The Armed Citizen® May 8, 2012

Between 2 and 3 p.m. a woman was stopped along the highway when a man approached her car door. He pulled out a knife that appeared to already have a bloody blade and demanded that she go with him. He threatened her, telling her that if she did not comply she would “end up like that woman on TV.” The woman believed he was referring to a missing teacher confirmed dead just days before. She told the man to wait while she got her cigarettes, then reached down and pulled out a gun. The man quickly fled. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, Mont., 1/14/12)

The Armed Citizen Extra
(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman)
A man in Illinois entered a convenience store with less than noble ideas on the night of March 15, and wound up getting more than he bargained for. The suspect in question brandished a gun barrel from beneath his white t-shirt and demanded that the store employees give him all of their money. One clerk sprung into action, retrieving a legally owned pistol and firing it upward at a 45-degree angle. The shot sent the would-be robber scrambling for the door and into an alley. Police are still investigating. (The State Journal-Register, Springfield, Ill., 3/17/12)

From The Armed Citizen Archives
May 1981: When he saw three robbers speeding away from a grocery store near his El Paso, Ark., service station, Jim Smith grabbed a .44 Mag. Revolver and a 12-ga. Shotgun and gave chase. He pursued the trio for several miles, eventually catching one stickup man and holding him for police. “I’m a Christian and I go to church,” Smith said, “but I don’t want people running over us.” (The Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, Ark.)

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10 Responses to The Armed Citizen® May 8, 2012

Rick wrote:
July 23, 2012

@MRM: Ever heard the saying "When seconds count the police are just minutes away?" The only thing a cell phone is good for is to report a shooting that has just occurred.

bob wrote:
June 13, 2012

@James Harris: The stories you mention are covered in great detail by the main stream media. You are missing the point of this column.

MRM wrote:
May 15, 2012

I really don't think private citizens should chase robbers. In 1981 cell phone use was maybe not an option, but today a call to the police would be better in this case. What if after chasing and stoppinfg the bandit he had to shoot him? Legal problems?

mike wrote:
May 14, 2012

Would it be better if the warning shot was placed towards the ground at an angle instead?

James Harris wrote:
May 14, 2012

While I'm a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment Rights, I find it incredible that every Armed Citizen account worked out favorably for the intended victim. Perhaps accounts could be included where a legal gun-owner used his weapon incorrectly and the errors could be pointed out to readers.

Stan wrote:
May 12, 2012

Excellent, Liam. To me, there's no such thing as a warning shot. It could just as easily prompt the thug into him or her taking a shot at center mass as them running away. Why take a chance when one's life is at stake?

joe proffitt wrote:
May 10, 2012

This is always the firat thing i read when i get the ameeican rifleman in the mail. Its great feeling to know one by one we as a nation are taking back our neighbors and refuae to be a viticm

michelle wrote:
May 10, 2012

i love the guy who grabs the 12 gauge!! lol! good job to everyone who was prepared!

Liam Burns wrote:
May 10, 2012

If I could advise the clerk in Illinois, never fire a warning shot. If the situation is so dire that it requires you to pull your firearm, then aim for center mass, repeatedly, until the threat is stopped. Ammo is getting too expensive to waste.

Peter Payne wrote:
May 10, 2012

These accounts all show why America should be armed and how much crime could be stopped by the carrying of firearms by citizens.The point is proven alot.