Category: Self Defense

‘We Want You to Be a Hero’: Sen. Hawley Warns How Daniel Penny’s Fate Could Affect Young Men

WATCH:

 

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The rush by the Left to vilify former Marine Daniel Penny before Americans have all the facts of his case could have a negative effect on American males’ willingness to be heroes, Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday.

The Missouri Republican discussed Penny’s case during an interview with The Daily Signal about his new book, “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs,” following news that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had charged Penny with second-degree manslaughter in the death in the New York subway of Jordan Neely.

The senator pointed out that the American people still don’t have all the facts and details necessary to understand the incident fully.

“This is a good example of the extremely confusing signals that the culture and the media and the Left send to young men, which is that you don’t hear much outrage on the Left … about the fact that New York subways and streets are extremely unsafe, and that if you are an everyday citizen walking or traveling, you may well be subject to violence,” Hawley said. “That’s just wiped away. We’re supposed to just live with that.”

But then, you’ve got a guy who actually puts himself in danger to try to help other people. You’ve got a subway passenger now saying, ‘He saved my life. He put himself in danger.’ That is automatically condemned before we even know all the facts. It’s like, ‘Oh, that must be wrong’ or ‘That must be crazy.’

Young men looking at this situation, Hawley said, will likely think, “Well, now, hold on. I thought that a man was supposed to be willing to put himself on the line. Isn’t that what we celebrate in the Greatest Generation, for example, a whole generation of young men who went out there and sacrificed for their country? But you’re telling me now, ‘If I do that, I’m going to be vilified, sued, charged, what have you.’”

As the criminal justice system plays out, Americans will learn the facts and the truth about what happened between Neely and Penny, Hawley said. But based on what is known?

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Suspect in hospital, charged after Beaumont homeowner shoots suspected burglar

BEAUMONT, Texas — A 43-year-old burglary suspect is currently in the hospital, and Beaumont Police said a homeowner was well within his rights to shoot him.

The shooting took place early Friday morning in Beaumont’s North End. Officers responded to a call about a burglary in progress in the 5300 block of Wildwood Avenue just after midnight, according to a Beaumont Police Department release.

While police were on their way to the scene, dispatch told officers the homeowner had shot the suspect who was now inside the residence.

Police later identified the suspect as Jason Omar Cruz, of Beaumont.

Video from a neighbor’s Vivint camera showed the red and blue lights of Beaumont Police units and officers responding to the call.

“We have such friendly nice people in this area, and so, this must have been an intrusion as they say,” Doug Taylor, the neighbor said. “Because we are just so settled and quiet here.”

When police arrived, they found the Cruz on the bathroom floor in a large pool of blood. Responding officers were able to save his life by using a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

Cruz was taken to a Beaumont hospital by ambulance and is expected to survive his wounds.

Police said the homeowner acted under Texas law and will not face any charges.

“Even though they are the ones who shot the suspect, they are still the victim,” Beaumont Police Spokesperson Haley Morrow said. “The suspect is the one who broke the law and committed a crime and as a result, he was shot.” Legal experts agree.

“Some states refer to them as the castle doctrine, or stand your ground doctrines,” Criminal Defense Lawyer Ryan Gertz said. “In Texas, we call it self-defense, defense of others, and defense of property those are the three justifications.”

Police later obtained a burglary of a habitation warrant for Cruz. He is still in the hospital recovering from his injuries but once he is released, he will be relocated to the Jefferson County Jail.

Cruz’s bond has been set at $100,000, according to Beaumont Police Department release.

