In a Washington State 7-11 the wisdom of having an armed citizenry was borne out in a righteous shooting of a hatchet waving masked man. (see video below, if it’s tiny, click the expand symbol.)
The man attacked and wounded a cashier when a customer pulled out his legal conceal carry weapon and shot him dead. The cashier was saved, the other cashier was uninjured and the police have no intention of prosecuting the good guy.
Now, this was a witnessed event. Imagine if there was only your word for it. You need to be able to convince a judge and the police that you were acting in self-defense or to protect someone in fear of their life.
Here’s how you call in your 911 shooting.
“My name is John Smith. I’m at the 7-11 on 8th and Elm in Springfield. I’m 6ft tall, white, wearing jeans, a white shirt and a red ball cap. There’s been an attack. My life was in danger. Please send the police and an ambulance.”
They’re going to try and keep you on the line. You are going to be understandably hyped up. DO NOT TALK. DO NOT SAY YOU SHOT SOMEONE. HANG UP OR LEAVE THE PHONE LINE CONNECTED SO 911 CAN HEAR EVERYTHING AS IT PLAYS OUT. You have done everything that you can do to be open and honest. You do not have to do anything more. You have also laid down the basis of a defense. Remember, the best words for a defense case are, “I was in fear of my life.”
It is very important that you don’t accidentally incriminate yourself or say something that could be twisted by a lawyer for the other side. If you were in fear of your life and you shot someone threatening you, you are probably going to be OK. But lawyers are sneaky, and you may inadvertently incriminate yourself. Say nothing until you get to your own lawyer.