Ohio CHL Holder Defends Self and Customers PDF Print E-mail
Misc
Written by Mike Kinsey   
Friday, 24 November 2006 14:28

Cleveland police say that an armed robber attempted to hold up a barber shop Wednesday night located near East 124th and Buckeye Road. The 47-year-old assailant began gathering wallets and jewelry from the patrons. Ray Williams, the shop’s owner, is legally licensed to carry a concealed handgun. Mr. Williams drew his firearm and shot the robber, wounding him in the elbow. The attacker dropped his weapon, ran out the door, and was later apprehended by police.
"Guy came in with a ski mask and a gun and told everybody to give him their money and their wallets and jewelry, watches," Williams said. "As soon as he turned his head, you know what I'm saying, I just pulled out my gun and started firing."
While this story in itself is reason enough to report on the effectiveness of concealed carry, it is important to note that OFCC is not the only one singing the praises of concealed carry. Cleveland Police are on record as supporting Mr. Williams’ efforts. A NewsNet 5 article reports that,
“Police hope Williams' action sent a message to other robbers.”
This brief statement is indicative of many things. First, it shows that the general consensus from Law Enforcement is that they support concealed carry. You do not hear this fact from anti-gun organizations. While law enforcement officers are excellent at their jobs, they realize they can’t be everywhere at all times. The United States Supreme Court has reiterated that individual citizens are responsible for their own safety and the police are not personal bodyguards.

Second, that quote succinctly summarizes the purpose for concealed carry legislation. As more and more Ohio criminals realize that their intended victims may be armed, they will follow trends seen elsewhere in the country and be deterred from violent and personal confrontations. They will be more likely to displace their efforts in non-violent property crime.

Third, if an anti-gun advocate tries telling you that these proven trends reported by statisticians like John Lott are wrong and the overall crime rate is not decreasing, you can remind them of a very important fact: The personal murder rate for Mr. Williams and his patrons has been significantly decreased thanks to one responsible citizen that chose to arm himself and defend his life within the law.

I imagine the victims of this attempted armed robbery had a lot to be thankful for yesterday. No small part in that would be thanking Mr. Williams for defending them from a deadly threat.