The Left wants you to be too scared to stand up for your right to self-defense
Ingraham says DA Alvin Bragg wants to make an example out of Daniel Penny

LAURA INGRAHAM: Now, life is getting harder and it’s feeling more dangerous in the liberal utopias like San Francisco, where we just were, or L.A., Philly, Chicago — regular, sane people are getting tired of paying through the nose for a declining quality of life. And as we’ve seen in New York, well, they’re just deciding, “I’m going to pick up and move.” Now, seeing a lot of for lease signs — I have over the last few days — they’re hanging in all the office building windows. And one real estate expert is warning of a permanent collapse of real estate, commercial real estate, due to what’s being called an “urban doom loop.” Oh, my God. It sounds awful. Of course, who would want to make the trek into the city when it seems that criminals have the run of the place, especially with leftist prosecutors like New York’s Alvin Bragg in charge?

As a Soros-backed prosecutor, he doesn’t consider prosecuting career criminals a top priority. He considers a top priority to be hunting down heroes like subway Good Samaritan, Daniel Penny. That’s one of his most important missions. Now, Bragg wants to make an example out of Mr. Penny. And it’s something like this: Defend yourself or defend others, and you’re doing it at your own risk — the risk of prosecution.

And now things are getting worse. Bragg is widening the net. According to the New York Post tonight, investigators appear to have identified one of the two men seen on the video helping Penny. Now, the sources said authorities have been scouring surveillance footage looking for them. And so, I’m thinking to myself, do they simply want to question these two men as potential witnesses? Well, considering it’s Bragg, that’s doubtful. More likely he wants to bag a few accomplices, two more vigilante scalps on the wall. Now, this is a sick manhunt for two men who did nothing wrong. Two nights ago, we interviewed a woman who was brutally beaten in the subway. She told us things could have been different if someone like Mr. Penny was around.

Defending Law And Order Is Social Justice

What if the Good Samaritan had arrived a bit earlier? Would he have fought to protect the man who was being robbed and beaten nearly to death, or would he have worried that this would make him a “vigilante” with “bloodlust”?

Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times argues for the latter. Bouie is upset that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Daniel Penny a Good Samaritan for defending his fellow subway passengers, and so he attempts an exegesis of Jesus’ famous parable in an effort to prove DeSantis wrong. As Bouie expounds, “[D]o we think that a modern-day good Samaritan would use lethal force or act as a vigilante in defense of order? Probably not. But the idea that he would — and that this is what it means to act either ethically or responsibly — is evidence enough of a sickness that festers in too many American hearts.”

Really? Jesus’ parable is not about when or if violence is morally justified. But unless one is prepared to argue for total pacifism, it is ludicrous to say that the Samaritan would have been obligated to do nothing if he had happened to walk by during the attack that ended with a man being left for dead by the side of the road. Bouie quotes Scripture not to argue that Penny acted precipitously or excessively in restraining Jordan Neely, a mentally ill drug user with a history of random violence who was acting like, well, a mentally ill drug user with a history of random violence. Rather, Bouie is suggesting it is wrong for citizens to defend themselves or others at all, and wrong to support them for doing so.

In this Bouie is, once again, not only wrong, but also self-defeating. Law and order are prerequisites for any positive vision, conservative or liberal, for America. An ideology that disdains order disdains the good of the citizens it aspires to rule, and will constantly sabotage its own stated goals.

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Home invaders – 0
Home owners – 1

Pa. teen shot, killed during home invasion

An 18-year-old was shot and killed following a home invasion in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, according to news reports.

The incident occurred along the 7500 block of Bennett Street at around 10:09 a.m., according to reports from WPXI and WTAE.

Police said a homeowner fired a gun at two intruders in his house. One of them was shot while the other person fled.

Police told WTAE that a dead body was found lying in the street near the house. He was later identified as Sir Morgan, 18, of Pittsburgh.

 

Intruder shot after breaking into rural home near Three Rivers

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI – A man with a knife broke into a rural home late Friday near Three Rivers and was shot by the homeowner.

Michigan State Police say the intruder, who was shot in the thigh, is in stable condition.

The incident was reported around 10 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the 60000 block of Maple Road in Constantine Township, about nine miles southwest of Three Rivers.

The homeowner told police a man with a knife entered their home, resulting in the homeowner shooting the intruder, Michigan State Police said.

