Another Failure of the Victim-selection Process

Armed Carjacking stopped by concealed carry. The 901: Shooting of alleged carjacker at Memphis Kroger looks like self-defense

From Monday afternoon…

Three or four people, reportedly armed, allegedly tried to jack a white Mercedes G-Class at about 1:20 p.m. The owner retrieved a handgun and shot and killed one person and wounded another, who was in non-critical condition yesterday.

Cops detained the driver of the SUV, and apparently Tennessee law is “murky” when it comes to self-defense outside the home. Still when 4 armed miscreants come at you I think you should be reasonably able to conclude they are threatening you with death and/or great bodily harm.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Big City Violence

Does anyone have a plan?

First let’s look at New York. Man shot dead outside his Queens apartment, capping a night of bloodshed across the city.

4 murders in 12 hours… that rate beats Chicago’s average…

As of July 26, cops have seen a 29% jump in homicides across the five boroughs, from 176 this time last year to 227, officials said.

The NYPD has also seen a 73% jump in shootings, from 431 to 745, officials said.

Speaking of Chicago… Shootapalooza Weekend.

While the festival may have been cancelled much to the chagrin of suburban 20-somethings looking to get shitfaced and partake in an expensive ambulance ride to Northwestern, Shootapalooza is a go and always puts in a solid audition for the headliner weekend of the year.

Click thru for the totals…

And while not in the same league as Chicago… July’s gun violence worries Columbus police. That would be Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus has had 75 homicides so far in 2020, with more than 41% of those occurring in June and July.

“Things have literally just exploded,” said Deputy Chief Tim Becker.

July was the second straight month in 2020 with higher than normal homicide rates. Fourteen homicides happened in June, two of which involved juvenile victims. That month saw a 40% increase from June 2019 and a 133% increase over the six homicides that occurred in June 2018.

And not so large cities. Cleveland, Ohio. 11 people shot in Cleveland over 11-hour period, including pregnant woman & 15-year-old boy.

That story says no one died, but other articles say that the unborn child did not survive.

Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis police renew call for help from public as homicides accumulate in 2020.

As of Friday, 160 people have been killed in Memphis this year.

That compares to 2018, the last year for which complete data is available from the FBI, in which there were 186 murders for the entire year.

I’ve written before that I don’t have a plan. We know that Broken Windows can reduce crime rates, but it was handled so ineptly and with such disregard for civil liberties in New York City, that it is just not an option today. But then I don’t know what is. We’ve seen that reductions in police presence leads to an increase in lawlessness. No one should be surprised at that outcome, BTW. Hobbes published a book that dealt with exactly that topic in 1651. And from the insane things being said by the Mayor of Chicago, I’m pretty sure the mayors don’t have a plan either.

Self-defense In Memphis

Seems like a lot of people think they have the right to feel safe, when they really have the right to defend themselves. Homeowner shoots suspected burglar, police say. Oh, and at least one of the 2 bad-guys might rethink his life of crime.

[A resident of the apartment targeted] said his roommate got his gun, which he says he has a permit for, and shot the man who was trying to break in.

“The police told me two people tried to rob us with guns and what not. They pulled up in two separate vehicles and one got shot literally sticking his arm inside the house,” he said.

He had broken a window and was reaching in to unlock the door.

The guy who got shot is in a local hospital in “extremely critical condition”.

The reporter makes a point of establishing that the apartment in question is not to far from The University of Memphis campus, as if that should put out a force field to repel crime. Or something.

Neighbors were going about how the apartment complex feels seems safe. But feelings, or appearances, are not reality. If you can read this, then I hate to break it to you, but you live in The Real World™ where crime can and often does happen. You may feel safe, you may not want to think about what could happen, but burying your head in the sand to the reality of your situation does not make you safe.

The Story Behind the Memphis Shooting (and Riots)

Because the media doesn’t seem to want to talk about what lead up to this. Memphis.

Just so we have this straight:

• named offender in a Mississippi shooting flees to Tennessee
• makes a video saying how he’s not going down without a fight
• is tracked down by US Marshals – not Memphis PD
• rams numerous law enforcement vehicles
• exits car with a gun

This is the guy who got shot by Memphis police and/or US Marshals. This is guy the riots are about. They’re not “rowdy protestors,” no matter what the media says.

In Mississippi he shot a guy 5 times. It isn’t clear to me why, though they were negotiating over a car that was for sale.

Self-defense in Memphis

Oh, and neighbors are shocked scared. East Memphis woman shoots burglar after he kicks down her door.

