From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ THE ARMED CITIZEN (from the NRA Magazine, "AMERICAN RIFLEMAN") Mere presence of a firearm, without a shot being fered, prevents crime in many instances, as shown by news reports sent to The Armed citizen. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life or limb or in some circumstances, property. The accounts below are from clippings sent in by NRA Members. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce them. Bill Hazen was in his cabin near Bakersfield, Calif., shortly after mid- night when an intruder forced a slid- ing glass door. The Los Angeles minister was armed and ordered the man outside. During an ensuing scuf- fle the attacker ran, but an ac- complice appeared in a pickup truck and tried to run down Hazen. The minister fired at the advancing truck and when the vehicle stopped, its oc- cupant got out and said, "I counted six shots; you're out and now I'm going to get you." Hazen fired his large-capacity semi-automatic once more, dropping his adversary. Both men were taken into custody by sheriff's deputies. (The Californian, Bakersfield, Calif. 10/25/89) Wilson Brown, 84, and his wife were watching television in their Pit- tsburgh, Pa., home when a man climbed through their apartment win- dow. The intruder wanted money, and Brown gave him $2--all he had. But the robber wasn't satisfied, and he put a knife to the wife's throat and demanded more. Brown went to the bedroom, returned with a revolver and fired on his wife's assailant. He let go of her and jumped out the win- dow. (The Press, Pittsburgh, Pa. 9/22/89) New York, N.Y., businessman Richard Rand was walking from his car to his house when a man ran up behind him and tried to grab his money bag. The robber hit Rand over the head and threw ammonia in his face, but Rand managed to draw his licensed revolver and fatally shoot his attacker. (The Post, New York, N.Y. 9/28/89) Paul Green was on his way to buy cigarettes at a Hot Springs, Ark., gas station when he spotted the flash from a large knife in the attendant's cubicle. Armed with a handgun, Green investigated and found a knife-wielding thug stealing money. He told the man to freeze, but the robber tried to stab him. Green fired once, killing the masked would-be thief--a parolee with a long record of violent crime. The female station at- tendant was not injured. (The Arkan- sas Gazette, Little Rock, Ark. 10/28/89) A 24-year-old Daytona Beach, Fla., woman heard noises in the back bedroom of her home, and when she investigated she was attacked by a man who tried to pull off her clothes. The pair struggled, but the woman broke free and ran to a closet, where she quickly loaded her revolver. She fired from inside the closet; the would-be rapist fled. (The News- Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. I 1/2/89) When Stanley Cook was parking his car outside his East Point, Ga., apartment, a man put a gun to his head and demanded money. Cook pushed the pistol aside and pulled a revolver from a bag in the car. He fired on his assailant, killing him. Al- though Cook was ordered to appear in court on involuntary manslaughter charges, police expected the charges to be dropped. (The Journal and Constitution, Atlanta, Ga. 9/12/89) "Give me all you got, buddy," a knife-wielding robber ordered Anderson, Ind., resident Link Oliver as he walked down the street. The 61-year-old man responded by draw- ing a handgun. Oliver tried to lead his adversary to a nearby store, but the man dropped the knife and ran away. (The HeraldlBulletin, Ander- son,lnd. 10/10/89) Bruce Paquette and a friend were hunting in the vicinity of Merrimack, N.H., when they came across a group of vandals ransacking a car. The hunters ordered the foursome to stop and held them at gunpoint until police arrived to take them into cus- tody. (The Monitor, Concord, N.H. 10/16/89) A pregnant Weverton, Md., woman was washing the dishes when she heard a doorknob rattling. She saw a ski-masked man trying to break in, and she raced to a bedroom to grab her husband's revolver. While she was on the phone to police, the prowler broke out a kitchen window to gain entry. The 23-year-old woman fired a shot into the floor; the man fled. (The Morning Herald, Hagerstown, Md. 11/2/89) When the glass shattered in her kitchen door and a man's arm reached in, Theresa Knox of Char- lotte, N.C., ran for the bedroom to get her handgun. The resident told him to stop, but the intruder opened the door. Knox fired as he came toward her but missed. The man began smashing windows and then advanced toward the woman again; she then shot and killed him. (The Observer, Charlotte, N.C. 10/27/89) An armed man wearing a bandan- na around his face walked into an Austin, Tex., pharmacy and told the pharmacist he didn't want any trouble. Dick Phillips told him there wouldn't be any if he put the gun down. The would-be robber refused, and Phillips pulled a handgun from under the counter and fatally shot the man. Police suspected the slain man in two other pharmacy hold-ups. (The American-Statesman, Austin, Tex . 