Americans use firearms to protect themselves and their families many times each day, all across the nation. But did you know that in many episodes of armed self-defense, no shots are ever fired?
Here are five cases just this year in which armed citizens silently used their guns successfully:
A 23-year-old man found himself staring down the wrong end of a gun barrel after his attempt to burglarize a Clarksville, Tenn., home went awry. The homeowner was awoken early Sunday morning by an alarm being activated inside his garage, and when he went downstairs to investigate, he heard someone in the garage. Speaking through the door, the culprit claimed to be a homeless man who just needed a place to spend the night. Noticing that some of his property had been stuffed into the intruder’s pocket, the resident held the burglar at gunpoint until the authorities could arrive. Upon further investigation, it became apparent that the criminal had broken a back window to gain entrance to the garage, had tried to enter the main residence through the insulation in the ceiling, and when that failed, had started using a crowbar to pry his way through the door. He now faces an aggravated burglary charge. (The Leaf Chronicle, Clarksville, Tenn., 1/27/15)
Jeff Preach was at home in Castaic, Calif., when a man knocked at his front door. Preach answered the door and had a brief conversation with the man before the stranger punched him in the face, went inside the house and attempted to rob him. Preach tackled the intruder with the help of his friend Larry Bensell. Once Bensell had the criminal under control, Preach went to another part of the home and retrieved a shotgun. Preach proceeded to hold the thief at gunpoint until police could arrive. (KABC, Los Angeles, Calif. 1/05/15)
A man who was high on meth attempted to carjack three different vehicles in Clay County, Ind., before being stopped by a right-to-carry permit holder. First, the meth user attempted to gain access to a woman’s car, after which she used a cellphone to alert police. When this failed, the carjacker attempted to enter a vehicle holding three children. The criminal then stuck his hand through the passenger’s window of a third vehicle and attempted to unlock the door. The passenger sitting in the car, a right-to-carry permit holder, responded by retrieving a gun and leveling it at the carjacker, prompting the criminal to flee. Police later captured the meth user at a nearby hotel. (The Brazil Times, Brazil, Ind. 2/09/15)
An intoxicated man entered the Debi’s Filling Station restaurant in Okmulgee, Okla., drew a knife and confronted a customer. Another customer, a right-to-carry permit holder, took note of the threatening act, drew a gun and told the knife-wielding criminal “[p]ut your knife away. I have a gun.” The aggressor fled the restaurant, but was captured just outside the door. Following the incident, restaurant employee Dayna Rucker told a local media outlet, “In this situation, the good guy had the gun and helped diffuse the situation.” (KOTV, Tulsa, Okla. 2/18/15)
84-year-old Doug Jandebeur was walking to his vehicle parked outside his business in Tulsa, Okla., when a man approached him from behind, punched him, and robbed him at gunpoint. After taking Jandebeur’s wallet, the criminal then turned his attention to Jandebeur’s business, where the elderly man’s wife was located. In describing to a local media outlet how he reacted to the threat, Jandebeur stated, “I pulled out my automatic and was getting ready to ventilate him.” Upon seeing the firearm, the armed robber fled the scene. As for Jandebeur’s opinion on the Right-to-Carry, he told reporters, “Anybody who doesn’t arm themselves is asking for trouble.” (KOTV, Tulsa, Okla. 3/18/15)
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