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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, June 1992 Vincent McCarthy wasn't afraid to lend a hand when he noticed a police officer struggling with a couple at the side of the road. He tried to help subdue the man, who was kicking the officer in the face. Despite McCarthy's warnings, when the man pressed his assault, the tour boat captain shot him once in the leg with a .25 automatic he is licensed to carry and stopped the attack. Neither the officer nor McCarthy were seriously injured in the fracas. (The Daily Commercial<D>, Leesburg, Fla., 4/10/92) T.J. Namen credits his insomnia with helping him nab two teens who were breaking into cars in the parking lot of the Anchorage, Alaska, apartment building he manages. Getting a .22 and sneaking outside after noticing the two, Namen waited until he heard breaking glass, then jumped up, announced that he was armed and held the pair for police. (The Daily News<D>, Anchorage, Alaska, 3/31/92) Jack Arnold, 81, thought he had escaped the gang violence of his North Richmond, Calif., home, when he moved into his motor home and parked it outside of the city. He was apparently the target of random violence, however, when a man carrying a knife burst through the door one evening. After being threatened, struck and shoved around, Arnold grabbed a 12-ga. and killed the intruder with a single blast. (The Daily Ledger/Post Dispatch<D>, Pittsburg, Calif., 3/5/92) Peter DelFranco, owner of a Bridgeport, Conn., pizza shop, ordered a man out of the store after he tried to get change for a roll of "dimes" actually containing pennies. Instead of leaving, the man stepped behind the counter, feigned having a gun and started taking money from the cash register. DelFranco fired a single shot from his pistol, putting the man to flight. A wounded suspect was found nearby. (The Post<D>, Bridgeport, Conn., 1/15/92) A would-be armed robber found it never pays to bring a knife to a gunfight when he vaulted a counter of Walter Krasowski's Chicago coin shop and slashed him with a butcher's knife. Krasowski pulled a .45 revolver, fired and wounded his assailant twice. The man fled, with Krasowski in pursuit. Police found the man lying in the street, with Krasowski holding him at gunpoint. (The Daily Southtown Economist<D>, Chicago, Ill., 3/20/92) Mike Court was finishing his day's work by making a bank run for the Tampa, Fla., store where he works. As he prepared to make the deposit, a robber stepped up and demanded the money. Instead, Court pulled his own .380 and, after a short discussion, the two began to shoot it out. The exchange ended when Court wounded the criminal. "If I'd given him the money, who's to say he wouldn't have shot me anyway," Court pondered. (The Times<D>, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2/20/92) Apparently intent on burglary, two hoods cut the phone lines to Floris Gold's Cape Ferrelo, Oreg., home. They were busy forcing their way into the basement when confronted by the 72-year-old-homeowner, fleeing when they noticed she was carrying a shotgun. One fired a shot as he was running--missing Gold--which earned him a charge of attempted murder when police caught up with him and his accomplice a short time later. (The Curry Costal Pilot<D>, Brookings, Oreg., 2/12/92) Increased crime prompted Angelo Accurso to get a permit to keep a gun in his Buffalo, N.Y., market. He put it to good use when a man walked in one morning and began to beat him with a piece of pipe. Although seriously injured, Accurso managed to pull his pistol and loosed several shots. Severely wounded, Accurso's attacker staggered from the store and collapsed on the street. (The News<D>, Buffalo, N.Y., 4/3/92) After entering through an unlocked back door of an Alcolu, S.C., woman's home, the man put an extension cord around the woman's neck and told her not to scream. Thinking quickly, the woman fell to the floor and grabbed a rifle kept under the couch, prompting her attacker to flee. (The Item<D>, Sumter, S.C., 2/8/92) Even though Pizza Hut has a policy against drivers carrying firearms, a Pensacola, Fla., delivery man decided his own safety was more important than company policy and took his pistol with him. He needed it one evening when three criminals tried to rob him. Making the delivery, the man decided he didn't like what he saw. Telling the trio he was getting their drinks, he instead got his 9 mm. When one of the group yelled "Die!" and fired a shot, the delivery man ducked behind his car and returned fire, driving them away. A company official later said the man would keep his job. (The News Journal<D>, Pensacola, Fla., 1/29/92) James Summey of Lincolnton, N.C., got the drop on two men who had broken into his son's home and was holding them at gunpoint while his wife phoned police. He almost made a fatal mistake, however, when he agreed to let one of the housebreakers get a cigarette. Instead of tobacco, the man came up with a .25 auto and fired several shots at Summey; all missed. Summey returned fire with his .44 Mag., prompting the gunman to cease hostilities and wait quietly for police. His accomplice fled, but turned himself into soon after. "If Mr. Summey had wanted to harm one of them, he could have really done it," a detective later said. (The Lincoln Times-News, Lincolnton, N.C., 2/19/92) Armed Citizen, July 1992 David Shanley was content to let the two men who taken money from the register of his liquor store flee until one pulled a gun and threatened to kill him. When that happened, Shanley, a former New York City police officer, drew his own gun and opened fire, wounding both robbers. Both fled but were apprehended by police while seeking medical treatment for their wounds. (Newsday<D>, Long Island, N.Y., 4/10/92) When his stepfather began beating a 16-year-old Kalispell, Mont., youth's mother, the boy ordered him to stop. When the man--who had a history of alcohol-induced attacks against the family--continued his attack, the teen got a rifle and shot the man once, killing him. "The boy clearly was justifiably concerned about the welfare of his mother and younger brother and sister when he shot," said the county attorney. "I am convinced he prevented serious injury or deaths with what he did." (The Daily Inter Lake<D>, Kalispell, Mont., 2/21/92) Six burglaries in one week were enough for Todd Bridges, the manager of several Wichita, Kans., muffler shops. Armed with his AR-15, he found his late-night stakeout rewarded when a man broke into the shop early one morning. Bridges ordered the man to halt, but when the burglar began running towards some storage racks at the