Warning Shots??? Shooting to Wound???

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Since I spend weekends shooting with some very skilled folks, you would be surprised how many times under the mild stress of a match, they miss a target. That's not the small area of a knee that is moving. Thus, the claim that you won't miss is flat out ridiculous.

Second, a shot in the leg can be lethal. Shots in arms and legs have bled out folks so quickly that only extreme measures could have saved them. So that's ridiculous to say such a shot will not be lethal.

Third, if you don't know your local laws about disparity of force, what defines threatening to reach the threshold of a gun shot which is lethal force? One thing that is useful is to carry OC for threatening people.

TX Law:

Sec. 9.31. SELF-DEFENSE. (a) Except as provided in Subsection (b), a person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force. The actor's belief that the force was immediately necessary as described by this subsection is presumed to be reasonable if the actor:

(1) knew or had reason to believe that the person against whom the force was used:

(A) unlawfully and with force entered, or was attempting to enter unlawfully and with force, the actor's occupied habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment;

(B) unlawfully and with force removed, or was attempting to remove unlawfully and with force, the actor from the actor's habitation, vehicle, or place of business or employment; or

(C) was committing or attempting to commit aggravated kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated robbery;

(2) did not provoke the person against whom the force was used; and

(3) was not otherwise engaged in criminal activity, other than a Class C misdemeanor that is a violation of a law or ordinance regulating traffic at the time the force was used.

(b) The use of force against another is not justified:

(1) in response to verbal provocation alone; GEM - Would someone walking towards you and uttering threats be enough? The jury will decide and even if found not guilty, kiss $50k good bye.

(2) to resist an arrest or search that the actor knows is being made by a peace officer, or by a person acting in a peace officer's presence and at his direction, even though the arrest or search is unlawful, unless the resistance is justified under Subsection (c);

(3) if the actor consented to the exact force used or attempted by the other;

(4) if the actor provoked the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force, unless:

(A) the actor abandons the encounter, or clearly communicates to the other his intent to do so reasonably believing he cannot safely abandon the encounter; and

(B) the other nevertheless continues or attempts to use unlawful force against the actor; or

(5) if the actor sought an explanation from or discussion with the other person concerning the actor's differences with the other person while the actor was:

(A) carrying a weapon in violation of Section 46.02; or

(B) possessing or transporting a weapon in violation of Section 46.05.

Thus, calm and rational discussion must point out that shooting to wound except in some very, very, circumscribed circumstances is not a doctrine for the average self-defense practitioner.

Might be interesting for folks to watch http://nhpr.org/post/how-do-nh-polic...eople#stream/0

[K_Mac]

Ruark I carry pepper spray for situations where a gun is not needed. In your scenario of being​ threatened by an advancing attacker who APPEARS to be unarmed, drawing your weapon is as likely to stop the attack as trying to shoot him in the knee. This assumes you have time to decide. In most encounters time is not on your side. If being beaten to death is your fear, and the attacker is advancing quickly, center mass gives you the best chance of stopping the threat and living to talk about it.

Dismissing the advice of experienced, trained self-defense​ professionals as machismo is much like ignoring your doctor's advice. It may not kill you, but it is still a bad idea.

[Don Fischer]

Lot of post's here, I didn't read them. One thing about firing a warning shot, if you have time for that, I'd wonder how much trouble your really in? If you think you might be, pull the gun and be that much more ready. That's seem's to be a sticky point, weather the shot was justified or not! Then your butt just might be hanging out.