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

Federal Premium 7Mm Backcountry Artv 1
Federal Premium 7Mm Backcountry Artv 1

Behind Federal's 7 mm Backcountry Cartridge

In 2025, Federal Ammunition introduced its new 7 mm Backcountry cartridge, which operates at higher pressures than any previous commercial ammunition offering.

New for 2026: Beretta 94X Performance

The latest step in the evolution of Beretta's 90 series of handguns is the 94X Performance, a handgun that the company calls “the ultimate evolution of the Beretta competition pistol for IPSC and USPSA.”

Review: Spandau Arms RL

The Remington Model 700 lives on in the form of this RL bolt-action rifle produced in Turkey by Huglu and imported into the U.S. by Spandau Arms.

NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award Applications Open

The NRA is accepting applications for the 2027 NRA Outstanding Achievement Youth Award from junior shooting sports participants who demonstrate active involvement in their communities and in shooting sports.

The (Not So) Gray Man: Tips to Avoid Tacti-Cool & Blend into the Background

Being a true "gray man" is not flashy. It won’t get you followers or likes or nods from across the room. What it will get you is something far more valuable in the real world: freedom of movement. Reduced attention. Lower probability of being selected, targeted or remembered.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 28, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.