Category: Self Defense

Long Beach police find 2 men dead after resident reports shooting burglar

Officers found two men dead after a resident reported shooting someone who had broken into his Long Beach home, police said Tuesday morning.

The Long Beach Police Department said the officers responded to the 1000 block of Almond Court, near 11th Street, after receiving the resident’s call.

Upon arrival, police found a man down inside the resident’s home, police Lt. Robert Woods told KTLA. Long Beach Fire Department crews tried to revive the man but eventually pronounced him dead at the scene.

The resident was taken to a nearby hospital for an injury, Woods said. The lieutenant did not have information on how the resident got hurt.

Woods said moments later, officers discovered another man down on the street in the 1100 block of Gundry Court, about a block away from the resident’s home. Police believe that person was also a suspect in the break-in.

He was also pronounced dead at the scene. Woods did not confirm how he died.

Neither man has been identified yet.

Armed citizen shoots would-be robber in Opry Mills parking lot

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — An armed citizen shot a man who attempted to rob him in the Opry Mills parking lot Wednesday night.

Metro police were called to the shopping center around 7:15 p.m.

The suspect approached the victim with a revolver and demanded his belongings, according to Metro police. The victim then reportedly pulled out a handgun in self-defense and shot the suspect in the knee.

Metro police said the suspect ran away and was found in front of the Opryland Hotel a short time later. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The victim was not injured in the exchange.

Suspected home intruder dies in Scott County

NICKELSVILLE, Va. — A man who attempted to force his way into a Nickelsville home has died, according to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday evening, the Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Twin Springs Road. The call was in reference to a man attempting to force his way into a home that was occupied by two women and two small children, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The man, identified as Jared Scott Dockery, 32, gained entry into the residence and was shot and killed upon entry.

Dockery died before deputies arrived. His body has been sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner located in Roanoke, Virginia. This case is currently under investigation. The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the scene and is also assisting with the investigation.

Attempted robbery victim shoots man in self-defense

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A would-be robber was injured in a shootout when the person he tried to rob fired back.

Metro Nashville Police officials say the man approached someone in the parking lot of Opry Mills Mall, showed them his gun and demanded their things.

But that’s when police say the person also pulled out a gun in self-defense and the two exchanged gunfire.

The suspect was hit in the knee and ran away, but police say he was taken into custody shortly after the incident in front of the hotel and convention center. He was transported to the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

The attempted-robbery victim was not injured.

 

Lake Elsinore Man Shot By Store Owner During Beating Incident

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A man who was shot after allegedly assaulting his partner in front of a Lake Elsinore shop owner is now in jail awaiting a court appearance.Vincent Benton, 31, of Lake Elsinore was booked on suspicion of second degree robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/co-inhabitant, terrorists threats, receiving known stolen property, vandalism, and violating probation, among other charges, jail records show.

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Concealed-carry holder shoots attacker on Chicago’s Far South Side

CHICAGO – A man shot someone who attacked him with an object Monday near Hegewisch on the Far South Side, police said.

About 5:30 p.m., a 40-year-old man was shopping in a store in the 13000 block of South Brainard Avenue when a man approached him from behind and struck him in the back with an unknown object, Chicago police said.

The 40-year-old pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking the other man, 52, police said.

The younger man has a valid concealed-carry license, police said. The older man was taken into custody and charges are pending.

One killed, one injured in west Houston apartment burglary

A suspect in a west Houston burglary was shot and killed Sunday morning, and the man who shot him is recovering at a nearby hospital as Houston police look for two other burglars who tried to steal jewelry from an apartment.

An elderly woman living at The Crossing at Old Farm apartment complex at 2500 Old Farm Road woke up to her dogs barking around 5 a.m., and found a man standing next to her bed.

The suspect jumped on top of her and zip-tied her, before letting two other men into the home and ransacking the residence for jewelry, said Houston Police Department homicide detective Alexander Vinogradov. Police said the three burglars climbed a ladder behind the apartment complex and broke in through the balcony door.

Ten minutes after the suspects came into the apartment, the woman’s son returned home and shot at the burglars. In a “wild shootout” in the hallway, the son was shot twice and one of the suspects was fatally shot, Vinogradov said.

Armed man in street leads to fatal shooting in Delta Township

UPDATE: (12:20 p.m.) – There are more details being released as the investigation into a fatal shooting in Delta Township continues.

The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office is saying they received several reports of a man standing in the middle of West Saginaw Highway in the area of the 6500 block. The calls said the man had fired a handgun several times and was pointing his gun at cars driving by.

