JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA — It’s no secret that Florida residents have lots of concealed carry permits, which translates to many Floridians having firearms with them while they’re out and about. One criminal found out the hard way –twice– just how armed and ready they are.
The incident took place near a Walmart, and unfolded like this;
Detectives said the incident began when [Christopher Raymond] Hill robbed a Walmart liquor store, and attempted to flee in a silver Ford SUV. However, witnesses said the vehicle would not start, so he first tried to carjack Scott Reardean at knifepoint, cutting him on his arms and legs.
“I reached in between my glove box and my console, between my seats, reached down and got my weapon and brandished it for him,” Reardean told WJXT. “He was like, ‘Don’t shoot me.’ I was like, ‘Then get out of here.’”
Hill then jumped into the passenger seat of a woman’s car in a Starbucks drive-thru. Police said the woman got out of her car and grabbed a pistol from her trunk, pointing it at Hill until he ran off.
Reardean said he was glad he had his gun with him for self-defense.
“These guys can talk about banning assault rifles and banning guns, but when it comes and happens to them, they’re going to wish they had one,” Reardean told the station.
Hill was later found in a bathroom inside a Supercuts and surrendered to police.
These two armed citizens did the right thing, with the first being a little more prepared than the second. Had Hill successfully left with her vehicle, he likely would have had the firearm inside the trunk as well. It’s always important to think about where we keep our firearms and to make sure that they are in a place that is:
- Easily accessible
- Not easily accessible to the bad guy
While we don’t know whether either of these armed citizens have concealed carry permits, we do know that they possessed firearms and were not afraid to confront the bad guy when the time came.
Hill is in jail on a $91,512 bond. Why that particular number? Got me. In any event, let’s hope he learned a lesson at the very least.
