I had to shoot

[Chief Joseph]

you brought this situation to a public forum to which I posed a few questions for you. This response, in my opinion, validates my initial point "I wonder at times if the fact that I carry a gun might open me up to using it in a situation I may not have "needed" to".

You stated your dog was safe. I am not fully convinced you were in harm's way, or to a point where the dog should have been killed or shot. Yeah you had the "right" to shoot the dog as it was off the leash and being aggressive but I would venture a guess that if you were not carrying a gun you would have found another way to control the situation.

I don't think it validates your point at all. It's pretty obvious he was in the right and I'd have done the exact same thing. I've discovered through the years that dog owners have no common sense about their dogs. If they growl, bite, bark or charge, all you get from a dog owner is "he's a good dog and wouldn't hurt a fly" it's all crap. I was charged by a dog leashed up to a walk rail in front of the post office a few years ago. He charged at full speed, growling and barking. I damn near fell jumping out of his way. I stood there heart pounding when the woman who owned him came out of the post office with her little one in a stroller. When she started to untie him I told her what happened, and her typical response, "he wouldn't hurt anyone" I got so pissed I cussed her up one side and down another, and I yelled. She was red faced and scared. When I was done I said now you know how I felt, and don't worry, I wouldn't hurt a fly.

[Dietrich]

Exactly what I was thinking, I'm sorry to ask, did he read the first post at all? People shouldn't post unless they have read and if not understood, reread before posting something that wasn't there in the first place. One of the many reasons I wanted a conceal carry permit was because on 3 occasions in the last year and a half, people on the next street over have 2 pitbulls that have gotten loose. The first time was on a Saturday morning when the Sheriffs deputies knocked on our door telling us they had trapped them in our backyard. We watched the whole thing through our windows. They had to taser the male 2 times and he told us if the last one hadn't of worked, they'd have shot him. They have gotten loose on 2 other occasions and made it down our street with me and the neighbors calling 911 again. I have a child and my next door neighbor has a daycare. I will not hesitate to put any one of those pitbulls down if they in any way threaten my child, period. And I wouldn't give a damn what anyone thought. Especially the bleeding heart dog lovers.

Easy Chief,Easy.I`m a dog lover and I wish that it had never happened but it did.I`m ready to face whatever comes as a result of my actions because I was in the right.There`s nothing in my script that says "Dietrich bleeds" so I`ll just have to wait and see what happens.

[ltxi]

Deitrich, my dogs are my kids. I wouldn't hesitate for a second if one was seriously threatened by anything or anyone and wouldn't waited as long as you did. Sorry you had to have your holiday negatively affected but appropriate defense of you and yours is the reason you carry a gun in the first place. Just be glad you had the foresight to have the appropriate tool on hand to fix the problem and that the bg wasn't human.

[500KV]

Deitrich, my dogs are my kids. I wouldn't hesitate for a second if one was seriously threatened by anything or anyone and wouldn't waited as long as you did. Sorry you had to have your holiday negatively affected but appropriate defense of you and yours is the reason you carry a gun in the first place. Just be glad you had the foresight to have the appropriate tool on hand to fix the problem and that the bg wasn't human.

Absolutely lt.
The owner is very fortunate that the dog didn't bite you.
Then she would have had to lawyer-up for sure.

[medezyner]

Sorry to hear you had to deal with putting down a dog in this situation. Kinda takes the wind out of peace, joy & happiness during the holidays. I think most everyone in this forum realizes that as CCW holders the decisions we make using deadly force get viewed under a microscope. Those decisions come fast and hard and until I’m walking in your shoes, I’m not going to second-guess your actions. I was a proud owner of a 125 pound German Shepherd that was a complete ***** cat. Our family loved that dog, he was a proud family protector and he loved people. BUT I wouldn’t have hesitated for one minute to put him down if he did bodily harm to one of my neighbors. Oh ya, there may be all kinds of circumstances that need to be considered, but they are animals no matter how human we want them to be.

[pacific nw guy]

bottom line

I asked a question, if you didn't have a gun would the situation have found another opportunity to save yourself from harm. As I also stated I have asked myself the question whether or not carrying a gun would lead me to use it at a time I may not have needed to.

You never answered that question, maybe you can not but it is without a doubt something to ponder.

[Dietrich]

Excuse me,but I thought I had answered your question.Maybe this will clarify things.No. As far as your question to yourself,I wouldn`t presume to know the answer.

[pacific nw guy]

questions

Excuse me,but I thought I had answered your question.Maybe this will clarify things.No. As far as your question to yourself,I wouldn`t presume to know the answer.

mine is hypothetical, one where I am working to realize the responsibility of owning and carrying a gun, thus since I have not been in a situation that would answer the question I can not at this time answer it.

