Goblin Count

Col. Jeff Cooper, writing a regular column in a popular gun magazine (I believe it was "Guns and Ammo"),  published a running count of the number of felons who were taken down during the attempted commission of violent crime.   The defenders were armed private citizens.

(Cooper's column was titled "Cooper's Corner".)

He called each successful defense an increase of the "Goblin Count" ... the Goblins being the bad guys, the count was the death of the goblin.

Cooper is gone now, but Goblins are a self-renewing resource.    Here's the latest incident:

Police: Armed bystander takes down gunman at Titusville back-to-school event | WFTV:  August 7, 2018   TITUSVILLE, Fla. - An armed bystander shot a man who opened fired on a back-to-school event at a Titusville park after a fistfight, police said.  The shooting occurred at Isaac Campbell Park on South Street shortly after 5:20 p.m. when the shooter, whom police have not identified, returned to the park after a fistfight and began firing, investigators said. 

The Colonel would certainly counted that engagement as "Goblin: 0, Good Guy 1"

Santa Fe, Texas: Resource Officer John Barnes!

The reason for "Resource Officers" (eg: "Guards") in schools is to protect the innocents.

It sounds as if there are still "Resource Officers" who know their duty, and they do it.

Absolute accolades to men who are willing to put their lives on the line.  Hope Officer John Barnes gets a great big BONUS with his next paycheck ... but I suspect that knowing he saved dozens of innocent lives will be sufficient reward to such a stalwart man!

Amid the chaos in Santa Fe, teachers' yells sent students scrambling for safety:

 One of the wounded in Friday’s shooting was Santa Fe school district police officer John Barnes, who was in critical but stable condition late Saturday, officials said. The police chief said two officers "engaged him right away," referring to the suspected shooter. "Our officers went in there and did what they could," Santa Fe ISD Police Chief Walter Braun said. For four hours Saturday, school buses with a police escort shuttled students and staff from the junior high school to the high school to retrieve their belongings.

The Guantlet

2 Times I Was Glad I Had A Gun:

It was around 4:30pm and I walked to the bathroom and noticed a car in the parking lot. It was a white Honda accord with no plates and 5 people in hoods sitting in the car. I instantly thought something was off and heightened my awareness but went about my business. Around 4:45 I was starting to lock everything up and I went and peaked out a window to see if the car was still there, it was.

Dealing with a Perceived Threat: 

Peter had a problem.  Working at the office in an otherwise empty building, he saw some people loitering in the parking lot.  His was the only car in the lot.  He felt intimidated, and probably a little frightened.

He finished his work, and the group was still there.  Waiting, it seemed to him, for the owner of the lone car to come out.

He had several choices; he chose to leave the building and, on the way to his car, contrived to 'casually' display his concealed handgun in a way which was just barely "Brandishing".  He did not draw his weapon.

That worked.  The five men got into their car and left.

The comments on Peter's story lean heavily to the "Why Didn't You Call The Police?" side.

Perhaps he should have.  Maybe he just got lucky.  Possibly, potential attackers are inclined to fade away when they discover that their 'soft target' wasn't so soft, after all.

And maybe the five strangers finished their cigarettes and decided it was time to get back on the road if they wanted to get to Disneyland before it closed for the night.

EWWWWWWWW ...

Perhaps he should have have chosen the option which the comments are full of ("Why didn't you call the police?").   Maybe they're right; maybe it was a dumb stunt for Peter to actually go about his business without seeming to be intimidated.  Maybe he DID risk his life, for no good reason.

Definition of "IRONY"

I know this has been blogged on gunblogger websites (*), but not everybody follows them.
And this is far too pertinent (or impertinent) to risk someone not reading the whole thing.  

Armed Drug Traffickers May Have Returned Fire in Paris Terrorist Attacks - The Truth About Guns:
(November 24, 2015)

The common refrain from gun loving people here in the United States following the terrorist attacks in Paris is that more good guys with guns on the scene would have saved lives. After all, if we can save just one life with concealed carry it will be worth it, right? There are some news reports circulating from foreign media sites which indicate that a couple people in that Paris restaurant were indeed armed and did in fact return fire, killing the terrorists and saving lives. There’s just one problem: they were reportedly drug traffickers.

* (H/T: Joel's Gulch)

The only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun is another bad guy with a gun?

Reading the comments section on The Truth About Guns (see the link) it's clear that gun-folks in America have a keen appreciation for the situation.

Don't expect this to play real big in the Liberal Press.
But ... pass it along. This is definitely Another Geek Moment!

