I Have Got To Start Paying More Attention To Local News

I am going to bet that the officer in this video, the one who shot at the dog, is still working as an NYPD officer (although he may be on traffic detail or assigned permanently to a desk in the property section). It truly amazes me that he would have drawn his hand gun and then fire with what seemed to be reckless disregard for the safety of others in the near vicinity. I don't know what they are training officers nowadays when it comes to defending themselves from dogs but I would bet the one guy in the video got it right when he said he didn't think that was it. I did not post this here to bash the cops but more to show you what you need to consider when shooting at something. If there are people beyond what you are shooting at, you need to consider that. Depending on the totality of the circumstances, it does not always mean you will not take the shot but it most certainly does mean that sometimes you have to refrain from shooting and find some other way to defend yourself. Just in case you are wondering if that means that yes, I am saying sometimes you take the shot even though innocent people may be in the path of the bullet(s) beyond your intended target, my answer, speaking for myself only, would be that yes I can see justifiably taking such shot under certain circumstances, especially when the potential for public benefit far outweighs the threat of the harm being posed. For instance, a guy starts shooting people on a crowded street and is shooting them down rapidly one after another and you have the chance to stop him with a well placed shot but if you miss you may hit a person in the crowd. Think about what happens if you do not shoot - he keeps shooting and mowing down innocent people. Under such a set of circumstances I might decide to shoot. It is a choice each law abiding armed individual has to make based upon the totality of the circumstances. In the particular circumstance shown in the video, I think there was a much better way to handle it than shooting the at the dog when pretty much surrounded by a crowd.




All the best,
GB