How Guns Stop Crimes

Cato Institute Policy Report – March / April 2012

http://www.cato.org/policy-report/marchapril-2012/how-guns-stop-crimes

The media rarely make a point of reporting stories involving defensive gun use.

“In this milieu,” the authors of a new White Paper write, “where criminal gun use makes the evening news, but self-defense cases get little to no coverage, it is understandable why many people would develop negative opinions concerning guns.” But in “Tough Targets: When Criminals Face Armed Resistance from Citizens,” scholars Clayton E. Cramer and David Burnett present their case for reconsidering this stance.

They begin by giving an overview of the academic studies of defensive gun use — showing that “the survey data has severe limitations” — before supplementing it with thousands of news reports gathered over an eight-year period. These data offer a distinct advantage in that they provide “a rich set of information about motives, circumstances, victims, and criminals.”

The authors go on to examine recent legal trends surrounding self-defense, before exploring the specific manner in which people use guns to fend off criminal attacks. “The overwhelming majority of defensive gun use stories,” they find, “involve ordinary and decent people defending themselves against criminals.” Cramer and Burnett offer dozens of case studies in which everyday citizens exercise judgment and competency when handling a gun.

In the end, they acknowledge that bearing arms is clearly not always the solution in criminal confrontations. However, it is impossible to deny that “a great number of tragedies — murders, rapes, assaults, robberies — have been thwarted by self-defense gun uses.” They conclude that, despite the fears of many gun-control advocates, “gun owners stop a lot of criminal mayhem.” Please visit http://www.cato.org for an interactive map displaying scores of documented stories of defensive gun use.

More Examples of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Action

By Brian Lutes, September 24, 2013, Information From Various Web Sources

Don’t expect to see a stories  like this covered by the mainstream US media, which habitually shies away from examples that illustrate how firearms are routinely used for defensive purposes.

Two cases earlier this year highlighted this important factor received virtually zero national attention.

Back in March KHOU.com reported on the story of a Texas boy who watched his sister and mother being raped during a home invasion by two men who later abandoned a plan to murder the three victims because the boy was able to grab a handgun and send the two individuals fleeing. See http://www.khou.com/news/local/Boy-grabs-gun-sends-suspects-fleeing–195968391.html

In May, a homeowner in the Sharpstown area of Houston, TX was assaulted by three robbers who broke into his house and shut him in a closet – unaware that the closet was where he kept his guns. The man exited the closet armed and the robbers fled the scene.

According to a 1993 National Self- Defense Survey conducted by Gary Kleck, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Americans use guns to defend themselves against a confrontation with a criminal up to 2.5 million times a year. This means that every day in America some 6,800 people use guns to protect themselves.

Scholars Clayton E. Cramer and David Burnett have documented how “a great number of tragedies — murders, rapes, assaults, robberies — have been thwarted by self-defense gun uses.”

However, only a fraction of those cases ever make the local news and barely any at all make the national news.

In addition, Americans erroneously believe that violent gun crime is on the increase despite a 49% drop in gun homicides since 1993.

Teen Who Fired Fatal Shot in ‘Disrespect’ Killing Sentenced

By GLENN COUNTS / NBC Charlotte, September 12, 2013

Dedrick McKenzie walked into a Mecklenburg County courtroom looking every bit as young as his 17 years.

He accepted a plea deal for the murder of 17-year-old Kydaryune Curry, who was killed last September.

“For me, to sit in there and actually listen to the details as to how he played God on that day, something went through me,” said Benita Turner, the victim’s mother.

As it turns out, that something was forgiveness. Her son was shot four times in front of her home, all because of a misunderstanding over the volume of his music.

“Somebody dissing you, looking at that as disrespectful, and then your action is to commit murder. Really? Are you kidding me? That could have been handled a completely different way,” said Turner.

Turner says she forgave McKenzie because it was the right thing to do, and she let him know it when she addressed the court.

“They need to hear you say, ‘I forgive you.’ Not read it in the paper. Not someone else tell them. They need to hear it from me, so that’s why I addressed him.”

McKenzie didn’t say anything back, never apologized and pleaded to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve between 13 and 16.8 years in prison.

“I have no other choice but to accept the outcome. No amount of days is going to bring my son back”.

Turner says she is grateful that she doesn’t have to go through a trial. Police say that McKenzie, 16-year-old Bruck Fekadu, 17-year-old Sheldon Gregory, 19-year-old Jeremy Pate and 18-year-old Samuel Walker Jr. confronted and fought Curry.

Prosecutors say that McKenzie was the trigger-man. All of the suspects except Gregory have already plead.

