Police: Gunman stopped by single shot from cop

ap on Yahoo ^ | 3/30/09 | Mike Baker - ap

[NormsRevenge]

CARTHAGE, N.C. – A single shot from a decorated police officer stopped a gunman's rampage through a North Carolina nursing home, ending a slaughter that left eight people dead and three more wounded, police said Monday.

Carthage Police Chief Chris McKenzie said Monday the gunman may have targeted the home because his estranged wife, whom he did not name, works there. ...

Authorities said Robert Stewart, 45, went on a terrifying rampage in the Pinelake Health and Rehab center on Sunday morning, killing seven residents and a nurse and wounding three other people.

He was stopped by a single shot to the chest fired by Justin Garner, a decorated police officer responding to a 911 call. Stewart wounded Garner three times in the leg as they traded gunfire in a hallway, McKenzie said.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Plus if my firearm jams (which does happen, even with SIGs) I have a backup pistol ready to go."

Which is why I carry a revolver. No chance of a jam and I feel completely safe carrying it with a round chambered due to the internal transfer bar. Prevents any possibility of an accidental discharge due to a drop.

Also, someone mentioned about having 1 round hit out of 7 is normal. That may be true, but I have also read that when a CCW has had to actually fire his weapon (most of the time, displaying the weapon is enough to diffuse the situation or send the scumbag fleeing) the average shots fired is something like 2-3. My guess is that once a criminal gets into a firefight they get out of the area. It is not their intention to get into a firefight and the longer they are there, the more chance to get caught. In a situation like this nursing home, you should carry a speedloader and re-load in a matter of seconds. Hopefully if you know you only have 5-6 rounds you are smart enough not to fire them off in .2 seconds.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I have an old SW Model 29"

Did you shoot five or six shots Harry? : )

[Pistolshot]

The fact he even hit the perp in the chest is a testament to his keeping a cool head in a gunfight no matter how many rounds were exchanged.

Everything changes when the lead starts flying. Auditory exclusion starts. Time really slows down. Tunnel vision can occur. Fight or flight mode kicks in.

All the armchair shooters posting about what 'should' have happened have probably never been forced into a situation like this.

I hope the city provides good counceling for him. He will need it, I'm sure.

[LucyJo]

BTTT

[Shooter 2.5]

You’ll never know how good you are unless you compete.

http://idpa.com/

[El Gato]

His ex-wife, they divorced in 2001, was a nursing assistant at the center.

I think it was his current, but estranged wife that works at the center. I have not seen any interviews with or statements by her. She may have been the original target.

[El Gato]

I’m glad Officer Garner did not wait for “sufficient force” and/or the SWAT team to arrive.

Would have been even better if the ex Coast Guard male nurse would have been armed, and taken the killer out, rather than trying to defend his patients unarmed, and getting himself shot 27 times. Yea, 27, and they didn't kill him right away, he just bled out faster than the EMTs and doctors could patch him up.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks, I misread that.

[DocH]

you WILL miss with the majority of your shots. You should count on hitting once for every 5 to 7 shots

That may be the way they train you in the Army, but not in the Marine Corps. :)

[Manly Warrior]

What you describe is called conventional pistol or more commonly, “bullseye” and is hte classic target shooting discipline of precision shooting at 25 to 50 yards.

All combat disciplines emphasize multiple shots from dynamic positions and tactical scenarios (some more realistic than others).

No combat instructor today would teach one handed combat shooting with one hand as your PRIMARY method.

Shoot with two hands if at all possible-when the adrenaline reaches your major muscles, you have tremendous strength, but you lose fine motor skills as well (trembling).

Many folks who post on this forum do not have real life experience, so as an NRA Rifle and Pistol Instructor, well trained in CQC and modern pistol craft technique, as well as a combat vet, get professional training and practice, shoot (IDPA) matches for stress and tactics and be aware...

[epow]

Body armor will stop you from being perforated by pistols, but it won't keep you from being incapacitated.

I'm reminded of an incident that happened in the Atlanta area a few years ago. A cop was chasing a burglar on foot when the bad guy turned around and fired a shot at him with a .380 pistol, which is certainly not a powerhouse cartridge by any means. The cop was wearing body armor, but he went down and had to be taken to an emergency room for treatment of a very bad bruise over his heart that was causing breathing problems IIRC.

I saw a color picture of the bruise on local TV news, and even though the cop was a black guy the dark bruise was very obvious and looked to be about the size of my hand. If a puny little .380 can do that through body armor think what a .45 acp or .357 magnum would do.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

That may be the way they train you in the Army, but not in the Marine Corps. :)

What can I say... Soldiers are also taught that the bullets come out of the small end, and hurt really bad when they hit you...:)

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Many folks who post on this forum do not have real life experience"

Thanks for the advice, but I got my first taste of real life experience at 18. I was not commenting on what you should do when confronted by an armed robber but was commenting on the weaver stance. The weaver stance is taught by the military for pistol target shooting. I was explaining that was not the optimum target shooting position. I am currently on a pistol competition team. If you ever have to get into a gunfight, sight alignment and sight picture will not be the foremost things on your mind.

There are many things about old cowboy movies that are bogus, however one thing that is not bogus is when they show the cowboys with one arm outstretched and shooting. That is the best position for shooting. The few gunfights in the old west, this is most likely what the shooters did because that is how shooting used to be taught all the time. It's the quickest way to get the gun in play and you make the best shots that way.