Used firearm in self defence : my first hand experience

[Woods]

I have been posted as a public servant in a remote area of Madhya Pradesh . I rarely got opportunity to visit my home and it was a drive of around 450 kms one way that I usually enjoyed alone . In one of my trips , I wantonly overtook a tanker truck on an incline ghat section . A bolero jeep came head on and it's driver being novice , the vehicle was about to overturn but managed to gain it's balance . I took it as an incident and continued my journey . Whatever transpired amongst the passengers of the Bolero , they decided to give a chase . After around seven or eight kilometres further they blocked my way and one of the guys came to the driver's window another guy opened the co- driver's door and occupied the seat . Their aggressive actions , language and demeanor convinced me that I was in serious trouble . I had to take out my pistol, take a warning shot and kick out the guy that had occupied co- driver's seat . Simultaneously I introduced myself and also admitted my fault and thereby try to de-escalate the situation . All my actions combined succeeded in calming down the adversaries . Now comes the trickier part . Some unknown opponents of mine in my department, succeeded in getting the incident complained to higher authorities after about a period of six months had elapsed . A departmental enquiry ensued and as a punishment I am out of my service now after about two years after the incidence . The police had given me a clean chit in the incident to which the inquiry officer commented on it being a management job . What are your comments on the entire situation . Please do share your own experiences if any .

[sourabhsangale]

This is very bad , as usual license gun is of no help hence proved in india .

[pistolero]

Wow! So if you have license, you save your life but lose your job.

You were a government servant, what about a regular license holder? How do the cops react to a warning shot??

Would love to understand more

[sourabhsangale]

Cops react to warning shot as a shot fired by Terrorists. License holder is mainly seen as a culprit in india . No matter what ,rest you can keep on proving in court for 10 years that i was shot for warning or whatever.

[Woods]

I am thankful that my gun saved me that day . The anticipated and weird part was - seeing every friendly beautiful face turn into a hostile hopeless ugly one on hearing I used a gun . It was as if I had shot somebody , no less . Everybody has congratulated me on being not thrown into jail . I have also kind of felt that women too do not bear a good opinion for a gun carrying guy .

[WhoCantBeNamed]

This is insane, to say the least! Did you challenge the decision or not? Please hire a good lawyer and challenge this?

[Woods]

In fact , I have challenged it and hope for the best . They held me guilty of " gross misconduct" in using my gun in a "road rage situation" in " public place" and against "unarmed common man" . Till now I have observed that as soon as words like - " gun" " fired a round" " threatened to shoot" appear in my story, everyone kinda start feeling it morally obliged to condemn me . I may earn a living in many other ways guys, but I was fortunate that day to escape severe beating or say death . One of my close friend, a lawyer alluded to me - ' you're fortunate that none is filing an application with a copy of Departmental Enquiry Report, before the DM who issued arms licence to you else you will further make several rounds to bribe and save the licence itself . Indeed I was fortunate in many ways .

[sourabhsangale]

Such pathetic state of affairs in this country. All the above points are valid , what is a public place one can always defend any where whether public or private place .
What is unarmed ? If any one is attacking you in groups and are unarmed you always have right to defend, so according to reports you should wait for the to bring arms to attack you ?

Don’t worry this is a small case , hire a good lawyer you will win for surely.

[jai]

Though you have’nt mentioned the charges laid against you but termination from service, which is a very serious punishment, may not stand out if you challenge it in court of law. The police report will go in your favour. Demand reinstatement with back wages which is the rule in cases of malafide termination of services.

[Mr.Shome]

In this particular situation, thankfully the Police or law enforcement agencies don't seem to be against this gentleman.... he got a clean chit.

Out of professional rivalry, he was victimized by his colleagues. A very tragic and ominous sign that he lost his job due to a departmental enquiry based upon hearsay, especially in view of the fact that he got a clean chit.

He fired a round from the driver's window, the front passenger's side, or maybe he stepped out before firing and kicking out the goon.

I'm delving so deeply in the nitty gritties of the incident, as I am really curious to know as to whether the departmental enquiries exercised due diligence before terminating him... and a government official at that.

Of course, nothing to say, if it's a clear case of witch-hunt, as it appears to be.

Regards.

[SMJ]

Hi Woods,

Of course you made the right moves and what happened was definitely wrong (your removal). At least the cops gave you a clean chit so that's something and can hopefully work in your favour.
Since you were alone I assume you spoke about the incident at work and that's how your colleagues learned about it. I suppose you never expected what came next but I guess the lesson (for all of us) is that as far as defense with firearms (even legal ones) are concerned discretion is the better part of valor. Nobody in your department had the common sense to even think that your actions saved your life but only focused on the use of the firearm.

[StampMaster]

I would ask how did the incident has come into limelight? I am hoping its a remote place and didn't have many people who would have witnessed the event.

If what you've mentioned is true.. then a good lawyer will actually make the case go away and will get you acquit. Thought it may take time for the judicial procedure.

And the perspective of people is very different as they get their experience from watching movies and not based on real life situation.

Your call say during the inquiry would be "that if I havent used the gun then I may not have been here to give this justification". That ends the case.

Hope you get acquitted and reinstated in service ASAP. Good luck.

[Woods]

The incident took place about 100 kilometres away from the place of my posting . It's a fairly remote place and though it happened in mid-day but on lonely road .

The information took about two to three months in wafting to my superiors when police personnel from the concerned station had occasion to meety superiors on some errand . And it took another two to three months for them in knitting proper net to sabotage me.

It was just my over enthusiastic diligence that I thought it imperative to report the incident to police myself and ofcourse the police too co-operated with me . In fact, in the entire timeline of the incident taking place to the time of termination of my services , it were only police who were cool about me using gun in the given scenario .

Termination of my services is more of a result of the social perspective towards the guns and exploitation of that perspective by my department .

[ckkalyan]

What a sad incident Woods!

I think I understand the circumstances of the overtaking maneuver that you carried out. It is indeed quite a tricky decision on a ghat road and, at times one makes a mistake; an error of judgment Go or No Go!

Good thing - both parties escaped unhurt. Also, you weren't injured by that angry/aggressive group of Bolero occupants; good again that you reported the incident to the police!

Downer - that you lost your job because of some busybody colleagues filing a case against you several months after the incident.

We learn something every day!