back of the shop, fired three shots, hitting him once. "I didn't want him to get back there and start taking shots at me," said Bridges. (The Eagle<D>, Wichita, Kans., 3/27/92) Wearing a mask and armed with a sawed-off shotgun, a man bent on robbery entered Reid's Mart in Hubert, N.C., just as owner Steve Reid was closing for the night. Reid at first thought it was a joke, but when it became evident that the gunman meant business, Reid pulled his 9 mm from his back pocket and fired a single shot, striking the crook in the chest, killing him. (The Daily News<D>, Jacksonville, N.C., 3/25/92) Answering a knock at the door early one morning, Leon Peterson of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, found no one there. When the knocking continued on another door to the home, Peterson got his pistol. When he opened the door, several teenagers crashed in, one swinging a baseball bat. After issuing several warnings, Peterson unleashed several shots, killing the bat-wielding intruder. Police said Peterson was justified in shooting the intruder and arrested several suspects, including Peterson's estranged wife, alleging she hired the youths to burglarize the home and retrieve the couple's daughter. (The Deseret News<D>, Salt Lake City, Utah, 4/15/92) Napping in her rural Mission, Tex., home with her two children, Vanessa Cooper heard a car pull up, and, looking out the window, saw an unfamiliar car in the driveway. Fearing for the safety of her children, Cooper picked up a pistol and went to investigate. She found a man in the living room, and when he ignored her questions on why he was there and lunged at her, Cooper fired, killing the intruder. (The Valley Morning Star<D>, Harlingen, Tex., 3/13/92) Faced with a semi-auto held by a man demanding money, the clerk of a Terrytown, La., convenience store handed over the money from the cash register, but then pulled a .357 Mag. revolver and fired three times, killing the would-be robber. Police anticipated no charges against the clerk, saying "(he) was definitely in fear of his life." (The Times-Picayune<D>, New Orleans, La., 2/6/92) Covering the rioting in Atlanta, Ga., that followed the Rodney King jury verdict in Los Angeles, a TV-news team found themselves the targets of the mob. They were rescued, however, when Garnett Sumpter, the husband of one of their coworkers, happened onto the scene. Drawing his licensed pistol, Sumpter convinced the mob to go elsewhere. (The Journal-Constitution<D>, Atlanta, Ga., 5/5/92) Out jogging one morning, a Silver Spring, Md., woman was grabbed from behind and wrestled to a secluded spot. Once there, a teenager tried to rape the woman, but she fought back and managed to escape when her assailant slipped and fell. The woman flagged a ride home and told her husband, who grabbed a gun and jumped into his car. The man spotted the would-be-rapist near the assault scene and held him for police. (The Montgomery Journal<D>, Rockville, Md., 5/13/92) Odell Smith, Jr., a Birmingham, Ala., cabbie, picked up two men who turned out to be armed robbers. When the man in the back seat held a gun to his head and demanded money, Smith instead grabbed his .38, spun in the driver's seat and fired three shots. All three connected, killing the gunman. Smith then shot and wounded the gunman's accomplice. "What I did was in self-defense," Smith said. (The News<D>, Birmingham, Ala., 4/10/92) Ron Simpson carries a gun on the job as a midnight-shift service station attendant in Aurora, Ill. He needed it recently--the third time in 18 months--when a man walked in, pretended to have a gun and demanded money from the register. When the robber dropped his guard, however, Simpson pulled his 9 mm pistol and held him for police. "The gun's not there to protect the store; it's purely to protect me," Simpson said. (The Beacon<D>, Aurora, Ill., 4/23/92) Wallace Miller's wife roused him early one morning when she heard someone talking inside their Cross Lanes, W. Va., home. Getting a pistol and investigating, Miller found an armed man standing in the kitchen. Miller first fired a warning shot, but when the intruder fired a blast from the shotgun he was carrying, Miller shot the man and drove him from the home. A wounded suspect later checked into a local hospital. (The Daily Mail<D>, Charleston, W. Va., 2/25/92) The Armed Citizen, August 1992 Witnessing two women being repeatedly stabbed in front of his bicycle shop in Baltimore, Md., Sandy Mandel grabbed his licensed .45 and went to intervene. He chased the knife-wielding assailant for a block, but when the attacker turned and raised his knife, Mandel fired a single shot, wounding him. (The Sun<D>, Baltimore, Md., 5/15/92) After finding money missing from her Kennewick, Wash., tavern, Carol Mae Hodgins decided to start spending the nights in the business. Alerted when the phone began to ring early one morning, Hodgins and a friend--both armed with .357s--were ready when a former employee drove up and used a key to open the door. When he took money from several games in the bar, Hodgins--a former security guard--used her gun and a drop kick to hold him for police. (The Tri-Cities Herald<D>, Kennewick, Wash., 4/11/92) His wife awakened by the sound of breaking glass outside their Arlington, Tex., apartment, NRA member Jim Newton grabbed his AR-15. Outside he found two men trying to steal his wife's car. Newton returned fire when one man shot at him, killing the gunman and putting his accomplice to flight. "It appears that he was definitely in fear of his life and that he fired in self-defense," a police detective said. A handgun found near the dead man had been fired twice, police said. (The Star-Telegram<D>, Ft. Worth, Tex., 5/14/92) Stalking his former girlfriend was a fatal mistake for a Memphis, Tenn., man after he kicked his way into her home for a second time in eight months. Not finding the woman at home, the he stabbed her mother and Donzale Shelby, a family friend, with a kitchen knife. Although wounded, Shelby grabbed a gun and shot his attacker once in the chest, mortally wounding him. (The Commercial Appeal<D>, Memphis, Tenn., 5/30/92) A convicted felon with a long police record pushed his luck too far when he attempted to rob the Charleston, S.C., area nightclub managed by Paul Thomas. Thomas and a female employee were locking up for the night when the armed robber grabbed the woman, held a gun to her head and forced them back inside. Playing for time, Thomas feigned a breathing problem, and when the gunman lowered his gun, Thomas whipped out a pistol and fired several shots, killing the man. (The Post and Courier<D>, Charleston, S.C., 4/14/92) Delivering