Armed citizens making a difference thread.

[internet troll]

Two self defense stories in this article. Here is the 2nd one.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...13835508c.html

Another apparent intruder was shot elsewhere in the city less than six hours earlier.

In that case, police said they were called to the 2800 block of Chippewa Street about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. People in a home there said they woke up to the sounds of someone trying to break in. They saw someone in their yard, and a 57-year-old man fired a shot at the break-in suspect, hitting him in the leg. The alleged intruder, 44, was taken to a hospital. No one else was hurt.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburb...726-story.html

Police: Man shot inside Des Plaines apartment charged with home invasion
Jennifer Johnson
A Chicago man is facing criminal charges after he broke in to an apartment and was shot multiple times, Des Plaines police said Monday.

Jonathan Warner, 22, of the 5300 block of West Hirsch Street, was charged on July 19 with home invasion stemming from an alleged July 4 incident at an apartment on the 1200 block of East Washington Street in Des Plaines, police said.

According to police, Warner forced his way into the apartment while armed with a handgun, and he was shot and wounded by a woman after a verbal and physical altercation between the two. Warner and the woman knew each other, authorities said.

A police investigation determined the shooting was in self-defense and that the woman “feared for her life,” police said in a statement this week.

Police Cmdr. Christopher Mierzwa declined to elaborate on what actually sparked the shooting or how Warner is alleged to have entered the residence. No one else was inside the apartment at the time of the shooting, he said.

No criminal charges are pending against the woman in connection with the shooting, Mierzwa said, and police reported that she is a legally registered gun owner and also has a concealed carry license.

Warner was shot six times in the abdomen and arm, Mierzwa said. He is expected to recover, police said.

Warner was being held without bond this week in the Cook County Jail’s hospital unit, according to the Sheriff’s Department. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 27.

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https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/cr...ase/818406002/

Video key in state's reasoning for not pursuing criminal charges in shooting, lawyer says
Will GreenleeUpdated 6:32 p.m. ET July 23, 2018
Charges against Austin Brett Holzmacher, 26, of Southwest Sunset Trace Circle in Palm City, following a June 26, 2018, shooting were dropped because of the state’s “stand your ground” law, according to Assistant State Attorney Kristen Chase. Contributed from Martin County Sheriff's Office

PALM CITY — Charges against a man arrested last month in connection with a shooting incident were dropped because of the state’s “stand your ground” law, a prosecutor said Monday.

Austin Brett Holzmacher, 26, of the 3000 block of Southwest Sunset Trace Circle in Palm City, was arrested June 26 on two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a single charge of reckless display of a firearm.

Holzmacher was accused of shooting a 26-year-old woman and her 29-year-old brother at Holzmacher‘s home about 4:20 a.m. the day of his arrest.

More: Dispute during checkers and drinking leads to Palm City double shooting

Assistant State Attorney Kristen Chase on Monday cited video taken by one of the people who got shot in discussing why charges were not pursued.

Chase said the charges were not pursued because of the state’s “stand your ground” law, which expands Florida’s long-standing “justifiable use-of-force” statute that governs a citizen’s right to self-defense.

It provides greater legal protections to people who shoot or use other deadly force when threatened or attacked.

Before the “stand your ground” law, a person confronted in public only could use deadly force after first trying to retreat. “Stand your ground” removed that duty to retreat in the face of an attack.

Last year, the Legislature made a change that forces prosecutors, rather than defendants, to shoulder the burden of proof in such cases.

More: Fort Pierce woman shot ex-husband in back and kept firing, police say

In the Palm City case, the 26-year-old woman told Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigators she and her brother were on their way home with a bottle of whiskey when Holzmacher saw them. Holzmacher invited them to his home and said he had beer.

Chase talked about a video filmed by one of the victims.

“The video is very clear as to what occurred,” she said. “There were conversations going on between the defendant (Holzmacher) and the victim ... and they just became more and more heated.”

Chase said the brother “smashed” Holzmacher in the back of the head, and grabbed Holzmacher’s arm after a perceived slight to his sister.

Chase said Holzmacher pulled a gun, firing a shot into a cabinet. She said the siblings got out of the house once Holzmacher got the firearm.

