The Armed Citizen® May 9, 2022

Law-Abiding Citizens Using Their Second Amendment Rights In Self-Defense

by
posted on May 9, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
The Armed Citizen

Armed Citizen® Today

A Whatcom County, Wash., resident put his life on the line to save two Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies when they were ambushed a few houses down on Feb. 10, 2022.

The resident was sitting the in backyard of his home with his children around 4 p.m. that Thursday afternoon, when the 60-year-old resident of the home on the other side of a neighboring home began yelling at the neighbor over burning debris. The older man then went back inside his home, emerging a short time later with a shotgun in hand and opening fire. As the shots rang out, the resident two houses down rushed his children inside from the yard and then armed himself.

A short time later, deputies arrived on scene, and the situation seemed to cool down as the older man went back inside his home. However, as the deputies were conducting their investigation, the aggravated man opened fire again, striking one of the two deputies. The resident, standing next to the other deputy at his front porch, watched as the first deputy fell backwards after the shot rang out, and then witnessed the second deputy get hit as he rushed over to help his partner.

It was then that the resident rushed forward, armed with a pistol, to the deputies' position and, as he recounted, "That's when I stepped around the corner, and I drop an entire magazine at this guy." The resident then helped the less-wounded deputy drag his fallen partner into the cover of his garage. The trio held out there as they waited for backup to arrive.

Eventually, more officers arrived on scene, and the aggravated man surrendered. He was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and held on a $5 million dollar bond. The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office praised the actions of the resident and credited him with saving the lives of the two wounded deputies. (q13fox.com, Wausau, Wis., 02/15/2022)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives - June 11, 1987

Hearing a noise in his Camden, N.J., home, Clinton Tabb decided to investigate. Arming himself, the homeowner confronted an intruder, who came towards the 42-year-old resident with a sledgehammer. Firing several shots at his approaching assailant, Tabb mortally wounded the man. A Camden County grand jury cleared the homeowner in the incident. (The Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pa.)

Latest

attack in a back alley
attack in a back alley

Cold Performance: How to Prepare for the Uncertainty of Self-Defense

Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.

Derya Goes Silent: The OBone Suppressor

In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 26, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Rifleman Q&A: Understanding a Firearm's Cycle of Operation

The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.

Review: Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm Riflescope

Looking for a performance LPVO without the usual associated cost? The Sightmark Pinnacle 1-6x24 mm might be your answer.

Myths & Misunderstandings About the “Modern Fighting 1911”

The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.