Two Oklahoma Citizens Killed An Active Shooter, And It’s Not As Simple As It Sounds
BY Herschel Smith
6 years, 4 months ago
According to The Washington Post.
Juan Carlos Nazario was sitting on a lakeside bench waiting to play soccer when he heard the staccato popping of gunshots outside Louie’s On the Lake, a popular waterfront grill and pub. He ran to his car to get his gun and moved toward the sounds.
Bryan Whittle was driving with his wife, heading off for a Memorial Day weekend getaway, when he saw a commotion outside Louie’s. He thought someone might be drowning, so instead of turning his truck onto the highway, he barreled into the parking lot to offer help. As he jumped out, what he learned stunned him: There was an active shooter just yards away, and wounded victims were holed up in the restaurant’s bathroom.
Whittle, too, grabbed his gun.
In a matter of seconds, the two armed citizens became self-appointed protectors, moving to take up positions around the shooter, drawing their weapons and shouting for him to drop his. Time stretched and warped. There was an exchange of gunfire. The gunman was hit several times and fell. As Nazario and Whittle converged over the man to restrain him, police arrived. Unsure who was who, officers handcuffed all of the men and put them on the ground as the shooter bled out into the grass and died.
“I was just doing what I was supposed to do,” recalled Nazario, a former police officer who said he now works as a security guard, always has his gun in the car and usually carries it with him.
“I just reacted,” said Whittle, who has served for nearly 20 years in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and works for the Federal Aviation Administration. “There’s a guy with a gun. I’ve got a gun. Stop the threat.”
Though they were loaded into police cars and taken downtown for questioning, they were soon hailed as heroes. They were also called champions of Second Amendment rights, gun-carrying examples of why Oklahoma’s Republican governor should not have vetoed a bill two weeks earlier that would have eliminated the need for a permit and training to carry a gun in public.
Local police also praised Nazario and Whittle, saying their swift response ended what a police spokesman called “a very dangerous situation.”
But police also noted that armed citizens can complicate volatile situations. The first of 57 uniformed police officers arrived just a minute after the initial 911 calls and found a complex scene with multiple armed people and no clear sense of what had happened or who was responsible.
“We don’t want people to be vigilantes,” Bo Mathews, a spokesman for the Oklahoma City Police Department, said in a recent interview. “That’s why we have police officers.”
What? We have police officers to be vigilantes, not other people? Is that what’s being said here?
Probably not. He probably means that we just cannot have ordinary people defending themselves – after all, that’s what the police are for.
Or not. Yea, surely not.
Perhaps he meant that they didn’t want their officers having to think about the situation when they show up, and just shoot everybody who looks like they might have a firearm without observing proper rules for the use of force and thus have to worry about pedestrian things like backstop and proper target ID.
You can make up your own mind. Maybe you’ll know what you’re talking about. He sure as hell doesn’t.
On July 17, 2018 at 11:13 pm, rented mule said:
Similar incident in Lacy Washington at a Walmart. perp with gun shots fired inside store, & attempted carjacking. Two armed citizens confronted, shot & killed deranged gunman.
However in this case because almost no local coverage and no national at all.
These stories don’t fit the narrative so the response is always either ignore or counter signal.
On July 17, 2018 at 11:16 pm, Scott said:
I applaud those Great Americans! I have been a police officer for 20 years (since retiring from the army). Emergency services personnel are rarely, if ever, first responders. Few violent crimes are committed in the presence of the police. Armed citizen volunteers have a much shorter response time when they are at the scene. That being said, when the police get sent to a “man with a gun/shooting in progress call” they are looking for a bad guy with a gun. They may have been given an incomplete or incorrect description of the “shooter”. Perhaps one of the witnesses missed seeing the real bad guy, and the first man with a gun they saw was the hero, so they tell 911 that the hero is the bad guy.
If you must display or fire your weapon, do so, but as soon as it is safe to do so, holster or ground it and make yourself appear as non-threatening as possible, and tell the bystanders that you are a good guy.
On July 18, 2018 at 4:41 am, Centurion_Cornelius said:
…another valid instance of CITIZENS “taking out the trash.”
How long before we hear the wails of: “…he was a good boy…just tryin’ to get his life back togetha…” from the perp’s fambily.
PLAY WITH FIRE
GET BURNED
GET DEAD
VIA RETURN FIRE
On July 18, 2018 at 6:54 am, DAN III said:
ALCON,
Here we go again…..the “LEO”s will “protect you”. Hahahahanaha….what a joke ! There are SCOTUS cases where the court declared that Law ENFORCEMENT Officers have NO legal obligation to protect the citizenry. The only thing cops protect are their salaries, bennies and lucrative retirements.
