Self Defense – Page 35

American U. students at odds with D.C. group that favors unarmed police

Some American University students are skeptical at claims made by the District of Columbia’s so-called “Peace Team” that unarmed police are “highly effective” at preventing gun violence — in one of the deadliest cities in the country.

According to its website, the DC Peace Team’s mission is to “cultivate the habits and skills of nonviolence in communities, so [it] can better resist injustice, and thus, build a more sustainable just peace.”

The team is a huge proponent of, and utilizes, restorative justice (which has been growing in the nation’s school systems, much to many teachers’ chargrin) and weaponless “civilian protection units.”

According to Peace Team Board Member Sal Corbin (pictured), such methods “emphasize inclusion rather than exclusion […] and punishment.”A former psychology professor, Corbin told The Eagle he grew up in a violent atmosphere where punishment was “swift and severe.”

As such, he wanted to study an alternative. Corbin believes an unarmed police force is “extremely effective” and involves “deploying teams to events where violence or escalation is a possibility.”

Robert Schentrup of the youth gun reform group Team ENOUGH added that “when victims of [gun] violence don’t get help, their natural response is to traumatize other individuals in that same way.”

The Peace Team notes it will even intervene in certain situations “with their bodies.”

But The Eagle notes some American U. students are wary. One student said even with stricter gun control, criminals will still find a way to possess firearms, so yes, cops should be armed. Another said disarming police when the threat of a mass shooting is ever-present seems like a bad idea.

American, like other colleges in and around the nation’s capital (Georgetown, Howard) have unarmed campus cops. George Washington University, however, recently decided to arm a small percentage of its officers.

Washington DC’s violent crime is up 10 percent so far this year, and is 147 percent higher than the national average. Other crimes in the city occur at a rate 87 percent higher than the national average.

Even Corbin conceded that “clearly there are circumstances where weaponry is needed.”

“Our goal isn’t to replace law enforcement entirely, but rather give an alternative approach to it that doesn’t necessitate, increase or escalate violence,” he said.

Suspect shot during attempted burglary at home in Milo-Grogan neighborhood

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A suspect was shot when he allegedly attempted to break into a home in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood late Saturday night, police said.

Officers with the Columbus Division of Police responded to the 800 block of East 4th Avenue around 11:30 p.m. after receiving calls of a burglary and a shooting.

Records from Franklin County Municipal Court state that two men, 24-year-old Dante Shields and 24-year-old Chase Fetherolf, arrived at the home armed with handguns because they had an issue with a man who lived there. Police did not say whether the victim knew the suspects.

The victim confronted the suspects at the front door and told them they needed to leave the property.

Court records say Shields and Fetherolf refused to leave and continued yelling and making threats toward the victim, who ran into the house.

Fetherolf and Shields forced their way into the home and a fight occurred between Fetherolf and the victim’s brother, according to court records. Police said Fetherolf dropped his handgun during the fight.

The victim pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the suspects and told them to leave, according to court records.

After Shields and Fetherolf left, they kicked down the front door after hitting it several times. When the front door opened, police said the victim fired his handgun, striking Fetherolf once in the hip.

Fetherolf was taken to Grant Medical Center for treatment and is expected to be OK.

Police recovered three handguns from the scene.

Fetherolf and Shields were arrested and charged with aggravated burglary.

If You Draw The Gun, Be Prepared to Use it—Video

This video has tons of lessons we can learn from. I just want to mention one of the more obvious take-aways and encourage you to study the clip to extract all you can. Now the main point I want to focus on, taken the wrong way, leads to some bad advice on defensive handgun tactics and self defense law.

video from gun use

Setting up the Defensive Gun Use Video—

I’m not quite sure from where or when this video comes, but a good guess would be central or south America. I’m not sure about the country, but one person—the guy in the blue shirt—is openly carrying a handgun on his right hip. So wherever it is, civilians must be able to carry firearms openly, or this guy has a military or law enforcement occupation.

It appears the incident happens in a street-side store. The shop keeper is behind a counter and there is a customer wearing a red shirt who is standing at the counter. When the video begins, the shopkeeper is pointing outside the shop, and it appears he is speaking to the armed man wearing the blue t-shirt. Because the video has no audio, I am speculating, but it seems that maybe he is pointing at the man in blue and telling him to go away and not come into the store.

The man in blue enters the store and walks up to the counter a few feet away from the man in red. Both men face each other and begin talking or arguing. Perhaps—again I’m speculating—the argument started outside the shop, the man in red came into the store, the shopkeeper told the man in blue to stay away, but the man wearing the blue shirt came in to argue with the man in red.

