In New York, where the anti-gunners created an even more unconstitutional process for concealed-carry permitting after SCOTUS overturned the previous one, a federal judge has made clear that he will rule on GOA’s challenge before the law takes effect, a very encouraging sign! pic.twitter.com/mEziYn1bgy
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) August 15, 2022
Category: Self Defense
Paulding Co. Sheriff’s Office investigate Saturday morning shooting
Media release from Paulding County Sheriff’s Office
Emerald Township – Paulding County, Ohio—On Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 7:47 a.m., deputies were dispatched to 14238 RD 232, Cecil, Ohio, for a trespassing complaint. After deputies arrived on scene, they learned the trespasser, an adult male, was shot by the property owner.
Early stages of the investigation indicate 28-year-old Kurtis P. Puckett was trespassing on the property of 52-year-old Judd C. Spencer. During a verbal confrontation Puckett attacked and assaulted 37-year-old James G. Weaver, a friend of Spencer. As Spencer attempted to stop the assault, he gave Puckett multiple orders to stop. Puckett then turned toward Spencer and went at him in an aggressive manner. Spencer reported to investigators he told the man to stop or he would shoot him. Puckett continue toward Spencer, and while retreating Spencer fired one shot into Puckett’s hip area stopping the attack.
Puckett was flown to a Fort Wayne Hospital where he was treated and eventually released. Paulding EMS and Fire Department assisted deputies at the scene.
“Investigator’s believe Mr. Puckett was under the influence of illegal drugs,” said Sheriff Jason K. Landers. “The property owner and his friend were presented with a stranger acting erratically and the man eventually became violent by physically assaulting someone. I don’t want to see people being shot, but I wholeheartedly believe people have a right to protect themselves and their property, and in this case, it appears to be a justified self defense situation. My investigator’s will continue to process the evidence in this case and work with the Prosecutor to determine if any further criminal charges are warranted,” said Sheriff Landers.
At the time of this release, an arrest warrant for Puckett was being obtained for misdemeanor levels of assault and trespassing, however, he has not been arrested.
The investigation is ongoing, however no other information is expected to be released at this time.
Stuff like this only happens in the U.S.!
“The attack finally ended when the 34-year-old gunman was shot dead by a civilian.”
— Tom Gresham (@Guntalk) August 13, 2022
Oakwood Terrace homicide was act of self-defense
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting death of a man at the Oakwood Terrace apartments Thursday night was an act of self-defense.
Based on an investigation by Escambia County deputies, they do not anticipate any arrests.
The shooting took place at the apartment complex on Truman Avenue around 6:20 p.m.
The Post-Bruen New York and California Punitive Gun Control Laws are Clearly Unconstitutional
After Bruen, a notable noncomplier is New York Governor Kathy Hochul. She also follows in the footsteps of her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo. Both passed their big gun control bills by sending a “message of necessity”—a maneuver to prevent legislative hearings and to deprive legislators of time to read a bill before they vote on it. As the New York State Sheriffs’ Association explained:
The new firearms law language first saw the light of day on a Friday morning and was signed into law Friday afternoon. A parliamentary ruse was used to circumvent the requirement in our State Constitution that Legislators—and the public—must have three days to study and discuss proposed legislation before it can be taken up for a vote. The Legislature’s leadership claimed, and the Governor agreed, that it was a “necessity” to pass the Bill immediately, without waiting the Constitutionally required three days, even though the law would not take effect for two full months.
The Sheriffs’ Association criticized “thoughtless, reactionary action, just to make a political statement,” and “the burdensome, costly, and unworkable nature of many of the new laws’ provisions.” “We do not support punitive licensing requirements that aim only to restrain and punish law-abiding citizens who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”
John Lott nails it again
How the FBI Undercounts Armed Citizen Responders to Mass Killers — and Media Play Along
The shooting that killed three people and injured another at a Greenwood, Indiana, mall on July 17 drew broad national attention because of how it ended – when 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken, carrying a licensed handgun, fatally shot the attacker.
Evidence compiled by the organization I run, the Crime Prevention Research Center, and others suggest that the FBI undercounts by an order of more than three the number of instances in which armed citizens have thwarted such attacks, saving untold numbers of lives. Although those many news stories about the Greenwood shooting also suggested that the defensive use of guns might endanger others, there is no evidence that these acts have harmed innocent victims.
