Last night I was at the local grocery with my wife. Sketchy neighborhood and a late Friday night so she asked me to go with her (CCing my Shield) while we grabbed some date-night snacks. While in the self-checkout, something happened and I struggle whether I made the right call or not.
Some folks came in and I could hear that they said something about calling the cops and that "she keeps yelling Help, Help". I didn't know if it was a medical emergency or what, so I told my wife to sit tight and I went to 'help'... As I'm walking out, I heard a lady say something about "he's beating her". By the time I got outside a larger man was walking aggressively to a smaller guy who was backing away from him. The conversations made it clear that the bigger dude was beating up on his "woman" and the kid (maybe 19 years old) stood up for her and told him to knock it off. This made the bigger guy turn his aggression on the kid. I could hear the guy telling the kid to mind his own business and he's going to pound him, while the kid is backing up - trying to stay out of range - and telling him to stop "beating his woman" and that's all he cared about.
Unarmed security was there, but not doing much of anything other than telling an employee to call the cops. At one point, the larger guy lunged toward the kid and was about to do him harm. I grabbed the grip of my gun and was about to verbally get him on the ground (I'm a bigger guy with a loud voice), but at the last moment, my nerve failed me. I thought what if he turns on me? I instantly saw myself on the evening news as a white guy who shot a black man while defending another white kid.
During my hesitation, the kid barely evaded the guy and ran around a watermelon display. I moved to be interference so the guy would have to get past me to get to the kid, all while staying silent, and not saying anything. Eventually he was sent on his way, with his woman cussing him out, before the police arrived. At this point my wife was coming out and saw the last minute or so, panicked, and ushered me away from the scene and I went home.
I realize that the story ends on a positive note since everybody went home safe last night, except maybe the woman, but I can't help the feeling that if the guy would have gotten a hold of the kid, when I hesitated, the scene could have been a lot more chaotic, and drawing my weapon at that point could have ended up worse. I feel like a coward that didn't do the right thing when I was put to the test.
So my question is: did I do it wrong, what would you have done differently?
Some folks came in and I could hear that they said something about calling the cops and that "she keeps yelling Help, Help". I didn't know if it was a medical emergency or what, so I told my wife to sit tight and I went to 'help'... As I'm walking out, I heard a lady say something about "he's beating her". By the time I got outside a larger man was walking aggressively to a smaller guy who was backing away from him. The conversations made it clear that the bigger dude was beating up on his "woman" and the kid (maybe 19 years old) stood up for her and told him to knock it off. This made the bigger guy turn his aggression on the kid. I could hear the guy telling the kid to mind his own business and he's going to pound him, while the kid is backing up - trying to stay out of range - and telling him to stop "beating his woman" and that's all he cared about.
Unarmed security was there, but not doing much of anything other than telling an employee to call the cops. At one point, the larger guy lunged toward the kid and was about to do him harm. I grabbed the grip of my gun and was about to verbally get him on the ground (I'm a bigger guy with a loud voice), but at the last moment, my nerve failed me. I thought what if he turns on me? I instantly saw myself on the evening news as a white guy who shot a black man while defending another white kid.
During my hesitation, the kid barely evaded the guy and ran around a watermelon display. I moved to be interference so the guy would have to get past me to get to the kid, all while staying silent, and not saying anything. Eventually he was sent on his way, with his woman cussing him out, before the police arrived. At this point my wife was coming out and saw the last minute or so, panicked, and ushered me away from the scene and I went home.
I realize that the story ends on a positive note since everybody went home safe last night, except maybe the woman, but I can't help the feeling that if the guy would have gotten a hold of the kid, when I hesitated, the scene could have been a lot more chaotic, and drawing my weapon at that point could have ended up worse. I feel like a coward that didn't do the right thing when I was put to the test.
So my question is: did I do it wrong, what would you have done differently?
