Houston man with (LTC) stopped an armed robbery

[matefrio]

Doubt I'd have done the same.


http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016...n-owner-stops-armed-auto-parts-store-robbery/

The gun owner, who is legally licensed to carry a handgun drew his weapon and entered the store as the would-be robbers were demanding cash from the store employees. He demanded the three suspects drop their weapons and get down on the ground.
He then held the suspects at gunpoint while Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the scene. When the deputies arrived they took the three failed robbery suspects into custody.

 

[busykngt]

Glad it worked out for him... could have gone a lot differently. Kinda thinking I would've simply slipped back to my car & called 911 (assuming no overt violence was occurring).

 

[locke_n_load]

1. Nice job.
2. If it were me, and I decided to stop them, I wouldn't go in and yell orders. I would walk in and shoot first since I still have the element of surprise. Probably still wouldn't take 3-vs-1 odds with just my sidearm, even with the element of surprise.
3.

KHOU stated the deputies praised the LTC licensee for his actions in stopping the robbery before anyone was hurt. Deputies said they do not; however, recommend that people take this action as it could cause a shootout and someone could get hurt.

After seeing so many news stories with "armed citizen stops bad guy, cops praise but ask other armed citizens not to do that" makes me think that it is just the standard response for liability reasons. Although this particular case really could have turned into a shootout.

 

[Maverick44]

1. Nice job.
2. If it were me, and I decided to stop them, I wouldn't go in and yell orders. I would walk in and shoot first since I still have the element of surprise. Probably still wouldn't take 3-vs-1 odds with just my sidearm, even with the element of surprise.
3.
After seeing so many news stories with "armed citizen stops bad guy, cops praise but ask other armed citizens not to do that" makes me think that it is just the standard response for liability reasons. Although this particular case really could have turned into a shootout.

I think it is mainly just a liability issue, and may also be a precaution to stop any wackos from thinking they can go play Batman. Most cops don't seem to have a problem with citizens protecting each other..

 

[matefrio]

I'd get to a safe location, call 911, then proceed to be a good witness.

I'm too valuable to my family.

My handgun isn't a get into trouble device.

I doubt even LEOs would have entered the situation unless it was an active shoot.

The guy may have seen three but what if there were 4 or 5? One in the get away car and another in the back acting like a customer armed and willing to shoot anyone bothering to assist.

 

[texas skeeter]

I'd get to a safe location, call 911, then proceed to be a good witness.

I'm too valuable to my family.

My handgun isn't a get into trouble device.

I doubt even LEOs would have entered the situation unless it was an active shoot.

The guy may have seen three but what if there were 4 or 5? One in the get away car and another in the back acting like a customer armed and willing to shoot anyone bothering to assist.

I agree. Unless shots were being fired at the innocent victims I'd just witness from safe location on phone with 911. I have my Family to look after and getting shot in a Convienence store hold up wouldn't do them any good.

 

[Vec]

if im just pulling in and see that happening thru the window, I would find another auto parts store to get my xmas tree airfreshner

 

[9uc]

Got to admit that this incident does make me question the "what if". I prefer to think on the positive, he well may have saved the lives of many as too many of these misfits want to kill just for the sake of the thrill. Second thought, think I would have done the same and Pray that my thought are righteous.

 

[grubby72]

The parking lot to that store is only accessible from the larger (center) parking lot. It is bounded by bushes in front and wraps around the building toward the rear of the store. Get-away car access wouldn't be easy. I suspect they walked in.

I would have made the 911 call and taken in as much info as I could. I would have been nervous about going in as anyone entering the store would have been very visible to the robbers.

I went to the store and checked my remote as I'd been having trouble with door lock activation. I came out of the store and was asked by anther driver if I'd give him a boost as his battery was dead. I thought it a bit odd that he was asking for a boost when he was parked in front of an auto parts store but decided to go ahead and help him. We got his car started and he left.

I sat there a couple of minutes attempting to reprogram my remote along with the new one I'd just bought. We (wife was with me) left the store and drove around the end of the building and decided to cross behind the building and go the Jack-n-the-box on the opposite end of the building. We were there about 20-30 minutes and went on home. I heard about the robbery the next morning on the radio.

The time stamp on my receipt was: 20:39! Whew!

