Web Contents
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Previous Essays:
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Links I Like
Book Review:
“The Man Who
Hated Work and Loved Labor — The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi”
This is a fascinating book about a labor leader who has had tremendous
influence on our lives, but whose name is not even known by millions of
Americans. Please read my review.
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![[NRA Logo]](../../images/armcitzn.jpg) From:
The American Rifleman
April, 1997
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
Marty and Angelique Hite were standing in the parking lot of the Raleigh, North
Carolina, Pizza Hut where Angelique is a manager when they noticed a man wearing a mask,
gloves, dark clothes and holding a pistol approaching from the darkness. The Hites hurried
back into the restaurant and attempted to close and lock the door, but were hampered when
the robber shoved the barrel of his gun into the opening. He threatened to kill them, at
which time, Marty, a concealed-carry permit holder, pulled his .38 from a hip pocket and
shot the assailant. The wounded man fled to some nearby woods where he was discovered by
police an hour later. Police declined to charge Marty Hite, citing his right to defend
himself. Many in the community also applauded Hite's actions. (The Observer, Raleigh,
NC, 12/12/96)
"It's as justifiable a shooting as I've seen," said Lathrup Village,
Michigan, Police Chief Robert Jones, concerning a pizzeria manager who shot one of two
would-be bandits. The two masked robbers stormed into the restaurant, accosted the manager
and began pistol-whipping him. During the scuffle, the manager was able to pull the
handgun he carried and fire three shots, two of them fatally striking one of his
attackers. The other suspect disappeared unscathed into the night. The dead suspect had a
criminal record, and police suspect the pair may have been responsible for other robberies
in the area. (The Daily Tribune, Oakland County, MI, 1/14/97)
A New Paltz, New York, delivery driver entered an apartment building to deliver a pizza
when he was grabbed by the two masked thugs who had placed the order. A scuffle broke out,
and the driver was able to get a hold of the gun he was carrying. He fired several shots
at his ski-mask-clad assailants as they hastened off into the night. It was unknown
whether either man was hit.(The Times Herald Record, Middletown, NY 1/25/97)
The robber yelled for everyone to "hit the floor" in the Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, tavern and began firing. A few shots hit the ceiling and one struck
bartender Natalie Biggs in the hip. When his gun jammed, a wounded Biggs grabbed a .38.
Several of her shots found her attacker who staggered from the building. He was found dead
nearby slumped behind the wheel of his car. Police said the dead man had a history of
arrests involving offenses that included rape and aggravated assault. (The Inquirer,
Philadelphia, PA, 1/23/97)
Two men wearing ski masks and holding revolvers burst through the door of Stoneys
package store in Tampa, Florida, and shoved their guns into owner John Swetland's face.
They threatened to kill him if he didn't give them enough money. Swetland begged for his
life and the suspects temporarily offered him a reprieve, deciding to leave the store. One
of the bandits accidentally ran into another room and upon backtracking, fired two shots
at Swetland. By then, the owner had been able to retrieve his own semi-automatic handgun
and returned fire, wounding his tormentor. The injured man later turned himself in to
police, who continued to search for his accomplice. (The Times, Tampa, FL, 1/8/97)
Jaime Espinosa was working in the rear of the El Monte, California, hamburger stand he
owned when he heard his wife, working as a clerk, scream. He ran to the front to find his
wife bleeding from her hand, and a man holding a knife and wanting cash. Espinosa gave him
$107 then followed the knife-wielding thug outside. There, he pulled a gun and confronted
the man, firing three shots into the ground. The man promptly handed the money back to
Espinosa then ran off. Police were still searching for the crook. (The Valley Tribune,
San Gabriel, CA, 1/1/97)
When the two men entered the Hampton, Virginia, lounge — one wearing a mask and
grasping a pistol -- the manager quickly grabbed his 9 mm and confronted the masked
intruder. A scuffle ensued in which the manager shot the robber, critically wounding him.
The accomplice ran from the bar but was quickly arrested by police. A dancer who worked at
the bar and was present during the holdup was charged with helping plan the robbery. (The
Daily Press, Hampton, VA, 12/21/96)
One robber stood in the background, a blue handkerchief over his face. The other
crowded the counter, pointing his pistol in El Bandito Taco Shell owner Leo Nuñez's face.
The Albuquerque, New Mexico, restaurant owner knew it was him or the crook. "It was
real fast. It was my life or his," Nuñez said. He took his chances. Pulling a .380
from the register, he shot his assailant twice. The suspect returned two errant shots
then ran from the business. Terrified, the other would-be bandit froze at Nuñez's command
and waited for police to arrest him. The injured suspect was later apprehended at his
house after a lengthy standoff with the city SWAT team. (The Journal, Albuquerque, NM,
12/3/96)
Francisco Castellano was hit, shot in the chest by a pair of thugs who had demanded he
give them money outside of his Miami, Florida, restaurant. With few alternatives,
Castellano pulled his own handgun and fired back, sending his empty-handed attackers
scurrying. Police soon discovered the getaway car and gave chase. The criminals ran away
from the vehicle but were soon discovered hiding in the closet of a home. (The Herald,
Miami, FL, 8/3/96)
Canadian Football League player Roosevelt Patterson was visiting relatives in Mobile,
Alabama, for the Christmas holidays when he was approached by three men, two of them
armed, outside of a barbecue restaurant. Asked for cash, Patterson refused and instead,
pulled a gun and killed one of the armed crooks. The remaining two were arrested by
police. (The Times Daily, Florence, AL, 12/27/96)
If you have had a firsthand “Armed Citizen” experience,
call NRA-ILA Grassroots at (800) 392-8683.
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