Lawmakers are debating legislation that would make sure gun owners can’t be prosecuted for showing a weapon to warn someone who is threatening them.
HB78 modifies existing law that bans threatening someone with a dangerous weapon in a fight or quarrel. The proposal would exempt from that prohibition anyone who displays a weapon — or claims to be carrying one — as a self-defense measure.
Utah law already protects the use of force in self-defense of the defense of others, but Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said his bill would protect gun owners in actions short of pointing and firing a weapon. “If you are, by law, allowed to point a gun at someone, that would escalate the situation,” he told the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday, “but if you’re just able to display it, it wouldn’t escalate it.” Sandstrom said he is considering adding language to distinguish the bill from “open carry” protections for gun owners when the committee continues its review Friday.
Salt Lake City attorney and firearms instructor Mitch Vilos said Wednesday the bill “seems to suggest you have to have justification to tell someone you’re carrying a firearm or to display a firearm. That’s not currently the [law].” -[source]
Displaying a firearm is an invitation to someone to kill you. Someone might show you theirs in the process of shooting you. It’s a dumb idea in my opinion: why advertise?
In other words, when it’s necessary to take care of business, take care of business. Don’t waste time and effort to advertise first.
Depends on how you do it.
Take for instance this example.
True story too by the way.
Say some wussy gang members try a bump and tap on the freeway. And failed.
Then follow you for 15 miles.
You park at a grocery store and go to the bank inside.
Come out with $200 in cash.
Walk to your vehicle you parked at the far end of the parkinglot where people park their vehicles that are for sale, so others driving down the road can see them.
You notice some silly punk laying on the hood of your car looking in the windshield.
You ask him “WTF R DOING?”
His sissy friend and him run at you, while one steps behind you to see which pocket your wallet is in, while the other stands there and shakes(because he’s a sissy), chain smoking cigarettes, and asks you if that is your car, and states they “had 1 just like it and it got stolen and we think your car is ours. OPEN IT.”
Then go back to your car.
Now u know something is up, because u know the car is yours, and u don’t have to prove shite to anyone except the police, which they never called, even tho they claim u r in their stolen car.
So u pull a crazy Ivan and head towards the store where there r lots of people while trying to dial 911 on your cell fone.
Now when your fone starts beeping, they 2 idiots turn around and ask u “Where the **** u’re going!?”
And u inform these bozos u r going to the store to call the police, and the one that’s twice your size runs at you and swings trying to punch u the face, but u DUCK and go under it, forward, and pull your Beretta from your fanny pack.
Now ifg u’re in a state where deadly force is legal against someone trying to cause u bodily harm u have the green lite to blow his face clean off but u don’t, because u can’t, because u can’t chance putting innocent bystanders in danger because this clown has six lanes of traffic behind him, and the school down the street has just gotten out and there’s children walking thru the parkinglot as well.
Did I mention his wuss friend screaming and falling down trying to run away at the sight of u with a gun in your hand?
Now the idiot you drew down think’s he can take u, because u still haven’t pointed your gun at him and lunges forward, so u hold your hand sideways to rassure this screwball that u really do have a gun.
Mean while his buddy that ran away has grabbed a gun out of his jeep and has started waving it around, while the guy that tried to hit u has went 20′ to his left to stand in front of his kids that were never in any danger, screaming “Don’t shoot my kids!”
So u do a 180 and zig zag towards the store so u don’t get shot in the back, while MARTINEZ chases u yelling for someone to grab u cuz u stole their car.
Then someone coming from the store tries to block your entrance to the store because he broke 2 golden rule:
1. Don’t be a hero
2. Don’t get involved in someone elses business. Call the police instead.
So u show the hero u have a gun in your hand by turning your palm out, and the hero stands down after seeing it.
When the police arrive they insult your intelligence by informing u they really did have a car like your stolen. Same year, same color, same model.
Yeah, I’ll bet.
The cop also says he’s going to arrest u. Because they were defending themselves from u.
(Which means this was part of some large conspiracy and whomever is in charge outta be shot themselves for putting soooo many people in danger, and u should check the rooftops for a Marine sniper putting the crosshair on you)
U inform the silly, fat bastage he ain’t got anything on you, if he did, u’d already be in the back of his car, and they had 15 miles to call the police, and ask him if he’d let anyone with prison tattoos glorifying the Mexican revolution and with MARTINEZ tattoo’d on his back (Probably so his shower buddy would know who’s picking up that soap).
Then u get yer Beretta back, get in your car and drive away.
And declare you’ll lift Martinez’ fairy tail hair if u ever get the chance….
*****
I would under NO CIRCUMSTANCES display my weapon in any other manner, unless u r manuevering yourself with a holstered weapon on your hip so it’s known you’re armed.
Even sooooo, some dirty cop might attempt to claim u r threatening and intimidating.
U take a chance either way.