WESTLAKE, KENTUCKY — Just because a permit is issued doesn’t mean anyone has the right to use it to provoke and intimidate other people. That’s a hard lesson one concealed carrier learned when he reportedly got into a verbal altercation with a couple at a traffic light. Westlake police allege the man purposefully crashed into the couple’s vehicle multiple times before the driver of the vehicle pulled over. William Keener, 67, the alleged perpetrator of the event, got out of his vehicle and approached the couple with a drawn .45 caliber Kimber semiautomatic pistol.
A passenger in the vehicle announced he had a concealed carry permit and handgun, to which the offender then announced that he did as well and challenged the elderly gentleman, 71, to draw.
Thankfully, five police officers arrived to break up the incident and Keener was charged with two counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated menacing, two counts of possession of criminal tools and criminal mischief according to court transcripts obtained by WKYC 3.
He also has a protective order against him to keep him away from the couple.
Who the heck knows what got into this man… Keener is somebody who probably shouldn’t be allowed to carry concealed if that’s the way he’s going to act.
We all get stuck in frustrating situations but with the responsibility of a concealed carry permit and firearm, it’s our responsibility to resolve those differences reasonably. Brandishing is something we’ve ardently spoken out against and it’s a practice used by bullies and idiots to intimidate. People defending their own lives have no need to brandish — they just aim for center mass when the time comes.
As for the concealed carrier on the victim’s side, he took every opportunity to try to avoid the fight and complied with police. The couple avoided the conflict for as long as possible, as well, from what little is known through the news report.
We never know who we’re going to be confronting but definitely exercising caution, contacting authorities, and trying to de-escalate are pretty safe strategies to avoid an outright conflict that can be avoided.