Victim wrenches shotgun from carjacker

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 9-19-02 | Jeremy Kohler

[FairWitness]

He tossed them his wallet.

He told four angry-looking young men that they could take what they wanted: his 1996 GMC Yukon, parked in the 3600 block of Winnebago Street in St. Louis just after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

"I say, 'Yo, dog, you all can have this,'" the robbery victim, 25, explained later.

[FairWitness]

The number of carjackings in St. Louis recently is very disturbing (98 cases of auto theft involving a gun over the past six months!!). However, they picked on the wrong guy this time. He fortunately had his own weapon and apparently was carrying legally since the story does not say otherwise.

[goldstategop]

I don't think Missouri has a shall carry CCW permit. I would be very surprised though, if he were charged with carrying a concealed weapon illegally, since all he was doing was clearly defending his life from the thugs who sought to take it from him.

[Joe Brower]

Ballsy guy. It appears that fortune does indeed sometimes favor the bold.

[Jaxter]

If he really didn't want them to do it again he shouldn't have aimed high.

[FairWitness]

You are right, Missouri does not have CCW (yet). I know the story in the StL PD is sketchy, but I am assuming if the guy were not carrying legally they would have made some kind of issue of it.

[Kenton]

I assume it's like Ohio, where we don't have CCW permits (yet) but there is a "reasonable person" clause that allows a business person who routinely carries large amounts of cash, such as the guy that closes up a bar, convenience store, etc., to carry concealed while transporting the money to the night deposit.

[stainlessbanner]

charged two adults from St. Louis with first-degree attempted robbery, armed criminal action and felony resisting by flight.

Couldn't they charge at least one of the perps with attempted murder, since he pulled the trigger (but misfired)?

[jdogbearhunter]

I understand the sentiment, but shooting someone in the back when they are running away....? That might be difficult to explain to the judge!

[donozark]

Ironic. The very people that defeated PROP B (CCW) are now paying the price for their actions. Just desserts? Of course I am sure THIS individual voted for CCW.

Unless and until, we clear Jeff City of Democrats and RINOs, Missouri will NEVER see CCW. Sad fact, but true. Even if the legislature passes such, our Governor, Bob "Throw me a party" Holden (AKA Howdy Doody), has promised to veto it!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There should be three dead bad guys in this story. What a shame.

[MrB]

attempted murder

I was thinking that also. It doesn't matter that the gun didn't fire - the man intended to kill the un-victim when he pulled the trigger.

As an aside - I don't see why there is a difference between "attempted murder" and "murder". Just because the perp fails in his "attempt" doesn't make his motivation any less murderous.

[rface]

the only thing I can think of is that he had the 9mm in his truck and somehow got it outside to use it.....but I cannot imagine how he could grab the shotgun away from the thugs while holding the 9mm. They could probably get the Truck owner on conceal/carry.

Somethings funny here....but the bad guys didn't get the truck, so good enough.

Ashland, Missouri

[supercat]

He pumped off four shots in rapid succession -- aiming high to missensure that any hits scored would be against innocent people rather than the perps, he said.

If you're going to shoot to miss with anything other than a shotgun which is known to contain birdshot, aim downward, not upward. And on the shotgun, aim way upward (even then being mindful of anything that might be in range).

[robertpaulsen]

Well, the bad guys still had that Tec-9, the .38, and the .22. And they had just tried to kill him. And he probably wasn't thinking about explaining this to a judge, but rather who was going to explain his death to his 6-year-old son.

Man, am I sorry he missed.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

He pumped off four shots in rapid succession -- aiming high to miss, he said

Idiots aren't in season at this time. If he had bagged them, he would have done jail time and there would have been street riots. Although he could have hit them and claimed the sights were off...

[harpseal]

As an aside - I don't see why there is a difference between "attempted murder" and "murder". Just because the perp fails in his "attempt" doesn't make his motivation any less murderous.

i GUESS THE LEGISLATURES WISH TO REWARD INCOMPETENCE

[Redbob]

"Keller said. 'You just have to pick the best option out of whatever options are available to you.'"

Shoot to kill.
Reduce the burden on an overloaded judicial system.

[tom paine 2]

Better to be tried by 10 than carried by 6.

[Redbob]

"He added, 'I'm going to do everything I can to help the prosecutors so those guys never do this to anyone else.'"

Aim lower next time, if you really want to help solve the problem.