Self Defense – Page 86

Off-duty Chicago police officer shoots man breaking into his home in Albany Park

An off-duty Chicago police officer shot someone breaking into their home in Portage Park in the second police shooting early Wednesday on the Northwest Side.

The officer shot the man in his face about 12:55 a.m. as the man broke into the officer’s home in the 3100 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, Chicago police said.

The man was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, police said. No other injuries were reported.

Area Five detectives and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability were investigating.

Resident Shoots Man Crawling Through A Window Of A San Antonio Home

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A man has been shot to death as he tried to climb through a window of a home on the East Side.

Police were called to the home on Shelburn Drive at around 10 P.M. Sunday.

The man was shot several times as he tried to get in through a window in the back of the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Whether or not the deceased and the shooter knew each other hasn’t been determined.

The shooter was brought in for questioning and is said to be fully cooperative with police.

No charges have been filed.

Intruder shot trying to break into Daytona Beach motel room

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Deputies are searching for a man and woman who they said tried to break into a room at a popular motel in Daytona Beach. One of the suspected intruders, the man, was shot.

It happened at the Motel 6 on International Speedway Blvd. around 3 a.m. Saturday morning.

They said the people in the room shot at the intruders, hitting one of them.

“The pair attempted to enter the room via a window, awakening an occupant who fired a gun at them, injuring the male,” the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said

The pair then ran from the motel toward Tomoka Farms Road. Deputies are now searching for them. Detectives are asking the public to be on the lookout for the two suspects.

Homeowner shoots man trying to enter his house in Ohio Co.

OHIO CO., Ky. (WFIE) – A man was taken to the hospital after being shot early Saturday morning in Ohio County.

Authorities say they responded to the 3200 block of Livermore Road in Hartford for an unknown person attempting to unlawfully enter a residence just after 4 a.m.

According to authorities, Joe Snooks, of Paducah, was trying to get inside the residence when the homeowner fired one round from his handgun and shot Snooks in the right knee to protect himself and his family.

We are told Snooks appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicating substance.

Authorities tell 14 News Snooks was taken to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Off-Duty Pentagon Officer Shoots Teen Who Tried to Rob Him

A teenager was shot as he allegedly tried to rob a man who turned out to be an off-duty Pentagon police officer, according to D.C. police.

A 16-year-old boy armed with a BB gun attempted to rob the officer in the 1200 block of Mississippi Ave SE near Oxon Run Park about 9:20 p.m., police said. The officer tried to disarm the teen, then fired their service weapon.

The teen was hit in the arm and taken into custody. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The off-duty officer works for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

The teen was charged with assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.

On my way to my first duty station at Fort Lewis, the first time I saw the name of the town on the interstate highway sign, I knew I was in for it. Was it pronounced ‘Pie-A- Lup’? Pie-A-Loop? My mind boggled when I learned it sounded something close to Phwallop.

19-year-old Puyallup resident shoots two of three armed intruders

Two men were shot by a tenant in a Puyallup apartment complex after three armed intruders entered the residence intending to “commit a burglary or home invasion robbery,” Puyallup police said Wednesday.

Investigators believe that the two men who were shot, along with a third, were armed when they entered a Riverside Park Apartments unit around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, Puyallup police said.

Once inside the residence in the 3100 block of East Main Avenue, the three men were confronted by an armed 19-year-old who fired multiple rounds at the intruders, police said.

“Officers arrived to find a very chaotic scene with two individuals having been shot and multiple reports of individuals and vehicles fleeing the area. The two individuals who had been shot, both of whom were males in their early 20s, were located some distance from each other,” police said on Twitter.

The two shooting victims were taken to a trauma hospital in serious condition, police said. The third suspect is being sought.

Police said investigators do not believe the incident is random or that there is a threat to public safety.

Puyallup police said the tenant’s self-defense claim will be evaluated to ensure it is within state law once criminal charges are filed against the armed intruders. Police said the 19-year-old is cooperating in the investigation.

