LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA — A tense police chase one November morning lead to a deputy chasing down a suspect on foot. The suspect entered into a physical altercation with the deputy and beat him down in the middle of an on-ramp on the highway. Onlookers pulled over, took video, and idly watched as a law enforcement officer bravely fought for his own life. It was only until a man in a blue shirt walked up and shot the suspect several times that the deputy was able to regain his composure and take control of the situation.
That Good Samaritan, according to NBC 2 News, is credited with fatally shooting Edward Strother and saving the life of a Lee County deputy. Prosecutors rightly concluded that the shooting was justified.
Following the incident, the Good Samaritan put down his firearm and backed away — quietly awaiting more police to arrive. When they did, he cooperated with the investigation and gave them his concealed carry permit. The deputy thankfully made a full recovery and is currently back on duty.
This is probably one of the biggest fears of a police officer. Alone, on the ground, fighting to retain control of your firearm, your tools, and your life as a man mercilessly beats you into submission. Couple that with watching the horde of mouth-breathing zombies waiting in the wings, hoping to get a glimpse of your demise on cell phone video for a couple Facebook likes and, if you survive, I’m sure you have a very altered opinion on the fellow man you’ve sworn to serve and protect.
Thankfully, we’re not all like that. Not every citizen who sees a person in distress just hangs out in the wings, making commentary for their next viral video. Every once in awhile, you get a man or woman who is willing to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done to preserve life. As is the case in this situation, sometimes that involves a gun.
There’s little doubt Strother would have stopped beating that officer if he hadn’t been shot. There’s little doubt that if other officers arrived on the scene, they wouldn’t have shot him. The only difference is it was a good guy with a gun who did it. And because of that, a deputy gets to rejoin his family and continue his profession.
Be the good guy with the gun. Protect yourself and those around you. Carry concealed every single day, everywhere you possible can.