Karemore Labs

On Monday afternoon, two 22-year-old men, one of whom was armed with a rifle, attempted to procure some free drugs from a Princess Anne, Maryland pharmacy at gunpoint. The pharmacy’s owner, Wasim Amir, was in his office at the back of the store when he heard the commotion. Although he had directed his employees to comply with robbers for their own safety, he walked out with a revolver in his hand to confront the suspects and protect the people in his store.

“The man with the rifle ordered everyone down on the ground,” Amir told reporters, “including one customer, a woman, who happened to be in the store.”

The armed robber pointed his rifle at Amir, but when he realized Amir was armed, he didn’t shoot.

“When he saw my revolver,” said Amir, “he yelled to the other man to run, saying ‘He has a gun,’ and both of them started running away. I fired once in their direction, but it doesn’t seem like anyone was hit.”

Amir is right: he didn’t hit anyone, although the round did shatter his store window. Quick-acting police were able to take the two suspects into custody and charge them with armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

An interesting aspect of this particular defensive gun use is that Mr. Amir says he’s no gunslinger:

“I don’t know much about guns,” said Amir, “but it was a big gun and looked like an assault weapon.”

However, despite not necessarily being a ‘Person of the Gun,’ Amir prudently decided to keep one around in case the need arose. And you don’t need to be a highly trained, operationally operating operator to use one to good effect. The Second Amendment isn’t just for POTG. It’s for every law-abiding resident of the United States.

You can show your support for this pro-2A local business by following Karemore Pharmacy on Facebook.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

32 COMMENTS

  1. Pharmacists can only dispense, not prescribe. 8>)

    I’m glad that no innocents were hurt.

      • The Pharmers I know are fed up with theft and robbery. Likely the shop owner was working out some frustrations built up over time to the point his employees were trained and he kept a gun handy.

        Gotta keep each situation in perspective. They are all individual although they feel cumulative.

          • Got that right! Years ago, I practiced as a Pharmacist in a small, residential area Pharmacy. We (me once and my partner once) were robbed at gunpoint twice within a two week span. I was first to be robbed, for drugs and money. I decided that I wasn’t going to be a victim again, so I brought an old 4 shot derringer to put in a close drawer. However, before the second robbery, we were broken into (smashed lower half of front door) and drugs and start up cash in register, AND my gun too. Then a week later they hit again. I promptly purchased a new 5-shot revolver, applied and received a CCL, took some classes, and carried it on my person ever since. I only had to “show it” twice in 45 yrs of work, but felt more secure and positive that I wouldn’t be a willing victim again. Kudos to the Pharmacist in this post for his deterring action.

        • For the perp it might be individual situation. For victim of multiple robberies it sure is cumulative. Robber with deadly weapon deserves to be shot even if it was his first robbery attempt.

    • Yeah, well, he wasn’t very good at dispensing “street justice.”
      Then again, if the BGs were heading for the door with their air soft rifle, it was probably a good thing that he missed.

    • This posting is yet another reason why we visit TTAG; to put ourselves in their shoes (Defensive Gun User(s)),and talk through it.

      In this case,when the pharmacist decided to discharge his firearm, the distance (not stated) at which he fired was clearly out of his/her skill level. As the report/post stated:

      “Amir is right: he didn’t hit anyone, although the round did shatter his store window”

      This, like so many other valid discharges are a fluke, lucky no innocents was on the receiving end. No serious thought about the confidence –the pharmacist had of his own skill-level and what was beyond the target (perps), –should the ‘supposed’ discharged projectile of the pharmacist have missed its intended mark/target.

      This is not a challenge to any aspect of how this was handled, just another observation/opinion. Along with other obvious stuff, that has been repeated over and over again:

      1) Openly giving detailed information about ‘your’ involvement.
      2) Discharging a firearm beyond your known/confident skill level; especially in an urban or densely populated area.

      This was a pharmacist, likely the prosecution may not look at these points and charge the pharmacist. Had this been in Baltimore … does anything else need to be said?

      There is Oh-so-much more to this. For this pharmacist, and others alike in similar incidents, think about your well being after the occurrence as well. Not just Criminal/civil, these perps have family members and so-called friends/associates that are quite capable of paying you a visit at a later date/time, but you want your 15\mins of fame then go as far as posting and/or allowing your picture to be posted next to the article about your Defensive Gun Use, for ‘all’, even the so-called Anti Gun folk to see and target.

