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Ohio CHL-holders acting in self-defense
There was a good deal of acrimony over the need for Ohio's Concealed Handgun Licensure law, and the General Assembly was accused of knuckling under to a vocal micro-minority. As the establishment media and the gun ban crowd told it, no one needed/wanted this law. We will defer to the anti-gun industry to produce their examples of someone obtaining a license to go on a crime spree, or committing a crime of passion due to having a firearm readily at hand, as they predicted, and instead concentrate on the known examples of a CHL-holder acting in self-defense.
(Disclaimer: these are just the examples we know of and can independently document - there are likely many others. For a list of many other examples of Ohioans using firearms for self-defenses in the past three years, but whom were not specifically identified in news accounts as CHL-holders, click here.)
It is not our intent to re-open old wounds or to gain from these tragedies. However, it is critical that the public understand how well this law is working. The following accounts are based upon media accounts, public records and/ or the permission of those involved.
Greater Cincinnati area
C.P. obtained his CHL due to previously being robbed. According to reports, C.P. was returning home when three masked gunmen, without warning, pulled up to his car and shot him three times. C.P. was able to return fire, hitting one of his attackers and causing the gunmen to flee. Published accounts credit his being able to return fire with saving his life. C.P. recovered from his injuries and was not charged.
Around 6 a.m., B.H., 61, went outside to warm up his car before leaving for work and then went back into his house. B.H. noticed someone driving his car towards the end of the street. He grabbed his gun, went outside and waived his arms in an attempt to stop the car. B.H., with the car headed directly towards him, shot into the car killing the driver. Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters did not file charges, saying "You know, Florida had had concealed carry well before Ohio and the horror stories that were supposed to happen involving gun fights on the expressway never happened. This man could have been killed by this [driver]. He wasn't. It was a shame that the [car thief] died in this incident. I feel badly for his family, but he was embarking in behavior that ultimately led to his death."
Cincinnati police said two men tried to rob the driver of a lunch wagon, and that during the attempted robbery, one suspect fired shots. The lunch wagon driver then pulled out a .45-caliber handgun, for which he held a license to carry concealed, and shot one suspect in the leg, then held the suspect at gun point until police arrived. A warrant was issued for the robber's accomplice. A neighbor speculated the robbers targeted the driver because he cashes checks on Fridays and is known to carry a lot of money.
Greater Cleveland area
Another pillar of the community, B.S. was a small business owner in the city of Cleveland, and was licensed to carry a concealed handgun. Five days after the Cleveland Plain Dealer identified him as a licensee by publishing the lists of CHL-holders as a "public service", he was subjected to a very rare "ambush-style" robbery at his place of business. According to accounts, the bad guys began the robbery by simply opening fire on B.S. without warning. B.S. managed to return fire, killing one of his attackers, who had a lengthy criminal record.
When an armed criminal entered his store and began robbing patrons of taking cash, jewelry, and other valuables, barber R.W. was prepared. The store owner, who has a concealed handgun license, pulled out his handgun shooting at the robber. The suspect dropped his weapon and fled after being struck in the elbow. Police took him into custody a short time later.
Convenience store owner M.D. and his son shot and killed a man who was robbing their store at gunpoint last night. Police say the man walked into the store with his face covered. The man demanded money from the owner and opened fire, hitting the owner's 19-year old son in the forehead. As the owner got the money, he grabbed his own gun and shot the suspect. The suspect ran away, but made it only about a block before he died. The son's injuries were not life-threatening.
CHL-holder D.W. had his gun on him when a pair of teenage thieves approached him on his own front porch. When one of the youths pulled a loaded gun, D.W. drew his and shot one of the attackers at least twice, police said. The criminal died after stumbling away and collapsing on a sidewalk.
Convenience store owner M.A. was at the counter writing out the winning lottery numbers when a man walked in and pulled a gun on him. "He said, 'I'm gonna shoot you. Hurry up. Where's the money?' He knocked me down. I don't know how I got away. I was so afraid he was going to shoot me any moment," M.A. said. The store owner did manage to get away, pull out his own gun and fire, hitting the robber in the head. He ran a short distance and collapsed. Police said the would-be robber is Roddy Prophet, of Maple Heights, a 27-year-old with a 10-year history of robbery, assault and identity theft. M.A. is angry about what happened. "Of course I'm angry. I work hard to make a living. They want easy money. Not in this store. I do whatever I can to defend myself and my customers," he said, adding that he will never forget that silver gun being pointed at him, a gun police now say was a toy gun. When he recovers from his injuries, Prophet will be charged with aggravated robbery.
Greater Columbus area
Ohio wrestled with the arguments against concealed carry reform for over a decade before finally passing HB12. Criminals harvested a pillar of the community just one month prior to licenses finally becoming available in Ohio. When criminals attempted to rob a gun store in Clintonville, 78 year-old owner Z.W., a longtime proponent of firearm rights and a military veteran, managed to untie himself, grab a gun and return fire, wounding one of his assailants. The criminal's motivation for the robbery was to obtain firearms. No concealed carry proponent was surprised that the criminals had not waited the extra month to obtain a CHL when the licenses became available, nor that the criminals did not want to bother with a background check or training. Sometimes things can be debated to death.
