NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — A nearby neighbor is credited with firing off ‘warning shots’ that stopped a robbery in progress outside an apartment complex near Nashville. The neighbor allegedly saw a woman being robbed outside her apartment and fired off several shots to scare off the robbers.
According to WKRN-TV News 2 Nashville, Nashville Metro police confirmed that three suspects held a woman up outside her apartment when a neighbor discharged his firearm multiple times, scaring them off. They pursued the suspects in their vehicle when the suspects stopped and attempted to flee on foot. A K-9 unit was called in and pursued them successfully. Two of the suspects were immediately apprehended and a third, female suspect, was tracked down and later apprehended.
A miraculous fourth suspect showed up during the pursuit to ask about his girlfriend’s car. He was taken in for questioning.
So it appears Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and Tweedle Dip all had a direct hand to play in the alleged crime and a truly idiotic fool showed up after the fact to ask police about the vehicle.
In any case, we’re not sure what to make of these ‘warning shots’. We are diametrically opposed to issuing warning shots. There’s either a threat to your life or there isn’t. You’re either stopping a threat to someone else’s life or you aren’t. The proper amount of force is ultimately a decision every person must make when he or she is in that situation, as dictated by whatever the law of the land happens to be, but a ‘warning shot’ is not usually an acceptable response.
Why not?
Because a warning shot is considered, at best, discharging a firearm within city limits. And any bullet fired can still hurt or even kill someone.
A broken clock is still correct twice a day. That doesn’t make firing warning shots an acceptable response. We’re not going to boo-hoo someone who helped stop a crime because, ultimately, it proved successful in this one particular case. However it’s something we don’t recommend to every other law-abiding gun owner in the area.
Shoot to neutralize a threat once you perceive it has the ability to cause grievous harm to yourself or a third party. Until then, keep it holstered.
Carry everyday and please don’t fire warning shots — you’re doing no one any favors.