Hello, Freedomphiles! Todays first gun story is an interesting one, because it hits on two hot-button issues for me. As you know, I've been really pissed off for some time now about the no-knock, paramilitary style police raids that have been rampant lately. And they get the wrong door all the time.
What do you do when you are a peaceful citizen and out of nowhere you are assaulted by an army with automatic weapons and flash bang grenades? In the case of Cory Maye, he fired his own weapon in self-defense and ended up on death row.
How do you know in the heat of the moment whether it is the police that have broken into your home or criminals? How long do you wait, and what will it cost you to hesitate? What will it cost you to not hesitate?
This brings us to our first story:
"[The attacker] was posing as a San Antonio Police Department and it was a house raid," said the father. "Two other men came around with pistols and forced their way into the house."
Police say the three men demanded money from him and his wife, while his kids stood by them.
"A three year old and an eight year old scared out of their mind," the father said. "They didn't know what he was going on."
Scared for his family, the father fought back.
"I wasn't going to lay down and let them do what they wanted in my home," said the father. "Good Lord only what they would have done if I would have cooperated they could have killed all of us."
But they didn't because this father managed to get to his gun and fired several shots scaring all three men out of his home.
What would you have done? What if they had been a little better about the scam and started taking your shit as "evidence?" When it's difficult to tell cops from criminals, we've gone too far.
The second story concerns an alert store clerk who knew what she had to do:
According to authorities, four or five men walked into the store and started grabbing clothes and then produced a gun and tried to take money from the store's clerk.
The store's owner and JSO said the store clerk produced her own handgun from her purse and fired some shots at the robbers.
"This woman has children, a husband, a family. She couldn't let this go on like that. Rather it be them than her," said 904 Fashions co-owner Wade Cooper.
He said the clerk started getting her gun ready before the robbers entered the store because she noticed them pulling hoods over their heads before entering the business.
Surveillance video from the store shows several hooded men stuffing clothes into bags.
At the counter, one of the robbers is seen on tape pointing a gun at the clerk. The worker handed over some money, but shortly after, she pulled her own gun from her purse.
She pointed the weapon at the man and pulled the trigger, but she didn't realize the safety was on and the robbers, not taking her seriously, continued looting.
When the clerk started firing shots, the thieves took off.
Nice work, lady!