Jesse Ventura: If You Carry a Gun & Have The Authority To Use It, Mistakes Will Happen

Tom Schmier from MI: In your video on "police brutality" you posed a question as to why any police officer would ever need to shoot someone running away from them.My question is if it is legal and justified to shoot a criminal who is actively threatening someone's life, do you believe it is also justified to shoot someone who just committed such a crime and has a high chance of doing so again if they escape?

If they’re coming at you, you absolutely have the right to defend yourself. But in most cases, people running away from you are not a direct threat.

Now, if you saw them shoot three people, it is absolutely justified to use necessary force to stop them from causing more harm. Every situation has to be dealt with at the spur of the moment. You just have to be prepared to make the right decision.

-Jesse Ventura

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Joshua Ewing from New York has asked: Why have police started to rely on weapons as a first line of defense? It seems they could benefit from a basic self-defense class.

Many police officers do take self-defense classes. But anytime you carry a gun and have the authority to use it, mistakes happen. Bad decisions are made and sometimes those decisions cannot be undone.

-Jesse Ventura

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Shira B. from New York asks: Do you still watch professional wrestling? If so who is your favorite?

No I don’t. I try to watch it at times, but after 3 minutes I find it unwatchable. I guess I’m a little more into the old school wrestling.

Today, I like to watch Lucha Libre, which is Mexican wrestling.

-Jesse Ventura