Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc From: [an 25970] at [anon.penet.fi] Subject: "The Armed Citizen" - June, '94 Date: Wed, 15 Jun 1994 06:14:17 UTC THE ARMED CITIZEN +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that 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 or limb, or, in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: "The Armed Citizen," 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARMED CITIZEN - JUNE 1994 ===================================================================== A father and son teamed up to make a burglar's chosen profession a bit more difficult. Daniel Bracken and his father, Walter Bracken, noticed a strange truck backed up to a family member's home near Albuquerque, so they went to investigate. Daniel was armed with a .30-30. When two intruders tried to run over the elder Bracken with the truck, the younger fired several shots from his rifle, wounding the driver. The other man fled. Police said Daniel Bracken appeared to have acted in self-defense. (The Journal, Albuquerque, NM, 03/11/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Rudely awakened when his girlfriend's former beau broke in and began to beat them both with a broomstick, Uhrichsville, Ohio, resident Dan Mazalic managed to get to a closet where he kept a loaded shotgun. When the intruder continued to beat Mazalic and his girlfriend, Mazalic fired a single blast, fatally wounding the assailant. The shooting ended a day in which the dead man had threatened the couple and apparently kicked in the door of Mazalic's home. (The Times Reporter, New Philadelphia, OH, 03/05/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Jim Dalton, 83, of Higbee, Missouri, was afraid that three men on his front porch were going to rob him, so he locked the door. He was proven correct when one of the men picked up an ax and started to hack his way through the door. Dalton armed himself, and when the men ignored his warnings and broke through the door, Dalton fired his shotgun, wounding one and routing all three. "I wouldn't prosecute a man who was defending his home from three ax-wielding hoodlums," said the local prosecutor. (The Daily Tribune, Columbia, MO, 03/11/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Hearing noises outside his Venice, California, home early one morning, Tak Cho readied his handgun, and took it with him when someone knocked on the door. Cho answered the knock, and when a man tried to force his way in, Cho fired, mortally wounding the intruder. (The Outlook, Venice, CA, 03/22/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== A criminal couple who teamed up to rob a Durham, North Carolina, food store botched it badly when the clerk and his son got the drop on them. The woman held a razor knife to Charles Bailey's neck, but he threw her into a shelving unit and began struggling with her. When her accomplice lunged for the cash register, Harry Brockman, Bailey's stepfather, pulled a .357 and shot him in the shoulder. Brockman then helded subdue his son's attacker, and both would-be robbers were arrested. (The Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, 03/27/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Behind the counter at a Watsonville, California, convenience store, John Miller's evening was rudely interrupted when two men entered the store, demanded money and stabbed him several times. Miller pulled a 9 mm semi-auto and fired, ending the attack. Miller was hospitalized, his wounded attacker arrested. (Santa Cruz County Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA, 03/29/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== In what is becoming a trend on the west coast, John Ayler was forced to shoot a cougar that charged him and a friend. Noticing that his dogs were acting oddly, Ayler, of Arlington, Washington, put his gun in his belt, and with his friend went outside to look around. When, instead of fleeing, the cougar charged directly at the two men, Ayler pulled his gun and killed the cat. (The Herald, Everett, WA, 03/25/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Out of jail only seven weeks, a convicted burglar returned to his old habits; and an armed citizen ended his "career" permanently. The crook pounded on the door of Curtis Schnepp's Oregon City, Washington, house, breaking the door in the process. He also woke up Schnepp, who was taking a nap. Schnepp got his .357 and found the man crawling through the door. When the man advanced after being ordered to stop, Schnepp fired, mortally wounding him. Schnepp's actions were later affirmed by the county prosecutor. (The Daily News, Longview, WA, 03/31/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Ben and Kate Krantz, owners of a Nashville pawnshop, started wearing guns on the job after losing cash, jewelry and guns in a robbery. A month later, three armed men tried to rob the shop, but this time it turned out very differently. When the trio entered the shop, both Krantzes pulled their guns, and in an exchange of shots, killed one robber and wounded another. A police detective said the three were believed to be members of a local gang. (The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, 03/24/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Believing he was about to be fired from his job with a Fort Pierce, Florida, lawn-care business, a disgruntled employee got a gun and went to the home of his boss. But L.C. Salter, the owner and intended target, was also armed. When the employee pulled his gun, Salter grabbed his .38 out of his truck. In an exchange of shots, the assailant was wounded, while Salter escaped unscathed. (Florida Today, Melbourne, FL, 03/31/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Attempting to help a customer who had entered his Lancaster, Pennsylvania, store, Jose Medina bent over to get cooking oil off a shelf. As he did so, the "customer" whipped out a baseball bat and smashed Medina over the head several times. Although injured and bleeding from a large cut, Medina managed to grab a pistol from behind the counter, prompting the assailant to flee. (The New Era, Lancaster, PA, 03/22/94) ===================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ===================================================================== Uneasy after a man asked to use her phone, a Springfield, Missouri, woman told him to use one at a local convenience store. Suspicious, she got a pistol and put it nearby. A little later, expecting guests, she unlocked her front door, and the stranger entered. He threatened her with a knife and forced her to undress, but she was able to get the gun by claiming she had to use the bathroom. She was then able to fire at the would-be rapist, wounding him. He fled, but was quickly apprehended. (The News-Leader, Springfield, MO, 03/21/94) ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------- To find out more about the anon service, send mail to [h--p] at [anon.penet.fi.] Due to the double-blind, any mail replies to this message will be anonymized, and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned. Please report any problems, inappropriate use etc. to [a--m--n] at [anon.penet.fi.]