Iraqi Bombers Bomb Selves; Unexpected Consequences Ensue

BBC News - Iraq militants 'killed by own bomb':
(February 10, 2014)

At least 21 insurgents have been killed in central Iraq after a car bomb was detonated accidentally, officials say. The explosion occurred in the early afternoon on a desert road, about 20km (12 miles) from the city of Samarra, security sources told the BBC. The explosives-filled vehicle was being escorted from the insurgents' compound to a main road when it blew up.

The expression "Hoist by his own petard" comes immediately to mind.

Sweet!

"I don't want him to come into the house!"

1 dead after Las Vegas homeowner opens fire on intruders | Fox News:

One of three men who allegedly broke into a Las Vegas home was reportedly killed by the homeowner, who opened fire on the group. Fox 5 reports that Mark Schwendener knew his family’s security was jeopardized when he noticed a stranger lurking around his west Las Vegas home early Monday. 

"He was coming this way,” he told the station. “My family was screaming and crying. My daughter was screaming and freaking out because she didn't want me to go outside with a gun. I was like, ‘I don't want him to come into the house.’”

 Schwendener, a recent burglary victim, called 911 before retreating into a bedroom to retrieve a handgun, according to Las Vegas Metro Police. He then fired at least one round at the suspects, prompting them to flee. One of the suspects, however, later identified as a Latino male, died at the scene from a gunshot wound.

Chicago ... you who consider "burglary" to be a "minor crime" ... pay attention, okay?  THIS is the way it works when *(a)* homeowners are 'allowed' to defend their home and family, and *(b)* police response isn't 3-4 business days.

Betcha the Las Vegas statistics for  "home invasion burgularies" go down for a couple of weeks in Las Vegas. (By at least one.)

Goblin Count increased by one;  Hero count increased by one.

I know, this is a gruesome story, but I'm sure you think that the headline  "1 dead after Las Vegas homeowner opens fire on burgulars" is better than "Las Vegas Family of Three Slaughtered During Home Invasion"?

As Mister Rogers might have said:  "I knew you would" .

I wish this guy was MY neighbor.

Geronimo-E KIA

AND .... America Reacts:


AND ... Apparently Rush Limbough isn't the only 'talker' who can't keep track of the difference between "Osama" and "Obama" when discussing the political assassination



(H/T: "Max Redline")

bin Laden dead!

Obama: Al-Qaida head bin Laden dead | General Headlines | Comcast.net: "WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans, was slain in his luxury hideout in Pakistan early Monday in a firefight with U.S. forces, ending a manhunt that spanned a frustrating decade.

'Justice has been done,' President Barack Obama said in a dramatic announcement at the White House.

A jubilant crowd of thousands gathered outside the White House as word spread of bin Laden's death. Hundreds more sang and waved American flags at Ground Zero in New York — where the twin towers that once stood as symbols of American economic power were brought down by bin Laden's hijackers 10 years ago."

Here Comes da Judge!

Ga. judge shoots, kills man breaking into his home - Breaking News - Macon.com

Here's the story:

Augusta, Georgia: 20 year-old wanna-be hood John E. Howard Jr. and his (still-unidentified) buddy pick a house at random in the middle of the night and break into it by throwing a brick through a window.

Well, that's subtle. Apparently they neither knew, nor cared, whether anybody was home.

Somebody was.

The homeowner, Superior Court Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet (65) hears the noise and calls 911.

No, I'm kidding.

Overstreet grabs a gun, and prowls the house looking for the voices he heard. According to the Macon, Ga. newspaper report:

"The suspect, wearing a bandanna over his face and socks covering both hands, was coming down the stairs toward Overstreet," Strength told reporters Friday. "Overstreet fired one time at the suspect, hitting him in the chest."

THEN the judge calls 911 ... to pick up the trash.

The other burglar made it out of the house alive, with a lap-top computer. Guess he figured it wasn't enough to live through his really bad career choice; he had to make a profit on the deal. Bet he doesn't find another 'friend' willing to join him in a little easy-money burglary.

Trash-boy made it to the hospital, then to the morgue without passing "GO". Nice Shooting, Your Honor!


THE MONEY QUOTE:

Police didn't find a gun on Trash-boy, but His Honor has been exonerated of any criminal charges. In the words ... which should NOT be forgotten ... of Richmond County Sheriff Ronald Strength:

"You're protecting yourself, ... You don't have time to say, 'Sir, are you here just to steal something or are you here to shoot me?'"

If there were more people like Overstreet and Strength, there would be fewer people like John E. Howard Jr.
Well, as of now there are one fewer than there were last month. If Kim De Tuit was still blogging, this would increment his "Goblin Count" by one.

