Category: Slugs For Thugs

Escalating Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense

An armed attacker entered a restaurant in Cerritos, California. A good guy with a gun stopped a bad guy with a knife. That simple description covers an interesting story.

What we know- The crazy guy with a knife stole a truck from a young woman. He damaged the truck and dumped the vehicle in a shopping center. The crazy guy then ran into a nearby restaurant. He ran into the kitchen and food-preparation area. The attacker was already bleeding from a self-inflicted knife wound to his neck. The attacker threatened the restaurant staff. The staff ran out the back door of the kitchen and also ran out of the kitchen and into the dining area.

One of the customers sitting in the dining area was a gun owner. He had his California permit to legally carry his personal firearm concealed in public. He was armed that day. He was armed in the restaurant. He defended himself and other innocent parties.

The defender stood up and presented his firearms. He shouted “Stop! Drop the knife!” The attacker turned toward the defender and advanced with the knife in his hands. The defender shot the attacker. The attacker stopped advancing and fell to the ground. The defender stopped shooting. The defender remained at the scene and gave a statement to the police.

Let’s take a closer at what happened.

• This was the middle of the afternoon on a weekday.
• The defender stood up rather than retreating to a position of concealment and cover. That was the first rung on the use-of-force ladder. He said ‘I’m here and I see you.’
• The defender presented his firearm. Now, both the attacker and the defender had weapons in their hands.
• The defender issued a verbal challenge. He yelled “Stop!”
• The attacker initiated the conflict by closing the distance to the defender.
• The defender recognized an immediate, lethal, and unavoidable threat. Read those three terms carefully. All three must be present to justify the use of lethal force in self-defense. The defender did not have time to think and evaluate. He did have time to recognize a situation he had already considered and classified.
• The defender used lethal force to stop the threat. The armed defender stopped using lethal force when it was no longer justified to do so. That could happen before the first shot, or after he fired every shot in the gun’s magazine.
• The defender wore the mantle of innocence. He stayed at the scene. He holstered his firearm. He called the police or asked someone else to do so. He gave a statement to the police and cooperated in collecting evidence of what happened.

There is a lot more we want the good guy to do. Unfortunately, those sort of details aren’t covered in most news sources. Let’s speculate about what we might want to do.

Most attackers who use a weapon against innocent people are high or drunk. Don’t expect sane behavior from a crazy person.
Ask people to stay down. You don’t know if the attacker is a crazy person acting alone, or part of a robbery team. It might not be safe to stand and move around.
Can you take the knife or gun away from the wounded attacker without exposing yourself to danger? There are entire class segments devoted to how to secure a weapon that was used in a crime. When in doubt, leave that to the police.
Ask if anyone else is hurt and needs assistance. Is there a cook who was cut and is lying on the floor of the kitchen? Was one of the restaurant customers hurt when they dove for the floor? Was anyone else hurt by the shot you fired? The emergency response system might need to roll several teams if there are a number of injured victims.
Ask everyone to call 911. That gives the 911 system a list of cell phone numbers that were in the restaurant when the attack happened. Also, ask a particular staff member in the restaurant to call 911 and then stand next to you when they are on the line with the dispatcher. Since someone was shot, you want to ask for both police and emergency medical services.
If at all possible, you want to put your gun away before the police come through the door.
Do what the police tell you to do. It is there scene and they are responsible for what happens after they arrive.
Have a lawyer to call. Your lawyer will write out your official statement. His job is to be accurate and complete. He will explain why the use of lethal force was the safest course of action. At the scene, the most you can do is make sure the police don’t overlook obvious evidence. Once that is done, then be quiet and let your lawyer tell your story.

Despite its anti-gun politics, there are many millions of gun owners in California. California citizens in the Democrat-controlled costal counties might have a difficult time securing a carry permit. Citizens who live in inland counties have a much easier time.. and their permits are good in every county. Armed defense like this happens thousands of times every day.

Hancock Co. Prosecutor says deadly shooting of unarmed man falls under self-defense; no charges filed in road rage encounter

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — Criminal charges will not be filed against a man who shot and killed an allegedly unarmed aggressor during a road rage confrontation in Hancock County.

The Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office says the road rage shooting falls under self-defense.

Previous reports detail the shooting, which took place on the afternoon of July 21. Police said the shooting was the result of a road rage confrontation and ended in the death of 37-year-old Kevin Powell of Indianapolis.

After the shooting, the gunman, who the prosecutor said was driving to work, stayed on scene and called 911.

“You know this is a tragic situation. There are no winners here,” said Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton. “It’s really a terrible situation. We hate to see things like this happen.”

