to be clear and to agree with above posters, you or I do not have to fire, but If I pull it should be with the intent to as necessary.....NOT under any circumstances to scare, deescalate or anything else.
Agreed! But, the scumbag better be quicker to show his/her intent to back off, then you are with pulling and firing.
If I pull and the man with the knife gets scared as I'm aiming and turns and starts to run away I'm not going to shoot the guy in the back. At this point I am no longer in harms way and my life is not in danger so there is no reason for me to take this mans life no mater what he may have planned on doing before.
So what you guys and ssgrock3 are saying is that I originally had the intent to shoot him (not to scare) so it's ok, right?
Right, and rest assurred that its the scumbag's responsibility to de escalate/neutralize the situation once he gives due cause for FFL/GBH.
If a reasonable person would believe you to have justifiable cause to pull, then the scumbag better be faster, to show his retreat, than you are to pull and fire.
Pulling and firing to me is ONE action, not TWO autonomous actions. To me there is no such thing as pulling alone. For this reason, is why I make for DAM SURE that FFL/GBH is firmly established before I P&F
Again, IMHO, IF you pull and said scumbag has ample time to decide whether or not to continue the attack, then it nots justifiable.