Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
From: [victor dura] at [woodybbs.com] (Victor Dura)
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 08:01:00 -0820
Subject: The Armed Citizen

The American Rifleman, February 1996

THE (expanded) ARMED CITIZEN

     Studies indicate that firearms are used over two 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.  Anyone is free
to quote or reproduce these accounts.  Send clippings to: "The Armed
Citizen," 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030

     Portland, Oregon, resident Ernie Robinson was leaving for work when
a neighbor ran from her home screaming that a strange man was in her
house. Robinson retrieved his 9mm from his home and upon exiting the
house, encountered the approaching stranger, clad only in black jeans.
Robinson asked the unwelcome visitor what he was up to, but the man
answered only with silence and continued toward him, jumping a fence and
backing him into his garage. With nowhere left to go, Robinson fired his
gun, mortally wounding the intruder. (The Oregonian, Portland, OR,
9/6/95)

     "In this case, we had someone just as bold as the person who went
in to rob them," said Anderson, Indiana, Police Chief Ron Rheam of a
citizen who put an end to a liquor store robbery by critically wounding
the bandit. Danny Groce was in the store visiting his wife, clerk
Barbara Groce, when the suspect strode in the store, forced everyone to
the floor, and demanded cash from the register. Concerned for his wife,
Danny Groce stood up, drew his legally concealed handgun and shot the
man. (The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, IN, 10/19/95)

     William G. Lowery, 86, was just being helpful when he let a man
into his home who said he needed to use a phone. Once inside, the man
drew a gun on the elderly Denver, Colorado, resident. Lowery's nephew,
John Kenneth Real, seeing what was happening from another room, drew his
own gun and fired, fatally wounding the intruder. Police believe the
deceased criminal, whose record included a previous burglary conviction,
may have broken into another home earlier that evening. (The Post,
Denver, CO, 10/14/95)

     "We can't cope with robberies like the big chain convenience
stores. If somebody robs us of $3,000 or $4,000 we've had it--we're out
of business," said Carl O. Wilford in support of his son, who killed an
armed robber during a hold-up at the family's Murrayville, Georgia,
convenience store. The junior Wilford had been working in the store when
a man entered the business and aimed a pistol at him. In response, the
clerk pulled his own handgun and twice shot the suspect. (The Times,
Murrayville, GA, 9/23/95)

     A "grandparent-aged" Princess Anne, Maryland, homeowner confronted
an armed man who had just crashed through the window of his house and
used an unloaded rifle to club the intruder and subdue him for police.
Upon arriving at the house to arrest the homebreaker, sheriff's deputies
discovered the assailant to be one of two suspects wanted for the
shooting death of a Maryland State Trooper earlier that evening. The
arrest led to the discovery that the other suspect was still nearby. He
was consequently captured the following day. (The Post, Washington, DC,
10/18/95)

     There was a wanted man on the run in Bob Cummins' Pearl,
Mississippi, neighborhood, so he alerted neighbors, checked on nearby
relatives and returned home for a bite to eat with his .40 cal. Browning
semi-auto by his side. Surprisingly, a knock on the door a little while
later revealed the man for whom police were searching requesting to use
Cummins' phone. Cummins permitted the man to enter, whereupon he pulled
his gun on the fugitive, saying "No, sir, you are not the one who is
going to make a phone call--I am." Cummins held him for police, who
arrived a quick 911 call later. The suspect had led police on a 20-mile
high-speed chase after they attempted to arrest him on a warrant for
aggravated assault. (The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS, 10/22/95)

     Thieves left four speakers behind after stealing $20,000 worth of
musical equipment from Michael Allen's van. Figuring the culprits would
return the next evening to collect the remainder of their loot, the
Fremont, California, accountant decided to set a trap by borrowing a
friend's pistol, taking a crash course on how to use it, and lying in
wait. Allen's calculations proved correct when a teen skulked into the
back of the van and snatched a speaker. Allen confronted the sneak while
his girlfriend called police. Within minutes, two accomplices were
caught nearby and confessed to the crime, leading police to the stolen
equipment. (The Mercury News, San Jose, CA, 11/4/95)

     After a strange car pulled up in front of her rural home for a
second time, the lone Griswold, Connecticut, woman telephoned her
brother to come and investigate. But before he could arrive, the woman
was forced to grab her .22 cal. rifle and confront a teenager breaking
in through a locked window. Her brother, who had already dialed police,
appeared moments later where he captured three more accomplices waiting
outside. (The Bulletin, Norwich, CT, 10/10/95)

     Despite a trespass notice and several arrests, an Orlando, Florida,
man relentlessly stalked his former girlfriend, Judy Davis, for more
than a year, physically attacking her, running her off the road and
breaking into her home on at least two occasions. Following a brief
stint in jail, a judge released Davis' tormentor after he promised to
stay away from her forever. His promise was only good for six days
before he returned to Davis' home and chased her inside. There the
victim grabbed her .38 cal. revolver and fired, dropping the man to the
floor. Getting back to his feet and fleeing, the wounded stalker was
captured by police hours later. (The Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 11/16/95)

     Two alleged bandits had just robbed Deandre Hodge in her
Shreveport, Louisiana, home and were making their getaway, when one of
the men fired several shots at the robbery victim. Hodge defended
herself with her SKS rifle, mortally wounding the trigger-happy suspect.
The driver of the car was taken to the police station for questioning.
No charges were filed in the case. (The Times, Shreveport, LA, 10/7/95)

     Forced to the back of a Houston, Texas, pawn shop by one of two
armed robbers, Thomas Perez drew his own gun, shooting and killing the
man. He then exchanged shots with the other robber, wounding him. The
bandit fled on foot but was later arrested by police. (The Chronicle,
Houston, TX, 11/9/95)

          "They Didn't Plan On Leaving Witnesses"

     After saying goodbye to his wife, Mary, Brian Rigsby left their
home outside Atlanta, Georgia, to pick up his friend Tom Styer for an
impromptu camping trip on the afternoon of Saturday, November 24, 1990.

