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Dive into a wide range of topics related to guns, including firearm reviews, training techniques, maintenance tips, legal updates, and responsible gun ownership. Our articles are designed to inform, educate, and support everyone from first-time buyers to experienced shooters.

Concealed Carry, Guide, Legal & Law, News, Self Defense Insurance

The Gavin Dasaur Shooting: Self-Defense, Ego, and the Cost of Bad Decisions

Mark Schneider

⚖️ Overview

On the evening of July 16, 2024, a 7-second bystander video captured the fatal end of a road-rage confrontation at South Emerson Ave & East Thompson Rd, Indianapolis. Gavin Dasaur (29) is seen armed as he advances to a pickup’s driver-side window; the driver fires from inside the cab, killing him. Police detained, questioned, and released the shooter, noting possible self-defense. As of today, there are no credible reports of criminal charges filed against the shooter.

What Happened: The Short Video, The Big Consequences

  • Time/Place: ~8:15 p.m., July 16, 2024; E. Thompson Rd & S. Emerson Ave.
  • Video Snapshot: Dasaur exits his black Honda, openly carrying a handgun, approaches the pickup, strikes the door and yells. The driver shoots from inside the truck.
  • On Scene: Officers locate Dasaur in the roadway; a gun lies near him. The driver is detained, questioned, then released while investigation continues.
  • Here is a link to the video. (Warning! Graphic Content!)

‍⚖️ Why “No Charges” (So Far) Doesn’t End the Story

Indiana’s self-defense law (stand-your-ground / no duty to retreat) allows deadly force when a person reasonably believes it’s necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or death. The video showing an armed approach to an occupied vehicle can support a reasonable-fear analysis, which helps explain why prosecutors haven’t charged the shooter to date.

But:

  • Charges can still be filed later if new evidence emerges. Homicide-related offenses typically aren’t time-barred in many states; prosecutors can revisit if facts change.
  • Civil court is separate: the family could bring a wrongful-death claim even if criminal charges never appear. (Different standard of proof.)

This mirrors other high-profile cases where no criminal charges were filed, but civil action still followed.

🚫 Ego, Anger, Alcohol — The Triple Threat I Warn About

I’ve said it in class and in past articles: never let your alcohol, anger, or ego drive your decisions when you’re carrying a firearm. In this incident, ego and anger turned a traffic spat into a lethal encounter—and Gavin paid with his life.

  • Ego pushes people to “win” the argument. Stepping out armed and closing distance on an occupied vehicle flips you from “defender” to perceived aggressor.
  • Anger narrows thinking. Under adrenaline, you don’t negotiate—you react.
  • Alcohol (even “just one”) erodes judgment and inhibition. If you’re not stone-cold sober, don’t carry.

🧠 Human Factors: Why It Spiraled So Fast

Under acute stress, fine-motor skills degrade, tunnel vision kicks in, and time perception distorts. You don’t “rise to the occasion”—you fall to your level of training. An armed approach on a seated driver inside a vehicle is easily read as imminent threat; the driver’s defensive shooting aligns with what many attorneys called a plausible self-defense claim in early coverage.

✅ Civil vs. Criminal: Two Different Games

Type of CaseWho Brings ItBurden of ProofPossible Outcomes
CriminalState/ProsecutorBeyond a reasonable doubtPrison, fines
Civil (Wrongful Death)Family/EstatePreponderance of evidence (51%)Money judgment, settlement

Key point: A person can be criminally justified and still lose civilly. That’s why self-defense insurance isn’t optional—it’s financial survival.

🛡️ Self-Defense Insurance: Protect Your Freedom and Your Future

Even a clean self-defense shoot can cost six to seven figures in combined criminal and civil defense, expert witnesses, lost wages, and potential judgments. The right plan can cover:

  • Attorney fees (criminal & civil)
  • Bail/bond assistance
  • Experts & investigators
  • Civil damages/settlements (policy-dependent)

If you carry a gun, you carry liability—legal and financial. Insure both.

