Run in with an aggressive transient

[MrRob96]

In a survey done in 2007, it found a huge percentage nearly 80% of people that are homeless had a mental health issue

This sounds suspicious AF. Do you have a link to this survey? Beware large, round figures. 80% is a commonly used number.

According to Tom Arnold, 80% of gun owners shoot themselves or a loved one.

I'm not diminishing your concern, but I think if you and I walked into a homeless camp right now, I'd take the $10 bet that more than 2 of 10 of them are employable. Unless being lazy is a mental issue.

 

[Alexx1401]

I'll say it again, I parked my car by my house, saw something odd, waited in my car untill the person I hadnt gotten a good look at had left the visible area, only then did I exit my car and walk 8ft to see if my neighbors cars windows were broken or not. Only then did i see the stolen goods, and only then did the person reappear and become agitated/agressive.

By no means do I believe myself to be hot chit or a wannabe cop or looking for trouble.

Only once they became threatening did I say to leave or I would call the cops.

You did it right, and use it as a learning experience since it all ended well for you. I have LONG, as long as I have carried, warned about going unarmed. Many stories start with "well I was just running to the store so I did not have my gun.....................". ALWAYS carry something. Most of us will not always keep the "best" carry gun we have but anything beats nothing.
The kook coming after you could easily happen at any time and for no reason at all. Years back a known street nut, who was allowed to roam free in Seattle was killed this way. He had a long history of bizarre and dangerous behavior. One day some poor guy is out getting lunch and out of the blue this freak attacks him. Guy managed to get his gun out and plugged said freak a couple times. Freak died, a LOT of people who saw it were horrified that "nothing was done" to the poor slob trying to get his lunch. This was middle of the day, in a busy place, full of working folks. Always carry. this time you got a pass. Probably never happen again. Carry anyway and be safe.

 

[DuneHopper]

This sounds suspicious AF. Do you have a link to this survey? Beware large, round figures. 80% is a commonly used number.

According to Tom Arnold, 80% of gun owners shoot themselves or a loved one.

I'm not diminishing your concern, but I think if you and I walked into a homeless camp right now, I'd take the $10 bet that more than 2 of 10 of them are employable. Unless being lazy is a mental issue.

Where I worked we had a very large amount of homeless addicts, this was done over a 5 year period interviewing about 3500 clients.
There are other stats I had access to, and yea the 80% was something like 78.3 or something, but being I didnt recall the exact number I said 80 as 2% either way had no relevance. We also found that nearly half all women addicts under 30, had children and no father they could identify. As well as around 90% of all children born while at our facility, were addicted at birth. The stats are similar at Willamette Family and others throughout the state. The stats of Veterans were shared by the local VA, no names or id were given, and was based on Veteran since 1955 thru 2007. I didn't want to hijack the thread, but since you asked. I can not tell you stats after 2012 as that is when Oregon said we could no longer ask the questions we were. Welcome to hiding the problem 101 in Oregon, don't talk about it, or research it, and it wont exist.

 

[KKG]

I'm of the opinion that the first thing you should have done was dial 911. You should have stayed in your car until the police arrived.

 

[rick benjamin]

Carbon was aware of his surroundings
Carbon, when confronted, retreated to "witnessed" surroundings.
Carbon or witnesses called for police.
Big Attaboy!

 

[DB is Here]

To be honest, the only year that it was just one was when we moved to Hawaii. Then..... There was last year, 7 ar lowers (two of which were Wilson Combat with Geissele triggers), MK4 Hunter, Savage Hog Hunter, Winchester model 12, Smith 66-1 and 29-6.

Longmire Approved...

 

[L84Cabo]

I have a carry permit, don't always use it. I'd be reluctant to pull a weapon out but would do so if I got the mortal fear. I'd have to figure it was truly me or them. Using a gun even in self protection in west coast states can lead to a lot of trouble. Doesn't matter if you are in the right. The attitude of the prosecuting attorney has a lot to do with it. Even if you are cleared in a self defense case, the decedent's estate (meaning greedy relatives who never liked the s.o.b. while alive) may find out you own a house and go after you.

These days, and since I was able to secure a Ca permit (I'm still trying to figure out how that happened), I'm pretty much armed 100% of the time. The world is just too crazy of a place. But you are 100% correct that there will be no good outcome if you have to shoot someone. I sincerely hope I never have to. But I'm currently looking into carry insurance. Because I'm sure it won't be cheap if I ever do.

 

[MannyGlocks]

"But you are 100% correct that there will be no good outcome if you have to shoot someone. I sincerely hope I never have to."

How about you save your child's, wife's, your life?

Wouldn't that be a good outcome?

Or, would it be best to simply let an attacker do what they want, while you passively hope for a good outcome while doing nothing?

Perhaps a Mahatma Ghandi perspective works for some...

 

[Sandaholic]

Missed out on an excellent opportunity to take out the trash.

 

[Mikej]

"But you are 100% correct that there will be no good outcome if you have to shoot someone. I sincerely hope I never have to."

How about you save your child's, wife's, your life?