“So much of our public understanding of this issue is malformed by this single agency,” notes Theo Wold, former acting assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice. “When the Bureau gets it so systematically – and persistently – wrong, the cascading effect is incredibly deleterious. The FBI exerts considerable influence over state and local law enforcement and policymakers at all levels of government.”
As many on the left seek more limits on gun ownership and use in response to mass shootings and the uptick in violent crime, and many on the right seek greater access to firearms for protection, the media’s reliance on incomplete statistics in covering incidents such as the one at the Greenwood Park Mall takes on new significance.
Greenwood Park Mall: When shooting started, Dicken reacted in 15 seconds, at a distance of 40 yards.
The FBI defines active shooter incidents as those in which an individual actively engages in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated, public area. But it does not include those it deems related to other criminal activity, such as a robbery or fighting over drug turf.
The Bureau reports that only 11 of the 252 active shooter incidents it identified for the period 2014-2021 were stopped by an armed citizen. An analysis by my organization identified a total of 281 active shooter incidents during that same period and found that 41 of them were stopped by an armed citizen.
That is, the FBI reported that 4.4% of active shooter incidents were thwarted by armed citizens, while the CPRC found 14.6%.
Two factors explain this discrepancy – one, misclassified shootings; and two, overlooked incidents. Regarding the former, the CPRC determined that the FBI reports had misclassified five shootings: In two incidents the Bureau notes in its detailed write-up that citizens possessing valid firearms permits confronted the shooters and caused them to flee the scene. However, these cases were not listed as being stopped by armed citizens because the attackers were later apprehended by police. In two other incidents the FBI misidentified armed civilians as armed security personnel. In one incident, the FBI simply failed to mention the citizen engagement at all.
And she scolds the interviewer right back
NPR Scolds Mother Who Bought Gun for Protection in High-Crime City: ‘Why Not Just Call the Police?’
NPR reporter Scott Simon spoke with a mother who said she bought a gun for protection in Aurora, Colorado, and he asked her, “Why not just call the police?”
The mother, Misheika Gaddis, told Simon she bought a 9mm pistol because she is a single mom home alone at night with her eight-year-old son, and she is pregnant with another child as well.
Gaddis explained that she decided to buy the pistol–her first gun–because of the crime near her apartment and her experience of coming home from work to find people congregating near her door whom she did not know.
She said:
So there was a couple of nights where I’d come home, and there would be people in the hallway, like, really close to my door. And the way my apartment building is set up is if you don’t know anybody up there, you shouldn’t be upstairs. There were a couple of nights I felt like I probably needed some protection or probably should have let somebody know I was going in late. But I didn’t think about it until there were people standing way too close to my door.
Later in the interview, Gaddis noted: “I stay pretty close to a high school that actually had a shooting sometime this year. Then there’s someone that, like, rides through the neighborhood, and they just let off shots. You can hear gunshots every night.”
Simon asked her what would have to happen in order to spur her to grab the gun and use it in defense of herself and her son.
Gaddis responded by suggesting she would grab the gun if someone was kicking in her door or if she heard the little bell on the back of her apartment door ring.
Simon responded by asking, “Why not just call the police?”
Gaddis noted that she has had to call the police in the past and the dispatcher asked her so many questions that the time it took to answer the questions, in addition to the time it took police to arrive, was just too great. She stressed that the moments she spent waiting were time in which she was vulnerable.
Bystander shoots, kills person who threatened to ‘shoot the crowd up’
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — The tables turned on an armed person who was shot and killed after announcing plans to “shoot up the crowd” on Sunday night.
The West Palm Beach Police were dispatched to a family gathering after reports of gunshots were heard at 10:42 p.m. on Aug. 7.
According to officers, a 911 call came in saying someone had been shot, the caller also said he shot the person who took a short-barreled shotgun out of a car, threatening to “shoot the crowd up”.
After an investigation, detectives say a fight broke out between two women, which turned into a brawl of around 20 people. The suspected gunman was 22 years old and from West Palm Beach, but the name and gender have not been released.
According to officers, a 911 call came in saying someone had been shot, the caller also said he shot the person who took a short-barreled shotgun out of their car as they threatened to “shoot the crowd up”. (WPEC)
The police department says the 22-year-old refused to drop the weapon after multiple people confronted the suspect.
