When You Open Carry, You Can Still Be Robbed

As happened here.

GRESHAM, OR (KPTV) - A man openly carrying his new handgun was robbed on a Gresham street by a man with a gun of his own.

Police were called out to the area of 172nd and Glisan Street at 2:10 a.m. Saturday.

Investigators said the 21-year-old victim bought a handgun earlier in the day and was openly carrying it while talking to his cousin.

They said a man approached them and asked for a cigarette. Talk eventually turned to the victim's new purchase, before the robber pulled his own gun from his waistband and said, "I like your gun, give it to me," according to police.

The victim handed over his gun and the suspect ran away.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black man, 19 to 23 years old, 6'1" with a skinny build. He had black, wavy hair and was clean cut, except for a small patch of facial hair on his chin. The man was wearing gray sweatpants, a white T-shirt and flip-flops.

Open carry will deter the more timid of criminals, but a clever and confident robber will still be able to fool you into being complacent, which is what happened here. In fact, this is an Old West scenario: when everyone openly carries firearms, the focus shifts to deception and "getting the drop" on your victim by drawing first and when he is not expecting it. The victim here was relying on his openly carried gun as a magic talisman to protect him, and the robber wasn't impressed by its power as a talisman. The victim seems to have little knowledge of basic robbery techniques; asking your victim for a cigarette or asking the time is a standard ploy designed to distract the victim while you pull your own weapon out. And, of course, the victim ignored John Derbyshire's Rules and allowed a strange black man to approach him. Jeff Cooper would describe this victim as in Condition White: totally oblivious to his surroundings.

What should the victim have done, then? This: placed his hand on his gun, ready to draw, and told the man to go elsewhere, and if he didn't immediately do so, draw the gun and prepare to shoot him, all the time watching the man's hands, not his face. If the man at this point makes any move to reach into his pants or pockets, you shoot him, and if necessary shoot him again until he is no longer a threat. Then call the cops and get ready to deal with the aftermath.