And that is exactly how it should happen, but rarely does.
Every time I encountered a civilian with a gun on a call (good guy) there was no prior knowledge of their presence. I had one guy prowling his neighbor’s yard because he thought he saw something. His wife called it in and never mentioned her husband was outside with a long gun.
Did an entry and found an elderly lady sitting in a chair with a .380 in her hands. She wasn’t aware her grandson dealt drugs out of her house.
And the one that still haunts me is a college kid and his buddies running around our downtown at 3am with paintball guns. This, prior to the requirement that the tips be painted orange. Someone called it in and the kid came running around the corner with a very realistic looking 1911 replica.
Would I have been justified in shooting any of these civilians...probably. But instinct and time in the district said these were no-shoot scenarios. Fortunately, no one got hurt.
I commend your actions on the scenario your related. Judging by some of the comments on this thread, I don’t think many would have the presence of mind to make sure ALL the information was relayed to the responding crew. I make no judgement about any of the shootings between cops and civilians. I wasn’t there so I don’t judge. But some of the broad brush comments I’ve read make me take pause in how many are actually “mature” enough to handle a firearm. We have enough “bad actors” in the law enforcement community. We certainly don’t need the “John Wayne” types attempting to do our job.
YOU are just as much a civilian as those you purportedly serve. You are just another CITIZEN, albeit one entrusted BY YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS in the enforcement of laws enacted by our representatives.
Unless you are wearing a MILITARY uniform, you have no distinction from others vis-a-vis "civilian-citizen". A police/peace officer is just another citizen. The term civilian is reserved to separate MILITARY from non-military.
Patting yourself on the back for not shooting innocent citizens in situation were you were in no danger but brag that you would have been "justified" in doing so.
Do you think any citizen not wearing the magic blue uniform would have been "justified" in murdering those innocent people?
Or are there two standards for what is a justified shoot?