That’s when a 32-year-old man fired his weapon, hitting the armed suspect. The man had a concealed weapon license and remained on the scene with police to cooperate with the investigation.
Detectives say the 22-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene and they are treating this as an isolated incident and are not seeking any other suspects. No charges are pending at this time.
The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.
Homeowner Shoots Knife Wielding 19-Year-Old Transient
On Sunday, Bullhead City Police arrested Elijah Christian Cole Abel, age 19, on two counts each of attempted aggravated assault and criminal trespassing.
According to the Bullhead City Police Department, at about 4:30 a.m., police received a call of a shooting at the Marina Villas Riverfront Condos, 1800 Clubhouse Drive, where an unknown man was shot and had fled the scene.
It was reported to police that an unknown man, who was dressed in a black sweatshirt with the hood on and mask covering his face, was inside the condominiums. One of the residents confronted the suspicious male who was looking inside parked cars and told him he needed to leave the complex. The male suspect said he was looking for cigarettes. The resident, who was carrying a baseball bat by his side, followed the suspicious male for several minutes telling him again that he needed to leave the property. The man refused to leave and threw a rock at the resident and then came at the resident with a knife. The resident struck the man with a baseball bat. As the resident started to back away, the male suspect reportedly continued to walk towards the resident with a knife.
Another resident saw the altercation and told the man to leave. It was reported that the suspect continued to walk toward the first resident with a knife held up in his hand. The second resident then fired several rounds at the suspect. The suspect jumped over the wall that surrounds the complex and fled on foot.
About two hours later, police were notified that a man was at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center being treated for a gun shot wound. He was shot once in his leg. The suspect was identified as Abel, who is from the Washington area and had been living in Bullhead City as a transient for approximately three months. He was additionally arrested for an outstanding felony warrant out of Washington State for failure to follow conditions of parole. He was later released from the hospital and booked into the Mohave County Jail in Kingman.
The two residents of the condominium complex did not report any injuries. The condominium complex is surrounded by 5-6 feet high block walls with locked gates. No trespass signs are also posted around the property.
Yerington-area homeowner shoots, kills alleged home intruder
A Yerington[Nevada]-area homeowner shot and killed an alleged home intruder Monday morning.
After receiving a call from the homeowner, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded around 11:45 a.m. to Giorgi Lane in Mason Valley, southeast of Yerington.
Detectives are conducting a homicide investigation and the homeowner is cooperating. The deceased man’s name is not being released until next of kin is contacted.
The shooting was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the community, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. All parties involved have been identified and there are no outstanding suspects.
Well, ‘when seconds count, the police are only minutes away‘, still applies, even for this. For if THE SCHOOL STAFF doesn’t have access to the guns, those minutes until the police arrive – and if they actually decide to actually do anything except stand around making sure their hands are sanitary- simply means more time is wasted and more people get murdered
AR-15s put in all Madison County schools to enhance security in case of active shooter.
MARSHALL – In response to the Texas school shooting that left 19 children dead May 24, the local school system and Sheriff’s Office are rolling out some beefed up security measures in 2022-23, including putting AR-15 rifles in every school.
Madison County Schools and Madison County Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to enhance security in the schools for the upcoming school year after the Uvalde, Texas, tragedy revealed systemic failures and poor decision-making, with responding police disregarding active-shooter trainings, according to a report from the Texas state house.
“Those officers were in that building for so long, and that suspect was able to infiltrate that building and injure and kill so many kids,” Sheriff Buddy Harwood said. “I just want to make sure my deputies are prepared in the event that happens.”
Madison County Schools Superintendent Will Hoffman said MCS administration has been meeting regularly with local law enforcement officials, including Harwood, to discuss the updated safety measures.
I’ll take ‘Almost Everything’ for $500, Alex
What the News Media Gets Wrong About Guns & Armed Defense
We know that the news media distorts our view of the world. We see it every day in the way the mainstream media selects and edits their stories. I’m sure you see unusual things in the news that I miss. That is because each of us sees this media distortion most clearly in the individual subjects we know best. For the last decade, I’ve studied what our neighbors do with guns. I see where the news media dangerously twists the truth about armed defense. As ordinary citizens, we need to know more about the world than to be simply fed a copy of the police report after a crime. In fact, ordinary citizens keep their families safe every day but the media sells us a different story. Here is what the mainstream media won’t say.
Evil exists. We face real dangers. The world is simply not the way we want it to be. On average, someone in our family will be the victim of a violent crime during our lifetime. Merciless criminals use force to take what they want and the police are not there to stop them. It is not safe to be defenseless, not even at home. To begin, we face about 30 thousand home-invasion robberies a year, and two thirds of sexual assaults begin with a home invasion. Being unable or unwilling to defend the people we love is not a virtue. Those truths sound obvious to me, but they are absent from our contemporary news.
The media wildly over-reported stories where we were victims of violent crime. At the same time, the media horribly under-reported the many stories where we successfully defended ourselves. It is almost as if the news media didn’t want us to know that we faced dangers and saved lives.
BLUF
the gun debate in America is simple to resolve: keep your guns. It’s the smartest and freest choice — smartest because the I.Q.-heavies of 1776 deemed it necessary to maintain a free nation, and freest because freedom was their aim. If you fear guns, the choice is equally simple: don’t own one. You have that choice. However, if you support gun confiscation, you remove that choice from your fellow citizen, leaving him more vulnerable. If your fellow citizen is victimized by a criminal, morally speaking, the policy you supported spilled his blood.
By the way, did you catch the irony? By making hundreds of millions of law-abiding citizens more vulnerable, anti-gun activists embolden criminals to commit more, not less, crime. Talk about a miss.
What’s a Gun Got to Do with It?
A May 2022 The Hill article entitled Here Is A List of 27 School Shootings That Have Taken Place This Year underscores the fear many have regarding gun ownership. But why is protecting one’s person, family, property, etc. in the face of evil threatening and not prudent? After all, isn’t peace most ensured when strength is most projected — or, as Reagan put it, “peace [comes] through strength”? In other words, doesn’t common sense inform us that criminals exploit vulnerability?
The arguments for gun control are familiar to most. The anti-gun stance is that no guns means no mass shootings at schools less violent crime generally. In support of this position, the figure of fewer deaths by guns in nations where guns have been banned is often cited, while violent deaths by other means are typically ignored. Alternatively, the pro-gun position draws attention to 1) declining violent crimes in America for nearly three decades (Antifa/BLM riots, state D.A. criminal leniency, federal prison purges, etc. are altering this trend); 2) armed citizens for criminal deterrence; and 3) on-the-scene armed citizens preventing crime and apprehending criminals before police arrive. Think of the recent Indiana mall “good Samaritan.” In this article, we’ll explore the anti-gun side.
GARY WOMAN SHOOTS BURGLAR FRIDAY MORNING
On Friday, August 5, 2022 at approximately 5:10 AM, Gary Police Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Roosevelt Street for a burglary in progress, according to Lt. Dawn Westerfield of the Gary Police.
An unknown male was attempting to make entry to the 56-year-old female’s residence, police said. While officers were enroute they were updated that the suspect had made entry into the residence by breaking out the window.
The female resident told dispatch she had discharged her firearm but was unsure if she had struck the male. Officers arrived on scene and located the male in the front of the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.
The 36-year-old male was later declared deceased by the Lake County Coroner Officers. The identity of the burglar was released by The Lake County Coroners Office as Jarrell Mitchell, 36, of Gary. The incident will go through a full investigation by the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit.
Grand jury declines to indict homeowner in deadly Shelby County shooting
SIDNEY — No charges will be filed against a homeowner in a deadly shooting in Shelby County this week.
A grand jury voted 8-1 against indicting the homeowner on charges, according to Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell.
Shelby County Sheriff James Frye previously told News Center 7 he expected the panel to dismiss the case because of Ohio’s new “Stand Your Ground” law that took effect in April 2021.
House Bill 38 repealed the law, which removed a person’s legal duty to attempt to retreat or walk away before firing their gun in public. The law has been updated to keep the “castle doctrine,” which says a person does not have to retreat in their home or vehicle before firing their gun.
News Center 7, by way of an information request, obtained doorbell video footage of James Rayl, 22, seconds before he is hit by gunfire when he appears to force his way into the home in the 2900 block of North Kuther Road on July 31.
In the video, Rayl pounds on the door after he is asked to leave.