10/17/89) Joseph Mills' wife awoke when she heard noises outside their Ash- land, Va., home. She alerted her hus- band, and they watched a man who'd been standing on their porch go to a neighbor's home. Mills grabbed a handgun and went outside while his wife called police. The resident caught the prowler jimmying the neighbor's door, and he held the man for police. "I wish we had more citizens like that," the police chief said. (The News Leader, Richmond, Va. 8/22/89) THE ARMED CITIZEN (From the February "American Rifleman") Mere presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances, as shown by news reports sent to The Armed citizen. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life or limb or, in some circumstances, property. The accounts below are from clippings sent In by NRA Members. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce them. Eighteen-year-old Vern Benadom was home sick when he heard some- one enter his family's Ridgecrest, Calif., home. He went to his parents' bedroom, got a shotgun, loaded it and waited in a closet. When one of two intruders entered the room and began grabbing guns, Benadom stepped from the closet and ordered the prowler to put up his hands. The student then captured the accomplice and held both for police. The suspects were identified as escapees from a nearby youth correctional institute. (The News-Review, Inyokern, Calif. 12/14/89) An armed robber in Kansas City, Mo., approached a parked car and told the two women inside to give up their purses. When he demanded that the male passenger surrender his wallet, the man instead pulled a revolver and fired. The would-be thief dropped the purses and his gun and fled. (The Star, Kansas City, Mo. 12/24/89) Jack Loveland returned to his Larimer County, Colo., home to find a strange car outside, the front door open and the lights on. The hunt club manager took a shotgun from his truck and removed the keys from the strange vehicle. When he saw an intruder move through the house and toward a back door, Loveland approached the house and caught the man. The man complied with the resident's orders to strip and lie on the ground until authorities arrived to take the man into custody. (The Coloradan, Fort Collins, Colo. 12/13/89) Council Bluffs, Iowa, gas station attendant Wilber Childers was mopping when a ski-masked man entered and demanded money. Childers struck him with the mop handle and forced him out the door. In moments another masked robber--armed with a shotgun--tried to rob the station. The attendant sprinted for the counter and grabbed a handgun just as the robber fired a blast over his head. Childers pointed his gun at the man, who said, "Please don't shoot me," and then ran from the building. (The World-Herald, Omaha, Nebr. 12/28/89) Arvie Young of Memphis, Tenn., awoke and saw a light on in her home that she knew she'd turned off. When an intruder began breaking down her bedroom door, the 83-year-old woman, who has the use of only one arm, reached for a pistol from her bedside table. She fired once, critically wounding the man before he could enter the room. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. 12/13/89) A 63-year-old Texas City, Tex., man and his wife were asleep when he heard glass breaking. The resident grabbed a shotgun and investigated. He confronted an intruder, and when the man lunged at him the resident fired. A struggle ensued, but the wounded attacker weakened and was subdued. The intruder later died at a hospital. (The Sun, Texas City, Tex. 12/18/89) A Jackson County, Ga., woman had been out hunting near her home, when she returned to find a strange vehicle parked outside. When she realized that someone had broken into her house, she shot all four tires on the car and went to a neighbor's house to call police. Sheriff's deputies found a number of items stolen from the home that had been dropped in the back yard as the thieves made their escape. Two men were later arrested and charged with burglary. (The Herald, Jackson, Ga. 11/29/89) An armed robber in Chicago, Ill., picked