Word on the street is that stopping at a gas station in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong hour in the Motor City is something that one oughtn’t do without a darned good reason. And even then, only if it is absolutely unavoidable. If you do, that isn’t a time to be in ‘condition white’, if you know what I mean. Scanning for threats and being prepared to defend oneself is always ‘best practice’ regardless of where you are, but by all accounts it takes on a higher level of importance in these sorts of situations. Indeed, this may be one of the reasons why Detroit Chief of Police James Craig made waves by calling on law-abiding Detroiters to carry their own firearms for self defense . . .
Despite the fact that Detroit crime rates have been declining since Chief Craig’s call to arms, the city still has its problems. This week, for instance, a Detroit resident found that his willingness to take Chief Craig’s advice may have saved his life.
Tom Greenwood of the Detroit News brings us the story:
What began as an armed robbery attempt turned deadly early Tuesday morning when the intended victim shot and killed the suspect.
The incident occurred at about 1:05 a.m. at the Mobil gas station on Seven Mile and Meyers on the city’s west side.
Station manager Jay Jawad said the incident played out at an outside service window at the station.
“The gentleman who came to the window is a local, he comes here every day,” Jawad said. “He came to the outside window to buy cigarettes. The guy who tried to rob him had been hiding in a bus booth at the corner waiting to rob someone.”
According to Jawad, the suspect first walked into the station and then walked out again.
“He was dressed all in black and wearing a black hoodie,” Jawad said. “Outside, he went up to my customer and pulled a gun on him. My customer said he didn’t have any money, then he pulled out his gun. He was faster and shot the guy.”
According to Jawad, the victim was “really shaken up” by the incident, and “sort of wandered away and then he came back.” The police questioned him then subsequently towed away his vehicle, which was still parked at one of the pumps.
It isn’t surprising the victim was out of sorts. News reports are a little conflicting, but he apparently let loose anywhere from “six or seven” to “a dozen” rounds in the moment. However many shots it was, it was apparently sufficient to terminate the attack and, incidentally, the life of the assailant.
This is far from the only recent defensive gun use in Michigan. Back in September, for instance, an armed suspect was shot and killed by a customer during an attempted bank robbery in Warren, Michigan. In October, a Detroit pastor shot down a brick-wielding assailant during a church service.
Shockingly, Michigan Democrats are determined to do what they can to make it more difficult for law-abiding Michiganders to carry and use firearms for self-defense purposes. State Senator Rebekah Warren, an Ann Arbor Dem, has been calling for a repeal of Michigan’s “stand your ground” law, which was passed in 2006 and passed by then-Governor (also a Democrat) Jennifer Granholm. The law extends legal protections to those who use deadly force when threatened by death or severe injury.
Why? Well, apparently, because of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, or something. Despite the fact that the Martin/Zimmerman fight took place in Florida. And Florida’s Stand-Your-Ground law had absolutely nothing to do with the subsequent trial.
Three other Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich, have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation, for which Warren cites high profile court cases such as that of George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin in Florida, as an example of why Michigan needs to rethink stand your ground.
“People are using this lack of duty to retreat as a reason to inflict harm and are sometimes not held liable for taking someone’s life. And I want to set that right in Michigan,” [Warren] said.
I suppose it’s easy to view the matter of violent crime in Detroit with a bit of a detached insousciance, when one is ensconced in the quiet academic enclave of Ann Arbor, where the biggest crime concern is collegiate rowdiness during football games. For Detroiters, however, the matter appears to be of more than purely academic importance.
Why Democrats like Ms. Warren want to pass laws whose primary effect will be to increase the legal jeopardy for law-abiding Michiganders like the one involved in the DGU in this story is a serious moral question. For a party that has, institutionally, been on the wrong side of many of the nation’s great moral issues in its 200+ year history, one might suggest that enough is enough.
Even in states without “stand your ground” the law and caselaw still dictates that one must retreat only if doing so would not further endanger them.
If I feel someone is enough of a danger that I have to shoot them, then they are too much of a danger to turn my back on in order to retreat.
True, but that’s another set of facts to be presented to and ignored by a jury, to the detriment of the defendant. Better to preserve SYG and preempt a prosecutor and jury’s opportunity to second guess in the first place.
