Author Topic: Talking to the Cops  (Read 3725 times)

tombogan03884

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Talking to the Cops
« on: July 29, 2010, 01:43:47 AM »
We have thrashed over this topic before, but like first aid it is part of self defense to often ignored until it's to late.
So this from Gabe Suarez' Warrior talk is worth consideration.

http://www.warriortalknews.com/2010/07/afteraction-discourse-what-to-say-to-the-cops.html#tp

One of the things that is incessantly being discussed in the CCW/LEO community is the after-event-discourse. In other words, what do you say...or not, after you have whacked an attacker. As expected, the variety of advice is as different as people's choices in guns and ammo. A prevailing attitude is to simply shut up and say nothing under any circumstances. I disagree and here is why -

I have been in more than a few of these and also investigated quite a few of these. I noted some trends and tried to use those trends to my benefits when it was my turn at the plate.

First is the fact that the bad guys will not be "keeping quiet". They will be telling the cops you pulled your gun on them, perhaps create some appearance of racism if they can exploit it, and generally make it look like you are the over-reacting, racist, bad guy. What happened may not be obvious to the cops who come out to investigate...specially if the majority of witnesses are against you.

So picture this scene. Two guys have been, as we used to say, "eye f*cking you", and followed you for some time, maybe yelling threatening stuff at you. While you did your best to avoid the issue, you were unsuccessful in getting away and they pressed the confrontation, attacking you with sufficient force to justify a gun solution.

You shoot one of them, maybe wounding him - maybe killing him, and the other one runs off into the night. You saw the first man drop his pistol in a clump of ivy and the other man throw his knife on a rooftop as he ran away.

You immediately call 911 and give a very cryptic account of what happened..."there has been a shooting...I'm the victim...send help".

Crimescene In the meantime, one of the assailants...the one who got away, is also calling. His story is a little different. According to him you called them "Dirty Ghetto Norwegians", and pulled your gun on them, shooting his buddy. As far as the police know...they got two calls. One a cryptic call, from someone who seemed to be concealing something, and another reporting what amounts to a racial hate crime by a right wing Nazi.

They arrive on scene and after controlling the event, ask you what happened. What you do now will have a bearing on the rest of your life.

The guys who advocate saying nothing will not be able to point to the two weapons which were discarded...and which will disappear as soon as the scene is cleared. The police may not even look for them since no one told them they were in existence. No one will tell them you are a good guy who was a victim of an attempted robbery, as the ONLY info paints you as some KKK wannabe.


More at link

alfsauve

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Re: Talking to the Cops
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2010, 10:59:04 AM »
"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

Will work for ammo
USAF MAC 437th MAW 1968-1972

Ichiban

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Re: Talking to the Cops
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2010, 11:51:05 AM »
"They tried to kill me.   May I contact  my attorney?"

In this scenario I think your response should be "They tried to kill me.  Their weapons are here and there.  May I contact my attorney."

Personally, I would talk to the police to give a brief overview of what happened so they would be able to look for any more evidence.  But, I would be very careful about what I said and the central (and oft repeated) thread would be that I was afraid for my life.

I think a lot of the "Don't talk to the cops" is good advice in the metropolitan Obama supporting areas but not so much so in the more rural areas.  Locally I would be more forthcoming with the Colorado Springs cops as the local DA has a pretty good record about not prosecuting SD shooting; if I were in Denver it would be a different story.  Still, it is good advice to be very, very careful about what you say.  YMMV.

ratcatcher55

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Re: Talking to the Cops
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2010, 12:29:02 PM »
The issue is that when people get excited their speech tends to go into a stream of consiousness and ramble on and on.

The cops may select parts of the discourse and make you look like the agressor. There are way too many officers who see the world as cops, family and suspects.

If you can keep to the cliff notes version like Gabe suggested you would be fine. If not ,lawyer up.
In the end you have to convince the prosocuter, judge or jury that it was a good shoot, not the cop on the beat.

 

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