Ending the fight

I've talked a little bit about when to engage an assailant, but since when you can and can't or should and shouldn't are left up to both your current jurisdiction and municipality and whether you should or shouldn't is strictly up to you... I'm going to say this very, very simply.

If you do have to engage a target...shoot to end it. There's no other way to say it.

You don't got for the leg, you don't fire a "warning shot", you don't do anything other than shoot to hit center mass or the head and end the fight, period.

If you don't think you can do that because of lack of skill, then train, alot.

If you don't think you can do that because of lack of fortitude, don't carry.
There's nothing wrong with not being able to take someone's life, even in anger, nothing at all. But, you don't want to have a gun with you and not actually be able to use it effectively. It could be taken from you and turned against you.

You may or may not be able to "scare" an attacker by brandishing a weapon, it might not work, so don't draw and think this will stop the aggressor. It might not.

There's an old saying that a Samurai's sword had to taste blood before it could be placed back in the scabbard. The same should be true of your firearm. Never, ever, ever draw your weapon unless you are 100% sure that the time, situation, etc has degraded to the point that your life or another innocent's life is in danger.

But if you do draw, be the fastest, be the first on target and put the bad guy down.