Suspect shot by Granger homeowner following police chase

GRANGER, Ind. (WNDU) – UPDATE: A police chase that started in Goshen ends with the driver shot by a homeowner in Granger.

Investigators say the driver ditched his car in the area of bittersweet and Cleveland and took off on foot into the 11000 block of Anderson Road.

Sometime after, police say a homeowner found the suspect in an outbuilding and fired one shot at the suspect.

That’s when a short time later, St. Joseph County Police arrived on scene.

The suspect was shot once and taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover, according to investigators.

Officers at the incident scene did not discharge their weapons.

Due to the involvement of the multi-agency pursuit and injury to this individual, per protocol, the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit was activated and is currently handling the investigation.

Suspected burglar killed after attempted invasion of West Side apartment

Columbus [Ohio] police said a resident shot and killed a suspected burglar early Sunday morning when the man entered an apartment on the West Side.

Police were called at 1:58 a.m. to an apartment on the 3400 block of Wilson Woods Drive near Wilson Road on a report of a shooting. The suspected burglar, identified as 36-year-old Allen Lester McKinney, was found outside on a walkway unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound.

A medic pronounced the North Side man dead at 2:07 a.m. at the scene.

The apartment’s residents — a 24-year-old female and a 23-year-old male — told police that the man had forced entry into their residence before one of them shot him.

Columbus police say McKinney’s death is the 42nd homicide in the city this year.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting and will refer their findings to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office, which may present the case to a grand jury.

Denver homeowner shoots and kills intruder

A Denver homeowner shot and killed an intruder Saturday, according to Denver police.

The shooting happened in the 2200 block of Lafayette Street at about 9:15 p.m., a police spokesman said.

“This incident is being investigated as a homicide in which an adult male intruder was shot by the homeowner,” police tweeted Sunday.

Police spokesman Tyrone Campbell could not say Sunday why the man was considered an “intruder” or whether he was inside or outside the house when he was shot. He could not provide any additional details on the circumstances of the shooting.

The Denver District Attorney’s office will determine whether criminal charges are warranted, police said. The man who was shot and killed has not been publicly identified

One arrested, one shot by resident after reportedly breaking into Union County home

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – One person was shot after he reportedly broke into a home in Union County early Sunday morning, according to deputies.

Deputies say two people, one armed with a handgun, broke into an occupied home around 12:45 a.m. on Rock Hill Church Road.

Once they got into the home, the resident of the home grabbed a rifle and fired several shots at the home intruders, according to officers.

Deputies say one of the men went to Novant Matthews suffering from a gunshot wound in the thigh area.

the second suspect who broke into the home was identified as 29-year-old Aaron Elijah Ross, from Charlotte.

Ross was arrested and taken to Union County Jail on a charge of first-degree burglary.

The other suspect remains hospitalized but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. After he is released from the hospital, he will face similar charges as Ross, deputies say.

Armored truck crew shoots robbery suspect at North Austin bank

An armored truck crew shot a gunman who tried to rob them Friday morning at a bank in the North Austin neighborhood.

An armed passenger of an SUV stepped out and demanded money from a guard as he unloaded an ATM, according to a statement from Chicago police.

The security guard, who worked on the truck, took out his own gun and fired shots, striking the person in the “center of his torso area,” police said.

The robbery happened about 8:40 a.m. at a BMO Harris Bank branch at 4959 W. North Ave., police and the FBI said.

The wounded male drove off in the dark-colored SUV and was not in custody, police said. He was last seen going west on North Avenue.

The FBI responded to the incident, according to an FBI spokesperson.

Police initially said there was an exchange of gunfire, but later clarified that only the security guard had fired shots. No other injuries were reported.

Northeast Columbia home invasion victim shot and killed intruder

COLUMBIA MO – Columbia Police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Fair Lane at approximately 8:45 a.m. Friday for a report of a burglary with a weapon.

Upon arrival, police found one male suffering life-threatening injuries near the residence and later was pronounced dead at the scene. The individual was identified as Jacob D’Agostino, 20, of Columbia, a CPD release says.

