March 04, 2012
By Richard Nance
Think a .22-caliber handgun is insufficient for home defense? Don't tell that to 24-year-old Daniel Williams of Hermon, Maine, whose .22 proved more than adequate in fending off two men during a recent home invasion. According to the Bangor Daily News , on February 16, at approximately 9 a.m., Williams was awakened by a knock at the door of his apartment. When Williams answered the door, he saw a woman who he did not recognize. The woman told Williams that she knew the former residents of the apartment but Williams was suspicious of her claim because he, in fact, knew all of the recent former residents of the apartment.
As Williams' suspicion heightened, two men later identified as 30-year-old Robert Dellairo and 19-year-old Philip McIntyre forced open the door, knocking Williams to the ground. McIntyre rushed into the apartment and punched at Williams as Dellairo stood nearby, clutching a knife. As Williams attempted to fight off McIntyre, Dellairo swung the knife at him several times, resulting in a minor cut to William's abdomen. During the struggle, Williams wrested the knife from Dellairo.
Williams' roommate, 24-year-old Luis Ramos, ran out of his bedroom, armed with an electric guitar which he tried to use as a weapon against McIntyre and Dellairo. Unfortunately, one of the home invaders managed to gain possession of the guitar and used it to strike the back of William's head.
As McIntyre and Dellairo continued to batter Williams and Ramos, Williams broke free and ran to his bedroom, where he armed himself with a .22-caliber handgun equipped with a laser sight. Williams shot McIntyre in the leg then followed him, Dellairo, and the female out of the apartment. While outside the apartment, Dellairo lunged at Williams with a knife. In response, Williams "fired off a couple surprised rounds," which struck Dellairo's hip. As the three fled, they entered a vehicle, possibly with a second female. Williams fired two rounds that impacted the vehicle's trunk in an effort to aid police in identifying the vehicle.
Police caught up with the female, McIntyre and Dellairo at St. Joseph Hospital, where McIntyre was arrested. Dellairo was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. The investigation is ongoing and police have yet to release the names of the two females believed to be involved.
What's the moral to this story? Aside from surmising that a .22-caliber pistol makes a better weapon than an electric guitar, we can deduce that any firearm is capable of turning the tide of a deadly encounter. Of course, without proper training and the will to win, your firearm, regardless of caliber, will be of little benefit. What are your thoughts?
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