He was looking for somebody. He found somebody, but not who he was looking for.

Police say William Barnes was shot after he kicked in the front door of a home on South Holmes Street. Four days later the shooting still has one neighbor traumatized

The guy who got shot – several times – ended up at a local hospital, where he was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary.

The neighbor? She shocked and dismayed to discover that she lives in The Real World™ and some fantasy land.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do right now. I mean, it’s so disturbing that this happened.”

After a week she says that. (I am woman, hear me cry hysterically.)

Self-defense Is Legal in Tennessee

A lot of DA’s hate self-defense. This is either one that doesn’t, or the office realized that sometimes it really is self-defense. District Attorney General not filing charges against stabbing victim who shot, killed Memphis man.

So the dead guy stabs another guy. That guy who got stabbed, shoots and kills the dead guy. It would be hard to argue in court that he didn’t fear death or grave bodily injury, since he had already suffered that injury.

The DA’s office said they declined to file charges against the man because they determined that his actions were in self-defense.

The guy who did the shooting is in a hospital, and is expected to survive.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Memphis: How To Destroy a Police Department

It’s almost as if politicians don’t understand that people can (and do) move. More cops. Is it the answer to fighting crime?.

Hurting tax revenues caused salary and benefit cuts. Attrition meant more overtime. A lot more. Not exactly the way to build morale and keep the peace.

And so what is the current “State of Memphis?”

Memphis has a murder rate worse than Chicago’s and a police force that has shrunk by nearly a fifth since 2011, to a head count of 2,020. The city is on its fourth round of outside police staffing consultants in eight years.

Say it again… 20% attrition in 8 years.

Armstrong says police recruiters from as far away as Texas and Florida were coming to Memphis to lure away his demoralized cops. “Until someone takes a look at the benefit packages, this is going to be a continual problem,” [former Memphis Police Director Toney] Armstrong said.

First, politicians don’t do enough to staff 911 centers – pay benefits and hours – and then they are surprised that 911 calls don’t get answered. Then they undercut the cops and are shocked when crime goes up. What the hell are they spending money on?

What comes in the city hierarchy before fire and police?

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

If you break into homes, you will eventually find an armed homeowner. Man shot, killed after burglarizing home.

It couldn’t be simpler.

A man broke into the home and was shot by someone inside the home.

The guy who got shot fled in his car, but he crashed a short distance away. He was pronounced dead at the crash site.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Home Invader Meets Armed Resistance

I’m betting that things didn’t work out the way they thought it would. ‘I just thought everyone was dead.’ Suspect killed during Memphis home invasion.

Around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, the suspects stormed their way into a residence on North Stevens Circle. One of the suspects is dead — and the two others are on the run.

Someone in the home was able to get a gun and defend themselves. Another person in the home jumped out a window and ran to a nearby police precinct.

Inside the home, there were multiple bullet holes.

Homicide detectives were at the home all morning. They determined someone inside the home shot and killed one of the three suspects.

The investigation continues. Self-defense is a human-right. Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

He Suffered a Breakdown of the Victim-selection Process

There isn’t much detail. This article, as short as it is, has more than at least one other. Police: Intruder shot dead at Hickory Hill apartment complex.

An intruder broke into an apartment, where he encountered an armed resident, who shot the intruder. The would-be bad-guy died a short time later.

No charges were filed against the homeowner.

Because self-defense is a human-right.

An “Assault Weapon” Used for Home Defense? Impossible

The media told me that NEVER happens. Man shoots and kills two burglars with AK-47 in Memphis, cops say | Miami Herald.

So a guy shows up at his house with a friend, to find 2 people ransacking his house. The uninvited guests open fire.

As the shooting went on, the homeowner pulled out a weapon of his own from a closet – a “personal” AK-47 rifle.

“I don’t know what’s going on but I know I’m going to defend my life to the best of my ability,” he told WMC. “I just let loose, not knowing it hit both of them,” the man told Fox 13.

Both bad guys were pronounced dead at the scene. The cops questioned the homeowner, but concluded that the shooting was in self-defense.

“I was just fast, rational thinking,” he told the station. “It was them or it was me, and unfortunately they was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Self-defense is a human-right. Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0.

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0

They thought breaking into a house was a good idea. Tennessee man shoots, kills would-be burglars at his home, police say – ZlotoNews

He came home from the barbershop to discover that his front door had been pried open. When the 2 miscreants ran outside, shooting, he returned fire, hitting both of them.

As far as being armed….

“I mean, we’re in Memphis, you’re going to need a gun,” he said.

