TX:Air Force Officer with CCW Saves Woman

Gun Watch ^ | 29 October, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

2nd Lt. Joshua Nelson was off duty when he intervened in a situation where a disturbed young man with a knife was threatening his mother.   The officer used his concealed carry firearm to defuse the situation, and talk the man out of hurting anyone.   Lt. Nelson said that he just used his military training.  From laughlinaf.mil:

According to police reports, the young man was mad at his mother, who he had a knife to, because she wouldn't buy him a gun.  Nelson told his wife Brittany to go alert the store manager and call the police.

Nelson, who has a concealed weapons permit stepped up beside the woman.

"I put my hand on my pistol where he'd notice, and then I stepped in between them," said Nelson. "I kept demanding he hand me the knife. I wanted him to see only one option. As I was standing beside that lady, I felt like I was responsible for her life. I was going to do whatever I had to do to protect her."

Then, according to the police report, Nelson went from trying to stop a murder to trying to stop a suicide when the assailant turned the knife on himself.

Nelson pointed to his training and the Air National Guard and previously in the Marine Corps as helping him talk the young man down.

Lt. Nelson was off duty when the incident occurred.  As is clear from the reporting by the public affairs office of the 47th Flying Training Wing, a significant number of people understand that what this officer did reflects well on the United States Armed Forces.

What most people do not know, is that Lt. Nelson, and other officers, are forbidden from carrying a weapon when they are on active duty, at least 99 percent of the time.  It is a policy that was formalized after the Ft. Hood shooting several years ago, though it had been in place for decades.

All of us would be better off if trained military personnel were allowed to carry self defense firearms in the regular course of their duties.    It is a bizarre policy  to forbid trained military officers from carrying arms.

 ©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

During my association with the military, I was amazed at the lengths the U.S. military has gone to make certain that nearly all soldiers are disarmed nearly all the time. Even guards during periods of high tension are only allowed to have a few rounds of ammunition, usually in a magazine that is not inserted into their weapon.

I believe the idea was to use the military to inculcate people with the idea that the possession of weapons should be strictly controlled by authority figures. This policy was mostly put into place after World War II.

[Resolute Conservative]

Lucky the guy was not committed. If the knife is out and you are holstered he will get you 99% of the time unless you are trained in disarming techniques.

[marktwain]

If he knows what he is doing, and, as you mentioned, is committed.

Fortunately, most do not know what they are doing, and are not committed.

[RightOnTheBorder]

What most people do not know, is that Lt. Nelson, and other officers, are forbidden from carrying a weapon when they are on active duty, at least 99 percent of the time. It is a policy that was formalized after the Ft. Hood shooting several years ago, though it had been in place for decades.

An armed soldier (MP) is what finally stopped Hasan so I suppose the higher ups want the body count to be increased next time a muslim decides to engage in "workplace violence". The people in control of this country are truly evil.

[Patriot Babe]

Looks like the nut will not be getting a christmas present afterall from Mommy.

[DainBramage]

hum I’m betting he won’t ever get a gun legally now.

[wita]

Judging by the flight suit and rank I would surmise the young Lt is engaged in Undergraduate pilot training and has shown exceptional understanding of rules designed to disarm military members. I hope he doesn’t suffer retribution after the smoke clears and the celebration is over. We just can’t seem to escape the consequences of lying about Ft Hood.

The 47th Flying Training Wing is a United States Air Force pilot training wing based at Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, Texas. It is one of five pilot training units in the Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command which conducts joint specialized undergraduate pilot training for the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and allied nation air forces utilizing the T-38C, T-6A and T-1A aircraft.

[NEMDF]

Interesting to note that he did not credit his AF training....

[NorthMountain]

From the article:

Nelson pointed to his training and the Air National Guard and previously in the Marine Corps as helping him talk the young man down.

[smokingfrog]

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a reservist with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was gunned down while standing guard in front of the National War Memorial Monument. Cirillo and his fellow guard at the time, Cpl. Brandon Stevenson, were carrying unloaded rifles in their roles as ceremonial guards.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/war-memorial-guards-to-remain-unarmed

[T-Bird45]

It was not an MP, it was a civilian LEO.

[BobL]

Amazing, we let pigs carry 24/7, but not soldiers. Go figure...

[houeto]

Amazing, we let pigs carry 24/7, but not soldiers.

The only reason we let them is because we know that without opposable thumbs, they can't even pick them up.