Originally posted by: Eeezee
A logical criminal would back away at that point. There's no way to win except with retreat; no one loses or gains anything that way. Any other course of action and someone will die or at least be seriously hurt.
Most criminals aren't logical.
All I can say is that if I was a criminal and had someone at gunpoint, and they started making a motion towards their coat/hip/back as if they were going for a weapon, you can bet that I'd shoot them. Jail beats death any day. And that's a logical viewpoint.
Then I'd take their money, ditch the weapon, and change states until the heat died down.
If someone has the drop on you, it makes almost no sense to go for your weapon, unless you're
sure they're too chickensh!t to fire first.
As for telling them that you have a weapon...that's also a bad idea. As a criminal, I would be in a very difficult position. Once my victim has informed me that they are armed, I would be much more likely to shoot them if they make a motion as if they were going for their gun. Furthermore, I wouldn't want to back down and run away, because they could well shoot me in the back. In this case it's best to have an accomplice to relieve them of their weapon and their cash, then make them walk slowly down the block with their hands up, and you and your accomplice run towards the getaway car when the victim is a comfortable distance away and still walking.