80-Year-old John Wayne Fan Puts Attacker in Hospital

WFFA..com ^ | February 15, 2008 | Chris Hawes

[epow]

FAA-TV

Immediate justice

Investigators say they were definitely going to rob him - possibly even kill him.

But an 80-year-old North Texan wasn't about to let that happen, so he took action.

One of the suspects is in the hospital and both are facing charges.

Two men obviously thought James Pickett, 80, was an easy target when they showed up at his home on Saturday with a knife. Also Online

Chris Hawes reports

"He just came through that door, stabbing and beating," said Pickett.

Captain Clint Pullin said it looked as though the men wanted to kill him.

But before you worry too much about Pickett, learn a bit more about him.

He's a WWII veteran, former firefighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee.

In short, even at 80, he is someone you just don't mess with.

What the men didn't know is Picket had taken a pistol and put it in his pocket before opening the door.

The brothers may have planned to kill James Pickett, investigators say.

"He jumped and turned and I shot him," Picket said.

The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran but didn't

[epow]

This article is about 2 months old, but I thought the old guy's response when attacked still deserves to be seen and heard if it hasn't been posted before. To get the full story you have to go to the url link and watch the video clip. Believe me, the old boy's account of the incident is worth the little time it takes to see and hear him tell about it.

[bamahead]

ping

[SoldierDad]

Two idiots. They brought knives to a gun fight. Good for James Pickett.

[caseinpoint]

Happy ending story. I don’t know about Texas law but here in California I think assailants can get enhanced charges when their target is an senior citizen.

[Grizzled Bear]

He jumped and turned and I shot him," Picket said.

The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran but didn't

Didn't?

Didn't have clean trousers?

[lowbridge]

"The only problem was I run out of bullets," Picket said.

Shopping memo:

Loaf of bread
Half gallon of milk
1 pint of vanilla ice cream
1000 rounds of ammunition
2 16 ounce packages of sliced cheese
One pound of potato salad...

[MarkeyD]

"The only problem was I run out of bullets," Picket said.
Best quote.

[epow]

Didn't?

Click on the link and watch the video clip. Clean pants aren't the only thing they didn't have, they didn't have the old boy's number either.

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, perhaps Pickett is also a Sean Connery fan too. And he knew Tuco’s law. WTG, Mr. Pickett!

[RAY]

Damn punks, pity he didn’t hit both of them!!

[doc1019]

Determination, not age, makes the difference.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Clinton, Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the rest of the Demoncrats would have preferred that this citizen veteran die. Never forget.

[Mr. Mojo]

From the end of the video: "They best not come back 'cause next time I got ......."

One thing's certain -- he'll have more heat than that little Derringer.

[SoldierDad]

LOL. Darwin would be proud of those two punks.

[epow]

"The only problem was I run out of bullets," Picket said.

One other problem he had was the little mini-revolver he used. A .22 pocket revolver is better than throwing rocks, but a more powerful gun would probably have done a better job on the perp who was hit and might even have saved the county money for providing him with a public defender lawyer.

I have a little Beretta .22 pocket pistol that I carry when the GA weather gets really hot and my other handguns are too big to conceal under summer clothes, but I don't have much confidence in it's ability to stop a determined attacker. If the Ruger LCP .380s ever become available without paying a gun shop half again over the factory list price I plan to trade in the .22 for one.

[Liberty Valance]

I had read this story when it first came out but had not seen the video. We need more James Picketts. Thank you for posting.

[epow]

Never forget.

Don't worry, I won't ever forget that practically all Democrats, Obama and the Clintons in particular, are the most dedicated enemies of all our constitutionally guaranteed rights, and none more so than our RKBA.

[epow]

I had read this story when it first came out but had not seen the video.

I got a kick out of the video, Mr. Picket doesn't mince words. I just hope he has a bigger gun handy if and when those two jerks ever come back looking for revenge.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran but didn’t

Didn’t?

Haha, that was my reaction, I’m pretty much OK with the excerpted version, LOL.

[CurlyDave]

I have a little Beretta .22 pocket pistol that I carry when the GA weather gets really hot and my other handguns are too big to conceal under summer clothes...

Two words for you: Groin Holster.

