Man Nearly Loses His Life After Leaving Car Unlocked While Making Quick Run Into Store

St. LOUIS, MO — A St. Louis man was forced to engage in a gunfight late last month when an armed man attempted to steal his car, which he left running.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the man was inside a local corner store when a would-be thief noticed his chance to commit a crime of opportunity.

The ensuing fight would result with a trip to the hospital.

Police were called to the scene at the Crown Food Mart at 4608 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive about 1 p.m. Wednesday. 

A 42-year-old man said he left his vehicle running while he went into the store, but while he was shopping spotted a 27-year-old man entering his car, according to police. The car owner confronted the man and the thief pointed a gun in his direction, police said. The owner then pulled out his own gun and exchanged gunfire with the thief, striking the thief in the pelvis, police said. 

The thief ran from the scene and was taken by a private vehicle to a hospital. No one else was injured, police said. 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

This armed citizen did something really right and something seriously wrong, here. Anyone in the class want to take a guess as to which is which?

Obviously, the major mistake here is to leave your car unlocked and running while doing literally anything. It’s a fool’s mistake. It doesn’t matter how much you trust your neighborhood or regular gas station — people are people. I adore my neighborhood, and my car’s been burglarized. Stuff happens, and your special corner store isn’t an exception.

That’s especially true if you live in the most dangerous city in the United States.

Now the thing he did excellently was respond with deadly force only when deadly force was presented to him. Car burglary/theft is horrible — but it’s not a deadly threat. This armed citizen wisely carried his defensive tool, but didn’t fire until a credible threat of serious violence arose.

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