Turner says she doesn’t understand the mentality that led to her son’s death.

“When we allow the streets to teach our kids, the streets are going to teach them the way they want to teach them, and a lot of times that’s not the right way. But when we have a hand in what we teach our kids, that makes a difference,” she said.

Man Apologizes for Wife’s Murder in Mecklenburg Co. Court

by GLENN COUNTS / NBC Charlotte, September 12, 2013

A lot of tears were shed during the plea hearing for 62-year-old Joseph Brown. He was accused of killing Mamie Caldwell Brown, his wife of 20 years.

“Yeah I do believe he’s sorry for what he did. I don’t think he meant to go as far as it went,” said Glendolyn Sharpe, the victim’s daughter.

She and the rest of the family had a forgiving spirit, and told Brown as much in a Mecklenburg County Courtroom Thursday morning.

Afterward he stood and apologized, and surprised all of them by asking for forgiveness.

“I cannot ever replace the loss I’ve taken from you. I loved your mom for 25 years. She was my life. I only ask, that today, the healing process will begin for all of you,” said Brown.

Ms. Sharpe said the family is ready to move forward.

“I do believe him for whatever happened with them we had a great relationship. He was a great father figure. My daughter his granddaughter — his great grand children”.

Mamie Brown was a victim of domestic violence. Prosecutors say she was terrified the last days of her life and said if anything happened to her look at Joseph.

The 71-year-old woman was strangled to death.

Thursday’s sentencing was not Brown’s first brush with the law. He spent time on death row for the rape and murder of a Florida woman, and a federal judge stopped the execution hours before it was supposed to be carried out.

Brown was eventually freed. In the 80s, he met his wife to be and moved to Charlotte.

Her family advises all victims of domestic violence to get out before it’s too late.

“Look at the devastation that it left us. We don’t have a mother. We never expected her to be gone at 71 years old. She had so much class. She was so smart. She was a beautiful woman with a beautiful sprit,” said Sharpe.

Brown pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to spend the next 15 to 18 years in prison.

Poison Center Reports Increase in Calls for New Drug “Molly”

From http://www.wbtv.com, September 6, 2013

Carolinas Poison Control is seeing a surge in cases related to the latest form of the club drug MDMA.

“Molly,” as it’s now called, is getting national attention after being speculated in three deaths in the past two weeks: two at the Electric Zoo Music Festival in New York, and one at Boston’s House of Blues. Another Massachusetts concert venue even canceled the rest of its events this season because of several overdoses from the drug.

Carolinas Poison Control tells WBTV it has seen more cases of MDMA in 2013 than it did in 2012. Last year, there were 30 cases connected to hallucinogenic drugs. This year, there have been 43 cases, 32 of which appear to be MDMA.

Michael Beuhler, MD, director of Carolinas Poison Control, says the popularity of “molly” is part of the rotating door of drug abuse. With the synthetic cannabinoids declining, and bath salts declining, MDMA comes back, he says.

So why is this new form of MDMA causing so many problems now, especially in the live music scene? “It’s a deadly combination because people are consuming other drugs like alcohol, cocaine at the same time ,” says Bob Martin, director of Substance Abuse Services at CMC Mercy Horizons.

Mixing molly with alcohol can also cause extreme dehydration.

Martin says even though the drug is marketed as a more pure form of MDMA, in powder form, users don’t always know exactly what they’re taking.

“Ecstasy has been around in various forms for decades. We have had patients that we’ve tested it and it’s come back negative for ecstasy but our patients say they’re taking ecstasy.”

He says especially with mentions of the drug in recent songs, parents should keep a close eye on their children, including who they’re hanging out with and where they’re going.

Police Chase Ends at Harris-Teeter in Plaza-Midwood, Driver Sought

From http://www.wbtv.com, September 6, 2013

Charlotte police are on scene at the Harris Teeter in Plaza-Midwood after chasing a vehicle into the area.

      Antwaun Oliphant, 25

Video from Sky3 shows police have surrounded a red SUV outside of the Harris Teeter on Central Avenue at The Plaza.

The initial call for the vehicle pursuit came in around 2 p.m.

Investigators tell WBTV the chase started on Interstate 85 in Gaston County near mile marker 26. One of the two people in the car was wanted for multiple car break-ins.

Speeds reached close to 100 miles per hour, police say.

The SUV hit the utility pole doing around 60 miles per hour.

Police say two suspects jumped and ran from the stolen SUV. One is in police custody and officers are searching for the other.

