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In discussion with my wife, I believe I know why we (or at least me) sees this is such different terms.

I live Anchorage, AK. Alaska is not just a “Shall Issue” state, there is no permit requirement to carry a weapon concealed. None, period.

The only rational attitude I can have is that everyone I meet, talk to or interact with has in their possession the means to either kill me or injure me gravely. Period.

Robert Heinlein once famously said - "An armed society is a polite society." There have been several shootings here where an argument turned deadly because one or more of the folks involved were armed. The shooters went to jail of course, but that is little comfort to a widow.

I also carry and that is a termendous responsibility - both to my family and to other citizens here. Hence, the effort to ignore, walk away, deescalate as the rational response to childish or stupid behavior on the part of others.

At this stage, I guess we can agree to disagree. Good night.

If you're attempting to say your son would allow someone to walk off with store merchandise without challenging the individual I'm sorry you harbor that misconception. Lets review.

1. Exiting customer triggers alarm system
2. Greeter challenges customer
3. Customer ignores greeter and goes to his car
4. Greeter does not pursue, but documents vehicle license number
5. Customer becomes incensed, runs at greeter, rips clipboard with documentation out of his hands, and goes back into store
6. Customer attempts to rip license documentation off the clipboard

Your son wouldn't have done this?

This is what transpired to this point. The customer is clearly exhibiting a high level of antisocial behavior here. The greeter has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Despite this unwarranted physical display by the customer you term it as "knowingly or deliberately escalating the situation" for the greeter to go back into the store. That displays an incredible lack of understanding IMO.

You seem to be aware of the agitated state of the customer, but think the greeter is the real problem here. How you came to that conclusion truly baffles me, but you have.

The greeter has just had his clipboard ripped out of his hands by a furious customer clearly out of control and exhibiting a propensity to turn violent. The customer has run back inside. What reasonable conclusion should the greeter come to?

1. This guy won't cause any trouble inside if I stay outside?
2. This guy is acting very irrational and could very easily harm other employees, customers, or damage store property?

I'm thinking option two here. You've already made you opinion known.

If option two above is the more rational view, what next?

1. Stand outside and let others fend for themselves, possibly being blind sided or otherwise seriously injured?
2. Go back inside and try to help out?

Once again I'm thinking option 2 here, and once again you've made your opinion known.

Look where the vehicle was parked. It was as close to the exit as possible. Employees could easily come to the conclusion this guy had planned all along to rip the store off. The behavior seemed to indicate this.

The greeter saw the customer trying to destroy the license documentation and he tried to recover it. He didn't want this guy to be able to cause more trouble and possibly run off before the license info could be documented again.

He took hold of the clipboard, the customer resisted and the greeter put his shoulder into him to pry it away. It was his property. He had every right to, and every reason to. He did not seek to strike the individual to recover the clipboard.

Several times here you have sought to demean the 69 year old marine, by stating he was probably on old school Marine. The last time you did it, you attempted to explain what a real man does, as if this greeter wasn't a real man. I take exception to that. That's offensive to me and I'm not even a Marine.

By trying to explain what the greeter did wrong, you have in effect exonerated the violent customer. The customer who was clearly out of control may just as easily as not have exited the store to strike the greeter if he had not ventured inside the store to confront him there.

In my past experience, when you allow a guy to think you won't go physical on them, its a open invitation for them to go physical on you with little chance you'll decide to stand up for yourself then.

The greeter displayed just the right amount of force needed to reclaim his property. It was the right thing to do.

Then you bring lethal force into this. Okay great, you carry. While I approve of that, it leads me to wonder what the hell your true motive was bringing that up. Were you privately thinking, if that greeter had treated me that way I would have opened up on him? I know you also mentioned minumum wages and this not being something you would do for that amount of pay. And thus I can only observe that this greeter showed more manhood than you would have.

It's evidently your opinion that an express line should be opened up so people who wish to steal from local stores can do it without being inconvenienced.

I say no to that.

I think your son would have gone back inside and dealt with this individual. I also think it would have become physical at some point no matter how hard he tried to resolve the situation peacefully.

Once again, from my past experience, if you try to defuse the situation that can be seen as weakness, and inspire an attack in and of itself. You just don't know. Second guessing the greeter is shamefull IMO.

The perp could have de-escalated...

1. when initially approached
2. when he chose to run at the greeter instead of drive off
3. when he was confronted inside and the clipboard became an issue
4. once the greeter tried to take the clipboard back
5. after the clipboard was taken away from him

The perp was held and handed off to the local police. They determined his demeaner required that he be place into custody.

I think their opinion is more reasoned than your misguided criticizing of the greeter is.

The greeter deserves a commendation for his actions in this matter.