Thanks to  jean@riverview.net  for scanning this in and sending
it to me for placement on the cdn-firearms web site.

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THE ARMED CITIZEN  April  97

 Marty and Angelique Hite were standing in the parking lot of the
 Raleigh, North Carolina, Pizza Hut where Angelique is a manager when
 they noticed a man wearing a mask, gloves, dark clothes and holding a
 pistol approaching from the darkness. The Hites hurried back into the
 restaurant and attempted to close and lock the door, but were
 hampered when the robber shoved the barrel of his gun into the
 opening. He threatened to kill them, at which time, Marty, a
 concealed-carry permit holder, pulled his .38 from a hip pocket and
 shot the assailant. The wounded man fled to some nearby woods where
 he was discovered by police an hour later. Police declined to charge
 Marty Hite, citing his right to defend himself. Many in the community
 also applauded Hite's actions. 
(The Observer, Raleigh, NC, 12/12/96)

 "It's as justifiable a shooting as I've seen," said Lathrup Village,
 Michigan, Police Chief Robert Jones, concerning a pizzeria manager
 who shot one of two would-be bandits. The two masked robbers stormed
 into the restaurant, accosted the manager and began pistol-whipping
 him. During the scuffle, the manager was able to pull the handgun he
 carried and fire three shots, two of them fatally striking one of his
 attackers. The other suspect disappeared unscathed into the night.
 The dead suspect had a criminal record, and police suspect the pair
 may have been responsible for other robberies in the area. 
(The Daily Tribune, Oakland County, M1, 1/14/97)

 A New Paltz, New York, delivery driver entered an apartment building
 to deliver a pizza when he was grabbed by the two masked thugs who
 had placed the order. A scuMe broke out, and the driver was able to
 get a hold of the gun he was carrying. He fired several shots at his
 ski-mask-clad assailants as they hastened off into the night. It was
 unknown whether either man was hit. 
(The Times Herald Record, Middletown, NY, 1/25/97)

 The robber yelled for everyone to "hit the floor" in the
 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, tavern and began firing. A few shots hit
 the ceiling, and one struck bartender Natalie Biggs in the hip. When
 his gun jammed, a wounded Biggs grabbed a .38. Several of her shots
 found her attacker who staggered from the building. He was found dead
 nearby 'slumped behind the wheel of his car. Polii:e said the dead
 man had a history of arrests involving offenses that included rape
 and aggravated assault. (The Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, 1/23/97)

 Two men waring ski masks and holding revolvers burst through the door
 of Stoneys package store in Tampa, Florida, and shoved their guns
 into owner John Swetland's face. They threatened to kill him if he
 didn't give them enough money. Swetland begged for his life and the
 suspects temporarily offered him a reprieve, deciding to leave the
 store. One of the bandits accidentally ran into another room and upon
 backtracking, fired two shots at Swetland. By then, the owner had
 been able to retrieve his own semi-automatic handgun and returned
 fire, wounding his tormentor. The injured man later turned himself in
 to police, who continued to search for his accomplice. (The Times,
 Tampa, FL, 1/8/97)

 JaimeEspinosawas working in the rear of the EL Monte, California,
 hamburger stand he owned when he heard his wife, working as a clerk,
 scream. He ran to the front to find his wife bleeding from her hand,
 and a man holding a knife and wanting cash. Espinosa gave him $107
 then followed the knife-wielding thug outside. There, he pulled a gun
 and confronted the man, firing three shots into the ground. The man
 promptly handed the money back to Espinosa then ran off. Police were
 still searching far the crook. 
(The Valley Tribune, San Gabriel, CA, 1/1/97)

 When the two men entered the Hampton, Virginia, lounge--one wearing a
 mask and grasping a pistol--the manager quickly grabbed his 9 mm and
 confronted the masked intruder. A scuffle ensued in which the manager
 shot the robber, critically wounding him. The accomplice ran from the
 bar but was quickly arrested by police. A dancer who worked at the
 bar and was present during the holdup was charged with helping plan
 the robbery. (The Daily Press, Hampton, VA, 12/21/96)

 One robber stood in the background, a blue handkerchief over his
 face. The other crowded the counter, pointing his pistol in El
 Bandito Taco Shell owner Leo Nunez's face. The Albuquerque, New
 Mexico, restaurant owner knew it was him or the crook. "it was real
 fast. It was my life or his:' Nunez said. He took his chances.
 Pulling a .380 from the register, he shot his assailant twice. The
 suspect returned two errant shots then ran from the business.
 Terrified, the other would-be bandit froze at Nunez's command and
 waited for police to arrest him. The injured suspect was later
 apprehended at his house after a lengthy stand off with the city SWAT
 team. (The Journal, Albuquerque, NM, 12/3/96)

 Francisco Castellano was hit, shot in the chest by a pair of thugs
 who had demanded he give them money outside of his Miami, Florida,
 restaurant. With few alternatives, Castellano pulled his own handgun
 and fired back, sending his empty-handed attackers scurrying. Police
 soon discovered the getaway car and gave chase. The criminals ran
 away from the vehicle but were soon discovered hiding in the closet
 of a home. 
(The Herald, Miami, FL, 8/3/96)

 Canadian Football League player Roosevelt Patterson was visiting
 relatives in Mobile, Alabama, for the Christmas holidays when he was
 approached by three men, two of them armed, outside of a barbecue
 restaurant. Asked for cash, Patterson refused and instead, pulled a
 gun and killed one of the armed crooks. The remaining two were
 arrested by police. 
(The Times Daily, Florence, AL, 12/27/96) 


AMERICAN RIFLEMAN ·April 1997