<![CDATA[Guns Saving Lives]]>

Chicago gun owner shot and killed a man claiming self-defense. Now his family wants charges

September 18, 2023 by Cam Edwards Leave a Comment

By all accounts, the death of Abnerd Joseph is hard to understand. Or rather, the events leading up to Joseph’s death are still puzzling. Why did the assistant principal at Intrinsic School start pounding on his neighbors’ doors last Thursday evening in the Chicago high-rise where he lived? Why did he allegedly assault another tenant and a doorman who came to investigate the disturbance? Most importantly, why did he try to attack an armed homeowner who had warned Joseph that he had a gun?

While Chicago police say the investigation into Joseph’s death is still ongoing, the shooter has not been arrested at this point, and all signs are pointing to this being a pretty clear-cut case of self-defense, as painful as that might be for Joseph’s family and loved ones.

The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. Thursday on the 48th floor of the 60 E. Monroe St. building. A police report said Abnerd Joseph, who lived several stories below, was “wildly” knocking on doors and yelling “incoherently” when four tenants and a doorman went to check what was going on.
According to the report, Joseph allegedly struck a doorman and knocked one tenant to the ground before another tenant, who lived on the same floor as Joseph, warned Joseph that he had a weapon. Joseph, who was unarmed, was said to have charged the man, who then shot him several times, killing him.
Joseph, 32, was shot in the chest, abdomen, flank, an armpit and a ring finger, according to a police report. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Friday determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, the office said.
The tenant who fired the shots called 911 and waited for police to arrive, according to the report. That man, who has a concealed-carry license, was placed into police custody and subsequently released, officials said.
In an interview Sunday, Jay Joseph said his brother had been on the phone with a friend moments before the shooting, and he was “distressed.” Jay Joseph said his brother was in tears and had told the friend to record what was going on before the phone was dropped and sounds became faint.
Jay Joseph said tenants told him his brother was in some form of distress and asking for help when he was knocking on doors.
Jay Joseph also said investigators confirmed the existence of audio and video recordings of the incident, but said they wouldn’t be released while the investigation was ongoing.
… Jay Joseph said his brother had never mentioned any issues with neighbors, but believes the fact that the two men lived so close together played a role in the shooting.
“We’re hopeful that they’ll relook into this case and charge this man,” Jay Joseph said. “What he did was unnecessary, he didn’t have to kill my brother … He could’ve stayed in his unit if he feared for his life.”

It may very well have been the case that Abnerd Joseph didn’t have any prior issues with any of his neighbors, at least until he began pounding on their doors and assaulted the folks who came out to check on him. As for Jay Joseph’s contention that the armed citizen should have simply stayed put behind his closed door if he feared for his life, that ignores the fact that the man likely wasn’t in fear until he was actually confronted by a disturbed individual who allegedly tried to assault him after going after two other people. When he opened the door to his apartment he was likely simply responding to the commotion in the hallway without a full understanding of what was going on. He had his firearm with him if necessary, but that doesn’t mean that he was intent on using it from the get-go.

The truth is that if Abnerd Joseph had been the one to remain put in his apartment, he never would have been shot because he never would have posed a threat to others. We don’t know what Joseph was allegedly “distressed” about, but once he took himself beyond the confines of his own home and began assaulting those who’d responded to his outburst he put himself at risk of a lethal response.

Joseph’s death is tragic, but that doesn’t mean that a crime was committed by anyone other than himself last Thursday evening. If the evidence and eyewitness statements didn’t match the armed citizen’s story, I have no doubt that the Chicago police would have arrested him on the spot, but the fact that he’s not been taken into custody while the investigation plays out is a strong sign that, so far anyway, there’s no reason for authorities to doubt the gun owner’s account of what happened.

Home invaders get an armed greeting from apartment resident

September 18, 2023 by Cam Edwards Leave a Comment

An early morning home invasion in West Melbourne, Florida didn’t turn out the way the suspects were hoping. In fact, their unwanted incursion into an armed citizen’s apartment ended with multiple suspects shot, while those who had every right to be in the apartment emerged unscathed.

The incident unfolded early Sunday morning at the Reserves of Melbourne apartment complex. Police were called out just before 3 a.m. on a report of shots fired in an apartment in the complex. When they arrived on scene they quickly learned that those shots had been fired in self-defense.

Officers learned that multiple, possibly armed, subjects had forcefully entered an apartment.
According to police, one suspect had a gun.
The apartment’s resident, armed with their own firearm, shot multiple times and struck two of the subjects.
One was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. The second person who was shot also went to the hospital, where they are currently being treated.
Many in the neighborhood were caught off guard.
“Oh my God. Sick, wow,” said Sarah Goodman, who has a relative in the apartment complex.
“I noticed six police cars and the yellow tape way out there,” Miles Svikhart, a resident, said.
“Yes, it’s very scary,” a resident said.

There are conflicting reports about the number of suspects who were shot. Orlando’s WESH-TV is reporting that the apartment dweller shot and killed one of the intruders while injuring another, but Florida Today reports that a total of three home invaders were on the receiving end of the armed citizen’s defensive fire.

