NFOA MEMBERS FORUM
General Categories => General Firearm Discussion => Topic started by: Waltherfan on January 26, 2012, 10:02:03 AM
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46143485/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46143485/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/)
A 65-year-old man who was knocked off his bicycle by three teenagers on a Pennsylvania trail shot two of them, killing one, police said according to reports.
..The Reading Eagle newspaper said the wounded teen, 16, was taken to hospital and the third, aged 15, was taken in for questioning and was later committed to a youth center.
The paper said the mother of the slain boy, 16, asked officials not to release his name until she had been able to tell other members of the family what happened.
The incident happened on the Thun Trail near a bridge over the Schuylkill River, between Reading and West Reading just after noon Wednesday.
Story: Okla. mom won't face charges for shooting intruder
"There was one juvenile who was shot and is deceased [and] another juvenile who was shot and is in surgery," Police Chief Jed Habecker said, according to a report by the WFMZ-TV station.
According to police, the 65-year-old was riding his bicycle when the teens knocked him to the ground, the station said.
Police said two teens then assaulted the man, who drew his gun and shot them.
The man was released by police after they consulted with District Attorney John Adams late Wednesday, WFMZ reported.
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Good for him. I hope the old guy wasn't hurt too badly.
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http://www.wgal.com/r/30301618/detail.html (http://www.wgal.com/r/30301618/detail.html)
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Disparity of force....
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I know a middle aged white guy out exercising is generally not an inviting target for thugs, but this is why I carry when I run or bike. You just never know. It's also why I don't wear headphones. I tend to get "in the zone" while running and I don't need anything else distracting me from my surroundings.
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The article didn't say whether the boys had weapons or not. I would assume if they'd had weapons, especially guns, the media would have picked up on it. However, I don't think it makes any difference. I'm nearing that age myself, and if I had three teenage boys gang up on me, and they were physically assaulting me, I would fear for my life. It is especially relevant since the man was carrying a gun. Had he opted not to pull and use it, the teens may have gotten him subdued and taken it from him. No telling what they might have done with it at that point. If all they had were their fists, they should have known better than to bring them to what might have turned out to be a gun fight (what, they never even thought about that possibility?...too bad).
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I don't feel bad for the boys at all. This better show the 2 survivors what a waste of a life being a criminal is.
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"Julius Johnson, a sixteen year old on probation..."
11 am on Wednesday. Must not have been a school day. Too bad someone had to die, but good thing it was the innocent 65 year old.
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http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=361536 (http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=361536)
licensed and not afraid to use it.
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Per the article: "Adams added the victim did not provoke the attack, could not get away and feared for his life."
This is a very important statement when having to use your firearm to defend yourself.
Glad the guy was not hurt, but I do not feel sorry for the juvenile delinquents. Hopefully the 2 still alive learn something from this experience.
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I have merged all the threads on this subject.
Let's try to avoid the duplicate posts
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When I was in my youth I could and did defend myself with fists or a good knife. Now that I am in my 60's I am not able to do so anymore. Three young thugs could easily take me down and either cripple or kill me. I am just not that fast or strong any more. I doubt I would ever be able to recover from a severe beating either. So now I carry a gun. And if I can in such a situation I will use it. I don't care why someone would attack me or what age they are, I am just not prepared to give what time I have left in this life to someone who thinks I am going to be an easy target. I truly hope to God this never happens but if it does I want to at least have a chance to stop it.
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Well put, Wildgoose, and there are many of us in that same boat who agree with you.
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re: age of the attacker
That was something brought up in sjwsti's self defense class.... was being able to draw and discharge your weapon on a kid if the situation required it. Some 12 year old punk or something etc. I am NOT a 'think of the children' kind of guy but do like kids and have one of my own (and lost one as an infant) and it .... was something that took a week or so to grapple with. Had to just lay out clean and flat that self defense is self defense.... it's not about the other party, it's about SELF :D
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I say good riddance. Sounds like Julias Johnson was on his way to becoming an outstanding citizen......NOT
It doesn't matter what age they are, armed or unarmed, or how many, even if its just one. If you are down and they are assaulting you thats a "in fear of my life situation" whether you are 20yrs old or 65.
Also Pennsylvania has the stand your ground law which means you don't have to retreat.