Cops detained him – there was a homicide, after all – but he was released, and no charges will be filed.

That’s because self-defense is a human-right.

“I advise you to back the f*** up”

This story was from last week, but it is still worth a look. ‘She Ain’t Scared of Nothing’ Uncle Says After Niece Sends Creep Running for Cover

Definitely a failure of the victim-selection process.

The man approached the home first asking for a phone and then for a ride. Then, he pulled a gun.

There is video – more like there is audio – since most of the altercation happens off-camera. But there is video.

“I advise you to back the f*** up,” the woman said after the criminal had apparently threatened her husband. “Take off, get the f*** out of here!”

The would-be bad-guy fired, and she fired but apparently no one was hurt. Cops are still looking for the bad guy.

Self-defense is a human-right, and “a good guy with a gun is the best way to beat a bad guy with a gun.”

Are You Prepared to Wait 90 Minutes for a Response to Your 911 Call?

This was a call about an active home-invasion. Memphis father says delayed 911 response time put his family at risk | WREG.com

A mother was home with her 2 children when someone started breaking in. That was at 4:45pm. At 4:47pm a second call was made to inform dispatch that the mother was home with 2 kids, and someone was breaking in. A 3rd call was placed at 5:05. At 6:06 officers were available, and they arrived at the house at 6:18.

That is 93 minutes between the 1st call and response.

Calling 911 is a fine thing to do, but if that is the only thing you are prepared to do, then you might want to reconsider your planning. They can’t send someone charging to your rescue, if they are all busy on other calls.

I leave this here without comment

Because I am at a loss as to what to say. From Memphis, TN: Life sentences for 3 in ‘revenge’ killing of 7-year-old girl | Fox News

Prosecutors said Stokes wanted revenge for the death of his sister, Cateria Stokes, 15, who was killed earlier the same day in a drive-by shooting linked to an ongoing dispute over a 2014 drug deal gone wrong, the Commercial Appeal reported.

So they kill a 7-year-old.

Self-defense in Memphis

He thought it would be a good idea to rob a Chinese restaurant. He was wrong. Police: Fatal shooting at Sing Lay Chinese Restaurant ruled self-defense, no charges filed

“No criminal charges will be filed in connection with this homicide,” Memphis police said in a Twitter post Tuesday. “The suspect was armed while attempting to rob the business. The employee armed himself in self-defense, shooting the suspect.”

People are mostly confused on the subject of homicide. It literally means a death of one person caused by another person. In this case it was justified. It’s murder that’s a crime. (Among others)

Self-defense is a human-right, and in Memphis, Tennessee it is your legal right.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

He suffered a failure of the victim-selection process. Memphis Liquor Store Employee Shoots, Kills Robbery Suspect

The FBI had issued a warning about a string of 8 liquor store robberies, by and armed and dangerous person, but cops don’t know if this marks the end of that spree.

In this case, the robber was shot and killed by the store employee he attempted to rob.

Self-defense is a human-right. Here’s hoping that particular crime spree was put to an end.

Armed Homeowner Stops Repeat Burglar

Bad things will happen if you break into a home and meet an armed resident. Homeowner shoots man accused of multiple home burglaries.

Moments before Lane was shot, he reportedly broke into a home next door where a woman was inside with her daughters and grandson. They hid in a closet and called 911.

Then he went to the home where he met with armed resistance to his intrusion.

Hines said he was getting ready for work, and in a split second, fired three shots.

“Just as soon as it happened, he’s lucky I didn’t have my glasses on. He’s blessed. Hopefully he’ll learn from this,” [the homeowner] said.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Raleigh Residents Arm Themselves to Fight Crime

Does this count as an example of the militia? Raleigh residents turning to guns to deter crime

A Memphis community is considering turning to guns in order to take back their neighborhood against crime.

The Raleigh area held a meeting last week, and one neighborhood association wants to make sure residents are knowledgeable about gun safety and carry permits.

The media of course has to include a quote from someone who thinks only cops should be armed. But otherwise it is a pretty even-handed article.

For Once, Neighbors Were NOT Shocked

A true failure of the victim-selection process. Homeowner Shoots and Kills Intruders, Memphis Police Search For – FOX13 News, WHBQ FOX 13.

He came home and found 3 men in his house. He shot 2 of them. “A third suspect got away after jumping out of a first-floor window.”

As for the neighbors…

“When you take something, come into someone’s house, that’s what you get,” Neighbor Ronnie Clark said, “That’s what you got over there, sorry for it, but stuff like that happens.”

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0.