So, Sen. Warren, how about citing a few examples of cases – in Michigan – where Stand Your Ground resulted in the dismissal of charges or a not quilty verdict in a homicide case. Sounds like she’s dreaming the whole thing up.
Asking that politicians use facts might be asking too much of them
Once you determine it has to be done, do it. Don’t waffle, don’t second guess. If you feel that it’s you or him let the lawyers sort the rest out after you’ve saved your own life.
7 mile and Meyers. Only a few blks from where I grew up. WESTSIDE!
Cadieux & Mack, East Side…. lived up’a north for years, now due to job I’m in Macomb county. Like I said in a recent post it’s dark when I go to work and on my way home, if I don’t get a lunch break I may have to stop for gas at night, even in the burbs it isn’t always ideal. Head on a swivel.
Wife’s family lived off of Mack near the Blvd. EASTSIDE!
The Hood, Grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and the area has gotten worse over the years and has never been the same since the riots of 67′.
Stand your ground represents an ideal the weak of heart, like Warren and her ilk, won’t and can’t wrap their minds around… One which a bully can only be dealt with by using justifiable force; not “advocating” or running away.
It seems the left as a whole cannot fathom the idea that someone would actually be intent on hurting or offending you, despite there being an entire body of law dedicated to describing such occurrences. They believe you can legislate a better person or educate them away from crime. They have such a lack of sympathy and empathy they cannot even imagine anyone thinking or acting any different than they do.
They seem too intently focused on “micro-aggressions” to be able to see real, dangerous aggression when it is staring them in the face.
The democrats have good reason to be concerned. These shootings are impacting the number of voters that they count on to show up at the polls and blindly vote(d).
This story has to be fake. Shannon and her various handlers say this sort of thing never happens. We’re suppose to believe them, right?
Don’t forget to thank the armed defender for the taxpayer relief shot.
I’m not happy when anybody gets killed, but……….
Glad he’s safe.
These Democrats want to repeal SYG precisely because Detroiters are stopping Obama’s sons from doing them harm. If this kind of self defense keeps up the gangs are finished and so is Democratic Party control.
Gang, Democratic party, thugs. Yup, pretty much the same.
His car got towed. What happen to him?
Don’t know if they ‘detained him for questioning’ for a few hours, or if he was just too freaked out to drive home.
Yo Axel, I know you’re out there somewhere reading this my brother. Hope you are all good. Peace. http://assets.potins.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1-eddie-murphy-680×365.jpg
never thought I would want to own a gun until OBAMA was elected now I own a gun and have CCW PERMIT
That is great news!! Don’t be afraid to partake in the freedom you have been guaranteed through our constitution. I am glad you have made the choice to be a responsible armed citizen. The lives you may save and the impact you may have are immeasurable. Make sure you get some range time and keep that weapon serviceable.
More proof Obama is the greatest gun salesman ever!
“Michiganders”.
I thought the plural of “Michigander” was “Michageese”.
How dare people have the nerve to get robbed.
And remember, never draw on a drawn gun.
Oh …wait…
Democrats are the Western world jihadist. Terrorizing law abiders and empowering criminals.
So they want to repeal syg. If Iam going about my business legally in a public place . That I should retreat possibly putting my life in futher danger. All because someone else is assaulting me or my family. What a great way to put burden and blame on the victim. That is like saying a rape victim is responsible because she wore a sexy outfit. BAN ASSUALT POLITICIANS!
So somehow a lack of duty to retreat gets magically transformed into a reason (compulsion?) to inflict harm? Somehow a lack of duty to retreats invalidates the lethal force justification standard, such that people escape responsibility for criminal homicide?
That makes no sense whatsoever. Shame on the media for not challenging public officials who toss out such recklessly illogical statements.
Gunned down by an armed victim? Occupational hazard for the thug life, I suppose.
You know it goes that way, at least that’s what they say when you play the game…..
In a perfect world,these democrats would be given a ride and dumped into the deepest,darkest ghetto where they could fend for themselves,I seriously doubt that they would make it out without several felonies being perpetrated on them if they even made it out alive. These hypocrites should put up or shut up.