Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- A towing company got a call about a junk car that someone wanted to be removed. It was about 9:30 Monday morning, the day after Christmas. That is when the driver of the flatbed wrecker pulled up to the address about seven-and-a-half miles northeast of downtown Detroit. The driver got out of his truck and looked for the vehicle owner. The temperature was below freezing, in the mid-teens, and with light winds.
A stranger waved at the tow truck driver and walked up to him. The driver asked if the stranger had a car for sale. The stranger nodded and reached into his pocket. Instead of pulling out a set of keys, the stranger took a handgun out of his pocket. The attacker pointed his gun at the driver and told him to empty his pockets.
The driver faced several problems. One was the attacker, who had a gun already pointed at him. The other problems are the concealed pistol license in his wallet and the handgun in his holster.
The news reports aren’t clear how the driver was able to reach under his coat and present his firearm. Witnesses report that the driver shot between six and eight times. Police reports do not indicate that the attacker was able to fire his gun at all.
Firearms instructor Rick Ector teaches and carries in Detroit. A heavy coat slows down your presentation. It also masks your presentation. Quoting Ector, “Heavy coats are common. Sometimes I carry in my jacket pocket. I assume I’ll have to shoot through the coat. I don’t buy expensive coats.”
The driver stepped back and called 911. So did neighbors in the area who heard the gunfire. It appears that the driver stayed at the scene. The driver spoke to the police when they arrived. He also showed them his identification and his concealed pistol license.
Since there was a report of shots fired, the 911 dispatcher also rolled Emergency Medical Services to the scene. EMS transported the attacker to the hospital in critical condition. The attacker died a few hours later.
News reporters interviewed the neighbors. They recognized the attacker and said he lived in the area. They did not blame the driver for defending himself. To quote one neighbor, “You have to get these crooks off the street one way or another.” The neighbors refused to let the news reporters publish their names.
Several tow truck companies said that some had rules against their drivers going armed. The companies feared being named in a civil suit if the driver had to defend himself. They were more worried about a lawsuit than their equipment being stolen or their drivers being injured.
All of the towing companies that were interviewed said that their drivers have a dangerous job since they went to all parts of the city at all hours of the day and night.
The police did not arrest the driver, and did not include his name in their published reports. The news media did not name the driver either.
This story is one of many that goes underreported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner using that tool to defend their life and family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you the reader. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and Ammoland.
About Rob Morse
Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, at Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.
https://www.ammoland.com/2023/01/tow-truck-driver-in-detroit-stops-armed-attacker/#axzz7pR5ubqqc