Wednesday, September 23, 2015

PA: Taxi Driver Misses Robbery Suspect



A Lancaster taxi driver shot once but missed a man who robbed him at gunpoint Sunday afternoon in the 1100 block of Elizabeth Avenue, Manheim Township police said.

(snip)

The driver complied, police said, but as the robber was getting out of the taxi, the driver opened fire with his own gun.

More Here

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I, Clayton Johnson (yes, the cab driver) have a voice.
1) I thought my prior conviction was expunged. I was 18 in 2007, young and dumb. I was convicted of burglary. Snatching booze from garages. Charming, I know.
2) 2015 - My wife and I planned on getting licensed to carry and attend a local range regularly.
3) We just moved here from Texas a few months prior to jumping in a cab. It was in the works to get the gun legal, not knowing I was unlawfully protecting my family because of the prior conviction.
4) The gun was to be kept at home for our protection. I just started driving a cab 2/3 weeks before getting robbed. The reason I carried was because another cabby was robbed by the same guy the week prior.
5) After being robbed at gunpoint, I requested my phone(my identity) back, from inside the van. He got angry and reached for his gun and I fired a warning shot. Trust me when I say, if I wanted to hit him, I would have. He fled. Then I yelled "Drop the phone or I'll fire again". He threw it, running. No more shots were fired and I called the police.
We moved here for a better place to raise our family. We came from neighborhoods that are used to homicides and crime in general. I did what had to be done for the protection of myself and my family. What would you do?

If it went down again, I would do nothing different. How many more people would have gone thru the trauma of a gun to the back of their head? He is lucky he got me. Others may be more nervous behind the barrel in such a situation, or worse, ready to take a life, as cabby's are arming themselves more. I felt for the robber as I know he's only influenced by the wrong environment. Does he deserve punishment? Yes. Do I deserve punishment today? Or a reward for helping relieve the streets of a violent serial robber as I put my energy into bettering my new community. You be the judge.

As far as gun laws go, I believe in more education than regulation. They are a tool or a weapon.

Whatever they decide, I'd rather be judged by 12 than to be carried by 6.