“They didn’t actually hear the shot that went off initially based on what they told us,” Chase said.

More: Treasure Coast's Tom Bakkedahl named Florida's outstanding prosecutor of the year

Chase said the brother made it to the front door. With the door open and his sister outside, he decided to run back toward Holzmacher, who stayed in the kitchen the whole time.

Chase said that’s when the brother got shot.

Holzmacher did not chase the siblings.

“His sister runs back in toward the house and it’s when she’s running toward the defendant that she gets shot,” Chase said.

More: Stand your ground law used again to explain why no charges to be filed in fatal shooting

Chase said it’s difficult to know why they went back inside.

“I think that this can all be chalked up to everybody had had too much to drink,” Chase said.

Chase said Holzmacher was “extremely intoxicated.”

“It looks like from the video he goes to hand a paper towel to the female victim, and in doing so the video makes it look like he falls and hits her when trying to hand her the paper towel,” Chase said.

“The brother perceived it as him hitting her but from the video it just looks like he’s so impaired that he’s stumbling.”

Chase said the brother took it as if Holzmacher hit his sister.

“Both start screaming at the defendant (Holzmacher) and the male victim hit the defendant in the back of the head … and grabs his arm,” Chase said.

Chase said Holzmacher is not facing any charges, noting “stand your ground” provides immunity so Holzmacher can’t be charged with a crime in the incident.

Paperwork dropping the charges was filed July 12, court records showed.

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http://www.wndu.com/content/news/Man...488945591.html

Man arrested after South Bend home invasion, shooting

Robert Baker
Posted: Mon 7:46 PM, Jul 23, 2018
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) A man has been arrested for robbery after a Monday afternoon home invasion and shooting in South Bend.

At around 2:20 p.m., police were called to the 200 block of N. Illinois.

The victims told police that two unknown black males entered the home and started shooting.

One of the victims shot back at the suspects, who ran away.

Neither victim was injured.

At around 2:45 p.m., officers were sent to the hospital on reports of a man walking in with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was identified as 20-year-old Robert Baker.
South Bend police say there is still a second suspect who they're trying to locate. Anyone with information is asked to call the South Bend Police Department at

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https://dothaneagle.com/news/crime_c...a149c7358.html

No arrest anticipated in Monday’s shooting, investigation leads to self-defense


Dothan Police released a suspect in Monday’s fatal shooting after investigators determined the gunman acted in self-defense.

Dennis Jackson Jr., 36, of Dothan, surrendered himself to officers hours after shooting Vantavius Dishon McKay, 24, of Dothan, who died later at a hospital.

“No arrests have been made in this case,” said Dothan Police Lt. Lynn Watkins. “Mr. Jackson has been released with no charges being filed. The case will be presented to a grand jury.”

Jackson had filed a report with the police department as early as the day of the shooting regarding someone making threats to shoot him at his residence, Watkins said. Jackson reported that McKay had previously made shooting attempts at his residence. When McKay returned Monday, he was shot once in the chest.

Shooting on Sixth Avenue
Police responded to a fatal shooting on Sixth Avenue Monday. The shooting happened around 2:40 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Sixth Avenue and East Selma Street, not far from Grandview Elementary School and Wiregrass Park. When police and emergency personnel arrived, a male victim appeared to be suffering from a least one gunshot wound and possibly more. He was transported to Southeast Alabama Medical Center where he died around 4 p.m.

Witnesses originally indicated to police the shooter maybe inside a Sixth Avenue residence. At least one person emerged from the residence and initially detained and released. It was determined the suspect fled on foot immediately following the shooting.

As a precaution, Wiregrass Park was placed on lockdown.

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https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/deput...abduct-3-kids/

Deputies: man posed as child protective services worker in attempt to abduct 3 kids
Johari CantyJuly 24, 2018

(WSVN) - A father in Texas took matters into his own hands to protect his three children from a man posing as a social worker.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old Jimmy Dwayne Lackey went to a home posing as a Child Protective Services worker and told the homeowner he was going to take custody of the three children living at the home.

