He Returned With a Shotgun

This all started because he didn't have his ID. Refused a Beer Without ID, He Returned With a Shotgun. Two Armed Customers Were Waiting. - USA Carry

Two good guys with guns. A bad guy with a shotgun.

• After being asked to leave, he returned armed with a shotgun and threatened others.
• Two armed bystanders who previously escorted him out shot and killed him in self-defense.

The hat tip goes to Colion Noir, and the video below.

This is Colion Noir's video He Walked Into A Store With A Shotgun. Citizens Were Armed

This whole thing kicked off over a beer run and two strangers who had absolutely nothing invested in this man's night still tried to talk him down and walk him out of the door like grown folks, which is the part everybody's going to skip past on the way to the arguing about guns.

The video is 6 minutes.

A bit more from the video...

Those same two men who tried to diffuse it are the ones who ended it. And I want people to actually hold both of those facts in their hands at the same time. Because the caricature of the concealed carrier is a guy praying for a reason. And what we got instead were two guys who spent their first move trying to keep everybody alive. And their last move trying to keep everybody alive. Same objective, just different tool.

Restraint Isn't a Bad Idea

From KUTV in Utah we get the following story. Utah home intrusion raises questions about self-defense laws

The backstory:

Last Thursday, a man fleeing law enforcement made his way into John Santy's house. The Summit County Sheriff's Office said deputies were called after a domestic dispute and that the man was acting violently and threatening people with scissors.

Santy pulled out his gun and was able to subdue the man until deputies arrived.

Why this happened:

But he had one thought.

"I didn't want to shoot him," Santy said. "I didn't want to have to do that."

"Get on the f***ing ground. I will shoot you," Santy can be heard saying to the intruder in video recorded at the scene.

Click thru for discussions of self-defense and restraint.

No word on what charges this guy is facing.

Self-defense is a human right.

If You Break Into Homes...

You will eventually find an armed homeowner. Suspected burglar was shot by Provo resident | KSL. Or in this case, the homeowner's son.

File this under, "Another failure of the victim-selection process."

Lance Andre Hunter, 41, broke into a home and started a confrontation with some people inside. Two women ran upstairs and locked themselves in a room. Hunter followed. The homeowner's son, who have been arguing with Hunter retrieved a gun.

After Hunter pushed past the son, he went upstairs and "was attempting to kick in the door to the room they [the two women] had locked themselves in." That's when the son reengaged Hunter, this time armed with a gun, according to the affidavit.

He was shot once.

Despite being shot once, police say Hunter stole a vehicle at the hangar that had the keys still inside and tried to leave the area, but was stopped by responding deputies.

Provo, Utah is about a 40 or 45 mile drive south of Salt Lake City.

This sounds a bit like a domestic incident, but police are looking to see if Hunter is connected to other burglaries in the area.

However that plays out, self-defense, and defense of others, is a human right. This didn't take place in Massachusetts. Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0.

First He Got Shot

Then he was charged with a crime. Charges filed against man shot by manager during Murray jewelry store robbery | KSL

On Nov. 25, two men walked into Sierra-West Jewelers, 6190 S. State. One man "was wearing a long black wig, and the other had a scruffy brown wig, fake mustache and beard," according to charging documents. Both were wearing dark jackets and matching black and red plaid pants.

As the assistant manager asked if he could help, Villegas "pulled a gun," the charges state. The manager attempted to press the silent alarm, but Villegas pulled him to the middle of the floor.

In the struggle that ensued, the assistant manager was able to pull his concealed weapon, and several shots were fired. (Click thru for the details; they are complicated.)

Not long after the men drove away, a man with a gunshot wound to his abdomen was dropped off at an urgent care center in Sandy. Employees at the clinic called the police. Villegas was transferred to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray for further treatment. He was released over the weekend and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

The other guy has not been indentified.

Oh, and it turns out he is a "citizen of Venezuela" and has an immigration detainer.

Self-defense is a human right. (Hat tip to Concealed Nation: VIDEO: Jewelry Store Robbery Attempt in Murray Ends with Manager Firing Back)

Self-Defense Is Legal in Utah

I suspected that it was. Judge rules in favor of defendant who claimed he acted in self-defense in Cedar City road rage shooting

A judge has dismissed multiple felony charges filed against a motorcyclist who allegedly shot another man during a road rage confrontation in Cedar City in June 2024, with the court ruling the defendant had discharged his handgun in self-defense.

Cedar City, Utah is about a 250 mile drive south of Salt Lake City, or roughly a 170 mile drive northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

There are still more charges, but not aggravated assault.

And because, even in roughly rural Utah, DAs HATE self-defense.

Prosecutors are considering appealing the court’s decision, Deputy Iron County Attorney Trajan Evans told Cedar City News on Tuesday.

This is aside from the fact that there is video of the guy who got shot walking toward the defendant after there had been a punch thrown by the guy who got shot.

“At this time, Stolworthy testified he could not see out of his left eye, his nose had been ruptured, he could taste blood, and then he can hear Mabbitt coming at him and saying something like ‘you're (obscenity) dead,’” the court document states.