In the 911 audio recording of the incident, also obtained by News Center 7 by way of an information request, a woman, who described Rayl as her ex-boyfriend, said, “He’s trying the door dad . . . dad . . dad. Is he trying to kill me?”
County sheriff’s investigators said it is at that moment, Rayl broke the front door and began to go inside. He’s hit immediately by three gunshots.
In the same 911 call, the woman is heard to say, ” Dad there’s nothing you could have done. You saved my life.”
A neighbor checked on the wounded Rayl — when the woman inside refused a dispatcher’s request to do so — and said he didn’t see Rayl enter the home.
“If he entered the house, why did he shoot through the door?” the neighbor, Jeff Hereford, asked McDermott.
Hereford said he doesn’t agree with his neighbors or the incident report on the shooting, claiming he saw everything as well as Rayl on the ground.
Another neighbor, Denesa Goings, told McDermott she believed the woman’s father had every right to fire a weapon.
Law-abiding gun owners will not harm you. But criminals will
There have been innumerable debates on gun ownership. These discussions generally address two critical factors: gun violence in inner cities and mass shootings. As a result, some Americans have called for the removal of certain weapons, such as the AR-15, from civilian ownership, and the limitation of magazines to 10 rounds as a means to combat these two problems. While I understand the desire to act quickly, we should not act in a way that makes villains of law-abiding gun owners who only wish to protect themselves and their families while simultaneously giving criminals the upper hand in their pursuit of destruction.
Can good, responsible citizens with firearms actually make a difference in life-threatening situations? A recent incident in Indianapolis demonstrates that, with training, a responsible gun owner can respond swiftly, safely and responsibly to save lives. A 22-year-old saved a significant number of lives when he eliminated a shooter who murdered three people and injured three more in an Indiana mall; the situation likely would have been much worse. Since 2021, there have been a total of 22 confirmed incidents of concealed carry permit holders employing deadly force to stop criminals in life-threatening situations. This number sounds insignificant in a vacuum; however, it is critical to consider that most shootings do not occur in places where firearm carry is permitted — for obvious reasons — thus there is generally no armed person available to stop a shooter.
As a gun owner with a license to carry a concealed handgun, I am fully aware that the use of force is an action of last resort. Firearm carriers are trained to avoid risky situations and make every attempt to deescalate whenever feasible. Nonetheless, taking a life is only appropriate if your own life is in imminent danger. I hope that I will never be in such a life-or-death scenario, but it is comforting to know that I can safeguard my life and the lives of others if necessary. After all, no sane individual goes about his or her day craving blood; rather, people carry to secure their own safety. Responsible individuals can use a weapon to prevent mass shootings and other types of deadly violence.
However, the villainization of law-abiding gun owners has prompted many Americans to distrust firearms and gun owners in general. This has occurred at the hands of government actors and gun control lobbyists who twist the facts to make people believe that guns are both dangerous and unnecessary in life-threatening situations. They make gun owners out to seem like fringe conspiracy theorists who have a deep distrust for authority.
Unsurprisingly, this could not be further from the truth. Gun owners are your neighbors, your friends and your family members. The firearms community is comprised of people you care about, and they are neither monsters nor evil; they are ordinary citizens concerned with their safety and the use of the fundamental right to defend themselves. No one should be at danger of having their rights and liberty infringed upon by criminals intent on causing bodily harm. Restrictive gun laws merely place criminals who flout the law in control.
When I recall growing up in rural South Carolina during a very difficult period in our nation’s history, I recognize that it was firearms that enabled Black people in the South to fend off the Ku Klux Klan. I consider today’s single moms and women who, in most cases, would be powerless against an assailant but could have the ability to protect themselves with a firearm. It goes without saying that members of the LGBTQ community have the right to keep and bear arms, and they most certainly ought to have the right to defend themselves if they find themselves a potential victim of a transphobic or homophobic attack. I consider the hatred of Asian people and atrocities committed against our Jewish brothers and sisters; they absolutely deserve to use deadly force against assailants who seek to harm them for their immutable characteristics. This privilege is available to all law-abiding Americans, regardless of color, religion, orientation or any other classification.