While investigating, officers learned that the deceased male was the suspect who illegally entered the residence on Fair Lane. As a result, the victim of the home invasion shot D’Agostino.

According to a KOMU 8 reporter at the scene, there were six CPD units at the scene and one unit of assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

There were no other reported suspects.

Florida Alert! Poll of Florida Sheriffs by Sheriff Wayne Ivey on Florida’s Church Carry Bill

SB-498 Church Carry by Sen. Joe Gruters and HB-259 Church Carry by Rep. Jayer Williamson & Rep. Cord Byrd have collectively been heard in five different Legislative Committee hearings in the Florida Senate and Florida House.

In every hearing, these bills have been met with a barrage of anti-church-carry questions and debate by Democrat members of these committees.

Why Democrats don’t want religious institutions to be able to make their own decisions about their private property and about protecting their own houses of worship and worshipers, is a question that defies a logical answer.

In one committee hearing, a prominent Democrat wanted to know what the sheriffs in the sponsor’s district thought about the bill. The sponsor had not asked his local sheriffs but said that he would find out.

In the meantime, Sheriff Wayne Ivey of Brevard County decided to find out how all sheriffs viewed the bill and conducted a poll. The results are very profound.

On Monday 3/15/21 I received the following email from Sheriff Ivey:

Mon, Mar 15, 2021 7:15 pm

Dear Marion,

With the outcome of the Church Carry bill, SB-498 and HB-259 moving through the Florida Legislature, I took it upon myself to individually talk to and poll 64 of our Florida Sheriffs on how they feel about this important piece of legislation, designed to protect our citizens and houses of worship. While there are actually 67 Sheriffs in Florida I was unable to reach 3 of them after leaving messages in an effort to speak to them on the matter.

Not surprisingly, of the 64 Florida Sheriffs that I personally spoke with, 62 of them overwhelmingly SUPPORT the bill and 2 Sheriffs had not had a chance to review the bill, so were undecided in their support or opposition.

The poll without question sends a clear and profound message that our Florida Sheriffs support the private property rights of religious institutions and the self-defense rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey,

Brevard County

It’s good to see others with large venues getting onboard with the knowledge that gun use for self defense strongly outweighs their use by criminals.

These 11 Examples of Defensive Gun Use Undermine Push for More Gun Control

March is Women’s History Month, yet Congress appears ready to celebrate in the worst way possible by creating more barriers for women who seek to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

While COVID-19-related bills have taken up much of the national spotlight, several gun control bills are primed for passage this week in the House. This is hardly surprising, given that just last month, President Joe Biden called on Congress to enact a plethora of new federal gun legislation.

Unfortunately, however, none of these proposals is meaningfully directed at the root causes of gun violence. Many gun control advocates have fooled themselves—and far too many others—into believing that we create safer communities by placing increasingly burdensome restrictions on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

The reality, however, is that firearms are used far more often for lawful purposes than they are used to commit acts of criminal violence.

Almost every major study on the issue found that Americans use their firearms in self-defense between 500,000 and 3 million times a year, according to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have good reason to believe that many of these defensive gun uses aren’t reported to police, much less make the local or national news.

For this reason, The Daily Signal each month publishes an 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 accounts from 2019 and 2020 here.)

The examples below represent only a small portion of the news stories on defensive gun use that we found in February. You may explore more by using The Heritage Foundation’s interactive Defensive Gun Use Database.

Continue reading “”

2 killed when person they were trying to rob opens fire

HOUSTON – Two people were killed Wednesday when a person they were trying to rob in north Harris County opened fire, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The shooting was reported about 2:45 p.m. in the 4500 block of Shelton Road.

Gonzalez said a person was eating lunch in his car when two other people walked up and tried to rob him. He said that was when the person pulled out a gun and shot the two people trying to rob him.

Gonzalez said the person jumped out of his car and fled the scene in the car believed to be driven by the two people attempting to rob him. He said the person later returned and is cooperating with investigators.

The sheriff said investigators will forward their information to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office who will decide whether charges are necessary.