The judge ruled that he had a reasonable belief he faced more of the same, and so defending himself was legal.

But the DA wants to win. Why? Because DAs don't care about Justice; they care about winning.

Oh, and the guy who threw the first punch? He hasn't been charged. Maybe getting shot constitutes punishment, but isn't that battery?

For the time being, self-defense is legal in Utah.

Utah Bombing Plot Failed

There is no mention of a vigil, but I can't imagine why else a news van would be targeted at this location. FBI investigation leads to arrest in Utah bombing plot. The location was near where Charlie Kirk was assassinated.

Adeeb Nasir, 58, and Adil Justice Ahmed Nasir, 31, were arrested in Salt Lake County on Sunday on two counts of weapon of mass destruction – manufacture/possess/sell/use, a first-degree felony; attempted aggravated arson, a first-degree felony; four counts of explosive/chemical/incendiary – possessing parts, second and third-degree felonies; and two counts of threat of terrorism – use of weapon/hoax mass destruction, a second-degree felony.

The did try to set off the device, but if failed to detonate. Authorities did determine that it was a real bomb.

Hat tip to William Teach at Pirate's Cove: Two “Utah Men” Arrested For Trying To Blow Up Bomb Near Where Charlie Kirk Was Murdered

Magna, Utah is a suburb of Salt Lake City about 10 miles west of downtown, right on the shores of Great Salt Lake.

That’s a weird Mormon name.

Authorities have not said how/if the two men are related.

Darwin Award Near Miss Times 2

Every once in a while someone from the city, with no experience in the back-of-beyond, decides to "commune with nature." It rarely goes well. Father-son duo survives night in Utah wilderness after finding 'miracle' backpack

How it started.

Back at the beginning of January, 15-year-old Levi Dittman was planning to hike in the Red Mountain Trail area of Dammeron Valley. Stocking his hiking backpack with the best gear, first aid kit, snacks, and emergency supplies was a bit of a passion project for Levi.

He tossed the backpack somewhere he couldn't go, and then got trapped on a ledge overnight.

Apparently his $300 of supplies didn't include a US Geological Survey Topographical Map. I haven't purchased one in a long time, but I doubt they are more than $20 bucks even after all this time, and also you can download sections from the .gov for free.

“Looking at the map, it seems flat, which it’s not,” Levi said of the trail. “So, anyone else, do not try this.”

One month later...

On Monday, Feb. 17, Levi and his mother went to pick up his lost backpack at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, getting the bag back from Julian Hernandez.

“We ended up getting trapped in the same place where, a month ago, that 15-year-old got stuck,” Julian told ABC4.com.

Julian and his son got stuck in about the same place, and they found Levi's backpack, which was a godsend.

A miracle in the shape of the green backpack Levi spent about two months building up, filling it with Pop-Tarts, Clif bars, bandages, and even an emergency tent — all things that Julian said helped him out in a time of need.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get out of your suburban enclave and have an adventure. But understand that there are things you don't know. And even worse, the things you don't know that you don't know. Your cellphone will be useless in most wilderness areas. What navagation skills do you have? Do you have a topo map for the area you're going to hike? Do you even have a compass? A GPS? Anything? What emergency supplies do you have? Do you know how much water you need for a hike in dry air? Do you know what the overnight temperatures are going to be? Even if you aren't planning to overnight, maybe you should be a little prepared, since accidents do happen. And most important, does anyone know where you are going hiking, and when you are due back?

Hat tip to Wirecutter and When city folks go outside.

Yes, There Are Four-Legged Threats

How could he shoot a poor dog? That's what most people ask. Roy City PD: No charges to be filed after man shoot, kills dog threatening his own | Gephardt Daily

Except of course it wasn't a "poor dog." It was an aggressive dog, that was not on a leash. I would rather ask, "How could this dog's owner not keep it from attacking?"

“According to the initial reports, a male individual was walking his dog when two other dogs approached him that were not secured by the owner,” the news release says.

“The male reportedly warned the owner of the approaching dog to secure their animals. Despite this, one of the dogs attacked the male’s dog. In response, the male discharged a concealed firearm, firing one shot that struck the attacking dog.

Roy, Utah is roughly 30 miles north of downtown Salt Lake City.

So yes, you are allowed to defend yourself, and your dog. At least that is the case in Utah.

The moral of the story is, don't let your dogs run free if you can't control them verbally.

Both Victim and Perpetrator Were Shot

In the parking lot to her gym at 10:45 at night, after a swim, someone tried to carjack a woman. 2 shot during attempted carjacking in Murray gym parking lot | KSL

He suffered a failure of the Victim-Selection process.

A woman in her 20s was shot in the abdomen and taken to a local hospital in critical condition. A man, also in his 20s, got into another car after being shot and before police arrived, and was later "dropped off at a local hospital with a critical but stable gunshot wound to the chest," police said.

Investigators believe the woman was the victim of a random carjacking attempt.

Murray, Utah is about 5½ miles south of Salt Lake City, in Salt Lake County, Utah.

The guy who got shot, who police believe is the bad guy in this encounter, was dropped off, but police believe that they have identified everyone involved. I hope that means that they will all be brought to justice. Is there still justice in America?

