ok, i realize that if we get CCW, we will most likely get education in this area, but at what point in this video would it be ok to let the aggressor know you are armed?
do you do the "expose the gun trick" like in the cowboy movies where they sweep their long jackets out of the way
do you blade yourself, put your hand on the hangun grip and get in weapons retention mode?
do you draw and keep the weapon at low ready with your finger off the trigger?
when and where do you do each step?
You wouldn't want to let him know you are armed until that gun is coming out under your control. If you did the "cowboy sweep" so to speak, it could alert him prematurely and then he could make a run for your gun or you and then you are stuck without it; this could also actually escalate the situation. Think about the Deedy trial where the witnesses basically said Elderts started taunting back, "So what, You gonna shoot me? Shoot me!" etc. Overall, you have to be able to justify it, and the way I teach people is that you need to decide: Is this about to be the worse day of my life and can I die or be harmed if I don't respond? If you can't answer both those yes - then you are not there yet.
Here is how I would try to play it out:
If a man approached my family in that manner, I would start out with verbal (Go away. Leave us alone. We are calling the police; and have someone do that last one). Recording is great, but you had (3) people at that table who could have been on the phone with 911.
If my family was at the table, it makes it difficult to just keep walking. I'm not going to just abandon all of our property and leave. I don't think anyone would do that. I would try to use that table as positioning and continue with #1.
If it keeps going at this point, we can try some verbal judo. "Look man - no one here wants problems, and you don't want to go to jail today." You can develop key phrases that are catch phrases to throw someone off-guard, making them think about the question / statement a little bit.
Next, I might back up some but with my arms extended around the chest or facial area. What would likely happen here is either he walks into me or pushes my hands away (both are forms of battery, which in most places is a forcible felony) and it just adds to the use of force justification.
At this point, it may be a go to present the firearm. Only you can decide this based on how threatened you are, how serious you think the threat is, and how likely it would be to cause bodily harm or death etc. If and when you do, it's best to have it out in close retention at this distance. Chances are when this guy sees a gun - he's going to go away (most incidents end like that). If he chooses to proceed, well, that's a decision he made and not you. This should also be accompanied with orders and primal language most likely. "GET THE FUCK BACK." et. As citizens, we are held to a much lower standard in the use of force; aside from that, individuals who are instructors or extensively trained, will likely be held to a higher standard as well.
For me, up until the point he tried to grab the phone with physical threats (robbery), I would have continued verbally. If I had spray on me, the guy would have got that as soon as I could get the can out. As far as retreating, we are also only required to retreat if we can do so with
complete safety. Leaving my wife alone doesn't fit that description to me; that stuff is not happening - I won't leave her in a situation like that it's just cowardly. I would tell her to go away and she would likely listen.