Think it would be cool to shoot a bad guy?

[RetiredLEO]

After much thought on this after four combat tours and the knowledge that I gained about myself from this experience...
I have decided that it isn't good or bad... It was just something that needed to be done , if I wanted to come home and have my buddies come home.

It is not something that I take lightly , or brag about
I have made peace with myself for having the willingness to shoot well at another who was shooting at me , and using that skill to do what was needed to get home alive.

I truly hope that no one has to kill another.
For those that have , I hope they find the peace and understanding of themselves and their actions , that they deserve.
Andy

When you accept the responsibility that comes with the authority (LE, Military) a major part of it all is the possibility/probability that you will find yourself in a situation that requires the taking of a life. The worst part is the decision...crunch time. I always had three serious concerns over which I prayed...(1) That the individual I'd shot would not turn out to be another (undercover) LEO, (2) That I would never be in a situation where a I'd hesitate a second too long in order to be absolutely certain that there was no other option open to me except to pull the trigger and end up not going home that night to my family, and (3) That I would never make the decision to use lethal force when the subject who had ignored my commands was dragging a cell phone out of his pocket, not a weapon. After a 50 year career as an LEO in a large city, an undercover Federal NARC and some overseas stuff, all following an enlistment in the USMC my prayers were answered. I did what I had to do, when I had to do it, and managed to compartmentalize and keep a perspective what I'd had to do in order to keep my sanity and live an otherwise normal life, raise a family, and not become an alcoholic.
Semper Fi

 

[surevaliance]

While shooting a bad guy might not be cool, surviving one definitely is.

 

[G8rHunter]

After much thought on this after four combat tours and the knowledge that I gained about myself from this experience...
I have decided that it isn't good or bad... It was just something that needed to be done , if I wanted to come home and have my buddies come home.

It is not something that I take lightly , or brag about
I have made peace with myself for having the willingness to shoot well at another who was shooting at me , and using that skill to do what was needed to get home alive.

I truly hope that no one has to kill another.
For those that have , I hope they find the peace and understanding of themselves and their actions , that they deserve.
Andy

Andy, you write from a great perspective, and you have obviously have handled the rough stuff in life respectably!