According to investigators, two vehicles — a Volkswagen Jetta and a Dodge Journey — had been traveling along the same path from Marion County into Hancock County. Witnesses claim the Dodge began following the Volkswagen at an extremely close distance, less than a foot off the other car’s bumper.

When the two vehicles stopped in a construction zone, Powell reportedly exited the Dodge Journey and “aggressively approached the Volkswagen,” according to the prosecutor’s findings.

One witness allegedly heard Powell tell the Volkswagen driver, “You shouldn’t be driving on my road that fast, motherf*****.”

A witness described Powell’s demeanor as “very hostile.”

After berating the Volkswagen driver, Powell reportedly started back toward his Dodge, but then turned around and headed back toward the Volkswagen. The Volkswagen driver stepped out of his vehicle armed with a handgun.

The prosecutor makes no mention of Powell ever being armed.

“I wouldn’t do that. Don’t do that. Get back in your car,” the Volkswagen driver allegedly told Powell. But Powell reportedly kept advancing.

The Volkswagen driver then fired several shots, striking Powell more than once.

Powell retreated to his vehicle and succumbed to his injuries, investigators said.

Witnesses later told police that at one point, Powell allegedly was heard saying to the Volkswagen driver, “Oh, you gonna get your gun? You afraid? You gonna get your gun? Well, come on, get out.”

“At every point the driver of the second vehicle (Powell) was the aggressor and was intent on escalating the situation,” said Eaton.

Prosecutor Eaton claims one independent witness said, “If I was put in that predicament, if I was the guy in the Volkswagen, I would have been scared for my life.”

“Objective observers, without any connection to either party, said it was their opinion the driver of the Volkswagen would have been in fear for his life from the manner he was approached,” said Eaton.

Because Powell allegedly threatened bodily harm to the driver, and the driver reportedly never approached Powell and only stood his ground at his own vehicle, the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office determined the shooting to fall under Indiana’s self-defense law.

“The evidence in this case establishes that the Dodge driver followed the Volkswagen at an extraordinarily close distance; exited his vehicle and initiated the confrontation; aggressively approached the occupied Volkswagen; threatened bodily harm; challenged the Volkswagen driver to retrieve a firearm and exit the vehicle; briefly turned toward his own vehicle; and then renewed his approach despite repeated verbal warnings to stop and return to his vehicle,” the prosecutor’s office said.

In reviewing this evidence and consulting with Indiana’s Code on self-defense, Eaton said his office would not be filing criminal charges against the Volkswagen driver.

Before the deadly encounter, the shooter and Powell were total strangers.

“You know it’s tragic, because it’s avoidable. The driver of the second vehicle, there was no reason for him to get out of his car,” said Eaton. “The law in Indiana is clear. If you are in fear for your life, you do not have a duty to retreat and you are able to use deadly force and that’s what happened here.”

Once again, we read the shocked reactions of those people who can’t seem to realize that ‘bad things’ can happen anywhere, anytime.

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Man armed with knife shot and killed by customer at Cerritos restaurant, sheriff’s department says

CERRITOS, Calif. (KABC) — A man armed with a knife was shot and killed at a restaurant inside a busy shopping center in Cerritos on Sunday afternoon, authorities say.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to a report of a person armed with a knife at Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in the 11300 block of South Street at approximately 2:12 p.m.

At the scene, deputies found an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound and lacerations. Deputies initiated life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies said a preliminary investigation found that the armed man entered the restaurant and ran through the kitchen/service areas, “frightening customers and staff.”

A customer who was “lawfully armed and possessed a valid concealed carry permit” confronted the man and ordered him to drop the knife, according to deputies. That’s when the man reportedly charged toward the customer with the knife, and the customer shot him.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department source said an off-duty officer was present and witnessed the shooting, but did not fire their weapon. The man with the knife reportedly stabbed himself before walking into the restaurant, according to the source.

Eyewitness News spoke to an employee who described a graphic scene, saying that what he saw was straight out of a horror film.

“I just saw a guy run in the restaurant with his throat slit, and he had a knife. Once he went to the main dining area with all the guests, I guess there was another guest that was sitting down. He pointed a gun at him, told him to put the knife down, the guy kept walking toward him like Michael Myers. He shot him,” the employee recalled.

Investigators believe the incident began before the man reached the restaurant. The sheriff’s department source told Eyewitness News the man had been driving a stolen truck before abandoning it and stabbing himself at a nearby Starbucks on South Street.

Magaly Zacarias said she noticed the driver before he ran toward Lucille’s.

