Should I SHOOT TO KILL???

The Most Misunderstood Concept - Should I SHOOT TO KILL?

Perhaps through a continuous onslaught of really bad Hollywood movies, a certain percentage of individuals see the need to use the term “SHOOT TO KILL.” This ranks right up there with firing a warning shot – TREMENDOUS MISTAKE!

To understand this, let’s first discuss what proper use of force is. Police officers are taught to understand the ‘continuum of force,’ and although it’s geared towards our LEO’s, there is something to be learned here. We’ll briefly discuss the applicablelevels, and explain how they relate to you as a law-abiding gun owner below.

Level 2:
Verbal Commands

Due to criminals desiring easy prey, the use of the voice can usually achieve the desired results. Whether you realize it or not, your voice is power. Instructing a person to, “Stop.”, “Don’t Move.”, “Be quiet.”, “Listen to me.”, “Show me your hands,” etc. can sometimes be very effective at diffusing an altercation IF PRACTICAL. Key phrase, I say it again, only if the situation warrants it. Some scenarios may require an immediate escalation to a higher level on the use of force continuum.

Level Four:
Pepper Spray and Tasers

Let’s make something immediately clear. I’m not a fan, but since many Americans choose to carry these, it bears a short discussion. As a former law enforcement officer, I’ve been both pepper sprayed and tasered. I can tell you that tasering someone usually just angers them, and the time that they’re incapacitated is very brief, if at all.

Pepper spray can be slightly more effective when used properly, but it carries the risk of incapacitating yourself as well. If you don’t take wind direction and velocity into consideration, you’re going to learn how cayenne feels.

Finally, even with a valid concealed carry license, some states have laws against carrying pepper sprays and/or tasers. As a citizen, the risk of using these weapons is too great, and just not very practical.

Level Six:
Deadly Force

This is the focus of the discussion. If you’re at this level, a few things have already occurred.

1) There’s an imminent threat to your life, or the life of another human being.

2) If you don’t take immediate action, serious injury and/or death will likely occur.

That being said, the threat must be stopped as quickly and efficiently as possible. The easiest way to do that is by firing your shots at center mass.

“Shooting to wound” is a ridiculous concept that’s only practical on the Hollywood big screen. If you’re in an altercation serious enough to pull a handgun, you need to immediately stop the threat. If it’s not life-threatening enough to do so, than why’d you brandish the weapon in the first place. 

Furthermore, police officers are taught to shoot center mass for 2 very important reasons.

1) It’s the most efficient way to stop a threat.

2) It’s a big target. Good luck hitting an arm or a leg.

Now I can hear what you’re wanting to ask right now. “Why don’t I say shoot to kill if I’m aiming for center mass?”

Simple. A jury will fry you in court. If you’re ever involved in a shooting, a grand jury will have to decide whether or not it was justified. They’ll make that determination by examining the evidence. How does it look when you tell the responding officers that the bad guy came at you, so you shot to kill?

If you take nothing else away from this article, remember this. You only draw and fire when in fear for your life, and YOU SHOOT TO STOP THE THREAT! If the bad guy expires as a result of his injuries, it’s unfortunate, but so be it.

To take it one step further, stay away from what I like to call the novelty ammunition. A perfect example of this is the G2 R.I.P. ammo. or the bacon coated Jihawg ammo. Think about how a jury would look at your ammo. selection should your attacker expire. Hollow points have worked beautifully at stopping threats for decades. I assure you, they’ll work just fine.

Finally, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, NEVERfire a warning shot. That goes against at least 2 of the basic 4 rules of firearms safety (if you don’t know what they are, please learn them before you continue reading this article). In fact, several Americans who have had very good intentions fired a warning shot, and in turn were charged with a crime.

Most Americans don’t have a problem defending themselves, but rather struggle with what happens after the police arrive. Two simple rules…..

1) Be prepared to be disarmed and handcuffed. This is standard procedure, at least until police sort the situation out. Make sure you cooperate.

2) SHUT UP! By all means, identify yourself with name, date of birth, drivers license, etc. But anything pertaining to the actual shooting, EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY PRESENT. They don’t need your help to sort the scene out. They’re investigators – that’s their job! They’ll figure it out, I promise. The police are not there to chit chat, they’re present to build a case against you if they feel ANY laws were violated. Lawyer up.

We all hope and pray that we never have to go through a traumatic situation like this, but we still carry a gun. Being prepared to defend yourself is crucial, but don’t forget how to behave after the threat has been successfully neutralized.

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