Compare Self Defense Insurance Programs

📋 If You’re Ever Involved in a Defensive Shooting

  1. Call 911: “I was attacked—please send police and medical.”
  2. Make safe/holster before officers arrive.
  3. Say little: “I was in danger for my life. This person attacked me, threatened me with a gun, etc.”
  4. Point out evidence.
  5. Point out witnesses.
  6. Verbally Invoke your 5th amendment right. (DON’T SAY ANYTHING ELSE!)
  7. Call your self-defense insurer.
  8. Call your attorney.
  9. Stay offline—no posts, no comments.

🧭 Lessons for CCW Holders & Security Guards

  • Disengage first. Survival beats “winning.”
  • Never approach an occupied vehicle. Distance = time = options.
  • Control your emotions. No ego, no anger, no alcohol—ever.
  • Train for stress. You won’t out-think adrenaline without reps.
  • Carry insurance. Legal reality is expensive.

Sources & Reporting

  • IndyStar (legal framing; 7-second video; time/location). IndyStar
  • WRTV (ABC Indy) (ID, on-scene details, gun near victim, detained & released). WRTV Indianapolis
  • WTHR 13 (video reports; location; shooter released). WTHR+1

Sign Up For A Colorado Concealed Carry Class or Compare Self Defense Insurance

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Details are based on public reports available as of October 2025. Laws and facts may change.
Always consult a qualified attorney regarding self-defense or firearms laws in your state.

Concealed Carry, Firearms Training, Gear and Equipment

Why Laser Attachments on Handguns Are Useless for Self-Defense

Mark Schneider

Hollywood has convinced a lot of people that lasers are “tactical” and make you a better shooter. They don’t. Outside of military use—where a soldier with night vision might use an IR laser to identify a target—laser sights are more of a liability than an asset on a handgun. For concealed carry, security, and home defense, they’re distractions that build bad habits and fail under stress.

Here are 7 reasons laser attachments on handguns are dumb for real-world self-defense, and why you should focus on training, fundamentals, and proven gear instead.

1. Hollywood vs. Reality – The Laser Fantasy

Movies and TV give people the wrong idea. A perfect example comes from Breaking Bad’s finale, “Felina.” Walter White intimidates Gretchen and Elliott with what looks like sniper lasers trained on their chests. In reality, it’s just Badger and Skinny Pete with pointers.

It looks cool, but it’s pure Hollywood fiction. Real lasers don’t project glowing beams through the air, they don’t magically intimidate bad guys, and they don’t replace good shooting skills. That kind of thinking is why many people chase gimmicks instead of focusing on real training.

2. Lasers Distract From Fundamentals

Lasers cause shooters to fixate on the dot instead of practicing sight alignment and trigger control. Accuracy comes from:

  • A proper sight picture
  • A clean trigger press, crisp break, and smooth reset

But instead of building those skills, shooters end up “chasing the dot” like a cat with a toy. The result is sloppy shooting and wasted practice.

3. Lasers Are Only Zeroed for One Distance

A handgun laser is only accurate at the distance where you zero it. Set it at 21 feet and it’s “on” there, but move back to 45 feet and it’s already off.

Why? Because the laser beam and bore line only intersect once. Past that point, the bullet’s trajectory and the dot don’t match. That makes a laser unreliable across the wide range of distances you might face in a defensive encounter.

4. Most Laser Systems Are Junk

The truth is, most handgun laser systems are cheap, unreliable, and not built for real use. They drain batteries, lose zero, and add bulk to your firearm.

If someone asked me what the “best” laser system is, I’d point them to the Steiner DBAL-A3. But here’s the problem:

  • It’s designed for rifles, not pistols
  • It’s meant to be used with night vision in battlefield conditions
  • It costs more than most people’s entire handgun setup

Yes, it’s quality gear—but it has zero application for concealed carry or home defense. Everything else you see on the shelf is mall-ninja tier junk.

5. Real Self-Defense Encounters Are Close Range

Lasers don’t match how self-defense shootings actually play out. According to the USCCA’s “3–5 Rule” and our own breakdown in Average Gunfight Statistics:

  • Gunfights last about 3–5 seconds
  • Involve about 3–5 rounds fired
  • Happen at about 3–5 yards (9 to 15 feet)
  • FBI data shows over 50% of officers are shot at 0–5 feet

At those ranges, people are point shooting or using a flash sight picture. By the time you hunt for a glowing dot, the fight is already over.

