Deciding When to Shoot
Rob PincusDescription
Many people in the defensive shooting industry discuss when you “can” legally use your firearm for self-defense. While understanding the legal issues of the use of force is a fundamental responsibility for anyone who carries or stages a firearm for defensive use, Rob Pincus believes that there is an equally important need to understand not just when you “could” use force legally, but more specifically when you “should” use force. Specifically, a defensive firearm should only be used when you absolutely believe that you “need” to defend yourself of someone else. In this video, Rob discusses the importance of thinking about when you would use your firearm before you find yourself in an actual defensive incident.
Here comes another important tip from the Personal Defense Network. If you take your personal defense seriously you also need to take the lives of those in your environment, just as seriously. Obviously, at the end of the day, if you make a tragic mistake and shoot someone who doesn't need to be shot you're not gonna feel better at the end of that day you're gonna feel much, much worse and the financial, legal ramifications, the social ramifications that are gonna come from that could be devastating. Not as bad as getting shot and not defending yourself when you actually need to but certainly not nearly as good as showing discretion and being sure that your threat that you're responding to with that firearm that you carry is actually someone who deserves to be dealt with in that way. Now, that's easy to say standing here in front of a logo, on a soundstage just doing videos but having been in situations where I certainly could have articulated the need to shoot. Having been in situations where a firearm been in my hand, someone's been in my presence, someone has articuably been a potential lethal threat, ya know, we talk about distances and impact weapons or knives and things like that and having not shot, I can tell you that the fact that I didn't get hurt that day and the fact that nobody else got hurt that day and that knife was put down or that person backed down makes me think that I definitely made the right choice. Shooting someone just because can, just because it's articuable, just because of a castle doctrine type law or just because as circumstances play out that you have a firearm and you can articulate a threat is certainly not what we're teaching at the Personal Defense Network. It's not what I teach in my programs and I don't think it's what any responsible instructor would suggest that you do. Teaching you to be able to shoot when you need to, when you absolutely should use lethal force to defend yourself is really what it's all about. When you do force on force training, when you do scenario live fire training in a shoot house or if you get the opportunity to train on a high level laser video projector simulator you need to make sure that you're going through scenarios that cause you to face those decisions. Cause you to face the decision of do I need to shoot that person just because they have a gun or do I not need to shoot that person, challenge that person or maybe just back away from that person and avoid the conflict all together? Understanding your responsibility of going armed is an important part of being armed and being prepared to defend yourself, your family or others whether it is at home or in a public environment. Be sure to check out the Personal Defense Network for more important tips just like that one.
Good subject matter. Clearly explained. Thank You.
Thought provoking and a good refresher. Theoretical training, education, and real experiences vary, and its important to edit out the 'war stories' of bad advise. It is not a good experience to be in circumstances of having to actually defend with deadly force, even if justified. Besides the legal system aftermath of criminal and civil jeopardy, ever after one will be always looking over the shoulder on high alert, even to the point of a life changing long distance relocation.
For people that don't have a military or police background, they still have the oppurtunity to develop the confidence and experience not only with a weapon, but with situational awareness. Talking through potential scenarios with professionals like those at PDN, everyday people that just want to live their lives in safety can feeling safer and being more aware of their rights and applicable laws will not second guess themselves when seconds count in a violent situation.
No, he meant "where's the beef" in the little video clip. I wondered how they would handle anything substantive in a 2:39 video; and of course you can't. It's not enough time. I am surprised that there isn't a link to a premium video that covers the subject in depth, however.
The goal is NOT to justifiably shoot someone, if that's "the beef". The goal is knowing WHEN you have no other viable option, and how to proceed when that occurs.
This is certainly what we teach as instructors. Avoid conflict and only shoot if in fear of death or great bodily harm. You will probably be sued in civil court even if you were justified.
I think that will depend largely on what city/state you are in when that happens. You may have to decide if it's better to become a victim of the crimminal or the state.
a bunch of theoretical talk - where's the beef?