A good reminder though, to keep in holstered until you feel the need to engage it. Then, re-holster.
A situation like this could get real messy, real quick if there were multiple legitimate armed citizens that felt the need to play "cop" but were not aware of what was really happening.
I'm not trying to offend anyone, so please don't take it the wrong way. I think many of us would help out a fellow citizen in trouble without a second thought. We just need to be really sure of what we are doing before engaging a suspected threat. I'm responsible for everything that leaves the muzzle of my firearm. I don't want to be part of the problem or be shot myself.
I wonder how off duty police officers are trained to handle a situation where they could be mistaken for the BG? Uniforms make it easier for those on duty.