How would you use your gun?

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If you own or carry do you think you would use your weapon for your and your families protection only, or would you also use it to intervene in a crime being committed?
 
I think you need to clarify what you mean by 'intervene in a crime being committed'.

Unless you are an off-duty LEO, using your own weapon to prevent a crime happening to someone else isn't the legal purpose of carrying it, right?
 
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Unless you are an off-duty LEO, using your own weapon to prevent a crime happening to someone else isn't the legal purpose of carrying it, right?

I think you need to clarify what you mean by 'intervene in a crime being committed'.


Citizens are allowed to arrest people committing felonies. Say you observed someone breaking into a house, a rape, a robbery, someone else's life is in danger etc..
 
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Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
I think you need to clarify what you mean by 'intervene in a crime being committed'.

Unless you are an off-duty LEO, using your own weapon to prevent a crime happening to someone else isn't the legal purpose of carrying it, right?


Ditto. I do believe one has to believe someone else's life is in immanent danger. Anything less.. not justified.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Citizens are allowed to arrest people committing felonies. Say you observed someone breaking into a house, a rape, a robbery etc..


Rape, sure: that is injury to someone else, with possibility of death. Breaking and entering? How do you know it's B&E? and not someone who lost their key and was going to replace that door anyhow? (and was having a bad day--one which you're about to make worse?).

You better be sure of what you're walking into. And willing to live with the consequences of reading it wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: supton



You better be sure of what you're walking into. And willing to live with the consequences of reading it wrong.


Remember that using it and having to discharge it are two different things. You could hold someone with it until the police arrive.
 
If you take a decent CPL class in Michigan you would not have to ask.
Only in the case of imminent death or serious physical harm.
Don't get involved for any other reason especially a simple loss of property.
Our instructor used a scenario of the guy coming out of your garage rolling the wheels from your car, you yell at him and he keeps on trucking, call 911 leave your gun in the holster and wait, your not the law and you don't pull a gun and arrest people. If the guy drops your wheels and comes at you with a deadly weapon that is the time to act.
 
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Sadly, with the legal system becoming what it has evolved into today, it's a difficult enough of a decision to engage to protect your own life and family. Let alone trying to become the hero or good Samaritan trying to do it to save someone else. That might seem a bit selfish, but it's realistic in today's destructive, and expensive legal world.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Unless you are an off-duty LEO, using your own weapon to prevent a crime happening to someone else isn't the legal purpose of carrying it, right?

I think you need to clarify what you mean by 'intervene in a crime being committed'.


Citizens are allowed to arrest people committing felonies. Say you observed someone breaking into a house, a rape, a robbery, someone else's life is in danger etc..


If that's your immediate instinct, I'd suggest becoming a LEO

I hear they're always hiring
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
If that's your immediate instinct, I'd suggest becoming a LEO

I hear they're always hiring

I thought the OP used to be a LEO.
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Unless you are an off-duty LEO, using your own weapon to prevent a crime happening to someone else isn't the legal purpose of carrying it, right?

I think you need to clarify what you mean by 'intervene in a crime being committed'.


Citizens are allowed to arrest people committing felonies. Say you observed someone breaking into a house, a rape, a robbery, someone else's life is in danger etc..


If that's your immediate instinct, I'd suggest becoming a LEO

I hear they're always hiring

I don't think he is wrong though. I don't know that I could stand by and watch my neighbor's house get broken into.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
If you take a decent CPL class in Michigan you would not have to ask.
Only in the case of imminent death or serious physical harm.
Don't get involved for any other reason especially a simple loss of property.
Our instructor used a scenario of the guy coming out of your garage rolling the wheels from your car, you yell at him and he keeps on trucking, call 911 leave your gun in the holster and wait, your not the law and you don't pull a gun and arrest people. If the guy drops your wheels and comes at you with a deadly weapon that is the time to act.


Once again the mere threat of use of the firearm may stop the crime. Discharging it would be a step further.
 
If you see your neighbors house being broken into and you go over there and intervene with a gun you are going to be in some serious trouble
That is merely a property crime and you are now the one that has escalated things into a deadly force situation.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
If you take a decent CPL class in Michigan you would not have to ask.
Only in the case of imminent death or serious physical harm.
Don't get involved for any other reason especially a simple loss of property.
Our instructor used a scenario of the guy coming out of your garage rolling the wheels from your car, you yell at him and he keeps on trucking, call 911 leave your gun in the holster and wait, your not the law and you don't pull a gun and arrest people. If the guy drops your wheels and comes at you with a deadly weapon that is the time to act.


But that really isn't the law but is erring on the side of caution.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(gdvdp0hrzmmh4x1hz4ty2b5p))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectName=mcl-764-16
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Originally Posted By: bradepb
If you take a decent CPL class in Michigan you would not have to ask.
Only in the case of imminent death or serious physical harm.
Don't get involved for any other reason especially a simple loss of property.
Our instructor used a scenario of the guy coming out of your garage rolling the wheels from your car, you yell at him and he keeps on trucking, call 911 leave your gun in the holster and wait, your not the law and you don't pull a gun and arrest people. If the guy drops your wheels and comes at you with a deadly weapon that is the time to act.


Once again the mere threat of use of the firearm may stop the crime. Discharging it would be a step further.


The threat of using a firearm or warning shots or anything like that is a big no-no, I really suggest talking to a good criminal attoney.
 
I carry my weapon and intend to use it as a means of escape, if necessary.

I am not law enforcement, and I am no longer military.

If you plan to use your weapon to "intervene" I urge you to STOP carrying.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
If you see your neighbors house being broken into and you go over there and intervene with a gun you are going to be in some serious trouble
That is merely a property crime and you are now the one that has escalated things into a deadly force situation.


But breaking into a house is a felony. It is only a deadly force issue if made into one. It means discipline.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I carry my weapon and intend to use it as a means of escape, if necessary.

I am not law enforcement, and I am no longer military.

If you plan to use your weapon to "intervene" I urge you to STOP carrying.


So you would not try to stop any serious crimes in progress you might observe that may save lives or stop a dangerous criminal from committing again?
 
Originally Posted By: billt460
Sadly, with the legal system becoming what it has evolved into today, it's a difficult enough of a decision to engage to protect your own life and family. Let alone trying to become the hero or good Samaritan trying to do it to save someone else. That might seem a bit selfish, but it's realistic in today's destructive, and expensive legal world.


Agree, and that is pounded into your head at any good CPL class.
 
The reason I asked this is an article I read. If the Good Man with a gun doesn't use it to stop the bad man, a huge advantage is lost.
 
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