Response: They say cops are the only ones who should have guns

Original post.  Lotsa sarcasm in those couple lines in case it wasn’t obvious.

And the comment, from a Glenn B, who didn’t put a link in so I have no idea who he is:

March 6, 2012 at 7:32 am So, the cop DEC IDED to shoot himself! Let me ask you this, when is the last time you had a speeding car coming right at you and you had to jump out of the way of it so as not to be hit by it? Then tell me, were you holding a firearm at the time. Why not at least give the guy a break until you know more of the facts.

Actually I think that someone deliberately backing a car over me counts as an attempt on my life and thus gives me reason to shoot.  It certainly counts that way for cops in a large portion of the country.  This shoulda been a story about a cop shooting a bad guy who was trying to run him over.  Why was the cop so close to the rear of a running car anyway?  Anytime I have to walk behind a running vehicle I give them lots of extra space and I don’t have to (really) worry about someone backing up over me deliberately.  And the article reads like he wasn’t hit by the car which means he wasn’t actually THAT close behind the car, or else has some serious insane reflexes.  And why was his finger on the trigger?  If he was ready to shoot he shoulda just shot the driver, or at least the car.  If he wasn’t ready to shoot then his finger shouldn’t have been on the trigger.  Presto, no discharge.

Now, if I was the cop, and I was stupid enough to get that close to the rear of a running (and not disabled)  car with a driver who likely will take whatever steps necessary to stay out of my hands, and I was pulling my gun in the process, and was stupid enough to put my finger on the trigger before I was actually reading to shoot, then yes, I’d say I’d likely not have the physical prowess to jump out of the way of the car without having the gun fire and potentially shoot myself or a bystander.  And since I’m a “civilian” and not a cop, and since I live in NY, if something DID result in that set of circumstances then I can expect that NY state would likely revoke my license to carry.