Posted on 09/06/2024 9:44:30 AM PDT by marktwain
A 64-year-old retired U.S. Army colonel was shot three times during the purchase of a dump trailer brokered on Facebook Marketplace.
The shooting happened late Sunday afternoon in Cullman County, and the 21-year-old suspect entered the country illegally roughly two years ago, said Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry.
“I’m pissed off today,’’ Gentry said during a Wednesday press conference. “I’m pissed off that we’re even having to have this conversation.”
The suspect was identified as Abel Medardo Sacrab-Chen of Guatemala. Sacrab-Chen was shot by the victim during the incident.
Sacrab-Chen is charged with first-degree robbery and certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. More charges are possible.
The victim – Glenn Gildon, who posted about his ordeal on Facebook – met with the suspect about 5:30 p.m. Sunday on Brunner Street.
Sacrab-Chen told Gildon the trailer was not actually on site, and they would have to drive to another location.
“The victim felt that something wasn’t right,’’ Gentry said. “Like good law-abiding citizens, he had his firearm with him, which is probably the only thing that save his life.”
As they were driving in Gildon’s truck, the sheriff said, Sacrab-Chen put a knife to the victim’s throat and said, “Give me your money or I’m going to kill you.”
The two struggled and Gildon fired his gun.
“But my pistol jammed, and I couldn’t get it to fire again so I threw it and exited the truck,’’ Gildon wrote. “He got my pistol and got it to work.”
“He came to execute me,’’ he wrote, “but God had a different plan.”
Gildon was shot in the stomach, shoulder and leg.
“Did I mention that I’m still here?” Gildon wrote. “God’s plan of a better testimony wouldn’t have worked if my pistol had continued to function. God’s plan is always better.”
Sheriff’s deputies received the call of the shooting in the area of County Road 463.
Good Samaritans had stopped to help Gildon. Deputies and Cullman police quickly found the suspect, who was still in Gildon’s truck.
The suspect, Gentry said, had been shot at least one time.
Both remain hospitalized.
The sheriff said Sacrab-Chen “crossed the border a couple of years ago, identified and let into the U.S. to become a violent criminal in our community.”
“That pisses me off that we allow an illegal alien into our country to make his way here to pose and sell something on the internet to then try to murder and rob a veteran,’’ Gentry said. “You see it in California. You see it in New York, and today we see it in Cullman Alabama which is ridiculous.”
Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said the suspect will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Being in the country illegally may get you a free house in California,’’ Crocker said, “but it does not entitle you to immunity from prosecution in Cullman County.”
Even more unusual is that al.com pointed out that the assailant is an illegal alien.
The cliche, “needs more range time” really does apply here.
I prefer a revolver.
Yes, they can fail too - that is why they had gunsmiths way back then.
But they are less likely to fail than a semi.
> Sacrab-Chen told Gildon the trailer was not actually on site, and they would have to drive to another location. <
Not blaming the victim, but come on now. A complete stranger asks you to take him to some unknown location, and you go?
People can say what they want about revolvers being out-of-date but that colonel would not likely have gotten shot if he had a revolver instead of a semi-automatic.
I will refrain from criticizing.
Hard to say. I like both of them, and own both. You can stop revolvers from cycling by grabbing the cylinder or blocking the hammer. You can stop most semi-autos from firing by pushing on the slide to put it out of battery.
There are several instances, where officers were losing the fight, and attempted to put the pistol out of reach or to disable it, rather than allow the attacker to get it. Maybe something similar, which failed, happened here.
Head Shot practice. Do it.
Of course we have the benefit of hindsight here.
(One concurs with the normal preference for a revolver, this case being an example. A revolver of .38 special caliber, or bigger. Just go blam, once or twice... OK, three times...)
Alterative ending, suspect was admitted to hospital for a gun-shot wound and several blunt trauma injuries to his noggin in the shape of a semi-auto pistol frame...
Yep...That would be one of the preferred outcomes.
Should have pulled out his second / back-up weapon.
Regards,
I’m thinking more and more about getting myself a revolver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAYkoXtulWI
"autoloader - bad, revolver - good, shrouded hammer revolver - even better"
“That pisses me off that we allow an illegal alien into our country to make his way here to pose and sell something on the internet to then try to murder and rob a veteran,’’ Gentry said. “You see it in California. You see it in New York, and today we see it in Cullman Alabama which is ridiculous.”
> A pop quiz, which the Colonel didn’t pass. Correct answer would be “Deal’s off... ‘bye!” <
Yep. The colonel evidently had money with him to buy a trailer. And the “seller” wanted to move locations. This was a classic set-up.
The “stranger danger” warning is not just for kids.
> Of course we have the benefit of hindsight here. <
Yep again. This story is important for the semi-auto vs. revolver discussion. But it’s also a reminder to always use common sense.
“but I threw it and exited the truck.”
I understand that a murderer’s knife on your throat probably limits good decision-making, but why not exit the truck with the firearm in hand?
I personally switched over to a 9mm revolver for conceal carry a couple of years back. Have no qualms about an autoloader, just personal preference.
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