Well, I have made so many split decisions, involving life and death, that it would be difficult to name them all.
One incident: armed robber had just robbed a gas station and fled the scene. I pulled into a parking area and was talking to my wife on my cellphone. In my rearview mirror, I saw the suspect vehicle and suspect, out of his truck, and talking on a pay phone. The license plate number on the truck was the same as leaving the robbery. I told my wife to hold on a minute and put the openline cellphone on top of my police car. Gun drawn, I advised the suspect to fall to the ground. He did not. His right hand was in his bluejean pocket. I knew he was armed, so instead of shooting the suspect, I ran toward him. He was so shocked to see this manuever, that he tried to get inside his truck to leave. I grabbed his left arm and slung him down on the ground. I placed the handcuffs on him. The stolen money and his weapon were recovered in his right front bluejeans pocket. Would he have shot me? Good question. I did not give him to think about it.
My wife heard the whole takedown on her cellphone and was scared to death.
Where did my strength come from?
Guardian Angels.