Firing in a Nice Subdivision Question

[wvglockguy]

This past summer I had a little incident, after looking back on it I have been wondering if I had have been armed at the time if I would have been in the clear to have fired. Here is the situation, I was working with a lawncare company and the boss allows me to carry, I just leave it locked up in the truck during the day, one day I was working in a rather nice area in West Knoxville when about 2ft in front of me I came upon a snake which was coiled up and then struck at me. Luckily I was able to jump away before it got me. My question is, if I was carrying at the time how big of a deal would it have been if I had shot the snake? Obviously I could claim self-defense, but again this was a very nice subdivision that I was in.

[Guest The91Bravo]

My .02

As a former Deputy, I would remind you that you may fire a weapon if you believe (or the jury of reasonable people) that you or someone else is in imminent danger.

The moment you jumped away, you removed yourself from imminent danger. And thus, you would not have been justified. Now if that snake started moving towards the kids in the sandbox. Then, that may change things...

I would have just turned the lawn mower around and made snake sashimi.

Like I said, my .02

[Oh Shoot]

Quicker to run from a snake than shoot it anyway, unless you're some sort of quick draw artist and world ranked hip fire marksman.

Lots of safer, quieter, and more reliable ways to kill one, too.

- OS

[NRA]

My .02

As a former Deputy, I would remind you that you may fire a weapon if you believe (or the jury of reasonable people) that you or someone else is in imminent danger.

The moment you jumped away, you removed yourself from imminent danger. And thus, you would not have been justified. Now if that snake started moving towards the kids in the sandbox. Then, that may change things...

I would have just turned the lawn mower around and made snake sashimi.

Like I said, my .02

what bravo said ................you were no longer in imminent danger

[MiddTennTaco]

My .02

As a former Deputy, I would remind you that you may fire a weapon if you believe (or the jury of reasonable people) that you or someone else is in imminent danger.

The moment you jumped away, you removed yourself from imminent danger. And thus, you would not have been justified. Now if that snake started moving towards the kids in the sandbox. Then, that may change things...

I would have just turned the lawn mower around and made snake sashimi.

Like I said, my .02

+1

[peejman]

What they said, and it's against the law to kill snakes...

edit... Educate yourself on snakes, it likely wasn't even venomous. http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/snakesposter.pdf

Edited October 20, 2011 by peejman

[Guest bkelm18]

Must have been one of those famous East TN Black Panther Water Moccasins.

[Fourtyfive]

HA , the Black Panther is seen again !

[Guest msparks]

Wow a snake really? There is not a venomous snake in North America that can go as fast as a human. Now if you were in Africa it would be a different store Mambas can go something like 12 mph and are aggressive. Also some Cobras are pretty quick. But the pit viper fair in the US are slow. They can strike quick and about 1/2 their body length. So a 6' snake can maybe strike 3 feet.

Like someone else said, you are better of jumping back a couple of feet. A good weed-eater could take it out as well. But I digress, why would you want to kill it in the first place, cause your scared? I don't know of any fatalities in TN from snake bite.

[NRA]

now a brown recluse should be shot on sight!

[Guest pfries]

now a brown recluse should be shot on sight!

When I was a kid I used to go out back and shoot bee's with my .410,

I don't know if I could explain the holes in the smoke house to the wife after shooting spiders.

[TMF]

I have a similar story involving a snake, spider and firearms. So I'm on a range at my grandparents' ranch in Florida with my wife. I'm instructing her on pistol shooting and was between iterations. I was at the truck getting something when I hear her scream and start calling for me (she's from up north by the way). Now, having grown up in that part of Florida and spending my summers working that ranch, I'm aware of the problem with Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes. They get huge (up to 7 or 8 feet) and are pretty aggressive when they feel they can't get away. So immediately I assume that's why she's freaking out so I holler to her "do I need a gun?" to which she responds "YES!!!". I grab the 12 ga out of the truck and run to the shooting awning where she is pointing to a support beam. Now, she's pointing up which puzzles me since rattlers don't climb so well. I look around the other side of the beam and see a grove spider (like a really small tauranchula). Needless to say I laughed at her for being a yankee and didn't put buckshot into the beam.