Regardless of the exact reason, the men argue. The man in red reaches into his waistband and pulls out a handgun. Now here is the part I want to focus on.

The Purpose Behind Drawing Your Gun Matters—

The man in red drew his firearm, pointed it at the man in blue. Almost immediately the man in blue blades his body and starts drawing his gun. This might have caught the man in red off-guard as he seems to pull the gun back deliberately, and point it straight upward away from the man in blue.

The man in blue responded quickly, but still, because the men stand roughly 6 feet apart, he could point the gun directly at the man in blue before he can respond.

Now certainly people use force unjustifiably, but it doesn’t appear as though the guy in red had a legally justified reason to shoot the guy in blue. Based on what I see in the video, I think he drew and pointed the gun at the man in blue to scare him, and not to use it. This is an incredibly bad idea.

We see that the man in blue didn’t give up and run away. He reasonably perceived the man in red, posed a deadly threat, and used his firearm to stop him. I can’t say for sure how many shots the man in blue fired, nor how many hit the target, but the initial group caused the man in red to drop his gun.

Yes, quite often the display of a firearm CAN be a deterrent, but it doesn’t happen all the time. And if you’re not justified in using the gun, it can amplify the problem, and give the other person a reasonable justification to use deadly force against you.

I don’t know if the guy in red saw the man in blue had a handgun on his hip and thought he wouldn’t use it, or if he just didn’t see the gun and thought he had the only gun in the equation. Either way, drawing it without actually intending to use it was a fatal mistake.

Have the Right Mindset—

If you draw your gun, you better be justified in using it, and prepared to press the trigger. Don’t ever draw the gun as a tool for intimidation only.

Now I also want to touch on some bad information I’ve heard circulated on social media and from students in classes. Maybe you’ve even heard this said.

“If you draw your gun, you have no choice but to use it, because if not, you’ll get charged for brandishing, assault, attempted murder, etc.”

That is bad info.

Now I know I just got done saying if you draw your gun you better be ready to press the trigger, and just showed a video of what happens when you draw your gun and don’t use it. But there is a difference between drawing the gun because you’re justified and ready to use it, and drawing the gun and pressing the trigger just because you drew it.

If you only draw the gun when you are legally justified in using deadly force, then you are also justified in drawing the gun and NOT using deadly force. The only problem is when you draw the gun and you’re NOT justified in using deadly force. It’s not just a matter of semantics. For this guy, it cost him his life. For someone else, it could cost them their freedom.

See the Video For Yourself—

That is just one of the many lessons to pull from this video. Take a look at the video below and leave a comment on something you noticed.

MAN SHOT, KILLED BY TULSA HOMEOWNER IDENTIFIED BY POLICE

A man that was shot and killed by a Tulsa homeowner over the weekend during an argument has been identified by police.

The Tulsa Police Department said Blake Williams was found dead in the backyard of the home Sunday morning near 1200 N. Toledo Ave.

TPD conducted an investigation and concluded that Williams approached the homeowner around 10 a.m. as he was doing yard work and became aggressive.

Police say the homeowner, who was not identified, asked Williams to leave several times before he was eventually cornered in his garage and attacked with lawn trimming shears.

During the fight, police say the homeowner escaped and grabbed his gun before forcing Williams to leave.

As he was leaving, police say Williams turned around and attacked the homeowner again. Williams was shot and killed.

Tulsa Police say the homeowner is not under arrest at this time.

How We Protect Our Children At School

What does it mean to protect our children at school? For the past decade, I’ve been following a program that protects school children from celebrity-seeking mass-murderers. This program teaches school staff to be first responders who provide both armed defense and medical first aid. We’ve learned a lot over the past decade, but there are still unanswered questions.

Protecting our children at school actually covers a lot of ground. Being “at school” is really a shorthand way of saying we want to protect the children when they are out of their parents care. That includes when they are off campus and on the school bus before school starts. It includes the school events after the last class period ends. We want to protect our children from the ball field to the classroom and into the parking lot.

Once you see the scope of the problem, you realize why a single uniformed School Resource Officer is only the beginning of a safety plan. One defender, no matter how well-trained or effective, can’t be everywhere all the time.

First responders must be near the children because we don’t want to give a murderer time to kill. That means an armed defender has to be within a few hundred feet of every child. The number of defenders that we want depends on the size of the campus and the layout of the buildings. A one-room school house takes fewer defenders than a sprawling K-12 campus.