State troopers arrived to find the man laying outside of the home with a gunshot wound to the upper thigh.

Troopers provided medical care until EMS crews arrived and transported him to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana, where he underwent surgery and is in stable condition.

The incident remains under investigation.

Sources say he was a leader of the “Cowboys” gang.

Watch: Charleston County Sheriff’s Office releases video from deputy-involved shooting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on Friday released dashcam footage from a deadly May 7 deputy-involved shooting.

The incident happened in Ravenel shortly before 4:00 p.m. when Deputies Evan Cubbage and Alexander Hodge conducted a traffic stop on a black Crown Victoria.

Deputy Cubbage approaches passenger-side window and has a pleasant conversation with the driver and passenger for just under seven minutes before asking the passenger to step out of the car.

Deputy Cubbage appears to grab the passenger’s hands and tells him not to reach for anything as he is getting out to of the car.

Deputy Hodge approaches and Deputy Cubbage screams “he’s got a gun!”

The suspect jumps out and opens fire as the deputies run to the driver’s side of the car.

Deputy Cubbage returns fire over the car, then runs around to the passenger’s side and continues firing. Deputy Hodge runs off screen and fires as well. The suspect, identified as James Pierce (28) of Walterboro, was hit and died at the scene.

Deputy Cubbage was also shot three times. He can be heard screaming “I’m hit!” Deputy Hodge asks Deputy Cubbage where he is hit and Deputy Cubbage describes his injuries. He also says that he needs help with the suspect, who is dead.

The driver jumps out of the car and runs to the side of the road screaming. One of the deputies yells at her to get back from the scene and lay down on the ground.

Guns in 42 Percent of Homes With More Female Owners than Ever.

More than 106 million American adults have at least one firearm in their home, according to a survey conducted in January and February by Responsive Management at the request of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The figure indicates 42 percent of citizens 18 years of age or older have a firearm in their residence. More than 32 percent of the respondents personally own at least one gun.

Roughly a quarter of participants in the study, conducted by phone and on-line, spent at least one day target shooting during 2022—almost 60 percent of those with a firearm in their home. Another 6 percent of non-gun owners surveyed joined an acquaintance or family member for firing line sessions last year.

The survey notes, “In 2022, 17 percent of all shooters were new shooters. New shooters are those who started within the past 5 years. The rate of new shooters in 2022 is markedly higher than that of 2020 (when it was 12 percent) but is comparable to earlier surveys.”

In addition, the results defy mainstream media’s addition to the tired gun-owner stereotype. “New shooters are more likely to be Black, Democrats, Hispanic or Latino, younger, female, and from a large city or suburb,” the study found. “Compared to 2020, the percentage of new shooters who are Democrats nearly doubled, and there are large increases in the percentages of new shooters who are young, female and from a large city or suburban area….About a third of sport shooters in 2022 were female, the highest portion yet. This is up from 2009, when females made up just 25.8 percent of all sport shooters.”

The pursuit’s future is also a bright one. The survey’s authors also noted that, “In 2022, younger shooters made up the largest portion of shooters, whereas the largest share in every other survey year was the 35- to 54-year-old age group.”

Results of the study were weighted to reflect current U.S. Census data by state and region. Final sampling error came in at plus or minus 1.76 percent with a 95-percent confidence level in results.

Gun rights advocates win major challenge to N.J.’s tough concealed carry law.

A new law limiting concealed carry of guns in New Jersey suffered another defeat in federal court Tuesday as a judge ordered state officials not to enforce its tight restrictions pending a flurry of legal challenges from gun rights advocates.

The ruling means New Jerseyans with proper permits are free to concealed-carry handguns at beaches, public parks, bars and restaurants — places from where Gov. Phil Murphy and his Democratic allies in the state Legislature sought to ban firearms in an effort to curb gun violence.

Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that found restrictive concealed carry laws on the books in states like New York and New Jersey violated the Second Amendment, Democratic leaders in the state fast-tracked a new measure that made it easier for citizens to obtain carry permits, but tightly limited where guns were allowed.

