“I heard her scream . . . I decided to help the lady”: Concealed carry permit holder comes to aid of woman being beaten and robbed
by John LottLocal television coverage of a defensive gun use. A news story video of the man who came to this woman’s aid can be seen here. The criminal was apparently savagely beating the woman over the head with a beer bottle. Because of the news worthiness angle, these types of defensive gun use stories usually only get news coverage when the criminal is killed.
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28 Comments
Awesome! I follow your blog every day, and I’m really happy to see you post at Big Hollywood as well.
In Chicago, it would have a different ending; clerk dead.
I love happy endings.
This is going to turn out to be a sad story. I haven’t looked at Florida’s laws but most states have a premeditated law.The man defending the woman being beaten is going to due some time due to the fact that he went back to his car for the gun. Such a shame that a man saving some ones life will go to prison. That is what this country has become
Mr. Lott, I am so happy to see you posting on Big Hollywood as you are one of my personal heroes and someone I hope to meet in person some day.
Thanks for your book and your attempts at sane discussion with rabid anti-gun liberals, even thought it is probably a waste of time.
I followed this story when it happened and I agree with your take on it 100%. I have a carry permit here in Tennessee and hope I never have to use my gun. Partly because I do not what to be in the position of having to harm or kill another person to protect myself or my loved ones and partly because I dread what the liberal media would do with the story.
I’m a big Lott fan, and I love the 2nd Amendment even more. And there is nothing more conservative than taking the personal responsibility to defend your own personal sovereignty.
But do posts like this risk mission creep at BH? Does it take away from the culture focus? Could that diminish the power of this blog?
Eh, probably not. But just for good measure, someone should try to find that scene from Boston Legal where Denny Crane gives a mugger what-for…
My favorite video is of a karate expert who was making a training video for the police – and told a pimp to stop beating up the prostitute – well, you gotta see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqFnrNabbL8
Certainly one can’t argue with the results in this case – I had a carry permit at one time and drilled into our heads was the fact that you have to be in fear of either your life or that of another – make a mistake and the DA sends you to court.
Still, what isn’t reported is that in most cases just the threat to use a firearm to stop a crime is sufficient.
I hope this goes ok for the guy (as in no jailtime). Some gun laws are insane, but what’s more insane is the situational rules and regulations for actually using the weapon. I’m all for people practicing gun safety, but to demand that every citizen who owns one behaves like a fully trained veteran police officer when in a dire situation is ridiculous (like the Joe Horn case, luckly sanity prevailed).
Bravo sir, bravo. An american hero.
Does it take away from the culture focus?
No, since we’re fighting a culture *war* in which guns are front and center.
Jim-Barb,
This post got me thinking about Joe Horn as well. Nice to know he was cleared (gotta luv Texas!). Unfortunately the rabble rousers and race-baiters won’t leave well enough alone. Poor Mr. Horn now has a big legal target on his back…or worse. Wikipedia says that Quanell X of the New Black Panthers vows to bring him down in civil court. Then you have the death threats from the usual urban scum.
Horn death threat caught on tape
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou071210_tnt_joehorndeaththreat.302e7df.html
My home is my castle and I’ll defend it to the death. But Horn’s ordeal makes me think that maybe a neighbor’s property isn’t worth killing over. I guess it depends on how much I like my neighbor. Heh.
While I’m not the biggest concealed-carry proponent, I do love stories like this. Nothing brightens my day more than a violent criminal not getting the opportunity to have his day in court (especially one who attacks a woman or child).
Good to have you on the site, John. I find your reasoning very difficult to disagree with (maybe you’ll even win me over one of these days
).
Thanks, Orrin, I will ask. The first post regarding Monk’s show I believe was definitely on target (after all how Hollywood looks at guns), but my charge was also to talk about how the media in general covers the issue. Thanks for the comment.
If I had a permit to carry a firearm, I would certainly do what this man did to protect the woman being victimized. He should be awarded a medal for bravery.
The police here (I live in Orlando) say he likely won’t be charged, as he was legally defending an innocent lady. However, they do think the robber had accomplices in the parking lot, and are looking to find and arrest them for murder (as they aided the robber who got killed, they would be partially responsible for his murder).
The castle doctrine in Florida is law. If I grab my gun to defend my life or the lives of others, there is no pre-meditation there.