“I noticed a driver driving recklessly into the plaza. He just left the car there, ran off to Lucille’s, and it seemed like he had a knife in his hand, and he was also wounded,” Zacarias said. “I got a closer look at the car, and it seems like there was already blood all over the steering wheel and inside of the car.”

AIR7 video from above the scene showed a large police presence. The restaurant is inside a large shopping center right off the 605 Freeway.

Zacarias, who works nearby, said the violence was shocking for people who work in the area.

“We were really anxious, especially because this plaza is safe, so it was a little shocking for us to hear what was happening,” she said.

Frequent shoppers in the area also said they were shaken by the shooting.

“It’s just crazy to think about, because what if we were, well, knock on wood, but what if we were nearby and something like this happened? And now it’s like, OK, we have to be careful with our surroundings,” said Daniela Reyes of Cerritos.

Javier Reyes said he hopes security is increased.

“Hopefully there’s more security, because this is kind of unacceptable that this happened, and it makes me worried to go out for a nice Sunday dinner,” he said.

Homicide investigators and the sheriff’s department deputies had the restaurant blocked off as the investigation continued. Witnesses and employees were being questioned.

Investigators have not released the name of the man who was shot and killed. They also have not released a possible motive for why he hurt himself and then went to the restaurant.

Deputies said the customer who shot the armed man remained at the scene and is fully cooperating with investigators.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Sheriff: Oklahoma homeowner hit attempted thief with baseball bat, shot him

one man is now in custody after being shot by a homeowner in Tulsa County.

On Wednesday night, deputies with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting in the 5900 block of South 59th W. Ave.

When deputies arrived, they spoke to a homeowner who said a man came onto their property, threatened to steal his truck and told him he would kill him if he resisted.

The homeowner said he turned to go back inside his house, but the man followed him into the home.

At that point, the homeowner said he grabbed a baseball bat and hit the suspect.

The struggled continued outside where the homeowner said the man charged at him. That’s when the homeowner pulled out a gun and shot the suspect in the leg.

The suspect, who was identified as 37-year-old Joshua Arenas, was taken to the hospital for treatment.

After being released from the hospital, Arenas was arrested on complaints of attempted first-degree robbery by force, first-degree burglary, and assault and battery.

Westwood Square shooter was acting in self-defense, HPD says

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – No charges are being filed at this time following an overnight shooting that left one injured. The incident occurred in the Westwood Square shopping complex, near the Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux parking lot.

Hattiesburg police responded to a report of shots fired around 9:56 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers confirmed the shooting using on-site evidence.

According to HPD, a person suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital shortly after the shooting.

Officers spoke with an individual who remained at the scene, who admitted to firing the shots after being assaulted during an altercation.

HPD said the person stayed on the scene and cooperated with investigators.

At this stage of the investigation, detectives believe that the shooter was acting in self-defense. No charges have been filed, but the investigation remains ongoing.

Man shot after arguing with, shooting at another man, police say

ATLANTA — A man is recovering in a hospital before being taken to jail for a shooting incident in northwest Atlanta on Friday.

Officers responded to 859 Oak St. NW around 11:20 a.m. after receiving calls about a person shot. When they arrived, they found a 38-year-old Brandon Harper suffering from a gunshot wound and another man at the scene.

The person who shot Harper was quickly detained, according to police, and Harper was taken to a local hospital.

Investigations later determined that there was a verbal dispute between Harper and the man. Police said Harper was the aggressor and fired multiple shots at the detained man.

The uninjured man returned fire in self-defense, striking Harper twice.

Police also determined that Harper is a convicted felon and was wanted on multiple outstanding charges. He was charged in connection with this incident and will be transported to the Fulton County Jail after being discharged from the hospital.

The other man involved, whose identity was not released, will not face any charges.

Fort Worth neighbor shoots, kills machete-wielding man who was allegedly dragging woman down street, police say

A neighbor shot and killed a man who was dragging a woman while armed with a machete, the Fort Worth Police Department said.

According to FWPD, at about 10:20 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a call concerning a person with a weapon in the 2900 block of Ross Avenue. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead.

After speaking with witnesses, officers learned that the man was involved in a verbal and physical argument with a woman and dragged her down the street while being armed with a machete.

Witnesses told police that the woman was screaming for help, and one neighbor came outside to tell the man to stop.

Police said the man who witnesses said was dragging the woman then approached that neighbor while he was still armed with the machete, and the neighbor shot him at least once.

That’s when witnesses called 911, and the neighbor stayed at the scene to be interviewed by homicide detectives, officials confirmed.

At this time, no arrest has been made, and the names of those involved have not been released.

