A 39-year-old pizza delivery driver was out on a delivery in Philadelphia, Pa., the evening of Jan. 27, when an unknown man allegedly approached with a firearm drawn and demanded the driver’s vehicle. The driver was also armed, however, and was able to defend himself, shooting the suspect multiple times. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital and listed in critical condition. The driver was not hurt during the carjacking attempt. (nbcphiladelphia.com, Philadelphia, Pa., 1/27/22)
On the evening of Jan. 28, police in Waco, Texas, were called to a QuikTrip gas station for a stabbing in progress. A 51-year-old man was seen stabbing a 61-year-old woman as she attempted to flee into the store. A witness to the incident armed himself and shot the alleged attacker, ending that attack. Both wounded people were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Unfortunately, the victim later died from her injuries. The suspect was originally charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but the charge was upgraded to murder upon the victim’s death. The armed bystander stayed on the scene and fully cooperated with the Waco Police Department’s investigation and was not charged with any crime. (kcentv.com, Temple, Texas, 2/2/22 and kwtx.com, Waco, Texas, 1/28/22)
Police in Tucson, Ariz., were called to the home of a reported trespassing situation that resulted in shots being fired and one person being pronounced dead at the scene. When officers arrived, they found a 51-year-old man in a backyard with “obvious gunshot trauma,” according to a police spokesperson. Detectives learned that the homeowner had asked the trespassers to leave, but they refused and a confrontation started. When one of the trespassers brandished a firearm, the homeowner felt threatened, so he shot the man, killing him. Arizona law reportedly allows the use of lethal force when necessary for self-defense and for protection of property, including in cases of criminal trespassing. (azcentral.com, Phoenix, Ariz., 2/21/22)
