Pt. II: ''Victim Zone'' exclusions are BAD for law-abiding Ohio citizens

As the Ohio General Assembly looks ahead to committee consideration of HB12 and SB24, we believe serious consideration should be given to removing language involving the creation of "victim zones" in Ohio, where persons are prohibited from exercising their constitutional right to self-defense.

The recent rash of armed robberies in Cincinnati outline a prime reason why "victim zone" exclusions for persons traveling to and from work are a very BAD idea:

Robert Beekman, manager of the Express Payroll Advance Check Cashing office at 620 Vine St., told police he was standing by an elevator on the first floor of a parking garage at 7 W. Seventh St. at 9 p.m. Monday, when a man with a gun forced him into a mini-van.

Beekman said his hands were bound and his eyes covered with duct tape and he was forced to return to the check cashing store to get into the safe. After the robber took numerous items from the store and the robber left, Beekman called 911.

Cincinnati detectives Shawn Tarvin and Bruce Scholl, who were working undercover on robbery investigations, interviewed Beekman and later located Stallings and arrested him. Police charged Rodney Stallings, 37, with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and possession of criminal tools in Monday night's holdup. A second suspect is still being sought.

Cheryl Clevenger, 53, was robbed and assaulted Jan. 9 as she walked to her job at the Hamilton County Administration Building at 138 E. Court St. from a parking lot next to the building. The data entry operator fought back when the robber tried to take her purse, and he hit her with a gun, cutting her over her left ear. The robber then grabbed the purse and ran.

Police said she identified Darryl Allen, 31, of South Fairmont, who had been arrested for other robberies. Allen also was charged with the Dec. 23 noon-time aggravated robbery of lawyer Bruce Hust at his office on Central Parkway.

Friday, Quenten Meadows, 19, of University Heights, was charged with the aggravated robbery of Anthony Barlow, 43, and Marilyn Maag, 46, at Fourth and Walnut streets at 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. On Saturday, a juvenile was charged with complicity to aggravated robbery in that case.

Commentary by Chad D. Baus:
Perhaps these Hamilton County criminals have been embolded by the knowledge that their victims remain unable to exercise their constitutional right to self defense, while the Ohio Supreme Court considers an appeal challenging the ban's constitutionality.

In any case, these stories highlight why the prohibition of CCW in a car, or in a parking lot at work, are a very BAD idea.

• Every day that Ohio's Republican leadership waits to pass concealed carry reform increases the defenseless victim list in our state. Ohio's unconstitutional ban on carrying a concealed weapon is, like all other laws, continually ignored by the very criminals the law seeks to restrain.

Click here to read the full story on all of these robberies in the Cincinnati Post.