The Old West a'int dead yet! We've got a great gal here in Texas!

[griswold]

Hey fellas,

I am putting this link here for y'all to read. Here in Texas, down Houston way, ONE armed woman took on SIX armed bandits who were robbing her husband at a Denny's Diner. Many shots fired........can you imagine the scene? Not even Open Range could match this!

But I digress; here is the link.

http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/woman-opens-fire-on-robbers-at-dennys/?cat_orig=us

Griswold

[Bugscuffle]

Sounds to me like a big bag of irresponsibility. Many shots fired, It's good that no innocent bystanders were killed or injured, but it shows a large amount of irresponsible, wild west type of thinking. It is just plain stupid to start a gunfight in an area where bystanders could be shot. Remember that it was her that initiated the gunfight. She should be charged with reckless endangerment.

[Shotgun Franklin]

She defended her husband, she likely prevented a successful robbery. No innocent bystanders were hit. Sounds like a successful use of a gun for defense of a third party. Of course there are those who oppose the use of a gun against any crime.

[Major 2]

"Remember that it was her that initiated the gunfight"

Hold on a minute.... Six armed men go in to Denny's @ 4 AM ...Do you think they were going to a cotillion ?

Purps had the victim(s) on the floor....     You truly believe SHE initiated the gunfight ?

It's certain She was in it, but I doubt She went in to the can planning a gunfight ( though she legally Carries)
It would seem highly likely the 6 armed men were armed to carry out their intentions, and I bet they DO NOT Carry legally.

You are right thought.. "It's good that no innocent bystanders were killed or injured"

[Bugscuffle]

I don't want to start an argument here. I will just point out that:
A: Yes, I do believe that she  started the gunfight. She fired the first shot and that is what started the gunfight. The husband was on the floor complying with the orders of the six gunmen. Nobody was shooting anyone until the wife came out guns blazing. The six bad guys were going about what they came there for, robbing the store. They didn't come there to kill the husband, they came there to rob the resturaunt.
B. When she "defended her husband" she endangered every person that was in or around that resturaunt.
C. I do NOT oppose the use of guns to prevent crimes. I DO oppose the irresponsible use of guns in densely populated areas or areas where it would put bystanders at risk.
D. The fact that no one was hurt is a matter of blind luck, not rational thought. Remember the holes in the cars? Those holes could just as well have been in people that were just there by hapenstance, irrespective of who put those holes in the cars. She started the gunfight.

[Major 2]

Very well then ... no argument .....we'll just agree to disagree...

I will offer you this

Texas Gun Crimes – Penalties

Carrying or possessing a weapon illegally is one thing, using it is another. Texas law makes it a crime to fire a gun in public, unless in defense of yourself or another person, and enhances the penalties for using a gun in the commission of certain crimes.
( BTW she had a legal permit )

Firing a gun in a public place falls under the disorderly conduct statute and is a Class B misdemeanor, except inside the city limits of a town with a population of more than 100,000 people. In that case, it becomes a Class A misdemeanor.

Using a gun, whether you fire it or not, while committing a violent crime such as robbery, assault, or sexual assault can automatically increase the offense to an "aggravated" status, making it a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison.

[Shotgun Franklin]

I'm not speaking from theory or maybe or what if; I was in 6 stand up gunfights at work. There were cars shot, buildings hit and rounds never accounted for. That is the result of any gunfight. If an innocent bystander wasn't hit that's just the way it was. I've known Cops who refused to shoot unless shot at, 'I didn't want to start the fight'. One is death, one permanently disabled and another retired early because of wounds. Waiting for the bad guy to start things is very often a poor game plan.

[Bugscuffle]

Major 2 - I'm with you, Pard. We'll just let it stand as it is. Voltaire was right!

[griswold]

Y'all are missing the point of my title to this post; The old west a'int dead yet.
True, this could have been a different turn out, true, according to this first account by the news, no one was hit, etc, etc.
And all the technical gunfight review stuff, plus personal experiences of some of ya.

My point is: This woman faced off 6 armed bandits, bent on robbing her husband with guns pointed at him. She came out with her gun blazing, in True old west fashion, to protect her man. That, I surmise, took a lot of RAW COURAGE, especially when they apparently returned fire as they scampered off.

The West was won by folks with the intestinal fortitude to face the odds. This woman shows she has that same Old West Courage! 6 against 1? And a woman to boot............

I remember reading long ago about Texas Range Detectives. About this cattle detective, in the early 1890's in Sweetwater (If I remember correctly the town) who was gunned down by two cowboys in a hotel sitting room. They were under investigation by this cattle detective and faced charges.
Anyway, this detective's wife was with him when he was shot and fell to the hotel floor. While these two thugs were still standing there, she ran to her husband, pulled his .38 Colt Lighting he carried under his coat and returned fire, hitting one of them in the arm as they ran out of the hotel.

Same Raw Courage, in the later days of what we now call the Old West.
I think this Houston gal has that same Raw Courage.

Griswold