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- Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 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
ia free to quota or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to:
"The Armed Cltizen," 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400.
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- An 82-year-old retired Air Force pilot and his
wife of 59 years were awakened early one morning to the sounds of someone
rummaging through their Oakland, California, area home. When an intruder
turned on the homeowner, he was met with a single, fatal shot from the
same pistol that had seen the veteran through World War II, Korea and
Vietnam. (Oakland Tribune, Oakland, CA, 3/27/99)
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- A 14-year-old Plymouth Township, Wisconsin, girl
was getting ready for school early one morning when she noticed a man
peering inside through a bedroom window. The frightened girl, whose
parents had already left for work, responded by retrieving a double-barrelled
shotgun. That image was apparently enough to send the man fleeing.
The girl,s father had set out both the shotgun and a pistol for exactly
such a contingency after she reported seeing the same man the previous
day. (The Janesville Gazette, Janesville, WI, 3/24/99)
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- When two armed bandits set out to carjack a man in
Philadelphia early one morning, one was permanently relieved of his ability
to cause such mayhem in the future. The intended victim, who had a permit
to carry a gun, was behind the wheel of his minivan when the assailants
jumped out of their own vehicle and tried to take control. The man
exchanged gunfire with the rogues, sending one fleeing and the other
to a nearby hospital with fatal wounds. (Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia,
PA, 2/8/99)
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- The day after Amy Sash,s former boyfriend was released
from jail, where he had been held on a charge of assaulting her, she
purchased a Colt revolver for protection. The decision proved a fateful
one when, only a few days later, the man " who was under order
by a court to have no contact with her "kicked in the door of Sash,s
Des Moines, Iowa, residence. After warning him, Sash fired, sending
her attacker to the hospital in serious condition. "[Y]ou have to
protect yourself at some point," said Sash. (Des Moines Register,
Des Moines, IA, 2/26/99)
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- Dave Mezzanotte was at his Fairmont, West Virginia,
home with a sleeping infant one Tuesday night when he heard noises
and went to investigate. According to police, Mezzanotte said an intruder
attacked and beat him. Retreating to another room, Mezzanotte retrieved
his .45-cal. handgun and fired at the man who quickly fled and sought
medical help. Police later charged the intruder with one count of
aggravated robbery. (Times West Virginian, Fairmont, WV 12/24/98)
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- Since childhood, Rory Vertigan had been interested
in becoming a police officer. One Friday afternoon, while driving
back from running an errand near the Phoenix, Arizona, apartment complex
he managed, his mettle for such work was put to the ultimate test. As
Vertigan " who worked as a nighttime security guard " drove
along, he was horrified to witness one of Phoenix,s finest come under
gunfire on the street immediately ahead. Officer Marc Atkinson had
been following a vehicle with three men inside when the car suddenly
came to a halt. The driver jumped out, drew a handgun and fired as Atkinson
attempted to pull around out of danger. Tragically, the young officer
was fatally struck by two bullets. As Atkinson,s assailants attempted
to flee, Vertigan gave chase, but backed off when their vehicle stopped
again to challenge him. In the ensuing gun battle, Vertigan fired the
Glock handgun he is licensed to carry from his car, wounding one of the
passengers and then tackling him to the ground when he tried to escape
on foot. "That individual is one of the true heroes of our time,"
Police Chief Harold Hurtt said of Vertigan who. at an emotional ceremony
days later, was awarded a certificate of heroism, a check for $500 and
a certificate to buy a new Glock pistol to replace the one police
impounded. (The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 3/28/99)
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- Two desperate fugitives were on the loose in Enfield,
North Carolina, after allegedly robbing a convenience store and killing
Police Sgt. Tonya Gillikin. Thankfully, residents Charles and Hazel
Rives were prepared. The elderly couple answered their doorbell at 5:40
one morning to a man who said that his cat broke down and that he wanted
to come inside. Charles Rives, who had a .25-cal. pistol in his pocket,
simply said "no," but moments later, the man tried to force
his way in. When Rives, gun failed to fire, his wife stepped into view
with a .22-cal revolver and warned, "I,ll blow you away." That
was enough to cause the intruder and his accomplice to flee through the
couple,s garden, leaving a trail for police. Five-and-a-half hours later,
the pair was in custody. (Dail) Herald, Roanoke Rapids, NC, 3/I 6/99
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- Tramona Crawford of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was
on the telephone with her cousin early one Thursday when a cold, shivering
man appeared at her front door. When the man told Crawford his car had
broker down and he needed to borrow some jumper cables, she hesitantly
left to retrieve them, but also grabbed her gun from beneath the bed.
Seconds later, the man " who had been released from prison only two
days earlier - burst through the door with a knife at the ready. Crawford
shot in self-defense. killing the home invader. "I keep banging my
head against the wall and asking myself, What if my instincts hadn,t
gone off?", she later said of the drama. (The Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte, NC 3/13/99
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- If you have had a first hand "Armed Citizen"
experience, call ILA PR/Communications at (703) 267-1193.
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