Scenario...What do you do?

[Whitefeather]

I have a valid LCTF and sometimes I open carry.  Curious of your responses.

Scenario: You and you're wife, or girlfriend, or son, daughter whatever (just two of you) are in a gas station convenience store. Day or night, place is empty except for clerk. You are on the far side looking at bottled drinks to pick. Armed robber comes in and goes right to the front of the clerks counter, pointing at gun at the clerk. Robber doesnt see you. You and you're loved one have knelt down behind the aisle parallel with the clerks counter. You are aprox 12' away from the robber. Peeking around the corner you can see the robber clearly from head to toe. You recognize that at anytime you or you're loved one could make a sound and the robber could turn and see you. While watching the robber between two bags of Doritos, you see he has his finger on the trigger. You tell yourself that you could easily place aim on his head and end it there without anyone but him being injured. You ponder this, because he may just take money and leave. He also could shoot the clerk. You also dont know if a partner is waitng outside in a vehicle. The man with the gun could spot you at any time now, he could shoot at you, or walk down the aisle with gun pointed at you, which than increases you're chances of being shot even if you shoot him.
If you shoot first, while his gun is pointed at the clerk...it is over.

What do you do?

[predator77]

I would do nothing because according to state law I must make every effort to leave the situation before using deadly force. If I can't leave I would have no problem using deadly force on the actor but I don't feel like paying this guys family of hood rats for the rest of my life so I would make every attempt to go unseen until I had to act. But every situation has a different outcome.

[bigben]

I would do nothing because according to state law I must make every effort to leave the situation before using deadly force.

+1

[Whitefeather]

So you are saying you would just sit tight and hope the assailant leaves peacefully?  What if you realize there is no way your sneaking anywhere?  You have to walk around the aisle and be directly behind him to walk out the door.  IMO that is a huge risk!  If you stay put, person may not see you, or your kid, or gf, or wife could sneeze, or fart or make any kind of sound and the robber than knows your there.  Now you have just given him the upper hand.

But thanks for answering the question

[scott]

i would sit tight but with my weapon drawn and pointed in his direction, only would i use it if need be.  too many things can go wrong in that situation.   now that being said, if i were the clerk i would want someone to shoot him in the back of the head. 

[Whitefeather]

Scott, that is what I would probably do as well.  Shooting someone who doesnt even know I am there would be difficult.  But it would be circling around in my head!

[foxpro51]

Do nothing until you feel threatened. The key is i felt threatened.

[Whitefeather]

A  retired Philadelphia cop I work with ocasionaly said to me in a similiar converstion  "dead men tell no tales"

[swarter2]

Here's the thing with this.  In some states it is required if you have a PTCF to intervene in the robbery.  Now here in Pa., an open carry state, the criminal has more rights then you and me.  If you just shoot the guy in the back of the head.  Lawyers will look at it this way.  You just shot a guy in the back of the head that was not threatening you.  That is cold blooded murder.

Now this is how I have handled a situation similar to the scenario.  Yes, many years ago when I had my PTCF, I was in Norristown at a stop light.  It was just about dark and it was a long red light.  I saw a black juvenile walking up behind my car.  Didn't think anything of it until he got to the back right hand passenger door and I saw him lift his shirt and pull a hand gun out.  I yelled out the window, "don't even think about it you (fill in the blank here)."  I had already pulled my gun from the holster.  Which was tucked between the seat and the console and laid it on the passenger seat.  The juvenile saw and knew that I meant to use it if I had to.  But just by yelling out the car window letting him know I had the gun was enough for him to turn and run.

So, by letting the robber know you are there and carrying.  May make him think about his next move.  If he turns and points the gun at you and you shoot first.  The police would see it as your life was in immediate danger and you had no choice but to shoot.

[uncle buck]

If you shoot them make sure you pull them inside the house...