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I was held up in 1993/1994 with about 10-12 other co-workers. We worked at a restuarant in Philadelphia, and after work we would frequent another restuarant that was open till 2AM, so that we could have some drinks. Well, the second one of the last customers left (not us as fellow waiters), the remaining 6-7 customers stood up, and lifted up shotguns! They ordered us on the floor with our face in the carpets. I know someone got hit with it because he thought it was a joke. Then they ordered all of us to put all of our tips into the air behind our backs and they collected the tips. Then, we each got hit in the back of hte head with the barrel, and that was our signal that we had to line up on the wall (ever hear of a firing line....). Guess who wound up first in line....oh yes, that would be me. The robbers were mistaken and thought we were ALL employees of the restuarant they were robbing, so they thought we would have known our way around. So the one guy screams in my ear to lead the way into the kitchen. Well, of course I have NO idea where that was because I was only there to get my drink on....and **crying** I said something about not knowing the way. Of course he didn't believe me because he slammed the gun into my back and told me "you know the way b*&ch, now move!" Luckily, a person next to me did work at the restuarant, and he started whispering "right, left," and so I finally made it there. When I opened the door to the walk-in refridgerator, lo and behold, there were the rest of the restuarant's employess lying on the ground on top of each other, piled in like sardines in a can. So here comes us to pile on top of them! Then we were locked in, in the dark.
Anway, long story short, 25 minutes later someoen unscrewed the hinges on the door, and we were able to open it. Someone went into the office to call 911 (yes, this was before anyone had cell phones, we had beepers!!), and hte rest of us hid outside behind dumpsters.
We didn't even make the news
This is one of the stories that I wrote for my college professors, of course with a LOT more detail and humor in it, that I received an "A" on
About 20 years ago. I would ride my bike 25 miles every evening after work. There was either a sidewalk (I know) or bike path all the way from my house to the beach. Once on the beach there was a bike lane on the boardwalk, so I could ride the length of the beach back and forth several times before heading back home.
I was riding my 10 speed down the sidewalk and someone was walking in front of me, so I slowed down. He was weaving back and forth so I thought he was drunk. When I went to pass him he weaved right in front of me - it was run him over or stop, so I stopped. He turned around a pointed a revolver at me and said 'give it up'. When I looked at the revolver I noticed that the hammer was not cocked, and I could see the chamber was empty. So growing up around guns all my life I knew that meant the gun was empty. I wasn't going to let some punk ***** rob me with an empty gun. I grabbed the gun and began punching the jerk in the chest. We both fell over, with my bike between us, and I kept punching. I heard a 'crack' and he started to make a weasing sound. At that point I knew I had broken at least one of his ribs and it had punctured his lung. Just as I got the gun from his hand someone else came up behind me and hit me in the head with a pipe. I saw stars. I rolled off the first guy and the second guy helped him up and helped him get away.
The police came and took the report. About 1 hour later they arrested the first guy when he went to the hospital for help. I identified him, and he got 10 years in prison for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and something else I can't remember now. The second guy got away.
I wasn't going to let some punk ***** rob me with an empty gun. I grabbed the gun and began punching the jerk in the chest. We both fell over, with my bike between us, and I kept punching. I heard a 'crack' and he started to make a weasing sound. At that point I knew I had broken at least one of his ribs and it had punctured his lung. Just as I got the gun from his hand someone else came up behind me and hit me in the head with a pipe. I saw stars. I rolled off the first guy and the second guy helped him up and helped him get away.
The police came and took the report. About 1 hour later they arrested the first guy when he went to the hospital for help. I identified him, and he got 10 years in prison for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and something else I can't remember now. The second guy got away.
You might be lucky that didn't happen in Canada. The use of "unreasonable force" is a great concern here; much more important than personal protection. It's possible you and the would be robber could have both been sent to prison. Only people who believe their lives are threatened are allowed to defend themselves as they see fit. Why? I'm not really sure. Like you said, you believed the gun was empty, so maybe you didn't feel that he would kill you.
I have been robbed, but it was nowhere near that scary. I was skateboarding by myself and about a dozen guys approached me, acting very intimidating and asked for money. I don't remember the specifics but it wasn't politely that they asked for money. They ended up getting $7 off of me.
The use of "unreasonable force" is a great concern here; much more important than personal protection. It's possible you and the would be robber could have both been sent to prison.(
I have been to Vancouver B.C., and loved it. I could very easily live there.
That was, until I found out that you can't defend yourself without being worried about getting 'in trouble'. Thanks for the 'heads up' on that - I may have to rethink my retirement.
I have been to Vancouver B.C., and loved it. I could very easily live there.
That was, until I found out that you can't defend yourself without being worried about getting 'in trouble'. Thanks for the 'heads up' on that - I may have to rethink my retirement.
It's not "written in stone" per say, but it is on the books. Meaning I've seen people get there butt whooped and not be arrested. The idea about personal protection is almost irrelevant to unreasonable force, I think.
I suppose that could be a reason to not want to live here, the uncertainty of it all. I'm sure with some research you could find out for yourself. But then again many places in Canada tend to have a lower crime rate than American cities.
So where you live, you don't have to worry about hurting a robber/attacker too much? Is that only in certain states?
So where you live, you don't have to worry about hurting a robber/attacker too much? Is that only in certain states?
I live in North Carolina. Here, if someone is breaking into your home, and you say "Stop, I have a gun", and they continue to break in, you have the right to shoot them right through the door or window they are using to break in. Shoot them dead - no problem.
In most of the United States if someone is attempting to rob or assault you, and you are legally carrying a concealed weapon, you can shoot them if "you fear that your life or the lives of your loved ones is in danger". That is the key - you must remember the phrase "I felt as if my life was in danger", and use it when the police come to see who the robber was you just killed. It could be he had his hand in his pocket and you thought he might have a knife or gun. Or maybe he told you he had a knife or gun. Either way, just say the magic phrase.
Here you are also allowed to kill an attacker, but you have to prove that you had almost no other choice. "Almost" might be good enough as those situations are very stressfull and frightening.
That is the key - you must remember the phrase "I felt as if my life was in danger", and use it when the police come to see who the robber was you just killed. It could be he had his hand in his pocket and you thought he might have a knife or gun. Or maybe he told you he had a knife or gun. Either way, just say the magic phrase.
I suppose they're worried about misuse of phrasing like that here. What happens if it's the robber who says "Stop I've got a gun", then in court says you were trying to rob him?
"Dead men tell no tales" - anonymous man who was almost mugged
Funny.
I'd imagine that most attempts at killing people fail, so that's why I thought of that question. Or if other people are around you have witnesses who can be for you, against you or even both.
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**crying** I said something about not knowing the way. Of course he didn't believe me because he slammed the gun into my back
