The Armed Citizen® December 30, 2016

by
posted on December 30, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ac2009_fs.jpg (7)

Sometimes words are enough when an armed citizen is confronting a troublemaker. In Salt Lake City, Utah, a homeowner said the magic words—I have a gun—and scared off two burglary suspects. A man and his wife were awakened by the sound of their garage alarm going off around 3:30 a.m. one morning. The male resident got his gun and went to see what was happening. He saw a stranger inside the car in the garage and he asked what the man was doing. The suspect’s accomplice, who had been waiting in a getaway car, noticed that his buddy was being confronted and approached on foot. At that point, the homeowner said he was armed and both suspects scampered off. (Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 10/14/16)

The Armed Citizen® Extra
Law enforcement agents moved quickly to make an arrest in an alleged murder that started out as robbery/burglary. Police were given the location at which they might find the suspect, but the suspect was warned by his father of their impending presence, and fled out the back door of an outside building in which he had been hiding. A foot chase ensued between the suspect and the officers, with the suspect firing shots at the officers. The manhunt continued over the next several hours, but the suspect was eventually located with the help of an observant homeowner, who discovered him hiding under a pool table in his garage. The homeowner had gone into the garage to retrieve a tool when he spotted a man's legs sticking out from under the table. He proceeded to disarm the man and held him at gunpoint until officers arrived. (The Banner-Gazette, Pekin, IN, 11/9/16)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives
December 1982
A would-be robber brandishing a piece of broken glass demanded all the money in the cash register of a Rock Hill, S.C., convenience store. Clerk Regina Moore countered with a drawn revolver and forced the man to lie facedown on the pavement outside while she sent her son to get the police. (The Evening Herald, Rock Hill, SC)

Latest

Smith & Wesson Night Guard revolvers
Smith & Wesson Night Guard revolvers

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson Night Guard Revolvers

Smith & Wesson brings back the Night Guard series of revolvers in .44 Special and .357 Magnum.

Battle On The Border: Pancho Villa’s Raid On America

In March 1916, Americans living in the quiet town of Columbus, N.M., suddenly found themselves attacked by Mexican bandits, and many citizens sought to arm themselves and fight back, both during the raid and afterward.

The Armed Citizen® Feb. 9, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Swiss Armed Forces Select SIG Sauer P320s

Swiss Armed Forces select a domestically sourced SIG Sauer P320 as standard issue.

Preview: Reptilia RECC-E Carbine Stock

Versatile and exceptionally lightweight, the polymer RECC-E SR-15/M4/AR-15 Carbine Stock from Reptilia provides a constant, uniform cheek weld across a generous range of settings for length-of-pull...

The MAT-49: France's Mid-20th Century SMG

After World War II, the French military was left with a hodgepodge of leftover submachine guns. After several years, the army consolidated on a standard service rifle, the MAS-49, and a standard submachine gun: the MAT-49.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.