... makes trainers crazy. For law enforcement, there are policies and procedures, and every action is weighed against those TTP and audit-able training. For civilians, none of that applies, so judgement of the situation will be handled by others without the benefit of that policy shield.
The poster that suggested following/calling 911 makes a good point. Add a snapshot of the license plate and there is good evidence (provided the car wasn’t stolen)to handle the offender.
Mas Ayoob still has the hot hand on the legal implications of civilian self defense (and such). Additionally, The Law of Self Defense (book or seminars) are becoming solid references.
Stay alert,
KYPD
There's a ton of hit and run convicted drivers sitting in jail today that should have used your defense..........LOL!
Good points.
Okay, thank you for your insight.
BTW, I don’t know the meaning of your acronym TTP.
Tactics Techniques and Procedures
Cheers
KYPD
Okay, thanks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.