Investigators say a 22-year-old Delta Township man was driving east and stopped near Brookside Drive when the gunman stepped in front of his vehicle. The gunman pointed his handgun at the driver, who stepped out of his vehicle, pulled his own handgun, which he is licensed to carry and shot the gunman.

That man, a 26-year-old who is believed to be from suburban Grand Rapids, died at the scene.

DELTA TWP., Mich (WLNS) – Saginaw Highway in Delta Township between Creyts Roads and Canal Road is closed in both directions as police investigate a fatal shooting.

Officers were called to the area just after 8:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a man with a gun in the road.

Witnesses say the man was walking down Saginaw, aiming a gun at people and firing shots.

Those witnesses say a passerby saw the man shooting and pulled out his own handgun, shooting and killing the man.

Police say that the man does have license to carry a gun and is cooperating with investigators.

Two shot, one dead, when homeowner confronts burglars

One person is dead and another was wounded Wednesday evening when they were shot attempting a burglary, the Columbia [Missouri] Police Department stated in a news release.

Officers responded about 9 p.m. to the 6000 block of Bentpath Drive in south Columbia to reports of an armed resident confronting two intruders in his home, the release stated. When they arrived, officers found the two wounded suspects and evidence of gunfire and damage to a residence.

The resident reported seeing the intruders entering his home and fired several shots in self-defense, the release stated.

One suspect was declared dead at the scene and the other was taken to a hospital for treatment.

As protests continue, lawmakers consider ‘stand your ground’ gun bill

COLUMBUS — During a period of civil unrest over racial injustice, the Ohio House is considering legislation to give gun owners the right to stand their ground in public places and use deadly force in self-defense.

“They just don’t get it, do they?” said former state lawmaker Tom Roberts, president of the Ohio NAACP, which opposes the bill.

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, said in a written statement: “By putting the so-called Stand Your Ground or Kill at Will bill on the agenda during a week of chaos and racial unrest, Republican leadership is showing Ohio what their true values and priorities actually are. The decision to hear this bill also tells the thousands of Ohioans who have flooded the streets in towns and cities all over the state that their voices do not matter.”

House Bill 381, co-sponsored by state Rep. Candice Keller, R-Middletown, received a hearing Tuesday afternoon. House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, who has the power to block or move any bill, said no decision has been made yet on whether the legislation will get a floor vote this week. He didn’t respond to requests for comment from the Dayton Daily News about Sykes’ criticism.

BP employee shoots man who pulled out a gun and attempted to reach cash register in Berkeley

BERKELEY, Mo. (KMOV.com) — A BP gas station employee shot a man who allegedly pulled out a gun and refused to leave the business, police said.

The St. Louis County Police Department said the man showed his gun inside the BP at 4403 N Hanley Road in Berkeley and refused to leave when asked. The man then tried to enter where the store clerk and the cash register were. An employee then pulled out a gun and shot the man.
Police said the man was taken to a hospital for life saving treatment.

Man shot, killed after carjacking off-duty KCSO deputy on Highway 99

A man was shot and killed by an off-duty Kern County [California] Sheriff’s deputy after attempting to steal the deputy’s personal vehicle on northbound Highway 99 north of White Lane on Sunday morning, KCSO said.

The series of events led to traffic being halted on both sides of Highway 99. The northbound lanes in the area of the shooting were especially backed up, with traffic diverted off the highway.

The suspect, whose identity is currently unknown and will be released by the Coroner’s Office, first committed a residential burglary in the 3600 block of Eisenhower Avenue and stole a vehicle at around 8:45 a.m., according to a sheriff’s news release. Bakersfield Police Department officers were dispatched to investigate that part of the incident.

The suspect then crashed the stolen vehicle in the 3400 block of Eisenhower Avenue and fled on foot onto Highway 99 north of White Lane, KCSO said in its news release.

He then stopped the off-duty deputy’s personal vehicle, which was traveling north, and entered the vehicle, attempting to steal it, KCSO said. A physical struggle occurred and the deputy shot the suspect, who died of his injuries at the scene, the sheriff’s office reported in a news release.

The name of the off-duty deputy, who suffered minor injuries from the altercation, has not yet been released. The deputy was placed on routine administrative leave.

At the scene, the carjacking and death of the suspect was being investigated by KCSO and the burglary was being investigated by BPD.

Woman shoots and kills intruder in Scalp Level home

A man who forced his way into a Scalp Level [Pennsylvania] home late Sunday was shot and killed after he ignored warnings to leave the residence, investigators said.

