Question

why does heck tate not want to shoot tim johnson

Answer 1

Explanation:

The main reason Heck Tate hesitates in shooting the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, in To Kill a Mockingbird is because there is someone who can perform the job better next to him, and Heck doesn't want to miss and either cause the dog undue harm or scare it away, thereby leaving a rabid dog roaming the town.