Criminals and those seeking to commit mass violence do not care if you are armed or not; they will find other ways to harm you. This has been the case since the beginning of human history. However, the question is how to strike a balance between protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens and keeping us safe from criminals. Maintaining access to weapons for law-abiding citizens is essential, and a balance must be struck between laws that screen out criminals and laws that make it difficult for law-abiding people to acquire and possess firearms.
You may not like firearms, and you may not want to possess one, but if you ever find yourself in a situation similar to the victims in that Indianapolis mall, you will wish there was a good Samaritan with a gun who could mean the difference between survival or death.
‘He just looked like he was possessed’
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A homeowner who shot a man he says broke into his home spoke exclusively with Action News Jax Thursday.
“He just looked like he was possessed, and he was acting like he was possessed,” William Kerr recalled.
Kerr says the man broke into his house Wednesday morning, threatened him, and stole $400 dollars.
The homeowner was not arrested.
Kerr’s wife was leaving for an appointment when Kerr says he went into his office.
“I got the door open about a foot, and I see this guy standing there. He’s got my rifle… BB rifle – he’s standing there with the rifle like this, the butt facing me, and he’s fixing to clock me … I quick-slammed the door, and I heard him messing with the other door in the room. So, I’m thinking, ‘oh, man, Tina’s out there in the car fixing to go.’ So, I ran through the kitchen, grabbed me a cleaver, and went out the door. By the time I went out the door, he’s already at the mailbox.”
Worried for his neighbors, Kerr says he followed the man down the street.
“I got a next-door neighbor with a little kid; the lady across the street is kind of elderly,” Kerr said.
At that point, the police were there. Kerr recalled pointing them in the man’s direction. Kerr then figured he’d continue down the road to make sure the man wouldn’t hurt anyone, he said.
“There’s a privacy fence in that lot. Well, I drive down a little bit, and I see him, and he’s broken off a piece of this privacy fence …’ Come on out … the police officers are driving up the street, they’ll be here in just a second,’” Kerr recalled saying. “When he gets up – he has this big stick – it’s probably three or four inches around and about three feet long. And he wields the stick, well I jump back … I had my gun, I tried to shoot him in his hands to get the stick out of his hands. About that time a police officer drives down the street, and I wave him down, I’m like, ‘he’s right here!’ And he tried to run, still.”
Another neighbor who saw the man before he entered Kerr’s house also called 911. That neighbor gave Action News Jax a video of the man walking up his dock, naked and muddy. He told Action News Jax he’d given the man a pair of shorts, water, and food before calling 911. But he said the man took off, heading toward Kerr’s house.
“He was jacked up on something. He was dirty as heck,” Kerr said. “The time he tried to ram me in there he was going, ‘wooo! Wooo!’ And even when he was swinging the stick, he was like ‘wooo!’ And his eyes were like golf balls.”
Police questioned Kerr on Wednesday and later released him that evening. Kerr says he claimed self-defense.
Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson talked about whether the homeowner might face charges.
“If you are in imminent fear of death or great bodily harm, you can probably defend yourself and claim self-defense,” Carson said.
Carson says a self-defense argument can be difficult to prove.
“My advice would be, don’t follow people out of your house. Call law enforcement, and allow them to manage it. Because if you get involved there’s a possibility that you could ultimately be charged with manslaughter or even murder,” Carson added.
Kerr says he wishes the man would’ve just asked for help, saying he would’ve gladly given him the $400 dollars that he stole. Kerr says he hopes the man gets the help he needs.
“I hope the best for him. I don’t hope anything bad,” Kerr said. “It was a traumatic situation on both our part.”
On Wednesday, investigators said the man Kerr shot was in surgery. Action News Jax is still working to learn the man’s condition.
Our readers have no idea how much I appreciate them. Picture my editor breathing down my neck and wanting to know when my monthly column would arrive on his desk. Also, picture me without a single idea for that column. And then, just like the cavalry to the rescue, here comes a reader with some good questions.
Our reader, talking about a shooting incident in a public place, asks, “How do I identify myself as a ‘Good Guy with a Gun?’” And, “How do I prevent myself from being shot by other good guys with guns?” I would suggest to our reader that you also have to reverse the thought process: How do I identify other good guys and not cause them harm? Excellent questions, but there are no easy answers.
Any time guns start going off, there are a lot of things that can happen, and many of those things are bad. Deadly scenarios place most people under the most stress they have ever experienced. Deadly encounters in a public place just mean more people, more stress, more chaos and more confusion.
