[Born to Conserve]

Police aren’t supposed to shoot to kill, they’re supposed to shoot to incapacitate. The truth is, you have to shoot more destructively to incapacitate than you do to kill.

That being said, I’ve come to distrust all employees of the government, and I fear for my life when I have to deal with armed ones. They are not on our side.

[blu]

When a person is wounded, there is an adrenaline charge through their system. Sometimes, they don't even know they've been shot until their system settles down. So, shooting for center mass is really shooting to STOP. Eliminate the threat.

If bad guy has gun, and I shoot him in the leg, he can still shoot me. If bad guy is chasing me up the stairs and I shoot him in the arm, he's still coming. Heck, even if I shoot him in the leg, chances are good that he's still coming, gun or no gun.

If you own a gun for self-defense, you have to realize that once you've unholstered your weapon, you aim for center mass, to stop the threat. It takes awhile (hopefully) for people to make that “shoot to kill/stop” mental mindset. I surely hope that everyone who carries has made that decision. And then prays every day that they don't have to unholster their gun.

[ctdonath2]

Those two “supposed to”s overlap - a lot. Do one, you’re likely to get the other.

[EricT.]

That being said, I’ve come to distrust all employees of the government, and I fear for my life when I have to deal with armed ones

I am of the same opinion.