I asked you because you were in the type of situation i have thought about, one where a gun may not have been the answer but was used because it was an option.

You answered NO, I appreciate your honesty.

[jocko]

WE CAN ALL CONJECTURE AS TO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IN DIETRICH SITUATION. When we carry a gun, we assume a liability and responsibility that prior to that we never had to address. When one pulls his gun to defend himself from a threat of an animal or an individual. then that is when the ballgame of liability comes into play.

From that very moment, we all will certainly have our own ideas of how we would have handled the above two situations, so from me, no criticism to Deitrich intended. He made his decision and the consequences if any, he will have to live and address.. \\

I just refer back to my brick through my plate glass window. Hindsight in this case was was surely not 20-20 ..

[Chief Joseph]

mine is hypothetical, one where I am working to realize the responsibility of owning and carrying a gun, thus since I have not been in a situation that would answer the question I can not at this time answer it.

I asked you because you were in the type of situation i have thought about, once where a gun may not have been the answer but was used because it was an option.

You answered NO, I appreciate your honesty.

If this is a situation that you feel a gun is not warranted, or if you torture yourself about it too much. Maybe you shouldn't be carrying one at all.

[medezyner]

WE CAN ALL CONJECTURE AS TO WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IN DIETRICH SITUATION. When we carry a gun, we assume a liability and responsibility that prior to that we never had to address. When one pulls his gun to defend himself from a threat of an animal or an individual. then that is when the ballgame of liability comes into play.

From that very moment, we all will certainly have our own ideas of how we would have handled the above two situations, so from me, no criticism to Deitrich intended. He made his decision and the consequences if any, he will have to live and address.. \\

I just refer back to my brick through my plate glass window. Hindsight in this case was was surely not 20-20 ..

Well said jocko, my exact sentiment (as I tried to communicate in my earlier posting). I for one will not engage in armchair quarterbacking.

[ltxi]

Oh, good lord....the damn dog attacked his dog/him and he shot and killed it. Aside from Dietrich feeling bad about having to do it, what's the problem?

I normally refrain from personal comments but, pacific nw guy, you really do need to get a grip or stop carrying a weapon.

[pacific nw guy]

funny comment

I normally refrain from personal comments but, pacific nw guy, you really do need to get a grip or stop carrying a weapon.

I am trying to be responsible, i am the one with the grip. I never made an assumption, I posed a question. When you post on an internet forum you open your situation to the world and the world's criticism. If you or Dietrich cant handle the questions from me or anyone else then dont post the information. if this goes to court the only thing I have done is get him ready for what they will ask.

I take what happened seriously. what if dietrich missed the dog and that bullet hit someone or something else. the point is that many people I have come across who carry guns are what I consider a little too quick to think using the gun is necessary and too many are looking for
a reason or waiting to be able to shoot it.

[Chief Joseph]

I am trying to be responsible, i am the one with the grip. I never made an assumption, I posed a question. When you post on an internet forum you open your situation to the world and the world's criticism. If you or Dietrich cant handle the questions from me or anyone else then dont post the information. if this goes to court the only thing I have done is get him ready for what they will ask.

I take what happened seriously. what if dietrich missed the dog and that bullet hit someone or something else. the point is that many people I have come across who carry guns are what I consider a little too quick to think using the gun is necessary and many are looking for or waiting to be able to shoot it.

Seriously, you sound like someone who should NOT carry a weapon. What "could" happen, could happen with any shooting, be it military, police or self defense. We are all aware that you are responsible for your bullet where ever it may hit. This case is pretty cut and dried and I'm sure he doesn't need you to tell him what may come up in court. Also, just like him, when you respond to a public topic, you also are up for criticism. Just like those you assume are too ready to shoot, those never ready to shoot may as well not be armed because it sounds like there is no situation you would condone shooting, so why bother being here or armed at all? I also can't wait to shoot my guns, but in the woods at targets. You are labeling conceal carriers as wild cards and that is not correct, I challenge you to find any instances of conceal carriers being charged for defending themselves or reckless behavior because it's not there. I have never heard of any. I read a great article in one of my gun magazines, It was written by a LEO who said he had known a few officers, like you, who blinked in crisis situations instead of jumping in to fight. He made a good point, if you have no will to fight, then do something else, your not good to LE. I believe it's the same with carrying concealed, if you're not willing to use it to defend yourself, then don't carry.

[swampman]

I had to shootI

Ive been reading these responses since deitrich first post absorbing all that is being said,contemplating a possible responce,now I dont have to because the chief just said it for me,thank you chief who ever you are.