You assume a lot.

I will offer to help, after I ID as retired LE, provided:
I immediately get the cops vest that is used to direct traffic. Most are marked "Police" and kept handy in the patrol car.
Second, the cop immediately radios dispatch I am going in with her.
And quite possibly, after I ID and offer to help, the cop wont allow it.

After seeing how the good guy, who stopped the shooter of an officer in Arvada Colorado was killed by other responders, I'd stay away.

No, because I'm absolutely untrained and have no business attempting to (help) clear a building of active shooters--particularly in an innocents-rich environment.

Untrained in what? I swear to God, some of you either think very little of your ability to think on your feet, or you think "training" makes the police God-like.

I have 35 years life experience on a 25 year old officer, but without "training" I'm just going to get people killed. Fucking ridiculous. Snap out of it.

Again, tell me how the training of the coward who stood by and listened to people being killed at Parkland helped anyone, in any way. If someone kicks your door, are you going to roll over and show your belly, because you're not "trained"? Life has no instruction manual. There's no class to attend for it.

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
As a country, we're nearing the point where good people will have to decide if they are willing to work past their fears and respond as the times dictate we must. Everyone gets scared. The measure of character is the ability to work through fears and respond when called on.

It has always been this way. Good Men, Brave Men put aside their fears and do what needs to be done because it is the just and right thing to do, Period. Always Have, Always Will...

Para, jljones has been my instructor in multiple classes, and I doubt he would put as much work into teaching civilians competency in firearms if he did not expect we would use that competency to help strangers if the SHTF. Whether carbine or handgun, if I were going in I'd be far more effective due to what Jerry has taught me.

If I'm in a position to have to make the decision whether or not to assist the police, then there is- for whatever reason- a manpower shortage, and I will not stand by while people get murdered. I couldn't stand that.

Given the conditions of the scenario then yes I’d volunteer to help and I would be kind glue to the officer

Other than that probably not.

I have no problem providing whatever support is requested, or needed.

Those who call it "playing hero" are the same assholes who diminish and dismiss everything they don't like. Bless them all.

I've spent most of my life responding to emergencies. I've never "played hero." I've been at plenty of scenes, at which bystanders gave shelter, food, comfort, immediate first aid, provided tools, heavy equipment, manpower, you name it. I've seldom been to an emergency scene at which people didn't stop to help. It's what people do.

Shooter in a school, police officer asks for help? Unconditionally, yes. Of course. It may be help with a firearm. It may be help evacuating kids. It may be help reporting, observing, watching, searching, or giving aid to wounded. It doesn't matter what's required. As would most people, I'd assist where needed. I have seen bystanders stabilize a victim inside a burning car. They weren't playing hero. They were doing what their conscience and their character drove them to do, and God bless them for it.

Those who would diminish that, dismiss it, or put it down and disparage it, go buy yourselves a hamburger.

You can make your point without telling members in this thread to get fucked.

Of course. They can go buy themselves a hamburger.

Don't choke on it.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
But, unless you are living in a very remote area, there will be 50 cops (most of which from places you never new existed) will show up quickly.

And having been at the range with a number of local LEO's and personally witnessed their competence with firearms as well as their personal demeanor, I'm not sure I'd opt to hitch my wagon to one patrol officer (given the provided scenario). Now if I were to roll up on a patrol officer in the wild being shot at by a couple POS, would I pull the AR from behind the seat of my truck, establish cover, and lend aid? Absolutely.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
I answered "yes" because I think the intent of the question is whether or not I'd be willing to help. In real life, the big question would be danger to self from other cops. Since it's your scenario, and you indicated I'd be staying with the only cop, I voted "yes".

Same here. Directly assisting an officer? Yes. I would help. Charge in alone without a plan or away to communicate with arriving law enforcement? No.

*Edit - I voted without reading the thread, only the OP, in the good faith that I understood the question being asked. I answered to the best of my capability "yes." I read the thread only until honestlou's post and agreed with it well enough to quote it and only expound a little further in a reply. It seemed to me that this was a thread best responded to without reading the whole thing first, which I tend to not do. Reading the rest of it, there's been some interesting discussion.

I think maybe you can try to do the right thing, or even do it all right and still make it worse and people will die. I think maybe ego can be a factor for some, yes. I know I couldn't live with myself if I was in the fevered imagination scenario, and chose not to act and kids got killed - the wondering if I could have stopped any degree of it would eat me alive. So, I try to do like some people I respect and look up to suggest: suit up and show up, whatever it is, however you can. If you feel differently or think that's wrong, I guess that's ok, too. It's a hypothetical, after all.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P220 Smudge,

I’m recently retired LEO, so I’d absolutely offer my assistance. Either alone or with a responding officer, I’d have them put my VERY detailed description over the air as one of the good guys and then go hunting.

If I thought I could help I would do whatever I could.

I’d help the law anyway I could if the cops said ok.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:


Shooter in a school, police officer asks for help?

That’s not what the OP posted in his scenario, go read it again

I still stand by my assertion that a civilian in civilian clothes going into an active shooter situation isn’t a good idea.

I’ve been through about 10 of these trainings with local police and was even selected as the shooter several times and given a blue M-16 or blue P225. These police are hyper focused on one thing and one thing only: stopping the shooter. If you’re in there shooting at a bad guy and they go in fast and hard, there’s a very good chance they’ll see YOU as the threat to be stopped.

Yes, without a doubt.

I voted NO. I'd WANT to help, but it would be SO EASY to get shot and killed by responding police units. I'd only get involved if something like that "went down" and I and others were in immediate danger...