When Do You ACT?: Let's Take A Look
By Gregory Kielma
The Question: If I legally open carry a firearm and someone is robbing a store I'm in, can I draw the weapon if the robber has a knife? If no shots are fired, is this legal?
If I legally open carry a firearm and someone is robbing a store I'm in, can I draw the weapon if the robber has a knife? If no shots are fired, is this legal?
Note: You do not have an obligation to interfere, nor do you have a clear right to do so.
As much as I would applaud your sentiment, the legality of the situation depends on where you live (or where the store is located). The basic rule for all gun owners is that you cannot use lethal force unless you are in imminent danger.
Preventing an armed robbery by intimidation is probably inside the law. Shooting the guy or even discharging your weapon is very murky in many jurisdictions. The idea of a proportionate response is the question.
Send a signal. Clearly armed and ready to interfere may be enough. I doubt that a knife-wielding miscreant wants to take you on.
No draw. No point. No shot. No blood. No law enforcement. No lawyer. No charges. No problem
Statistics suggest that 90% of all possible encounters end as soon as a defensive weapon of any kind is shown. It is difficult to be detached, unbiased, and objective in this atmosphere. Most gun owners agree that the gun at hand when needed is far better than not having one when the need arises. The chances of individual citizens getting into a lengthy gun battle in self-defense situations are incredibly small in any case. It has been shown that two shots usually resolve the issue one way or another.