Posted on 04/16/2015 5:20:07 AM PDT by marktwain
Sometimes, 7 shots are not enough. 10 Shots are not enough. 20 shots are not enough, 30 shots are not enough. In the case related below, 40 shots were required to defeat a determined attacker.
Most predators retreat in the face of resistance. If a predator faces armed resistance very many times, they will be killed or wounded. In nature, that makes for a short life. But there are motives for aggression other than predation. Defending territory and competing for mates are two of them, often intertwined. Those conflicts are engaged in with fierce dedication. Without territory or mates, a predator does not pass on its genes. A missed predatory opportunity is just one of many. Available territory and mates are limited.
It is not surprising that domestic attacks may be pursued with irrational dedication. They are subject to deep seated drives that are not easily dismissed. Nearly everyone can tell you how surprised and amazed they were at how strong and irrational jealousy was, when they experienced it. Some go 'over the edge'.
It can take a lot of shots to stop a determined attacker. Read some of the accounts of what Medal of Honor awardees endure and keep on fighting. The human body can take an amazing amount of punishment and maintain some fighting ability. In addition, it is hard to make aimed shots at someone who is shooting at you. Many shots are fired at small moving targets, at places where you think your shots may penetrate and be effective, or as ways to pressure the attacker to take cover.
That is what seems to have happened in this case in Louisiana. The attacker was determined, but even determined, suicidal attackers, are subject to the laws of physics.
In this domestic defense case, the defender fired 40 shots, and the wounded attacker finally committed suicide. From theadvocate.com:
Stephanie Averett heard him yell he was “bleeding out” and said Johnson told him they would get him help if he would stop shooting. But the gunfire resumed.David Johnson's pistol would be considered an 'assault weapon' in numerous pieces of proposed legislation. If someone tells you that domestic defenders never 'need' more than 7, or 10, or 20, or 30 rounds, tell them about this case.
Eventually, deputies arriving on the scene directed Johnson and Stephanie Averett out through a window. By the time some of those deputies made it inside the house, Sidney Averett had shot himself and was pronounced dead at the scene. A semi-automatic handgun and a revolver were found near his body. Another bloody handgun was found in his car, the report states.
Investigators believe he fired about 20 rounds. Johnson shot 40 from his service pistol.
A most interesting article...
Maybe a tranquilizer dart would do the trick.
I didn't see anywhere that it gave the type weapon his service pistol was. The "pistol" says semi-auto handgun, but it doesn't say how many magazines he had to use to get off the 40 shots. One could assume that he was at least on his third magazine is he had one of the 9mm's with a 17-round capacity.
I suppose the comment about it being called an assault weapon might fit, but I prefer that advocates on our side not make comments like that w/o a little more info.
40 shots = how many hits? Should have shot him with a tazer, oops sorry, wrong one, I mean gun.
An article full of stupidity and hubris all around.
True, but all I said was, “interesting”...
IIRC the Lennon Sister’s ( old enough to remember them?) father was shot with a 30-06 and ran 100 yards across a country club parking lot before collapsing.
I am curious how many of the shots hit. Is this 40 shots because the cop needed more range time, or 40 shots because the violent attacker was part grizzly bear? In any case, this example is one of many proofs of the value of “gun violence”. A dedicated psychopath like this could not have been stopped without injury to the innocent, except with firearms.
More likely 40 shots because the attacker was behind cover.
Where were they shooting this guy, in the same Leg?
But, but TV shows for the last 45 years have shown if you send in a good looking woman reporter she can talk the perp into giving up!
TV wouldn’t lie now, would it?
Yep. Take an outlier and make it seem like the norm. FBI says the average gunfight involves less than three shots.
There was a "Forensics File" episode where a nutter was shooting people with a 35 Whelan (30-06 necked up to 35 cal.). It was amazing to me that people body hit with this cartridge survived. The trauma must have been fantastic.
“FBI says the average gunfight involves less than three shots.”
Pretty old statistics. Not sure they are relevant. The article notes that this is unusual, because most assailants are not dedicated.
The point is that if you have an attacker who is dedicated to accomplishing a “mission” of some kind, it can take a lot of shots to stop them.
I came across this source. It shows about 9 shots per incident. It is said to be from NYPD SOP 9 data collection.
FIREARMS DISCHARGE ASSAULT REPORT 1992
GUNFIGHTS STATISTICS:
Total: 76 (27% of shooting incidents)
Total number of MOS involved on duty: 151 Off duty: 11
Total number of shots fired by MOS: 583
Total number of hits by MOS: 96
Hit potential 17%
Shots per incident 7.7
Shots by MOS per incident 3.6
Total number of perpetrators involved 87
Total number of shots fired by perps 257
Total number of hits by perpetrators 17
Hit potential 7%
Average shots by perps per incident 3.0
MEMBERS ACCURACY AT DISTANCES FIRED DURING GUNFIGHTS:
TOTAL SHOTS HITS POTENTIAL
Less than 3 yards 9 79 22 28%
3 - 7 yards 20 141 15 11%
7- 15 yards 19 120 5 4.2%
15- 25 yards 9 44 1 2.3%
Over 25 yards 3 14 1 7.1%
Undetermined 22 185 52 28.1%
IN 5 INCIDENTS M.O.S FIRED FROM 6 DIFFERENT DISTANCES
In 1992, 48% of all gunfights of a known distance occurred at 7 yards or less, compared to 58% in 1991.
perpetrators killed: 6
perpetrators wounded: 27
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287513
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