 

[Morbidrealities]

I'm not the world's police. Get information if possible and call the police. As long as no one is being hurt, I'm not jeopardizing the future of my family. Sounds crass and selfish, but *shrug* I'm more important to them alive than dead.

 

[Fyrbyrd80]

I'd get to a safe location, call 911, then proceed to be a good witness.

I'm too valuable to my family.

My handgun isn't a get into trouble device.

I doubt even LEOs would have entered the situation unless it was an active shoot.

The guy may have seen three but what if there were 4 or 5? One in the get away car and another in the back acting like a customer armed and willing to shoot anyone bothering to assist.

I'm not the world's police. Get information if possible and call the police. As long as no one is being hurt, I'm not jeopardizing the future of my family. Sounds crass and selfish, but *shrug* I'm more important to them alive than dead.

This would be my game plan. I'd rather be a good witness than sitting in a cell or box.

 

[Charlie]

Call in an airstrike! Nuke 'em all!

 

[Kar98]

The gun owner, who is legally licensed to carry a handgun drew his weapon and entered the store as the would-be robbers were demanding cash from the store employees.

Hell to the no. Me in that story: "The gun owner, who is legally licensed to carry a handgun, cast a quick glance around to verify the presence or absence of any accomplices in the vicinity, then hightailed it out of there like nobody's business, and called the cops from a safe, but rapidly increasing distance."

 

[A & P]

All lives are precious. However, sometimes the robbery ends with the clerks being murdered. "No witnesses". In Tomball, some guys just pulled a lady over and shot her for no reason at all. Last week during a jewelry store robbery at the Woodlands Mall, the thieves hit a "good Samaritan" in the face with a hammer.

It seems best for self-preservation to not intervene. Especially when you're outnumbered. Tactically smart.

However, strategically, I think a lot of this is happening because there is no resistance or consequence. It's almost penny wise and pound foolish, or selfish, to not intervene. You're being mugged or raped. Does everyone just walk by and say "I aint getting involved...my family needs me too much." Next thing you know we are Chicago or Juarez. Bad guys just run rampant because nobody is stopping them.

A CHL/LTC doesn't make you a cop, but supposedly cops don't carry guns to protect you anyway. They carry them to protect themselves. So to that point it's almost an irrelevant argument. Likewise, there is a reason the Penal Code includes "defense of a third person" guidance.

In the end, I guess we are all wired differently. Would you stop to help someone change a tire on the side of the road, even if it made you late to work? What about late to your son's football game. Would you stop to help a lost child find their parents, or is it not your problem? Would you be a witness in the robbery if you thought the perps were gang members or would you say "I didn't see nuthin!" Would you give a stranger in front of you a dollar if they were short money in line at the grocery store? Are you the person who breaks up fights or do you get your cell phone out to video it to post it to Youtube or Facebook? Seems like everyone has different lines drawn about when and how to get involved (or not). Cops say policing in high crime areas is hindered by the "say nothing" mentality. Kind of ironic. Saying something might make the neighborhood safer.

We don't know until we're in those situations, of course. Joe Horn felt the need to confront the people stealing from his neighbors house. Zimmerman felt the need to follow Trevon through the neighborhood. That CHL holder probably prevented many future crimes that may have ended violently including your house being broken in or you being robbed by these guys.

All things equal, I think we stand stronger together as a community. We outnumber the turds. But not if we are divided. We need more activism in my opinion and less tolerance of the criminality. More unity and less self-centeredness. More wars are won charging into battle than running from your enemies. "French rifle for sale: never fired; only dropped once" comes to mind.

But I won't judge anyone for thinking differently. It may be the toughest decision you'll ever make if faced with the option.

 

[TX69]

1. Nice job.
2. If it were me, and I decided to stop them, I wouldn't go in and yell orders. I would walk in and shoot first since I still have the element of surprise. Probably still wouldn't take 3-vs-1 odds with just my sidearm, even with the element of surprise.
3.
After seeing so many news stories with "armed citizen stops bad guy, cops praise but ask other armed citizens not to do that" makes me think that it is just the standard response for liability reasons. Although this particular case really could have turned into a shootout.

Yup. If the police just happen to show up or are in the area and said good guy is in the action of doing his good deed and the cops murder the good guy they did tell the public not to do this type of stuff.