Saw the business end of a shotgun this morning...

[RustyJC]

During a business trip to Venezuela back in the 1980's, I found myself looking down the business end of AK-47's 4 times in 7 days. Twice at Guardia Nacional checkpoints on the highway (checking for Columbian guerillas), once leaving the facility of Creole Petroleum (the Creole driver had forgotten that he had a centrifugal compressor impeller in the trunk, and the guards thought we were trying to steal it), and once in the lobby of the Del Lago Hotel in Maracaibo (the Minister of Defense was holding a big shindig, a thunderstorm hit and knocked the electricity out, and the military guarding the lobby were convinced that they were under a guerilla attack). Something sobering about looking down the barrel of that AK-47 with a 16 year old kid's finger on the trigger!



Rusty

 

[jwdeeming]

In 1985 I was driving to my 3:00AM shift as a Computer Operator at Children's Hospital in Denver. As I prepared to exit I-70 at Washington St, I heard a loud bang and the passenger side vent window exploded all over the inside of my truck - a '76 Chev 3/4 ton. Didn't seem like a good place to stop and check things out so I went on to work.



I got one of the security guards to come out with his flashlight and look at my truck. There was a deep, lead-coated gouge in the metal between the windshield and vent window. The bullet shattered the triangular window and left a lead scrape along the rest of the main passenger window. Security guard was in cop school at the time and said based on what he knew of ballistics, that probably was a high-powered rifle.



We called Denver Police, who came out and took a report. They never found anything of course and I never heard from them again, but they concurred that it was likely a rifle. Given that an inch or two either side of that post would have probably put the bullet in the cab, they spent a lot of time explaining to me how lucky I was. It didn't sink in until several hours later when I got a severe case of the shakes and a little sick to my stomach.



I was also in a pizza joint that got held up by two gun-wielding thugs a couple years later. (used to be Godfather's on Colfax, between Wadsworth and Sheridan if you know the area). Probably what you would consider a "routine" holdup - nobody hurt, bad guys get away, etc. But the thing that was hard to take was laying face-down on the kitchen floor where we'd been herded to, waiting for it to be over. Only a couple weeks before, a very compliant grocery store manager had been senselessly shot in the back of the head during a similar holdup.



I changed after that. I studied martial arts for several years, vowing never to be in that situation and helpless again. Some people think that I'm wrong - that it's always a mistake to try to "be a hero" in those situations.



Maybe. Sometimes, yes, and sometimes no. But I know this - I've learned enough to hopefully be able to evaluate options during a situation like that and make a decision what to do or not do. Trust me, it's a lot better feeling than being a helpless sheep, staring at the floor.



The cops, by the way, were "staking out" Godfather's Pizza, from the Casa Bonita restraunt parking lot across the street and the holdup happened right under their noses. Seems these two thugs had brilliantly discovered that other Godfather joints did not have holdup alarms and so were targeting them. Far as I know they were never caught.

 

[amillstream]

"Trust me, it's a lot better feeling than being a helpless sheep, staring at the floor. "



This is exactly why our second amendment needs to be highly protected. Because you don't know that the guy won't harm anyone before he leaves and 99% of crimes are over by the time the cops get there.

 

[midlife crisis]

I got a related "Rookie" story for ya's. An older friend (Ron) & his wife have an African Grey for a pet. Repeats everything in his voice, as he says it. Well, whenever Ron answers the phone, next to the cage, he says " Well Hello There!". Heres the story- Ron had a break in at his house with no one home. The cops showed up and found a window broken. The senior cop sent the rookie thru the window to first open the door, than "they" would check the house. Well, as Dirty Harry would do, the newbie proceeded to clear the house solo, 9mm drawn, and went into the dark kitchen. As he approached a large shadowy figure, he was startled by the very human sounding " Well Hello There". The figure he shot was the Kenmore fridge. The parrot was fine, the older cop still never drew his piece, he was too busy laughing, and the only damage to the house from the entire ordeal was the window... . and the fridge.

 

[Mike Ellis]

I got to see my boss have a close encounter with M-16s on my first job out of school. The MPs got their point across instantly, even to those of us who didn't have rifles in our faces.

 

[ropinfool2]

I have two stories, first before we shipped out to the Gulf for the 1st one, we had to go to the range to qualify on our issued weapons. (Amphib Navy) There are 5 stations. Right shoulder, kneeling, on belly behind log, left shoulder, and window. 5 rounds at each station. I'm on my belly, fire my 5 rounds, waiting for everyone else to finish, can't move until firing line is clear, the guy at the next station, left shoulder, had never fired a weapon before today, fired his first round, the shell ejected down his shirt, HOT, lets the M-16 drop down, finger still sqeezing the trigger. All I see are little puffs of dirts coming towards my head. Then the Marine Sgt, range safety officer (they had 3 times the normal amount out due to us Navy guys) tackled him. Messed him up good too. At the time, I thought I needed to change my skivies, now that I look back at it, he would have run out of ammo before it got to me.

Second, I was working for a Natural Gas utility as a service tech, was on the roof of a customers house inside the furnace, they had made a 8 am Saturday appointment. I had knocked first no answer. I hear a womans voice " I almost shot yo ass", turn around and here is a woman holding a stainless 357 pointed at me. All I could think of to say was "I'm glad you didn't". All this with my company van with huge stickers all over it parked in front of her front door, and me in a uniform. That's as close as I want to get. John



edited to correct quotes

 

[Jumbo Jet]

"Trust me, it's a lot better feeling than being a helpless sheep, staring at the floor. "

February 1972 - I was held up in a store I managed, carried to a back room, placed face down on a concrete floor, tied up, and then the perp placed the gun in the back of my head and pulled the trigger.



The old gun just clicked. He tried to jack a new round into the chamber and the semi-auto WWI pistol jammed. He proceeded to kick and beat me. I'm glad he wasn't carrying a knife.



I've been carrying a gun every since!



Perp was caught a few months later with the very gun. When he first pulled the gun on me, I could have sworn it was a howitzer.



I have walked out of liquor stores when suspicious looking and acting individuals enter.



I always try to locate the nearest exits, or where the store owner might want one.



I was sitting in a restaraunt a few years after the above incident next to the detective that worked the case. I told him I felt comfortable having him there to protect me in case someone came in the front door to hold the place up. He told me to follow him out the plate glass window when he fills it with holes from his weapon!



Be prepared! Stay vigilant!

 

[crobertson1]

WOW! Some amazing stories! Some hilarious, some scary as can be.



Jumbo Jet, God wasn't ready for you yet!