News stories of civilian self-defense seldom receive adequate media coverage. After all, armed good guys stopping violent felons does not make headlines like the lives of innocents being taken. Bias and agendas play their part, but the media does not cover an event that did not happen, such as a case where a good guy stopped a violent event before it it resulted in the loss of innocent life. However, these are exactly the type of stories we need to highlight to educate non gun owners before they head to the voting booth.
Armed Citizen Joins Shootout After Cop is Shot by Suspect Wielding Automatic Weapon
Hollywood would have us believe that most criminals are carrying machine guns. They’re not. Automatic weapons are almost never seen on the streets of The United States. When they are, though, police can be at a distinct disadvantage. They sometimes need extra help, and that’s just what happened Thursday.
This story of bravery comes from Chicago, no less. The city with some of the most draconian firearms regulations still manages to lead the world in gun violence. But there are people in Chicago who own firearms legally and use them responsibly in the defense of others.
“Officials commended the unnamed civilian for his actions as they stood outside a hospital where Cicero police Officer Luis Duarte, 31, was undergoing surgery for four gunshot wounds suffered during the shootout,” Fox writes.
Cicero police Superintendent Jerry Chlada Jr. told reporters of the man’s actions. “We were lucky enough to have a citizen on the street there’s who’s a concealed-carry holder, and he’s also engaged in gunfire.”
The shootout began shortly after 5 p.m. Duarte and his partner conducted what was meant to be a routine traffic stop. The driver of the car they were stopping didn’t comply, and pulled onto the on-ramp of Interstate 55.
This was rush hour in suburban Chicago, though, and the volume of traffic prevented a high-speed chase.
The police pinned the fleeing car in traffic, but the driver jumped from the car and began firing an automatic at the officers. He then fled on foot.
The officers fired back, but were outgunned. That’s when the armed citizen, witnessing the chaos, joined the fight. He stepped from the car and fired at the suspect.
“He got out and started helping the police, which is something I’ve got to be proud of,” Cicero town President Larry Dominick told reporters.
The suspect was struck once. Tests will determine if he was hit by the police or the armed citizen.
Officer Duarte was shot in his arm, leg, and abdomen. He was reportedly alert before he went into surgery Thursday evening.
The wound to the suspect is more severe. He was incapacitated by his wound and taken into custody and remains in serious condition.
Here’s the audio of the police call, including Officer Duarte’s own description of his wounds as they occurred.
Georgia: Robber Armed With BB Gun vs. Concealed Carry Customer
From Second Amendment Daily News: Even though Waffle House sports a “Gun Free Zone” yellow sign on the wall outside each of its restaurants, thousands of customers a day carry their firearms inside.
Our experience is that the staff on hand at each Waffle House generally looks the other way and doesn’t really ever enforce the corporate policy.
Waffle House is a tradition for many across the South, known for its waffles and other cheap, greasy, but in many cases delicious food, 24 hours a day.
Waffle House is also known for frequent armed robberies.
Often times located close to an interstate, where an armed robber can pop in, get some cash, then pop on to the interstate and be gone.
But occasionally, the robber picks the wrong Waffle House.
That’s what happened this week in Villa Rica, Georgia, where a customer eating his meal, minding his own business in the local Waffle House, saw the need to defend himself and the other customers in the restaurant.
When he saw an robber armed with what turned out to be a BB gun, the customer fired at him, hitting him and sending him running.
Here’s the story from the MiamiHerald.com:
The attempted robber showed up at the Waffle House on Highway 61 in Villa Rica, Georgia, around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to a police Facebook post. He aimed a gun at the restaurant’s workers and told them he was robbing them, police said.
That’s when a customer eating at the restaurant got out a gun and shot the attempted robber, sending the robber fleeing from the Waffle House, according to police.
The attempted robber left the restaurant in a dark, small vehicle, witnesses told police.
As the robber fled, he dropped his gun, according to police. Police investigating the incident realized that it was actually a BB gun, according to the Facebook post.
If there’s one lesson to be learned from the Villa Rica Waffle House shootout, it’s that one should never bring a BB gun to a Waffle House gun fight.
Do you have a story of armed good guys turning the tide on a criminal? Share it in the comment section.
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The robber was found dead a short time later in nearby Carrollton, GA.