DGU Week In Review

Was there ever a time in the history of civilization when humans didn’t face the threat of violence against their person? A place in time that was placid and safe from aggression? Didn’t think so. We are a violent species. Every day, I search the web and pore over news aggregators looking for examples of defensive gun use. It really is a task of separating the wheat from the chaff. Buried in the screenfuls of returns are valid DGU stories . . .

But most search hits are Criminal Gun Use (CGU) articles. I can’t begin to describe the number of crime reports (some where a self-defense gun might’ve made a difference); go ahead and Google it, and you’ll see what I mean.

So, what do we do to quell the violence? Fight back. Casual research shows that the moment you take lethal action to protect your life, your attackers will run away. This week’s DGU stories tell the tale of invincible bad guys turning tail when the victim fights back.

Anthony Allen came to his DGU gunfight well-armed. You never know what to expect when a car pushes your security gate open and heads for the back door. Is it a home invasion? A carload of bad guys? After shouting, “stop!”, Allen let his handgun continue the conversation:

Allen says with the suspect close, he fired his handgun into the vehicle, and when that didn’t stop him, he fired his shotgun.
“All of that noise was for warning, that if you got out of your car, you wouldn’t make it. But they never did,” Allen said.

The alleged burglar was butt-naked when the local sheriff pulled him from the car. Authorities are still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

A 66-year-old man in Wichita proved once again that when the bullets start flying, the crooks get the hell out. Bloodstains on a curtain are the only evidence left by one of three unlucky thugs, who came in through the patio and threatened the homeowner. After giving the intruders his prescription drugs and valuables, he saw an opening when the robbers were distracted, allowing him to draw and shoot one of them in the back. They all took off running.

There was another DGU incident from San Antonio this week that ended in the death of the intruder. A reserve police officer was awakened by the sound of glass breaking in his kitchen. The burglar ignored his demands to stop and ended up leaking. Bad guy pro-tip: when casing the house you’re planning to burgle, make sure the homeowner isn’t a cop… especially one who’s home.

If TTAG has been around seven years ago, we’d likely devote an entire DGU column to the aftermath of Katrina. Last week’s Hurricane Isaac didn’t cause damage anywhere near the level of Katrina (thank God) and it was a welcome relief that I could only find one story of a homeowner who had to defend against looters.

The big DGU story from last week, though, came from Verona, Kentucky. Earl Jones, a 92-year-old WWII veteran, was getting ready to hit the sack when he heard the pitter-patter of intruders on the basement stairs. Having suffered three break-ins within the last five weeks, Earl was tired of being a victim. So he grabbed his .22 rifle (only identified as a $500 model from Wal-Mart), took a seat and waited. When 24-year-old Lloyd Maxwell and his buddies opened the basement door into the house, Earl fired, hitting Maxwell in the chest and killing him.

The takeaway from today’s column is simple: fight back. The determined, invincible killer is nothing more than a Hollywood invention. Time after time, when the victim produces a force equalizer — even a .22 revolver — the bad guys show their true colors and run.