A CALL TO DEFEND LIFE
This story is based on actual events. The names have been changed to protect
identities.
It was a gorgeous day on our ranch. We had invited over a couple named Jack and
Anna who lived a few miles away. They brought
with them a loader and backhoe. We were
bartering with them to do some work on our ranch in exchange for a chicken coup
and tack and feed shed. Jack worked down
in the city, while Anna worked as a county sheriff's deputy. The day was going great. Our sons were getting to participate with Jack
on the backhoe and my wife was having a great time with Anna talking about
livestock.
Suddenly, I received a call on my cell phone. It was my neighbor Josie. Josie is an elderly woman who lives about a
mile away in this very remote off the grid ranch. She is a hardened girl, tough and in good
shape for being in her 70s. However, on
this particular phone call she was yelling, frightened, and in great
distress. At first I could not
understand what she was saying. I asked
her to repeat and tell me what was going on.
Again, with a loud, distressed voice, she screamed, “There is a man here
with a gun in my face!” I immediately
yelled this out to our guests knowing full well Anna was a sheriff's
deputy. Anna immediately got on her cell
phone and contacted dispatch. She
immediately told me that the closest deputy was over an hour away. I told Josie to hang on and hung up. I grabbed my Winchester 1300 Defender combat shotgun and
threw it in the truck. I immediately headed
out to Josie's. Now Josie lives over a
mile away, and we are her closest neighbor.
The road leading to her ranch is very rough. It took me 5 minutes just to get there. When I arrived, her steel gate entrance was
chained and locked. I got out of the vehicle
and noticed in the soft dirt leading up to the gate a single set of large boot
tracks that continued after the gate and went on down the soft dirt road deep
into Josie’s ranch.
I grabbed my combat shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot and
entered into Josie's property. Now I
have been to Josie's property many times to help her and knew that I had almost
a quarter-mile run just to arrive at her trailer. Josie was not a full-timer and only came out
when she was not working for a park service.
She would stay in a 20 foot travel trailer when she would come out. After a hurried run, I cautiously approached
the trailer. As I approached I could
begin to hear a male voice sounding belligerent and demanding to enter into her
trailer. I suspected he was on either
drugs or alcohol intoxicated. I was able
to approach the trailer on the opposite side where the perpetrator who was maintaining
a position at her trailer door. I worked
my way around to the front of the trailer where the hitch was and poked my head
up and looked into Josie's trailer. I
could see her through the screen and dirty windows on the other side of the
trailer pleading with the perp at her door.
She continued to plead with cracking voice to the perpetrator to leave
immediately and leave her alone. Wanting
to ascertain the situation, I peeked around the corner and saw a swarthy male
perpetrator who had a rifle in one hand and a revolver in the other. I moved back into position concealing myself
and ensuring that I was in a low-ready position. Oddly, a sense of calm came over me. A spirit of total resolve to do what is right
to defend life. I barely peeked around
again observing very closely the actions of this perpetrator, knowing full well
that if I were to see him level any one of his firearms at her door I would
have to take immediate action to dispatch the offender with swift justice.
By the grace of God, the perpetrator started growing weary
and he proceeded to walk over to a log which Josie would use to sit at her open
pit fire. He laid down his firearms on
the log and sat down. His hands were now
free. This is when I seized the moment,
coming around the corner in total authority with my 12-gauge combat shotgun
leveled right at him. I commanded him in
a loud concise voice, “Do not to move a muscle!” He jerked and became stiff as a board and had
an expression of utter fear, and he complied immediately with my commands. I was able to secure his weapons.
When Josie saw through her window that I had the situation
under control she immediately burst out of her trailer and grabbed a hold of me
hugging me so tight. I was amazed at her
strength. I immediately questioned the
perpetrator. Upon questioning I found
out he was an illegal alien from Mexico brought to the ranches by another ranch
owner who happened to live on the east coast.
He was brought to that ranch to watch over it.
I got on my cell phone and called Anna, the sheriff's deputy
at my ranch, and told her of the situation.
She informed me that they would not be able to send out a deputy to respond
to this situation and apologized profusely.
To this day, I have never been given any explanation as to why the sheriff
would not respond.
I had this illegal invader in my custody. I asked Josie what she wanted to do. Josie stated that she knew who the ranch
owner was after the perpetrators admission on who is. She now knew who brought
this illegal invader to their ranch, and she would contact them immediately and
notify them of the situation. She made
the call while I had him in custody. She
hung up her cell phone and she then requested that I escort him back to his
ranch where the owner would deal with him.
I commanded the invader to walk out in front of me and
proceed to my truck on the other side of the ranch. Josie followed along with me to see us
out. While on the way out she nearly
collapsed out of severe stress. I
grabbed a hold of her and gave her a big hug.
She regained her strength. When
we arrived at my truck I gave the invader strict orders with a very stern face not
to leave his ranch until his person of authority arrived and that I would be
watching him. He stated that he would
comply.
I took him back to his ranch and gave back his firearms
after I had unloaded them. I watched him
cautiously until he arrived at his cabin and went in. I then left.
When I arrived back at my place my wife and kids gave me a big hug, as
well as Anna the sheriff's deputy.
I recounted the entire event to them. My sons and I set up observation to watch
over the invader to make sure he stayed where he belonged. The very next day, the ranch owner from the
east coast blazing in with their truck and took away the perpetrator immediately.
We never saw him again.
The use of a firearm though not having to dispatch a
perpetrator saves this woman’s life in my opinion. I had no doubt that he would have eventually
harmed her. I always keep my combat
shotgun with me on patrols by request of other ranch owners. It has been my primary weapon system for 20
years and I have developed accessories to fulfill my needs to use such a
defensive weapon.
Now, of course after this incident hind sight is always
20/20 and for some reason (I believe the Lord) it worked out the way that it
did. Of course reviewing over this story
there are crucial things that I probably could have done, but did not do. Your input is constructive to this true story
and it can help others to put into practice on what can be/or not be done.
