Road Rage Incident Leaves Man Dead from Multiple Gunshot Wounds - Justifiable Homicide?

[WillMunny 1,524]

A recent road rage incident, involving two armed citizens, ended with one killing the other with a handgun.

From most accounts, it was justifiable.  I would agree.

The video below is very graphic.  It does not show how the incident started, but clearly shows one participant get out of his vehicle with gun drawn and aggressively approach a white Chevy truck.  He yells at the truck driver, pounds on his window, and then makes a move that provokes the truck driver to shoot him.  The aggressor later died.

Looking at the video, it appears that the aggressor, unbeknownst to the truck driver, switched the gun from one hand to the other before raising his empty hand in an aggressive manner.  It seems reasonable that the truck driver did not see the switch, and assumed the aggressor was raising his hand to shoot.

Police released the truck driver at the scene after a brief investigation.

 

[AUDub 11,784]

Too many guns. 

[WillMunny 1,524]

28 minutes ago, AUDub said:

Too many guns. 

Maybe not from the survivor's perspective.

[homersapien 12,172]

Only in America could such behavior be labeled as "justified".

Our country has a ******* crazy gun fetish.

[wdefromtx 3,494]

17 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Only in America could such behavior be labeled as "justified".

Our country has a ******* crazy gun fetish.

Murica! 

[CoffeeTiger 5,843]

Yeah, from the video I agree with them letting the shooter off. 

Holding a gun while angrily approaching someone, to me, is the definition of a life threatening situation. If you block someone in traffic and approach them to scream and pound on their window you've already shown yourself to be a person with no impulse control and bad decision making. Giving that type of person a gun just turns him into a literal time bomb and an obvious threat. 

 

I've said it before and got a few 'downvotes' for it but I'll say it again. In America you don't get guns to "protect yourself from a tyrannical government", that reasoning only made sense back in history when civilians and a governments military could actually have a similar level of armaments' and firepower. The real reason you buy a gun in this country is to protect yourself from all of your fellow American citizens who could be insane and also are allowed to have guns. 

 

Edited July 25 by CoffeeTiger

[TitanTiger 21,064]

21 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

I've said it before and got a few 'downvotes' for it but I'll say it again. In America you don't get guns to "protect yourself from a tyrannical government", that reasoning only made sense back in history when civilians and a governments military could actually have a similar level of armaments' and firepower. The real reason you buy a gun in this country is to protect yourself from all of your fellow American citizens who could be insane and also are allowed to have guns. 

Or as an equalizer even if the other person doesn't have a gun.  Women protecting themselves from men with violent intent.  Normal to smaller sized men protecting themselves or others from larger, stronger, men with violent intent.  If you're giving up 40, 50, 70 to 100 lbs in size, differences in fighting skill level, muscle mass differences, to someone - or dealing with someone hopped on on PCP or meth - you're going to need something to close that gap and close range weapons like a knife, bat or something aren't always practical or helpful.

[CoffeeTiger 5,843]

6 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Or as an equalizer even if the other person doesn't have a gun.  Women protecting themselves from men with violent intent.  Normal to smaller sized men protecting themselves or others from larger, stronger, men with violent intent.  If you're giving up 40, 50, 70 to 100 lbs in size, differences in fighting skill level, muscle mass differences, to someone - or dealing with someone hopped on on PCP or meth - you're going to need something to close that gap and close range weapons like a knife, bat or something aren't always practical or helpful.

I agree with the caveat that anyone who owns a gun needs to TRAIN with it and be confident enough to know how and be willing to use it in a stressful situation. 

If someone who owns a gun isn't capable of effectively using it should the need arise, they'd probably be better protected by a bottle of pepper pray or just trying to run away. 

[TitanTiger 21,064]

1 minute ago, CoffeeTiger said:

I agree with the caveat that anyone who owns a gun needs to TRAIN with it and be confident enough to know how and be willing to use it in a stressful situation. 

Absolutely.  I'd make a certain amount of regular gun use and safety training be required for carrying a gun outside your home at the least.

 

[AU9377 5,922]

I tell people all the time.  Don't take your gun out unless you plan to use it.  This is one of the outcomes that is possible.  I wish that people had more respect for human life, but that is often not the case.

[TitanTiger 21,064]

2 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

I tell people all the time.  Don't take your gun out unless you plan to use it.  This is one of the outcomes that is possible.  I wish that people had more respect for human life, but that is often not the case.

Correct.  Pulling a gun on someone - even if you are in the right and doing so for right reasons - is an escalator.  And it may cause people to do irrational s*** in their fight or flight mode.  Thus, it should be the last resort and only if you are fully prepared to kill someone.

[arein0 1,101]

10 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Absolutely.  I'd make a certain amount of regular gun use and safety training be required for carrying a gun outside your home at the least.

 

And proper gun storage

[Gowebb11 9,801]

Road rage: two people are in each others life for all of 30-90 seconds, one dies and the other life is changed forever. Senseless. Drive away.

Edited July 25 by Gowebb11