Burglar critically wounded after Memphian comes home, opens fire

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A burglary suspect is fighting for his life after an attempted heist took a turn Tuesday afternoon at a Northeast Memphis apartment complex.

According to the police report, the bandit had forced entry into an apartment along West Quailbrook Cove at Greenbrook at Shelby Farms.

The resident told police that he came home around 3:15 p.m. to find a masked stranger in all-black clothing attempting to take his TV off the wall.

He said the burglar reached for a black bag once he realized he was caught. But before the suspect could retrieve what he was reaching for, the tenant pulled out his gun and shot the bandit twice.

The suspect then fled with his bag through the apartment’s back door.

The resident admitted that he shot at the suspect twice more while he was running. He told police that he witnessed the burglar fall, get back up, and continue fleeing without his loot.

After an extensive search, officers found the suspect with critical gunshot injuries more than a half mile away on Honeybrook Road.

He was then rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Inside the dropped bag, officers recovered the victim’s PlayStation 5, four pairs of sneakers, a Roku remote, and a PlayStation controller.

The suspect remains in the hospital as of Tuesday night and has yet to be identified.

An Imperfect Defense was Good Enough

A clerk worked at a convenience store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. An armed robber entered the store and threatened the clerk. The clerk defended himself. That description is true, but the reality was more complicated. Working at a convenience store is a dangerous job. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies call these stores “stop-and-robs” for a reason. Most of us visit a convenience store for gas or a snack every week. Perhaps we can make the job, and our visit, a little less dangerous after we study the incomplete news reports.

What the defender saw– The store clerk saw a man walk into the store carrying a machete. The intruder waved the machete around and threatened the clerk. The news reports don’t mention if there were other customers or employees in the store. The attacker walked behind the counter. The clerk left the store. The attacker pursued the clerk and followed him outside. The clerk retreated to his car where he grabbed his firearm. The attacker and the clerk re-entered the store. The attacker again threatened the clerk and the clerk shot him.

What the defender did– The clerk recognized the threat. Make no mistake that a machete is a lethal threat. The victim created distance between himself and the attacker. The defender retrieved a firearm as a tool of self-defense. The defender recognized an immediate, lethal, and unavoidable threat. That justified the use of lethal force.

The defender stayed at the scene after the attack. He called 911 and asked for both medical help and help from the police. He also secured the surveillance video and showed it to the police.

What we know now– The 61-year-old attacker was a convicted felon. He had an additional history of drug possession. He stopped attacking the clerk when he received a non-life-threatening gunshot to the hip. Police reports said the attacker would be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when he was released from the hospital.

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From the article, we again see confirmation that violence can be completely random and come from out of nowhere. Don’t let: “Oh, nothing like that happens here” influence your preparations.

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Neighbors Speak Out After Gun Owner Kills Home Intruder

We’re learning more details about a defensive gun use in San Jacinto, California that happened last Friday night and resulted in the death of a home intruder.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, 45-year-old Israel Martinez was shot and killed after firing a shotgun at the homeowner, who was visiting with neighbors when he heard screams and the sound of a gunshot coming from his home. The sheriff’s department said that Martinez’s girlfriend was also found about a half-mile away from the armed citizen’s home shortly afterwards, suffering injuries she allegedly received after Martinez assaulted her.

Now neighbors are providing more information about the confrontation between the homeowner and Martinez.

“His goal was to get his daughter out safely, regardless of what happened to him,” neighbor Robert Dorame said. “I’m shattered for them because they’re good people.”

… The family who lives at the home isn’t ready to speak out, but neighbors told KTLA that they, too, were home, and the ordeal was terrifying.

Neighbors said the father was hanging out with neighbors outside when his wife went inside to charge her phone. When she did, she reportedly came face-to-face with a man who had armed himself with guns he found inside the home. He allegedly then started shooting.

“From what I understand, the guy tried shooting at her as she started running,” Dorame said. “Then when she goes into the garage, she yelled out, ‘There’s a stranger in the house with a gun.'”

Her husband then attempted to get inside to save their daughter, who was also inside.

“The guy started loading up again. He got in there and the guy shot at Chris,” Dorame recalled. “He dropped, got up and he unloaded at him and got the guy down.”

He was then able to get his daughter out of the house unharmed.

… “He did more than just save his own family,” Dorame said. “Because if he didn’t take that guy down and that guy took him down, his next step was probably to come to one of our houses and unload because, at that point, he had a death wish. He didn’t care.”

Authorities still have no idea how Martinez ended up in the home. According to investigators, Martinez assaulted his girlfriend with a knife while they were in a car less than a mile from the residence, but it’s unclear why Martinez then made his way to the armed citizen’s home. According to police, there was no connection between Martinez and the homeowner, and it appears that he just randomly chose the home and made his way inside.