Just think and burn this into your mindset….”When seconds count a cop is only minutes away !”
There are no good cops. None. NADA. Zip.
I say AGAIN:
There.
Are.
No.
Good.
Badged.
Thugs.
On July 18, 2018 at 7:15 am, Mark Matis said:
Once again, Dan III nailed it.
On July 18, 2018 at 8:15 am, PJ said:
A protection racket is not tolerant of do-it-yourself protection. It can put them out of work.
On July 18, 2018 at 8:21 am, James said:
“Why do I carry a gun,a cop is too heavy to carry”.
I am sure there is a donut joke there somewhere.
Seriously though,great job citizens!
On July 18, 2018 at 8:28 am, Robert said:
Why do the police continue to dig the hole they are in, deeper and deeper? Police respond to crimes after it has happened in most cases, and rarely, prevent anything. They have already created a rift between themselves and other groups. Are they wanting the trifecta of alienating law abiding citizens that are trying to help them (and others)? This is getting beyond ridiculous and bordering the regions of insanity.
On July 18, 2018 at 9:20 am, Dirk Williams said:
Hey Scott, good to see other LEO’s or retired LEO’s coming here. Love Hershals stuff, catch lots of ” love” often from Dan and Mark, ain’t no thing, this is still America, their opinions are important.
Just wanted to say this. In my cop/deputy days, on many occasions I’ve had armed citizens come to my aid. Loved it, a couple of my assistant,I’d even had problems with. At the end of the day, their sense of community overrode their hatred of the popo, good men, like me, they just disliked authority, which at the time I represented.
The heros are ALWAYS, men/ women who, without regard for their own safety, stand up and confront the bad people. Every community has many of these good folks.
Regarding the initial article, right on, these men did the right thing. They saved lives. Sounds like the police arrived had the fortitude to develop a basic concept of good VS bad Guys, shooting and sort it out without any good folk being hurt.
When SCOTUS, defined the duties of law enforcement, as investigate, make arrests, and support the ” INFASTUCTURE” I.E. The govt, my days as a cop were numbered, my priority was always ” We The People. If I was going to error, it was going to be in favor of the citizens, not the dip shits I worked for.
Hammer away boys!. LOL.
Dirk Williams
On July 18, 2018 at 9:23 am, Fred said:
“…the two armed citizens became self-appointed protectors…”
Self-appointed? Hmm?
What does God say?
“But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.”
“Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”
“They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.”
Where does the bible say to hand over your responsibility as man to the state or anybody else? NOWHERE.
The DC Compost is the mouthpiece of the false god that claims all authority over every last little aspect, jot, and tittle of our lives. You have two choices; follow them and therefor the father of lies or follow God.
“Then said he [Jesus] unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.”
Everybody knows these versus but I wanted to point this out because many will falsely use it in an attempt to limit arms. Everywhere Christ says “It is enough” he is making a final statement as to His command. IE; It is enough that I just told what to do, I am God, do what I said and quite goofing around about it and get to it. It is not a different context in this one verse about the number of arms being 2, as being enough. On the contrary, He’s chastising them to GET MORE.
Or you could do what WAPO says and be worse than an unbeliever.
On July 18, 2018 at 11:11 am, Herschel Smith said:
@Fred,
The phrase “self-appointed protectors” is the most telling thing you’ll read on this. It betrays the mindset of the idiots in the MSM. The question – THE ONLY QUESTION – of importance, is what God says.
God appoints men protectors of themselves and their families. The state has no say-so in the matter. So says God.
On July 18, 2018 at 11:15 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
Re: “Two Oklahoma Citizens Killed An Active Shooter, And It’s Not As Simple As It Sounds”
Law Enforcement, Inc. dislikes an armed citizenry taking care of business before the police get there because when such incidents work out well for the good guys, it tends to highlight something that LE, Inc. would rather most citizens not know – namely, that there isn’t a whole lot the police can do to defend you and yours and the innocent when it gets down to it.
In other words, it is a polite fiction that the cops can protect us. There aren’t enough of them, and even if there were, there is no way law-enforcement authorities – chiefs, superintendents, watch commanders, etc. – could know when/where they would be needed. As the old quip neatly summarizes, “Why do I carry a gun? Because a cop is too heavy!”
As the proprietor of this website has noted multiple times previously, the courts have held that the duty of law-enforcement is not protection of individual citizens, but the maintenance of order and enforcement of the law. In practical terms, this means that the police often don’t arrive at a crime scene until the smoke has cleared and things have already reached a resolution of some kind. Managing the aftermath, filing out reports, etc. is what’s left.