Beverly man, 69, with concealed carry license, shoots at 3 would-be robbers, injuring 1

A 69-year-old concealed carry license holder defended himself Tuesday night against a group of teenagers in a stolen vehicle when they approached him in Beverly ( ‘community area’ in Chicago ) and demanded his belongings, police said.

Instead of handing over his wallet or other items, the man drew his handgun and shot toward the group of boys trying to rob him about 10:35 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Leavitt Street, according to a statement from police. One of the attackers was shot in the knee, police said.

Two of the three people have since been charged, Karie James, a police spokeswoman, said. They were 15 and 16 years old, she said. The person who was shot in the knee has not been charged with a crime and James did not release his age.

When the 69-year-old shot at the three people, they ran back to a gray Ford Fusion and drove off, authorities said. Police initially misidentified the color of the vehicle as red

They managed to get as far as the Gresham neighborhood, but the Ford crashed in the 8700 block of South Vincennes Avenue, according to police. All three people took off running, but soon were caught by Chicago police officers.

Authorities later learned that Ford Fusion had been reported stolen Sunday night, James said.

The three were taken to an area hospital for evaluation. (pity they didn’t get the full free ride to the morgue.)

Chick-fil-A robbery suspect captured by Colony Square visitors

Plenty of people love Chick-fil-A, but how many would be willing to confront an armed man suspected of robbing one of the Atlanta restaurant chain’s locations?

According to Atlanta police, multiple people who witnessed a robbery in progress at the Colony Square restaurant did just that, stepping in to confront and subdue the armed suspect.

One of those people was armed, and at some point during the confrontation, he fired several shots, Atlanta police spokeswoman Officer C.J. Johnson said. He and several other Colony Square visitors were able to disarm the suspect, 23-year-old Willie Gloston, and hold him until police arrived, Johnson said.

Officers were sent to the Midtown restaurant about 3 p.m., according to Johnson. Witnesses told investigators that a man walked into the store and demanded money from a cashier. The man was later identified as Gloston.

It’s not clear if they gave the man any money, but the cashier fled to the back of the store and the suspect left.

As Gloston tried to leave Colony Square, he was confronted by bystanders and witnesses, leading to the gunfire and his capture, Johnson said. He was taken to the Fulton County Jail, where he remains.

Gloston is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Police said no one was hurt by the gunfire. No charges have been filed against the bystander who fired the shots, Johnson said.

An investigation is ongoing.

2 Athens residents killed, 2 jailed in attempted Barrow County robbery

Two Athens (Georgia) residents were shot to death and two more are in jail after authorities said the four attempted to rob a person Tuesday in Barrow County.

Those killed were identified as Jose Barrera, 19, and Erika Contreras, 19, according to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, which released the names Friday.

The two were shot to death during an attempted robbery on Beech Creek Circle, a neighborhood east of Winder off Georgia Highway 82, according to deputies.

Julio Rivera, 20, and Alphonzo Gonzalez, 19, were arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault. They remain in jail without bond.

Deputies said the man targeted for robbery was in a vehicle when the two suspects were shot. The man, who lived on Beech Creek Circle, was with an Athens woman when they stopped due to car trouble, according to the incident report.

The victim “heard footsteps and turned to his right and saw a gun in his face, so he shot the male,” the report said. The report contained no information on the shooting of the other suspect who was killed.

The robbery victim, who was shaking, told deputies he could not give a more detailed statement at the scene because he “did not know what else to say,” according to the report.

Deputies earlier said the two shooting victims were found near the scene of the robbery attempt, which occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m

Suspect fatally shot in head, homeowner shot in leg after masked men invade home in Chesterfield County.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) – A suspect was fatally shot in the head and a homeowner was shot in the leg after masked men invaded a home in Chesterfield County Friday morning.

The incident happened at a home off Highway 207.

Officials say two masked men went into a home and one of them shot the homeowner in the leg.

That same homeowner then got into a fight with the other masked man before the homeowner’s son came out with a shotgun and shot the man in the head who was fighting his father, according to authorities.