It's one thing to kill one on your ranch or out in the boonies. In a subdivision (especially a nice one), best leave it be or cut it up w/ the mower.

[10-Ring]

Sounds like firing would have been a good way to make a boss that has been really cool about allowing you to carry change his mind on the matter. I'm sure that in an upperclass West Knox neighborhood someone would have freaked out at the sound of a gunshot, likely would have called the police, your boss would have gotten an ear full, and you would have gotten an ear full, especially if the client whose yard you were working in didn't like the idea of you shooting a snake in his yard. Most of those people in that part of town don't cotton too well about shooting and killing around their houses. Now if it had been a legitimate threat you may be justified, I just can't see a snake in that situation being a legitimate threat.

[charlessummers]

now a brown recluse should be shot on sight!

They're squished on sight at my house!

[charlessummers]

Must have been one of those famous East TN Black Panther Water Moccasins.

Are they as bad as the Rattleheaded copper tail?

[Guest bkelm18]

Sounds like firing would have been a good way to make a boss that has been really cool about allowing you to carry change his mind on the matter. I'm sure that in an upperclass West Knox neighborhood someone would have freaked out at the sound of a gunshot, likely would have called the police, your boss would have gotten an ear full, and you would have gotten an ear full, especially if the client whose yard you were working in didn't like the idea of you shooting a snake in his yard. Most of those people in that part of town don't cotton too well about shooting and killing around their houses. Now if it had been a legitimate threat you may be justified, I just can't see a snake in that situation being a legitimate threat.

Probably would have gotten more than an ear full. More likely a little trip downtown.

[Guest ArmaDeFuego]

I wouldnt shoot a snake, & especially not around a bunch of houses. Just walk away from it. As has been mentioned above, snakes around here are slow & most arent poisonous anyways.

[Guest J.D. Skull]

We know it wasn't a Hoopsnake. Because you'r still alive.

[hornett22]

In a fancy Knox neighborhood,there was probably a NJ or NYC bluehair nearby with the cops on speed dial for just such an incident.

[Guest WyattEarp]

club it with a shovel and then chop it's head off.

[Guest .45packer]

As my neighbor out in Henry County (on Kentucky lake) said, "if the good Lord had meant for there to be Cotton Mouths, he wouldn't have given me a shotgun".......

[Guest m500 lover]

Must have been one of those famous East TN Black Panther Water Moccasins.

According to the tn herpetelogical society there are no water moccasins east of nickajack lake. How they can verify that i have no idea.

http://www.tnherpsociety.org

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[Guest bkelm18]

According to the tn herpetelogical society there are no water moccasins east of nickajack lake. How they can verify that i have no idea.

The Tennessee Herpetological Society

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Well, since there are no such thing as Black Panther Water Moccasins, you can rest assured I was being humorous.

[Guest m500 lover]

Wow a snake really? There is not a venomous snake in North America that can go as fast as a human. Now if you were in Africa it would be a different store Mambas can go something like 12 mph and are aggressive. Also some Cobras are pretty quick. But the pit viper fair in the US are slow. They can strike quick and about 1/2 their body length. So a 6' snake can maybe strike 3 feet.

Like someone else said, you are better of jumping back a couple of feet. A good weed-eater could take it out as well. But I digress, why would you want to kill it in the first place, cause your scared? I don't know of any fatalities in TN from snake bite.

So what you are saying is that rattlesnakes which strike at 160mph are not fast enough to bite a human? If you really believe that i digress but what the state should take your permit away due your having gone mental.

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[Guest Chattanoogan]

I don't know of any fatalities in TN from snake bite.

Now you do....

There was a guy here last year who died from a copper head bite... The story was he had it as a pet and he was playing with it, trying to determine its sex and got bit right above the elbow on the left arm. The police started an investigation into why he had the snake, it lead to a guy who sold poisonous snakes, and he was arrested.

UPDATED: East Ridge man dies from copperhead snake bite - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports