From: [self defense owner] at [shell.portal.com]
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 08:58:43 -0700
Confirmed: By calling the newspaper at 503-221-8327; reporter was
           Richard Colby of The Oregonian.
Followup-To: [self defense editors] at [shell.portal.com]

BRIEF DETAILS: A man named Schalk broke into the home of a 61 year old
retired Coast Guard officer named Scarratt. Schalk was armed with a knife
and would not drop it when ordered to do so by Scarratt. Scarratt dialed
911 and waited for police to arrive, but before they did Schalk "jumped" at
him and Scarratt shot him twice. Schalk underwent six hours of surgery.

Schalk had been convicted in 1990 of first-degree manslaughter, but he was
released last August after serving just four years of a 15 year sentence.
He was also accused of murder in the May 1988 stabbing death of another man
in Portland, and had an outstanding warrant on him for parole violation
when he committed this latest crime.

COMMENTS: Here's another case of letting a known criminal back on the
streets. Our revolving-door justice system put this guy back into business
even though they KNEW he had a history of violence. What would have
happened if Scarratt had not been armed with a firearm? What if he had just
dialed 911 and waited around for the police to arrive?

Please be sure to call your local newspapers and TV/radio stations and ask
them when they'll be running this story. Let's improve coverage of the
POSITIVE effects of firearms... and the negative effects of our revolving-
door justice system. 

Richard L. Hartman
Spokane WA USA