Since the police are not obligated to defend you, and many state and local municipalities strictly regulate firearm ownership, if not circumscribe it entirely, then precisely just how is the concerned citizen supposed to protect himself and his loved ones? With harsh language? If you are unfortunate-enough to find yourself in such a place, call the moving company ASAP.
On July 18, 2018 at 12:41 pm, Fred said:
@Herschel,
This is why I’m tired of arguing and whining about our rights. I’m done. I, and all men have duties of God and duties from God. Nobody cares about your (our) rights. The Bill of Rights is stupid. It should be a Bill of Duties before a Holy and Just God for the proper care of ourselves, kith, and kin under His Natural Law and ordained commands.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
We have no rights. They were stolen, but this does not preclude our required duty to the LORD nor does it relieve us of same.
And oh dear leftists, you want my rights? Fine, you can have them. Now I have zero reason not to blow your head in half. Good day.
On July 18, 2018 at 12:57 pm, VoorTrekker USA said:
Public safety. If police are not obligated to protect an individual and said individuals are restricted from self protection by law, when is an individual a member of the public to be safetied?
Vigilantes are people who go looking for trouble, or an excuse to save someone. Self protection is a personal responsibility interfered by nanny state politicians (patricians) who apparently fear freedom of the people.
It’s a matter of men being men without the feminine hysteria and the control freak preverts (warlocks) who subsume themselves to estrogin rule.
On July 18, 2018 at 3:22 pm, moe mensale said:
Bo Mathews isn’t just a OCPD “spokesman.” He’s an OCPD police captain. And that wasn’t the only stupid thing he said.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/civilians-rushed-cars-guns-fatally-shooting-oklahoma-city/story?id=55424657
“When asked what he would call Nazario and Whittle, Matthew described them as “two people that stopped a very tragic situation from going any further.”
During the news conference today, Matthews wouldn’t directly call them “heroes” but said that it was “a great terminology” for the media to use.”
The hypocrisy of the police in this case is just outstanding. They’d be throwing accolades all over a cop if one of them had stopped the shooter. But no, these were just your everyday normal citizens who managed to stop any further carnage before Capt. Bo’s heroes arrived.
On July 18, 2018 at 3:43 pm, Herschel Smith said:
@Moe,
Thanks for filling in the gaps.
So the guy is a jerk and a jackass. I suppose that this line of work appeals to pricks like him.
On July 18, 2018 at 5:31 pm, Mark Matis said:
It sure is a shame that the FBI has to settle for the dregs of “Law Enforcement” candidates in this country. Without any doubt, all the best who aspire to that profession go into local or state “Law Enforcement”, None of them would ever consider joining the “finest” “Law Enforcement” organization in this country.
That is how we can be certain that the lies, fraud, corruption, treason, and sedition which is rampant in the FBI and the DoJ could never occur at the state or local level…
On July 18, 2018 at 6:48 pm, Gryphon said:
I doubt it will be long before some Gun-Carrying Citizen stops a Crime and then is Gunned Down like a Dog by ‘First Responders’. Then watch the (((media))) portray the Citizen as having ‘done the wrong thing’ by pulling His Gun and Stopping a Criminal.
On July 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm, Stealth Spaniel said:
Wait! Did Bo Mathews take a class from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Because he sure as hell doesn’t know what he’s talking about. A gun carrying citizen is a lot safer than 57 cops showing up for fun & frolic. “The first of 57 uniformed police officers arrived just a minute after the initial 911 calls…..” 57? As in fifty-seven? Was the rest of the city left without “protectors”? Were air raid sirens going off, because that seems like an invasion has been declared. Welcome to the FUSA.
On July 21, 2018 at 4:00 pm, Chuck said:
So two complete strangers show up with guns and are able to quickly determine who is a threat but 57 “highly trained” LEOs have to cuff everyone and haul them downtown to figure things out.
On July 22, 2018 at 11:08 am, Longbow said:
““We don’t want people to be vigilantes,” Bo Mathews, a spokesman for the Oklahoma City Police Department, said in a recent interview. “That’s why we have police officers.””
Yep. This is they typical Cop attitude these days.
Cops unstated belief,
“I am a member of The Gang. You are not. Anyone and everyone who is NOT a member of The Gang, is The Enemy… to be stomped on, and forced to submit to OUR will. ‘Ccause we’re the good guys! Whatever it was that we dunn, it was the right thing to do, because it was us what dunnit!”
Submit and comply! Submit! Submit! Its what Free Men do!