10 SEPTEMBER 2019 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN
THE ARMED CITIZEN
®IF YOU HAVE
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CALL NRA-ILA PR/
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Studies indicate that firearms
are used more than 2 million
times a year for personal
protection, and that the
presence of a firearm, without
a shot being fired, prevents
crime in many instances.
Shooting usually can be
justified only where crime
constitutes an immediate,
imminent threat to life, limb,
or, in some cases, property.
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A
n armed citizen was credited by police as playing a critical role in defusing a
dangerous situation and saving lives. In Missouri, a Trenton police officer was
escorting a prison inmate for a mental evaluation one afternoon. The inmate,
wearing chains, was seated in the front passenger seat while the officer drove along
U.S. Highway 69 near Winston, Mo. The inmate reportedly tried to grab the officer’s
gun. A struggle ensued in which the officer allegedly was shot in the stomach by the
inmate, who reportedly succeeded in taking the firearm even though he received a
gunshot wound to the hand. Traffic backed up on the highway due to the incident
as the police car drove erratically to a gas station. Witnesses reported seeing the
inmate holding the critically wounded officer at gunpoint. Men left their vehicles,
and a crowd gathered near the police vehicle. An armed citizen came forward and
pointed his gun at the inmate, ordering him to leave the police car. When the inmate
obeyed, a group of men jumped in a dog pile on the inmate and held him until law
enforcement arrived. “Who knows how the situation would have gone if he hadn’t
been armed. Because once that suspect saw he had a gun pointed at him, he froze
and they were able to grab him,” an eyewitness said. “There are a lot of people
who think guns just hurt people, but they can save lives even without having to be
discharged.” (St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, Mo., 6/18/19)A
man with a handgun attempted to
break into four vehicles in a shopping
center at around 9 a.m., but found all the
vehicles locked. Then he tried to break into
businesses around the center. A nearby
business manager noticed this suspicious
behavior and left the store through the
backdoor to check on his vehicle. As
the manager appeared outside, he was
confronted by the gunman. The manager
pulled out his legally owned handgun and
fired in self-defense, striking the suspect.
The gunman was taken to a local hospital
where he later died from the gunshot
wound. Although the incident was under
investigation, the manager was determined
to be the victim by police. (bradenton.com,
Bradenton, Fla., 6/4/19)A
n intruder wielding a machete tried
to break into a Dekalb County, Ga.,
neighborhood home at 5:30 a.m. one day.
Police found broken windows and glass
from two doors that the intruder smashed
to gain entrance into the home. Inside the
home, the intruder was confronted by the
homeowner, who fired two gunshots a few
seconds apart. The intruder was shot in
the chest and later transported to a local
hospital where he was pronounced dead. An
investigation was launched as police tried
to identify the intruder. (wsbtv.com, Atlanta,
Ga., 7/11/19)A
woman had walked back to her car when
she was approached by an older man,
who was upset because he reportedly thought
she was not entitled to have a handicapped-
parking decal inside her car. The woman toldthe man she was parked in a paid space rather
than in handicapped parking. She apparently
yelled at the man, who left the scene only to
return with a steering-wheel lock. He allegedly
swung the weapon at her as she attempted
to keep him away from her by fighting him
off with one hand while screaming for help.
“No one would help me. I was scared. I felt
like my life was in danger,” she later told
news reporters. The woman held a concealed-
carry license. With no other alternative, she
reached into her purse and pulled out her
handgun, shooting the suspect in the leg.
Within seconds afterward, an FBI agent in
the area came to the scene and intervened.
Police found that the woman had a concealed-
carry permit, and witnesses supported her
statement. Police determined the woman
was acting in self-defense and charged the
man with criminal damage to property with
a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct
with a dangerous weapon. (wisn.com,
Milwaukee, Wis., 5/31/19)T
he owner of a fi reworks stand found
himself facing an armed robber at 9 p.m.
July 3 in Goodyear, Ariz. The suspect arrived at
the stand as a passenger in a vehicle reportedly
driven by a woman. As the armed suspect
tried to rob the fi reworks stand, the owner
retrieved his gun and shot the suspect, who
was transported to a hospital where he died.
The woman reportedly fl ed the scene in the
vehicle, found abandoned 20 miles away in
Phoenix. Police have identifi ed the woman as
a person of interest and have asked for public
assistance in locating her. The owner of the
fi reworks stand was not charged. (abc15.com,
Phoenix, Ariz., 7/3/19)