WI: Defensive Display in Racine

Gun Watch ^ | 25 july, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

A neighbor from Wisconsin had a DGU in Racine.  His family and mine were only a half mile apart in rural Wisconsin while he was growing up. That is a close neighbor in the area.  I spoke to him over the phone about the incident.  He disires anonymity.

On Thursday, July 14th, after getting off of work at 4 p.m., he drove his mother in law to a local Shopko to pick up a prescription.  His son came along to do a little shopping.  My former neighbor was driving a Ford crew-cab F150.  He dropped off his mother in law and son, then drove to a spot a little away from other vehicles.  There he could watch the doors for when his son and mother in law came out.  This put him a bit closer to a plasma purchasing center than to the Shopco. It was 86 degrees and breezy, so both windows were open. He turned off the truck, and started to read his kindle.

Loud rap music alerted him to a vehicle two parking spots  behind him. A quick glance in the mirror showed two black men in a beat up Toyota sedan.   The passenger got out of the sedan and started to walk toward my neighbor's F150. The passenger was wearing a white, "wife beater" t-shirt.  The driver had a skull cap on. My neighbor reached under the folded down console, retrieved a Ruger SR22, and rested it on top of the console, in his hand.  It would not be visible unless you were looking in the window.

The driver of the Toyota pulled up to within six inches of the F150's driver's door, blocking that exit. As my neighbor saw the driver look past him, he turned to look to his passenger side window.

The Toyota's passenger had arrived there.  As the passenger looked inside, through the open window, he saw the SR22 in my neighbor's hand.  A forced grin appeared on his face, as he said, "hey.." and walked 15 feet in in front of the F150.

The Toyota driver drove forward, the passenger got back in, and they screeched out of the parking lot, onto the highway, heading toward a not so nice part of town.

The tag on the Toyota was an illegible paper dealer tag or a facsimile thereof.

My neighbor said that he had remained very calm throughout the 30 seconds that it took for this event to transpire.  Then, as the adrenaline reaction set in, he started shaking. This is a common occurrence after a DGU.

He has a concealed carry permit and carries regularly.  The SR22 belongs to his wife, who also has a CCW.  It was in the truck because she works at a school, and cannot take it on school property, so that day it had been placed in the truck with him.

To show how far political correctness has driven us, when I asked for the descriptions of the Toyota's driver and passenger, he was hesitant to identify them as black.  He did not wish to be accused of racism.

He would rather be in northern Wisconsin where he grew up, but you go where there is work.

I have no doubt that the Toyota driver and passenger intended to commit a nasty criminal act.  You do not drive so close to a driver's door so as to block the exit in the normal course of events, while your partner approaches the passenger side.

Nothing was reported to the police.  My former neighbor wanted to avoid problems.  No crime had been committed.

The description of two slender black males of average height, one wearing a skull cap, the other a wife beater t-shirt, in a beat up and rusty Toyota sedan, is not very definitive.

Just another defensive display that almost certainly stopped a violent crime.  Nothing for the news, here.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch

[marktwain]

These type of Defensive Gun Uses are what make up the bulk of the 500,000 to 3 million defensive gun uses each year.

Those estimates do *not * include defenses against animals, though I believe they should.

Defense against animal attacks on you or your property could easily double these numbers.

[grobdriver]

Just another defensive display that almost certainly stopped a violent crime.

A weapon that would have been useless without the situational awareness of the owner who retrieved it and had it ready.

Kudos to him for staying in "Condition yellow" even while engrossed in a book.

[Robert DeLong]

I imagine loud rap music will alert one regardless as to how engrossed in something one might have been.

[marktwain]

Not engrossed enough to ignore the rap music. Aware enough to check it out and see what was going down.

Lots of people get stuck in the “It cannot be happening” mode.

He did not.

[T-Bone Texan]

If only Cal Sportsman could be more like Dean Weingarten.

[Robert DeLong]

Lots of people get stuck in the “It cannot be happening” mode

What percentage of CCW holders do you include in that group?

I contend the percentage drops significant;y for CCW holders, when the weapon is easily accessible. I may be wrong. I know I would have readied myself, just like he did. Only difference I would have called the police and reported the incident. I would feel guilty if I heard in the news where these thugs had killed someone else, either earlier or later.

[bigbob]

The only hokey thing about this incident is the reluctance to ID the perps as black.. You’re either a man or a little PC mouse.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

One has to wonder how this would have played out if the perps were a little more tactically saavy and turned off the rap ‘music’ before approaching their intended target.

[rockrr]

True.

On Saturday I went to a car show with my brother. Our plan was to meet at a restaurant and drive down together. My brother has a fluid sense of time so I’m always there before him. I pulled into a stall and shut down the motor. I did have the radio going but at very low volume. Even though I was in a stall it was one that I could 4x4 my way out of if need be.

I was there five minutes when I spotted a Somali looking dude meandering up the sidewalk in my direction. By meandering I mean that he didn’t appear to have a set course but rather acted like he had nowhere in particular to go. Mind you this is 05:45 on a Saturday morning. I eased my firearm out of the holster and set it next to my knee. He didn’t make eye contact as he went by but his body language told me he was checking me out.

He continued to meander, but now moreso - he changed direction into the parking lot and then, just as quickly, did an about-face and headed back toward the corner. Then he abruptly stopped, looked around like he had been sleep-walking, and started to jaywalk across the street.

He made it 10 feet out into the roadway, stopped, did a 180, and returned to the sidewalk. Then he headed back in my direction. I figured that this was when he was going to make his move but he walked past the truck while firmly looking the other way.

He had taken furtive glances at me and I could see that it had registered that I was watching every move.

Ultimately he crossed the road and shuffled off - no doubt in search of easier pickings.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Ultimately he crossed the road and shuffled off - no doubt in search of easier pickings.

Interesting. Just like a predator looking for prey.

[JimRed]

What the heck is a wife beater T-shirt?

[JimRed]

Here in Jersey the criminal wannabes would have called the cops and reported a “brandishing” incident- anonymously. He’d be arrested.

[shoff]

sleeveless t-shirt. They say it comes from the show Cops when most domestic violence arrests are men wearing tank tops. I think it has been around a lot longer.

[JimRed]

They say it comes from the show Cops when most domestic violence arrests are men wearing tank tops.

Oh...a Guinea Tee! That's what they were called around here when I was young.