PHOENIX, ARIZONA — An attempted car jacking and exchange of gunfire all went down in a matter of seconds. When it was over, the intended victim had defended himself and his friend. Unfortunately, he suffered serious injuries in the process.
A man was injured in a shootout with an alleged armed robbery suspect in Phoenix. Police were called to the area of 67th Avenue and Van Buren Street at about 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Via AZFamily
According to police, the victim was in his car with a friend when a man approached them and demanded the victim’s property. Both were armed with handguns and exchanged gunfire, according to investigators. The victims suffered life-threatening wounds. It’s not clear if the suspect was hit; he was gone before officers got there. The victim’s friend was not hurt.
The Breakdown:
Our victim and his friend were together in a car late at night. While in their car, an armed man approaches them. With his gun drawn, the robber demands money and possessions.
However, our intended victim is a concealed carrier. Seeing that he and his friend’s life were in danger, he drew his own firearm and responded. The victim and the robber exchanged gunfire. This led to the armed robber to flee the scene, foregoing his cash and property demands.
Unfortunately, our concealed carrier was shot. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The victim’s friend was unharmed, protected by the quick actions of our concealed carrier.
The Bad:
We hate seeing legally armed citizens come up on the losing end of a defensive gun use. Sadly, that is what happened here. Our unnamed victim did not seem to land a shot on the attacker, but he himself suffered serious wounds.
In these cases of defensive gun uses, it’s important to try and assess the situation and determine a couple things. First, how likely is this person to do me bodily harm based on what is happening in the current situation. No one can ever truly know the thoughts of others, but getting a read on the situation can help. Do they just want my stuff, or do they seem intent on hurting me?
Second, how likely is it that I can draw my firearm and get a shot on target without being shot first? In some cases where other people (especially loved ones) are involved, protecting them is worth all the costs.
Another point to address is situational awareness. It gets brought up a lot, but in this case it could have helped avoid the robbery attempt and shooting. Any time you see someone attempting to approach your car in the late hours of the night, this should send warning bells to yours senses. Had either of the car occupants been more aware of their surroundings, things could have gone much differently.
The Good:
For starters, our concealed carrier was determined not to be a helpless victim. He carried a firearm to protect himself and those who were with him. In this case, he used his firearm to defend himself and his friend that was with him in the car.
Although our concealed carrier was unable to get out of the situation unharmed, he did stop the robbery attempt. He also made sure his friend remained safe. By retrieving his gun and shooting, the robber fled the scene; stopping any further potential dangers.
We hope for a speedy and full recovery to the concealed carrier.