Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Last week we chronicled some instances when good guys with guns were able to stop bad bikers intent on mayhem. This week we turn the tables.

Fact is, motorcycle riders are more often the good guys. Here are five times bikers used their firearms to protect themselves and others.

Feigning an interest in purchasing a motorcycle listed for sale on Craigslist, three criminals arranged a meeting with the owner in the Powelton Village section of Philadelphia, Pa. One of the criminals made off with the bike as another drew a gun and threatened the seller. The seller’s uncle, a Right-to-Carry permit holder who accompanied the seller to the scene, produced a gun and fired at the robber, striking him in the head and ending the robbery. The wounded criminal was taken to a local hospital and listed in critical condition. Local media has reported that it is unlikely the uncle will face charges. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pa., 06/27/11)

Four men armed with a baseball bat attacked a man in the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy in Buckeye, Ariz. The man, whose motorcycle helmet protected him from some of the attack, was able to retrieve a gun and fire at the criminals. After the motorcyclist opened fire, the criminals fled to a nearby getaway car, with one of the criminals apparently wounded. Buckeye police noted that the motorcyclist was a Right-to-Carry permit holder. (The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Ariz., 01/28/10, KPHO, Phoenix, Ariz. 01/28/10)

When Darrell Benton, a retired Pittsburgh, Pa., motorcycle officer, was alerted to an intruder in his daughter’s house, he arrived to find the rear door kicked in and the home itself ransacked. Benton shot one of the burglars, then called police before shooting a second, whom police now have in custody. Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said of Benton, “It was an intrusion in the home. It was a burglary in the home, and (Benton) was defending their home.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, Pa., 4/15/08)

Believing the burglars who took more than $20,000 in tools and motorcycles from his motorcycle shop in Jeffersonville, Ky., would return, Jim Beatty armed himself with a shotgun and waited. When two men broke into the shop, Beatty forced them back out again with several warning blasts. (The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., 3/17/92)

a crowbar, entered a Norwich, N.Y., motorcycle shop, approached the owner's son, and asked to see an item from a wall display. When owner Loren Frink walked into the room and saw his son being beaten with the crowbar, he drew his pistol and fired. The would-be robbers fled unharmed but were soon arrested. (The Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, N.Y., 4/1/80)