6. Stress Kills Fine Motor Skills

Lasers require fine motor skills—flipping switches or pressing activation buttons. The problem? When you’re under an adrenaline dump, fine motor skills disappear.

Your body goes into survival mode: tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, shaky hands, loss of dexterity. You’re left with gross motor skills only. The idea that you’ll calmly flip on a laser in that moment is fantasy. Fundamentals and training are what will carry you through—not a battery-powered gimmick.

7. Most People Won’t Train With Them

Lasers demand practice. You’d need to train until activating and using the laser was muscle memory. But the reality is that most gun owners don’t train enough with their draw stroke, reloads, or malfunctions—let alone a laser.

Without reps, that laser is just dead weight hanging off the rail. Worse, it builds false confidence without the skills to back it up.

Conclusion: Train Skills, Not Gadgets

Laser attachments on handguns aren’t just unnecessary—they’re distractions that fail outside of one distance, collapse under stress, and encourage sloppy shooting. Unless you’re a soldier with NVGs running an IR system, lasers don’t belong on your firearm.

If you’re serious about self-defense, spend your money on training and your time on building fundamentals. Sight alignment, trigger control, and fast, accurate shooting will save your life. A laser won’t.

Call to Action

If you’re ready to focus on real skills over gimmicks, here’s where to start:

Disclaimer

This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It reflects the personal opinions and professional experience of the author. It is not legal advice, tactical instruction, or an endorsement of any specific product. Firearms ownership and use carry inherent risks. Always follow the law, practice safe handling, and seek qualified training before carrying or using a firearm.

Concealed Carry, Legal & Law, News

Seattle Waterfront Shooting: Self-Defense or Aggression?

Mark Schneider

On July 31, 2025, a confrontation on the Seattle waterfront captured national headlines when Gregory William Timm, 32, shot Harold James Powell, a 68-year-old Navy veteran in a wheelchair. Timm accused Powell of “stolen valor” and demanded to see proof of his service. What began as a heated argument turned violent when Timm pulled a handgun from his backpack and fired, striking Powell in the chest.

Powell survived, but the case raises important questions about self-defense law and whether Timm can legally justify his actions.

Self-Defense and the Core Elements

To lawfully use deadly force in self-defense, several principles must generally be met:

  1. Reasonable Belief – The defender must reasonably believe they face imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
  2. Imminence – The threat must be immediate, not hypothetical or in the distant future.
  3. Innocence – The defender cannot be the initial aggressor or provoke the encounter.
  4. Avoidance – In some jurisdictions, the defender must avoid the confrontation if it’s safe to do so (though Washington is a “no duty to retreat” state).
  5. Proportionality – The force used in response must match the level of the threat. Deadly force is only justified against an imminent deadly threat.

Reasonable Belief and Imminence

Reports state that Powell reached for a knife and an airsoft gun after Timm had already confronted him, demanded his ID, and forcibly ripped a patch off his wheelchair. Timm later claimed he believed Powell was armed and dangerous.

The problem? Reasonable belief hinges not only on what Timm saw but also on how a reasonable person in the same position would perceive the threat. Powell was seated in a wheelchair, not advancing aggressively.

Even more damaging to Timm’s claim of imminence is the fact that he had to dig into a backpack, retrieve a handgun, and then fire. That time gap shows there was no split-second, unavoidable decision. Self-defense law requires a true immediate threat, not one where you had the luxury of unzipping and preparing a firearm before acting.

Backpack Carry: A Terrible Choice

From a training standpoint, this case highlights why backpack carry is one of the worst ways to carry a firearm for self-defense. Retrieving a gun from a bag:

  • Takes several seconds, even under calm conditions.
  • Requires fine motor skills (zippers, straps), which are often lost during stress and adrenaline dumps.
  • Leaves you vulnerable during the draw.