      Take time and think about this stuff **before hand**.

      • I got the impression the shooter had no idea of his skill level, he may have thought it was real easy to hit a man with a handgun, while running, 300 yards away, like on TV.

    • Actually, it depends. In some states, pharmacists ARE allowed to prescribe certain drugs, therapies or treatments without involvement of an M.D. But yes, for the vast majority of cases you’re mostly correct.

  3. After a defensive gun use:

    Never talk to police.
    Never talk to reporters.
    Never say stupid shit like “When he saw my revolver,” said Amir, “he yelled to the other man to run, saying ‘He has a gun,’ and both of them started running away. I fired once in their direction, but it doesn’t seem like anyone was hit.”

    • x2 to ‘FedUp’s’ point about loose lips after a DGU. In the hands of an anti-gun prosecutor, “I saw them turn to run and then I fired” could be packaged up as an assault charge (use of deadly force when those previously displaying deadly force had gone, instead, into a mode of fleeing). I hope Mr. Amir does not run into any such headaches, and that if a prosecutor tries any such thing, that a good defense lawyer and a jury would use common sense and then the voters would, next election, send the prosecutor fleeing instead. But common sense is sadly becoming ever-less common. And there’s a lot of truth to that old saying “you may beat the rap (conviction) but you won’t beat the ride (through the justice system, which can be crushingly expensive and exhausting no matter how reasonable or innocent you are).” The right to remain silent is sometimes best invoked at the earliest opportunity.

  4. I/we do not gamble, It (the firearm) does not have to be loaded or real to be considered/interpreted as a threat to life or limb.

    Just a response, please don’t take offense.

    • “Take 2 (lead) pills center mass and see him on the other side…”

      *snicker* 😉

  7. Mr. Wasim Amir through his prudent and heroic actions is now hereby declared to be a member in good standing with POTG.

  8. …”and both of them started running away”…..”I fired once in their direction, but it doesn’t seem like anyone was hit.”

    Well, I think Amir is very fortunate nobody got hit and suffered great bodily harm, otherwise I am confident he would be looking at some prison time.

    And even if it is a happy ending this time, keep in mind he said that ^ and it’s on the internet. If Amir has to use deadly force again, the attorney will use the above statements against him and will try to convince a jury Mr Amir is a yahoo with a gun.

    • It was an unfortunate way to describe the situation. Nevertheless, if he were charged he would probably want me on the jury.

      The reality is that a bad guy armed with a gun who is running away is a lot different than one who is not… unless he happens to run around a corner or out of range. If I felt it necessary and prudent to use deadly force against an armed assailant that threat does not cease because he turns. He can turn back just as fast. If he drops the gun? Different story.

      • Good point. He’s got a long gun, you’ve got a short gun.
        Retreating with the long gun in hand doesn’t lessen the threat, it just increases the advantage his weapon has over yours.

        Dropping the long gun stops the threat, and there’s no evidence the robber did that.

  9. On the one hand, shooting at fleeing perps is a bad call. Shooting at perps that are retreating to an advantageous position for a gunfight is prudent, as is firing at two men running to the front of the store for a hostage, etc. All depends on how he phrases his perception of their actions.

  10. The way the perps instantly fled at the sight of Amir’s gun, it sure sounds like their weapon was unloaded or a toy. Which makes sense, because these guys sound like junkies or low-level dealers who are used to people giving up the goods right away without a fight. That said, I don’t think I would take a shot at someone who was fleeing. That can cause all sorts of problems, especially in a state like Maryland. The time to shoot would have been when the perps were still facing him.

  12. “operationally operating operator” is bad English, too redundant and a tongue twister. How about “highly trained operator” meaning police or competitor vs a civilian without any training. Amir put a shot through a window that could have killed a bystander and instead he would have been in lots of trouble himself. The suspects were running away and not shooting so the pharmacy was not in peril anymore. Amir should get trained on proper decision making with a firearm or at the very least counseled on the idiotic way he used his and its consequences. As luck may have it he was fortunate indeed he did not hit anything important. Once that bullet is fire, you cannot wish it back into the gun for a second chance.

Comments are closed.