Last week, a Florida Man — the good kind — rode to the rescue of his 24-year-old sister as her ex-boyfriend was physically abusing her. The ex-boyfriend had broken down the sister’s door, stormed inside like the big bad wolf, and beat the hell out of her. Shortly afterwards, the brother showed up and confronted the ex.
Seeing the angry brother, Mr. Big Bad Wolf pulled out a gun and pointed it at the brother and cocked it. The brother then moved off the axis of the attack, drew his own gun and shot the ex twice.
Shooting bad guys is sometimes like eating prunes…you’re not sure if one is one enough or if two is too many. In this case, two proved to be “enough” to kill the violent abuser.
“If someone points a gun at you and cocks it, you can shoot them,” Escambia County Sheriff Simmons said. https://t.co/amd4zwpXtQ
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) September 7, 2023
To which, the Escambia County Sheriff approved of the righteous use of force in self-defense. At a news conference, he sagely imparted this advice on the assembled media members, “If someone points a gun at you and cocks it, you can shoot them.”
From the NY Daily News . . .
Investigators said the man was the ex-boyfriend of a 24-year-old unidentified woman who lives in the home.
The man reportedly broke the woman’s door down, entered the home and struck her “several times,” according to the sheriff’s office…
Investigators said another argument broke out when the brother arrived, and the ex-boyfriend pulled out a gun and aimed it at the brother.
“At one point, the male that forced entry into the trailer pulled out a handgun, pointed it at her brother and cocked it,” the sheriff said.
The woman’s brother was also armed, and he fired two shots at the man, killing him.
Another life saved by the judicious use of a personal defense weapon. If you’re wondering, armed self-defense happens about 1.6 million times a year, usually without anyone pulling a trigger. Hopefully the woman and her brother will be okay after this terrible incident and won’t face threats of retribution from the abusive ex’s friends or family.
“and cocks it”
Uhhhh, unnecessary and redundant. SOB points a gun at you, you better shoot quick. Not necessary to see if the gun is loaded, cocked, or anything else.
FFS, cops don’t even wait to see the gun. Put your hands near your waist, and they waste you.
No, its not necessary. The sheriff was simply relating the event circumstances in his comments.
Exactly. No waiting for them to cock it
As would any aware citizen…
I just love a happy ending!
Oh my, I’ve no striker fired gunms except some rifles. But even they have to be cocked.
Looks like I’m screwed on pointing gunms at people.
“and won’t face threats of retribution from the abusive ex’s friends or family.” Just shoot them to. And the herd be thinned some more.
What if one’s confronted by a perp with a striker-fired pistol? Someone points ANY pistol at me, I’m justified to shoot them. Better to be judged by twelve that carried by six!
You are correct, but remember ths sherrif was speaking in kindergartenese to a gaggle of press flunkies exlaining WHY he did not arrest and charge the brother/hero. He was NOT trying to explain the law.
Actually, while the now departed perp was still inside hthe home, the instant the hero brother walked in he had grounds to shoot, as perp had violently invaded an occupied dwelling, grounds for the application of lethal force.
The ex chose to beat his former partner.
The ex chose to threaten with a gun.
He chose poorly.
It’s nice to get backup from Sheriff Obvious, but the ex-boyfriend breaking in the door and beating up the sister part of the story already got the brother to justified use of force against the ex-boyfriend.
If I see a semi-auto pointed at me, it forces me to assume that it’s striker-fired (since those are the most common variety of gun, and I’m no gun expert, and, haven’t stayed at a Holiday Inn last night), and therefore is ‘cocked’ and ready-to-go. I’ll likely respond accordingly…
Only if he was interrupting the beat down. If that had stopped when brother arrived, then the use of force would be questionable and probably illegal because there was no immediate threat of harm. The argument resulting in guns drawn got him to justifiable homicide.
Yes, no, maybe. In some jurisdictions, the use of deadly force is only justified if the bad guy threatens or uses deadly force. In more rational jurisdiction, the sister has already suffered a beating, and the perpetrator is still in her house. He may erupt at any moment, delivering a lethal blow to sister. “No, your honor, the beating wasn’t ended, it only paused when I walked into the house. He was lunging for my sister when I shot him.”
It’s your word against the dead man’s word. If sister’s version of events doesn’t quite match yours, well, poor girl is hysterical, having been beaten out of her senses, then watching ex-boyfriend die.
It depends on the exact situation how I’m going to act, if walking into such a mess.
