# Pick your battles carefully............



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

If you have any doubts at all, stay safe and be a good witness.

Police: Man shot dead while trying to stop man from beating woman | Fox News


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

He didn't "try to stop it". Simply asking a pissed off guy to stop can at ah, best, only do what it did here, which is change the guy's focus of attention.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

hillman said:


> He didn't "try to stop it". Simply asking a pissed off guy to stop can at ah, best, only do what it did here, which is change the guy's focus of attention.


Not really sure what your point of view is.

My point was, in this day and age in which we live, if you choose to insert yourself into someone else's business, no matter how good your moral intentions are, you won't always come out smelling like a rose.

The day's of a knight on a white horse coming to the rescue are pretty much over. I'm not saying that it can't or doesn't happen, just that the odds are stacked against you.

It's not much of a loving & caring society anymore. Some still exists, but for the most part, it's dog eat dog.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

ꜛꜛꜛꜛꜛ what he said........


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

If you are going to interrupt a man doing violence, you better be prepared for more of the same. I once stopped a neighbor in Austin from beating the hell out of hie wife. He wanted to answer with a baseball bat,,,,, until he saw my revolver, and my very aggressive German Shepherd. As he retreated towards his bleeding wife, three sheriffs deputies tackled and subdued the asshole.

GW


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

I intervened in a domestic fight in a bar back in the 70s he was punching her I punched him she broke a bottle over my head I learned a valuable lesson.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

tony pasley said:


> I intervened in a domestic fight in a bar back in the 70s he was punching her I punched him she broke a bottle over my head I learned a valuable lesson.


Yep. Valuable lesson = let them kill each other. Removes their genes from the pool and keeps your health in check.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

paratrooper said:


> Not really sure what your point of view is.
> 
> My point was, in this day and age in which we live, if you choose to insert yourself into someone else's business, no matter how good your moral intentions are, you won't always come out smelling like a rose.
> 
> ...





goldwing said:


> If you are going to interrupt a man doing violence, you better be prepared for more of the same. I once stopped a neighbor in Austin from beating the hell out of hie wife. He wanted to answer with a baseball bat,,,,, until he saw my revolver, and my very aggressive German Shepherd. As he retreated towards his bleeding wife, three sheriffs deputies tackled and subdued the asshole.
> 
> GW


And then there is the legal and personal liability factor to consider. A few years ago on another website, there was quite an active thread going on about this very topic. A few of the people said that to them it wouldn't matter what the personal cost was... they'd jump in and help the "victim" regardless. But I have to wonder that if something like that was really going down in front of them would they really throw caution and prudence to the wind?

Your health and your personal wealth are at stake here and while it might seem to be very non-chivalrous, and even a tad chicken-hearted, is it really worth losing much of your personal wealth and very possibly get injured or even killed, to jump in and "save" a total stranger who just may not react like you think they would when they are saved by you?

A very good attorney once told me to avoid such situations and that the only time you might want to consider weighing in is if you are positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who the real victim really is and if your actions are warranted. I think his advice has a lot of merit and is probably the best guide.

The same goes for helping people who have been injured in an accident or other calamity. If you happen to live in a state which does not have good Samaritan laws (don't know if there are any left like this), it is best NOT to give aid. The victim could turn around and sue you and then where are you? I know of a doctor who had this happen to him. When he came upon another accident years later, he just continued going about his business.

Sometimes these decisions are hard but you have to weigh what is more important in your life.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

tony pasley said:


> she broke a bottle over my head I learned a valuable lesson.


That Domestic beer is bad for you? (or at least bad for your head?)


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

One does what his 'inner self' tells him to - or lives with not doing so forever. Some folks have a loud and persistent inner self.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

You really do need to think carefully before inserting yourself into a situation that could go terribly wrong for a variety of reasons. 

I won't even attempt to name a few, as I'm quite sure we all know ourselves. It may sound cold and callous, but it's just a fact of life. You need to look out for #1, and not everyone that may appear to be a victim, may actually be one.

For me, traffic accidents are a bit different. I'll stop and do the right thing if needed. Anything short of a fully engulfed vehicle on fire, I won't remove the injured from a vehicle. I will comfort and assist to the best of my ability. I will take control of traffic to avert any further accidents. I will wait until EMS arrives and let them extract the injured. 

