Posted on 04/27/2012 12:50:10 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A citizen with a gun stopped a knife wielding man as he began stabbing people Thursday evening at the downtown Salt Lake City Smith's store.
Police say the suspect purchased a knife inside the store and then turned it into a weapon. Smith's employee Dorothy Espinoza says, "He pulled it out and stood outside the Smiths in the foyer. And just started stabbing people and yelling you killed my people. You killed my people."
Espinoza says, the knife wielding man seriously injured two people. "There is blood all over. One got stabbed in the stomach and got stabbed in the head and held his hands and got stabbed all over the arms."
Then, before the suspect could find another victim - a citizen with a gun stopped the madness. "A guy pulled gun on him and told him to drop his weapon or he would shoot him. So, he dropped his weapon and the people from Smith's grabbed him."
By the time officers arrived the suspect had been subdued by employees and shoppers. Police had high praise for gun carrying man who ended the hysteria. Lt. Brian Purvis said, "This was a volatile situation that could have gotten worse. We can only assume from what we saw it could have gotten worse. He was definitely in the right place at the right time."
Dozens of other shoppers, who too could have become victims, are also thankful for the gun carrying man. And many, like Danylle Julian, are still in shock from the experience. "Scary actually. Really scary. Five minutes before I walk out to my car. It could have been me."
Police say right now they have no idea what caused the suspect to go on the dangerous rampage. (We will update as soon as we learn new information.)
So far, police have not released the names of the suspect, the victims or the man who pulled the gun.
He did the right thing, in my opinion.
He used the minimum amount of force necessary to stop the thug.
He also saved himself from the emotional trauma that follows a shooting.
He would feed him stuffed poodle on rice for lunch...
Bump
What's the point of warning the thug?He had plenty of time to shoot if the thug didn't comply. He did the right thing, not for the thug, but for himself. Even in Utah, he's better off not pulling the trigger if he doesn't have to. I am not saying he would have been wrong to pull the trigger, just that he made live easier for himself by not doing so.
hmmm! ping
I tend to agree, although there are some in the 2nd Ammendment Community, Tom Gresham being one of them, who I guarantee you would have said this guy was wrong NOT to shoot. Go figure.
Don't be silly.
Outlaw foyers!
The point is the 5 second warning saved the guy with the gun from going through a Zimmerman thing for the rest of his life. If the idiot had a gun, it would be different.
Every gun owning citizen should just remember the acronym "AIM."
A is for ACCESS (Does the perp have access to do harm?)
I is for INTENT (Does the perp have intent to do harm?)
M is for MEANS (Does the perp have the means to do bodily harm to you or others.)
In this case after the perp with the knife was confronted he complied - he had no further access, dropped his intent and appeared to have no further means to do harm. Had the perp turned towards the patriot and made one motion to come for him he could have dropped him in a nanosecond.
No. Not really. At least not in Texas. I can’t speak as too other states.
Someone that had to shoot once said, “those that yell shoot, shoot, shoot have never really had to shoot”.
Every gun owning citizen should just remember the acronym "AIM."Good advice.
How odd. I didn’t hear a thing about this on the news this morning on my way to work, but I hear endlessly about Zimmerman and Saint Skittles.
He might say it, but I’m not sure he would do it. If he gets the drop on a knife-holder with a gun, and he is a safe enough distance to take his time and issue a warning, I think he’s going to issue that warning, unless the knife-wielder is actually in the midst of stabbing a victim.
It’s just good common sense.
Proper restraint, although sneered at by some, is crucial. If the thug had made another threatening move, it would be a justified shoot. If you have time and distance to warn a perp to cease or become deceased, it is the proper thing to do; especially in a public venue. We have a God-given right to protect and defend ourselves and others, not to needlessly kill. Those of us who love the 2nd Amendment and exercise it by carrying don't need the knee-jerkers endangering the contant attack against those rights by advocating a blanket "shoot first, ask questions later" platform. I wouldn't want someone to be armed anywhere near me without them having a grasp of situational awareness and the ability to restrain themselves.
Race not identified or political party....
Black Democrat.
Thats in Texas. Worse every where else.
Just give me the name. That will probably tell the story.
&&&
That’s what I was thinking. Probably the reason his name is not yet released.
Note what is said at the 1:50-1:55 mark....”man plays cop.”
The title does seem to be quite a nest of ambiguity and solecism.
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