A homeowner who lives near Yellowstone National Park was loaded for bear one night in October—and it’s a good thing that he was. After hearing a loud noise coming from his garage, the resident grabbed his gun and went to the front porch to investigate, whereupon he learned that a grizzly bear had broken through a huge metal door into the garage, where an elk carcass was hanging. When the bear spotted the man, it turned and advanced. With no other choice the man fired, fatally wounding the grizzly. “We have a pretty clear case of self-defense here,” said Andrea Jones, a spokeswoman for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Officers found bloody paw prints all around the home—including some that were just a few feet from the front door and some on the home’s living room window. Jones said it is important for everyone to remember that bears often do desperate things when they are searching for food to fatten up before winter. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, MT, 10/24/17)
The Armed Citizen® Extra
When an intruder used a crowbar to force his way into the residence of a 60-year-old man, the homeowner, a valid gun owner, opened fire, hitting the man. The intruder jumped into a vehicle and fled to a hospital. Charges were pending against the home invader. (Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, IL, 10/8/17)
From the Armed Citizen® Archives
January 1971
After closing the Seattle, Wash., gasoline station where he is employed, auto mechanic Edward Wagner was driving home when a car carrying four masked men forced his car off the road. They then ordered him to toss out a money bag containing change from the station. When one of the robbers attempted to retrieve the money, Wagner pointed a gun at him. The four sped away after firing a shot that missed Wagner. (Post Intelligencer, Seattle, WA)
