You would be surprised what authority a private security guard has. there are differnet levels of authority depending on the position and state but generall they have exactly what cops have, powers to arrest detain and shoot you if need be.

Point taken on panic however. One never knows who will actually step up to the plate until it happens. Undoubtedly where the term "unlikely heros" came to be. We would all like to think we would being survival minded and ego oriented but this is more than often not the case.

Flip