Another Armed Robbery Foiled with No Shots Fired

Many opponents of concealed carry and opponents of the notion that more guns equals more safety argue that the more guns involved in a stressful situation, the more volatile it becomes and the less safe to all nearby. While I won't argue with the seemingly intuitive nature of the argument, I would argue that those who argue from that platform are committing a couple of logical fallacies. The first fallacy is jumping to the conclusion that an armed robber is somehow better trained and more prepared to use his weapon than any average citizen, which allows one to conclude that the armed robber would have the upper hand, that resistance is futile, and that if a responsible, gun-owning citizen were to be able to shoot at his aggressor, he would miss and hurt someone else. While there are no studies that have collected objective data comparing the marksmanship and decision making abilities of the average armed criminal against the average armed citizen, we see that in this particular instance, the aggressor was not prepared to use his weapon when confronted with another.

The other logical fallacy made is that when one gun is involved, no one necessarily has to get shot, but when two guns are introduced, there must be an inevitable gun battle to decide the victor, which increases the probability of collateral injuries. This conclusion can only be made by assuming that an armed criminal is actually ready to stand his ground and fight. In reality, the use of the weapon is often a defense mechanism to so intimidate his victims that they choose to offer no resistance; the use of a weapon is an indicator that the aggressor fears even the smallest amount of resistance. As soon as a responsible citizen demonstrates that the two are on the same playing field, it takes almost no time at all for this criminal to run.
___________________________________________________________________________

In York, VA, a criminal known as the "Fake Beard Bandit" had robbed more than 30 stores in the area at gunpoint. On November 30, 2012, the "Fake Beard Bandit" walked into the Autozone where Devin Mclean, an Air Force Veteran, was working, flashed his gun, and demanded cash. Mclean, fearing for his safety and the safety of his fellow employees, while the bandit was distracted at the front of the store, was able to run to his truck where his personal weapon was stored, retrieve it, return to the store, and confront the gunman.

Mclean yelled for the bandit to freeze and drop the weapon. The bandit immediately threw his hands in the air, still holding the gun, and then started running out of the store. Mclean let him go. The robbery was foiled without a single shot.

Devin's manager, who was also working at the time, was personally grateful. The local Sheriff  J.D. Diggs, plans on honoring Mclean for his selflessness with a Sheriff's Citizens Commendation Award, saying, "Devin was a brave young man. I mean, two people with guns, no shots fired, and a robbery averted is a good ending."

The end of the story is not as good. Autozone fired Devin Mclean two days later for violating a company policy that prohibits employees from carrying their weapons on company property. Apparently, going outside and then returning in order to protect your fellow employees is enough to constitute "carrying."

Source Article      Source Article      Source Article