the wrong prey when he pressed a gun against the back of an off-duty state trooper who was returning from grocery shopping on the city's West Side. When the ski-masked man announced the robbery, the trooper dropped his groceries, turned and opened fire on the man killing him. (The Sun-Times, Chicago, Ill. 12/29/89) Cleveland Palmer, Jr., was asleep on the couch of his Sandusky, Ohio, home when someone began pounding on his door. The resident opened the door, but a strange man began pushing his way in, saying he was going to hurt Palmer. The homeowner ran upstairs and grabbed a revolver, confronting the intruder on a stairway. Palmer fired on his advancing assailant, wounding him, but the man kept coming. The resident fired twice more, halting the attack; the man fled but was later arrested by police. (The Register, Sandusky Ohio 11/1/89) A retired New York City policeman was accosted by three men outside the check-cashing store where he worked. They tried to force him into a car, but the retiree pulled his licensed gun and killed one of the men. Two other store employees rushed from the store with their licensed firearms and captured the slain man's brother. The third would-be robber escaped in a vehicle. (The Daily News, New York, N.Y 1/14/90) Hearing the sound of breaking glass coming from the monitor in their 13-month-old baby's room, a Parkrose, Oreg., couple rushed to investigate. The mother got there first, finding a naked and bleeding man in the room. She grabbed the child and ran from the room, just as Howard Prink arrived with his handgun. When the intruder lunged at the resident, despite repeated warnings, Prink fired a single shot--killing the man. (The Oregonian, Portland, Oreg. 1/8/90) AMERICAN RIFLEMANTHE ARMED CITIZEN (From the April "American Rifleman") Mere presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances, as shown by news reports sent to The Armed citizen. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life or limb or, in some circumstances, property. The accounts below are from clippings sent In by NRA Members. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce them. Dudley Pearce, a door-to-door salesman from South Macon, Ga., was making one of his regular stops when the son of a customer asked for a ride. Pearce agreed, but after the two drove away, the passenger pulled a knife and demanded the 82-year-old salesman's wallet. The assailant ordered Pearce to pull over, got out and walked around toward the driver's side. Meanwhile, Pearce reached under the seat and pulled a revolver, telling the would-be robber not to come any closer. The man continued to approach, and the elderly salesman fired a single, fatal shot. (The Telegraph and News, Macon, Ga. 1/21/90) David Latimer was asleep in his Sunnyvale, Calif., home when five men armed with clubs broke into the house and began beating his roommates in an apparent robbery attempt. Armed with a shotgun, Latimer went to the living room where he encountered one of the intruders in an attack stance with a club. The 20-year-old fired, wounding the assailant and stopping the attacks. (The Peninsula Times Tribune, Palo Alto, Calif. 1/16/90) Hialeah, Fla., merchant Peter Seaman was tending his store when a knife-wielding man entered the store with the blade against the throat of Seaman's friend. The thug robbed the friend and demanded money from the owner. Seaman moved as if to open the register, but came up instead with a handgun. When the would-be robber lunged at him with the knife, the 76-year-old shopkeeper opened fire, killing the man. (The Herald, Miami, Fla. 1/23/90) Three men entered a Valdosta, Ga., store and began looking around. When two customers left the store, one of the men brought a beer to the register, and when manager Walter Shaw rang up the sale, one of the trio pulled a gun and fired. The manager ran for his own gun picked it up and shot once--killing the armed man. The two accomplices begged Shaw not to shoot them, and he held the pair for police. (The Daily Times, Valdosta, Ga. 1/3/90) Bridgeton, Ind., resident Gregg Hayes didn't answer when a stranger came knocking at the door. The homeowner watched the prowler circle the house and come back to the front door, where he began forcing the door. When the man broke in, Hayes shot at him with a revolver--putting the would-be burglar to flight. The fleeing break-in artist couldn't start his getaway car, however, and Hayes held the man for police. He was a suspect in a series of home burglaries. (The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind. 