A Death Averted: Passer-by uses gun to halt attack

[Hawthorn]

Link only, due to copyright restrictions by Gannett:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070305/NEWS/703050350/1001/NEWS

[mollynme]

Link

[mollynme]

She is in "good" condition after being stabbed 10 to 20 times. I wonder what kind of knife he was using?

[n230099]

""He told the man, 'Stop, or I'm going to shoot. And if you run, I'm going to kill you,' " Baker said."

Any questions?

[Paleo Conservative]

Any questions?

Yes. Why not shoot him without giving him any warning? He was clearly in the act of assaulting his wife with deadly weapons.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

seems to me the bad guy had limited choices..

[piytar]

She is in "good" condition after being stabbed 10 to 20 times. I wonder what kind of knife he was using?

It's not the size of the knife, it's how it's used. LOL.

Seriously, though, that's the truth. A 2" blade is more than enough to kill someone with one hit in the right place, regardless of how big they are. And you can be stabbed 20 times with a big knife and live, if the wielder doesn't know what they are doing...

[piytar]

The person who stopped the attack then left when police arrived. They don't know who he is. Smart fellow -- why take the chance of being sued by the perp?

If this had happened in NYC or DC, I'd also say why risk being prosecuted by a gun-banning jerk of a DA, but it was in Mississippi, so that probably wasn't much of a danger. Still, better safe than sorry.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Why not shoot him without giving him any warning?

Because, justified or not, killing another human being is catastrophically traumatic to the person who did it.

You don't want to put yourself or your family through that unless absolutely necessary.

Even if it's completely justified, you'll still get middle-of-the-night anonymous phone calls from the perp's kin calling you a murderer.

Cops involved in justified shootings have a much higher suicide rate than ones who aren't.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Police said they are looking for the passer-by who stopped the attack and would like to talk to him but don't know who he is or where he went.

Smart guy.

They're probably desperately searching for a way to prosecute him.

[JoeGar]

Police said they are looking for the passer-by who stopped the attack and would like to talk to him but don't know who he is or where he went.

Oh yeah, they'd also like to take his gun away from him.

[Paleo Conservative]

They're probably desperately searching for a way to prosecute him.

In Mississippi? I seriously doubt it.

[Cicero]

A real hero, and a smart guy for leaving.

I wonder if he faded away while the police were busy with the perp, or whether maybe they just winked for a minute while he left. After all, they owe him one.

[BuffaloJack]

So, the police want to talk to the man who stopped the attack. In all probability they want this to be a "no good deed go unpunished" scenario.

[RebelTex]

"Why not shoot him without giving him any warning?"

It's interesting that the article does not indicate a gun being used by the passer-by.  No mention of an evil handgun, assault rifle, or other type of firearm.  Since we all know how the press usually reports incidents involving guns in a negative light, I have to wonder if the passer-by was just bluffing and didn't have a gun.  (The old finger in a coat pocket trick, etc.)

[A. Patriot]

The most amazing thing is the "Clarion Lier" didn't slant the article or the headline. The editor in chief must have been on vacation or it would have read: "Vigilante Brandishes Gun at Crime Scene. Threatens Citizen with Death Using Large Caliber Concealed Handgun."

[TChris]

The suspect, Henry Watson, 42, was arrested and is expected to face aggravated assault charges...

Good heavens!!! Hey, DA, how about a little attempted murder here? Sheesh!

[Chinito]

"Who was that masked man???"

Don't know, but I sure want to thank him...

[B4Ranch]

In all probability he doesn't have a CCW and decided to disappear.

[n230099]

"Yes. Why not shoot him without giving him any warning?"

"seems to me the bad guy had limited choices.."

I could have been more clear. My comment was posed as a rhetorical extension of Mr. Baker's warning to the perp. My thought was that Mr Baker very clearly laid out the situation in which the perp now found himself.