OHIO COUNTY, INDIANA — When one woman saw a conservation officer under attack by a man, she got her gun and shot the attacker once in the torso. First aid was administered by witnesses but he died at the hospital.
The conservation officer was involved in a fight with the man, according to a statement cited by Eagle Country News. The officer responded to the scene because of reports of suspicious activity and that stop escalated into a fight.
“At some point during their interaction, Holland began to resist the officer and became involved in a physical altercation with the officer. A female who was at a nearby residence responded to assist the officer who was being overtaken by Holland. At that time, the female fired one shot from a personally owned firearm at Holland, striking him in the torso,” explained Sgt. Stephen Wheeles.
From reports, it appears the man gained an upper hand in the physical altercation and the conversation officer was losing. If the woman had not intervened, the outcome for the officer would have likely been far worse.
Both the names of the officer and the woman who shot his attacker have been withheld pending the investigation.
This is a real life example of an armed citizen coming to the defense of law enforcement. In physical confrontations between a lone officer and an assailant, the officer is at a severe disadvantage. Armed and in custody of state property, if the officer is overtaken, the threat posed by his assailant only becomes greater to the community.
Thankfully, someone in Ohio County came to his aid.
All it takes is one good guy or gal to turn the tide against criminals.
Putting your life at risk for another is a very personal decision. There’s quite a few notable cases involving concealed carriers and gun owners who came to the defense of law enforcement and ensured no further harm was done. We reported on another incidence happening just last year. In that case, a concealed carrier rushed out to save a Texas deputy after he was assaulted.
Just one month ago, a gun owner became the difference between life or death for an Arizona State Trooper after he was shot and beaten by an attacker.
It’s a heavy decision that comes with risks but it’s something I personally respect every time I hear of it. For this woman, she can live with the knowledge that her personal decision to stand up and fight for a man being beaten down on the side of the road directly resulted in potentially saving his life.