Thomas Deal, 45, of Scalp Level, was confronted by the Second Street home’s owner while coming up her basement stairs, Windber Police Chief Andrew Frear said.

The woman warned Deal that she was armed, he said.

Then, she fired after he continued to ascend the stairway despite multiple warnings to “Leave my home” and “Get out,” Frear said.

Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees said the incident occurred just before midnight. The man was struck once in the head, Lees said.

An autopsy Monday confirmed the man was at close range – less than six feet from the shooter – when he was struck, Lees added.

Lees, whose primary duty is to determine the cause and manner of death, ruled the shooting a homicide due to a gunshot head wound.

Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer, who is responsible for determining whether charges are warranted, said it appears the shooting was justified – and that the woman was acting in self-defense.

An investigation is not yet complete, but Neugebauer said the residence, home to a family of three, was broken into late at night by a stranger who apparently wouldn’t back down.

Pointing to Pennsylvania’s Castle Doctrine, the district attorney said residents have the right to use deadly force against aggressors who illegally enter their residences – if they believe they are at risk of serious injury, rape or death.

He described the invasion as “random” – adding there are no indications the woman and Deal knew each other. That was corroborated by the Scalp Level man’s own family, Neugebauer said.

“The case will be subject to a full review … to see if it meets the (doctrine’s) guidelines,” he added, noting that the autopsy and police report will be part of the investigation.

Frear said the man forced his way into the home through a basement door. Deal was not armed or carrying anything when he was walking up the stairs, Frear said.

“We may never know why he went inside that house,” Neugebauer said.

Frear said his department has investigated a few break-ins involving Scalp Level homes recently, in those cases, the actor was someone residents recognized.

“In this case, (the family) did not know who he was,” Frear said.

Suspected burglar shot, killed by resident in Pierce County

ELK PLAIN, Wash. – A suspected burglar was shot and killed Sunday morning by a resident of a home in the Elk Plain area of Pierce County, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies responded to the home, in the 20700 block of 46th Avenue East, at about 5:20 a.m. after receiving a 911 call about a burglary and shots fired, said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

The burglary suspect was found dead of a gunshot wound inside the home.

The occupants of the home, an elderly woman who owns the residence and her adult son, were not injured.

A preliminary investigation found that the homeowner’s son awoke to the sound of rustling inside their home. The son armed himself with a handgun and found a burglar standing next to a safe in the home, Troyer said.

The resident reportedly confronted the suspect and the suspect came at him. The resident fired at the suspect, striking and killing him.

Deputies located a stool and broken window that appears to be the point of entry used by the suspect, Troyer said.

The deceased burglary suspect has not been identified.

Homeowner shoots suspect during an attempted home invasion

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (KTUL) — The Broken Arrow Police Department says an alleged suspect is dead and another on the run after an attempted home invasion Saturday night.

The BAPD says about 10:35 p.m., officers were dispatched to a reported first-degree burglary call.

While on the way to the call, officers were told that the homeowner had shot one of the suspects and at least one suspect had run from the scene.

When officers arrived and they found a male deceased in the front of the residence.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators are interviewing witnesses and processing the scene for evidence.

The deceased man’s information is not being released until positive identification and next of kin notification can be made.

Thankfully, more people see the pro-gun control intellectual’s vacuous vapidity, and basically are telling them where to go and how to get there.

2 Million First-Time Gun Owners in First Half of 2020 Alone

As concerns over self-defense became more pronounced in 2020, initially during the cornonavirus hysteria and then during the current spate of protests and riots, two million Americans became first-time gun owners.

Earlier this week Breitbart News reported that May 2020 shattered the record for the number of National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) checks performed in a given May. FBI numbers show 3,091,455 NICS checks were conducted in May 2020, easily surpassing the previous record of 2,349,309 checks set in May 2019 and dominating the numbers from any other May since records began to be kept in May 1999.

Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting reported that May 2020 gun sales were up 80 percent over sales in May 2019, and they explained the vast majority of the guns sold were handguns. This suggests self-defense is of paramount concern for gun buyers.

Breitbart News reported March and April 2020 both set records for NICS background checks as well.

The number of checks conducted in March 2020 was so high it was not only a record for March but a record for any single month, period. The most checks for any month since the NICS system was adopted in 1998.

Americans are choosing guns rather than gun control.

Intruder shot, killed after confrontation with homeowner in Allegheny Co. neighborhood

ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — Police are investigating after a home invasion ended in a deadly shooting in an Allegheny County neighborhood.

