The Armed Citizen® January 2010

by
posted on December 18, 2009
** 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

*Shocked onlookers watched as a vehicle careened across a mall parking lot, nearly striking a tree. Inside, a man was savagely beating his girlfriend as she screamed for help. While others stood by and watched, a 27-year-old man with a concealed carry permit ran to the woman's aid, drew a Glock semi-automatic pistol and shouted at her boyfriend to end the assault. The boyfriend saw the gun and promptly complied. Police praised the armed citizen's actions. "For all we know, he could have saved her from serious injury," said Police Captain Norman Cloyer. "I'm going to call him and tell him that when he gets ready to renew his [concealed carry] license, it's on me." (News-Telegram, Sulphur Springs, TX, 10/15/09)

*A great-grandmother and five of her relatives were enjoying a family trip when an armed robber stormed inside their motel room. Shouting orders, the robber forced the great-grandmother onto the floor, which actually positioned her closer to her .357 magnum revolver, a gun she inherited from her late husband and for which she had a permit to carry. As the robber threatened three generations of the woman's family and demanded money, she quietly got her gun. A shot rang out. "I thought I was shot," her son said. "I didn't realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos." The robber stumbled outside and died. "She said to me, 'God was with me tonight. You know I couldn't have done that myself,'" her son recalled. (The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH, 10/23/09)

Armed Citizen Extra:

(The following account did not appear in the print version of American Rifleman.)

Police say a Chicago man awoke in the middle of the night to two intruders attempting to burglarize his apartment. The man, who is in his early 20s, struggled for quite some time with the suspects before finally getting a hold of his gun and firing a shot, killing one of the men. The other suspect quickly fled the scene. The resident was not expected to be charged with a crime. (Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, 09/22/2009)

 

From The Armed Citizen Archive:

January 1969: When two bandits entered a Van Nuys, Calif. Liquor store and pulled a gun on the clerk Lew Barnett, Barnett let them have the $340, then grabbed his pistol from under the counter and shot one dead. The accomplice fled to a getaway car driven by a female confederate and fled the scene. Police soon picked up the pair who led them to a hideaway where 8 co-conspirators were taken into custody. (Van Nuys News, Van Nuys, CA)

Latest

Smith & Wesson Academy
Smith & Wesson Academy

A Visit to the New Smith & Wesson Academy

Let the training (re)commence at Smith & Wesson's new Academy in Tennessee.

New for 2026: Leupold LCO Pro F2 Red-Dot Sight

The optic giant has updated its flagship red-dot sight with a host of upgraded features.

Rifleman Review: Heckler & Koch CC9

When Heckler & Koch USA launched its micro-compact CC9, it proved to be one of the most robustly built micro-compact handguns yet made.

Beyond the Headlines on Armed Citizen Stories

Concealed carriers in the U.S. commit almost no crimes with their lawfully owned firearms. Armed citizens do, however, stop a lot of crimes.

Rifleman Interview: Smith & Wesson FPC and M&P22X

Smith & Wesson’s latest rimfire semi-autos were on display at Plinkapalooza in May.

Taking It Home: War Trophies in American History

From our founding to the more recent past, war-trophy firearms have played a significant role in arming American citizens.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.