SHOTS FIRED!

My Attempted Armed Robbery...
SHOTS FIRED!
by USCCA Member "9mmShooter"
Note from Tim: One of our very own members posted this AMAZING and gut-wrenching story of an incident that involved him drawing his weapon and firing in self defense... just WAIT until you read this!
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It was 8 PM on Sunday night, Jan 20th that my life was forever changed in an instant. I had planned on meeting some friends at his apartment complex and walking across the street to a popular sports restaurant to watch some football and relax as we all had Monday off for Martin Luther King's day.

I had stopped at a local 7-eleven store and picked up a 12 pack of beer and 4 tall cans to keep the refrigerator stocked and had no issues at the 7-eleven store. I parked my vehicle in my friends apartment parking lot, (which are nice luxury apartments), got out of my vehicle and had the 12 pack of bottles in my right hand, I used my remote to lock my vehicle, then transferred the plastic bag with the 4 tall cans to my right hand also, Leaving my LEFT (shooting) hand free. I was walking toward the sidewalk, when I was approached by a black male, face covered with bandana, gun drawn and pointed at my stomach on my left side, approx 2-3 feet from me. When I noticed him, he said "this is a hold-up, give me your wallet", and I replied, "Let me get is for you" and time Slloooweed way down for me.

My first mental reaction was I was an Idiot for allowing and armed BG to get this close to me and I didn't notice him, and take him out at 20-30 feet. But, I had just returned from the range that day, breaking in a new Colt Defender .45, but I decided to carry my Springfield Armory EMP 9mm with hydra-shock hollow points. Mentally I was rehearsing just how fast I could draw my gun (which I carry in a Galco FBI cant snap-on belt holster), get the thumb safety off, and get my right hand free to get a good sight picture and neutralize this BG. As I reached for what normally would be a wallet, I went for my gun (on my left side), when the BG saw stainless steel coming instead of a wallet, he ran approx 20 feet, stopped, turned, aimed and fired 2 shots at me. It is a surreal feeling "knowing" you are going to be shot at, when he fired I had my gun in my left hand, safety off, and was waiting to get my right hand on the gun to fire. ( I have since practiced shooting one handed, and the "zipper" technique) I immediately returned fire with 5 rounds, and it did appear my last shot hit him, but he ran across the apartment complex zig-zagging, and I was attempting to get 2 more shots, but I never took them because one shot he was by floor level patio with glass doors, and the next one he was heading into another open parking lot full of parked vehicles. I don't remember hearing any shots fired, what I do remember is the flash of his muzzle blast 2 times, and one more time as he was running across the apartment grounds for a total of 3 shots fired at me.

I do remember my CHL training kicking in, and I dialed 911 and described who I was, and what had just happened and shots were fired. The 911 dispatcher stayed on the phone with me until the officers arrived, and the police were very professional. The first officer on scene exited his car, not with his gun drawn but his first statement was are you, "Mr ..........", and I said yes, he asked where my gun was, which I had been told by the 911 dispatcher to put on the ground, and he secured my gun, then asked if I was hit, and what the BG looked like. The follow-up is the BG is a leading suspect in multiple armed robberies, and they have a BG suspect with a bullet "graze" wound problem, but so far he has not been arrested. So, I am still carrying and on full combat alert.

I present my story to this group, as proof that you Never know when you will be attacked, and you must Always be ready. I am still mad at myself for allowing an armed BG to get that close to me, and of course, that I missed him, and he was able to run away. The detectives did tell me that leading up to my attempted robbery, for 13 nights in a row, there had been an armed robbery of some sort across town, but after my incident there wasn't any armed robberies for a good 10 days or so. I welcome any comments and suggestions.