pizzas in Syracuse, N.Y., early one morning, John MacDonald was accosted by two men who tried to steal the pies. MacDonald tried to keep hold of the pizza bag, but when one of the pair attacked him with a broomhandle, MacDonald let go of the bag and drew his pistol. One man fled with the pizzas, but MacDonald gave the other a ride to the police station in his delivery car. He is licensed to carry, police said. (The Herald American<D>, Syracuse, N.Y., 4/19/92) Araina Thompson, beaten repeatedly by her former boyfriend, knew a court order would not keep her safe when he was released from jail, so she took the precaution of buying a pistol. When he showed up at her Bensalem, Pa., apartment--violating the court order for the third time--and began to beat her, Thompson got her pistol and fired, killing the man. (The Trentonian<D>, Trenton, N.J., 4/25/92) Victimized by two previous burglaries at his Newport News, Va., home, Jonas Norris evened the score when the man returned for a third try. After entering the home via a window, the burglar's movements woke Norris, who fired several shots at him. The man fled, but a wounded suspect was apprehended while seeking medical treatment. (The Daily Press<D>, Newport News, Va., 4/23/92) Hearing screams near their Maple Rapids, Mich., home, Louis and Cindy Ward investigated and found a large dog attacking an 11-year-old neighbor. As Cindy calmed the girl and distracted the dog into ceasing its attack, Louis grabbed a shotgun. Hoping to draw the animal away, Louis picked up a stick and threw it, but when the dog came after him, Ward shot and killed it. Police credited Ward's actions with saving the girl's life. (The State Journal<D>, Lansing, Mich., 4/19/92) Driving to work, Macon, Ga., resident Joe Moody saw a couple who manage a local grocery being robbed by three armed, masked men. He paused nearby to tell a security guard to call police, then, with his .44 Mag., returned to the store. Gun in hand, he hopped out of his truck and ordered the trio of thugs to scram. They took the hint and fled. Police later arrested several suspects, all convicted felons. (The Telegraph<D>, Macon, Ga., 4/21/92) Mark Rigas was in his Waldoboro, Maine, pizza shop one evening when a man walked in, waved a gun around and demanded money. Instead of complying, Rigas pulled his own gun--which he keeps in the shop forjust such an occasion--and called police. The would-be robber fled while Rigas was on the phone, but a suspect was soon arrested. "I work took hard for my money to let some guy rob me," said Rigas. (The Courier-Gazette<D>, Rockland, Maine, 4/23/92) Believing the burglars who took more than $20,000 in tools and motorcycles from his motorcycle shop in Jeffersonville, Ky., would return, Jim Beatty armed himself with a shotgun and waited. When two men broke in, Beatty forced them from the shop with several blasts. "They're greedy," said Beatty. "That's the worst kind of criminal." (The Courier-Journal<D>, Louisville, Ky., 3/17/92) The Armed Citizen, September 1992 David Plasters, a city councilman in Greeley, Colo., picked up his 9 mm and went to investigate when he heard noises at the rear of his home at 2:30 a.m. In the kitchen Plasters found a man entering through a window. Plasters ordered him to freeze, but the intruder ran through the house and out another window and escaped. (The Rocky Mountain News<D>, Denver, Colo., 6/17/92) Two burglars casing a Wichita, Kans., residential area made the wrong choice when they broke into a home occupied by a woman and her great-grandmother. The two fled the house and went to a neighbor's home. The neighbor grabbed his .357, interrupted the burglary and ordered the pair to surrender. They instead jumped in their car and fled as the neighbor fired six shots at them. Responding police soon arrested one suspect and recovered a large cache of stolen property. (The Eagle<D>, Wichita, Kans., 5/14/92) Kouman Lee was behind the counter of his Fontana, Calif., store when an armed robber came in and demanded money. As the man took money from the register, Lee, the victim of several previous robberies, was able to reach a gun kept behind the counter and fired, hitting the robber. The wounded criminal fled, but was found at a local hospital. (The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin<D>, Ontario, Calif., 5/27/92) Noticing his girlfriend's garage in disarray, Lithonia, Ga., resident Orlando Sheppard got a pistol out of his truck. When he walked inside the house, he found two men there, one armed with a handgun. Both Sheppard and the intruder fired; the gunman--owner of several felony raps--was mortally wounded, Sheppard, his girlfriend and her son escaped uninjured. The accomplice escaped. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<D>, 6/10/92) Hearing glass breaking in his 75-year-old neighbor's backyard, Leonard Carralero, Jr., of Miami, Fla., got his shotgun, investigated and found an intruder attempting to break into the woman's house. The stranger sprinted away, but Carralero caught up with him on the front yard. Carralero, thinking the man was reaching for what appeared to be a gun under his clothes, fired a single blast and mortally wounded the would-be burglar. Police said the dead man had a police record and history of mental illness. (The Herald<D>, Miami, Fla., 4/18/92) Answering the phone at 3 a.m., Bill Gross of Phoenix, Ariz., heard his next-door neighbor on the line, telling him someone was breaking into her apartment. Gross armed himself with a semi-auto, went outside and found a man trying to open the woman's front window. Gross ordered him to stop, but when the man turned and charged, he fired a shot which wounded the intruder. Police said wounded man would be charged after being released from the hospital. (The Arizona Republic<D>, Phoenix, Ariz., 4/30/92) Stopped for a red light, Laura Huntington of Woodstock, Ga., suddenly found herself with an extra passenger in the car--a man holding a razor to her throat. Following his directions, Huntington stopped the car on command, and seizing the moment, pulled her revolver. Her assailant wisely decided to flee. "I had already made up my mind I was going to use it," she said. (The Daily Journal<D>, Marietta, Ga., 6/4/92) Pensacola, Fla., area resident Jack Taylor was helping a friend fix his car when the pair was attacked by a man wielding a tree limb. Struck from behind, Taylor, a former deputy sheriff, pulled a pistol from his back pocket and shot at his attacker. The man and an accomplice fled, but a wounded suspect and a juvenile were later caught. (The News Journal<D>, Pensacola, Fla., 6/12/92) Walking through the woods in a state