Walking down the road...

2418 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE, Jun 19, 2009

reckless01

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2009

My wife and I walk every night about 3 miles around our neighborhood. This is outside of gated areas and on a main road. I have heard the kids yelling, and people making comments etc.. My concern is people throwing a bottle or some other potentially deadly object from a car. I am going to ask a few LEO buddies about it but it came to mind as we just returned from our walk. If someone struck you or your significant other with a hard possibly deadly object from a moving car would that constitute as deadly force? I mean there are variables that may lead it astray such as they are leaving offering up no more threat, but the fact remains that they have inflicted grave injuries to you, or your wife.

Just looking for your thoughts as a group!
:drinks

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Steve48

· #2 · Jun 11, 2009

If someone throws a bottle at you and hits you, I believe that's aggravated battery. However, if your question is whether you are allowed to respond with deadly force, my general answer would be no. Unless the attacker gives signs that he's ready to follow up with additional attacks, the threat is already over. Other than reporting the incident, I don't think there's much you can do.

Other than whip his butt, of course, assuming that you can get at him.

MPDC66

· #3 · Jun 11, 2009

Shooting at a fleeing car is a no no. The only time you can shoot at a moving vehicle is if it is moving toward you, IMHO. Spliting hairs about an ongoing felony, as in theft of the vehicle and the crime still being in progress is not a chance or move I'd want to make with the potential for collateral damage.

Buckley

· #4 · Jun 11, 2009

I would tend to agree with Steve48. If we are walking and someone drives by and throws a bottle at us (even if it hits one of us), I think the only thing I would do is identify the car, get the tag and call 911. He's driving away, afterall. My sidearm isn't going to have any effect.

reckless01

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jun 11, 2009

Those are the answers I was wanting to hear! Glad to see you guys know what you are talking about!:drinks

Mac45

· #6 · Jun 11, 2009

Once the attack is over and the perpetrator is leaving, any retaliation on your part places you in significant legal jeopardy. The only time that you are on reasonably solid legal ground, when shooting at a fleing vehicle, is if you are still under attack from the vehicle's occupants, such as a drive-by shooting incident. Get the tag number, and call police.

If I was in significant danger of physical attack while taking a walk around my neighborhood, I would seriously consider walking elsewhere.

Buckley

· #7 · Jun 11, 2009

Mac45 said:
Once the attack is over and the perpetrator is leaving, any retaliation on your part places you in significant legal jeopardy. The only time that you are on reasonably solid legal ground, when shooting at a fleing vehicle, is if you are still under attack from the vehicle's occupants, such as a drive-by shooting incident. Get the tag number, and call police.

If I was in significant danger of physical attack while taking a walk around my neighborhood, I would seriously consider walking elsewhere.

Or, if that fleeing car is dragging your : censored down the road.

reckless01

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 11, 2009

Mac45 said:
Once the attack is over and the perpetrator is leaving, any retaliation on your part places you in significant legal jeopardy. The only time that you are on reasonably solid legal ground, when shooting at a fleing vehicle, is if you are still under attack from the vehicle's occupants, such as a drive-by shooting incident. Get the tag number, and call police.

If I was in significant danger of physical attack while taking a walk around my neighborhood, I would seriously consider walking elsewhere.

My particular neighborhood is very safe! The issue is not the residents of our neighborhood but at times kids just being stupid. The thing that troubles me at times is how my cousin was struck in the face by a bottle one time while simply walking home from a friend's house. It messed him up for a long time! Some punks driving by thought he was a good target and tossed it out! He lives in a $300k+ gated community also, punk kids with wheels under them can travel far from the MHP! :drinks

Mac45

· #9 · Jun 11, 2009

Obviously, if you are concerned that someone throwing a bottle at you from a passing car is a real possibility, then it is not. The world is a dangerous place and you have to be aware of your surroundings constantly. Bad dogs, rambunctious kids and criminals all exist everywhere and have to be dealt with. The best way to have as trouble free an existence as possible is to train yourself to recognize trouble before you have to deal with it. Avoidance is sometimes much better than damage control.

Xbonz

· #10 · Jun 11, 2009

Mac45 said:
Obviously, if you are concerned that someone throwing a bottle at you from a passing car is a real possibility, then it is not. The world is a dangerous place and you have to be aware of your surroundings constantly. Bad dogs, rambunctious kids and criminals all exist everywhere and have to be dealt with. The best way to have as trouble free an existence as possible is to train yourself to recognize trouble before you have to deal with it. Avoidance is sometimes much better than damage control.

But not always as much fun:rolf:rolf

deadeyedick

· #11 · Jun 11, 2009

Perhaps you should carry an "Alley Apple" or a wrist rocket and some steel ball bearings; that way you can 'get even' without resorting to using deadly force. If they turn around and come back after you at that point, then it's on cuz! :ak

reckless01

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jun 11, 2009

Mac45 said:
Obviously, if you are concerned that someone throwing a bottle at you from a passing car is a real possibility, then it is not. The world is a dangerous place and you have to be aware of your surroundings constantly. Bad dogs, rambunctious kids and criminals all exist everywhere and have to be dealt with. The best way to have as trouble free an existence as possible is to train yourself to recognize trouble before you have to deal with it. Avoidance is sometimes much better than damage control.

It was a scenario, I was just using that example for conversation! :drinks

Cthulhu

· #13 · Jun 11, 2009

As others have said, if the bottle is thrown and the car keeps going, the most you can do is ID the car and remember the plate.

But if the car suddenly swings around and comes back at you...

-JT

brownie

· #14 · Jun 11, 2009

If I can get the plate number, we'll see each other again, but on my terms the second time around

Brownie

Cthulhu

· #15 · Jun 11, 2009

This was sort of brought up in my CCW class.

If you're with a group of folks, and someone runs by and clobbers someone in the group with a club and runs off, it's probably a bad idea to go chasing after them with your gun drawn.

But, if after they've clubbed one of the group, and that attacker circles around to come in again, you can probably assume at that point that they're not coming back to check on the well-being of the person they've struck, and you can likely act defensively for the imminent attack.

-JT

SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE

· #16 · Jun 19, 2009

i wouldnt shoot

I think for your safety what I would do is if you have to walk that stretch of road , I would reverse my path so that at least I was walking facing oncoming traffic so that if a threat occured I could at least see it coming and respond by getting out of the way ! If you can dodge a baseball at 60-80 mph I bet you could dodge a flying bottle ! I hope you never have to find out !!Maybe snap a picture with your cellphone of the car ! Kevin

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