As reported, 82 year old Bradley Harvell, of Liberty County, Florida was at home last Sunday night when a man knocked on his door. Harvell answered the door, and found a man dressed in all black, who was carrying a stun gun and a fake but realistic looking gun. The man forced his way in, and used the stun gun against Harvell. The man then demanded Harvell’s money, which Harvell turned over. The man wasn’t satisfied, and demanded more money, despite the fact that Harvell had no more cash to give him. The man continued to attack Harvell, who then managed to grab his .357 Magnum handgun. Harvell fired in self defense, saving his life and fatally wounding the attacker. Police identified the dead home invader as 24 year old Octavius Barnes. Police have since arrested 3 women who are accused of having helped plan the violent robbery.
It is important to note that stun gun devices can be deadly, as they can stop the heart or cause a person to fall and suffer a fatal head injury. Anyone who is attacked with such a device is reasonably in fear for their life, and justified in using deadly force to defend themselves. Also, note that a victim who is incapacitated by a stun gun can then be beaten to death by the criminal. No matter how one looks at it, a criminal who attacks with a stun gun is a deadly threat. However, it is also important to note that a stun gun is simply no match for a firearm. A stun gun will not always incapacitate a person, and will seldom keep them down for very long (as this cop learned). To be clear, stun guns can be deadly – however they are not as reliable at stopping a person as a real gun, and when it comes to self defense, reliably stopping the attacker as quickly as possible is vital.
Getting back to this particular crime, it is a sad fact that many criminals prey on senior citizens, seeing them as easy targets. When senior citizens are unarmed, they are often overpowered by criminals who are much younger and at the peak of their physical strength. As a result, these elderly victims often suffer horrific crimes. But when senior citizens are armed for self defense, things often turn out much better. This armed 85 year old woman held a home invader at gunpoint, and made him call the police on himself. This armed 93 year old man shot a home invader in self defense after the home invader began to attack him. This armed 70 year old woman held an intruder at gunpoint until the police arrived to arrest him. This armed 91 year old man used his handgun to fend off two home invader who had broken in and threatened his wheelchair-bound wife with their guns. This armed 84 year old man used his handgun to stop a criminal who repeatedly tried to enter his home through the front door, back door, and a window. I could go on with more examples, but the point should be clear: armed self defense is a senior citizen’s best chance at stopping a criminal from harming them.