park in Wenatchee, Wash., Michael Vanney was horrified to see a cougar pounce on his five-year-old daughter Jessica. Armed only with a hunting knife, Vanney yelled for his wife to bring a handgun, then jumped on the cat, knocking it off the girl. When his wife arrived with the gun, Vanney fired two shots, treeing the cat, which was later captured and held in quarantine. Jessica suffered only minor scrapes in the attack, according to an Associated Press report. (The Tribune<D>, Salt Lake City, Utah, 6/24/92) A vow of vengeance led only to a gunshot wound for a Houston, Tex., man after he stalked a female former coworker for six months. The woman, who had filed several complaints with police, was in a grocery store parking lot when the stalker jumped into her car and tried to abduct her. When he did, the woman pulled a gun and fired, wounding him twice. (The Post<D>, Houston, Tex., 6/3/92) Gary Edge of Woodruff, S.C., tucked a pistol in the waistband of his pants when a smalltime criminal fleeing from police started pounding on the door to his home, demanding to use the phone. When Edge opened the door slightly to hand out a portable phone, the man forced his way inside and began to threaten Edge with a metal bar. Knocked off balance, Edge managed to pull his gun and fire, mortally wounding his assailant. (The Herald-Journal<D>, Spartanburg, S.C., 5/11/92) Beth Smith of Hartselle, Ala., grabbed her pistol when her grandmother burst into the house, saying two men had invaded her home next door. In pursuit of the fleeing pair, Smith fired a warning shot, prompting one to drop to the gound. Smith held him for police. (The News Journal, Pensacola, Fla., 6/11/92) The Armed Citizen, October 1992 Asleep in the apartment above his Brooklyn, N.Y., auto shop, Ezekial Witherspoon grabbed his licensed 9 mm when he heard the sounds of forced entry in the business. In the confrontation that followed, Witherspoon shot and mortally wounded an intruder who had gained entry to the shop by smashing a window. Police didn't charge Witherspoon, saying the shooting appeared justified. (Newsday<D>, New York, N.Y., 7/15/92) John Gibbs, a Jacksonville, Fla., volunteer reserve police officer, was using a car wash early one morning when a car with three men in it drove up and stopped nearby. When one of the occupants jumped out and pulled a gun, Gibbs countered with his own gun. In the short fight that ensued, Gibbs escaped harm while mortally wounding his assailant. The accomplices fled. Police said Gibbs apparently acted properly in shooting the man. (The Florida Times-Union<D>, Jacksonville, Fla., 7/20/92) James Eldridge heard glass shattering and looked out his house window to see two men in his carry-out store lot. When one got a pillow case out of a car and the pair started for the store's front door, Eldridge got his shotgun and confronted them. One would-be burglar fled, but the store owner held the other until police came. (The News-Sun<D>, Springfield, Ohio, 7/13/92) Timothy Riley, a resident of Green, Ohio, is very popular with his neighbor. Hearing glass breaking next door, Riley armed himself with a shotgun and confronted two housebreakers. The pair ran back inside, but surrendered when Riley ordered them out. Riley held them at gunpoint for police. "When those burglars saw the barrel of my shotgun, they laid down on the ground and got real peaceful." (The Beacon Journal<D>, Akron, Ohio, 6/9/92) An armed robber had successfully hit Kep Van Dang'sPensacola, Fla., twice in a week, but pressed his luck too far when he tried a third time. Dang got a pistol after the second robbery, in which the criminal threatened to come back. When the robber returned and pointed a gun at Dang and a clerk, the storekeeper pulled his new .38 and fired several shots, halting the robbery and driving the man from the store. Police, found a wounded suspect several blocks away, said Dang would not be charged. "We're going to keep that gun, it's our protection," said Dang through an interpreter. (The News-Journal<D>, Pensacola, Fla., 7/5/92) Shoved aside by a strongarm thief who vaulted the counter and began looting the till, the clerk of a Bristol, Pa., convenience store simply pulled his licensed revolver and fired a single shot. The blast had the desired effect, driving the man from the store. (The Times<D>, Trenton, N.J., 7/28/92) Watching a house for a friend, Arthur and Annie Brown of Greenville, S.C., were ready when they found a trio of teenagers while checking the home. Noticing items out of place when they entered, the Browns had their pistols ready when they confronted the intruders, Mrs. Brown, 73, fired a warning shot from her gun, and together with her husband held the three for police. "We both got our pistols because of previous break-ins," she told police. (The Piedomont<D>, Greenville, S.C., 6/11/92) Feeling uneasy about her only customer, a lone Palmdale, Calif., store clerk put herself with easy reach of the revolver she keeps in the store for protection. When the man exposed himself and threatened to rape her. The clerk responded by firing a single shot from her .357 Mag., prompting the criminal to flee the store. (The Antelope Valley Press<D>, Palmdale, Calif., 7/10/92) The owner of a lunch truck gave the burglar a chance to leave, but when the thief wouldn't comply, the Elizabeth, N.J. truck owner retrieved a shotgun, only to be confronted by the intruder carrying machete. After a warning shot had no effect, the truck owner fired a blast that put the man to flight. Police arrested a wounded suspect two blocks away. (The Star-Ledger<D>, Newark, N.J., 6/5/92) A would-be robber paid with his life when he tried the ultimate in stupid stunts--robbing a gun store at knife point. Edward Sarhan was working in the Miami, Fla., area shop when the man entered and demanded money. As employee Tony Milan wrestled with the knife-wielding assailant, Sarhan drew his .38 revolver and shot the man three times, killing him. (The Herald<D>, Miami, Fla., 6/9/92) Two self-described "feisty" senior citizens were more than a match for an armed intruder who entered their Ambridge, Pa., home, apparently intent on burglary. As the crook pointed a pistol at her, Jean Hankinson screamed for husband Melvin to get the shotgun. As Melvin grabbed for his scattergun, the thief ran downstairs and dove through a window. Police said he apparently took a set of car keys and the next night tried to take the Hankinson's car, but was again driven off. (The Beaver County Times<D>, Beaver, Pa., 7/13/92) When his dogs interrupted his morning shave, Tom Fletcher looked outside to see a man hiding behind a peach tree in his