While there’s no doubt that the homeowner was justified in using lethal force to defend his family against the home invader, it’s possible that the Riverside County District Attorney could bring charges against him if it’s determined that his firearms were not stored in accordance with California law.

The state requires that all firearms be kept locked up or disabled using a CalDOJ-certified firearm safety device or a gun safe. I think one-size-fits-all storage mandates are unconstitutional, but the California law is actively enforced, and depending on the results of the sheriff’s investigation the homeowner could still find himself the target of a district attorney who wants to make an example out of him.

The penalty for a first offense is only a fine, thankfully, so even if the D.A. decides to go after the homeowner for storing his guns in a way they could be accessed by Martinez, he won’t be facing any jail time or the loss of his Second Amendment rights.

Hazel Park after-prom party shooting suspect released after self-defense claim

Hazel Park police released a man in custody in a fatal shooting at an after-prom party at a short-term rental, saying the man who died allegedly pointed a gun and stole a watch from someone at the party, and the suspect fired his gun in self-defense.

Police said Monday, June 1, that the suspect was released pending further investigation after speaking with him, reviewing witness accounts and evidence at the scene and consulting with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.

A 20-year-old Detroit man was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and a 19-year-old Pontiac woman was being treated after the May 29 shooting at 23401 Powell, police said. A 21-year-old man had been in custody. Police did not name anyone.

What police say happened

Police said interviews of those at the party and evidence suggested an armed robbery occurred in the house, and the man who died allegedly pointed a gun and stole a watch from someone at the party.

Why the suspect was released

The man who was in custody has a valid permit to carry a firearm and was present in the home, police said. They said he saw the robbery when he claimed to have fired his gun in self-defense. A witness to the altercation provided supporting information to the robbery and self-defense claim, police said.

Police said they received multiple 911 calls of a shooting in the area of Powell and Orchard. Officers found a crowd of people fleeing a home on Powell. They found the wounded man outside the home and the woman several houses south of the home.Preliminary information was that the house may have been hosting an after-prom party when a dispute occurred, and people exchanged gunfire inside and outside of the home.

Police said the after-prom party did not involve students from the Hazel Park School District.

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Dropped Wallet Leads Tulsa Police Straight To Burglar Shot By Homeowner

TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa homeowner did exactly what a law-abiding gun owner is supposed to do when a stranger broke into his house overnight, and the suspected burglar is now recovering from a gunshot wound because of it.

According to News On 6, the break-in happened just before midnight near 21st Street and Mingo Road. The homeowner spotted a man outside on his security cameras, watched him look through windows and then saw him come in through a back door.

This is the part that should stick with every one of us who keeps a firearm for protection. The homeowner came down from the second floor and met the intruder inside his own home. Police said the man turned aggressive, and the homeowner fired a single shot.

The suspect ran off after being shot but dropped his wallet on the way out. Investigators used the identification inside it to track him while officers set up a perimeter around the neighborhood.

When officers found him nearby, police said he fought them and bit one of the officers during the arrest. Tulsa Police Lt. JT Snoddy said the man appeared to be impaired, telling reporters that none of the force applications seemed to faze him at all.

Only after taking him into custody did officers realize he had been shot in the chest. He was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery. Authorities believe he is about 46 years old and have not released his name. The bitten officer was also treated and is expected to be fine.

A man who chose to break into an occupied home at midnight and then square up with the person living there found out why that is a bad idea. The homeowner walked away unharmed. That is the outcome the Second Amendment is built to protect.

Teenager hospitalized in downtown Des Moines shooting

DES MOINES, Iowa —
A teenager is in critical condition after a shooting near the Pappajohn Sculpture Park late Friday night.

Police were called to the area of 14th Street and Grand Avenue shortly after 11 p.m. Friday after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunfire and said a person was down.

When officers arrived, they found a 17-year-old suffering from gunshot wounds on 14th Street just north of Grand Avenue, according to a news release from the Des Moines Police Department.

Officers began lifesaving measures, including CPR, before Des Moines Fire Department EMS crews arrived and transported the victim to UnityPoint Health – Methodist Medical Center. Police said the male remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Police say the 17-year-old was part of a group of people that committed an armed robbery of a 22-year-old man who was parked in his car. Investigators say the 17-year-old stole a handgun from the 22-year-old. The 22-year-old then grabbed a second handgun and shots were fired back and forth, which is when the 17-year-old was shot.

Officers detained the 22-year-old shooter, but later released him without criminal charges.

Police have not yet released the identities of those involved.