Talk show host and business owner C.M. obtained a CHL, in part, due to his running a security company. In that capacity, C.M. found himself in a "mob situation" as ten men surrounded him and began to attack. He drew his gun and fired, wounding two of the attackers. The remaining men fled into nearby apartments. C.M., with 23 years in the security business, said of his attackers, "It is a new breed. They don't need a reason." He was not charged.
Perhaps emboldened by a rash of quick and easy motel robberies in the Columbus area, one armed robber made the mistake of his life when he walked into the Super 8 motel where CHL-holder R. was working. When the robber showed his gun and demanded money, R. drew his handgun and fired multiple shots into the bad guy. Police made an easy arrest of the repeat criminal, who later added a conviction of armed robbery to his record out of this incident, due to the fact that he never made it out of the lobby of the hotel. Franklin County prosecutors referred to the case as a "textbook" self-defense shooting and R. was not charged.
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers President K.M. had to draw his handgun to stop a man from beating him with a baseball bat on Sunday. K.M. said he was walking Archie on Sunday morning in Victorian Village when a car pulled up to him in an alley. "Before I knew it, he was out of the car and he was hitting me." He tried to block the bat with his arm, then was struck in the leg and went down. The attacker also hit the dog before K.M. pointed the gun at him. The attacker said something to K.M. and left, he said. K.M. has a concealed handgun license.
Unfortunately, not all stories are positive examples. Take the Al Rosa bar shooting in which Nathan Gale stormed a concert stage and began to shoot at unarmed, innocent civilians. Thanks to Ohio's law prohibiting carrying in a bar, R.C., a CHL-holder and military veteran, had to stand 5 feet away and watch people get slaughtered while powerless to do anything. His handgun, which would have stopped this rampage of death promptly, was at home due to Ohio law. To add insult to injury, several victims have filed suit against the Al Rosa for having insufficient security. Due to Ohio law, R.C. would be unable to bring a similar suit, since business owners are given immunity for claims from a CHL who is disarmed on their property.
A drive-thru convenience store owner investigating why his security alarm went off after locking the door a half-hour after closing time was surprised by an intruder that had been hiding inside. The store owner attempted to hold the intruder at gun point, despite his reluctance to follow commands. It took more than six minutes from the time the store owner called 911 for law enforcement to arrive, but by then the intruder took advantage of a distracted store owner and escaped.
Greater Dayton area
Having been robbed in the past, M.H. made the decision to obtain a CHL to protect himself. Facing two armed teenage attackers, M.H., a parent himself, agonized over the need to employ force against the young men. Eventually making the decision that any CHL dreads having to make, M.H. exchanged gunfire with his attackers, wounding one of them. The two teens were arrested leaving the hospital after receiving treatment for their wounds. M.H. was not charged, and according to published reports, he still agonizes over the being forced to decide between using force against some else's children and not returning home to his own child.
A suspected thief was hospitalized Friday after he tried to rob a local sandwich shop, according to police. The crime happened at the Subway shop on East Third Street near Monmouth in Dayton. Police said the suspect walked into the business, jumped the counter, and pulled out a gun. Investigators said before the alleged thief could say anything, the owner pulled out a gun and shot the robber in the arm. Officers arrived on the scene and took the suspect into custody. They also called medics who took the suspect to a local hospital, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening injury. Police said the owner of the store obtained a concealed handgun license after repeated robberies. The owner will not be charged in the shooting because he was defending himself and his business.
R.B. said he had no time to consider the risks to himself when he confronted two ski-mask-wearing gunmen headed down his street Tuesday afternoon. The 24-year-old Ohio Air National Guardsman went into his house and came out with his personal 9mm Beretta semi-automatic handgun and headed into the street soon after he heard gunfire and screaming. Police said the gunfire had come from inside the Covault Market and Coin Laundry, where the owner and one of his employees had been shot and killed. Bragg said he heard gunshots at about 1:30 p.m. and got a bad feeling. Moments later, he saw two men carrying handguns headed his way. He told his mother to dial 911. "I just knew I had to stop them," recalled Bragg, who holds a concealed carry permit. He walked across the street with his handgun at the ready. When the two moved into range, Bragg identified himself as a military policeman and told both to stop, to drop their weapons and hit the ground. "They were both stunned," R.B. said. One lowered his gun. For an instant, the other began to raise his gun as if to take aim. "I think he thought about it," R.B. recalled. "And once he realized I was going to shoot him before he could shoot me, he just took off on foot." The suspect who lowered his gun hit the ground and dropped the gun and his ski mask. Police arrived soon thereafter and took the gunman into custody. The suspect that fled was captured by police.
