In the aftermath of the brutal rape this week of a 73-year-old elderly woman in Waterville, Maine, police chief Joe Massey said that the attack makes a good case for why citizens should arm themselves as a defense against crime.
“It’s one of those cases where you could make a good argument for citizens arming themselves,” Massey said. “Someone said, ‘A gun in hand is better than someone on the phone telling you police are on their way.’ In cases like this, you wish the homeowner had a weapon and was capable of defending themselves.”
According to local media reports, the woman told police that she awoke to a loud bang and was confronted by a man armed with what appeared to be a handgun. She said the man forced her back into the bedroom and put a pillow case over her head, sexually assaulted her, then beat her with the gun. The woman suffered multiple bruises from the beating and was later hospitalized.