Failed: Pastor Shooting Attempt - Western PA

[Judas Maccabeus]

It wouldn't have stopped with a mere tackle....

What do you mean? I haven’t watched the video.

The assailant was restrained and then another man came over and removed the firearm from the assailant.

Like taking a sharp object from a student "You might hurt yourself with this." I would have no problem taking a dangerous item from someone that is in our space.

[Soloist]

What do you mean? I haven’t watched the video.

The assailant was restrained and then another man came over and removed the firearm from the assailant.

Like taking a sharp object from a student "You might hurt yourself with this." I would have no problem taking a dangerous item from someone that is in our space.

Wife: I couldn’t get the video to work, but I would sort of agree, as long as they’re not pointing the firearm at the assailant. This could be a great story if they show forgiveness for the guy (not saying he shouldn’t be charged). The news article suggested that voices were telling him to do it, so it was either mental health or something else

[Josh]

The news article suggested that voices were telling him to do it, so it was either mental health or something else

More likely drugs.

[Joy]

And now he's arrested for killing his cousin?

Another attempted church shooting, in Louisiana, thankfully stopped by parishioners.

A friend of mine in South Africa, also at a church, was with a group in a township when someone tried to steal his cell phone. He prevented the would-be thief and ran, but then he realized another in the group was being attacked, and returned. Evidently, this crook's gun jammed, also, and the victim was not shot. Violence is a way of life in the townships.

[Heirbyadoption]

https://gazette.com/news/wex/man-pulls- ... erail-next
As a non-resistant person, I would have no qualms about helping to wrestle down a man like this. Any of you other non-resistant folks have a different thought?

You've piqued my interest here, Ernie. Why would YOU (as a self-identified non-resistant Anabaptist Christian) have no qualms about wrestling down such an individual? Where would you draw that line in this situation? Are we talking AFTER the gun jammed or regardless? Is it dependent on whether anyone else's life was at risk besides your own?

And processing a bit further, do you have any particular metric for when you would be wiling to subdue someone (such as this) versus where you would not conscientiously do so? Thanks in advance...

[Dan Z]

https://gazette.com/news/wex/man-pulls- ... erail-next
As a non-resistant person, I would have no qualms about helping to wrestle down a man like this. Any of you other non-resistant folks have a different thought?

You've piqued my interest here, Ernie. Why would YOU (as a self-identified non-resistant Anabaptist Christian) have no qualms about wrestling down such an individual? Where would you draw that line in this situation? Are we talking AFTER the gun jammed or regardless? Is it dependent on whether anyone else's life was at risk besides your own?

And processing a bit further, do you have any particular metric for when you would be wiling to subdue someone (such as this) versus where you would not conscientiously do so? Thanks in advance...

I'm not Ernie, but in working with children and youth, and in the medical field as well I believe, practitioners are taught restraint techniques that are designed to limit a person's potential for doing harm to themselves or others. These restraint methods are meant to be used as a last resort, and are basically non-violent in nature and intent. They should never be employed in anger, or with intent to do harm. I have, in good conscience, restrained a number of out-of-control young people over the years, and in the process have never seriously harmed a person or acted in anger.

Before I even get to that point however, I employ every other de-escalation skill I know to limit a potentially violent situation - reason, obstruction, diversion, humor, authority, prayer, etc.

As a non-resistant Christian, the metric I would use is: As a last resort, can I, without anger or malice, non-violently restrain an individual in order to limit the harm they might do to innocents or themselves.