The Star-Telegram reports the father brought his children into a bedroom, only for Lackey to follow them. Deputies said the suspect then charged at the homeowner and told him he would take the children after he killed him.

That’s when the father grabbed his own gun and fired four warning shots into the ground before he and his children ran across the street to call 911.

Deputies responded and arrested Lackey, who was spotted walking down the street.

Investigators searched the suspect and found two plastic bags containing a substance they believed to be methamphetamine. The sheriff’s office says Lackey admitted that he intended to kill the homeowner.

Lackey faces charges of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit felony kidnapping, impersonating a public servant, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

[internet troll]

This thread is mainly for examples of self defense and the philosophy that gun owners do make a difference. Every now and then I come across an article of someone who was an anti..... then something bad happened and they realized that firearms can make a difference and change their thinking. They realize that the philosophy of a good guy with a gun does make sense.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/07/...-i-was-mugged/

I Used to Hate Guns and the NRA. Then I Was Mugged.
Ryan Moore / @RyanMoore / July 24, 2018 /

"I donate to the NRA after mass shootings because of the anti-gun left," writes Ryan Moore. (Photo: yacobchuk/Getty Images)

I’d hated guns since I was a teenager. It was a gun that killed John Lennon, after all. Guns killed President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King.

Get rid of the guns, problem solved—or so I thought. In December of 2012, I even tweeted President Barack Obama, urging him to repeal the Second Amendment and “stop” the National Rifle Association. (Never mind that a president can’t do either by himself.)


Then, a little more than five months later, in May of 2013 in San Francisco, I was mugged.


One guy held a gun in my face, and the other held a gun to the back of my head. They took my MacBook Air, two iPads, an iPhone, an iPod Touch, and my wallet.

After that horrific experience, I slowly came to see things from a different perspective. Literally, I would become the personification of the old adage that a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality.

Later, I became a homeowner and realized the best way to defend against a home invasion is with a firearm. So I became a gun owner.

Not long after, I discovered I really enjoyed target shooting at the range, so I joined the NRA, and eventually became a conservative and an outspoken Second Amendment advocate.

But no, that’s not the reason I donate to the NRA. Teen activist David Hogg and actress Alyssa Milano’s anti-gun screeds are what inspire me to donate to the NRA—so that everyone at the NRA can keep working to protect our constitutional rights.

I donate to the NRA after mass shootings because of the anti-gun left. In fact, progressives calling for boycotts of the NRA and for gun bans are why thousands of new people join, and why current members donate more.

The left is the very reason donations to the NRA tripled in February after the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

When #KillTheNRA was trending on Twitter, I gave 11 NRA gift memberships.



And yes, we should allow teachers to be armed. Across the country, many teachers are being trained and are starting to carry concealed so they can fight back and defend their students.

Let’s give our teachers a chance, rather than having them sacrifice their lives by shielding their students with their bodies. It’s absurd that we protect our stadiums, banks, courthouses—and elected officials—with armed personnel, but leave our classrooms vulnerable to attack.

Just as former NRA instructor Stephen Willeford stepped up during a deadly mass shooting in November at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and saved lives by stopping the gunman with his AR-15, NRA members are ready and willing to risk their lives to save others.

Gun-free zones aren’t the answer, and other gun laws are not working. Most gun control measures tend to disarm law-abiding citizens rather than criminals, who do not obey gun laws.

The NRA was founded in the 19th century and has been fighting for our constitutional rights and educating millions of people on the safe use of firearms ever since.

So in response to the NRA’s fiercest critics: No, we NRA members do not care more about guns than children, and no, the NRA is not a “terrorist” organization.

You won’t meet a more patriotic American than an NRA member—and our numbers are growing.

[internet troll]

http://www.wsfa.com/story/38722925/p...-armed-robbery

Phenix City convenience store clerk shoots suspect 3 times during armed robbery
Tuesday, July 24th 2018, 11:15 pm EDT

PHENIX CITY, AL (WTVM) -
A Phenix City store clerk is feeling uneasy after he says he was forced to shoot a robbery suspect who first held him at gunpoint.

The incident happened Monday night at the Lucky Food Store on 10th Avenue near Pine Hill Baptist Church.

