THE ARMED CITIZEN
Right Here In Little Old Maconga

Less than a block from here, somewhere along Nottingham, an incident took place yesterday afternoon that showed (1) how an armed citizen, a thinking armed citizen, can help prevent crime and (2) just how quick the response time is for the men and women of Precinct One, part of Macon’s Police Department.

The few facts are simple: One neighbor (‘Tom’) ran two doors to ‘Mike’s’ house just as the latter was returning home. Breathless, Tom told Mike that a white male was at that very moment attempting to break into the house that lies between their two. The perp was attempting to pry open the back door.

Mike, who carries a valid and up-to-date weapons permit, rushed next door. Tom hightailed it across the Kroger parking lot to summon the sheriff’s deputy working security there.

Mike sized up the situation perfectly. Once he spotted the would-be burglar, he uncovered his powerful hand gun, put his hand upon its butt, but did not draw the weapon. The thief saw him, saw the gun, and jumped into the back seat of a vehicle sitting in the driveway. In a stern voice, his hand still on the butt of his firearm, Mike ordered the guy out of the car, onto the ground, telling him that the police had been summoned.

The hapless perpetrator did exactly as bidden. Within a few seconds the sheriff’s deputy arrived and took charge of the situation. A minute or less later, four squad cars from MPD’s Precinct One were on the scene.

In no time at all the thief, caught red-handed breaking in, and in possession of some other recently purloined goods, was hauled off to the LEC. There he remains. Mike told me today that he has seen this character in the neighborhood before.

This situation was exceptionally well-handled by everybody involved, both the civilians and the law enforcement personnel. This is how it ought to work.

There is a war going on between the good guys and the bad guys in this city. One can never know when he will find himself on the front line.

(Actual names and addresses are not given out of respect for the privacy of the principals.)