Man fires warning shot when surrounded gets arrested

[old steel]

OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. -- A Sunday School teacher claims he was acting in self-defense when he fired a gun in Wheeling over the weekend in the Centre Market area. Chris Harris said he was coming from church when he and his girlfriend were surrounded by nine men looking for a fight. He said men made threats and the couple was scared for their lives, but Harris explained he was the one that ended up in cuffs. And facing some pretty serious charges. "It was one of the most scariest experiences I have ever been though,” said CC Roxby, Harris’ fiancé. "They surrounded me saying some pretty vulgar things like they were going to rape my wife in front of me, cut me," Harris said. Roxby said she called 911, but one man continued to be aggressive. "The kid kept advancing on me, saying it wasn't a real gun, and I would much rather shoot a shot into the air to prevent them from attacking me rather than them attacking me and me shooting someone,” Harris said. “The cruisers were coming down the street at that point and the young men ran away,” Roxby said. “Instead of them following the gang, the officers arrested Chris for firing a shot into the air.” Harris was cuffed and charged with wanton endangerment. He said he understand firing a gun is never a good idea, but says he was forced into it. "In some of the concealed weapons classes and firearm prevention classes I have taken, they have said you know it's good to fire a warning shot,” Harris said. “Wanton endangerment is placed on anyone who fires a gun and puts others at risk. Harris is free on bond.


9 guys coming at me and mine? Let the first one that gets shot be a warning to the others.
(http://www.wtov9.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/man-calls-arrest-misunderstanding-5848.shtml)

[Ponce]

As the old saying goes....."I'd rather be judge by 12 than carried by 6".....next time shoot to kill.

V

[Cebu_4_2]

He's in a lot less trouble than he would be if he shot the guy, especially if the guy survived.

[EE_]

Wow, he had a gun, he took a CCW class, so he had some experience with firearms...and he had his weapon drawn.

He could have handled the situation, but made one fatal mistake...letting his girlfriend call an even worse, more brutal criminal gang to help.

Two mistakes if you include the wasted round fired into the air.

[midnight rambler]

Dead men tell no tales.

Just make sure that none of 'em gets shot in the back.

[palani]

When you are in fear of your life you don't fire a warning shot. You fire for EFFECT to eliminate the threat.

[midnight rambler]

When you are in fear of your life you don't fire a warning shot. You fire for EFFECT to eliminate the threat.

Right, if one has sound reason to open fire in the first place, then shoot for maximum effect in order to end the conflict just as quickly as possible.

[Spectrism]

Surrounded by nine "men' who threatened to rape his wife and cut him.

Uhhh... I wouldn't need that much invitation to start ventilating the bastards. It was game on.
Arrested for self defense? Cops need to be "educated".

Doesn't say... what color were the "men"?

Instead of his wife getting raped, he got raped by the cops. Next time he had best learn to take some of the scum off the street... all costs the same amount of trouble.

[crimethink]

The Babylon System "allows" you to use deadly force when you feel your life is in danger or you are in danger of great bodily harm. Conversely, it also claims that if you are not willing to exercise that deadly force, you didn't "really" feel your life or well-being was in danger.

If you deploy a firearm, aim at the closest and/or most threatening attacker, and, if he continues his course of threatening action, fire with intent to permanently stop his aggression (i.e., that means using deadly force that may very well kill him).

[palani]

Those warning rounds are a danger to any bystander. You really need to have a body to absorb the bullet to keep it from going places you didn't intend.

Now if a guy knew he was going to be placed in a situation where he wanted to warn first ... a starter round would work in a revolver (but not a semi-auto).

[palani]

The Babylon System "allows" you to use deadly force when you feel your life is in danger or you are in danger of great bodily harm.

Not really. Say a coppiceman tells you "I need to have you get out of your automobile." Necessity ("I need something or other") is fair warning that he can kill you if you don't do as he says. If you are inclined to do something else the "I need" notice is enough to start to gun battle right on the spot.