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DA: Woman commended for protecting herself, kids in shooting, killing man in self-defense in McMinnville

MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A woman was commended for her bravery after shooting and killing a man that posed an imminent threat to her and her kids in McMinnville on Monday, according to District Attorney General Chris Stanford.

Stanford said just before noon the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and McMinnville City Police Department responded to a shooting on Grandview Avenue in McMinnville.

Law enforcement determined that Maurice Malone, 38, had been shot in the chest and died due to the gunshot wound. Through further investigation, law enforcement said that the woman who shot him had an honest and reasonable belief that the then occurring and previous actions, threats and behaviors of Malone posed an imminent threat to Desiree Mears and her minor children.

The shooting death of Malone was deemed justified as self-defense and defense to third parties, according to the DA.

“As a result of the clear case of self-defense and defense of a third-party present here, no charges will be brought against Desiree Mears in connection with the shooting death described herein,” Stanford said in a press release.

“I also want to commend Ms. Mears for her bravery as she acted under extreme pressure yet decided to protect herself and children from the imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death that she was imminently facing. It is never easy for victims of violence to stand up to those that are trying to hurt and kill them. However, Ms. Mears’ bravery last night likely saved her life and the lives of her children, and she is commended for her courage.”

Lastly, the DA asks the public to respect the victims’ privacy during this difficult time, “It is never easy to take a life, even in the instance of a justified killing, such as this one.”

‘Vigilance’ in Haiti.
Don’t think it can’t happen here, because in the past it has. And there are indications that people living in places where the local goobermint doesn’t seem to care all that much about ‘law and order’ will start taking care of business if goobermint won’t. We may not go as far as necklacing, but you never know what’ll happen if things start going kinetic.

“Fear has changed sides” in Haiti as street justice takes hold

Haiti may not be hell on earth, but it’s at least one of its suburbs. The island nation has been absolutely gutted over the decades, first by the despotic rule of the Duvalier family, and more recently by the power vacuum and near total absence of government authority in the wake of the assassination of Jovenel Moïse two years ago.

Crime is rampant, police are few and far between and in many cases, work alongside or in cooperation with the gangs that are the de facto authorities in many communities. At times the streets of Port-au-Prince have resembled a war zone; specifically a civil war pitting Haitians against Haitians in a deadly fight over control of a few square blocks of territory.

But as the New York Times reports, gang violence and violent crime has dropped dramatically in recent weeks as a new power has gained strength on the streets: the “bwa kale” movement, described by the Times as “a citizens “self-defense” movement. Over the past six weeks members have delivered their own brutal form of street justice against the gangs that are causing so many residents to live in fear, killing an estimated 160 suspected gang members.

“Before the 24th, every day someone passed by and demanded that I give him money because of my little business,” said Marie, 62, who sells shoes on the streets of Port-au-Prince. The Times is withholding her full name and those of other residents quoted in this article for their safety.

“When I had no money, they took whatever they wanted from my table, and this happened at any time of the day,” she said.

But two weeks ago, members of the “bwa kale” — crude slang for erection — burned a man believed to be a gang member alive in front of her shoe stall.

Though she sees the revenge movement as “God beginning to make things right,” Marie has misgivings.

“I support vigilance groups, but I don’t like the way they do it,” she said. “He could have been punished in another way. He could have been arrested and put in jail.”

The outbreak of mob justice is worrisome, Haiti experts say, because it could easily be used to target people who have nothing to do with gangs, and could lead to an explosion of even worse violence if the gangs seek retribution.

That it took a movement of self-appointed vigilantes to bring some semblance of calm to parts of Port-au-Prince underscores the chaos engulfing a country where no president has been elected in two years, and underpaid and outgunned police have fled in large numbers.

Even as vigilantes set people ablaze and set up checkpoints, many Haitians support them and consider them a natural consequence of an acute power vacuum.

It’s almost unfathomable to think of living in circumstances so awful that you shrug off or cheer on someone’s immolation, but I’m not sure many of us can truly comprehend what daily life is like for the average Haitian.

“People lived like rats who only came out of their holes to eat,” said Arnold Antonin, 80, a Haitian filmmaker living in the Dominican Republic who fled last year when his wife, Beatriz Larghi, was kidnapped and gangs took over his neighborhood, south of the capital. “The gangs were like the cats.” (His wife was released unharmed after three days, when a ransom was paid.)