Juliette, Ga. yard. Fearing the man was a wanted fugitive, Fletcher, 76, picked up his pistol, went outside and captured the stranger. It turned out the man was wanted for the throat-slashing murder of a woman during a burglary and the stabbing of a motorist. (The Telegraph<D>, Macon, Ga., 7/5/92) The Armed Citizen, November 1992 A pair of Las Vegas, Nev., carjackers learned that it's hard to practice your profession when the chosen victims are also armed. The pair approached a car parked outside a pizza shop, drew guns and announced the robbery, but the car's two occupants drew their own guns and opened fire. The two would-be robbers fled, but a wounded suspect and an accomplice were apprehended shortly after. (The Review-Journal<D>, Las Vegas, Nev., 8/18/92) Hearing suspicious noises outside his home early one morning, a West Goshen, Pa., homeowner--already on alert after his car had been stolen two months earlier--picked up his 9 mm pistol and investigated. Outside he found two men loading his gas grill into their car. He ordered them to stop and held them at gunpoint for police. (The Daily Local News<D>, West Chester, Pa., 9/1/92) Working outside his father-in-law's restaurant, a Tacoma, Wash., man was informed by his wife that a group of armed and unruly teens was causing a disturbance in the eatery. When the group moved outside and one member threatened the Tacoman with a bottle, he fired a single shot from his pistol, wounding his attacker and halting the disturbance. The wounded man faces several charges, police said. (The Morning News Tribune<D>, Tacoma, Wash., 7/29/92) Feeling sympathy for an acquaintance with a hard-luck story, Gary Melton loaned the man $50. The man returned to Melton's store the next day, but not to repay the loan. Threatening Melton--who is confined to a wheelchair--with a letter opener, the man demanded more money. Instead of complying, Melton pulled his pistol and shot the man to death. Police said the slaying was justified. (The Times Dispatch<D>, Richmond, Va., 8/28/92) William Stubbs was in his Hallsboro, N.C., store when a man walked in and started to beat him with a club. Stubbs feigned unconsciousness until his wife, hearing the commotion, walked in and was attacked. Stubbs--who suffered several broken bones and cuts in the attack--grabbed a pistol from a drawer and shot the man several times, killing him. Stubbs' wife was also badly beaten in the attack. (The Sunday Star-News<D>, Wilmington, N.C., 6/28/92) After successfully fighting off a would-be rapist while walking her dog, a Murray, Utah, woman, enraged over the incident, retrieved a pistol from her home and went hunting for the man. Finding him attempting to hitch a ride, she held him at gunpoint until a passing motorist called police. (The Tribune<D>, Salt Lake City, Utah, 8/6/92) Stopped at a highway rest stop, Ray Cage of Justin, Tex., was returning to his truck when he was approached by two men. When one flashed a gun and ordered him out of the truck, Cage instead came up with his own gun and exchanged shots with the duo. Although wounded in the hip, Cage drove his attackers off. Two suspects were later apprehended. (The Citizen<D>, Keller, Tex., 8/4/92) Charleston, S.C., resident Theodore Palmer returned home from work early one morning only to find a stranger in his bedroom. Queried as to what he wanted, the man instead advanced on Palmer, who retreated to the hallway and grabbed a rifle he keeps there. In a brief struggle for control of the gun, Palmer shot the intruder several times. He fled, but a wounded suspect was later apprehended. A police officer said burglars should consider being shot . . . "an occupational hazard." (The Post & Courier<D>, Charleston, S.C., 8/27/92) A Eufaula, Okla., store clerk stocking a cooler was confronted by one of two men who entering the store and turned to find the second man, his pants down, behind her. The clerk threw a case of beer at the second man and ran behind the store's counter with both men in pursuit. She got to a pistol kept in a drawer, however, and drove the men from the premises without firing a shot. (The News-Capital & Democrat<D>, McAlester, Okla., 7/27/92) Talking with several friends outside a York, Pa., restaurant, Barb Wallace was shocked to see one of her party randomly attacked. The two men sparred, but Wallace's friend was knocked to the ground and kicked, his cheekbone crushed. When the attacker turned his attention to Wallace--a prison guard--she pulled her revolver. The man fled. (The Daily Record<D>, York, Pa., 8/10/92) Robbed at gun point, Dayton, Ohio, pizza-delivery man William Armour decided he should carry a gun on the job. After delivering a pizza, Armour was sitting in his car when a man approached and put a pistol to his head. Reacting quickly, Armour grabbed his own pistol and fired a single shot, mortally wounding the would-be robber. Domino's Pizza, citing company policy forbidding drivers to carry guns, fired Armour. (The Daily News<D>, Dayton, Ohio, 7/28/92) A history of domestic violence by a Mississippi man against his wife ended when he was shot to death by his son. When the man came home drunk and started to beat his wife with a baseball bat, Chris Cayson of Plantersville, Miss., grabbed a rifle and fired four times, killing his father. Police, citing a history of abuse, said Cayson's actions saved his mother from serious injury or death. (The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal<D>, Tupelo, Miss., 6/10/92) The Armed Citizen, December 1992 "I suppose it was silly, but I was worried about my cats," said Corydon, Ind., resident Mary Setzer after she foiled a burglary at her home. Alerted to the break-in by a friend, Setzer arrived home to find the basement door forced open. Stopping in her bedroom to retrieve her revolver, Setzer found two teenagers in her basement and held them for police. Setzer immediately purchased a shotgun, saying "A pump gun makes a noise when you load the chamber. Most people, when they hear that, they're not going to hang around." (The Courier Journal<D>, Louisville, Ky., 6/2/92) World War II veteran William Marisak's best war story comes from the war against crime. While he was tending bar at his Brooklyn tavern, four armed robbers burst in and shot him twice Marisak responded with his licensed .380, wounding one of the gunmen and putting the others to flight. "If I didn't have a gun, all of us would have been dead," he said. (Newsday<D>, New York, N.Y., 9/13/92) Panagiotis "Pete" Ioannidis thought he had left violence behind him when he moved from his native Greece--where he fought Nazis and Communists--to Providence, R.I. He was forced to take up