When Should You Use Your Concealed Carry Gun in Defense of Others? - USA Carry

LTC Thomas Tennant Plan for the worst, hope for the best.
In the first scenario, simply showing up changes the situation drastically. I personally have another tool I always carry that would be useful in this situation. I carry a very bright flashlight. The scenario provided that it is a not well lit area. The beam of a bright flashlight will temporarily blind a person without using deadly force. The problem with both scenarios is that the reader is put into a situation in which they have no knowledge of the events leading up to what is observed. Sticking with the first scenario, what happens if the person standing over the elderly person was not an attacker at all. What if that person observed a mugging in progress, and picked up a rock to scare away the mugger. You shoot that person, you have made the situation worse, not better. Further complicating the issue, say you draw without firing, and that individual having just intervened in a mugging thinks you are an attacker. You now have a situation where two good samaritans are looking confronting each other, and one brought a rock to a gun fight.
In scenario two, if you hear a gunshot right around the corner, you better be calling 911 before you think of rounding the corner. Further weapon should be drawn and the corner used for concealment. Again, you stumbled into a developing situation as opposed to being present at the onset. What if that thug looking person was simply minding his own business, and the suit wearing person was carrying concealed, saw the man, decided that tattoos and piercings constitute a threat, so he drew his weapon on the man. The man not wanting to be shot, struggled with his attacker, the gun goes off, and the gun owner is shot with his own gun, having taken from him in the process. I would be pissed if someone pulled a gun on me because of the way I look. I might even be inclined to spit on that person after a struggle for the weapon.
So the main point that I am getting at is that unless you are there to see a scenario developing into a deadly threat situation, it is better to observe from afar, and notify law enforcement, as opposed to interjecting yourself into a situation that you don't understand. You have just increased the potential for injury to yourself and other innocent people. It is better not to shoot, than to shoot the wrong person. Now if that person becomes a threat to you, then the scenario has changed. It goes from the hypothetical situations presented to I stumbled on to this situation, and then this party came at me with a weapon and I felt my life threatened. I acted to defend myself.
Typically a criminal in a street crime, is not going to want a confrontation. If their attention is on their victim, simply drawing your firearm, aiming, and getting their attention likely will be enough to de-escalate the situation. If not, when they make a threatening motion toward you or their intended victim, you are in a position to fire.
In the scenarios listed in the article I would certainly call 911, I would get as much detail as I could, I would not intervene with deadly force at the onset. If the situation deteriorated to where I believed one of the perceived victims was in danger of a follow up attack despite my presence, then I would intervene with deadly force. If I believed that the threat was now on me, I would intervene with deadly force. Better judged by 12 than carried by 6.

Good article. Makes ya' think about the possibilities.

I think if you feel their life is in danger as well as your own. The defense of others is a tricky situation at best but if you include yourself as a possible victim next or during the same incident then unload until the threat is eliminated. Better that you are alive and still able to question your motivation than be dead and have no say at all.