“According to the latest reports from police, at least 17 incidents were reported after a group of approximately 200 teens began robbing and assaulting people Saturday night,” Louisville, Kentucky’s wdrb.com reports. “Police say it started around 7:45 p.m. when the teens gathered near the entrance of the Big Four Bridge. That’s where police say 12 teens assaulted and robbed a 13-year-old girl, as well as a man who came and tried to help her.” As the lead says, it gets worse. A lot worse . . .
Officers broke up the crowd, but shortly after that, there were more problems in the downtown area.
Police say once the large group left Waterfront Park, 70-80 teens were reported to be causing a scene at the White Castle on 1st Street. Nearby, a woman reported a group of teens assaulted her while she was parked in her car. Police say her two children were in the car with her, as the suspects repeatedly punched her and threw trash cans at the car.
A group then raided Bader’s Market on South 1st Street. Police say they took items off the shelves and assaulted the clerk as he tried to close the doors on them.
Police were then called to three separate assaults on 5th and Broadway, 6th and Broadway, and 3rd and Chestnut. Each victim in those assaults had to be transported to the hospital.
The focus on the police account is standard for any story of crime and [non] punishment. Law enforcement officers are in charge of law enforcement after all. But police – perp interaction is fundamentally different from non-LEO civilian – predator encounters. As witnessed by the fact that no police were harmed in the making of this debacle, while plenty of law-abiding citizens were.
If the teen gangs had come face-to-face with an armed citizen (or two or three or more) they would have had a profoundly different reaction than they did when the po-po made the scene at White Castle and told the crowd to disperse. Not to mention the fact that the gangs were gone from other crime scenes before the cops arrived.
Criminals – even gangs of criminals – operate on a risk – reward basis. The greater the risk – something like, say, death – the less likely they are to seek the reward. And the more likely they are to abandon their pursuit of a reward in the midst of an attack. Nothing makes a bad guy reconsider his action, or their actions, more quickly and completely than a drawn gun from a prospective victim.
Gun control advocates argue that “untrained” armed citizens escalate criminal attacks, creating even more injury and bloodshed. I repeat: they reckon an unarmed American is less likely to be hurt than an armed one. Common sense says that’s absurd. But it allows the antis to put the focus on society, police and, of course, guns.
In this campaign to controlling the terms of the “debate” they have been successful. Even in Louisville, the police dare not say “we recommend that citizens facing this sort of threat exercise their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.” So I’ll say it: citizens facing this sort of threat should exercise their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. Preferably whilst carrying a gun with a “high-capacity” magazine.
Anyway, here’s the official reaction:
Police say this is not common for Louisville, pointing out that crime rates in downtown Louisville have dropped in recent years.
On Monday, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer addressed the problem, telling the teens their behavior was unacceptable.
“To the young kids, y’all know what you did was wrong. You weren’t raised this way. It’s not the way we roll in the city. We expect greatness from our youth. We don’t expect violence from our youth. So we’re calling on you, obviously, to get your act together.”
Police patrols will be stepped up near the Big Four bridge on nights and weekends.
Officers will increase patrols in Waterfront park on nights and weekends. So far, police say only one arrest has been made in connection with the incidents, and they’re still looking for more suspects.
And I’m still looking for a reason why a defensive gun use (or two or three or more) wouldn’t nip this problem in the bud. [h/t ShaunL.]