Look at Smart Carry or Thunderwear. Unless you are a nudist, these will let you carry a good gun.

No, you will never win a fast draw competition, but your piece won't be in your glove box when you need it either.

[VeniVidiVici]

If the Ruger LCP .380s ever become available without paying a gun shop half again over the factory list price I plan to trade in the .22 for one.

No way! My son wants one and the last thing I thought of was paying over list for this thing. I'll have to check with my local shop in the morning.

[epow]

I have a Thunderwear holster to fit my Taurus .357 mag 2-1/2" barrel snubbie, but it prints through my pants when I'm standing and the weight of the steel revolver makes it very uncomfortable to wear for any appreciable length of time.

Unless I need to be neatly dressed for some reason, I can usually carry the .357 in an IWB holster with my shirt untucked without any big problems. But I still want a Ruger LCP for a BUG and hot weather carry in dress-up clothes. The .380 isn't a powerhouse round, but with good ammo like Hydroshok or Corbon it's roughly equal to a .38 snubbie and many plain clothes LEOs still trust their lives to those guns.

[skinkinthegrass]

And he knew Tuco’s law...hehe, Thanks..
Tocos' law: "Shoot, don't talk."....one of the better lines.

[RandallFlagg]

Bookmarking for home.

[Nachoman]

Look into a pocket holster. You can carry .38 spl. to 9mm in them. I’ve even carried wearing swim trunks, and no one ever made me.

[Paleo Conservative]

A bullet just missed Paul Perry's spine.

Excellent shot placement.

[CurlyDave]

I carry a 30 year old S&W Model 60, which at the time only came in .38, with a 2” barrel.

Printing is minimal, and the weight is no problem at all.

Someday I might get one of the new model 360s, the Scandium one, which only weighs 12 oz.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Send more ammo!

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

80-Year-old John Wayne Fan Puts Attacker in Hospital

And the dumbing down of news headlines continues.

This reminds me of a post on FR 2 weeks ago:

"Retired Marine, 84, Beats Back Attacker."

Or a headline on Foxnews.com just today: "California Mom, 44, Arrested." Or something like that.

Does anybody notice what's annoyingly wrong with these headlines?

The writer and editor put completely insignificant information about the person in the headlines! !

An 84 year old man is a "retired Marine?" Actually, every former member of the Marine Corps, even if for a day, will always be labeled a Marine if he/she is ever in the news. No matter if being a Marine has absolutely nothing to do with the news story. For example:

"Former Marine, 72, elected to local school board."

Why is a woman who has EVER given birth always labeled a "mom", no matter what the news story is about? In the Foxnews story today, a 44 yr old woman is still considered a "mom?" How old are her "children?"

Why is it necessary to put in the headline to this news story that the guy is a John Wayne fan? Sheesh. How about "80 Year Old Man Puts Attacker in Hospital."

[RushLake]

In Michigan a few years back we had a case of a female who butchered her kid's pets, and the kids. All of the media persisted in referring to her as a "mom". Also, a few years back, we had a female who went to the beauty parlor for hours and left her child in a car in extremely hot weather with the windows rolled up thus roasting him to death. The media persisted in referring to her as a "mom".

My mom was a mom, my wife is a mom--they never butchered or roasted their kids to death.

[ExSoldier]

I remember this. IIRC the old guy put a NAA 22LR "mini-revolver" in his pocket. He'd have been better off putting a S&W M642 38sp in his pocket.

[A.A. Cunningham]

It was.

John Wayne

[Thermalseeker]

Determination, not age, makes the difference.

One of my favorite quotes:

"Age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm".....

[absolootezer0]

1,000 rounds? that’ll only last an afternoon.

[absolootezer0]

i like my desantis belly band. not quick, but pretty universal fit for guns, and conceals very well. with a sweatshirt i can conceal a full sized sig, under a t-shirt i can conceal my compact 1911 or j-frame fine.

[marktwain]

“I have a little Beretta .22 pocket pistol that I carry when the GA weather gets really hot and my other handguns are too big to conceal under summer clothes, but I don't have much confidence in it's ability to stop a determined attacker. If the Ruger LCP .380s ever become available without paying a gun shop half again over the factory list price I plan to trade in the .22 for one.”