But in a 235-page ruling made public Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Renee Marie Bumb officially put its enforcement on hold.
Gun rights advocates declared victory, praising the decision as a “smackdown” of “draconian laws.”

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Fatal shooting near Hallsville likely self-defense

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – A shooting near Hallsville on Friday that left one person dead may be a case of home protection, according to law enforcement.

Harrison County Sheriff B.J. Fletcher said the incident went from “borrowing some money to aggravated robbery gone wrong.” When deputies responded to the shooting call around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, the homeowner was standing out front of the house and cooperated fully, according to the sheriff.

The deceased, William Joseph Feazell, 40, was found in the kitchen, where the preliminary investigation revealed that he had been the instigator. Fletcher said that only one gun was involved, which belonged to Feazell. The homeowner was able to take control of the gun during the attempted robbery, which resulted in Feazell’s death.

Several shots were fired during the incident, but no other injuries have been reported. The investigation is still ongoing.

Daydreaming the Guns Away

We find ourselves living in a highly consequential time for the legal clarification of the 2nd Amendment. Extremely aggressive, wide-ranging bans of semi-automatic firearms have been enacted in various parts of the country, drawing legal challenges. While the ultimate resolution of these challenges is unknowable, many observers believe the Supreme Court will eventually arrive at a decision prohibiting the wholesale banning of semi-automatic firearms. Those who dream of eliminating all private gun ownership in the United States face the prospect of a devastating legal defeat.

One can imagine their looming disappointment. They have failed to appoint Supreme Court justices who would effectively redefine the 2nd Amendment out of existence, and they are about to bear the consequences of that failure. But from their perspective, there is comfort to be had in the prospect of eventually stripping the 2nd Amendment from the Constitution altogether, no matter how long it may take.

Such is the hope that animates aspiring intergenerational social reformer Allan Goldstein, who, in his “Let’s get serious and repeal the Second Amendment” has stepped forward to boldly launch a 50-plus year plan to eradicate all privately owned firearms in the United States.

Perhaps the piece might have been better entitled “Let’s Get Hysterical.” How galling it must be to be deprived of so obvious a good — a gun-free society — on account of something as frivolous as an obsolete, suicidally-construed constitutional amendment. On Goldstein’s account “[t]he Supreme Court has decided that ‘a well-regulated militia’ includes gang bangers and wild-eyed loners with a grudge.” What a shame Goldstein did not bother to provide a citation to the Supreme Court decision in which this is asserted.

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Rasmussen: Gun Owners Feel Safer, Don’t Trust Govt. Enforcement

A new Rasmussen survey has revealed “Most gun owners say they feel safer with a firearm in the house, and don’t think the government can be trusted to enforce gun control laws fairly.”

According to Rasmussen, only 29 percent of American Adults trust the government to fairly enforce gun control laws, while 57 percent don’t, and another 14 percent are not sure.

Forty-two percent (42%) say they or someone in their household owns a gun – up from 37 percent in February 2022 – while 47 percent don’t live in gun-owning households, and 11 percent are not sure, the new report said. It’s not clear how those people aren’t sure someone in the household has a firearm.

The survey of 1,204 American Adults was conducted on April 30-May 2, 2023 by Rasmussen Reports with a margin of sampling error or +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Not surprisingly, Rasmussen’s new survey says more Republicans (51%) than Democrats (41%) or Independents (35%) live in gun-owning households. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Democrats, 35% of Republicans and 50% of the unaffiliated say no one in their household owns a gun, Rasmussen said.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Republicans, 47 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Independents don’t trust the government to enforce gun control laws fairly.

This is not much different from earlier Rasmussen polling on guns, which suggests Americans aren’t shifting their values much on firearms even as times change.

According to the survey, “more men (49%) than women (36%) live in gun-owning households.”

“However, Rasmussen said, “women who do live in gun-own households are about equally likely as men to say they feel more safe because someone in their household owns a gun.”

