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Should you get involved in a crime in progress?
Yesterday on the way home from work I saw a crime in progress or what looked like one.
I was driving down a busy street that has a large homeless problem and high crime. It’s a shortcut to miss some traffic through downtown San Antonio. It is a shortcut I use a lot.
As I stopped at the light I saw one guy running full speed from around the back of a business and someone hot on his heels.
The second guy gave away that a crime was probably in progress. He was holding something inside his pants right above his right front pocket. His pants were too big and it looked like if he let go, he would lose whatever heavy thing he was holding there. The way he was holding it, I couldn’t tell if it was a lead pipe, gun, or big knife.
At first, I was prepared to drive around the car in front of me and blow the light in case they were running at my car. But they cut the corner at the building and started running up the street the way I had come.
I couldn’t tell if they both had just robbed someone or if the second guy was trying to catch and rob the first guy.
Of course, I was armed, but should I have gotten involved?
This one I did not.
Of course, we all want to help people. And if someone was truly in danger, of course, we should help if we can.
The trick is having enough information to get involved. If I assume they are both bad guys that had just committed a crime and try to stop them and it turns out the second guy is trying to victimize the first, I just made things worst.
If I assumed the second guy was trying to rob the first and stop the second guy and he turns out to be a cop after an actual bad guy I just messed up everything and put myself in a world of hurt.
These are just two simple ways this scenario could have played out badly for me. The worst is that this is some kind of internal struggle and while these guys are ready to fight each other, once they have a common enemy, like me or you, they will both turn and fight together.
Sometimes it is best not to get involved. Unless you know, without a doubt what is going on, you shouldn’t get involved because nothing in the world is black and white. There are a million reasons for what you are seeing. You are assuming one thing, and if you are wrong, it could cost you everything and will cost you a lot.
Stay Safe,
Ben