From the Foxhole: Exercising the 2nd Amendment, March 2014

CBS-Detroit (Roseville – WWJ) – March 24^th 2014: An armed citizen carrying a concealed weapon came to the aid of security guards at a Detroit Home Depot Store who were being attacked by a shoplifter drug-addict with a dirty syringe. Joshua J. Silva, age 26, was caught shoplifting by guards at the Home Depot (they don't have guards at our Home Depot – must just be a Detroit Dirt-Bag City thing). Instead of surrendering to the guards, Silva began to violently fight in an attempt to avoid arrest. During the fight, Silva pulled out a concealed syringe from his jacket and began using it as a weapon, stabbing one of the guards several times. A shopper with a concealed-carry permit, who saw the ruckus pulled his own concealed weapon that was a firearm and ordered Silva to drop the syringe and get on the ground. Silva then dropped the syringe and sat on the parking lot. Upon hearing police sirens, suddenly he jumped up in panic and attempted to flee. The guards let him run and allowed the police to apprehend him. He was arrested without further incident. On March 25^th, 2014, Silva was arraigned on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and first degree retail fraud. His bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety, pending the posting of the bond and now is in Macomb County Jail. The Michigan State Police Crime Lab is testing the syringe for any communicable disease and will request that Silva be tested for any sign of infectious diseases that could have been transmitted to the wounded security guard.

Dallas, Texas – ABC-WFAA8, March 24^th, 2014: DART is a public transportation convenience in Dallas. On March 22^nd, 2014, Kim Lanphere passed Jamail Koromoa, 23, on a sidewalk near the DART station at the Dallas Convention Center. According to news report, she stated: I felt him change his gait, and at the time I had by bag here and I put it on my shoulder, just to hold it safe. Another woman nearby also noticed the man's body movements. Their instincts were correct because soon after the assailant said: Lady, I've got a gun, give me your bag! There was a struggle and the woman witness pulled a concealed handgun and told him to drop it. He took all of Ms. Lanphere's money, but no one was hurt. In the three years the witness had a concealed-carry permit, she had not carried it until that night. Koroma was caught later by police and found he was carrying a BB gun and now faces aggravated robbery charges.

Montana Standard, Missoula, Montana, March 19^th 2014: Tobias Ian Bishop, 39-years-old, of Missoula had a long criminal history, shot to death by a homeowner after he entered a residence through a window he had broken. It was reported that he had burglarized at least one other home in the area before being shot. He had stolen several chainsaws and other items found in his van outside the second residence. The van was parked between the two homes so he could take stolen items to it. The homeowner of the second home stated he thought snow was falling from his roof and hitting the ground, but got up to investigate the noise. Bishop had broken a window, entered the house, and encountered the homeowner. Actions of Bishop caused the homeowner to fear for his life, so he fired his handgun. Wounded, Bishop left the home through the broken window and fled a short distance into the yard before collapsing. Local law enforcement had stated that Bishop had criminal records in Arizona, Idaho, and Montana that included burglary, assault and drug-related arrests, and currently was wanted on an arrest warrant in Arizona and Flathead County, Montana for theft and forgery. In Montana, due to the Castle Doctrine law of 2009, a person who is threatened with bodily injury or loss of life is authorized to use deadly force without the requirements of first summoning help or fleeing.

Dubuque, Iowa, ScanDBQ, March 17^th, 2014: Dubuque police responded to a report of a disturbance involving shots fired and a vehicle crash. When they arrived they found a taxi driver a victim of an attempted armed robbery inside his taxi. He fired his firearm in self-defense. A second taxi driver in the area attempted to stop the robbery by crashing his cab into the victim's cab. The suspect struggled with the taxi drivers and then fled. The report stated the suspect could have been injured.

Houston, Texas; KHOU News-11, March 14^th, 2014: A young man was awoken in the middle of the night by loud noises at the door, and when he went to investigate, two men were kicking the door of the residence. The resident fired several shots and one of the suspects died at the bottom of the apartment stairwell, while the other got away. The men had duct tape, hand ties, a tool box and firearm. Their intent was obvious and more than just a burglary. While the victim, a son of a local preacher stated he did not know the assailants, the victim's mother was convinced they knew him because of what they carried. Shortly after the incident, a man appeared at a local hospital with a gunshot wound. Neighbors stated that there was a third person in a getaway car.