More whites (48%) than blacks (35%) or other minorities (32%) live in gun-owning households, the survey revealed. Majorities of every racial category – 55 percent of whites, 61 percent of blacks and 58 percent of other minorities – don’t trust the government to fairly enforce gun control laws.

Jarrell homeowner shoots suspected burglar entering home

JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) — A homeowner shot a suspected burglar Thursday morning in Jarrell after he forced his way into the home, according to a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office release.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Juan Sanchez Palafox, was found dead by WCSO deputies after they were called to the home on County Road 239, the release said.

Police release name of Nacogdoches man shot after breaking into home

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) – Nacogdoches police say it was the intruder who was shot in a home invasion Saturday afternoon.

Brandon Horton, 34, of Nacogdoches was fatally shot after breaking into a home on the 700 block of Rock Oak St.

According to a press release from the Nacogdoches Police Department, two people were inside the home, one female resident and a male friend, when Horton knocked on the door to the residence.

When no one came to the door Horton used a “large metal object” to break down the door and enter the home.

Once inside, while still carrying the object, Horton broke down a door to a bedroom where the male was hiding. The man discharged his firearm, hitting Horton.

The resident and male friend both immediately called 911 after the shooting. Both subjects have been questioned and no charges have been filed.

Miss Swearer hit a line drive out of the park again

11 Defensive Gun Uses Show How Lawful Gun Owners ‘Get It Right’

Often lost in conversations about gun violence is the reality of who is responsible for the bulk of that violence. Most gun crimes aren’t committed by lawful gun owners but by a small subset of repeat violent offenders who already are prohibited from legally possessing firearms.

At the same time, the vast majority of the nation’s millions of lawful gun owners will never use their firearms to harm themselves or others (excluding, of course, actions taken in lawful self-defense).

Nevertheless, sometimes people make questionable—or even downright abhorrent—decisions with their lawfully owned firearms. This was quite apparent in recent weeks as several gun owners made national headlines for all the wrong reasons, recklessly resorting to the use of lethal force when it likely wasn’t warranted.

Although these individuals rightly should have their actions scrutinized, the reality is that Americans with legally possessed guns are far more likely to “get it right” than they are to “get it wrong.”

Almost every major study has found that Americans use their firearms in self-defense between 500,000 and 3 million times annually, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged. In 2021, the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the issue concluded that roughly 1.6 million defensive gun uses occur in the United States every year.

For this reason, The Daily Signal publishes a monthly article highlighting some of the previous month’s many news stories on defensive gun use that you may have missed—or that might not have made it to the national spotlight in the first place. (Read other accounts here from past months and years. You also may follow @DailyDGU on Twitter for daily highlights of recent defensive gun uses.)

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Just me, but it appears the younger man likely knew of the older ones violent past and decided to make his own plans for personal safety.

No charges will be filed in Germantown canvasser shooting, District Attorney’s Office says

Philadelphia prosecutors said the fatal shooting between two canvassers for political group One PA self-defense.

Prosecutors will not charge a 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a 46-year-old in East Germantown on Monday afternoon while both were canvassing for a political group. Authorities say the shooting was in self-defense.

Jane Roh, a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner, said Friday that both their office and the Police Department were in agreement about what happened between two paid canvassers for the progressive group One PA.

“This is nonetheless a tragic loss of life,” Roh said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the decedent.”

Meanwhile, family members of the victim, Eddie Brokenbough, were distraught to learn the father of 10 had been shot, and doubted police accounts of the shooting.

Reports spread that Brokenbough, who was shot once in the armpit and rushed from the 2000 block of Church Lane to a nearby hospital, had pulled a gun on the 22-year-old canvasser, causing the younger man to shoot in what he told police was self-defense.

Both men knew each other, police said, and the shooting stemmed from an “argument,” possibly over an existing dispute.

One PA has said guns are not permitted in its offices or during canvassing, and it has temporarily suspended its canvassing efforts.

