Lesson 9.3: Real, Immediate, and Articulable Threats
A defensive firearm is not carried for arguments, warnings, guesses, or feelings.
Before a permit holder treats a situation as a defensive force incident, the threat must be real, immediate, and articulable.
Real and Immediate
A real threat is based on conduct, circumstances, and facts, not imagination, dislike, suspicion, annoyance, or speculation.
An immediate threat is happening now, about to happen, or close enough in time that defensive action may be necessary.
A past insult, past threat, or future possibility is not the same as an immediate defensive emergency.
Articulable
Articulable means the permit holder can explain what happened in plain factual language.
“I was scared” is not enough by itself. The permit holder must be able to explain what happened, what threat existed, why the threat was immediate, and why the response fit the danger.
Davey Defense Standard
The threat must be real, immediate, and articulable.
If the facts do not meet the legal standard, the firearm stays holstered.