[red][size=5][b]Way to go TopCrest!!!![/red][/size=5][/b]

It's a crying shame that the media won't run the story, you're a hero to that woman & you (and the gun community) deserve the spotlight!!!

ColtShorty

GOA KABA COA JPFO SAF NRA

"I won't be wronged,  I won't be insulted
and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do
these things to other people and I require
the same from them."

I think you you did a great thing, it certainly takes a lot more cojones to get involve in such a proactive way than to walk away, but you could make it better.

Anytime anyone ends up using a firearm to dissuade a POS from beating the tar out of a woman, or for any other reason, the user should be one of the first to call the police. I'll bet this might have saved you the trouble of being in the car for an hour in cuffs. If a call comes in for "man with a gun/dispute, complaintant states yelling in parking lot and man with a rifle" it bodes poorly for everyone on two legs at the scene.

If a call came from you, LE would have a better picture of what is going in. You'd get to give a quick version of your side, a description of the perp and direction/method of flight, and more importantly a description of yourself so that there are no tragic mistakes. State you used a weapon, state where it is now. Even with all the info the LE's still have a high index of suspicion of everyone at the scene anywys, but this info would greatly work in your favor.

Sherm
 

Way to go!!!!!

NH2112, There are instances on this board where people (CHL/CCW) say the police disarmed them at a traffice stop or during another routine contact. I don't agree with that. I don't think that is neccesary. I have also had conversations with armed hunters, either in the field or when they were driving to/from hunting. I don't see the need to disarm them. Again it is dependent on the reason for the contact and how the person that is armed is acting.

Having said that more commonly, since WI is not a CHL state. I deal with people with knives on them. It runs the gaumut from swiss army knives to rambo knives. Again depending on the contact makes a difference how this is handled.

1) leave 'em be.
2) from a distance ask them to put down the knife.
3) Tell the not to move and remove the knife or do it w/o telling them so that by the time the realize I'm going after their knife I have it.
4) Have them put their hands on their head while I disarm them.
5) At gunpoint secure them (handcuff) and remove the knife.

I have used all the most common are probably 1+4. I recently used #5, because there was another guy with a stab wound saying Mr XYZ did it. So Mr. XYZ was secured at gun point.

A gun is a little more problematic than a knife the effective range is greater, and no matter the skill of the user the bullet has the same force. Knives are much more user dependent for effect. I wouldn't have anyone that has a holstered or cased weapon pick up a weapon. That makes it to easy to use.

Handcuffs are restraint devices. I am not responsible for your lack of knowledge. Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it is an invalid tactic or use of handcuffs.

Handcuffing was apropriate for this incident, and I'm not the only one that says so. There are cops, and there are a whole range of other people form hard core criminals to people having the worst day of their life making bad decisions to people who would never commit a crime or harm another person. The cops have to work with the information they have, at the time, and respond apropriatley.

What makes you think that just because a person allows themselves to be "disarmed" they don't have other weapons??  

NH2112, Try this:

Dashboard cam of a traffic stop.
SCHP Trooper stops a car with Georgia plates, for expired plates. For whatever reason the trooper has the driver, sole occupant of vehicle get out of the vhicle.

The trooper is like 6'2" 225 former USMC, and played college football. He is wearing a vest and is carrying a .357 revolver loaded with .38 special +P hollowpoints. (I have no idea why they didn't have real .357 ammo)

The driver is 5'10" 300 lbs, mostly around the middle. The is wearing blue jeans and a untucked shirt. He is "yes, sir, no, sir" the whole time with the trooper. He is at least 5-10 years older than the trooper. He has a valid DL and NO CRIMINAL HISTORY.

The trooper talks with the guy for a while and issues a written warning for the registration. The trooper asks the guy for a consent search and the guy agrees. The trooper is polite and effecient during the contact.

The trooper begins to search the guy. The guy keeps kinda moving around. When the trooper gets to the guys waist the guy tries to push the trooper away. He then grabs a small .22 revolver that was totally hidden the entire time he was talking with the trooper.

The trooper and the driver begin wrestling as the trooper is trying to control the wrsit that the guy has the gun in at the same time the trooper is drawing his gun and the guy is trying to push it away. The driver shoots at the trooper twice. The trooper shoots at the driver 5 times. All shots are at or near contact range.

The driver is hit multiple times, no serious injuries. The trooper is hit once the bullet goes in his underarm (missing his vest) and hits his aorta.

The trooper is barely able to use his radio to call for help. within 1 minute he is unconcious and bleeding to death internally. First responding officers/emt's can't even find the wound because it is so small. The trooper dies within 5 minutes of being shot. The driver is walking around, and about to leave as a second trooper shows up.

The second trooper isn't sure what is going on but he know the other trooper called for help and is now down for unknown reasons. The second trooper holds the suspect at gunpoint along with 2 truckers that stopped. When more help arrives all 3 are handcuffed.

I relate this story because:
1) life is delicate, and easily lost.
2) the better man doesn't always win.
3) Just because one person has an advantage over another it doesn't mean that the "underdog" won't fight, and fight with deadly results.
4) Polite people are just polite, they can still be dangerous.
5) People with no criminal history can still kill you.
6) The second trooper didn't know what was going on, but knew it was bad. He controlled the situation until it could be carefully examined.

Great going TC!
Good story...you are a good guy!
VonFatman

Reminds me of the story of the guy kicking the holy bejeezus outta some girl at an intersection in downtown Phoenix.  My buddy jumps outta his car and pulls his HK VP70 (this was a few years back) and orders perp off the girl.  Perp puts hands up and backs off.  Girl then gets up and freaks out at my buddy for pulling a piece on "boyfriend."  My buddy backs up, shrugs, gets in his car and leaves.

You never can tell . . .

Anyway TopCrest, at least your story didn't go quite like *that* one.  Congrats.

TC--

Congrats to handling the entire episode the way you did, absolutely exceptional.

OLY--

Swiss Army Knives are illegal to carry now?

Good job!
[):)]

No, but ask Nicole Brown-Simpson or Ron Goldman If they are dangerous weapons. Again it is the behavior of the person carrying it. A drunk driver that is belligerant probably doesn't need a knife...............at least for a bit while people are talking with him.

That was also why I said option #1 let'em be. Most people consider pocket knives "tools" and wouldn't ever use them or threaten to use them as a weapon.