Markp, most states allow the use of lethal force to stop a violent felony in progress … doesn’t matter if he had to return to the car to get his gun or if he had it on him (don’t know why he didn’t just have it on him, that little XD Subcompact he demonstrated for the camera with would be very easy to comfortably carry 24/7, I carry a larger gun than that all the time with no problem). On a side note, the shooter still carries a gun, that tells me the police didn’t seize his permit at the scene … that says to me he won’t be charged.
Castle Doctrine laws don’t really apply in this instance since those are about your home, however “Stand Your Ground” laws would probably apply here (which Florida has).
Anyway, kudos to Chris for his quick action, something tells me he won’t have to pay for a soda for a long time
And I really look forward to more posts from John!
MarkP,
Your understanding of the law is…bizarre. Premeditation is about murder. Murder is the UNLAWFUL taking of a life, not the legal, justified taking of a life. If anything, his actions show that he didn’t act blindly, or without weighing his options.
Good job on the part of the armed citizen.
Wendy – January 13th, 2009 at 3:54 am
“If I had a permit to carry a firearm….”
Why would you need a permit for a right? This is the thinking that is making citizens in to slaves.
This is a great story. Man saves woman store clerk being savagely beaten. Man with concealed weapon shoot perp with his carried gun. Now, where are the womans advocate groups to praise this man?…Will we only now hear from the anti gun idiots.
This was a good story. Naturally the talking-head has to mention that police are trying to decide if they will file charges against the hero.
I’m amazed that with stories like these we still hear about police encouraging law-abiding citizens to turn in their guns and “get them off the streets.” If more citizens like this man carried guns every day, there would be a lot less violent crime; and when a criminal chose to commit a violent crime anyway, there would be a much greater likelihood that someone would insure he could not repeat the crime. This man has beaten his last store clerk. Huzzah!
We need more men like this in our country…
Didn’t that idiot know he was supposed to call 911? That’s what all the anti-gun advocates assure us will be our salvation when danger strikes.
Attn: Rudebutcool
#######
#######
Sound the alarm now, or
there’ll be little recourse
to preventing confiscation.
One means to defending
against confiscation is to
begin a nation-wide ad
campaign, to warn women and
the elderly that their
government would subject
them to rape, robbery and
murder if there were to
be restrictions on gun
ownership–to include so-
called “assault weapons”
that offer defense against
gang-related assaults on,
say, a family living in
a rural setting.
#######
#######
Bilwick – January 13th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Didn’t that idiot know he was supposed to call 911?
He did call 911 according to the video. I’m sure the clerk is glad he didn’t sit on his hands and wait for the police to arrive.
This guy could be charged with unpproportionate response, should have grab a Bud and beat the suspect over the head instead…
Glad to hear the good folks are all ok. Above the line types take note. It would be great to get into development a pic that takes on the idea of ordinary citizens defending themselves by legal means. Non of the sophomoric good guy revenge stuff. Rather a deeply personal character study of an ordinary man/woman who takes the ultimate step to defend him/herself and the consequences of this action. Kevin Bacon’s “Death Sentence” could greatly be improved but Robert Culp’s tv movie “Outrage” back in the early 70’s would be much better! I loved that movie when I was a kid. In the meantime, I’ll keep my Mossberg locked and loaded.
Florida “Stand Your Ground” law is pretty clear. There will be no charges filed against this man. He did the right thing. You are allowed to use necessary force (including deadly force) to help somebody facing grave bodily harm from a criminal, as the victim was clearly facing. I am amazed at the attitudes and comments of some people out there, assuming that what he did broke some law. What kind of places do you live in? Weird.
If EVERYONE understood the principle of “jury nullification” then no matter what charges the government would bring against folks who use their guns in valid defensive circumstances, the juries would just say “NOT guilty” and then the government would stop trying to prosecute folks who did the right thing. Go to http://fija.org/ and learn more!
If you are on a jury, vote your conscience. If you think someone is being charged unfairly, vote NOT guilty, regardless of what the “facts” presented by the prosecutor say. Of course, you will have to lie to get on the jury if you are asked if you know about jury nullification as then the prosecution will not want you on the jury.
Also, any prosecutor who would dare to prosecute the guy who saved this women’s life should be thrown in prison himself.
–chicopanther
Carrying a handgun in your vehicle does not require a conceal and carry permit. This young man has a right to possess permit.
Your title is misleading.
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