The more I think about the incident, the happier I am that I didn't draw or approach the situation. It seems -- in retrospect -- to be almost a textbook no-win situation for the civilian who intervenes. I've imagined trying to defend intervention in court, and it scares me.
I described the event in a well-respected online forum, and the members there were overwhelmingly against intervention. One poster brought up the April, 1986 FBI shootout in Florida (often called the Miami Shootout). The reference is a good one. I remember reading about the cops standing off because they couldn't tell one side from the other, and most of the participants in the horrible gunfight that day were FBI agents.
It's also scary to replay in my head the actions of some of my neighbors. They got really close to the combatants, trying to stop the fight. Yes, it turned out OK, but they could have become victims in the blink of an eye.
What I wish I'd done:
1. Move to cover.
2. Call 9-1-1.
3. Record the fight on video (cellphone or other camera) and stay on with the dispatch.
4. Stay in a safe place. When the fight ended with the escape of one person, scoot for home and make follow-up call to the police.
My current cell phone does not have video capability, but I can now think of reasons to have it. I may be upgrading soon. Alternatively, point-and-shoot digital cameras with video capability are becoming smaller and smaller. It might be possible to add one to my EDC (EveryDay Carry) for not much money. I can think of plenty of reasons to have photo/video capability with me all the time.