The incident happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday on West Bellecrest Avenue in Brentwood, according to Allegheny County detectives.

Auto Defensas Para Mi!™ ( I oughta get some T-Shirts printed up with that)
Families in Florida guard their neighborhood, some with the dreaded AR-15 *gasp* Horrors! Zut Alors!,  and the milquetoast press have the vapors.

Vigilante residents wield their rifles as they block their street in Florida to guard against looters

A group of residents including children held rifles and other weapons as they blocked their road to ‘guard it from looters’.

Footage of the group, who were standing next to their cars to block the street, was posted on website LiveLeak and appears to have been filmed in Belleview, Florida.

The residents were allegedly guarding their street to stop looters after stores in many parts of the country were raided during nationwide unrest caused by the death of black man George Floyd.

The video of the guarding residents was filmed by a family in a passing car.

They are seen driving past them before using a roundabout to drive back the other way.

The group, who number at least 12, are standing next to their cars and some are holding rifles.

One man is wearing a military-style helmet, combat boots and pants and is holding a rifle.

As the family pass the residents, an older woman in the car says, ‘he has a gun in the black shirt’ as she refers to the man in the helmet.

A girl in the car then adds: ‘This is in Belleview.’

The residents were allegedly guarding their street to stop looters after stores in many parts of the country were raided during nationwide unrest caused by the death of black man George Floyd

Changing Your Carry Depending on Your Environment

Change. We’re in the middle of it. Millions of people have purchased their first guns over the last few months. Riots, looting, theft, attacks, murders. We see it daily on the news. Smart people know, or have just realized, that the police can’t be everywhere, and it highly unlikely they will be close when you are attacked.

You are your own first responder. Are you prepared?

Trainers across the country are being flooded with calls asking for private lessons. That’s good.

Let me explain something that’s not obvious to new gun owners, but which can make a big difference in your ability to have a self-defense handgun with you. It requires change.  Specifically, it means you have to change your handgun as conditions change.

I’ve been carrying a pistol since about 1976. Big guns and small guns, big calibers and small calibers, double stack and single stack, short barrels and longish barrels, revolvers and autoloaders. Why so many types?

There is no one handgun that works for every situation.

You have many types of footwear so that you can have the right function for each activity. Tennis shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, hunting boots, rubber boots, slippers, etc.

Once you get into carrying you quickly realize the need for various sizes of handguns.

Let me give examples of what I have carried, using just one gun manufacturer. I have carried Springfield Armory pistols for many years. I recently bought the XDm 4.5-inch barrel model in 10mm. Why? Because sometimes I’m in the woods where bears, mountain lions, and wolves live. I really like the idea of having 15 rounds in the magazine of special (deep-penetrating) 10mm ammo with me. It’s a full-size pistol, and it is not light weight when fully loaded. That’s okay because I use a good gun belt and a good holster to handle the weight.

But that’s not what I would carry in most concealed carry situations. For that, I often have opted for two Springfields. The XDs single stack is a dream. Slim, great trigger, and you can get a 10-round mag. Honestly, it’s just hard to go wrong there. I can conceal it when wearing almost anything, especially when I use a tuckable holster. I’ll admit, though, that I like the idea of more ammo, so I have more often carried my XDm 3.8 Compact (now discontinued). The logical replacement for that pistol is the even smaller Hellcat in 9mm, and I’d use the 13-round mag as standard. It’s incredibly small and easy to carry.

When I’m going to spend several days at a shooting school, I’ll opt for a full-size 9mm. Easier to shoot. Ammo is fairly inexpensive. I would go for the XD-M Elite 4.5 and a bag full of magazines.

Now, if you are into style, you might just want to add a sweet 1911 to the mix.  Every serious handgunner needs at least one, and after the first magazine of ammo, you’ll fall in love with the trigger. If I could have only one 1911 from the Springfield line, I just might go for the new Ronin Operator in 9mm.

You match the gun to the situation. Where are you carrying? What kind of clothes? Open carry or concealed carry? Just a cover garment or deep concealment? What’s your body type? Pocket carry?

Experienced gun folks know we must change guns from time to time. This example was just using one brand. You can mix and match, of course. You might want to have a revolver in the mix. Just don’t get locked into the idea that now you have “the” gun you need.

Oh, and put serious time and money (!) into the best training you can afford.  A shiny new gun will never replace the vital skills you get from serious instruction.

Be safe. Be kind. Stay dangerous. ~ Tom

Tom Gresham

Liberal politicians who order police to stand down are the same people who want to ban guns

By John R. Lott Jr. –

Minneapolis and other major cities have finally re-opened, at least to looters and arsonists. For three days, police in Minneapolis and St. Paul were ordered to stand down as rioters destroyed their cities. In New York City and Washington, D.C., on Monday night, police stood by as looters destroyed parts of those cities.

The same politicians who ordered police to stand down and released prison inmates are the same people who want to ban guns. These politicians prevent citizens from protecting themselves, at a time when police protection cannot be depended on.

For three days, police in Minneapolis and St. Paul were ordered to stand down as rioters destroyed their cities. Sadly, so many of the victims of this violence have been blacks. Black store owners have lost their businesses. In these heavily black areas, blacks will lose their jobs. Black shoppers worry they “have nowhere to go now.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said it’d be “ridiculous” to break up demonstrators who violate crowd-size rules for the coronavirus. The president of the NAACP is asking police nationwide to stand down to preserve the peace.

In Minnesota, you face a $25,000 fine if you open your business during the current COVID-19 lockdown, but criminals effectively have immunity. The few who were arrested for violent acts in Minneapolis were quickly bailed out of jail with financial help from Joe Biden’s presidential campaign staffers.

As of Sunday morning, more than 255 businesses had been destroyed in the Twin Cities. The looting was extensive. Many large companies have reported that they are “temporarily or indefinitely closed.” Officers even abandoned their own police station, which was then set on fire by protesters.

Across the country, police have had orders to stand down.

“Tonight, I watched Seattle burn. Seattle is dying, by fire, looting, weakness of the political leadership,” wrote Seattle KVI radio talk-show host Kirby Wilbur. “We watched on TV as our law enforcement stood by while vandalism, looting, assaults, pure chaos reigned in the streets of our downtown business district.”

But the violence in Minneapolis would have been much worse if people hadn’t been able to defend themselves and their businesses with guns. As The Wall Street Journal reported, “African-American owners of GM Tobacco told me they were armed and ready to protect their business — and that they stand in solidarity with those who seek justice for [George] Floyd.” Visible from the front of the store was Minneapolis’ Third Police Precinct, which rioters set on fire.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. People may remember the Korean store owners who successfully used semi-automatic rifles to protect their businesses during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

One searches in vain for Democratic politicians who have reprimanded the rioters. On Saturday, after several nights of riots, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat, egged on demonstrators by calling for a continuation of the “righteous protests” and necessary routing out of the “racism” that she said is endemic in Minnesota.

Twitter didn’t seem to mind incitement to violence by liberals such as Colin Kaepernick. He tweeted that “revolting is the only logical reaction. … We have the right to fight back!” Others on Twitter are calling for “a violent rebellion against an entire system.”

Democrats in Minnesota have been forceful advocates for gun control. Mr. Walz and Mrs. Smith have been strongly endorsed by Michael Bloomberg’s gun-control organization, Moms Demand Action. They have supported banning some semi-automatic guns based solely on superficial appearance. They also support limits on magazine sizes.

Especially in a riot, semi-automatic firearms that reload automatically are much more useful for self-defense than are single-shot weapons. Hopefully, the presence of a gun by itself will deter an attack, but if you have to open fire it will be a big help to not have to constantly manually reload.

My research shows that police are the single most important factor in deterring violent crime. But the riots have shown yet again that politicians frequently won’t let the police do their jobs when they are most needed.

The riots have shown several things that liberal politicians don’t seem to understand. The police themselves know that they normally arrive on the scene after the crime has occurred, and that having a gun is by far the safest course of action when you are confronted by a criminal. It is also the most vulnerable in our society — namely blacks who live in high-crime cities — who benefit the most from having the option to be able to defend themselves.

Robbery Victim Shoots, Kills Suspect In Mesquite After Being Shot

MESQUITE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Mesquite Police are investigating a deadly shooting in which a suspected armed robber was the one killed.

Police said around 1:35 a.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a shooting call in the 2600 block of John West Road.

That’s when they came across the injured person who had called police.

He said he had been the victim of a robbery by three people he did not know.

He was shot and shot back at one of the suspects, killing the suspect, police said.

The deceased suspect has been identified and police said next of kin were being notified.

Two other suspects got away.

‘1992 Roof Koreans’ segue into ‘2020 Roof Mexicans’
And we now come to the times when Americans have their own version of ‘Auto Defensas‘, which, when you get right down to it, isn’t such a bad idea anyway.

