Ben was driving himself down Johnson Road, one of those uncommon roads in suburbia, that is kind of narrow. As he was driving, there were these three teenagers, 16, 17 and 19, walking shoulder to shoulder along the road with their backs to him. Not trying to hit them, Ben moved to the far left side to avoid them and give them enough safe space.
Turns out it was a ruse by those three kids to get cars to pass along them. When he passed by them, they took out baseball bats they were hiding and started smashing his car as he passed. They took out his side mirror and minor damage.
Ben wasn’t too happy, so he pulled over and got out of his car to address this, not too smart since it’s already 3 to 1, but you’ll understand in a minute. The three kids see him and realize their advantage and start charging at him, bats raised.
Now here’s where it gets good.
Ben pulls out a gun and tells them all to freeze. Turns out, Ben’s a retired Marine has a concealed weapons permit. The three kids freak out and stop dead in their tracks, arms raised. Ben directs them to get on their knees, lay face down, and keep their arms and legs spread out. Now, this was back in 2000 when cell phones weren’t as common, but Ben happened to have one. He called the cops on the kids right then and there. He said, “My name is Ben, I’m on Johnson Road, and three teenagers just attacked my car and threaten to attack me. I am carrying a gun with a permit and have them on the ground and subdued; I need an officer to come by here as I am pressing charges and I want them arrested. When the officer arrives, I am the one with the gun, and I will follow his instructions.”
The kids start begging for him to let them go, cursing each other, and probably giving sob stories but Ben’s not listening. The cop arrives, orders Ben to put down his gun, which he does, and then it gets better!
Turns out the cop is a retired Marine too! He hears Ben’s statement, sees the evidence, and then they have this exchange:
Cop: “So they came right at you?” Ben: “Yes.” Cop: “And you didn’t shoot them?” Ben: “No, they listened to my commands, so I didn’t see the need.” Cop: “That what they’re teaching now?”
The cop then looks at the three kids and says, “You’re lucky you got him and not me, I’d have shot all three of you, coming at me with bats. If this guy would have shot all three of you dead, told me what happened, I’d send him on his way.” So the three kids get arrested, and the cop tells the two youngest that they’re probably going to screw up their lives if they keep this up. He tells the 19-year old that he’s over 18 and an adult, so it’s too late for him, he’s going to jail for this.
Then it gets better.
They all end up in court and, as it turns out, the judge’s son is currently in the Marines. He tells the other two that they’re going to be tried as adults too, and eventually all three go to jail for the maximum sentence our state allows for this crime!
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