Greater Toledo area
A mere three days after receiving his CHL, H.H. was working in his family-run business when an armed robber entered the store, demanding money and a 12 pack of beer. H.H. managed to pull his handgun and fire 4 shots. The wounded attacker was later apprehended. H.H. was not charged.
A small business owner in Toledo, D.E. felt it was prudent to obtain a CHL due to long, lonely hours. When a robber entered the store and threatened to shoot his clerk, D.E. didn't hesitate to act. The bad guy fled after D.E. fired two rounds into the getaway car's front tire. Jumping into his own car with another patron, D.E. followed the bad guy with a cell phone, leading police to the suspect, who was arrested. The Sheriff's Deputy commented D.E. handled the situation "extremely well." He was not charged.
A 21-year-old central Toledo man was fatally shot Sunday night by the victim of an apparent robbery attempt, police said. The robber died at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center about 30 minutes after being shot. R.J., 21, was sitting in an older model, custom-painted orange car on Norwood when three males approached on foot and pointed a gun at him. R.J., who has a license to carry a concealed handgun, was armed with a 40-caliber pistol. R.J. told police the suspects approached him, pointed a gun at his face, and he began shooting. Multiple shots were exchanged and the armed robber was shot twice. When police arrived, the robber was lying face down in the street. A pistol was found underneath him. Police said it appears R.J. acted in self-defense and no charges have been filed against him.
Around Ohio
CHL-holder R.O. was approached by four teens, one of whom was armed with a handgun. The armed gang demanded his cell phone and other property, police said. After giving up his cell phone, R.O. attempted to retreat from the situation, but the robber grabbed his arm. The CHL-holder broke free, pulled his gun and fired one shot, missing the teens, who took off running. The victim then ran to a pay phone, but before he could call for help, the teens approached him again. When a gun was leveled at him a second time, R.O. fired again, scaring off the armed robbers for good.
CHL-holder and doctor J.M. found himself staring out his driver's window at an irate driver in a road rage encounter. The other driver involved had left his own vehicle and approached J.M.'s vehicle, threatening him with bodily harm. J.M. drew his gun and difused the situation long enough for the police to respond to the scene. No shots were fired, and J.M. was not placed on trial after the prosecutor completed an investigation.
N.Z. was meeting an individual to purchase a contruction equipment on a Tuesday afternoon. As he approached the supposed buyer, a second, wearing a black ski mask, approached from N.Z.'s left and told him to get down while pointing a black handgun at him. N.Z., who was carrying $7,000 cash, dropped to the ground and pulled his .38 caliber handgun and shot six times at the male in the ski mask. The man in the ski mask fired three shots at N.Z. in the exchange. N.Z., who has an Ohio Concealed Handgun License and was also carrying a back-up gun, was not injured in the incident. The police report did not specify whether the man in the ski mask, who fled the scene in a black vehicle, was injured in the exchange.
A.B. was standing in a grassy area near the parking lot of a Lima hotel when his wife, who was at the hotel with another man, tried to run him down with a car. A.B., who has a concealed handgun license, said he acted in self-defense by firing a handgun at the approaching car. The wife was wounded in the leg. A.B. was prosecuted, but was acquitted of criminal charges by a jury of his peers.
A small business owner and CHL-holder, E.M. found himself facing four masked assailants while on a pizza delivery. The assailants held E.M. in an abandoned house at knifepoint and beat him while demanding money. E.M. drew his handgun and fired three shots, ending the attack and allowing him to call police. The police found the body of a 16 year old near by, apparently one of the attackers. E.M. was not charged.
Warren City councilman B.D., D-at large, said he was getting ready to go to a party Saturday night when he noticed someone near the shed in his back yard at 11:43 p.m. Thinking it might be connected to the rash of shed break-ins in the city, the councilman said he grabbed his gun, for which he has a conceal handgun license, "and told him in graphic language to get on the ground. He laid down spread eagle, which told me two things one, he'd done it before, and two, the communication between me and him was pretty good." B.D. said he had to hold the gun on the man for several minutes until police officers arrived.
A 55-year-old man thwarted a carjacking after exchanging gunfire with the would-be thief. M.B. told police he had pulled his vehicle into his driveway about 12:45 a.m. when one of three men who was walking past his home started shooting at him. The victim, who police reported has a concealed handgun license, returned fire. M.B. suffered a cut hand, but police say he wounded his assailant, who is in a Warren hospital pending filing of charges.
To repeat, the above examples are just the ones we are aware of.
Three years and counting under the new law, more than 100,000 licenses have been issued, and the list will continue to grow. The following is clear:
The proponent predictions are accurate. The law is working to protect law-abiding citizens, but the poison-pill provisions continue to needlessly expose the law-abiding, and only the law-abiding, to criminal prosecutions.
The proponent case is proven, the opponent predictions ring hollow, and it is time to make Ohio's law more rational by stripping out every last poison-pill provision the opponents insisted upon.
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