The latest incident unfolded after several people, possibly armed with at least one firearm, forcefully broke into an apartment, police said. The homeowner, who had a gun of unknown caliber, fired on the group, striking at least three of those carrying out the home invasion, police reported. Police arrived minutes later along with paramedics.
One unidentified suspect was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center where a doctor later pronounced him dead. Another suspect turned up on his own at the hospital and was treated for his wounds, police said. No details were released about the third person who was shot.

While neighbors and nearby residents may have been surprised by the shooting, they also sounded thankful that the resident was able to protect themselves. Sarah Goodman told WESH-TV that she’s a “proud Second Amendment person” herself, and would “protect her space” if she ever found herself in a similar situation. Miles Svikhart expressed support for the armed citizen as well, telling the WESH-TV reporter that the homeowner had to respond to the threat the home invaders posed to the people inside. “It’s self-defense. That’s why you have a gun,” Svikhart said. “If he didn’t have that gun, I’m sure he’d be in a lot more trouble.”

Given that authorities have already determined at least one of the home invaders had a gun of their own, I’d say Svikhart is right. At the very least those inside the apartment would have had to hope for mercy from their armed assailants, and there’s no guarantee that the intruders would have spared their lives after taking their stuff.

Police are continuing to investigate a possible motive for the home invasion, and haven’t said whether the suspects knew anyone inside the apartment at the time of the attack. There are still some unanswered questions regarding the circumstances of the shooting, but based on the preliminary evidence and eyewitness statements it sounds like the armed citizen was well within his rights to use deadly force in defense of himself and others.

Memphis woman says she was forced to shoot naked intruder after attack

September 15, 2023 by Cam Edwards Leave a Comment

A Memphis restaurant owner is speaking out after shooting an intruder at her place of business late Monday night, telling reporters that she had no choice but to defend herself and her family when the naked man refused to leave and instead attacked her and her loved ones.

The incident unfolded at the Mr. Potato Head restaurant late Monday evening when the man wearing nothing but sneakers managed to make his way inside the shop, only to find himself unable to get out because of the building’s self-locking doors. The restaurant owner says the man became “enraged” by the locks on the doors and began damaging property before punching the woman in the chest.

“I was just afraid of his strength,” she said. “I’m pointing at him, asking him to calm down and stay away or get out of the store which the door was jammed, and he had no way out, so therefore I was between a rock and a hard place, and I just did what I had to do,” she said.
According to the woman, she fired one shot at the man when he charged her and shot him again when he picked up a chair to throw at his sister.
The woman’s sister, who began live streaming after the shooting, said the man was like a lion locked in a cage. She reported when they called the police, the naked man was on the ground, and she and her sister and brother were still locked inside the restaurant.
She said she went on Facebook to let loved ones know what was happening.
“If the police came in and arrested us or anything, my family needed to know. Somebody needed to know where we were or what was going on with us.”

The restaurant owner says she was detained by police at the scene but isn’t currently facing charges, which seems appropriate. While the naked man may not have been armed, he still posed a deadly threat to the woman and her family once he started assaulting her and she was well within her rights to protect herself and her loved ones.

“I’m not a monster. I would never hurt anybody purposely. I just fear for my life and just did what I thought I was supposed to do,” she said. “I didn’t want him to die or anything like that. I just didn’t wanna be the one my mom had to claim to identify.”

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. I don’t know any gun owner who is eager for the chance to use their gun in self-defense. That’s the last thing that we want, but we’re cognizant of the fact that it’s not up to us to decide if we’re the target of a home invasion, a carjacking, or, in this case, someone who’s not in their right mind acting violently.

I’m sure that this defensive gun use will weigh heavily on the armed citizen, but it truly sounds like she did the right thing in acting to defend the lives of those inside that restaurant, including her own. She tried to de-escalate the situation, warned him that she was armed, and only when he continued his attack did she pull the trigger. It’s a shame that this incident escalated to the use of deadly force, but it’s the suspect who’s to blame, not the business owner just trying to close up for the night and make it safely home to her family.

Arizona teen uses gun to fend off home invader

September 11, 2023 by Cam Edwards Leave a Comment

A Phoenix, Arizona man is in custody after a brief stop at a local hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot injury he sustained on Friday night while trying to break into a stranger’s home.

According to local police, the man was stopped by an armed citizen; in this case, a teen who was able to protect both his own life and the life of his mother by firing a shot at the would-be intruder.

Officers were called to the neighborhood at around 10 p.m. on Sept. 9 for a fight call and found 35-year-old Juan Saavedra, who had been shot.
Detectives say Saavedra was trying to force his way inside the property. He reportedly did not live there and had no connection to the home.
The 35-year-old man broke a window and was hitting a door when a woman and teen boy inside confronted him.
Eventually, the teen shot the suspect, leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police say witnesses and evidence at the scene helped support the teen’s story about the self-defense shooting.
Saavedra has since been released from the hospital and booked into jail. He’s being held on a $50K bond.

