The Armed Citizen® March 18, 2022

Law-Abiding Citizens Using Their Second Amendment Rights In Self-Defense

by
posted on March 18, 2022
** 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. **
The Armed Citizen

Armed Citizen® Today

A man in North Pole, Alaska, was forced to defend himself when a firearm transaction turned into an alleged armed robbery on Jan. 12, 2022.

The man had been contacted about a CZ pistol he had listed online for sale and agreed to meet with the prospective buyer at the local Taco Bell parking lot after negotiating a price of $2,700. When the man met the buyer at the parking lot, it turned out to be a youth along with a friend. The would-be purchaser took a look at the pistol, with a "snap-cap" loaded, before telling the man "We're taking it all."

The prospective buyer then turned the CZ handgun on the man, along with his accomplice who produced his own pistol. Knowing that his CZ in the hands of the false buyer was not loaded, the man focused his attention on the accomplice with the loaded pistol. The situation climaxed when the man managed to grab the accomplice's pistol and turn it away from his body, all while drawing his own defensive pistol from his waistband and pushing it into the crook's stomach.

A single shot from the man's pistol into the accomplice's abdomen subdued him, ending the attempted robbery. The accomplice, an 18-year-old, was taken to a Fairbanks, Alaska, hospital, where he died soon afterward. The false buyer and surviving crook, who turned out to be a 19-year-old, was arrested and was charged with manslaughter for the death of his misguided partner. (alaskanewssource.com, Anchorage, Alaska, 01/14/2022)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives - Dec. 2, 1986

A paroled convicted murderer, fleeing from sheriff's deputies from three Texas counties following a three-day crime spree, ran afoul of the armed citizens near Magnolia. When one resident fired a .357 Mag. at the fugitive after hearing the screams of a neighbor, the man sought refuge at another home. The homeowner brandished a hunting rifle, and the parolee fled into the brush, where he was apprehended by police. (The Chronicle, Houston, Texas)

Latest

W3645 AFF 8419+
W3645 AFF 8419+

The Armed Citizen® Aug. 7, 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.

Gun of the Week: Zev Technologies x Magpul FDP-C

One of the most anticipated firearm releases of 2026 was the Zev Technologies FDP, a folding pistol-caliber design that the company produced in conjunction with Magpul Industries.

Review: Taurus 22TUC

Taurus USA's 22TUC is a little, polymer-framed .22 pocket pistol with a tip-up barrel design that, unlike many of the company's guns, is made entirely in the United States.

Korea Coast Guard Increases KelTec KSG Tactical Shotgun Inventory

KelTec recently announced that the Korea Coast Guard has ordered more KSG shotguns to join those already in service aboard the branch's patrol vessel fleet.

Rifleman Review: Mossberg 990 Aftershock

In 2025, Mossberg added to the non-NFA, shotshell-firing firearm category with its 990 Aftershock, which uses a semi-automatic operating mechanism while still maintaining a compact form factor.

Next-Gen Micro Red-Dot: The Steiner MPS 2.0

Steiner Optics has introduced the next-generation version of its Micro Pistol Sight, a red-dot optic that first hit the market in 2021.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.