PIERCE COUNTY, WASHINGTON — As a couple were walking down the street around 5:30 am, they were confronted by two men who stopped walking at the same time the couple stopped, a move the couple did to allow the men to pass.
It didn’t work, as the men were looking to target the couple.
“He said the suspect grabbed him by the throat and said, ‘This is how it’s gonna go down,’” sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.
The man being grabbed by the throat was carrying a firearm, and managed to get it out and fire on the suspect, shooting him in the chest. The other suspect fled the scene.
When police arrived, they found the concealed carrier on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg, and applied a tourniquet.
Close by, they found the suspect who had been shot. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment. The suspect is listed in critical condition.
It is not clear how the concealed carrier was shot. One pistol was found at the scene, presumably belonging to the armed citizen. It is possible that he shot himself in the leg accidentally while defending himself, but we can’t be sure with the information provided.
With that as a possible scenario, training to draw under stress is important, and keeping our firearms pointed in a safe direction while holstering and reholstering are equally important.
