Being aware of your surroundings is one of the best ways to keep trouble at bay, as a case involving an armed citizen shows. An Ortonville, Mich., man noticed that the windows on his car were fogged up one morning, tipping him off that something was awry. Then he noticed that someone was under a blanket in the backseat. The resident, who was armed, pulled out his gun, opened the door and ordered the stranger to lie on the ground. He called 9-1-1 and held the bad guy at gunpoint until the police arrived. Police arrested the trespasser and charged him in connection with the earlier shooting of his estranged wife and her friend. (Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI, 11/16/17)
The Armed Citizen® Extra
Situational awareness goes a long way in diffusing a potentially bad situation, as it did when a legally armed citizen intervened in a burglary in progress. Late one night, a homeowner heard a vehicle slow down and idle near the local armory, which was adjacent to his residence. As he went to investigate, two individuals, who were wearing camouflage and bandanas over their faces, exited the vehicle. The armed citizen confronted the masked suspects and held them and the driver, who had returned to the vehicle, until police arrived. Facts later revealed that the armory had been broken into and the burglars had guns stashed the stolen guns in their vehicle as well as in an abandoned nearby cabin. One of the burglars was charged with third-degree burglary, second-degree theft of property and third-degree criminal mischief. The two other suspects are juveniles and were transported to Youth Services. The sheriff thanked the good Samaritan for his actions and assistance in the case. (The Andalusia Star-News, Andalusia, AL, 1/22/18)
From the Armed Citizen® Archives
February 1960
Odell Teague was on the way to open his Cleveland café when he saw two burglars hauling cases of whisky through the smashed window of a state dispensary. When the robbers said, “Beat it; this is none of your business,” Teague drew the revolver he began carrying after two holdups of his place and held the thieves until police arrived. (UPI, Cleveland, OH)
