Albuquerque Woman, Daughter Rescued by Armed Bystander

On February 18^th, 2018, Albuquerque hotel owner Xiao Gong was driving her 20-year old daughter to the airport when her vehicle was struck by another car while at an intersection.

It was no accident Qian Ming, 66, ran into Gong’s truck. Ming, Gong’s estranged husband, intended to stop the vehicle so he could attack the women inside it.

Once stopped, Ming exited his car carrying a gun and shot at least once into the truck with the women in it, striking the daughter in the shoulder. Ming then pulled his daughter from the car and began brutally beating her in the head and face with his gun.

Witnessing the incident was a 34-year old Uber driver who stopped to help. The unnamed man, a 12-year National Guard veteran, approached Gong’s truck with his own gun and order Ming to stop the attack.

Instead of stopping, Ming turned his weapon on the man, who then shot and killed Ming.

The bystander cooperated with police when he was taken in for questioning and was later released. The guardsman stated he was in fear of his life when Ming turned his weapon from his daughter to the bystander, and that he was also concerned for the welfare of Gong and her daughter.

While the district attorney will have the final say, the police are not charging the man at this time, instead hailing him as a hero how may have prevented a more serious incident.

“In my 19 years of experience, I would say that those two females would have been dead if he hadn’t stepped in and took action,” Police spokesman Simon Drobik said. “To say the least, this guy prevented possibly a double homicide. That’s what we could have on our hands tonight.”

The mother also acknowledged the seriousness of the situations. “He saved our lives,” Gong told investigators at the hospital, according to Drobik.

The article Albuquerque Woman, Daughter Rescued by Armed Bystander originally appeared on Clipdraw

Concealed Carry Owner in Utah Saves Officer – Without Firing a Shot

If there was ever a need for a textbook example of how to help an officer in danger, Derek Meyer has given us one.

While driving in Springville, Utah on Saturday, February 3^rd, 2018, Meyer witnessed an incident in progress that made him turn his car around.

A Utah police officer confronted a man whom he witnessed rummaging around in a local donation bin. The unidentified officer confronted Paul Douglas Anderson, who exited the donation box but refused to remove his hands from his pockets at the officer’s request.

When Anderson finally complied, he is reported to have balled up his fists and began beating the officer, punching him repeatedly in the face. It was this physical altercation that Meyer saw.

Meyer admits that he owns a gun and his concealed carry license for the purpose of protecting other people.

“I carry a gun to protect me and those around me, but primarily I carry a gun to protect my family first and foremost,” Meyer said. “Outside of that, if I were to use my gun to protect anyone, it would be law enforcement or military personnel.”

Meyer arrived on the scene as Anderson was continuing to pummel the officer about the face. Meyer exited his car, aimed it at the assailant, and ordered him to stop. Anderson did, but also took the opportunity to run. Meyer did not shoot and did not pursue.

Several local agencies assisted in the search for Anderson, who was found roughly 30 minutes later hiding under a flatbed trailer. He was transported to jail and charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, burglary, theft, and failing to stop at the command of an officer.

The officer was treated at a local hospital for lacerations on his face and a fractured eye socket. Cpl. Cory Waters of the Springville PD acknowledged that Meyer’s rapid response may have saved the officer’s life, and certainly prevented more extensive injuries.

“Had he not been in the right place at the right time, who knows what would have happened,” Waters said. “But he definitely stopped the attack from continuing and becoming much worse. He might have even saved either one of their lives. It could have gone really bad, even for the suspect.”

Meyer’s didn’t do it for the attention, just to help the officer. But he is sharing his story as an example. “There aren’t enough good stories from responsible, gun-owning people,” Meyer said.

The article Concealed Carry Owner in Utah Saves Officer – Without Firing a Shot originally appeared on Clipdraw

Arkansas’s Opens New Enhanced Concealed Carry Instructor’s Exam

Last Wednesday marks the first day that Arkansas instructors could take the new state test required for teaching the class needed to obtain a concealed carry license.

Passing this new test will qualify these instructors to teach the enhanced permit classes, needed to carry weapons previously restricted, such as college campuses, churches, and other public buildings. They cannot teach the enhanced class until they have passed the new exam. However, the test will be required for all instructors in the state to continue to provide classes for all concealed carry levels.

Dozens of instructors came to the Arkansas State Police Headquarters on January 24^th to take the new test. Some instructors wanted to be able to offer the enhanced class to their students sooner, while others wanted to get the test out of the way, knowing they would eventually be required to take it.