Incidents like this are one big reason why I’m not on board with firearm storage mandates; especially those that impose a one-size-fits-all requirement on keeping guns out of the reach of any minors in the home. No one wants to see kids shot or killed because they were able to access an unsecured firearm, but removing parents’ ability to decide for themselves when their child is old enough to have access in case of an emergency can lead to tragedies as well.

In this case, thankfully, the only person to suffer an injury was the suspected intruder, with both mom and son emerging unscathed from their encounter with the home invader.

Neighbors who spoke to local media applauded the teen for defending his family, with one nearby resident telling Fox 10 that they’re “happy that they had something to defend themselves,” adding “We would have done the same thing, so I feel good for them.”

The truth is that there’s no predetermined age when it’s suddenly appropriate for a minor to have access to a firearm in case of emergencies. That all depends on the education and training they’ve received, as well as the trust and comfort levels of the parents involved. If you don’t think your child is mature enough to handle that responsibility then you should absolutely take steps to ensure that they’re not able to get ahold of any of your firearms, but I know plenty of parents who’ve raised their kids to be safe and responsible with guns in the home, and have allowed them access when they believe it’s appropriate.

Thankfully Arizona doesn’t have any of those one-size-fits-all laws, though the state does hold parents civilly liable if their minor child “knowingly and without the company of a proper adult,” possesses firearms in publicly accessible places. That provision won’t come into play here, so the mom doesn’t have to worry about facing charges of her own for permitting her son to use a firearm to defend himself and his family; a decision that resulted in the suspected home invader in jail and a family safe from harm.

“He saved our lives”: Iowa man cleared of charges after shooting man armed with knife

September 2, 2023 by Cam Edwards Leave a Comment

After several months of investigation, police and prosecutors in Polk County, Iowa have concluded the same thing that eyewitnesses have been saying since May: an armed citizen was justified in shooting and killing a man who was threatening several people with a knife at an apartment complex.

Officers were called to the scene around 11:30 p.m. on the evening of May 9th, arriving to find two people shot, one of them with serious injuries. Eyewitnesses told police that 62-year-old Stephen Miller wasn’t the victim but the aggressor, and that he’d only been shot after threatening the group with a knife.

“He saved our lives. We would have been stabbed if he wouldn’t have kept his line of sight with that man to make sure that we did not get hurt,” said Shelby Meier, the wife of the alleged shooter.
…
“Horrific. I am in shock. Like how everything went down. Not something I expected,” said Katelyn Moredock, the wife of the second shooting victim who will survive.
Meier and Moredock allege that Miller was being aggressive from Moredock’s room, attacking Moredock’s husband. That is when Meier said her husband went into the room and that is when Miller grabbed a knife. From there the ladies described being chased with the blade into the apartment hallway, fearing for their lives, saying the shooter had no choice.
“He did have his gun raised and told him ‘stop please, please don’t do this, please stop’, and he just charged at him like a wild animal,” said Meier. “…He just kept coming. He wouldn’t stop even the first shot he still stayed standing.”
The ladies would go on to say that the alleged shooter helped Moredock’s husband by providing first aid until medics arrive.

It took some time for the authorities to concur with what Meier and Moredock reported, but on Friday Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham and the local police officially cleared the armed citizen of any wrongdoing.

The Johnston Police Department, with the assistance of the State of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Lab and Ankeny Police Department’s Crime Scene Technician, has concluded a comprehensive investigation into the homicide of Steven Miller that occurred on May 9, 2023. After reviewing all evidence, including witness interviews and forensic examination of evidence, Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham has determined that Dalton Meier acted in self-defense and used reasonable force.
According to Iowa law, an individual may use lethal force if it is deemed necessary to protect themselves or others from injury or harm.
The Johnston Police Department would like to thank the Ankeny Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Polk County Attorney’s Office for their assistance during the initial response and subsequent investigation.

By all accounts, the armed citizen only resorted to deadly force when he reasonably believed that lives were in danger. The official press release states that Meier acted in self-defense, but I’d say he was acting to save the lives of others as well as his own.

Dalton Meier may not consider himself a hero, but I do. Not only did he protect the lives of his wife and friends, but after stopping the threat he tried to save the life of the man who was attacking them. I’m sure that the last thing Meier wanted was to be in a position where he had to draw and discharge his firearm, but once that moment was thrust upon him by Miller’s aggression he did the right thing.

Gun control activists love to portray gun owners and armed citizens as wannabe vigilantes who are just looking for trouble, but the gun owners I know all hope that they’re never in a position where they have to use their guns in self-defense. They’re also smart enough to understand that no matter what they want, they could still find themselves in circumstances where their lives are in danger, and they don’t want to be defenseless if that situation should ever arise.

Look, I don’t want my kitchen to catch fire, but I still have a fire extinguisher in case it does. I have that same mentality when it comes to keeping and bearing arms. I’ll be perfectly happy if I end my days without ever having to use my firearm in self-defense. I’m just not about to stop exercising my right to keep and bear arms on the assumption that I’m forever safe from being the target of someone else’s deadly rage or violent intent.