[Niteranger68]

"The lesson?... and shoot to kill."

NO

To stop the threat.

Exactly. Killing the bad guy may be a consequence of stopping the threat, but it should never be the main objective. The very first words you say to an officer (or 911 dispatcher) after something like this are the most important words you may ever speak. LEO's are there to collect evidence and document what happened. Saying "I was shooting to kill the guy" will not help you at trial.

[NonValueAdded]

Point taken. It may well be one in the same since we’re talking a center mass shot but the word choice will make a difference - in the court room.

[ccmay]

The very first words you say to an officer (or 911 dispatcher) after something like this are the most important words you may ever speak. LEO's are there to collect evidence and document what happened. Saying "I was shooting to kill the guy" will not help you at trial.

You want to say something like "He gave me no choice! I was sure he was about to kill me. I had to stop him!" Then you say "I want a lawyer." And then you shut up.

And if you can't say these things with a clear conscience, you have no business pulling the trigger.

-ccm