Antwaun Oliphant, 25, was the passenger in the SUV and was arrested. He was wanted by CMPD on five charges.

Police are still searching for the driver.

Officers could be seen blocking traffic and entering the store searching for the driver.

K-9 units and officers could also be seen on the roof of the grocery store.

Power lines are down on The Plaza due to the accident.

CMPD Stepping Up Presence After Shootings, Murders

By GLENN COUNTS / NBC Charlotte, September 6, 2013

It has been a violent week in Charlotte, over the Labor Day Weekend five people were killed in five days, and Thursday night a peaceful candlelight vigil was interrupted by gunfire.

Four people were shot including an 11-year-old boy, fortunately their injuries are not life threatening.

“I don’t understand how anybody can be so cold and calculating, I don’t understand that,” said Judy Williams of Mothers of Murdered Offspring.

Her group sponsored the vigil; she says it will be the last one without police protection.

“We’ve been given marching orders from the top; we will not be doing any more searches without police on site, no more balloon releases, no more anything, that changes immediately as of today.”

That directive came from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief, Rodney Monroe. His command staff met Friday for hours to try and come up with a plan to prevent a recurrence of last weekend’s violence.

Police say they plan to saturate problem areas, increase staffing by working longer hours, have Helicopter and K-9 units focus on those problem areas and officers will pay particular attention to bars and nightclubs.

“It’s not a big secret that anywhere we’ve experienced issues recently were going to be there, but there are some other areas we’re going to be pro active based on the data analysis,” said CMPD Deputy Chief Kerr Putney.

He says they are looking for information in the vigil shooting. “What we can ascertain at this point the goal was just to disrupt, we don’t know there were any more reason beyond that,” said Putney.

The Deputy Chief put those wanting revenge on notice that if they look for trouble they are liable to find the law first this weekend.

CMPD Searching for Man Wanted in Connection to Multiple Shootings

From http://www.wcnc.com, September 6, 2013

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are looking for a 22-year-old suspect who is wanted in connection to multiple shootings.

Julian Jared Gill, 22; Credit: Charlotte – Mecklenburg Police

Authorities say Julian Jared Gill, 22, has outstadning warrants for simple assault, communicating threats and a host of other charges.

Anyone with informatin about Gill should call 704-334-1600.

Reward Offered for Man Who Killed Kitten

From http://www.wcnc.com, September 6, 2013

A $2,000 reward is being offered to help catch the person behind a disturbing crime.

Police say someone threw a cat at a group of demonstrators in uptown last Sunday.

Friday, an organization called The National Nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund said they would offer a $2,000 reward for informaton leading up to an arrest and conviction.

According to the group, the animal rights protesters were gathered to raise awareness about dolphin slaughter in Japan when the kitten was thrown from a vehicle.

The kitten was severly injured upon impact with the ground and died about 10 minutes later as the demonstrators tried to comfort the animal.

Anyone who knows anything about the incident should contact police.

Charlotte Woman Continues Search 23 Years After Sister’s Killing

From http://www.wsoctv.com by Mark Becker, September 6, 2013

As Lynn Thomas walked to the Police Department with a friend Friday morning to meet with homicide detectives, it had to feel very similar.

It’s been 23 years since her sister Kim Thomas was killed in her home off Wendover Road in south Charlotte but the case is still open, and she is still looking for answers.

“There’s an injustice. Someone’s been walking free for 23 years who killed my sister, and that doesn’t work,” said Thomas about the case that has become her life’s mission.

It was a vicious crime. Kim Thomas was found in her house handcuffed with her throat slashed.

Police eventually arrested her husband, a Charlotte doctor named Ed Friedland, but prosecutors later dismissed the charges for lack of evidence.

Friedland’s attorney had insisted Kim Thomas’ killer was a man named Marion Gales, a handyman who lived nearby and had done odd jobs in the neighborhood.

But police never charged Gales, who is now in prison for another murder and not talking about the Thomas case.

And so Lynn Thomas came to find out where police are with the case and do what she can to help.

‘I gave them ideas of possible places to look or people to interview, it was more of a sharing of information,” Thomas said.

The major in charge of the investigation said both Friedland and Gales have not been ruled out as possible suspects in the case, and they are still working on it.

“It’s still an active case for us, a case that we’re vigilantly working on and want to solve. I conveyed that to Ms. Thomas today,” Smathers said.

Lynn Thomas will be in Charlotte on Saturday for a memorial to her sister in Freedom Park, and then will go back to Boston, but until the case is solved, will always have a part of herself here.

“I miss her dearly. She brought of joy to my life,” she said.