“I wanted to go ahead and get it done so I’d be able to offer this sooner than later,” Instructor Elka King said.

The new enhanced license will have greater requirements, and the state’s true-false test is meant to help those teaching these skills show their knowledge in these areas.

To begin with, the new class has increased shooting training and competency requirements. Applicants must fire 50 rounds each at targets at 3 yards, 7 yards, and 15 yards. There will also be active shooter training included as part of the enhanced licensing requirements.

“There’s training that’s going to be required on emerging events that’s really geared around active shooter, active shooter threats and how you manage that,” instructor Jody Box said.

Instructors have until July 1^st to take the new test. “The law says if you’re going to remain an instructor you have to take the enhanced conceal carry test and you have to offer enhanced training,” Instructor Carl Burdine said.

Failure to do so means their instructor certification will not be renewed. Those taking the test must score at a 40 on the 50-question exam, getting at least 80% of the questions correct, to pass.

The article Arkansas’s Opens New Enhanced Concealed Carry Instructor’s Exam originally appeared on Clipdraw

Man Shot, Killed in Attempted Robbery of Concealed Carry Owner

Christmas Eve is usually filled with hustle and bustle and last-minute running around. For one 31-year old man on the south side of Chicago, it also meant protecting himself from a would-be robber with his concealed weapon.

The man, who police would not identify, was leaving a store in a strip mall in the 1200 block of South Jackson in Chicago’s Loop at about 6:15 PM on December 24^th when he was allegedly approached by 37-year-old Corey Haggard. Haggard pulled out a gun and announced his intent to rob the man, demanding his money.

After Haggard stole the man’s property, the 31-year-old pulled out his own gun and shot Haggard in the chest before he could flee with the man’s belongings.

Haggard was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, only minutes away from where the shooting took place. The medical examiner reported that Haggard was pronounced dead at 11:37 PM on Monday, December 25^th.  An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.

Haggard had lived in the Lawndale area of Chicago before the incident.

Police have opened a death investigation. The robbery victim has a valid concealed carry permit from the state of Indiana.

However, this may prove to be a complication for the 31-year-old man. While Indiana is open to concealed carry permit holders from other states within their borders, Illinois famously is not.

As the 50^th state to allow a concealed carry permit, Illinois shares no reciprocity agreements with any other states. To legally carry a concealed weapon in Illinois, you must have an Illinois issued permit.

Indiana, on the other hand, accepts permits issued in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Twenty-nine other states accept Indiana’s permit. While Illinois does not recognize Indiana permits, other Midwest states, such as Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan, do.

Because of the lack of reciprocity, the robbery victim may face challenges with the Illinois court system, if not for the shooting, then possibly for illegally carrying a concealed weapon according to state laws. No charges have yet been filed.

The article Man Shot, Killed in Attempted Robbery of Concealed Carry Owner originally appeared on Clipdraw

Delaware Residents Sue, Win for Right to Carry in State Parks

Since the 1960s and 1970s, it has been illegal to carry a gun onto the ground of state parks or forests in Delaware. But all that changed on Thursday, December 7^th, 2017.

Calling the rules unconstitutional, Delaware’s Supreme Court lifted the more than 50-year-old ban.

The court made its decision based on the precedent set by a case involving the Wilmington Housing Authority.  That case, in which the rules of the housing authority prevented residents from carrying guns in common areas, was overturned in 2014. In that case, the court ruled that individual agencies do not have the right to set rules that counter state-granted rights.

After the ruling, the two agencies responsible for the rule, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Agriculture, no longer have legal grounds to enforce the bans.

The case was brought forward by a number of citizens interested in protecting their rights and the rights of others. One of the plaintiffs, Jeff Hague, is treasurer for the Bridgeville Rifle and Pistol Club and president of the Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association. Hague’s interest was not just for himself, but for members of these organizations and visitors to club functions.

For instance, during club competitions, members faced challenges when looking to camp near these events. “A law-abiding citizen from out of state couldn’t bring his gun or couldn’t camp, so he had to sacrifice one or the other,” Hague said.

Hague was clearly pleased with the decision. “They did the right thing. This reaffirms the constitutional right that Delawareans have … to self-defense and the right to keep and bear arms, not just in hunting and fishing and sporting, but in defense of their family and home.”

The ban, while in place, did allow for exceptions for hunting activities on state lands. But for residents who wanted to carry their legally owned weapons for protection, there were no provisions allowing them to do so.