"He was injured pretty badly. He got shot three times," said the store clerk, who does not want to be identified. “He put a pistol to my back and asked for the money. I gave him the money. He wanted money out of the next register which I told him I could not open.”

The clerk said he was busy stocking the cooler when the robber came in just before 11 p.m.

“He made me get down on the floor on my knees and he put a pistol to my head,” the clerk said. He turned around to grab some cigarettes and that’s when I seen the chance to actually grab my pistol and I shot him.”

The clerks said he feared for his life and he shot the suspect three times in the abdomen with a 45-caliber handgun.

“I pray that he makes it and that he’s ok,” the clerk said.

The convenience store is a popular place along 10th Avenue but the clerk said he did not recognize the robber.

After the terrifying ordeal, the clerk said he and his supervisor stayed with the suspect and even prayed over him as they waited for help to arrive.

“He told me, please don’t let him die,” mentioned the clerk. “I hate that it happened but at that point, I feared for my life. So, I didn’t know nothing else to do.”

The identity and the condition of the robbery suspect have not been confirmed.

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https://www.wfla.com/news/pasco-coun...ner/1322501349
Rattlesnake encounter shakes up Pasco homeowner
Meredyth Censullo
TAMPA, Fla. - Gordon Scheffer, who lives in the Quail Hollow area of Wesley Chapel, was getting his mail when he received a special delivery that he didn't want, a rattlesnake that he estimates was four feet long.

"It went chi! Chi! Chi! He was informing me that it knew who I was. Then, it curled up," Scheffer told News Channel 8.

Worried the rattlesnake would disappear into his yard and become a threat to his dogs, Scheffer grabbed a shovel. He quickly realized the snake was longer than the shovel and opted for the gun he keeps in his house. He later posted about the encounter on the NextDoor app, warning neighbors of the threat.

While the rattled homeowner was protecting his furry family, Ken Payette, a ranger with the Boyd Hill Nature Preseve, says killing rattlesnakes can be dangerous. Payette says that more than half of all venomous snake bites occur when people try to kill them. He warns that people should not approach rattlesnakes.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, eastern diamondbacks are found throughout Florida, primarily in areas that contain palmetto thickets, sand pine scrub, and longleaf pine and turkey oak habitats.

Rattlesnakes spend most of their time concealed in vegetation waiting to ambush prey, or during winter months, in gopher tortoise burrows or stump holes. FWC says diamondback rattlesnakes are venomous and can strike a distance up to 2/3 of their body length, and advises rattlesnakes are best left alone when encountered.

FWC has a guide to Florida's native snakes, and how to live in harmony with them,

[internet troll]

https://www.robesonian.com/news/1135...ary-background

Intruder who was shot has burglary background
July 25, 2018 robesonian News 0
By: Annick Joseph - Staff writer

ST. PAULS — A man shot multiple times by a homeowner who found him hiding on her property has a criminal history that includes theft, according to court documents.

As of Wednesday afternoon, James Dority, 39, of Broadwell Road in St. Pauls, was still recovering at an undisclosed hospital from gunshot wounds he suffered Friday evening when a homeowner discovered him hiding inside an outdoor shed at a residence on East Great Marsh Church Road in St. Pauls. The injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, according to information from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman, who’s name has not been disclosed, said Dority “lunged” at her in “an aggressive manner” when she opened the door to her storage building, which prompted her to fire, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation continues and Sheriff’s Office officials have not said if charges have been filed in the case.

Dority was charged almost a year ago with felony possession of burglar tools and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show.

Lawmen found in Dority’s possession on Aug. 29, 2017, “burglar tools” that included two small framed pry bars, according to court documents. Also in his possession were two crack pipes, a knife, a razor blade inside a blue and gray box, and a straw.

In a separate case that occurred on the same day, Dority was charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and possession of a half ounce up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana, court documents show.

Dority was accused of stealing a F-150 pickup truck from Kodey Lynn Singletary of Tar Heel, according to court records. Dority “knowingly possessed with intent to use drug paraphernalia, such as a plastic bag to package, store and contain marijuana,” according to the documents. Dority also had on him more than a half ounce but less than 1.5 ounces of marijuana, the documents show.