Rights and Responsibility Weapons Study Guide

045

The Use of Force

The concealed pistol is an emergency tool of self-defense . U sed to protect yourself or others when life is in grave danger .

Y ou would be required to act under a level of stress and fear that most people have never experienced before. How you respond will depend on many factors among them is your t raining and experience regrading the use - of - force decision making. The decision The decision to use Deadly Force in defense of yourself or possible another person will be a defining moment that will change a person’s life forever. There are no do overs or time-out for training. This is a decision that cannot be undone. Therefore, the act of carrying a concealed pistol gives the CPL holder the ability to respond to a threat to their life at a moment’s notice. The convenience of concealed carry also creates the convenience of making a mistake that cannot be undone. Criminal and civil Liability A person can be held criminally and civilly liable for wrongfully pointing or discharging a pistol at another person . This could result in trauma to yourself and your family, the loss of freedom, loss of employment, related wages and health benefits, and future wages and employment. There is always the possibility of prosecution and/or a wrongful death lawsuit. Deadly force Deadly force can only be used to save a human life . Deadly force can be in many forms, basically any act or object that would place a person in fear of their life with the imminet threat of death, great bodily harm or sexual assault. Non deadly or less than deadly force i s usually considered an act that does not meet the high bar of deadly force. Usually these are acts or threats of physical violence. How a person perceives a threat and their response will depend on many factors including the selection and use of self defense weapons. Option and choices Self Defense is not a one size fits all choice . Police carry many use-of -force options, such as a handgun, pepper spray, taser, and ASP baton and the training required to use them. The average CPL holde r only carries a handgun which means the choices and options are limited. Shoot, fight or run. True self defense is when you are the innocent victim of someone’s actions, you have no other reasonable options and you are forced to take action to defend yourself. Defending others is an option only you can make.