The masked man who fired the first shot reportedly got into a small white car and headed towards North Carolina.

The masked man who was shot in the head, identified only as a 17-year-old male, was flown to a hospital in Charlotte with life-threatening injuries. That 17-year-old male suspect later died from his injuries.

While investigating, the Union County Sheriff’s Office helped search for a white car.

Officials detained 21-year-old Noah Daniels who will be charged with burglary in the first degree, two counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Officials say 23-year-old Austin Lee Drake will face the same charges when deputies find him. Deputies say Drake tried to rob the same house back in Dec. 2020, and was out on bond for that incident at the time of this crime.

Homeowner shot during home invasion in Chesterfield County
Daniels, Drake and the 17-year-old male suspect who died were all involved in the home invasion. Officials did not specify who, between Daniels and Drake, was the other masked man who went into the house.

In addition, officials detained a 17-year-old woman for questioning, and she’s currently facing charges of accessory after the fact.

Details remain mostly limited as the investigation continues.

Two homeowners TCOB

Westminster police investigating after homeowner kills alleged intruder

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (KDVR) – Detectives in Westminster are investigating after a homeowner allegedly shot and killed a man he said was an intruder inside his home.

The homeowner later told police he knew the individual and shot him after a confrontation.

Around 9 a.m. on Monday, a homeowner in the 13500 block of Raritan Way called 911 to report he had shot an intruder inside his home. The homeowner fired one round striking an adult male who was transported to a local hospital and died of his injuries.

Police are not looking for any other suspects and do not believe any of the surrounding homes or neighbors were at risk.

The Westminster Police Department said once an investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the Adams County District Attorney’s office to determine if charges are appropriate.

Officials have not released the name of the homeowner nor the individual killed.

TPD investigates after homeowner shoots, kills intruder on Old St. Augustine Road

The Tallahassee Police Department is investigating after a homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Wednesday.

TPD received a call just after 1 a.m. and responded to a house in the 2800 block of Old St. Augustine Road, near the intersection of Capital Circle SE, where they found a dead adult male.

“We are investigating it as a home invasion, attempted burglary with a shooting,” department spokesperson Alicia Turner said Thursday. “The homeowner used deadly force on the suspect after they entered the home.”

Gas station clerk shoots, kills man in Phoenix

Phoenix police say the shooting happened just after 11 p.m. on March 1 at a Chevron station near 44th Street and McDowell Road.

Investigators say a man threatened to harm customers and when the clerk tried to intervene, the man armed himself with a baton and attacked the clerk who then shot him.

The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition where he was pronounced dead. He was identified by police as 35-year old Andrew Agnew.

The clerk stayed at the scene following the shooting and the investigation is ongoing.

Suspect hit by bullet after shooting at his neighbor, who fired back

A gunfire exchange in Dora last week ended with Calvin L. Grisham in handcuffs and a bullet wound to the hand.

Grisham’s age is not listed in court documents, but online records say that he was born in 1965, making him either 55 or 56 years old.

The Dora man is being held in the Ozark County Jail without bond and has been charged with a class B felony of unlawful use of a weapon by discharging a firearm at a habitable structure and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action.

According to this week’s sheriff’s report, Brice Bennett, the victim in the case, called the sheriff’s report at 7:43 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, to say that his neighbor was threatening him with a pistol and was outside his house on County Road 179 in the Dora area.

The probable cause statement filed in the case by Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin indicates that about a half hour later, the sheriff’s department dispatch office was notified by the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 8:11 p.m. that a shooting had occurred at the residence.

Three MSHP troopers and officers from OCSD responded, along with Dora VFD first responders. Ozark County Ambulance and Air Evac were also called to the scene. After the helicopter landed, Grisham reportedly refused air transport and was instead taken by ambulance to Ozarks Healthcare in West Plains.

Bennett told the sheriff that Grisham came onto the property and fired a weapon through the window of his house, the statement says.

Bennett said he returned fire, shooting back out the window with a .22 rifle, hitting Grisham in the hand.