arms again, however, when a man walked into his store and pressed a knife to his wife's throat and demanded money. Hearing her yell, Ioannidis emerged from a back room, pulled his pistol and fired three shots, mortally wounding the robber. (The Journal-Bulletin<D>, Providence, R.I., 9/29/92) A trio of strongarm robbers demanded money from James Tibbs and his son. When the Pueblo, Colo. residents refused, the crooks started throwing punches. The elder Tibbs pulled a pistol from his pocket and fired a warning shot, then fired for effect, when the criminals persisted, wounding two. (The Chieftain<D>, Pueblo, Colo., 8/2/92) Benny Taylor of Anniston, Ala., and his wife had been terrorized for years by a thug who regularly stole their Social Security money. When the criminal's attacks became increasingly violent, Taylor finally accepted the loan of a .38 from a friend. When the man showed up at the house again and kicked through the door, Taylor fired twice, killing him. "I didn't know what else to do," Taylor said. "This is my home." (The Star<D>, Anniston, Ala., 9/9/92) Clint Reynolds' uncle was trying to fend off a 600-lb. grizzly with a rifle butt as it tried to climb through a window of the family's Central, Alaska, home. Reynolds, 14, loaded his .357 Mag. revolver and rushed to the rescue, firing 15 shots at the bear. Seven struck home, mortally wounding the marauding bruin. (The Daily News-Miner<D>, Fairbanks, Alaska, 7/22/92) A former boxer writing a crime novel did some first-hand research when he stopped a burglary in a crowded North Hollywood, Calif., coffee shop. A regular at the shop, Randy Shields was working on the story when two armed robbers burst in and fired several shots. Slightly wounded as he crawled behind a table, he came up firing when he heard the bandits threaten to kill customers and employees. In the ensuing battle, Shields chased the men from the store. Two wounded suspects were later apprehended. (The Mercury News<D>, San Jose, Calif., 9/21/92) Steve Cartier thought he'd subdued a deranged intruder with his 9 mm pistol, but when his wife phoned Battle Ground, Oreg., police, the housebreaker lunged at her. After scuffling with the man, who ignored two warning shots, Cartier shot and killed him. The county prosecutor said he expected no charges to be filed against the homeowner. (The Oregonian<D>, Portland, Oreg., 8/14/92) After losing nearly everything to Hurricane Andrew, Dade County, Fla., resident Bart Sanfillipo was serious when he put a sign in his front yard warning looters he would shoot. Sanfillipo, his wife and an insurance adjuster were tallying the damage when an armed bandit leaped from a van and fired a shotgun blast over their heads. Sanfillipo responded with his .44, hitting the criminal in the head at 30 ft. "Score one for the good guys," a police detective said of the incident. (The Sun-Sentinel<D>, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 9/14/92) A Yonkers, N.Y., woman demurred when a strongarm robber demanded her purse as she was making a call at a public phone. She instead reached in the purse and came up with her licensed .38. The criminal fled empty-handed. (The Herald Statesman<D>, Yonkers, N.Y., 8/6/92) A semi-automatic pistol provided the protection the police couldn't for a New Orleans, La., area woman. After calling police to report a prowler outside her home, the woman got a pistol, and when the intruder crept through the front door, she shot him once in the neck, putting him to flight. A wounded suspect was apprehended minutes later. (The Times-Picayune<D>, New Orleans, La., 7/22/92) An Upper Marlboro, Md., homeowner warned the intruder he was armed. But the housebreaker ignored the warning and charged up the stairs. The householder opened up with a .38 and killed him. (The Times<D>, Washington, D.C., 9/2/92) Two would-be burglars made a big blunder when they woke up the owner of a Mechanicsville, Md., home. When one shined a flashlight into the face of the sleeping 71-year-old man, he grabbed his shotgun and chased the duo from the home with several blasts. (The Enterprise<D>, Lexington Park, Md., 8/21/92) The Armed Citizen, January 1993 "I'm not the guy to shoot someone, but when a guy comes after you with an 18" pizza knife, you have to do something," said Brockton, Mass., restauranteur George Mouraditis. The pizza maker grabbed his licensed pistol and went to investigate when he heard breaking glass, and opened fire when the burglar brandished a knife. Police said the incident was a clear case of self defense and mounted a search for the wounded criminal. (The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass., 9/18/92) When a criminal quartet drew weapons and announced a robbery, Dorchester, Mass. storekeeper Paul Doung pulled two licensed semi-autos and, in a furious exchange, wounded one thug and drove all four from the store. After reviewing surveillance videotape, police ruled Doung legally defended himself and would face no charges. (The Globe<D>, Boston, Mass., 8/18/92) Working on his truck on a Sunday evening, Sammy Creech of Ruston, La., was looking across the street when he saw two male teenagers grab and elderly woman's purse. The duo jumped into a car--occupied by two female youths--and took off, with Creech in hot pursuit. The driver of the car eventually lost control and crashed into a parked car. Creech walked up to the car, but when he saw a gun on the floorboards, retreated to his truck, got a .38 and ordered the foursome, all runaways from New York, to wait for police. (The Daily Leader<D>, Ruston, La., 10/5/92) Answering a knock to the door of his Harrisburg, Pa., apartment, Tony Thompson was greeted by a man brandishing a gun. During the ensuing struggle between the homeowner and the masked gunman, Thompson was shot in the arm but managed to get his own gun and fire, killing his attacker. (The Evening News<D>, Harrisburg, Pa., 10/27/92) Supposedly looking for his keys, a man convinced Gary Harr, manager of a Mapleton, Ill., tavern to let him into the business after closing. Once inside, the man shot Harr in the back four times. Critically wounded, Harr managed to stumble behind the counter, grab a revolver and kill his assailant with several shots. "He thought he could get something for nothing, but he got what he deserved," said John Pusser, owner of the bar and brother of late-Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser. (The Journal Star<D>, Peoria, Ill., 9/19/92) Up and about early one morning, a Salem, Wis., woman became suspicious when her dog began growling at something outside. Getting her revolver, she told her daughter to call police and then went outside