     Getting a late start and making a few wrong turns in the Oconee
National Forest, the two friends didn't arrive at their campsite until
well after dark. They'd chosen a spot convenient to the public rifle
range in Oconee, and eagerly looked forward to some target practice the
next day.

     By the light of a lantern, the friends pitched a tent and then
built a campfire. They were settling in for the night when they heard
the distinctive growl of a diesel engine approaching. Shortly
thereafter, a truck pulled up, right into the middle of the camp. Rigsby
noticed that it was a work truck, with the name of a business painted on
the side.

     Two men got out and introduced themselves, explaining that they
were driving around to meet people and help out. Exceedingly polite, the
visitors insisted on helping Rigsby and Styer cut more firewood. During
their hour-long stay, the courteous duo depicted themselves as long-time
residents of the area, boasting about their extensive knowledge of the
surrounding woods.

     Rigsby remembers feeling uncomfortable with the two men, and
relieved when they finally left. He even considered moving the camp to
another location. But before any firm decision could be reached, Rigsby
and Styer heard the truck's diesel engine once again driving down the
road toward their camp. It was the only road in.

     The truck stopped before reaching the camp, and its engine abruptly
cut off. In the quiet that followed, Rigsby and Styer heard the faint
crackle of leaves rustling as their former visitors stole toward the
campsite.

     When the two friends realized they were being stalked, each grabbed
his gun and made sure it was loaded. Rigsby took cover behind his truck,
armed with a Ruger Mini-14 with a 30-round magazine, while Styer knelt
in the tent's shadow with his .45 pistol at the ready.

     Rigsby was shocked and filled with disbelief. "I tried to listen
for the men," he recalls, "but couldn't hear much over the sound of my
breathing and the pounding of my heart."

     It was Styer that saw them first. One of the men slid suddenly into
the light cast by the campfire, pointing his double-barrelled shotgun in
Rigsby's direction. Afraid he would actually shoot, Rigsby kept his head
down, and heard Styer ask the man why he came back with a gun. In reply,
the man swung the shotgun toward Styer and answered, "I'm going to kill
you."

     Styer instructed the intruder to drop his gun. Instead, the
intruder fired, hitting Styer in the legs.

     Rigsby remembers seeing the front sight of his Mini-14 centered on
the assailant's chest. He fired twice. Quickly swinging the rifle toward
the second attacker's position, Rigsby fired six or seven additional
rounds, determining his point of aim by the flash from the other man 's
muzzle against the blackness of the surrounding forest.

     Partially blinded by the flash from his own muzzle, Rigsby dropped
back down behind his truck. He looked underneath the frame, across the
campsite. Seeing no one, he yelled for help. There was no answer. He
called out to Styer, but heard no response.

     Rigsby knew that the first attacker was down and no longer a
threat. But the other gunman was out there, somewhere. Rigsby strained
his ears, trying to hear any movement in the nearby trees. He heard
nothing. He looked around the camp and beyond it into the woods, but
still saw no one. Waiting a few minutes, he called again to Styer, but
his friend still did not answer.

     Rigsby then began to move slowly and cautiously backward, away from
the camp. Seeing a light through the trees, he started toward it.
Amazingly, he found a camp filled with hunters about 300 yds. away.

     One of the hunters hurried away to call the police, who responded
and immediately placed Rigsby under arrest. They returned to the scene
of the attack and found Styer, still alive.

     The shotgun-wielding attacker had been hit twice and died at the
scene. His accomplice was also hit twice, but survived. Both carried
12-ga. scatterguns loaded with 3" magnum buckshot, and both had fired
their weapons at Rigsby and Styer.

     The two friends gave statements to the police, whereupon Rigsby was
released from custody and Styer was taken to the local hospital. In his
statement, the surviving gunman admitted he and his accomplice had
returned to rob the campers, a crime they had planned while smoking
crack cocaine following their initial visit to the campsite. The
surviving gunman was subsequently charged with aggravated assault,
convicted and released on probation.

     Later, an officer told Brian Rigsby and Tom Styer that police were
convinced the pair of attackers would have murdered both campers; when
introducing themselves, the deceptively courteous men had used their
real names and drove a truck owned by their employer. Apparently, they
didn't plan to leave any witnesses to their crime.

     (Ed. Note:  Although Brian Rigsby's Mini-14 was not on the list of
so-called "assault weapons" prohibited by the 1994 gun ban, with a few
cosmetic changes, it would meet the criteria established therein by the
103rd Congress. All magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds
were banned.)

=+=+=+=+
UPLOADER NOTE: If there are any RTKBA activists out there with
*reliable* Internet e-mail access, who would like to help preserve the
2nd Amendment by reposting information from the NRA-ILA into this
conference, please email me at [Victor Dura] at [woodybbs.com]  Thanks
=+=+=+=+

This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle

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