Senior bowlers strike down Hillsboro purse thief – OregonLive.com

Senior bowlers strike down Hillsboro purse thief – OregonLive.com

Hillsboro is a nice town.

I lived there for a couple of years, and the only two things I have to say against it are (1) the unfortunate proclivity of developers to build "community villages", with "covenents" that can allow the property managers to fine you if you don't cut your grass once a week, and (2) the city park is ... or was, then ... the hunting ground for drug dealers (mostly undocumented immigrants") who were prepared to defent their turf with violence. The good news: The "Community Police Station", located across the road from the park, never had to bust skate-boarders.

But it retains one iconic community gathering location: bowling alleys.

Remember "Pleasantville"?

In the middle of the movie, when 'color' begins to permeat the town, J.T. Walsh gathers his cronies in a defensive position and says: "Thank God we're in a Bowling Alley!"

That's the kind of town Hillsboro represents.

On with the story.

According to the May 29 story, this kid tried to swipe a couple of purses from folks who seemed to be too intent on the serious business of bowling, when someone noticed what he was doing.
Then ... but I can't say it any better than the OregonLive reporter:

HILLSBORO - It turned out to be Pound-A-Punk day Wednesday at the Hillsboro Park Lanes Family Entertainment Center, a bowling alley in Hillsboro.

A 16-year-old would-be thief reportedly tried to swipe two purses from tables inside the bowling alley at 6360 S.E. Alexander St.

Then, at least from the teen's perspective, things went terribly awry.

The purses weren't the easy pickings he apparently thought they'd be. They belonged to two ladies from V.I.P. Summer Trio, a senior league, said Lanes owner Dean Johnson.

The women, along with other bowlers from the senior league, blocked the 16-year-old's escape through an exit on the building's west side. When he ran toward the glass doors at the building's front, league members were in hot and loud pursuit.

"One lady started screaming," said Nathan Krawitz, 44, who saw the whole thing.

Johnson said others in the league also sprang into action.

"A bunch of the senior ladies and senior men started hollering at him and chased him," Johnson said. "That's when Steve, my son, kind of held him down."

Oh, it gets even better after that. I have no wish to steal the thunder of the original author, so I implore you to go there and read the last few paragraphs.

It seem like a small story to you, but to me it's one more persuasive argument for "Bowling Ball Control"!

If it saves just one child ...

Oklahoma Pharmacist vs Antwun Parker

On May 19, 2009, Antwun Parker (16) and another teenage friend entered a drug store in Oklahoma with the intent to rob it. In the ensuing events, pharmacist Jerome Ersland drew a pistol from his pocket and shot Parker in the head. The other robber fled, followed by Ersland, who returned to the store after he was unable to catch the second robber.

Sometime during that few minutes, Ersland shot Parker another five times in the abdomen, killing him.

An autopsy revealed that Parker was still alive, despite being shot in the head, when Ersland shot him in the abdomen. Those shots were the cause of death.

After reviewing the videotape of the robbery from surveillance videos mounted inside and outside the store, and visiting the crime scene, the Oklahoma County District Attorney arrested Ersland on charges of First Degree Murder. He contends that Ersland was justified in shooting Parker the first time, but that the subsequent shots were essentually gratuitous, and tantamont to murder.

When I read the story on the NEWSOK website, I thought this was a fascinating story, one which explores how far the right to self-defense is limited by circumstances.

After all, First Degree Murder includes the element of premeditation. When did the robbery 'end'? Was the defendant still defending himself, and his co-workers, when he returned to his shop to find the shot robber still on the floor, but alive? Did Ersland "plan" to kill Parker? Ersland contends that Parker was "trying to get up". Does that justify shooting him again?

Apparently, between the time he returned to the store and the time he shot Parker five times in the abdomen, he retrieved a second gun from a locked drawer, after walking past the recumbant Parker, and it was this second gun with which he delivered the fatal five shots.

Before I began writing this article, I visited some of my favorite blog authors only to find that Xavier Thoughts presented the situation so well that I cannot presume to upstage him. (Xavier lives in Louisiana ... he gets to his keyboard hours earlier than I do.)

I recommend that you read his article "Robbery Victim Charged With Murder", and watch the videos ... which I had not even been able to search out before I read his rendition.
_________________________________

After you read the whole thing, you'll understand why one of the man-on-the-street interviewees on the second video, when asked "if you were on the jury, how would you find for this case" (or words to that effect), replied "I'd Abstain!"

It's a curious case, reminiscent of the Texas home-owner (Mr. Horn who last year shotgunned to death two men as they exited their neighbors house laden with booty gleaned from a daring day-time burglary.