to look around. Outside she found two men trying to take her Corvette from the garage and fired several shots to scare the men off. As they were running to their van, one returned fire but missed. (The News<D>, Kenosha, Wis., 11/7/92) Alerted by noises from outside at 4 a.m., Mesa, Ariz., resident Thomas Winfield got his pistol, went to investigate and found a man trying to jimmy his car's ignition with a screwdriver. Winfield ordered the man from the car and was holding him for police, but when the man lunged, Winfield shot him once, mortally wounding him. (The Arizona Republic<D>, Phoenix, Ariz., 11/6/92) The target of a recent burglary, Willeen Lansberry was suspicious when she got several hang-up phone calls in one day. Hiding in her Niagara Falls, N.Y., apartment with her .38, her stakeout was rewarded when two teenagers forced open the door. Emerging from her hiding place, Lansberry held the pair for police. (The News<D>, Buffalo, N.Y., 10/6/92) The would-be burglar who kicked in the front door of Sonya Poole's Lakeland, Fla., home, saw something he'll never forget; Poole aiming a .44 right between his eyes. Instead of shooting the intruder, Poole fired a several warning shots, chasing him and an accomplice from the residence. While Poole called police, a lawn-care worker saw one of the fleeing men, followed him and called police on a portable phone when the man hid in a nearby store. (The Ledger<D>, Lakeland, Fla., 8/14/92) Two men were discussing gold bracelets in a New Rochelle, N.Y., jewelry store when they suddenly decided that armed robbery was better than a lay-away plan. Before they could complete their scheme, however, they found themselves the targets of a withering hail of fire laid down by store owner Joseph Soares. Soares used three firearms, all registered, to halt the robbery and kill one of the pistol-wielding thugs. A local district attorney said it appeared that Soares acted justifiably in self-defense. (The Standard-Star<D>, New Rochelle, N.Y., 8/27/92) A Lancaster, Calif., woman was waiting alongside her disabled car when three men in a car drove past. Nervous because they had been staring at her, the woman got a pistol out of the car and loaded it. Her precautions proved warranted when the car returned and the men got out and demanded her money. Aiming the gun at the trio, the woman demanded they leave, which they did. (The Antelope Valley Press<D>, Lancaster, Calif., 11/6/92) The Armed Citizen, February 1993 Sue Atkins had vowed not to be the victim of a robbery again, and made good on her promise when a robber walked into the Durham, N.C., Western Union office where she works, said he had a gun and demanded money. What he got was an arm wound from Atkins' pistol. He ran a little way before police caught him. "The threat of a weapon is the same thing as armed robbery in North Carolina," said a police officer. (The News & Observer<D>, Raleigh, N.C., 11/3/92) A coordinated armed robbery attempt of a Barrington, R.I., jewelry store--including a bogus call designed to lure police away--backfired when the robber met an armed citizen. Owner George Gray was on the phone when the pistol-wielding man entered. When Gray yelled into the phone for help, the crook fired at him but missed. Gray then returned fire, killing his attacker. Police said the dead man had a long police record, and added that Gray acted in self-defense. (The Journal-Bulletin<D>, Providence, R.I., 9/10/92) Jessie Bishop was rudely awakened when an intruder tried to climb through the window of her Phoenix, Ariz., home. Bishop warned the man she was going to call police, but when he continued to climb through the window, she fired a single shot from her revolver, fatally wounding him. (The Arizona Republic<D>, Phoenix, Ariz., 11/15/92) Turning to get cigarettes, Trung Thach, manager of a San Antonio, Tex., convenience store, turned back to find his "customer" holding a gun. As Thach complied with the man's demands for money by reaching into the till with his right hand, he pulled a 9 mm from under the counter with his left and fired twice, mortally wounding the robber. Police, noting the robber's "gun" was realistic-looking toy, said Thach was justified in firing. (The Light<D>, San Antonio, Tex., 10/19/92) Nathaniel Womack tried to ignore the late-night pounding on the door of his Lynchburg, Va., home, hoping the visitor would go away. When a prowler broke down the door and barged into his bedroom, however, Womack shot him in the face and put him to flight. A wounded suspect was apprehended a short time later. (The News & Daily Advance<D>, Lynchburg, Va., 9/11/92) Gail Meadows, a columnist for the anti-gun Miami Herald<D>, got a firsthand look at crime and what armed citizens can do to prevent it when her car was rammed by another near her home. Four thugs swarmed her car and were trying to rob her when--alerted by Meadows beeping her horn--her neighbors came to the rescue. One man, armed with a shotgun, wounded one of the attackers and put the other three to flight. (The Herald<D>, Miami, Fla., 10/28/92) Jacksonville, Fla., resident David Pierce capitalized on an unusual opportunity while driving home one afternoon--he recovered his stolen truck. Taken along with over $12,000 in tools and cash in a nighttime theft at his home, the truck pulled up beside Pierce at an intersection about three weeks later. Pierce grabbed his .357, ordered two men from the truck and held them for police, who lodged several charges against the pair. "I saw the opportunity . . . to tell them very politely to get out of my truck," Pierce said. "They did exactly what I wanted them to do." (The Florida Times-Union<D>, Jacksonville, Fla., 10/29/92) Hearing noises from his father's grocery store next door early one morning, Hickory, La., resident Bruce Bennett peered through his window and saw a man banging on the side door of the business. Bennett got his gun and found the man trying to break through the front door. Bennett ordered the man to kneel and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. (The Times-Picayune<D>, New Orleans, La., 11/5/92) James Brown didn't hesitate in becoming involved when he saw a man being robbed and assaulted by several gun-toting thugs outside a Covina, Calif., bank. Brown chased one of the group, who was carrying two bags full of money. When the robber turned and fired two shots at him at a distance of 200 ft. and missed, Brown returned fire and wounded the gunman in the stomach. Brown then held the man for police, who later arrested his accomplice. (The San Gabriel Valley Tribune<D>, West Covina, Calif., 10/31/92) An East Long Beach, Calif., man pushed his luck