By Sam Hoober, Alien Gear Holsters
Nearly every state law regarding self-defense affords justification for using lethal force in defense of others as well as one’s self. This could include a family member, significant other, or random person encountered at large. Some state laws explicitly include sexual assault as a type of crime that the armed (or unarmed) citizen can intervene in and apply reasonable force to put a stop to.
After all, there may not be time to wait for police to arrive (unless the police station is right down the block, there probably isn’t) and indeed, a safer society begins with concerned citizens. This is normally where someone mentions Kitty Genovese, though there was a bit more to that incident than one might think. The armed citizen, more so than the unarmed citizen, has the means to intervene if they decide to.
But should you?
It’s a good point to ponder. The private citizen has no duty to intervene, implied or otherwise. (According to Warren v. District of Columbia, neither do police.) The impetus is a moral one. Some feel that there’s no sense putting one’s self in jeopardy unless there is a direct threat to themselves or a loved one. Many carjackings, armed robberies and other violent crimes began as a ruse, luring a Good Samaritan into an ambush
Just a few weeks prior to this writing, an armed citizen intervened in a traffic stop gone bad in Lee County, Fla., shooting a man who had gained the upper hand on and was beating a deputy sheriff. The suspect had led the officer on a brief chase at speeds close to 100 miles per hour. The officer was being badly beaten when the man shot the suspect, ultimately killing him and almost certainly saving the deputy from severe injury, if not worse.
Armed citizens have intervened in so many other incidents. Armed robberies, car jackings, even mass shootings have been stopped by concealed carriers. These people deserve plaudits for their actions.
There are also incidents that have gone horribly wrong.
Earlier this year, TJ Antell – a 35-year-old former Marine, gym owner and married father of three – was shot and killed by 22-year-old man who was having a domestic dispute with his wife in an Walgreen’s parking lot in Arlington, Texas. The murderer, Ricci Bradden, pulled out a gun and fired two shots, one striking his wife. Antell drew his gun and attempted to stop Bradden from leaving, but was shot in the head. Antell died at the scene, but Bradden’s wife survived.
Bradden was convinced by his father to surrender to authorities a few hours after the incident, according to the Washington Post.
There are also people who escalate situations due to recklessness or ignorance of the law. Last year, a wildly irresponsible woman opened fire at a Home Depot near Detroit, Mich., after some shoplifters made off with some goods. She was charged with reckless use of a handgun, sentenced to probation and stripped of her concealed pistol license.
Just because some interventions by good Samaritans – armed and otherwise – have gone wrong for the person intervening doesn’t mean everyone should consciously avoid coming to the aid of other people; far from it. The fact is that concealed carriers (and unarmed citizens, too) have successfully intervened in crimes being committed and it is a net benefit to society when they do.
Furthermore, there are risks everywhere. You take a chance leaving the house everyday. You take a chance waking up in the morning. Being armed just puts the means to save your life or someone else’s life, in some situations, in your hands.
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Sam Hoober is Contributing Editor for AlienGearHolsters.com, a subsidiary of Hayden, ID, based Tedder Industries, where he writes about gun accessories, gun safety, open and concealed carry tips. Click here to visit aliengearholsters.com.
