Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns From: [c r philli] at [hound.dazixca.ingr.com] (Ron Phillips) Subject: Armed Citizen - Oct. '93 Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 15:29:38 GMT THE ARMED CITIZEN +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Studies indicate that firearms are used over 1 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," 470 Spring Park Place, Suite 1000, Herndon, Va. 22070. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ================================================================= Police said an Irvine, California, homeowner who shot a croquet-mallet-wielding thug in his home acted within his rights to defend himself. Jonathon Clark and his wife were awakened by breaking glass in their home. While his wife called police, Clark got his .357 and went into the hallway and saw the man breaking in a window. When the intruder ignored an order to leave, Clark shot him in the wrist, putting him to flight. (The Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA, 05/29/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Charles James returned to his Hot Springs, Arkansas, home and noticed signs that someone might be in the house. James go a revolver and called loudly for whoever was in the house to surrender, but when he got no response, went outside, slamming the door loudly. James hid outside, and when a masked burglar-- an acquaintance--exited the home, James held him at gunpoint for police. (The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, AR, 05/27/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Startled awake by the sound of his front door being kicked in, Phoenix resident Fidel Zabala pulled a .44 Mag. from underneath his mattress and opened the door to his bedroom. Greeted by gunfire that wounded him in the hip and arm, Zabala returned fire. Zabala and the intruder grappled briefly, but the gunman's wounds proved to be mortal. (The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 07/02/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Eugene DeMayo was behind the counter of his South Bronx, New York, sporting goods store when several youths, one armed with a sawed-off shotgun, burst into the store. Instead of handing over his wares, DeMayo pulled his licensed .38 and fired, mortally wounding the shotgun toter. Two other thugs fled, and no charges were planned against DeMayo. (The Post, New York, NY, 07/26/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= NRA-certified shooting instructor Greg Ferris drew from the lessons he usually teaches when three armed gang members invaded his San Antonio, Texas, gunshop. Ferris was at his workbench when the gangsters entered and charged the counter. Ferris grabbed his .38 Super target pistol and opened up when one missed him with a shotgun blast. In the ensuing battle, which also involved shop employee Mike Falcon, one robber was killed and another wounded. Ferris, a former policeman, said, "We cannot ask police to provide individualized personal protection. We have to rely on our own resources to defend ourselves." (The Express-News, San Antonio, TX, 05/21/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= "The law can't take guns away from criminals, and the law wasn't there to help me that day, so I had to help myself," said Sharon Murray of Shelby, North Carolina, after an enraged man smashed the window of her car. Murray had stopped at a red light to adjust here son's seat and waved the truck behind her through. Instead of going around, the driver hopped out, screamed, and punched through her window. Murray pulled her pistol and, after a brief standoff, the man fled. (The Gazette, Gastonia, NC, 08/01/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Marine Cpl. Rayna Ross of Woodbridge, Virginia, might be dead if a waiting period had been in effect. Instead, the instant check system in place in that state allowed her to defend her life against a former boyfriend three days after she purchased her pistol. The man, a Marine under orders to stay away from Ross because of previous assaults and threats, broke through a door and rushed into her bedroom with a bayonet. Ross fired twice, mortally wounding him. The shooting was ruled to be a case of self-defense. (The Potomac News, Woodbridge, VA, 07/02/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Apparently intent on assaulting his ex-girlfriend, a Columbia, South Carolina, man instead ended up dead. The intruder climbed a drainpipe and burst through the woman's bedroom window and began to fight with her and her friend, Larry Cannon. During the scuffle, the woman passed a revolver to Cannon, who shot their attacker in the neck, mortally wounding him. The shooting was ruled justifiable. (The State, Columbia, SC, 06/09/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Houston has seen a rash of break-ins in which criminals pose as police. So Jack Idlett didn't believe the men who were kicking in the front door of his home at 5:30 a.m. When the homeowner demanded identification, they fired. Idlett returned fire, and the pair fled. The robberies have led many residents to buy guns. "We are all armed and know how to use it," a neighbor said. (The Post, Houston, TX, 06/12/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= Margaret Harris was walking up the steps to her Memphis, Tennessee, home when a vagrant with a criminal record grabbed and threatened her. Harris, 66, struggled with the intruder in the house until she was able to get her .38. Although the thug never lost his grip, she fired twice, killing him. Harris' advice for elderly women living alone? "Keep a handgun handy." (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, 06/21/93) ================================================================= - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ================================================================= A Tacoma, Washington, robber thought a pawn shop would be a great place to steal guns, but he forgot to take the one held by an armed citizen. The armed crook announced a robbery and started shoveling handguns into a duffle bag, but when he turned, he was shot in the leg by a customer. He hobbled outside and collapsed. The customer held him at gunpoint until police arrived. (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA, 05/11/93) ================================================================= -- ************************************************************** * Ron Phillips [c r philli] at [hound.dazixca.ingr.com] * * Senior Customer Engineer * * Intergraph Electronics * * 381 East Evelyn Avenue VOICE: (415) 691-6473 * * Mountain View, CA 94041 FAX: (415) 691-0350 * **************************************************************