Grisham was treated for the gunshot wound at the hospital and then released into the custody of the West Plains Police Department, who then transferred custody to the OCSD. Grisham arrived at the OCSD at 11:44 p.m. that night.

Although the document doesn’t say which specific drugs or alcohol Grisham might have ingested prior to the event, the sheriff does say that intoxicants may have been involved.

“I believe that the defendant poses a danger to the crime victim and public due to discharging a firearm into a residence in aggression while under the influence of intoxicants,” Martin concluded in the report.

Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson signs “Stand Your Ground Bill

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT & AP) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a measure that eases the state’s restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense.

The Republican governor signed the measure Wednesday that removes the duty to retreat before deadly force can be used, despite past concerns he’s raised about changing the state’s self-defense law.

A similar measure stalled in the Legislature two years ago, but the bill this year moved more easily after groups such as the state’s sheriffs’ and prosecutors’ associations that previously opposed it said they’re neutral to the latest version.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Ballinger (R-Ozark) and Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) received overwhelming support in the legislature by a 72-23 margin in the House and 27-7 in the Senate.

Just me, but I remember ‘Concealed Means Concealed‘, I figured out what was meant.

Criminals Know Rideshare Drivers Are Disarmed And They Are Targeting Them

It appears as if the word has gotten out in the criminal underworld; if you’re looking for an easy target to rob, rape, or carjack, finding a victim is as easy as pulling out your phone.

We’ve been covering the rise in carjackings and other violent crimes committed against Uber and Lyft drivers for some time now, including the story of Cynthia Norman, a Cleveland woman and driver for Lyft who was cut loose by the company because she dared to defend herself against a pair of attackers with her legally owned and lawfully carried firearm.

Both Uber and Lyft have policies that require drivers be unarmed, and most of the folks contracting to drive for the companies abide by those restrictions (though clearly not all of them do).

Continue reading “”

Teen killed in Wildwood double shooting was an intruder; no charges will be filed

WILDWOOD, Mo. (KMOV.com) — No charges will be filed after a teenager was killed in a double shooting inside a Wildwood home Wednesday night.

Officers with the St. Louis County Police Department said 17-year-old Willie Hall, of St. Louis City, was shot to death in the 1100 block of Eagle Creek Road just before 8 p.m. Wednesday. An 18-year-old was also shot and taken to a hospital for treatment.

Investigators said the young men forcefully entered the home looking to buy marijuana. Police said the 18-year-old shooter weighs 133 pounds and Hall was 6’4” and weighed 260 pounds. Officials said no criminal charges will be filed at this time because they were intruders, invoking the shooter’s right to self defense.

1 dead, 2 injured in Rusk County home invasion, gunfight

RUSK COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – Three people suffered gunshot wounds, and one person later died after a home invasion in Rusk County turned into a gunfight, according to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office.

According to a post on the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, RCSO deputies responded to a 911 call about gunshots at a home in the 10000 block of Main Street in New London on Sunday.

When the deputies got to the scene, they found three gunshot victims – two men and a woman. A medical helicopter transported the two men to a Tyler hospital, and an ambulance took the woman to a Tyler hospital as well.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that an armed male entered the residence without consent,” the Facebook post stated. “This woke up the other male who lives at this address. Words were exchanged between the two males, and both males began shooting at one another.”

Both men were shot multiple times, and the woman was hit as well, the Facebook post stated.

The man that broke into the home later died as a result of his injuries.

“The District Attorney’s Office was notified and they will assist with presenting the case to the Grand Jury,” the Facebook post stated.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The St. Louis couple accused of confronting protestors with their guns this summer took center stage at a Second Amendment rally at the state capitol Wednesday morning.

Patricia and Mark McCloskey spoke for about 10 minutes in the Capitol rotunda.

“Be free to live your life without being afraid of the government,” Mark McCloskey said. “Maybe we should make the government a little afraid of us because that’s where it’s supposed to be.”

The rally featured guest speakers like Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, State Rep. Jered Taylor, and State Sen. Eric Burlison.