Recent defensive-gun-use news tells the tragic tale of two men who became victims of an incident in a Circle A Food Store parking lot. It is not our intent to make a judgment as to who was right or who was wrong in the situation; the courts have accomplished that. Yet when you step back and review the facts and dig deeper into the actions of all involved, you might come away with a lesson or two that could prevent future tragedies.
There were very little facts in this case. There was an instigator, who apparently had a “hot temper” and there was someone who came in on the “back end” of a apparent verbal altercation. I most certainly would have done the same thing if someone was in the window of my significant other berating them. I agree, this could’ve been handled differently. It is just a parking spot. Yes, it is designated as a handicap spot and I’ve experience this first hand (my son is wheel chain bound). NEVER have I stepped out of my car and approached an individual over a parking space. I just take a deep breathe and remind myself that I am conceal carrying and the last thing I want is unnecessary attention drawn on me.
Thanks for an informative piece. Good job. As I retired federal LEO I can assert I would have arrested the shooter on the spot and he probably would be convicted just about anywhere in the States. His response was not proportionate to the threat. I’ve seen so many people get in trouble with guns because they don’t know or can’t process the subtleties of the five case factors you cite.