Wouldn't that be a good outcome?

Or, would it be best to simply let an attacker do what they want, while you passively hope for a good outcome while doing nothing?

Perhaps a Mahatma Ghandi perspective works for some...

Do you really expect an answer to that?

 

[MannyGlocks]

Mikej,

Sure, why not?

Am I expecting too much...?

No sane person wants to face a life or death self defense situation, but if it's my child, wife, or me, I have a hard time believing anyone would simply stand by doing nothing if they're attacked...or, am I wrong?

If I'm wrong, is it because the person whose unwilling to defend their loved ones or themselves, due to a claim of high principles or in reality....simple cowardice?

 

[bbbass]

Mikej,

Sure, why not?

Am I expecting too much...?

No sane person wants to face a life or death self defense situation, but if it's my child, wife, or me, I have a hard time believing anyone would simply stand by doing nothing if they're attacked...or, am I wrong?

If I'm wrong, is it because the person whose unwilling to defend their loved ones or themselves, due to a claim of high principles or in reality....simple cowardice?

These days, and since I was able to secure a Ca permit (I'm still trying to figure out how that happened), I'm pretty much armed 100% of the time. The world is just too crazy of a place. But you are 100% correct that there will be no good outcome if you have to shoot someone. I sincerely hope I never have to. But I'm currently looking into carry insurance. Because I'm sure it won't be cheap if I ever do.

"But you are 100% correct that there will be no good outcome if you have to shoot someone. I sincerely hope I never have to."

How about you save your child's, wife's, your life?

Wouldn't that be a good outcome?

Or, would it be best to simply let an attacker do what they want, while you passively hope for a good outcome while doing nothing?

Perhaps a Mahatma Ghandi perspective works for some...

Reread the statement by L84Cabo and the explain how you got to the conclusion that he would not protect his family.

Yes, I personally dislike cowardice, but I don't think that was on display in his post.

 

[bbbass]

I've heard information along these lines before, don't have any personal knowledge as to the veracity of the stats. But let us just agree that a great many of the homeless (and therefore the acting-out ones we see around) do have mental health issues. And these are the ones that in the past were institutionalized and cared for in that way. In a manner which didn't allow their behavior to negatively impact the public in general. Which was a circumstance of human behavior down through time, mostly, and changed when our governments decided that no longer paying for their care and housing could be pulled off in the name of mainstreaming and equal rights.

IIRC the emptying out of the mental institutions came at a time when there was a big uproar about patient abuse in those institutions, concurrent with a big uproar against gov spending. It was the time of the Ken Kesey movie "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" as well as the time of the Reagan revolution.

BTW, my wife befriended a gal that had just been released from the mental lockup in Pendleton OR. The gal had sued that place to take her off of meds that had some serious and permanent side effects, tardive diskensia being one of the effects. The gal seemed pretty ok and in fact downright sharp. She was actually brilliant and her mind moved way fast. Think the movie Beautiful Mind. I noticed some OCD with quoting the bible from memory during a very inappropriate/uncomfortable religion conversation at a dinner we were invited to at her house. After about a year, she started going to bars to hang out and drink. It didn't take long for a complete meltdown. Total schizo. Burned down her house, ran around naked on the block where she lived (in front of children), and when the popo arrived she got in her car and led them on a merry chase. She was recommitted. I told my wife never again to befriend someone like that, you can't help them, you can't trust them, and they are a ticking time bomb for dangerous behavior.

These are some of the people now living on the streets.

We had a young man the was hired at the radio shop because he was a Vet on a medical discharge. On one trip he told me that he had been homeless in both Seattle and Portland for a time. He made some $$ by prostituting himself. Oh boy, I was seriously thinking too much info and I told him to never ever talk to me about that again, and never tell the boss. Nice kid but he was strange in many other ways, and he was a wuss, and he was incompetent... didn't last long in a place that has it's workers climbing radio towers.

Lock em up!!

 

[11Charlie]

Thread cleaned keep it nice or I will shut it down.

 

[Kruel J]

Thread cleaned keep it nice or I will shut it down.

Well that's no fun.

 

[11Charlie]

Well that's no fun.

The Kruel one can do it! LOL

 

[Kruel J]

The Kruel one can do it! LOL

Is that name calling?

Back to the OP, I think avoidance is the first line of defense most of the time.

 

[L84Cabo]

Reread the statement by L84Cabo and the explain how you got to the conclusion that he would not protect his family.

Yes, I personally dislike cowardice, but I don't think that was on display in his post.

Thank you. The lack of reading comprehension and the way people just make crap up that they want to hear is astounding to me. There was no way that I could possibly type slow enough to explain it to him so I appreciate your efforts here.

 

[bbbass]

Thank you. The lack of reading comprehension and the way people just make crap up that they want to hear is astounding to me. There was no way that I could possibly type slow enough to explain it to him so I appreciate your efforts here.

You're welcome!

 

[P7M13]

I think avoidance is the first line of defense most of the time.

+1
And guess what? The problem (usually) doesn't go away....