---

The Ruger is essentially a knock off of the KelTec .380. Some people have had good luck with those.

[marktwain]

“Someday I might get one of the new model 360s, the Scandium one, which only weighs 12 oz.”

---

I have a couple of Smiths that are very similar. They are nice to carry, even though the recoil does sting the hand a bit. They are definitely a “carry a lot, shoot a little, gun”. I have killed a couple of rattlesnakes with mine. I put some Crimson Trace grips on it, and I really like the laser.

[Lurker]

Take a look at the Charter Arms Bulldog Pug.

5 rounds of .44 spl (roughly equivalent to 45 ACP) and weighs only 22 oz.

It's my carry piece of choice these days.

Granted mines an original that I picked up for less than $200.00, but there are more modern models available today. Nice little piece that one.

L

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran but didn't get far before calling an ambulance.

I love happy endings.

[epow]

i like my desantis belly band. not quick, but pretty universal fit for guns,

I keep meaning to try out one of those with a Makarov but never seem to get a roundtuit. Those roundtuits are hard to find ya know.

Thanks for reminding me about belly bands, I think I'll check on ordering one from Midway or Cabella's if they have them in stock.

[absolootezer0]

they’re really comfortable, as long as you have something under them, if not the end of the velcro closure really rubs. a very tight undershirt works well with it.

[epow]

I have thought a lot about Keltec, but the only thing that has discouraged me from buying one is reading on the KelTec forum about all the complaints and problems that owners are having with them. Ruger has a very good reputation for building reliable guns, and those I have owned and/or have had experience with were all very reliable. So based on those two factors I have more confidence that a LCP will operate properly without numerous trips back to the factory than I have in Keltec. Just MHO, your mileage may vary.

If I buy an LCP it will be later after the prices become reasonable and the "bugs" that seem to be inevitable with all new model guns are discovered by owners and corrected by Ruger on later production guns.

[ASOC]

LOL

A while back we had a couple of punks try to rob an old guy here in town.

HE shot them both.

The little Reporterette (big eyes and all) gushed “Oh dear, weren't you terrified???”

The answer was a real money quote
“Lady, I am a RANGER. Fought the Nazis all across Europe, these punks were nothing...”

80+_years old and still self-refers as a RANGER.

(ahem) HooRah!

IF this Nation is to be saved, it will the Veterans that will do it.....

[epow]

Thanks for the advice about an undershirt, if I decide to try the bellyband thingy I’ll keep that in mind. At least I won’t have to worry about it slipping down around my waist, my pot belly will keep it up where it belongs.

[El Gato]

Don't mess Texans

.

Especially not the old farts!

[El Gato]

The video takes a peek into his gun cabinet. Long arms, and pistols. But he shot the thug with a NAA 4 shot revolver. Something like this:

The incident is also reported on the NAA site

Notice that the deputies did not take the gun away from him, or at least if they did, they gave it back in time for him to show it on the video, and he was still all cut up from the attack on the video.

He also starts to make a comment about what he might have waiting for them should they come back, and then tells himself to "shut up" and just says "they better not come back". I suspect, in fact from the ammunition they showed, he's got some goodies a bit more effective than .22 LR and still appropriate for defense at close range.

[El Gato]

I don’t know about Texas law but here in California I think assailants can get enhanced charges when their target is an senior citizen.

In Texas the assailants take a bigger risk of getting dead or maimed, when they attack some old fart, especially a WW-II vet.

[El Gato]

1000 rounds of ammunition

I'm sure he had plenty on hand, but the little revolver only holds 5, although because of the "half notch" design, you can load all five and the hammer does not rest on a loaded chamber.

1000 rounds is only two bricks. around $50 if you get the Aguila Super Max hollow point rounds, or $100 for the CCI Stinger hollow point rounds.

[mamelukesabre]

The part at the end where he tells himself to “shutup” cracked me up. I’d say those punks better not come back is right. He’s definitely armed up since the little run in.

That little 22short 4shot revolver(that’s what it looked like to me anyway) just barely saved his hide. An upgrade is in order.

[El Gato]

One thing's certain -- he'll have more heat than that little Derringer.

Wasn't a derringer, but rather a mini-revolver. But otherwise, you're right.