Self defense is a human right, and I believe it is pretty solidly recognized as your legal right in Utah. I'm sure there will be more to say about this incident.

Bible Removed from Library over Violence

This is not going to end well. Bible Pulled From Utah School District Libraries Because Of ‘Vulgarity Or Violence’

And to be fair, Utah did vote to get pornography out of school libraries. This was a ploy to gain attention, mostly. Or that's how I read it.

Elementary and middle school students in Utah’s Davis School District, located north of Salt Lake City, will no longer be able to find the Bible at school libraries after a district review committee decided to make it only available at high school libraries.

School district spokesman Christopher Williams told NBC News that the committee chose to “retain the book in school library circulation only at the high school level based on age appropriateness due to vulgarity or violence.”

This was in response to a complaint by someone pissed off that various pieces of pornography would no longer be available to elementary school kids.

They probably also removed history from schools for the same reason.

11 or 12 Minutes is a Long Time to Wait for 911 Response

Just call 911 and wait to be rescued. That is what the gun-hating part of the Left loves to say. It may not be the best strategy, or you may need a "Plan B." FOX 13 Investigates: Salt Lake City lowers the bar for police response times

According to data provided by SLCPD, the agency’s average response time for a Priority 1 call from September 2021 through September 2022 was 11 minutes, 58 seconds.

Priority 1 calls are the most urgent cases handled by the department. According to SLCPD policy, both Priority 1 and Priority 2 calls require “immediate attention.”

A lot of bad things can happen in 11 minutes.

There is some back and forth between SLCPD and Fox13 Now about what the current goal is for 911 response. It was recently set to 10 minutes. They can't meet that goal, so I guess I can understand setting it that way.

And they are getting better.

In August 2020, the department had an average Priority 1 response time of 18 minutes, 36 seconds.

Of course all of that is predicated on being able to call 911, and getting someone dispatched.

What would you do if no one answered 911? Texas man dies from heart attack as wife waits on hold with 911 for 15 minutes.

Tanya Gotcher found her husband of nearly 30 years, Cassy, on the floor of the home they shared and immediately dialed 911 — suspecting he was having a heart attack.

Gotcher was put on hold for 15 to 20 minutes, she told CBS Austin. Her husband died while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, according to the station.

Although that story is from Austin, Texas, 911 centers around the country are suffering from staffing shortages. Low pay, management who treats people like interchangeable parts and not like people, high stress (you're talking to people on the worst day of their lives), and people don't stick around. Couple that with excessive overtime, and you get burnout. And more staffing shortages.

No explanation was given as to why the phone went unanswered for 15 minutes.

The Left's war on police has real world consequences, and despite the assurances that "fewer police will result in less crime," from the Defund the police crowd fewer police officers mean a longer wait for 911 response. Did anyone really expect anything else?

Calling 911 is a fine thing to do. They can (and usually will) send all kinds of help your way. But if that is the only thing you are prepared to do, you might need to do some additional planning, for whatever kind of emergencies you expect to encounter.

What Would You Do if a Pit Bull Attacked?

There is so much wrong with this story. Dog shot, killed after attacking people outside Utah County grocery store

The problems start with the fact that it is a bad idea to leave your dogs locked in a car.

Police received a report that three pit bulls were attacking people in the parking lot of Maceys in Santaquin Tuesday evening. The caller then reported that one of the dogs had been shot.

Officers arrived and learned that an employee, who was a girl under the age of 18, had injuries on both of her arms and her left leg from at least one of the dogs. Her injuries were not life-threatening but did require medical treatment.

The guy who owns the dogs is being charged with several things. Click thru for the details. The guy who shot and killed the one dog is not charged, because self-defense is legal in Utah.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Armed Teacher Stops Kidnapping

Yes, there are armed teachers at some schools. Armed teacher stops attempted kidnapping in Utah, police say | WKRN News 2

A 41-year-old man accused of trying to kidnap an 11-year-old girl from a Utah school is in custody, and a teacher is being hailed as “a hero.”

Ogden police arrived at Lincoln Elementary School in Ogden on Tuesday after the teacher was able to stop the suspect, later identified as Ira Cox-Berry, and get all 20 students off the playground and into the school, authorities said.

He held the guy until cops arrived. Oh, he also managed to call 911 while all of this was going on.

“This employee is protected under the Second Amendment. He followed all policy and procedure at the school, and in this particular case, did everything that he should have done to protect the innocent lives of the children at the school,” said [Lt. Brian Eynon, of the Ogden City Police Department]. “And in this case, it is likely that a life was saved or injury to a life was prevented due to the actions of this heroic employee.”

Self-defense, and defense of others is a human-right. (Hat tip to Crime Prevention Research Center.)

Don't Bring a Crowbar to a Gunfight

Why did this guy, who was surrounded by 3 cops, with more on the way, think that he was going to beat them off with a crowbar? Granted, the taser didn't work - they often don't - but that still left 3 guys with firearms. He is apparently not the sharpest took in the shed.

This is the video for Cop Shoots Suspect After Approaching Police With Crowbar in West Valley, Utah.