too far when he apparently tried to break into the same house twice in 10 days. Hearing sounds near his front door, resident George Doolittle grabbed his handgun and went to investigate. When he got into the front hall, Doolittle saw the man coming through the front door. Firing two shots, Doolittle wounded the intruder and held him for police. (The Press-Telegram<D>, Long Beach, Calif., 10/7/92) Police scored an easy collar after an Erie, Pa., homeowner heard a breakin, called police and the grabbed his rifle. Confronting the intruder, the homeowner forced him to retreat outside, right into the handcuffs of arriving officers. ( The Daily Times<D>, Erie, Pa., 10/22/92) Billy Sisson and two fellow elk hunters had stopped for gas at a Grande Ronde, Oreg., market, when a man witnesses described as possibly drunk or on drugs approached and started an argument. After trading words with the hunters, he began threatening the trio with a revolver. Sisson retrieved his .30-'06 and fired a single shot, mortally wounding the man; police said he had been arrested 18 times. (The Statesman Journal<D>, Salem, Oreg., 11/17/92) The Armed Citizen, March 1993 Charlie Mikos of Bensalem, Pa., had just gone to bed when he was roused by his daughter's screams and the sounds of a struggle. Running downstairs, he found a man holding what later turned out to be a stun gun to her head. Grabbing his pistol, Mikos trained it on the man, convinced him to cease his assault and held him for police. (The Bucks County Courier Times<D>, Levittown, Pa., 11/6/92) When he heard his dog barking early one morning, Willie Wilson of Winston-Salem, N.C., grabbed his rifle and went onto his front porch to investigate. He saw a man rummaging through the cab of his truck. When Wilson yelled the thief turned and fired a shot, prompting Wilson to return fire. The man and an accomplice fled, but a wounded suspect was later apprehended. (The Journal<D>, Winston-Salem, N.C., 11/24/92) After a man gained entry to a Jericho, N.Y., hotel by opening his coat to prove to the manager that he was unarmed, the manager remarked that the establishment had been robbed several times in the past month. Pulling a gun, the would-be guest replied "I know, I'm the robber." The manager pulled a .357 and killed the robber--who had several juvenile felony convictions and was a suspect in a string of armed robberies--with two shots. (Newsday<D>, Long Island, N.Y., 10/22/92) Finding firearms piled on the couch and the television pulled away from the wall of her future mother-in-law's home in Datil, N. Mex., Shawna Haynes called police and family members and then got a rifle and loaded it. Noticing a man approaching the door to the house, Haynes warned him away. When he ignored her and tried to open the door, she fired several shots, putting him to flight. (The Defensor Chieftain<D>, Socorro, N. Mex., 11/14/92) "Thank God he was still there; he's usually not around this late," was one woman's praise for Lazaro Salazar. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., businessman Salazar heard screams from the store next door, grabbed his pistol and confronted an armed robber exiting the shop. The criminal raised his pistol, but Salazar was faster on the draw and fired, wounding him. Neighbors said the crook who was taken into custody had previously robbed them, one shopowner five times. (The Sun-Sentinel<D>, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., 11/10/92) Though beaten and shot by a pair of robbers, Carol Ponciano of Oroville, Calif., managed to get a pistol from her bedroom and opened fire on the pair as they assaulted her roommate. Her shots mortally wounded one of the intruders. The other fled, but a wounded juvenile was apprehended later. "You can't say enough for the courage she displayed," said the county sheriff, adding the dead man had an "18-page rap sheet." "Had she not done what she did, I'm convinced we'd have a triple murder on our hands." (The Enterprise-Record<D>, Chico, Calif., 12/7/92) Claiming to be electrical inspectors, two men gained entry to an elderly Golo, Ky., couple's home and pretended to inspect electrical outlets. When the homeowner found one of the men rifling his wife's purse, however, he grabbed a handgun and drove the men off with several shots. (The Courier-Journal<D>, Louisville, Ky., 12/2/92) A 19-year-old robber made a big mistake when, several days after stealing a pistol from a Chula Vista, Calif., gunshop, he tried to come back for the rest of the firearms. He pointed the stolen firearm at owner Gene Reynolds and his partner and announced his intentions, but when he leaned over a counter to open a display case, Reynolds pulled his own pistol and fired several shots, wounding the man and stopping the robbery. (The Union-Tribune<D>, San Diego, Calif., 12/9/92) Samuel Stewart, 77, didn't believe the man at the front door of his Wichita, Kans., home when he claimed to be a police officer, so Stewart shut the door. Stewart called police and got his shotgun when the man broke in through an upstairs window a few minutes later and kicked through a door to the ground floor. When the housebreaker came around the corner, Stewart killed him with a single blast. Police said the slain man had a police record that included burglary charges. (The Eagle<D>, Wichita, Kans., 12/11/92) Insulted, afraid and angry after discovering a burglary at their Springfield, Mo., home, Kent and Mary Dunning decided to wait and see if the burglar would return. Their vigil was soon rewarded when two men walked in the backdoor, knocking over several cans that the Dunnings had placed as an alarm. When the pair ignored orders to halt, Kent Dunning opened fire, wounding one intruder and holding him for police. The other escaped. "I'm strongly in favor of the right to keep and bear arms," the homeowner said. (The News-Leader<D>, Springfield, Mo., 12/29/92) Jumped in his carport by two gun-wielding thugs, Columbus, Ga., area cattleman Clarence Borom handed over his wallet. When the men told him to go into the house and get more money, Borom slammed and locked the door and headed for his pistol. One of the two men shot out a pane of glass in the door, unlocked it and entered the house. When Borom heard the intruder threaten his wife, he opened fire. In the exchange of shots Borom was wounded in the arm, but drove both men from the residence. (The Ledger-Enquirer<D>, Columbus, Ga., 11/3/92) Downloaded from GUN-TALK (703-719-6406) A service of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Washington, DC 20036 {PB ------------------------------------------------ (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)