FL: CCW Permit Holder Shoots Suspect, Saves Officer

A person with a concealed carry permit shot a man who was attacking a police officer in Florida. The officer had stopped the man for extreme speeding.  One witness said the vehicle was traveling on the shoulder past full lanes of slow moving traffic, at 120 mph.  The chase and shooting occured on 14 November, 2016, at about 9 a.m.

After both cars were stopped, the suspect jumped the officer and managed to get on top, beating the officer severely.   From winknews.com:

Bardes and the suspect exited their vehicles at the Corkscrew Road exit and a fight started, sources said. The suspect was armed, Bardes told his supervisors, according to sources.

The passerby, who had a Concealed Weapons License, exited his vehicle and told the suspect he’d shoot him if he didn’t stop beating the deputy, sources said.

After noncompliance from the suspect, the passerby shot the suspect three times, sources said. The suspect later died.

Here is a bit more information from a witness at the scene.  From leoaffairs.com:

Another woman wrote: “I watched the suspect jump out of his car and run toward the officer and tackled him.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office told local news media that the deputy who was involved, 12-year veteran Deputy First Class Dean Bardes, is expected to be okay. The suspect who was fighting with the deputy was killed during the struggle and WINK is reporting that a passerby is the one who shot him.

“The passerby, who had a Concealed Weapons License, exited his vehicle and instructed the suspect to stop beating the deputy…after noncompliance from the suspect, the passerby shot the suspect three times,” sources said.

These incidents, while rare are more common than when permit carriers attack police officers.  Permit carriers across the nation are more law abiding than police officers are.  The attitude toward permit carriers has changed considerably over the last 20 years.  At first, police administrators were wary of legal firearms carriers.  But experience has taught them that people who carry legally are seldom a problem, and often render assistance to police officers.

Today, police are overwhelmingly in favor of the rights of legal firearm carriers. From policeone.com:

More than 91 percent of respondents support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or not been deemed psychologically/medically incapable.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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