USBP Weapons, Part 7

Before the Agent can take action the perpetrator must also have the ability to make good on his threat.

Ability:

The guy might be saying: "I'm gonna kill you!" But he might really be looking for a way out .. he could really just be looking around for a place to run.

If he has a knife and there is some distance between you and him then you are facing less of a threat. If he has a rock instead of a knife then he is far more dangerous to you. If he has a big gun or especially a rifle then you are in real trouble.

And then he must have a real opportunity to act upon his ability:

Opportunity:

Is he close enough to act upon his threat considering the weapon he has? This question becomes far more interesting to evaluate at 12:30 AM in the shadows. And then too he must really intend to take that action:

Manifest Intent:

"I'm gonna stack you people like cordwood"

"I'm never gonna get tired of hurting you."

He may exhibit certain outward indicators that he has perpetrated such possible actions in the past and / or is of a mind to perpetrate them now. For example, if he has a spider web tattoo on his face and his shaved head is buffed to a high luster and is glistening in the border's moonlight then he probably has certain issues within himself that make his proximity to you of some import.

Then there is the serious problem that action is far faster than reaction. It can take even as long as three fourths of a second for you to react to what he does. If he is within 15 feet of you then you probably do not have sufficient time to react to anything he does before his action comes in contact with your body.