James Tarr - February 12, 2013

Utah Clerk Pulls Gun on Knife-Wielding Robber

Some news stories just make you smile.

The old adage, "Don't bring a knife to a gun fight" came to mind when I read this news story out of Utah. Luis Gutierrez Gonzales entered the Tesoro convenience store in Millcreek, Utah, pulled out a knife and demanded the contents of the register. The owner of the store, Ahmed Nazir, was working behind the counter.

After considering Gonzales' offer, Nazir stated, "No, I'm not going to do that." While customers moved away, Gonzales repeated his demands. Nazir then pulled out his .45-caliber handgun and told the would-be robber, "Just leave your knife here and leave the store."

Gonzales did just that.

Check out the video from KSL-TV in Salt Lake City:

The store owner then called the police, who found and arrested Gonzales at a nearby KFC; apparently having your life flash in front of your eyes makes you hungry. The police arrested him on a felony charge of aggravated robbery. Nazir has owned the store for five years, but stated that he's never had to pull his gun before.

There are two things I find noteworthy about this story. First, because Nazir didn't have to fire a shot, this incident will not be recorded in any federal database. Most people don't realize just how many crimes are prevented by the mere presence of a lawful firearm — thousands every year.

The second thing I noticed is Gonzales was described in the story as a 28-year-old Mexican national. Whether Gonzales is in the U.S. legally or otherwise, there was a time in this nation's past where this news story would have sparked an outrage and demands that he be deported, but Gonzales' citizenship was mentioned almost as an afterthought. Times sure change.

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