On April 24, residents decided enough was enough. The 14 presumed gang members had been arrested and taken to a Port-au-Prince police station. Police officers watched helplessly as neighbors beat the suspects and used tires doused in gasoline to set them on fire, according to the report by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, known as CARDH, which used a combination of field investigators, local authorities, witness accounts, media and verified social media reports to compile its data…

“The reaction of the population, after years of gangs imposing their law, can be attributed to self-defense,” said Gédéon Jean, the executive director of CARDH. “Gangs are supported by certain authorities, politicians and business people. At almost all levels of the police force, gangs have links with police officers. The police do not have the means to systematically and simultaneously confront the growing gangs.”

The “bwa kale” movement has led to a significant reduction in gang violence, according to the report. In May, 43 murders were recorded, most in Port-au-Prince, compared with 146 in April, Mr. Jean said, adding that there have been almost no kidnappings.

“Fear has changed sides,” Mr. Antonin said. He plans to return to Haiti in the coming weeks now that his neighborhood is back in the hands of the community.

It wasn’t white-helmeted UN peacekeepers who have the gangs trembling in fear, but pissed off and fed-up citizens who’ve been pushed to the breaking point. I can’t say I agree with every one of their tactics, but then, I’m not living in a hellhole where the police and gangs are often on the same side and law and order is nowhere to be found.

“The people who are doing this are not criminals,” said Robert Maguire, a retired professor at George Washington University who has studied Haiti for decades. “They are just ordinary Haitians who are fed up, frustrated and frightened. And they want some kind of security. If they have to do it themselves, they’ll do it.”

It may not be pretty, but life is hardly beautiful for most Haitians these days. They’re in a fight for survival, and for the moment it looks like they have the upper hand over the gangs that have been waging war on them since the country descended into anarchy.

Survey: 54% of Protestant Churches Rely on Armed Congregants

U.S.A. — A stunning survey that revealed more than half of Protestant churches across the country rely on “armed congregants as part of their security plan” has just recently been reported by Lifeway Research, even though the poll was taken last September.

The revelation comes 3 ½ years after a gunman opened fire at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, only to be shot dead by armed parishioner Jack Wilson just a few seconds later. The shooting, which was live streamed at the time—the video warped across social media—shows at least a half-dozen armed citizens in the church sanctuary with drawn guns after Wilson fired the single shot that stopped killer Keith Thomas Kinnunen before he could wreak more havoc.

At the time, Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, ripped into anti-gunners.

“The gun control crowd has been predictably silent,” Gottlieb said following the December 2019 incident, “because the use of firearms by private citizens in defense of themselves and others—especially a large crowd of worshippers in a church—just doesn’t fit the extremist gun control narrative.”

He even had some blistering remarks for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and fellow Democrats for their “deafening silence.”

However, Biden had been critical of Texas gun laws in September of that year, which earned the Delaware Democrat plenty of scorn from gun rights advocates, including Gottlieb. At the time, Biden contended the relaxed Texas gun law was “irrational.” The December shooting demonstrated otherwise as Wilson and other armed churchgoers were able to immediately react.

But the Lifeway Research report, now coming to light nearly nine months after it was conducted, has some other revelations that might elicit silence from the gun control crowd.

As noted by Fox News, “Approximately 81% of churches — or four in five pastors — said they have at least one security measure to prevent potential attacks.”

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Montana hunter kills grizz in self-defense encounter

ENNIS, Mont. — On June 5, a hunter in Montana’s Madison Range killed a grizzly bear in self-defense after being charged, according to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP).

The person was hunting black bears on a remote parcel of private land.

According to FWP, the hunter notified the proper officials and a field investigation was conducted. While the investigation is ongoing, the bear’s behavior appeared to be defensive due to the surprise and close encounter with the hunter.

The grizzly was identified as a 15-year-old female that had previously been captured for research in 2013 and had no known history of conflicts with people.

The encounter is a reminder to folks recreating in the backcountry to carry bear spray and be prepared to use it.

Other ways to avoid human-bear conflicts include:

Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence
Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears
Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency
If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.
Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety.

For hunters:

Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
Look for bear sign and be cautious around creeks and areas with limited visibility.
Hunt with a group of people. Making localized noise can alert bears to your presence.
Be aware that elk calls and cover scents can attract bears
Bring the equipment and people needed to help field dress game and remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible.
If you need to leave part of the meat in the field during processing, hang it at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.
Upon your return, observe the meat with binoculars. If it has been disturbed or if a bear is in the area, leave.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Suspect Allegedly Fires Shots at Victims After Forced Entry into Jonesboro Apartment

JONESBORO, Ark. – An alarming report filed this week with JPD alleges that a suspect forcibly entered an apartment at gunpoint and fired shots at two victims.

The incident occurred between 2:45 PM and 3:15 PM on June 8 at the 600-block of Gladiolus Drive. According to the police report, two residents were inside the apartment when the suspect forced entry. The report states that the suspect discharged a firearm at both victims, fortunately causing no injuries.

Upon receiving a report of shots being fired, multiple officers were dispatched to the address at 5:05 PM. Subsequently, Robert Hayden Kash Sanchez, a 21-year-old resident of Jonesboro, was arrested in connection with the incident. He now faces several felony charges, including aggravated residential burglary, aggravated assault, and terrorist act.

The probable cause affidavit, which was released to NEA Report on Friday afternoon, provides further details about the incident. According to the affidavit, a male and female victim were inside their apartment when they heard a knock on the door. Choosing not to answer, they observed a white female walking back to a white SUV parked in the lot. Moments later, a male suspect, later identified as Sanchez, emerged from the SUV. The male victim reported seeing Sanchez armed with a handgun as he approached their apartment door. Allegedly, Sanchez forcefully kicked the door open, leading to an exchange of gunfire between him and the male resident. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the suspect fled the scene.

During the interview with law enforcement, Sanchez reportedly confessed to traveling to the apartment with the intention of confronting the victim, engaging in a physical altercation, and stealing his money. Police assert that he admitted to kicking in the door and firing the weapon into the apartment.

More Coloradans carrying as concealed handgun permits climb above pre-pandemic levels.

DENVER — Despite the practice being targeted for restrictions by some municipalities, the number of Coloradans obtaining concealed handgun permits (CHPs) in 2022 still climbed above pre-pandemic levels.

Such local gun rights restrictions are possible after Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 256 in 2021. The new law unwound decades of state preemption and allows local governments to manage their own gun laws, but only so long as they are more restrictive than those at the state level, meaning the law only allows for a one-way ratcheting up rather than true local control.

To date several communities have been successful in passing laws prohibiting concealed carry in public-owned buildings or parks, including Denver, Boulder and Broomfield. The City of Edgewater originally included such a ban in a broader package of potential ordinances but backed off after a large public outcry.

Such a patchwork of laws make it tough on gun owners to know where they can and can’t carry as they travel the state, and is one of the reasons the legislature originally passed preemption around gun laws.

However, except for a surge in permits issued in 2020 and 2021 at the height of the COVID lockdowns and in the wake of the George Floyd riots, the number of new Colorado residents who have chosen to go through the process to lawfully conceal a weapon is still rising.

According to recent data recently released by the County Sheriffs of Colorado, 27,031 new concealed carry permits were issued statewide in 2022, with another 26,622 existing permits renewed. That is down from 2020 and 2021 when permits skyrocketed in Colorado and around the country, but it is 14 percent increase over 2019 (23,250) and a 6 percent increase over 2018 (25,643).

According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, just over 15 percent of the Colorado population 21 or older holds a carry permit.

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Suspected car burglar dies after shootout in west Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A deadly shootout erupted after a man confronted two suspected car burglars outside his home in west Houston overnight.

The Houston Police Department said the shooting happened at about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday at a home on Woodway near Fondren.

Investigators said a 60-year-old man saw two men trying to break into his fence through surveillance cameras.

The homeowner reportedly approached the suspects to tell them to leave. That’s when at least one suspect pulled out a weapon and started shooting, according to police.

The homeowner, also armed with a gun, fired back several times, police said.

Police say the 60-year-old was shot in the leg, and one of the suspects was shot multiple times.

The injured suspect ran back through the fence and stopped at a stairwell. First responders were called to the scene, and the suspect was taken to the hospital, where he died, officials said.

The second suspect’s location is unknown at this time.

“The other suspect he must have left with a gun because we can’t find the other weapon. And he did leave on foot. We have a decent video we’re working with,” Lt. R. Willkens said.

Police said there have been several thefts and car break-ins in the area, so neighbors are on high alert.

Police around the city responded to at least seven shootings in 12 hours overnight, and three were deadly.

The homeowner is at the hospital and cooperating. Police haven’t disclosed if anyone will be facing charges.

Centerville homeowner shoots, kills alleged intruder during home invasion

CENTERVILLE — A man is dead after a home invasion led to a shooting in Centerville early Thursday morning.

Joseph Gibson, 36, of Dayton, was identified Thursday afternoon as the person who had died in the shooting, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

Officers were dispatched to the 9700 block of Sheehan Road shortly before 5 a.m. after a woman at the home reported that someone was attempting to break in, according to Centerville Public Information Officer John Davis.

“We have someone trying to break into our house right now,” the woman told dispatchers.

While officers were on their way to the home, a “bang” that was believed to be a gunshot could be heard over the phone, Davis said.

Upon arrival, officers were met by a man at the front door who said that he had just shot an intruder in his home.

Officers then located Gibson lying on the floor inside the front door with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Davis said officers also located a 40-year-old female lying face down in the front lawn unresponsive but breathing. She was taken by medics to a local hospital for treatment for matters unrelated to the shooting.

No other injuries were reported.

Homeowner shoots, kills accused burglar during attempted break-in

ASCENSION PARISH, La. (WAFB) – A man was killed on Sunday, June 4, after allegedly attempting to break into a home in Ascension Parish, officials said.

Kameron Serigny, 20, of Gonzales, has been identified as the man found deceased in the home.

According to officials, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to an attempted break-in around 6 a.m. at a home on Tiggy Duplessis Rd., in Ascension Parish.

Deputies said when they arrived Serigny was found in the rear entrance threshold of the home. The homeowner told deputies he fired several shots at Serigny who was attempting to break in.

Investigators say the suspect first tried to break into a car in the driveway, setting off the car alarm and alerting the homeowners.

The home is equipped with several security cameras which showed the suspect eating grass and beating on his chest, investigators said.

Video shows the suspect punching a hole in the glass on the home’s door, investigators said at that point, the homeowner fired one shot and the suspect fell to the ground. The suspect then reportedly got up again and punched another hole in the glass.

The homeowner then shot him again, sending the suspect back to the ground. The suspect then got up and slammed himself into the door, breaking it open, the video shows. At that point, the homeowner fired 3 to 4 additional shots, killing the suspect, investigators said.

Detectives with the APSO Violent Crimes Unit investigated and received information that corroborated the homeowner’s statement.

Serigny is believed to have used an illegal substance before the attempted break-in, detectives added.

The homeowner has not been charged and a toxicology report is pending, officials said.

A “compromise” from the gun prohibitionists – you can’t own one, but maybe you can borrow one

Earlier today we reported on the first few hours of the supposed-to-be massive protest outside the Colorado state capitol in Denver, where the group Here 4 The Kids is holding a sit-in to pressure Gov. Jared Polis into signing an executive order banning gun sales and possession in the state. While organizer Saira Rao predicted 25,000 or more would be on hand early Monday morning, the Colorado Sun reports the number was closer to 250 people, and though a few folks have trickled onto the capitol grounds since then there’s nowhere near 25,000 in attendance.

The Sun did manage to speak with a few supporters of the flagrantly unconstitutional executive order proposed by Rao, and it’s fascinating to see how deep the delusion runs with some of these folks, starting with Rao herself.

“Yes, it is in violation of the Second Amendment, and what we are saying is, as a decent human being, at some point, you have to decide that the right to life and our children’s’ right to life must trump anybody’s right to bear arms,” Here 4 The Kids co-founder Saira Rao said Friday.

“The people who have been elected to office have to choose if they will choose children’s lives over guns,” said Rao, a former lawyer who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the 2018 Democratic primary and then moved to Virginia. “That’s the fundamental choice. And if he’s saying he will not, he is making a choice that will put him on the wrong side of history.”

Change doesn’t happen without major shifts, she said. Americans had to amend the Constitution to abolish slavery, which was considered radical and unthinkable to many in 1865, at a time when slavery was the foundation of the American economy, she said.

“Imagine if people were just like, ‘We can’t do it.’ Indeed, they can, and they did, and now we have the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery,” Rao said.

Rao’s not trying to amend the Constitution. She’s trying to get Polis and other Democrat governors to ignore it, which isn’t going to go well. As we’ve seen from states like New York and California, anti-gun Democrats would prefer to pay lip service to the Second Amendment while violating the fundamental right to keep and bear arms rather than explicitly rejecting the right altogether, which would cause even courts that have been traditionally hostile to our Second Amendment rights to step in put a halt to their attempt at prohibition.

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Alleged Sunday Morning Home Invader Shot And Killed By Homeowner

A Phoenix homeowner reportedly opened fire on a home invader striking and killing him Sunday morning, according to law enforcement officials. Aires Jordan Holmes, age 31, was pronounced dead by responding Phoenix PD officers at the home near 17th Avenue and Buckeye Road with multiple gunshot wounds.

According to KTAR-FM, Sgt. Robert Scherer said in a press release, “Preliminary information suggests Holmes unlawfully entered the residence at which time there was a confrontation between Holmes and the homeowner. It was during this confrontation that the homeowner shot Holmes.”

As reported by AZCentral, the call was received by dispatchers at approximately 7:45 am. AZFamily reported that the homeowner said he shot a man who broke into the house.

The Arizona homeowner was subsequently interviewed by police investigators and then released according to local sources. The case is to be submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office where a determination will be made whether or not they will be charged.

Arizona’s self-defense laws are a robust combination of an expanded ‘castle doctrine,’ as well as a ‘stand your ground,’ law.

Under the Arizona law ARS 13-411, “A person is justified in threatening or using both physical force and deadly physical force against another if and to the extent the person reasonably believes that physical force or deadly physical force is immediately necessary to prevent the other’s commission of arson of an occupied structure under section 13-1704, burglary in the second or first degree under section 13-1507 or 13-1508, kidnapping under section 13-1304, manslaughter under section 13-1103, second or first degree murder under section 13-1104 or 13-1105, sexual conduct with a minor under section 13-1405, sexual assault under section 13-1406, child molestation under section 13-1410, armed robbery under section 13-1904 or aggravated assault under section 13-1204, subsection A, paragraphs 1 and 2.”

Furthermore, under the statute, Arizonans do not have a duty to retreat and are “presumed to be acting reasonably for the purposes of this section if the person is acting to prevent what the person reasonably believes is the imminent or actual commission of any of the offenses listed.”

Finally, the ‘stand your ground’ portion of the law states it includes, “the use or threatened use of physical force or deadly physical force in a person’s home, residence, place of business, land the person owns or leases, conveyance of any kind, or any other place in this state where a person has a right to be.”

This homeowner utilized his Second Amendment right to protect himself from a violent home intruder. Luckily, the state of Arizona has robust laws protecting the right to self-defense.

Man tries to carjack MS family, gets shot by victim

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock police said that the man found shot in the River Market parking deck on Memorial Day attacked a Mississippi family before he was injured.

According to the Little Rock Police Department, one of the victims told officers that a man came up from behind and hit him several times as the victim was loading a wagon onto the roof of the vehicle.

Another victim, who was in the passenger’s seat of the car, told officers that the suspect got into the front seat of the vehicle and hit her in the face with his fist. The report said she told police that she pulled out her pistol and shot toward the suspect, striking him in the head and neck area.

Once the suspect fell to the ground, the report said that woman in the car called 911.

Officers said that two children were in the vehicle at the time of the attempted carjacking and shooting.

Once officers arrived at the scene and made sure the victims were safe, they began first aid on the suspect until medical personnel arrived.

Police said Wednesday that the suspect is still in the hospital.

No one NO ONE, who has attained this high status is this naïve. So, he’s a stooge, nothing more than a Godless communist in disguise who is pushing the disarmament agenda. So, the following applies:

BLUF:
“The voluntary self-restraint that I am calling for will not solve the problem of gun violence all by itself, but it can help us change our culture from one that is obsessively focused on individuals’ rights to a society dedicated to ensuring the common good,”

Newark cardinal asks Americans to voluntarily forgo right to guns

NEW YORK – Amid a mounting debate in America over the constitutionality of gun control, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark has entered the fray with a different argument: That people should voluntarily forgo their Second Amendment rights for the betterment of society.

“I honestly believe it is the best thing we can do to change the culture of violence that threatens us today,” Tobin said.

“Let’s voluntarily set aside our rights in order to witness the truth that only peace and never violence, is the way to build a free society that is lived concretely in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, our nation and our world,” he said.

Tobin made the plea in a recent letter, “Pray for an end to all instances of violence,” where he calls on community leaders and Catholic bishops, himself included, to call for a “synodal effort” to actively resist gun violence. He proposed a threefold process that includes prayer and work, advocacy, and voluntary self-restraint from the Second Amendment.

The letter, published May 26, is the latest call to action amid a spate of mass shootings in recent months. May 30 marked the 150th day of 2023, over which time there have been 263 mass shootings – incidents with four or more people shot – that have led to 327 deaths.

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Building Defenders for Our Schools and Churches

Ask someone if they can shoot a gun and you are sure to get memorable answers. You hear about their relatives or their family friends who taught them. Ask them if they passed any shooting qualification tests and you’ll find that most have not, at least not recently. Last week I watched a group of volunteer defenders in Arizona train and test to become the emergency first responders for their schools and churches. They learned to stop the threat and treat the injured victims until police and EMTs arrive. These volunteers are not your average Joe or your average Jane.

It is true that almost half of us live with a gun in our home. About 17 million of us go on to get a concealed carry permit and carry a personal firearm in public. Fewer of us learn armed defense and practice the required skills so our responses are subconscious. Said another way, few people drive their gun as automatically as they drive their car.

Like driving a car, we are describing both mental and physical skills. Frequent review lets you easily recognize a lethal threat when you see it. Making those physical skills feel routine lets you present your firearm without looking for your holster. Just like driving your car, everyone thinks they shoot well until we actually measure their performance.

The defenders in this class looked to refine every movement with their firearm. Rather than saying, “But that is the way I’ve always done it,” they had the humility and willingness to learn. They asked how to improve time after time. They showed an inspiring eagerness to change and grow.

It helps to know your limits. How accurately can you shoot if accuracy is all that matters? How fast can you go before you become erratic? It takes both speed and precision to be a good defender. They need both without sacrificing too much of either. These volunteer first responders learned better techniques in a day, but it takes patient practice to make those new refinements smooth, consistent, and routine.

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Man charged after fatally shooting suspect who allegedly tried to rob him in Queens

KEW GARDENS, Queens (WABC) — A man in Queens has been charged after he shot and killed another person who was allegedly trying to rob him, police reported.

Officials say the shooting happened in a driveway on 82nd Avenue in Kew Gardens at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The 32-year-old was armed with a sharp object and attempted to rob a 65-year-old of money and cigarettes, authorities said.

The 65-year-old, identified as Charles Foehner, pulled a silver handgun and shot him as many as five times.

In surveillance video viewed by Eyewitness News, the assailant confronts Foehner from 40 feet. Foehner waves him off, raising his left hand, but the assailant continues to approach aggressively. With that, Foehner draws his gun from 20 feet. When the assailant waves an object and lunges, Foehner fires from 8 feet.

He then called 911, stating he was in a shooting and the gun was in his jacket pocket. He voluntarily surrendered to responding officers.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene and a pen was discovered in his right hand.

The 65-year-old was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, according to a spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney’s Office.

The Queens district attorney will need to determine whether it was a case of self-defense.

The 32-year-old had many prior arrests for robbery, burglary, drug possession, and other related charges.

Several of Foehner’s neighbors told Eyewitness News they are sympathetic.

“He was protecting himself. So how can I blame him? You know, unfortunately, the guy had to lose his life. I don’t wish that on anybody. But this is the circumstances when you randomly just rob people. You never know what you’re going to get,” neighbor Vercelle Evans said.

In the minutes before the shooting, investigators believe the assailant went on a rampage, inexplicably smashing windows in two neighboring buildings. Foehner lives around the corner with his wife, where he is well-liked. Sources say he has an active NYPD firearms permit.

Angel Rodriguez lives down the hall.

“If video shows that, you know, he was acting in in self-defense and the guy was actually trying to harm him, then I you know, I believe we should be able to protect ourselves,” neighbor Rodriguez said.

Katz says the case is complicated.

“This is a complicated case and we’re going to review the evidence,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said before the charges came down. “We just went to the crime scene. I will have comments for you after we investigate it.”

2 charged in carjacking attempt near Ford City Mall where victim shot suspect

CHICAGO (WLS) — Two people have been charged after an attempted carjacking near Ford City Mall in which the victim shot and wounded one of the suspects, Chicago police said.

The incident occurred Sunday in the 7600-block of South Cicero Avenue.

Police said the 24-year-old victim was approach by the two suspects, one of whom produced a handgun and fired. The victim returned fire and shot one of the suspects in the thigh, police said.

Police said the victim is a valid FOID/CCL holder.

The two suspects were arrested in the 7400-block of South Cicero Avenue and the 2700-block of West 68th Street Sunday night, police said.

Tuesday morning, police said, 21-year-old Anton Cheeks and 18-year-old Travell Quadir Deal, have each been charged with attempted vehicular carjacking and are due in bond court Tuesday.