Consider, too, that in any such public incident, some of those present may be lawfully armed citizens. Others may be plainclothes or off-duty police officers, while still others may be uniformed police arriving at the scene, but currently unaware of what is actually going on. And the thing to realize is that, due to the confusion and chaos, everyone there is subject to making mistakes—deadly mistakes. The fact is that we cannot simply look at a person and determine whether or not they are a lawfully armed citizen. You already know that good citizens come in all races, genders and clothing styles.
Because of all these factors, I would suggest that the first consideration, even if you are armed, is to gather you and yours and make a quick exit. Just because guns are going off nearby doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to have your gun out. Time might be much better spent finding an exit or, failing that, getting behind good cover. Once good cover is located and utilized, you can more easily identify a person who is, for whatever reason, coming toward you with deadly intent. This gives you nearly the best advantage you can hope for under the circumstances.
Still, there are times when we can’t readily exit a bad situation. We may have family members still unaccounted for and not yet located. We may have been asked by law enforcement to provide assistance. We may have been asked by those in a leadership role to provide assistance until law enforcement can arrive. Regardless, we can’t leave, and we may have to take an active part in resolving the situation.
Our primary concern should be to make as much use of cover as possible. Second, it’s always a good idea to have our back against something solid so bad guys can’t sneak up behind us (or we fail to hear a lawful command from a police officer who has approached from behind). Last, we need to do something with our defensive handgun besides holding it openly, where it might cause us to take on friendly fire.
Gunwriter and former lawman Rich Grassi recently commented on a technique that he calls the hand-on-holstered-gun ready position. Far from being a brand-new defensive technique, it is one we were practicing back in the Dark Ages when I first put on a badge. Oftentimes, when approaching a questionable situation, we had our hand on the sidearm with any holster-security devices already disengaged and a shooting grip on the pistol. It was a simple matter to draw and address the threat should that have ended up being necessary.
This same technique can work very well for the armed citizen. For those rightfully concerned about running afoul of local laws against brandishing, we are talking about a scenario where there is already a clear threat, we are just not clear exactly who the threat is and also want to ensure we ourselves are not misidentified as a threat. By getting a shooting grip on the handgun and being ready to draw and engage if the situation isn’t otherwise resolved, we are prepared to defend ourselves while being less likely to be confused for the bad guy.
Furthermore, in the aftermath of an armed encounter, whether shots have been fired or not, the aforementioned hand-on-holstered-gun ready position makes good sense. We may no longer have a specific threat to address, but we know that could change quite quickly. And it is a really, really bad idea to actually have a gun in your hand when the police show up. The hand-on-holstered-gun ready position should be made a regular part of your defensive-practice sessions.
There are no easy answers to dealing with shootings in public. Get away, if possible, and avoid having to shoot. But, when it isn’t, the goal is be to be a survivor—not a hero.
An 80-year-old store owner in Norco, California, who thwarted an armed robbery over the weekend is taking California politicians to task after the traumatic encounter.
Convenience store owner Craig Cope slammed politicians for being clueless about the escalating crime wave in California, referencing so-called bail reform, which has been criticized for allowing career criminals back on the streets to do more damage against innocent civilians.
“I’ll probably get on the wrong side of some people here, but, uh, the politicians,” Cope told FOX 11 on Tuesday, when asked what he would tell Californians fed up with the crime wave. “There’s people out there that are not the best of people … these people that continually get let out now — it’s been really bad the last year — those people, the majority of them, go right back to what they used to do. So the crime rate is escalating, and it’s gonna continue to escalate until they start putting the people away that are doing the bad things.”
To business owners similarly frustrated, Cope said the answer is not really to “do what I did,” but to “put some pressure on the politicians.”
“You can do what I did, but what you really need to do is put some pressure on the politicians, because they got no clue what’s really going on out here in the real world,” he explained. “I could start naming names, but there are a whole lot of them that are creating major problems for business owners, but for local law enforcement, they’re creating problems for them. I’m sure they’re risking their lives, taking people into custody to see them get let out with no bail. A lot of these guys are career criminals … they need to be locked up.”
The 80-year-old hero also had a blunt message for the “bad guys.”
