I just shot a kid ... what do I do?
"This is exactly the type of situation Russell hoped he would never be in and exactly the type of situation that made him become a Second Call Defense Member"
Today’s mainstream media is inundated with stories about shootings and the supposed victims that had died as the result of “gun violence.” These stories are often not just twisted but devoid of critical and glaring facts that would flip the narrative that Americans should not have the basic right to defend themselves against another person that is armed, mentally ill or has the physical strength to overpower you or ALL the above.
It's for these reasons that many Americans purchase a firearm—for personal protection. While a gun doesn’t guarantee your safety, it levels the playing field and gives you a chance to defend yourself and your family.
American citizens have started to fire back by taking, literally taking matters into their own hands. In fact, in 2021 a whopping 2.5 million defensive gun incidents were reported, according to data released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). That breaks down to approximately 208,333 on a monthly basis or over 6,800 EACH DAY.
Here is just one of the 6,800 stories of self-defense that happen each day. The names have been changed to protect the real victims and their families - Fortunately, this individual was a member of Second call Defense.
It was a typical commute home for 72-year-old Gary Russell. At approximately five in the afternoon, Russell hopped on his bicycle and took his usual route home when he was spotted as a potential target by a group of three young men who appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties.
Russell passed one of the young men and felt an immediate pain in his head after he was knocked to the ground from a sucker punch delivered by one of the three assailants.
One of the scariest moments occurred next, as Russell looked up to see all three young men forming a semi-circle around him where he suffered intermittent and painful kicks to his body. The kicks subsided and as Russell looked up, one of the young assailants moved closer to him. It was at this moment, that he realized he was in a fight for his own life.
In a moment of courage between his ongoing beatings, Russell drew the firearm he carried each day to and from work and fired the Ruger LCP at the middle assailant. It was this action that might have saved his life and caused the young men to scatter. After picking himself off the pavement, Russell headed home on his bicycle with his heart beating out of his chest.
Thankfully, his first call was to the Second Call Defense, emergency hotline that immediately connected Russell with Second Call Defense, Defense Attorney Sean Maloney. Maloney vividly remembers that phone call on that fateful afternoon. “The first words I heard him say were, I just shot a kid,” recalls Maloney. Those words caught Maloney off guard and certainly not the words Russell thought he would say on his way home.
After Russell shared the details of his terrifying assault, Maloney instructed Russell to make the call to 911 while Maloney stayed on the line with Russell, as he made the call, and immediately arranged for a local Attorney to be prepared to represent Russell should the need arise. The police in Russell’s inner-city neighborhood informed him that an officer would be right over.
After nearly an hour of waiting for law enforcement to arrive, Maloney had enough time to calm Russell and talk with Russell regarding what had transpired, and his rights related to the actions he took to protect his life.
Eventually, law enforcement arrived but after Russell restated the facts of the incident, the cops asked Russell to meet them at the precinct to answer a few more questions despite him having done nothing wrong. However, it was Russell’s recently hired attorney that advised him against going to the station.
This wasn’t the end of his harassment from the local police department. Russell was once again confronted by police officers at approximately 2:30 in the morning and was told that he was “coming downtown one way or another.”
Maloney was able to intervene again and this time asked his own questions including “is Mr. Russell under arrest?” The officer responded, “no, but he’s coming down to the station with me one way or another.” Maloney clarified, “just so I’m clear, Gary Russell is not under arrest, but you are taking him down to the station against his will in violation of his constitutional rights?”
“Yes, that’s right,” responded the officer.
Immediately Maloney contacted the local Attorney he had spoken to earlier. This is exactly the type of situation Russell hoped he would never be in and exactly the type of situation that made him become a Second Call Defense Member.
By the time the local attorney arrived at the precinct, someone with a little more sense had taken charge of the situation. Russell had been released and had his possessions returned to him —except for his gun.
As for the assailant that was shot? He was never found even after police searched the area and monitored the local emergency rooms for gunshot victims. The ordeal was not over for Russell, after several phone calls he was forced to personally appear at the police station in an attempt to gain possession of his legally obtained firearm that he used in self-defense.
Getting his firearm back proved to be tricky so Russell once again called on Sean Maloney with Second Call Defense to file an appeal to get his gun returned to him. After a few days, it was clear that the police department had no intention of returning his firearm, although no crime had been committed and they had no right to hold the gun.
Instead of incurring the expense of filing an appeal, Russell was able to take advantage of the gun replacement benefit from Second Call Defense which reimburses members when their firearm has been seized by police as evidence and not returned after the case has been resolved.
More importantly, Russell was able to protect himself and his family, and with Second Call Defense ensure that his rights were protected and that he did not suffer any stress than he had already experienced.
Russell didn’t have to worry about that, because his first call was to Second Call Defense.
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