Even after 30 yrs. of policing, I've never been sued for any reason what-so-ever. I don't plan on that changing now that I'm retired.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

hillman said:


> One does what his 'inner self' tells him to - or lives with not doing so forever. Some folks have a loud and persistent inner self.


Good luck with that. I wish you the best.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

paratrooper said:


> Good luck with that. I wish you the best.


I'm 79 now, and done it both ways. That's how I know about 'living with it'.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

The guy could of already shot someone dead at a previous location and didn't give a crap about killing another..

There're way to many different scenarios that could be applied here. Why would anyone just take an innocent human life?

We need to absorb this as reality.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

paratrooper said:


> You really do need to think carefully before inserting yourself into a situation that could go terribly wrong for a variety of reasons.
> 
> I won't even attempt to name a few, as I'm quite sure we all know ourselves. It may sound cold and callous, but it's just a fact of life. You need to look out for #1, and not everyone that may appear to be a victim, may actually be one.
> 
> ...


My guess is that your state does have a good Samaritan law on the books. Mine does. If I helped someone who afterwards sued me, I would find myself hoping that person had died. Being wronged in that way is near the ultimate attack on me. I have stopped to offer aid but then, I can do this free of worry in my state.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

A more in-depth report.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-being-beaten-in-a-parking-lot-now-hes-dead/


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

paratrooper said:


> A more in-depth report.
> 
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-being-beaten-in-a-parking-lot-now-hes-dead/


You may not want to read the Washington ComPost. It'll poison your mind. That quaint little newspaper is so much to the left there is no hope for them.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

I think it comes down to an observer seeing someone getting abused beyond reasonable limits, and then they decide to stop the abuse. No right or wrong, just someone saying enough is enough, and take me on if you want more. That's the way I see these decisions. Maybe I'm a Pollyanna, but so be it.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

RK3369 said:


> I think it comes down to an observer seeing someone getting abused beyond reasonable limits, and then they decide to stop the abuse. No right or wrong, just someone saying enough is enough, and take me on if you want more. That's the way I see these decisions. Maybe I'm a Pollyanna, but so be it.


My take is one should know for certain who the assailant and the victim is before committing themselves into a potential legal and personal liability mess, or getting injured or killed. If one believes they are certain who the players are then it becomes a judgement call what one might decide to do.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

When I was a youngster, I thought some about whether or not I was a coward. That's aside from being labeled one, which is a different thing. Eventually decided I was asking myself the wrong question. Pretty clear that I wasn't hero material, but wasn't willing to put up with kicking myself in the arse every day either.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Living life is a judgment call, in and of itself, day in and day out. 

All we can try to do is to do what we feel is best at that very moment in time. We can choose to put our very own lives at risk if we choose to do so. But, we don't have the right to put others at risk by our own decision / actions.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

The lesson I learned is you don't know the dynamics of the relationship. In my case he was beating the crap out of her when I stopped him she went after me to defend her man. My up bringing and inner voice said to help that poor lady but it cost 4 stiches and a headache that lasted over a week. I have never made that mistake again.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Years ago, while dealing with a domestic dispute, I was backed up by a new officer. It was his responsibility to keep an eye on the female while I dealt with the male.

For whatever reason, the new officer became distracted. The female grabbed a large butcher knife and promptly stuck it in my back. I was wearing a protective vest and that reduced some penetration of the knife blade. Long story made short, a few stitches and a shot or two of antibiotics and I was good to go.

The couple had a long history of domestic disputes. Both were taken into custody obviously and did some time. Of course, there's a big, big difference between being a cop and intervening in other's business, and being a well-meaning citizen that happens upon a situation and decides to get involved. I had the authority, education, training, experience, *AND* a back-up, and I still got nailed.

As I stated initially, choose your battles carefully!


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

paratrooper said:


> The female grabbed a large butcher knife and promptly stuck it in my back. I was wearing a protective vest and that reduced some penetration of the knife blade. Long story made short, a few stitches and a shot or two of antibiotics and I was good to go.


"the fastest way to a man's heart.... is through his stomach... with a sharp knife"


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

BackyardCowboy said:


> "the fastest way to a man's heart.... is through his stomach... with a sharp knife"


The female in question was as crazy as her hubby was violent / abusive.

If there was ever two people who deserved one another..............


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

paratrooper said:


> The female in question was as crazy as her hubby was violent / abusive.
> 
> If there was ever two people who deserved one another..............


As my dear old Mom used to say "At least they only ruined one couple."

GW


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