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Decisiveness Matters in a Deadly Force Situation

So true, so very true. I remember when I took my “concealed handgun permit” course in Texas, those that passed the course, 4 out of 9 who took the course passed, the 5 who failed; failed in the shooting portion. 1 guy failed without shooting one round when he was told to leave after pointing his loaded gun at the instructor, but that’s another story for another day. Those that passed me included got an hour with a retired FBI agent who talked to use about our-
Stance.
Trigger discipline.
Identifying multiple targets, “basically who to shoot first”
And hesitation. in other words. DON’T.
The basic premise is don’t worry about taking the 1st shot, to many people hesitate thinking they need to be fired upon before they can shoot. If someone breaks into your house and presents to be carrying a deadly weapon, gun or knife and moves in your direction in a aggressive manner, shoot them.
 
If someone breaks into my house with us at home, I assume they mean to do me deadly harm. The law in my state basically says the same thing, for which I am thankful. I don't think one would have time in the heat of the moment to decide whether or not they had a gun or knife or ball bat, especially at night. My main objective would be to make sure they were not someone I know or a family member, then order them to stop. If they didn't, then the outcome would be on their head.
 
So true, so very true. I remember when I took my “concealed handgun permit” course in Texas, those that passed the course, 4 out of 9 who took the course passed, the 5 who failed; failed in the shooting portion. 1 guy failed without shooting one round when he was told to leave after pointing his loaded gun at the instructor, but that’s another story for another day. Those that passed me included got an hour with a retired FBI agent who talked to use about our-
Stance.
Trigger discipline.
Identifying multiple targets, “basically who to shoot first”
And hesitation. in other words. DON’T.
The basic premise is don’t worry about taking the 1st shot, to many people hesitate thinking they need to be fired upon before they can shoot. If someone breaks into your house and presents to be carrying a deadly weapon, gun or knife and moves in your direction in a aggressive manner, shoot them.

If someone breaks into my house I really don’t care if or what they’re carrying.
 
So true, so very true. I remember when I took my “concealed handgun permit” course in Texas, those that passed the course, 4 out of 9 who took the course passed, the 5 who failed; failed in the shooting portion. 1 guy failed without shooting one round when he was told to leave after pointing his loaded gun at the instructor, but that’s another story for another day. Those that passed me included got an hour with a retired FBI agent who talked to use about our-
Stance.
Trigger discipline.
Identifying multiple targets, “basically who to shoot first”
And hesitation. in other words. DON’T.
The basic premise is don’t worry about taking the 1st shot, to many people hesitate thinking they need to be fired upon before they can shoot. If someone breaks into your house and presents to be carrying a deadly weapon, gun or knife and moves in your direction in a aggressive manner, shoot them.
Not meaning to hijack the thread, but a few months ago I took the enhanced concealed carry class here in Arkansas. 13 people in my class....TWO of which brought a firearm to the class.....Let that sink in. Myself and one other student were the only ones who brought their firearm to use......I was dumbfounded as was the instructor. This wasn't for a basic CCL class, it was the enhanced class.....it said right on the class ad that you'd need 50 rounds of ammo x 2 in case you failed the first time you could try one additional time. So, to make matters worse, the instructor let them use his personal .22 caliber pistol. He said usually at least one person forgets to bring their weapon, but eleven people out of thirteen?? Anyway, he had his assistant go buy some .22 ammo so he'd have enough. Both of us that brought our own handguns went 50/50 and each of us got applause from the other students when we finished......The shooting part was not hard if you actually go out and shoot every once in a while. I was just dumb struck that these people are already licensed to carry a handgun in my state, much less that they were going for their ENHANCED CONCEALED CARRY LICENSE..LOL. I didn't even stay to watch them, just got my pass certificate and left before one of them had an accidental discharge or some other catastrophe.
 
If someone breaks in. I actually may look for a weapon and that maybe a bad decision as it may take time. I really have no issue with shooting there ass off but just want to be sure of my move. Is that bad
 
The following is strictly my opinion and I do not expect everyone to agree with me. I am not a big fan of law enforcement personnel giving advice on deadly force situations. In my experience, those officers who are quickest to give advice on the subject are the ones who have never had to use deadly force, and officers who have used deadly force are hesitant to speak about it. It is called "self" defense for a reason. The choice of when to use deadly force is an individual one, that can never be taken back. No one should rush into it simply because they have always heard that, "hesitation will get you killed".
When an officer is attacked, it is not typically personal. Officers generally have no prior relationship with the subject, and can be reasonably certain that someone putting them in a deadly force situation has every intention of harming them or innocent third parties. Not counting instances of robbery (during which you can always assume the offender is willing to harm you), most homicides involve people who have some sort of personal relationship with each other. The decision to use deadly force against a mentally ill or intoxicated stranger who is threatening you is much easier to make than the decision to use deadly force against a loved one who is having a similar episode, despite the fact that the family member is statistically much more likely to actually harm you. We all imagine that the burglar you find in your home will be a rapist who has recently escaped from prison, while almost completely ignoring the chances that it will be the neighborhood kid you coached in little league who has grown up to develop a serious drug habit. Deadly force may well be justified in each situation, but one makes for a much easier decision.
I believe that people would be better served by becoming proficient enough with their weapon that they can quickly and effectively defend themselves once they have made the decision to do so. Learning to properly utilize distance, angles, and cover can be just as important as honing your willingness to shoot someone. I would advise everyone to train to the point where they are able to use deadly force on their own terms, rather than just going with advice from a magazine article.
 
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