ARMED CITIZEN | AUGUST 2004 | ARCHIVE

Andrew Atkinson was looking for trouble one Wednesday night as police were called to investigate a disturbance he had caused at a Malta, Montana, tavern. Still on the scene at the tavern, police were then called to a nearby home where an intruder had been reported. Robert Taylor said that a man, later identified as Atkinson, had forced his way through Taylor’s front door. After a fierce struggle, the 59-year-old homeowner shot Atkinson in the leg. Both men were hospitalized, and Taylor was released with minor injuries. Upon his release from the hospital, Atkinson was to be arrested and charged with burglary, according to Phillips County Sheriff Tom Miller.
(Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT, 06/03/04)

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When they heard two fugitives were on the loose in their Paradise Valley, Wyoming, neighborhood, Eugene Summers and his stepson, Bobby Allison, armed themselves with a shovel and a gun and took a look around Summers’ property. They discovered the two men hiding under a tarp in Summers’ shop. One of the crooks snatched a crowbar off the wall and swung it at Summers, who responded by hitting the man in the head with his gun. When the accomplice approached Summers’ stepson, Allison whacked him with his shovel. “They minded a lot better after that,” Summers reported. Police arrived soon after and led the pair of criminals away in handcuffs. The men, identified as Christopher Sylvester and Joel Schott, were charged with buying and receiving stolen property and criminal entry.
(Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, 04/24/04)
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A female employee at the Tobacco Rack was in the back of the store when she heard someone enter about 7:15 a.m. The woman looked toward the entrance and saw a man holding a shotgun, pointing it down toward the floor, and possibly loading it. The employee drew a revolver and demanded the intruder leave the store. The gunman pulled his jacket hood down to cover his face, saying, “I’m going, I’m going,” and left the premises. Police were looking for the suspect, who was wearing a baby blue, hooded jacket.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, AR, 05/15/04)
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Three men entered the Mount Vernon Liquor store in Colton, California, and attempted to rob the store. One man jumped over the counter and approached the owner’s mother, who was standing there. Fearing his mother would be shot, the owner, Mr. Lee, fired at the bandits, striking all three. Police arrived to find one of the suspects dead in the doorway. His two accomplices were apprehended and taken to a hospital for treatment. No one else in the store was injured. Despite that robbery and one the previous year, the Lees said they planned to keep the store open as they felt an obligation to their community.
(The Sun, San Bernardino, CA, 05/25/04)
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During the entire robbery, Habib Howard focused on the gun pointed at him. The intruder had entered Howard’s Carryout just moments before, walked to the back, picked up a 12-pack of beer, and brought it to the cash register where Howard had just relieved a female employee. Before Howard could ask for an ID required to purchase the beer, the man drew a handgun, pointed it at Howard, and demanded money. Howard complied, opening the cash register and trying to back away. The robber demanded Howard place the money on the counter. Again he complied and then stepped back. As he took the money and began backing out of the store, the robber raised his gun. Howard responded by drawing his own gun and shooting the gunman, who fled the store. The gunman and an accomplice, identified as Jose Custodia-Mota and Alberto Martinez, respectively, were apprehended and charged with aggravated robbery.
(The Blade, Toledo, OH, 05/18/04)
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A 63-year-old South Phoenix homeowner was alarmed to see his living room window shatter and an arm come through the opening during an attempted break-in. Aware of other burglaries in his neighborhood, the resident feared for his safety and fired at the intruders, killing one—identified as Ronald Freese. The other burglar, Freese’s brother, Rudy, ran to a relative’s nearby home seeking help for Ronald. Rudy Freese was arrested and charged with attempted burglary when he returned to the scene. He faces first-degree murder charges if found guilty of a crime that resulted in a death.
(The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 04/30/04)
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As her ex-boyfriend proceeded to kick in her back door, a Manor Township, Pennsylvania, woman called police and then ran upstairs. Fearing help would not arrive in time, the woman locked herself in a bedroom and grabbed a rifle from under the bed. The man entered the home and raced upstairs where he began pounding on the locked door. When the woman’s warnings to stop went unheeded, she fired a shot, injuring him. Police arrived as the man was leaving and placed him under arrest. Said one investigator, “He wasn’t there to deliver flowers. She was defending herself.” (Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, 05/06/04)

Studies indicate that firearms are used over two million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or, in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: “The Armed Citizen,” 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030-9400.