1/8/90) At a Sauget, Mo., gas station, a man approached attendant James Davis and asked to use the restroom. Davis replied that the station didn't have one, and the man went to his car, got a tire iron, smashed through the glass door and demanded money from the cash register. The attendant had grabbed a semi-auto pistol, and when the robber cornered him in a storage area, Davis shot and killed his attacker. (The Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo. 2/5/90) Pipe shop co-owner Jim Willis was working in a back room of the Shreveport, La., store when two men entered. One demanded money from the register while the other pulled a gun and threatened a female clerk. Willis came out of the back armed with a shotgun, and in an exchange of gunfire he killed one of the robbers and wounded the other. (The Morning Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. 1/20/90) Hearing glass break in her Detroit, Mich., home, Gwendolyn Sherrill woke her mother and then armed herself to investigate. As she was closing the front door she was.attacked; Sherrill fired, wounding a knife-wielding assailant. The suspect was later identified by police as the person responsible for a previous attack on an elderly couple in which an 82-year-old housewife was raped. (The News, Detroit, Mich. 1/23/90) Municipal Judge Charles Margiotti, Jr., heard glass breaking in his East Falls, Pa., home, and he got his revolver and went downstairs to investigate. He saw a man with a shiny object in his hand climbing through the window; the judge shot and wounded the intruder. Police found a screwdriver in the man's hand. And the judge found a gun lying outside that had apparently been dropped by the would-be burglar. (The Daily News, Philadelphia, Pa. 1/4/90) The armed man who intended to rob a Renton, Wash., gunshop should have been forewarned by the police cruiser he had to walk past to enter the store, and the uniformed officer standing just inside the door. Belatedly noticing the policeman, the would-be robber began shooting at him. The officer and a store clerk armed with a semi-auto pistol returned fire, fatally wounding the man. (The Valley Daily News, Renton, Wash. 2/4/90) Edward Denton of Cleveland, Tenn., heard someone kicking at his front door, and the resident was able to get his handgun before an intruder burst into the home. The 69-year-old homeowner fired on the man, at which point the intruder left the house. Denton went to his bedroom to reload, and his attacker returned to try to enter the bedroom. The elderly resident pointed his gun at the man, who this time decided to flee the home. (The Daily Banner, Cleveland, Tenn. 12/14/89) THE ARMED CITIZEN (From the May "American Rifleman") Mere presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances, as shown by news reports sent to The Armed citizen. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life or limb or, in some circumstances, property. The accounts below are from clippings sent in by NRA Members. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce them. Following a fire at his Houston, Tex., home, Kenneth Root began sleeping in his garage. He was awakened by the sound of someone forcing his garage door late one night, and when three men broke in he was ready. Root, who is paralyzed from the waist down, raised his revolver and fatally shot one of the men, the other two fled. (The Chronicle, Houston, Tex. 1/28/90) Two fishermen were parked on Roberts Island, Calif., when a trio of men drove up and demanded money. After being thrown to the ground by one of the would-be robbers, one fisherman pulled a revolver and fired it into the air. The culprits fled but were soon collared by sheriff's deputies. (The Record, Stockton, Calif. 3/06/90) Hearing screams for help in the early morning hours, two Newport News, Va., citizens came to the assistance of a woman being attacked by a would-be rapist. After being confronted by the first citizen on the scene, the assailant was held at gunpoint by the second neighborhood man to arrive. The 27-year-old suspect was turned over to police and charged with abduction, attempted rape and the use of a gun in a crime. (The Daily Press, Newport News, Va. 11/10/89) A man browsing in Travis Williams' Modesto, Calif., coin shop suddenly pulled a gun and announced a holdup. But just at that moment a customer rattled the shop door, which is kept locked, distracting the would-be robber. Williams was able to draw his own handgun and fire, fatally wounding his assailant. (The Bee, Modesto, Calif. 