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 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.
Ex-Con Pulls Gun During Parking Dispute With Off Duty Cop
Richmond Police Sgt. Virgil Thomas fatally shot Eric Reason after the felon pulled a gun during a parking space dispute.
Vallejo, CA – Vallejo police have released surveillance video of a man pulling a gun on an off-duty Richmond police sergeant over a parking spot in front of a restaurant (video below).
The incident occurred on the evening on Nov. 10, 2019 during a dispute over a parking space in a strip mall in front of JJ’s Fish and Chicken, near the intersection of Fairgrounds and Sereno drives, the Mercury News reported. Surveillance video from a nearby building showed that 38-year-old Eric Reason was pulling away from a gas pump in a dark minivan when off-duty Richmond Police Sergeant Virgil Thomas pulled into the parking lot in a light-colored Mercedes.
In the video, it wasn’t immediately clear that Reason was intending to enter the parking spot when he pulled away from the gas pump. But the two cars met, and both briefly stopped, before Sgt. Thomas proceeded and pulled into the vacant space. Sgt. Thomas, a 27-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department, got out of his car to go into the restaurant but stopped when he noticed Reason’s van stopped behind his vehicle boxing him in, the video showed.
The video showed Reason got out of his minivan and began walking toward Sgt. Thomas. The sergeant turned to talk with Reason and the video showed the men had a heated discussion that ended when Reason walked away and back to his minivan. But instead of getting into his car, he walked to the front and opened the hood. Then video showed he retrieved a handgun wrapped in a cloth from under the left side of the hood. Reason took the gun out of the cloth and held it in his left hand as he walked back toward Sgt. Thomas.
The off-duty sergeant had turned to walk away when Reason returned to his car, but he kept his eye on the man as he opened the hood of his minivan, the Mercury News reported. More words were exchanged between the two men as Reason held the weapon, and then Sgt. Thomas drew his duty weapon from his waistband and opened fire on the armed man. In the video, Reason began running away when Sgt. Thomas started shooting at him, but the sergeant continued firing at the armed man.
Justin Buffington, Sgt. Thomas’ attorney, said it was the first time in the veteran sergeant’s decorated career that he had discharged his service weapon and called Reason an “irate convicted felon,” the Mercury News reported.
“Reason boxed Sgt. Thomas and his wife’s car in, retrieved a semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine from its hiding place under the hood and confronted Sgt. Thomas and his wife,” Buffington said after the video was released. “Sgt. Thomas attempted to deescalate the situation but ultimately had no other choice but to draw his own firearm to defend he and his wife.”
“Although Reason fled when he realized that he had attempted to attack someone capable of protecting himself, he refused to drop his gun and, in fact, continued to present a deadly threat,” the attorney added.
Buffington said Sgt. Thomas “had no other choice” but to shoot the armed man who had boxed in his car with his wife inside, the Mercury News reported. The Richmond police union president released a statement that said Sgt. Thomas had acted in self-defense when he shot Reason.
“The video clearly reinforces that unfortunately, a firearm was introduced unnecessarily by Mr. Reason. Regrettably, this placed Sgt. Thomas in a position where he was forced to protect himself and the public,” union boss Ben Therriault said.
Sgt. Thomas has been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated, as is protocol for all officer-involved shootings, NBC News reported. Reason’s family has hired civil rights attorney Melissa Nold to represent them and she called the fatal shooting “a cold-blooded murder,” the Mercury News reported. Despite the fact video clearly showed that Reason brought a weapon into the altercation, Nold has accused Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams of “allowing police officers to murder people in Vallejo with impunity.”
Watch the incident unfold in the video below:
Texas Man With License to Carry Shoots, Kills Suspected Robber at Home Cookout
This is just one more story that demonstrates why we all need to adopt carrying 24/7.
A Texas man, licensed to carry a handgun, fatally shot one of three suspects during a botched armed robbery at a home cookout Friday night, investigators said. The Dallas Police Department said in a news release that the incident happened at 11:55 p.m. on the 3400 block of Chicago Street in Dallas.
The three unidentified suspects approached the front yard, where guests were socializing, and attempted to rob them at gunpoint. Two of the suspects had handguns, police told FOX4 Dallas-Fort Worth. An unnamed man, who was a licensed handgun carrier visiting the residence, drew his weapon and shot one suspect, police said in the release. The two other suspects escaped and remain at-large.
The wounded suspect was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, police said. The suspect was not immediately identified. The 25-year-old man who shot the robbery suspect was released after an interview with detectives. The case is being referred to a Dallas County grand jury.
The state constitution guarantees every Texan the right to “keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the state,” but allows legislators to regulate how firearms are carried in order to prevent crime.
Do you have a story of armed good guys that shows the importance of firearm ownership for self-defense? Share it in the comment section.
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The guy shouldn’t have reached under the hood of his vehicle and gotten a gun out to confront someone he was having an argument over a parking spot. Guess according to the false law, he shouldn’t have had a gun at all. That law however, does not pass actual Constitutional muster. The bottom line here for me is that the guy was turning away, and going in the opposite direction. He never raised the gun toward the guy either. Shooting a guy in the back is what it is. If I had to go on what I saw in this video as a juror, I would call it murder as a result of road rage. This guy, cop or no, would go down. What the victim did was wrong. But it didn’t raise the level of threat to the point the perpetrator needed to shoot at him multiple time while he was running away from the fire and absolutely not even trying to shoot back. This was murder. The off duty cop was operating on the pretense that he as an officer should be the only armed person and he has a right to kill anyone else who isn’t a cop. I also blame his department, the state of California and every single legislator who has created this tyranny.
Same ol story in Cuntifornia. Gun Control does NOT work. Felons like Reason AND anyone running away from me after approaching me with a gun in his hand is just as dangerous as he ever was. He WILL be shot.
Also the Ghetto Baboon saying he was a solid citizen was his Welfare Mammy. Should have been shot as well for doing such a good job raising this moron on the Welfare Plantation.
Stay the F off my range and when you see me in a gun shop, walk away….
Unfortunately I have to concur. The moment the one guy turned to run – and was not firing as he ran AWAY – the threat diminished to the point that the most the off-duty officer should have done is continue to safely observe the perp’s egress with his weapon at the high ready. I’m afraid that lacking further evidence such as the perp running AWAY with his weapon raised as if attempting to fire on the run, he will be charged with negligent manslaughter.