Concealed Carry Permit Holder Fires Shot At Robber, Forcing Cop To Take Cover
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 29, 2014 3:40PM
One of the arguments concealed carry proponents love to trot out in the debate over gun regulations is crime could be prevented if someone holding a concealed carry permit was at the scene of, say, a robbery, or a mob action, or a when someone with severe mental illness enters a movie theater with a personal arsenal and opens fire.
Little did we know an example of that argument would unfold in suburban Crestwood, where a man with a concealed carry permit shot at a robbery suspect and forced a police officer who was chasing the suspect to take cover, because he didn’t know where the shots originated. The incident occurred at the AT&T store on 4756 W. Cal Sag Rd. The man with the concealed carry permit noticed the suspect, a man with a Mohawk who was armed, robbing the store. The concealed carry holder stood watch outside the store and kept people from entering. So far, so good.
Police arrived as the robbery suspect fled the store through a back entrance, which prompted the concealed carry holder to give chase. By that time a police officer was on the scene, noticed the suspect running, and proceeded to pursue him before the concealed carry holder fired two shots, forcing the officer to take cover and stop his pursuit. Luckily the suspect, Demetrius Merrill of Chicago, was later arrested, charged with armed robbery and held on $1 million bond.
But let’s get back to the guy with the concealed carry permit, who was level-headed and did everything correct, until the point where he pursued Merrill and fired his gun. That should be a last resort and thankfully, no one was hurt. But for every concealed carry permit holder like this man, there’s some oaf who equates his concealed carry permit with being an auxiliary police officer.
Keep it in your holsters.