The group is an independent expenditure committee that can raise and spend money to boost candidates but is prohibited from directly coordinating with them. This year, the group knocked on doors to promote mayoral candidate Helen Gym and a slate of left-leaning City Council candidates.

Brokenbough was not legally permitted to carry a firearm because of charges in a 2012 shooting, court records show. He was a paid temporary canvasser for OnePA on and off since 2021, the group said. The 22-year-old shooter has been employed by the group since last year.

A spokesperson for OnePA said Tuesday that it complies with laws prohibiting background checks on employees and wouldn’t discuss Brokenbough’s background during the investigation.

One PA Executive Director Steve Paul said following the shooting that the organization was “heartbroken, and our condolences and sympathy are with their family.”

Doesn’t fit the stereotype, must not be real

Black, Millennial, Female and Conservative

Antonia Okafor Cover joined me on Feedback to discuss her transformation from Democrat to Republican and her dedication to the Second Amendment. Antonia is the Director of Women’s Outreach with Gun Owners of America and Founder and President of Empowered, a nonprofit group designed to educate, train and equip young women in the use of firearms for protection on college campuses. The group also helps women advocate for their Second Amendment rights.

Antonia has been working on Second Amendment issue advocacy and firearms education for women for several years and has appeared on and been quoted in major news outlets, and has testified on Capitol Hill. News media are finally starting to cover the steady and growing trend of new female gun owners, which includes a large number of new black female gun owners.

For Antonia, this is not surprising, and she can highlight some of the major reasons women are deciding to empower themselves and buy a gun. Number one on that list is personal protection and self defense.

Antonia shared that her political evolution began when she realized that Democrats’ lack of principles and values, as well as their intolerance of diversity of thought led her to become a Christian and then a conservative who embraced our constitution and more specifically, the Second Amendment.

Women should be empowered to defend themselves and their families and because Democrats offer no real solutions to empower women, this is, indeed, the natural progression in becoming a conservative.

3 Arrested, 1 Fatally Stabbed in Suspected Home Invasion Gone Awry in Covington

A suspected home invasion in Covington did not go as planned for four suspects when the victim fought back, resulting in one suspect’s death and the other three being arrested, Newton County officials said Thursday.

Randell Whitley, 39, of Newborn, was stabbed during the May 5 incident, the Newton sheriff’s office said. He was taken to the hospital but later died from his wounds.

The sheriff’s office identified the other three suspects as Margie Love, 35; Anthony McDonald, 18; and Garrett Blackwell, 21.

Just before 8:30 p.m. the night of the incident, the group went to the home of Love’s ex-partner on Ga. 162, the sheriff’s office said. They confronted the victim and forced their way into the house before a fight began, officials said. During the fight, Whitley was fatally stabbed.

Love and McDonald were arrested and charged with first-degree home invasion, murder and aggravated assault, the sheriff’s office said. Blackwell later turned himself in at the Newton County Jail and is facing the same charges.

I need to see a lot more about this law, what with those restrictions.

New West Virginia law allows nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals to carry a firearm

A new West Virginia law is in effect that allows medical professionals to carry a firearm.

The new law allows paramedics, nurses, doctors, EMTs, physician assistants, and osteopaths to carry a gun while responding to dangerous medical situations, but they would have to be accompanied by law enforcement.

Anyone that wants to be a “tactical medical professional” will have to complete a nationally recognized tactical medical training program. The law also requires medical professionals to get a certificate from the Law Enforcement Professional Subcommittee of the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction.

“The medical professional would want to be able to carry a weapon,” said State Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo (R-Kanawha). “They would have to then qualify to show that they are proficient and safe with that weapon. And then the law enforcement agency that they’re working with would also have to feel that they are qualified to carry a weapon. So, there’s a lot of protections. There’s a lot of training.”

This law does not allow doctors or nurses to carry firearms while working in the hospital nor can an EMT worker carry while on the job.

The new law is not a requirement for anyone in the medical field