“This isn’t a good place to pick,” he told FOX 11.
The Daily Wire detailed Monday that Cope reacted incredibly quickly when he realized his store was being targeted in an armed robbery. Surveillance footage shows that Cope fired at the first armed suspect who entered the store before anything else could happen, sending the would-be robber and the other men fleeing.
“He shot my arm off!” one of the armed suspects is heard yelling on obtained surveillance footage.
“He saw on the surveillance — he saw them coming out of the vehicle with weapons,” said Marnie Tapia, one of Cope’s employees.
“I’m proud to call him my boss,” Tapia said. “He makes us feel better about being here, you know.”
Teen shot, killed in act of self-defense
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says a 16-year-old was shot and killed in self-defense in an “apparent robbery” attempt on the far east side.
Just before 4:30 a.m., IMPD got a report of a person shot on Tapp Drive near Cumberland.
The homeowner’s daughter and her boyfriend claim they were sitting in their car when at least two suspects yanked open the car door and tried to rob them at gunpoint.
Those victims didn’t want to go on camera, but say the whole scary situation lasted just a few seconds.
Police found a male who was declared dead at the scene. The Marion County Coroner’s Office later identified the deceased as 16-year-old Armohnie Preswood. Police say the teen was found armed with a gun.
According to IMPD, two people in the car were approached by multiple individuals, including Preswood.
At one point, shots were fired, and Preswood was hit by gunfire.
Police believe the shooting was the result of an attempted robbery. The shooter is cooperating with the investigation. No arrests have been made.
Neighbor Joyce Kefauver says she was woken up by a sound around the time of the shooting.
“It’s very scary! All these shootings and now it’s in my neighborhood,” said Kefauver.
Indy homeowner speaks out after killing intruder: ‘there’s consequences’
“The victims of an apparent robbery defended themselves and now we have one deceased male,” said IMPD Sgt. Frank Wooten.
“It’s just crazy out here so you have to protect yourself,” said neighbor Marlon Smith.
The victim’s car was also damaged by at least a couple of bullets, which they claim were fired by a second suspect who ran away down the street.
Neighbors certainly don’t fault the victims for defending themselves.
“It’s sad to say but you have to do what you have to do because these last few months have been hectic out here,” said Smith.
The killing marks the second time in less than a week that someone used deadly force to kill a suspected criminal in Indianapolis.
Last week a homeowner near 34th and MLK shot and killed a man during a home invasion.
“A person on their own property has an absolute right, it’s called the Castle Doctrine, to protect themselves,” said attorney Jack Crawford.
Attorney Crawford explains that Indiana’s Stand Your Ground law gives people the right to defend their property and their lives against a forcible felony.
“If someone is attacking you or about to commit a forcible felony, you have the right to defend yourself even using deadly force,” said Crawford. “Let’s face it. A lot of people are packing now as the saying goes and if they are attacked or somebody close to them is attacked, they have a right to stand their ground.”
Both victims were questioned by police and then released.
Police have not arrested any additional suspects who may have fled the scene.
Man killed in suspected home invasion
INDIANAPOLIS — A man was killed early Friday in what police say appears to be a home invasion on the near northwest side of Indianapolis.
Police say a report of a person shot in the 900 block of W. 34th Street came in just after 4 a.m. This is across the street from Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery.
Officials said the homeowner shot and killed another man inside the home. The man was pronounced deceased shortly after officers arrived on scene.
According to IMPD, preliminary evidence indicates this was a home invasion or burglary.
IMPD says the homeowner is cooperating with investigators.
It’s unknown if the homeowner and the man who was killed knew each other.
Gun Sales in Deep Blue Massachusetts Hit Record Levels Beginning in 2020, Sparked by Fear: Report
Gun sales in Massachusetts — a state with historically low firearm ownership — have skyrocketed since 2020, due in-part to people wanting to arm themselves out of fear, according to a new report.
Many customers “haven’t fully grasped the idea of wanting to own a firearm for defensive purposes, but something brought them here,” Cape Gun Works co-owner Toby Leary told local outlet WBUR. “They feel like they’ve been spurred to do it based on what they see, or their own personal feelings about the world.”
Leary said many of his customers during the pandemic and following months told him that they did not like guns, but that fear pushed them to make the purchase, WBUR reported. Continue reading “”