Delaware has thousands of concealed carry permit holders in the state, despite the rigorous process employed by the state. The ranks of permit holders have swelled in the last few years, with the states seeing a 188 percent increase in permit applications and renewals in 2016 over the previous year.

Both the DNREC and the Department of Agriculture are taking time to review the ruling before responding publicly to the court’s decision. It’s anticipated that the agencies will rewrite the rules in the coming months.

The article Delaware Residents Sue, Win for Right to Carry in State Parks originally appeared on Clipdraw

National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Moves Forward

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee this week will be reviewing a bill that would allow those licensed to carry a concealed weapon in their home state to do so while traveling through or visiting other states as well.

The bill was initially introduced back in January by Republican Richard Hudson from North Carolina. The bill, slated to be reviewed on Tuesday, November 28^th, seeks to alleviate what has been referred to as “onerous” civil suits that have stemmed from licensed owners from one state carrying their weapon into another.

“For me and the vast majority of Americans who support concealed carry reciprocity, this is welcome progress,” Hudson said in a written statement on Monday. “I want to thank Chairman Bob Goodlatte for his strong leadership to protect our Second Amendment rights. I will continue to work with my colleagues and President Trump to pass this common-sense legislation to protect law-abiding citizens.”

Proponents of the bill claim that many of these gun owners don’t even realize they are violating the law because they are legally allowed to carry their weapon concealed in their home state. As they cross state lines into areas where gun laws differ they unintentionally break the law.

All 50 states have provisions for allowing guns to be carried concealed, but the challenge comes in the differences in licensing and the lack of reciprocity from state to state. “Currently, the patchwork of reciprocity laws and agreements between states is confusing and has caused law-abiding citizens to unwittingly break the law and suffer arrest and detention,” Hudson said.

Some states have created agreements with others that have similar carry laws. Other agreements are only one way. And still others have been recently changed or rescinded. At the end of 2015, for instance, Virginia ceased to recognize CCW permits from other states it previously had an agreement with. In all, residents of twenty-five states that previously could legally carry their weapon into Virginia had that right removed.

Supporters also claim that without reciprocity across the U.S., the 2^nd amendment rights of lawful gun owners are being violated.

It is expected that the bill will pass the Judiciary Committee and move on to consideration by the entire House of Representatives. However, no date for a vote by the entire House has yet been set.

The article National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Moves Forward originally appeared on Clipdraw

Alaskans See Uptick in Concealed Carry Courses as Response to Crime, Shootings

It’s difficult to turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or log on to the Internet without hearing about another tragic mass shooting or reports detailing an increase in violent crime.

As the public discusses how best to handle these tragedies, some individuals are taking their security into their own hands by taking concealed carry classes.

Not all states require coursework to have a CCW permit. In Alaska, anyone over 21 that can legally carry a firearm can carry it concealed with no class or special permitting required. But that doesn’t seem to be stopping Alaskans from choosing to learn the best and safest ways to have their weapons on them at all times.

Instructors that teach the specialized classes from all over the state have reported a surge in class registration and attendance. James Henry, founder of Anchorage-based Spectre Tactical reports an uptick in class registrations starting as far back as 2015. Henry also notes that other instructors in the area have seen the same rise.

Usually, Spectre Tactical keeps their classes at 12 students or below, but recently the increased demand has forced them to allow more students to attend.

Despite the class not being required, the safety aspects are bringing in more interested parties. For many participants, they have purchased a gun but never owned or shot a weapon before. The classes give them confidence with their weapon and an understanding of the safety precautions needed when carrying it in public, out of sight.

CCW classes have similar curriculum regardless of where they are given. Since the laws surrounding concealed weapons is different for each state, most courses incorporate information about the laws in the state the classes are being given in.

In addition to the safety elements of carrying your weapon in public, classes typically also include information on the regulations for the use of a weapon in public. There are many things owners can and can’t do depending on situations and location.

These classes also help students understand exactly what is required of them when they are pulled over by a police officer when carrying their weapon. There are states that require that you inform a peace officer if you have a concealed weapon, while others have no such laws. However, even in states that don’t require the information, many officers indicate that they prefer to be informed so that they can take the appropriate precautions.

If it’s not required, it’s up to the individual if they feel they will benefit from the knowledge and training included in the class. Clearly, however, the residents of Alaska are looking to build confidence with their weapons.

The article Alaskans See Uptick in Concealed Carry Courses as Response to Crime, Shootings originally appeared on Clipdraw