2/14/90) Hearing footsteps in the middle of the night in his Denver car business, where he also resides, Kendrick Fidler telephoned police, then armed himself with a handgun and investigated. Fidler confronted an intruder and ordered him to lie down. When the man advanced on him, Fidler fired a warning shot. As the man lunged at him, the citizen fired a fatal shot. A second burglar made good his escape. (Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colo. 3/7/90) Pizzeria owner Charles Kendricks, Sr., of Detroit, Mich., vowed he would never let his guard down again after being shot during a robbery back in 1974. When two men ordered subs, brandished a fake handgun and kicked in a door to attack him, Kendricks, 65, fought back with his handgun, forcing his assailants to flee. One of the pair was wounded, the defiant store owner told police. (The Free Press, Detroit, Mich. 1/3 1/90) Awakened about midnight by banging at the front door, Margaret Hilton of Janesville, Calif., found a raging man demanding admittance. As the man continued to threaten the lives of the two women and three children in the home, the women called for help from sheriff's deputies in the county seat 18 miles away. Finally, the man blocked the rear door of the house and slammed himself through the locked front door, where he met four rounds from Hilton's revolver. Arrested at the scene, the woman was held in jail two weeks before her release. The slain man, it turned out, was a twice-convicted burglar who had just completed a prison term and was sought for parole violation. (The Lassen County Times, Susanville, Calif. 3/6/90) While off-duty Portland, Oreg., policewoman Gloria Lewis used a restroom in a highway rest area early in the morning, a man entered, snatched her purse, started to leave, and then approached her. Lewis warned that she had a gun, and the man fled to the parking lot, where he and a second man tried to run down the pursuing officer. Lewis fired one shot, and later that morning a wounded suspect turned up at an area hospital. He was held on earlier warrants and suspicion in other crimes. (The Oregonian, Portland, Oreg. 1/1/90) An ex-convict who strode into 70-year-old Curtis Hamilton's Tulsa home, demanded money and then knocked him down without warning paid with his life. Hamilton, who said the man was a total stranger, pulled a handgun and killed his assailant. Police said the incident was the third in three months in which homeowners had killed intruders. (The World, Tulsa, Okla. 2/28/90) Dr. Dorothy Williams of East Memphis, Tenn., was getting ready to unload groceries from her car when she noticed a man walking up the sidewalk. Suspicious, she went inside, turned on her lights, and retrieved her revolver before returning to her car for the groceries. The man approached, asked directions, and then pulled a knife and took a swipe at the 68-year-old semi-retired teacher. She raised her handgun and shot the attacker, critically wounding him. (The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. 3/11/90) Julie Pollard was asleep on the living room couch of her isolated Battle Ground, Wash., home when she heard her dog barking outside and saw a man walking in front of the house. Later, the dog barked again, and she saw the man shine his flashlight into her son's bedroom. Pollard loaded a rifle and went out to investigate. She confronted the intruder and commanded him not to move. When he turned toward her, Pollard shot and wounded the suspect and then detained him for police. The man was on probation for burglary. (The Reflector, Battle Ground, Wash. 1/30/90) THE ARMED CITIZEN (From the June "American Rifleman") Mere presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances, as shown by news reports sent to The Armed citizen. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life or limb or, in some circumstances, property. The accounts below are from clippings sent in by NRA Members. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce them. A Seattle, Wash., man was riding his bicycle when he saw a group of 20 to 30 young people standing along the street. The bicyclist crossed the street to avoid them, but some of the group pursued and attacked him. They pulled him off the bicycle, knocked him to the ground and continued to beathim. The man drew his registered handgun and shot one of the youths to halt the attack. The wounded attacker, who was identified by police as a teen gang member, fled but was later apprehended by police and charged with assault. (The Times, Seattle, Wash. 4/12/90) Cesar Batalon was willing to give an armed robber the money from the cash register of his Orange County, Calif., service station. But the man demanded the keys to the safe, and Batalon didn't have them and feared the robber wouldn't believe him. Instead, the station owner drew his own handgun and shot the robber. The suspect was soon arrested at another gas station,. where he collapsed from his wound. (The Daily News, Woodland, Hills, Calif. 