Armed Neighborhood Groups Form In The Absence Of Police Protection

Cesia Baires knocks on the three apartment doors above her restaurant and a neighboring taqueria just before curfew.

A woman opens the door. Her two young children are inside.

“Remember,” she says to them in Spanish. “Same thing as yesterday. I’m going to come check on you. If there’s anything you guys need, give us a call right away.”

Meanwhile, a few men climb through the window and on to the roof to set up semi-automatic weapons as the curfew begins in Minneapolis. It’s something Baires never thought she would have to do as a small-business owner, but then she found out these apartments were occupied.

“Material things we can replace, that’s true,” she says. “But there are families up here. These aren’t empty buildings.”

As break-ins and fires raged in the first days of mass protests over the killing of yet another black man in an encounter with police, the city seemed to descend into a security vacuum. She says the police disappeared from this neighborhood. That’s when she and others started forming patrols to include people with licensed weapons.

“I’m the one that’s checking everyone,” she says. “If you’re up here with a gun and you’re not supposed to be here and you don’t have a license to carry, then I don’t allow you to even go to the rooftop. Only people with guns are on the rooftop.”

But is this a path to vigilante justice?

“It’s not something that I would want, but we’ve seen how, for at least the first couple days, we were left alone,” she says. “There were no cops that would come around. So what are we to do? Just stand there and do nothing?”

Her group — Security Latinos De La Lake — is one of many neighborhood watch groups sprouting up across the Twin Cities and in other parts of the country as dozens of mostly peaceful protests continue every day, sometimes in the face of violence from law enforcement: tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. The Twin Cities have largely calmed, but Baires says she wasn’t even able to get through to 911 until Monday.

When asked about the lack of police presence, a spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department said in an email that the department is facing an “unprecedented situation.” He added that citizens who need help should call 911. The department is also aware of these neighborhood groups. In fact, the police chief and officers have met with some, and the department is not concerned as long as they’re following the law………..

 

This Is Why We Need Guns

Defending their lives and their property as they see fit is exactly what those who have been abandoned by the authorities are doing in droves.

‘Only the cops need guns” simply could not live forever alongside, “The cops are racist and will kill you.” And so, at long last, the two circles of the Venn Diagram have filed for an amicable divorce. In the end, the differences proved irreconcilable.

At least, they proved irreconcilable without descending into farce. I have been told more times that I can count that “if you want to own an AR-15, you should join the army or the police.” Oh, really. Why? So that I can be pulled back when the rioting starts, lest I inflame those wielding bricks and Molotov cocktails? So that I can be called a fascist, acting in the service of a dictator? So that I can be part of the problem? In light of the new fashions, these old injunctions look rather silly, don’t they? “You don’t need 15 rounds; you’re not a cop! Also, the police are corrupt from top to bottom, and should probably be abolished.”

Pick one, perhaps?

In The New Republic, Matt Ford argues that the police were a mistake per se. They have, Ford writes, “become the standing armies that the Founders feared.” As it happens, unreconstructed small-r republican that I am, I have more sympathy for this idea than many might expect. But I’m sure as hell not going to entertain it at the same time as I subordinate my unalienable right to bear arms to the personal prejudices of the bureaucracy and commentariat. Don’t call the cops! Also, wait three months for a gun permit! Again: Pick one.

In any case, the idea that the existence of police officers in some way negates the right to bear arms has always been a ridiculous one. Police are an auxiliary force that we hire to do a particular job — there to supplement, not to replace, my rights and responsibilities. Every time we debate gun control in the United States, I am informed that the Sheriff of Whatever County is opposed to liberalization. To which I always think, “So what?” My right to keep and bear arms is merely the practical expression of my underlying right to self-defense. That, as a polity, we have decided to hire certain people to take the first shot at keeping the peace is fine. But it has no bearing on my liberties.

Happily, defending their lives and their property as they see fit is exactly what those who have been abandoned by the authorities are doing in droves. Like father, like son, we have seen the return of the Rooftop Koreans — supplemented, this time, by Rooftop African-Americans, Rooftop Hispanics, Rooftop Pakistanis, and the rest. The NAACP is helping to organize armed patrols of minority-owned business. Gun sales are up by a staggering 80 percent over this time last year. During the coronavirus lockdown, there was a public debate over whether gun stores should be deemed “essential.” During this outbreak of rioting, such an inquiry seems quaint. Now, as ever, there is no greater prophylactic against a criminal on the rampage than a loaded firearm in the hands of a free man.