MIDDLETOWN, OHIO — An elderly woman fought like her life depended on it after she saw an arm reaching through her window. According to her account, she was in bed when she heard a scratching on her window in the kitchen. When she got down there, she saw a man’s arm reaching through. She knew what to do. She grabbed the gun.
via WLWT 5
“I started scratching, digging at his skin, pushing him just knocking the crap out of him with my fists, and he couldn’t get in or out of the window,” Jones said
The man was reportedly half-way into the home and she realized it was her or him. She chose her. The elderly woman told the police that she beat him with the butt of her gun while continuing to stay on the line with 911. The man eventually retreated.
Police found his hat outside and used it to track him to a nearby neighborhood where K-9s lost the scent. One thing is for sure: word will get out that there’s a woman living in that home who refuses to go quietly into the night.
“I don’t ever want to kill a person but if I have to, I will,” she said. “And I don’t believe that any woman or young girl that’s being attacked should run. Because she’s going to be killed anyways, I believe she should fight back.”
While we would have preferred she used the barrel end of the gun to defend herself, we’re going to credit this woman’s actions with keeping her safe and her home secure. It’s hard enough living on your own, having to stay alert and, now, fight for your life. When the bad guys come for you, it’s time to use the right tools for the job.
And we get it — there’s a natural, almost admirable quality to a person that makes him or her hesitate about using deadly force. It’s a permanent thing. It’s not in most people’s character to want to hurt or kill anyone. That’s a fantastic thing. That, in many ways, makes someone good. But when it’s your life and your home, the time for negotiations are over. It’s time to do what you know needs to be done: protect yourself.
Here’s what we don’t want to see: word getting out on the street that your home is a prime target.
“Oh, so-and-so, yeah, he got beat up real good by that old lady. His big mistake was he didn’t put her in her place. Maybe your luck is better.”
If that sounds outlandish, take a closer look at how criminal enterprise works. Fighting back isn’t always good enough. Sometimes it means someone will be coming back to prove a point to anyone else who resists. That’s why, if you’re going to defend yourself, neutralize the threat. No sense in dealing with the same bad guy twice.