4/9/90) A Salineno, Tex., woman was alone with her two young daughters when a man attempted to gain entry to the home during the early moming hours. Failing to enter the front door, the burglar began to crawl through a window when the woman fired a shotgun, mortally wounding him. (The Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Tex. 4/7/90) Edward Tounjian heard yelling outside his Fontana, Calif., home and went outside to check his vehicles. Suddenly an angry neighbor started yelling at him and fired a shot in the air. Tounjian retreated to his home and armed himself. The neighbor followed Tounjian into his home armed with a bowie knife and handgun. After the man ignored orders to stop and drop his weapons, Tounjian shot and killed him. (The Daily ReportlProgress Bulletin, Ontario, Calif. 3/24/90) Betty Quinn was in bed with her husband in their Bradenton, Fla., mobile home when she heard noises and found a man stealing the family VCR. She returned to the bedroom to wake her husband, who armed himself with a handgun and ordered the burglar to the floor. The man refused and moved toward the kitchen, where Mrs. Quinn was calling police, so Quinn shot and wounded him. Taken into custody by sheriff's deputies, the man awaited charges. (The Herald, Bradenton, Fla. 4/6/90) Sitting in his Bonnyman, Ky., home, 80-year-old Charles McIntosh heard the burglar alarm sound in his daughter's home next door. While investigating, the armed McIntosh was attacked by a 33-year-old intruder but managed to fatally shoot him. (The Herald-Leader, Lexington, Ky. 3/16/90) John Nieves was tending bar in Philadelphia when six robbers came in shooting. The intruders shot a customer in the face and then held a shotgun to Nieve's face. Knocking away the gun, Nieves came up firing with a handgun he had purchased that moming, killing one robber and wounding another. The remainder fled, with a third apprehended later by lawmen. (The Daily News, Philadelphia, Pa. 4/11/90) When Cora Moore of Chattanooga, Tenn., was awakened by noises outside her front door late at night, she found a man trying to break down her front door with a piece of outdoor fumiture. When the man broke in and struck the 70-year-old woman, she managed to retrieve a handgun and fire twice, wounding her assailant. The man fled but was soon apprehended by police. (The Times, Chattanooga, Tenn. 3/1/90) Although 90-year-old Gena Scarborough owns a couple of guns, she borrowed a neighbor's revolver when the neighbor reported someone breaking into one of Scarborough's rental properties. Scarborough waited, and when a man came out carrying a stereo and speakers, she detained him until police arrived. (The Times, Dallas, Tex. 4/6/90) A Salem Township, Mich., couple was awakened by a man who entered their bedroom armed with knives in both hands. The homeowner pushed his woman companion from the room, shutting himself in with the intruder. The woman promptly returned with a shotgun and ordered the stranger to drop his knives. While she covered the man, her companion loaded a second shotgun to hold the would-be robber for sheriff's deputies. (The News, Ann Arbor, Mich. 4/14/90) Lois Titchnell was working behind the counter at her Clarksburg, W.Va., grocery when a man walked in, placed a six pack of beer on the counter, pulled a gun and demanded money from the cash register. Titchnell responded with her own revolver, prompting the would-be robber to flee the store. Titchnell got the license number of the robber and his companion, and the pair was promptly collared by the local police chief and a sheriff's deputy. The pair was charged, as well, with another armed robbery the previous day. (The Gazette, Charleston, W.Va. 4/11/90) Cuogn Nguyen was in his Westminster, Calif., restaurant when three men entered, threatened him with a sharp weapon and demanded money from the cash register. Nguyen, 53, pulled a pistol and shot one of the robbers, killing him. The other suspects were arrested by police outside the restaurant. (The Orange County Register, Santa Ana, Calif. 4/16/90) ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan site by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)