Even in some less sane jurisdictions, you’ll probably get away with it.
If the beat down had stopped? Were there official note-takers there already? If not, then how to know when the beating stopped? One word against the other and one isn’t talking.
How could they ever prove when the beating stopped?
Mark N, are you sure you are a lawyer? If someone breaks into your house, he/she is a direct threat to you. If the intruder is facing you, he’s not there to pick flowers. If the intruder is running away or leaving, no you cannot shot. In the case cited here, there is no question, the brother had the right to shot as he was in direct danger from deadly physical force. I think it is time for you to go back to law school. Do your clients a favor. Don’t practice criminal law.
Cocked or uncocked, the mere act of pointing a firearm ( you don’t need to know if it’s loaded, cocked or even real ) is an assault with a deadly weapon, and responding in kind and firing is self defense. Don’t believe me? , F around and find out.
Too bad Brother had not premptively gotten his Sister armed and trained. Then the instant dirbag perp began smasing diwn her door, she’d have been fully within her rights to take care of the dirtbag long before she got beat up. That would have been a far happier ending.
Soeone get hold of that brother and persuade him to follow through and get her armed and skilled. Next time, if she’s stupid enough to hang wth such a dirtbag as this ex-human she won’t have to hope Brother shows up like Mighty Mouse to save the day. She can take out the trash herself.
Better yet, learn ti avoid dirtbags, even when they sweet talk you and give you nice things and cuddle sweetly.
sort of. When getting someone else armed and trained, it’s important to know IF they can take a life and if they can, how it will mess up the rest of their life. Recovering from a beating is very often much easier. There are still a large number of people that don’t do well with killing someone. Unfortunately, that number is getting smaller every day.
Another one bites the dust! Hey Hey
Another happy ending to a sad but too often everyday occurence.
so I guess one lesson is to carry in the proper condition for firing quickly
something the decedent will not be able to try again
i like the prune analogy
its already cocked, fire back
Semi auto, SA DA, revolver, rifle, shotty, don’t care. Unless you have a badge and an arrest warrant, I’ll ventilate the idiot who points a firearm of any type at me or mine, if at all possible. May even use deadly force to protect strangers if put in that situation. Local LEO’s and the local DA has quietly said they would not arrest or prosecute in defensive shoots with any evidence of it being true.
“If Someone Points a Gun At You and Cocks It, You Can Shoot Them”
Does this apply if a LEO is pointing the gun at you?
Iffy question. Has he announced that he has a warrant? Do you know that you are the subject of an arrest warrant? Have you committed a felony and while you don’t know if a warrant has actually been issued, but suspect that there may well be one. If you are on the lam from state prison. If you want to add another charge to the one(s) you suspect may be pending, go ahead and blast away. Don’t be surprised if accompanying l.e.o.s blast away back. If you suspect a rogue cop, take your chances. If you are truly as innocent as Snow White and you think the cop is not rogue, take your chances in court. He may have the wrong address. In which case you have won the Wrong House Lottery. If you have had time to ponder all these variables, you are probably safe and are going to win the WHL.
Try it and find out.
ALL THAT OVER SO CALLED LOVE ???
SHAME EX DIDN’T KNOW THERE A OTHER FISHES IN THA WATER
DARN EMOTIONS , COST HIM HIS LIFE .
As long as I’m breathing I will never need permission from anybody to do what the brother did!!!!
This guy entered what he already knew to be a violent encounter without drawing and then let the other guy draw and cock his weapon before drawing?
Was his name Rayland Givens or is he just lucky as fuck?
Here we go again STATING the bloody OBVIOUS, I cannotbthbink of a single occasion where this would not be the case even her in the UKBUT the point is that in most CIVILISED COUNTRIES it’s extremely unlike that anybody IS EVER going nto point a firearm at you let alone cock the bloody thing I most countries the RULE OF LAW is, as in the USA using ‘Reasonable and Proporionate Force’,
Surely to god You do NOT need some half-wit Sherrif or a Police Officer to tell you that but if you do then you are ignorant beyond words. He’s a BLOODY SHERRIF not a LEGISLATOR not the Nations Criminology Adviser
Albert L J Hall. For your edification the US is a civilized country although maybe not by your demented control freak definition.
For your further edification, criminology is a social science, not the study of law.
I also suggest that you get someone to proof read your posts for you before you hit send. Your spelling is atrocious!
Don’t you have a different word for “cock” where you live?
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