For concealed carriers, I always recommend on-body carry—either strong side hip or appendix. Both allow for faster reaction time and a consistent draw stroke under stress. If Timm had truly faced a deadly threat, backpack carry would have left him at a severe disadvantage. In this case, the fact that he was able to slowly retrieve a gun from a backpack is further proof the threat was not immediate.

Innocence and Provocation

This is the most damaging factor for Timm’s self-defense claim. By initiating the confrontation, escalating it by tearing property from Powell’s wheelchair, and refusing to disengage, Timm likely lost the legal protection of self-defense.

Self-defense law is clear: if you instigate the fight, you generally cannot later claim self-defense when the other person responds. Powell’s actions were arguably defensive—protecting himself and his dignity after being publicly accused and physically provoked.

Avoidance

While Washington does not impose a legal duty to retreat, avoidance still matters in the courtroom. Jurors often ask: “Could this have been avoided?”

Timm had multiple opportunities to walk away. Instead, he closed distance, instigated, and ultimately chose to escalate.

Proportionality

Instead of focusing on whether the weapons were real or fake, proportionality here is about the balance between Powell’s threat level and Timm’s response.

Powell was in a wheelchair with limited mobility. Even if he had a knife and what looked like a gun, he wasn’t in a position to launch a sudden deadly attack like an able-bodied aggressor might.

Firing a live round into Powell’s chest still looks disproportionate when viewed against the totality of the circumstances, especially given that Timm was the one who escalated first.

Why Self-Defense Likely Fails Here

Putting all elements together:

  • Reasonable Belief? Questionable—Powell’s threat level was limited.
  • Imminence? Very weak—retrieving a gun from a backpack proves there was time to disengage.
  • Innocence? Destroyed—Timm was the aggressor.
  • Avoidance? Ignored—he chose escalation over disengagement.
  • Proportionality? Fails—the response (deadly force) outweighed the threat.

For these reasons, prosecutors have charged Timm with felony assault. Unless new evidence emerges, his self-defense claim is on shaky ground.

Lessons for Concealed Carriers and CCW Holders

This case illustrates why training and legal understanding are critical:

  • Do not provoke or escalate. If you instigate, you lose innocence and likely your right to claim self-defense.
  • Draw only when danger is imminent. If you have time to unzip a bag, you likely have time to disengage.
  • Avoid backpack carry. Always carry on-body for speed and consistency.
  • Match your response to the threat. Deadly force against a non-deadly threat will rarely be justified.
  • Know your state’s laws. “No duty to retreat” does not mean “no duty to use good judgment.”
  • Consider self-defense insurance. Even when justified, defending yourself in court can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Final Thoughts

The Seattle wheelchair shooting is a cautionary tale about the limits of self-defense law. While the right to defend yourself is fundamental, it carries strict requirements. Reasonable belief, imminence, innocence, avoidance, and proportionality are not just legal buzzwords—they determine whether your actions are protected or criminal.

As CCW holders, security professionals, and armed citizens, we must remember: avoidance is always cheaper than a trial. And if you carry, carry smart—on-body, not in a backpack.

Call to Action

👉 Want a deeper dive? Read our full article on the 5 Elements of Self-Defense to understand how the law actually applies in real-life encounters.

👉 Looking to sharpen your firearm skills? Check out our Shooting Drills Library and train like the pros.

👉 Protect yourself from the financial burden of a legal battle with Self-Defense Insurance Options.

👉 Need expert testimony? As a self-defense and use-of-force expert witness, I provide consulting and testimony in cases involving CCW holders, armed guards, and civilian defense.

👉 Shop professional-grade gear, holsters, and body armor in our Online Store to stay prepared and compliant.

Want to See More Similar Articles?

If you found this breakdown helpful and want to explore more real-world cases of self-defense and use of force, check out these articles:

These cases, along with the Seattle waterfront shooting, highlight the complexities of reasonable belief, imminence, innocence, avoidance, and proportionality—the five pillars of self-defense law.

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Self-defense laws vary by state and by circumstance. If you are involved in a self-defense incident, you should immediately contact a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Concealed Carry Classes of Denver and US Firearms Training Academy make no guarantees regarding legal outcomes and are not responsible for how this information is used.