Read this article just a while ago on Greg Ellifritz' "Active Response Training" site.
Here's a link to the article he is basing his commentary on.In today’s world, being a hero often comes with a very costly price. This woman saw a criminal attempting to kill a police officer. She righteously shot and killed the criminal attacker to help the injured officer. She was not criminally charged and actually received a commendation for her selfless act.
None of that really matters in the end. She’s being sued by the estate of the criminal attacker. Guess who pays the legal fees for her defense? It isn’t the police department. It isn’t the cop she saved. It’s totally on her. Even if she wins in court, she’ll still have to pay upward of $100K in legal bills if the case drags on (like they always do).
I’m grateful for people who have the courage to help out in dire situations like this. I’m also fearful that they might not truly understand the negative consequences of their actions. Your gun is for you and your loved ones. It isn’t for a random stranger’s defense, even if that stranger is a cop. Before you pull that trigger, you need to ask yourself a hard question: “Is saving this person worth potentially a lifetime jail sentence or hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees?”
I understand Ellifrtiz' caution...but I don't think I could just turn my back on an officer in need if I had the means to intervene and save his or her life. Life is not without risk. I still think that we have to be able to live with ourselves and our decisions. Not sure how I'd feel about myself if I drove away knowing that I could have done something. (Actually, I think I do know how I'd feel about myself.)
Obviously, this is no matter to be taken lightly regardless of which side of the argument you'd support.