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.
Take the Shot
Situational awareness is everything, but we all let our guard down once in awhile. In this edition of Armed Good Guys, the geographic location is unimportant. We all have a local Walmart and are vulnerable everytime we step out into public.
Teen Shot in the Head After Robbing Jewelry Store in Florida
MARTIN COUNTY — A teen accused of stealing from a jewelry store Thursday is on life support after he was shot through the back window of a car that was involved in a crash shortly afterward, Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies said.
As McMillian was running out of the store, an employee saw jewelry on the boy’s hand and tried to take back the jewelry, Snyder said. The employee and McMillian then began to fight and the teen was able to push off the employee and get into the car.
Clark was in the car waiting to drive away, Snyder said.
Snyder said Michael Dacey saw the scuffle, came out of the store and shot at the vehicle through the back glass at least once.
Dacey, 57, of Palm City, is a retired law enforcement officer from New York who has owned the store with wife Barbara since 2012.
“We believe that round did hit the passenger of the car who went into the store,” Snyder said. “Now, right after that occurred as you can see directly over my shoulder, he smashed into a vehicle, so there was a trauma to his head there.”
Snyder said McMillian was taken to an unspecified hospital and is on life support.
Laura Shevlin was getting a haircut at Paul West Salon, a few stores down from the jewelry store Thursday morning when she said her hairdresser yelled “there’s a shootout.”
“I was sitting closest to the window, and my hairdresser and I both heard a gunshot,” Shevlin said. “It was very loud; you couldn’t help but hear it right away.”
If McMillian dies, Clark will be arrested on a charge of murder because while the duo was in the commission of a crime, one of them was critically hurt, Snyder said.
Snyder said after the crash, Clark ran south of the crash. He was found and taken to the Martin County Jail.
Before robbing the Jensen Beach jewelry store, the teens also are accused of attempting to steal items from another jewelry store in St. Lucie County, Snyder said.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s officials said at 9:11 a.m. Thursday a jewelry theft happened at the Cash America Pawn Shop in the 8400 block of South U.S. 1 in Port St. Lucie that might be related. Officials said a young man went into the store and was looking at a piece of jewelry and ran out of the business with the jewelry.
Officials said the young man from the St. Lucie County incident then drove off. Deputies are still looking for him.
The Sheriff’s Office said deputies were not involved in the shooting.
Snyder said at least one ring was stolen.
Further information was not available.
Martin County School District posted on Facebook that “our buses may experience delays in bringing students home this afternoon” because of the incident.
“The safety of our students is our number one priority, and our transportation staff is working diligently to ensure that all children arrive home safely this afternoon despite traffic delays,” the post stated. “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Shevlin said she often gets her hair cut in the plaza and described the area as peaceful.
“The sad thing is there’s beautiful Christmas music playing inside, and yet there’s a big crime scene outside and you just don’t think to hear about it in your own community,” she said. “You see things on the news, but not right where you live and it’s just so sad the way the world is.”
Do you have a story of armed good guys with guns that shows the importance of firearm ownership for self-defense? Share it in the comment section.
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I read this story multiple times and all I got from it is that a retired cop shot a fleeing, apparently unarmed suspect, in the back. Not exactly the kind of story I would use to show how guns are used for self-defense!
“Teens”. Newspeak for black criminals. Makes them sound more innocent.
This ”TEEN ” received lead for Christmas.
So an Ex-Cop shoots a guy in the back of the head in a moving car for stealing a ring, he’s a Hero?
Not hardly, he was in no danger, there was no-one else in immediate danger, this a-hole needs to go to jail.
I’m a strong 2nd Amendment advocate and support a persons right to defend themselves or their loved ones, however, I strongly agree with David C. This is NOT the story we should be promoting to describe “armed good guys stopping armed bad guys”. I’m not very familiar with the use of deadly force in Florida but here in North Carolina you can’t shoot someone running away from a crime, even if they have some of your property. The shooter, in this story, may have been frightened as a result of the robbery, but his life was no longer in danger and the use of deadly force was not justified. This is a bad situation and the shooter will most likely be prosecuted.
This is a daily occurrence in this country. And in most times a innocent person is hurt or killed by this piece of crap. I’m all for blowing his or hers brains out even if they are running from the CRIME that they just committed. And by anyone who has a hand gun on them or any other instrument they have at the time of the CRIME. The court system could give a crap and these scumbags and are out in days to do it all over again. Cops can’t be every where. So I say let’s have some fun and let the good guys rid this country of the scum that pollute it.