Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Louisiana is known for being home to expansive coastlines and wetlands (in other words, great fishing), spicy Cajun cuisine and swinging jazz music.

Unfortunately, it’s also home to the 4th-highest crime rate in the nation. Luckily, lawmakers have passed many pro-freedom gun laws, ensuring that law-abiding citizens will be on equal footing if they do come face-to-face with a criminal.

A driver was in his vehicle in New Orleans, La., when a robber approached his car and implied that he was armed. The driver responded by opening his glove compartment and reaching for a gun that he had placed there. Upon realizing the driver was armed, the robber fled the scene. (WDSU, New Orleans, La., 6/21/2016)

A trio of robbers, at least one of whom was armed with a gun, attempted to con their way into a home in Slidell, La. One of the thieves approached the home and told the owner that he was having car trouble and asked to use the phone. When the homeowner refused, another thief confronted the homeowner armed with a gun. The homeowner responded to the threat by drawing a handgun and firing at the criminals, causing both to flee to a waiting getaway vehicle. Police tracked down the robbers a short time later. (St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Tammany Parish, La., 1/25/2016)

A man entered a Shell station in New Orleans, La., and attempted to rob the cashier by claiming he was carrying a gun. The cashier responded by retrieving a gun and leveling it at the thief, prompting the criminal to flee. (The Times Picayune, New Orleans, La., 9/2/2015)

A woman was sitting in her parked car in Lafayette, La., when a man approached the vehicle, opened the door, and grabbed her purse. The woman responded by retrieving a gun and ordering the criminal to drop her property, which he did. Police captured the would-be thief, who was held on $10,000 bail. (KATC, Lafayette, La., 2/11/2014)

63-year-old Elzie Pipkins was at home in Shreveport, La., when an intruder armed with a shotgun forced his way inside the house. Once inside, the intruder ordered Pipkins’ granddaughter to fill a bag with valuables, while Pipkins begged the criminal to leave with the money in her purse. Pipkins eventually led the intruder to a safe where she keeps some change and a handgun. Pipkins opened the safe and offered the change to the intruder, at which point the criminal took a hand off his shotgun, giving Pipkins an opportunity to retrieve the pistol from the safe and fire it at the robber. The home invader was struck once in the chest and fled before collapsing a block away from Pipkins’ home. Following the shooting, Pipkins made clear she did not relish shooting the criminal, stating to a local news outlet, “Just $55 in coins, and he lost his life. Lord Jesus, I wish the young people today would just think, go to school, get an education and a good job and buy what you want ... Don’t try to take from someone who has worked all their life and still doesn’t have nothing to give.” (The Shreveport Times, Shreveport, La., 1/6/2014)

A woman was inside her Covington, La., home at around 1:40 a.m. when she was awakened by an armed man inside her bedroom. After retrieving a shotgun from a nearby closet, the woman checked on her children, then forced the home invader out of her house. Once the authorities arrived, police used a K-9 unit to track the criminal and found him nearby. (WDSU, New Orleans, La., 3/5/2013)

Around 7 p.m., a man in Chalmette, La., noticed a criminal burglarizing his truck while a second criminal waited in a nearby getaway vehicle. The truck owner retrieved a handgun and confronted the perpetrators, at which point the getaway driver drew a pistol, prompting the truck owner to fire at him. Upon seeing the gunfire, the criminal who had been burglarizing the truck ran towards the getaway car, but as he approached it he fell and the vehicle ran over his arm. The wounded burglar eventually made it into the car and fled with the getaway driver. Police have not charged the truck owner. (The Times Picayune, New Orleans, La., 4/22/2011)

A woman in New Orleans, La., had just entered her home along with her three children when a criminal armed with a gun followed them inside. Once she saw the intruder, the woman retrieved a gun and fired at the home invader, ending the threat. When the authorities arrived, the intruder was taken to a local hospital, where he died. Police have ruled the shooting justified. (The Times Picayune, New Orleans, La., 4/6/2011)

Roy Harris, his wife and two children were awakened around 4:25 a.m., when two criminals broke into their Alexandria, La., home. As Harris’ wife and children hid, he retrieved a gun and fired at the two intruders, killing one and wounding the other. The wounded intruder was taken to a local hospital and faces murder charges for the death of his accomplice. Police have no plans to charge Harris. Home invaders would be wise to avoid Alexandria, La. Across town another homeowner defended himself with a gun and wounded an intruder the same night Harris did. (The Town Talk, Alexandria, La., 8/4/2010)

An armed robbery suspect in Lafayette, La., picked the wrong carport to hide from police in. When the homeowner, George Richard, heard strange noises coming from outside, he went to investigate with his gun. Richard told the intruder to leave, then shot the suspect in the leg when he attempted to enter Richard’s home. The armed suspect’s arrest ended a string of cab driver robberies. The next day, Sgt. Mark Francis, spokesman for the Lafayette Police Department, said, “… if a person is trying to gain entry into your home, then you need to protect yourself, your family and your property.” (The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, La., 4/7/2008)

Alana Holbrook awoke to a startling discovery: A man was standing just outside her master bedroom doorway. Police say that when the suspect saw her stir, he bolted out of sight. Holbrook woke her husband, David, who quickly armed himself with a .45-caliber pistol. David searched the residence, finding no sign of the burglar but noting several missing items. When he stepped onto his front porch, he found the prowler hiding in the bushes and held him at gunpoint for police. (St. Tammany News, Covington, La., 8/29/2007)

According to police, Perry Stephens walked out of an auto parts store and grabbed his .45-caliber handgun after hearing a man yell for help. The citizen in distress was an off-duty police officer working as an escort for a funeral procession. The officer had pulled a man over for illegally entering the line of mourners, and the man became irate over the traffic ticket he was issued, knocking the officer to the ground and throwing punches at his face. As the officer cried for help a second time, Stephens ordered the man to get off the policeman. When he did not comply, Stephens shot the man four times in the chest and again ordered him to get off the officer, who had also shot the man once. Incredibly, the man continued his assault, Stephens shot him in the head, killing him. (The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La., 2/21/2006)

A woman armed with a handgun scared off an attacker who assaulted her as she entered a Bossier City, La., daycare center. The woman was just walking into the Old MacDonald's Day Care on a Saturday afternoon when a man came up behind her and began beating her. The woman was able to draw a small-caliber handgun from her purse and fire a shot, scaring off her assailant. (The Times, Shreveport, La., 9/8/2002)