Posted on 10/13/2014 6:04:32 PM PDT by kristinn
William Lawler didn't want to shoot the man who threatened his girlfriend and him with a 13-inch knife Sunday outside a Pathmark store near his Northeast Philadelphia home.
But even after Lawler, 38, an Army veteran and longtime firearms instructor, showed his 9mm Glock, the knife-wielding madman didn't want to back down.
"At least a half-dozen times, I ordered him to stop. The last time, I said, 'I don't want to shoot you, but I will,' " Lawler said Monday, recounting the bizarre run-in outside the supermarket, on Frankford Avenue near Megargee Street near Holmesburg. "Then, after I shot him, he fell to his knees and tried to throw the knife at me."
Lawler, a former school vice principal who still works as a firearms instructor in addition to substitute teaching, said he and his girlfriend had gone to the Pathmark about 5:30 p.m. As they were walking in the parking lot, he spotted the other man - identified by police sources as Dondi DeCosta, 37, who lives near the store - standing with his SUV door open.
"He looked odd from the beginning," Lawler said of DeCosta.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
In the words of that Western ‘philosopher’, Tuco, “If you need to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.”
I remember an old comic strip named “Dondi”. It was about an Italian war orphan. I had no idea it was a real name.
Oh, HELL No!
There is NO excuse for wasting valuable shooting time.
One and done. Empty clip, rinse, repeat.
It’s OK.
He shot him in the groin. That should provide the perp with a learning opportunity.
With .45 cal no need to empty the whole magazine. Two in the chest, one in the head.
1. NE Philly is one of the few "white" area left in Philly
2. Even though Philly is a socialist cesspool that keeps trying to ban guns - Pennsylvania is very pro gun (shall issue, castle doctrine, more NRA members than Texas, etc.)
3. Notice the police did not arrest the shooter (compare/contrast is this happened in NYC, Chicago, Trenton or LA)
DeCosta was taken into police custody as soon as officers arrived and was taken to Aria Health's Torresdale hospital to be treated for his injuries. He remained there Monday in critical condition, police said. The man, who has 21 prior arrests on charges including assault and theft, was expected to be charged with aggravated assault and related offenses for threatening Lawler and his girlfriend.
I went to school with a guy named Dondi.
We used to call him Dandy Dondi-kind of a takeoff on Don Meredith’s nickname.
I love a Philly story with a happy ending.
No need to eat the whole cake. No need to drink the whole bottle. How many chances does one expect?
I suspect Dondi will be back, as soon as he gets out of the hospital, then out of prison. They never learn.
Talk about restraint. We would have shown the weapon and then when the guy advanced anyway he would have gotten shot multiple times.
I give Lawler full credit. This should eliminate any doubt that he was defending himself and his girlfriend.
As for the perp, hopefully he’ll get a long sentence. “The man, who has 21 prior arrests on charges including assault and theft, was expected to be charged with aggravated assault and related offenses for threatening Lawler and his girlfriend.”
With twenty one prior arrests, Dondi is a very slow learner but this is probably the first time his attitude got him shot.
Shoot a man below the belt, and he’s going down, he’s going fetal, and he’s thinking “that was one dumb ass move, dude”.
Somehow, I think the good guy is going to regret he failed to kill this lowlife. Just saying.
This did not have a happy ending just like the mess in OKC didn’t. The perp lived. Now he is free to sue, we are paying his medical bills and we will pay to house and feed him. Lawler should have killed DeCosta.
What is wrong with people? Why can’t they shoot to kill these animals?
“Lawler leveled the Glock and fired once, hitting DeCosta in the groin.
“My intent was to stop him, not kill him,” Lawler said Monday. “I hope he’s OK, and hopefully he will be prosecuted.”
DeCosta was taken into police custody as soon as officers arrived and was taken to Aria Health’s Torresdale hospital to be treated for his injuries. He remained there Monday in critical condition, police said. The man, who has 21 prior arrests on charges including assault and theft, was expected to be charged with aggravated assault and related offenses for threatening Lawler and his girlfriend.”
Lawler , by shooting to injure, endangered people in the fture contacts that DeCosta will have after early release. Dead perps lowers the crime rate.
I agree.
at the excellent Free Men Do blog,
http://freemendo.typepad.com
some years ago he had good advice on what to do in
in such a scenario.
he strongly advised against saying:
“don’t make me shoot you”
I’m looking for the cite but may not find it
until I have to pack up for the night.
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