Dogs and Guns Prove Effective in Ohio Countryside

Dogs and guns have been an effective crime stopping combination for as long as people have possessed them.   They were proven effective once again in Butler County, Ohio.   The suspect broke out a basement window to gain access to the rural home of Brian Hiner.    Brian woke to the alarmed barks of his dogs, which appear to black and golden Labradors.  He then heard the intruder coming up the basement stairs, called the sheriff, and held Michael Roberts, pictured above, at gunpoint for the responding deputies.

The deputies arrived, and took Roberts into custody.    Somehow, Roberts managed to escape the deputies vehicle while Brian was being interviewed.   The suspect fled into a nearby cornfield.

A few hours later, 15 year old, Justin Kugler was home alone, sick, when he heard his dogs start barking.  He armed himself and looked downstairs, just in time to see Roberts enter the house.   Justin is on the left in the screenshot above.  From 14news.com:

"I was home sending an email to my teachers about homework when my dogs started barking and I looked out the window but I didn't see anybody there so I went to the top of the stairs with the gun to make sure there wasn't anybody downstairs and then that's when the door opened and I saw him," said Justin Kugler.

Kugler says he was pretty scared because he noticed Roberts had a knife on him, but he was armed and ready for Roberts at the top of the stairs.

"I told him to get out of the house or I'm going to shoot you," said Justin Kugler.

Roberts was taken back into custody just after he exited the Kugler home.

Dogs and guns are a powerful defensive combination that is hard to overcome.   Just as important is a community that trusts the local peace officers to form a cooperative network.   Local residents are the front line, while the sheriff's deputies form the rapid response team and communications network.  In communities that trust their local criminal justice system, the crime rates are very low.   Sheriffs, as elected officials, tend to be responsive to their constituents.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch