Very quick facts: Tony Arambula found an armed intruder in his home.  The intruder fired a weapon either into or inside the home, but nobody was hit or hurt.  Tony then grabbed his own gun and managed to “gain compliance,” to use police parlance, from the intruder without shooting him.  He then called 911.

When Phoenix police arrived on the scene, Tony’s wife informed them that her husband “was the man with the gun” holding the intruder until they arrived.

The cops marched in and immediately, which is to say without warning, shot him.  In the back.  Six times.

The cops then repeatedly called him a “motherfucker” before one of them finally says, “I shot the guy.  I fucked up.”  His supervisor then says, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”

And it’s all on tape – yep, the 911 tape.

Fortunately, Tony lived, although he will likely be disabled for life and may need an amputation.  Of course, he is now suing the department and the city of Phoenix and the trigger-happy officers.  Next time Tony won’t make the mistake of calling 911 – he’ll probably just shoot the intruder thug instead, which will probably be better for everybody.

Mahalo has the details and the recording.

Meleanie Hain and her Glock

This kind of story also brings out conflicting feelings in me.  I hate guns, violence, force, and brutality.  Yet, somehow I get excited when unlikely citizens decide to arm themselves and be free from the need to contact the state when they need to defend themselves.  Meleanie Hain is a 30-year old Pennsylvania soccer mom who carries a Glock 9mm on her at all times.  She has drawn substantial ire among the usual authoritarian suspects in her community – probably because she is also an articulate advocate for her cause.

This blogger can say this much:  With three younger siblings, I go to a lot of youth sports games – several dozen every year.  Sometimes, police officers (of course armed with semi-automatic weapons) happen to be around.  Apart from the usual discomfort I have with the feeling of unnecessary presence of the state, I can’t say that it’s obvious that “it’s an incredible risk to bring a loaded semi-automatic weapon to a children’s soccer game,” as an attorney from something called the “Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence” wants you to believe.

If I’m ever endowed with the power to snap my fingers and make all guns disappear from the world, I’ll do it instantly.  Short of that, we may yet find peace and disarmament in time.  However, in the short term, I’ll feel safer in the presence of armed moms and dads than armed cops and robbers.

Coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.