"Mr. Horn, do not go outside the house. You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun," the dispatcher told Horn at one point."You wanna make a bet," Horn responded. "I'm gonna kill them. They're gonna get away."

Mr. Horn was acquitted by a Texas Jury, who obviously believed that robbers ... even unarmed burglars ... deserve anything that happens as a consequence of their deliberate Felonious action.

Will an Oklahoma jury feel the same way about a commercial robbery in which one of the robbers (though perhaps not the one who was killed) was armed and pointing a gun at the victim?

And why did the armed victim shoot the robber who was NOT pointing a gun at him?

As the Chesire Cat confirmed to Alice:

"We're All Mad, Here."

IPSC Stage Idea: Zombies!

Geek with a .45 has a great idea for a 'themed' match, or at least a stage or two.

Zombies!


I know that IPSC ... or at least USPSA, has gotten away from 'scenarios' in their stages.

My personal opinion is that this was a move toward the "Politically Correct" position which has never worked for IPSC and will never work for USPSA, either.

The original theory of "Scenarios" was that each stage of an IPSC match would represent a 'practical' exercise to justify the stage design.

This theory went astray, about the time stages described engaging a horde of marauding sharks through the screen door of a submarine. Well, perhaps that was a little unrealistic.

But the 800-pound Gorilla of Reality was that observers put the 'humanoid' looking targets together with the scenario, and decided that "IPSC IS TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO KILL PEOPLE!"

Uh, well, IPSC ("The International Organization") rushed to the battlefront and declared that human-shaped targets don't REALLY depict humans, and anyone who thinks so is reading something into the competitive venue which just wasn't there.

That didn't work too well, because the IPSC "Metric" target is obviously designed to designate the shape and size of a human being, and the highest-scoring zones in a target depict the approximate "kill-zones" of the human body. (Don't forget, you heard it first here, folks.)

[IPSC and USPSA won't tell you this, but I will because I know and you know that IPSC was originally conceived as "Combat" Pistol and was intended to encourage the exercise of skills which will teach us how to defend ourselves against armed aggressors. That is, of course, not Politically Correct, but that is a theme for later ... and several earlier ... articles.]

But I digress.

The Link to GWA45 includes a friendly video of a match which pits well-armed mortal humans against a group of attacking Zombies ... The Undead. It allows scenarios where a single person (mortal) opposes aggressors (immortal Zombies) and hopefully prevails against The Bad Guys.

What can be badder than a Zombie? I don't know, but for people who don't believe in Zombies this should represent the epitome of Personal Protection scenarios without "teaching people to shoot people".

Are Zombies "people"? I don't think so Jose'.


As a bonus, there is also a link to a video which shows the Ultimate Zombie Killer": an electric chain-saw, mounted as a 'bayonet' on the lugs of an Evil Attack Rifle.

The video doesn't make a good case for the modification, nor does it demonstrate good Gun-Handling Techniques.

Still, it looks like fun.

Slaughter of the Goblins

Kim has an especially ... mmmmmm ... interesting blog article.

Be sure to click on the "slaughter of the goblins" link.

"Sweet Land of Liberty Valence!"
_________________________________________
UPDATE: 30-OCT-2008:

Note that the video referenced in the link is no longer available. It has been deleted.

However, a variation on the video presented under the "Slaughter of the Goblins" link has been made available on You Tube under the heading: "William Shatner on Gun Control".

You can see it as the first video entry on a later Geek Post titled "William Shatner as 'Mister Bigshot'".

Take THIS, BatMan!

Shopper braves gunfire to battle Batman bandit

In the middle of an armed robbery of a Tulsa, Okla., grocery store by a man wearing a Batman mask, one customer leaped into action, charging, wrestling and subduing the gunman until police arrived.

A surveillance video captured several minutes of the struggle as the customer, Craig Stutzman, single-handedly wrestled the robber across the store before finally pinning the phony Batman to the ground in the store's parking lot.

Video of the violent wrestling match, courtesy of KOTV-TV of Tulsa, can be seen below:

I love it when The Common Man SWOOPS into action.

Biff! Bam! Pow!

Storeclerk

Hat Tip to Hook for this one. Caution: Not exactly SFW (Safe For Work).

Gangbanger drops by the local Bodega to pick up a couple of bucks to tide him over, and gets more ... or less ... than he had expected.

Sure, she gave him the cash, and then storeclerk Karen cashed in his chips for him.
Well, not permanently, but effectively.

Note that sometimes a "D-Zone Hit" is entirely effective.

No, definitely NSFW.
Note also that I can't swear that the dialogue is accurate.

But if that's not the way the story was told, it's at least the way it should be told.