Why I Carry a Gun

[DRC458]

It was a very very weird and tumultuous time. I had a co-worker from Dallas helping me for a week. He was visiting my home for supper.
He did some bad things with my 14 year old daughter while I was in the back yard cooking steaks. My wife came out to me and explained some things and said she wanted him gone! I finally found out what happened, called 911, told them I would be making a citizen's arrest and have the guy in cuffs waiting on them. I confronted him and he actually owned up to what he did! Wife didn't want him in the house. I was professional, and kept my cool which was hard as hell! I so wanted to bounce him off the walls and such but I didn't want to sully the arrest. It took OCPD 45 minutes to get there.

The detective working the case called me the next day. I and my daughter went in for interviews. He was charged and spent 15 years because we did it the right way.

Nope. Sorry. I couldn't have done it the way you did. I'm so sorry all of you had to go through this, and I applaud you for handling it the way you did. I daresay not many men could have done that. I think of my daughter when she was 14. I pray your daughter has recovered well.

 

[PJM]

Hat's off to you Snattlerake. I have firearms because primarily it is the defense of my family that comes first. The defense of our rights comes next. I love to shoot so I have a variety of weapons and they all have unique attributes. As to whether or not I could kill another human being, I sincerely pray that I NEVER have to find out. But know this, because of what I have learned though out my life, when and if I have to face that horrible decision, I will do it with my heart, and I pray that I will also do it with the calmness and restraint that Snattlerake showed. Use the amount of force necessary and only that. My thought process however is if I have to remove my sidearm from its holster, I am in a situation which has already deemed itself a life and death situation and once out of the holster there is only one outcome left.

 

[Snattlerake]

I didn't mean to derail this thread. It is an example of the escalation of force as there was no resistance I just didn't feel right sitting in my lawnchair with the guy until the cops arrived. He didn't resist he was just ashamed of himself and for 45 minutes I heard begging and pleading which really unnerved me. I knew I was not going to harm him but he didn't. It's been so long now he's out and back in Texas having to register as a sex offender the rest of his life. I keep tabs on him just to check my six every now and then. I have had a good Christian upbringing and have been trained by some of the best. You have to keep your personal feelings out of it. The pain you inflict will only come back on you and does not make you feel better. I have seen this over and over. Like the tripping up the stairs in the above post.
It was wrong and he has regretted it all his life. When I take an oath, it's for life.

 

[Snattlerake]

Oh man, suddenly its not so hilarious anymore and I am sorry I said so above. You exercised a great deal of restraint, and like others, I don't know that I would have been able to. Yes, you did the right thing and I'm glad the perv is in jail. Again, @Snattlerake, I m sorry for my flippant comment. I hope he rots in there.
Damn, this shook me up, I HATE a child molester. I was a real good Marine; restraining violence was not our usual manner of doing things. I don't think I'd be a good LEO, where there are times it is necessary.

No worries mate. No harm no foul. You had no idea. Check your PM's

 

[PJM]

I didn't mean to derail this thread. It is an example of the escalation of force as there was no resistance I just didn't feel right sitting in my lawnchair with the guy until the cops arrived. He didn't resist he was just ashamed of himself and for 45 minutes I heard begging and pleading which really unnerved me. I knew I was not going to harm him but he didn't. It's been so long now he's out and back in Texas having to register as a sex offender the rest of his life. I keep tabs on him just to check my six every now and then. I have had a good Christian upbringing and have been trained by some of the best. You have to keep your personal feelings out of it. The pain you inflict will only come back on you and does not make you feel better. I have seen this over and over. Like the tripping up the stairs in the above post.
It was wrong and he has regretted it all his life. When I take an oath, it's for life.

I don't think that you derailed the thread. Your example of self control is something we all need to be reminded of once in a while. Remember that when we carry we quite literally carry the means to end a human life in our holster, belt, pocket. Yours was an excellent example of that premise and the application of the type of self control we need to have. All part of why we carry, no?

 

[Snattlerake]

Correct. When you carry you carry responsibility which weighs much more than the gun and every situation you are involved with is an armed situation because you brought it there.

This why I stress you be on condition yellow and are aware of your gun at all times and the awareness of people around it who could get to it.