Posted on 12/11/2014 6:29:08 AM PST by marktwain
I may have to start a new category: Warning shots that work. I have routinely advised students against "warning shots" with the usual caveats; the bullet has to go somewhere, innocents may be hit, and a round is wasted that you might need. Many, especially on the Internet have claimed that a warning shot may be considered as evidence that you were not serious. I think that is unlikely. There is at least one prosecutor who thinks that it shows restraint.
Gunfire has been used as a means of signaling and communications as long as there have been guns. A warning shot is essentially a means of communicating a deadly threat, without actually harming the person being warned.
In Las Vegas, there was an attempted robbery on the 4 December, 2014.
From ljreview.com:
According to reports, a family saw the robbery and followed the suspect. The father, who holds a concealed weapons permit, fired a shot into the air. This was enough to spook the suspect into dropping the cash register and fleeing.
Denise Wong: " I am sure that a lot of customers are very glad that guy had a gun on him last night."Second amendment supporters are winning the culture war. The police captured the suspect a couple of blocks from the dropped cash box.
it seems everytime I hear of a warning shot without an actual shooting, the person who fired the warning shot is arrested for firing a firearm inside the city limits
Many folks tout the benefit of racking a shotgun slide for creating fear in a perp.
I’d imagine that an unexpected gunshot creates about 100X more fear.
I believe in two warning shots at center mass.
I am glad this turned out okay, but that bullet landed SOMEPLACE. Firing a shot into the air in an urban area is dangerous. Maybe shooting into the ground (but with my luck I’d get a ricochet)?
Gravity rounds are always a bad idea.
‘A warning shot is essentially a means of communicating a deadly threat, without actually harming the person being warned.’
No, no it doesn’t. It communicates you’re unwilling to use deadly force. If you were you’d be firing into the perp not something else. Also you still own that projectile launched as a scare tactic. You can NEVER guarantee it doesn’t hit an innocent or something of value. There theres the danger of the perp using the time you consume for ‘warning’ against you by putting you out of the fight - he shoots you.
“I believe in two warning shots at center mass.”
I believe that in Florida, killing somebody fleeing the scene would be manslaughter. I would be afraid to fire if lives were not otherwise at stake. A prosecutor in Manatee prosecuted an old man who saved his neighbor from being beaten to death by firing a warning shot. The prosecutor kept him in court until the man was broke and lost his house and then dropped the case, saying, “Well, let that serve as a lesson.”
Seems so to me, I have a pump. But some knowledgeable people also say that in *some* tactical situations racking the slide gives away your position which can be a negative outweighing the intimidation factor.
That can be avoided by keeping a round in the chamber and leaving the safety on.
Seems so to me, I have a pump.
I've heard shotguns racking all my life and not once has it induced fear in me or anyone I know and I don't expect it will induce any fear in hardened criminals either. At best they will seek cover or concealment at worst you've given away your location.
“...a family saw the robbery and followed the suspect.”
I don’t know the make-up of said family but, hopefully, the CCW-holder didn’t really allow his wife and/or chilluns to tag along for the capture of the armed bandito.
Most times just showing a weapon does the trick as the average criminal preys on weakness.
In this kind of situation a warning shot was probably a good idea. Hard to have a gunfight with your hands full. Somebody kicking your door in not so much.
First rule of fire fight club, don’t give the other guy a fair fight.
The problem is to know whether he’s going for cover, help, another weapon, leaving for good or ??? You don’t know and neither does the second guessing prosecutor. The disparity is the police get wide latitude in situations like this but CCW holders don’t. That needs to be rectified so prosecutors have rules to follow in regard to what does/doesn’t get prosecuted.
Absolutely! To me, that “urban myth-legend-conventional wisdom” aside, a firearm needs to be READY, and that means round chambered.
It’s a Hollywood convention that I despise to always show a slide being racked one minute before the gunfight.
Like the FBI Agent/Detective/Spy goes around unchambered, and does it JUST before entering the scary warehouse.
Spare me.
That Florida “prosecutor” should have been strung up for saying and doing that. What a scumbag.
The problem I see with warning shots being legal is the issues it can cause in court. If I get into a situation where I only have time to pull my gun and defend myself by shooting the perp and killing him, it leaves a zealous prosecutor able to charge me.
Take the George Zimmerman case,suppose warning shots were legal in Florida at the time. Given how George was prosecuted does anyone doubt the state would have argued that George skipped the important step of warning Saint Trayvon he had a gun by firing a warning shot. I believe he would have been convicted at some level.
Is that bullet still up there?
[Video] Movies That Would be Ruined by Concealed Carriers: ATM (2012)
December 10 2014
Drawing & showing the weapon is warning enough. There may be a few occasions where a loud verbal warning would work along with the revealed and aimed weapon.
But if the perp doesn’t retreat and drop his weapon (if he has one) on seeing the weapon and the threat continues, there’s no time for a warning shot......
Jus’ my opinion.......everyone has one........
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.