I’ve had numerous people ask my opinions on the Arvada shooting that took place on June 21. The one thing I won’t do is arm-chair quarterback the decisions were made. First, we don’t yet know all the facts in the case. Second, I was not there, with massive amounts of adrenaline pumping through my blood and I’m not going to second guess the decisions made by those who were there. However, there are a couple of things we teach in our Concealed Carry class that I think would have been applicable.
Point 1: If you reasonable believe the bad guy is still an imminent deadly threat to yourself or other, you are legally justified in continuing to shoot him. If he is down from gunshot wounds but is still conscious and still has control of his gun, it is reasonable to believe he is still a threat. In this situation, if time allows, I would scream at him “DROP THE GUN” several times. This not only lets him know he had better drop the gun, but let’s any witnesses know he still has the gun and is still a threat. Their later testimony could be very important to your legal defense.
Point 2: If you believe the bad guy is no longer a threat, do NOT approach him. He may be playing possum and have another gun and could shoot you as you get closer. If you get close enough that he could get his hands on you, now you are in a hand-to-hand fight for your life. It’s conceivable that a madman like this may have wired himself with an IED. You are safe from all these if you keep your distance. Get behind cover, call 911 and let the police handle the crime scene.
Point 3: You do not want to be holding a weapon when the responding officers arrive on the scene. Either have your gun back in the holster or on the ground. Comply with all their instructions without questions or hesitation. The responding officer doesn’t know who is who and they want to go home to their families at the end of their shift.
God bless Officer Beesley for laying down his life in the line of duty. God bless Johnny Hurley for having the courage skill & training to use his concealed weapon to protect his fellow man. God bless the officer that shot Mr. Hurley, I can only imagine the anguish the he or she is going through.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his fellow man.” - John 15:13