I had a great day yesterday - I got to deliver my new daughter.  Mother and daughter are doing well.  Dad is a little tired :).  

The Bearing Arms columns in the paper are continuing through the week.  They are still getting a lot of good attention (like National news organizations and NRA's home page).  I wanted to post the latest two (you may recognize a name in today's) -

[url]http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com/news/bearingarms/MGBR4A3ZZ0D.html[/url]

[b]These dogs not mens' best friends[/b]

Travis Fox was standing in his own driveway, facing a huge dog that was snarling and baring its teeth and bearing down on him.

The dog's owners, Fox's neighbors, had warned him that he should stay away from the dog, which they said was unpredictable and dangerous.  That would have been fine with Fox, but in this case he had no option. He had come home from the store one day about two years ago and found "just a lump of fur" in the driveway. "I had no idea what it was," he recalled.

It was the dog, a chow weighing more than 100 pounds.

The dog circled Fox's car and came at him. He drew his 9 mm Taurus from his shoulder holster and fired a shot into the gravel. But that kicked stones up into the chow's face, which only made it madder.

The dog attacked. "When he came at me, I knew there was no way I could get back in the car."
So he shot the dog three times.  That stopped the dog, but it didn't drop. Fox shot the dog three more times, and then "I emptied my firearm into him."

"It's almost embarrassing to me that I had to do this," he said.  "I really like dogs. I have dogs; they're like family to me." But he also has a wife and two children, he pointed out, and his having a gun "keeps my family safe."

Fox, 32, has always kept guns. "Carrying a firearm for self-defense is like carrying a jack in your car," he said. He cannot imagine being without either.

He has a firing range in his yard, and he firmly believes that since Virginia made it easy to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, crime has gone way down.

But he is sorry he had to shoot that dog. "I regret I was put in that situation."

John Fusek was up a tree, and he had no intention of staying up there indefinitely.  He was on vacation in mid-October about 10 years ago and had gone to the Sleepy Hollow Hunt Club in Amelia County to scout out shooting lanes.

Fusek, of Newport News, is a black-powder hunter and was cutting shooting lanes for the upcoming deer season.  The quiet that day was interrupted by the baying of a pack of dogs, and the dogs were getting closer. "I stayed up in the stand," he recalled during a recent interview.

Fusek wanted to see what, if anything, the dogs were chasing. So he crouched low and stayed still.  They came right by his tree stand, and most of them kept going. But one, the one Fusek called the leader, apparently sniffed him out.  "He was a mangy, scraggy looking dog. He took a dislike to me."

At least a dozen dogs had gone by, but the lead dog brought a small group back at Fusek. "For a while there, he looked like he was going to climb up."  Fusek drew his .357-caliber Magnum and fired one shot into the ground. Most of the dogs left, but two or three stayed, including the leader.

Fusek figured that even if he waited, his car was parked a good 15 minutes away, and there was no way of knowing when the dogs would come back.  "I decided I don't think that's anybody's dog," Fusek said. "I put a round in him."  The dog went down, and the others ran away. Fusek then put another round in the area of the dog's heart. Fusek climbed out of the tree, poked the dog in the eye with a stick to make sure it was dead and then pushed it off the side of the trail.

Fusek has taken a number of courses in gun safety and shooting. He also goes to the firing range and practices about once a month.  He advocates people having the right to carry guns "when they know what they're doing. . . . It's like driving. You've got to practice to maintain your proficiency."

I just noticed they put a poll up!  If you get a chance, check out the index page at [url]http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com/news/bearingarms/[/url] and take the poll.  You can also find the other stories there.  Following is yesterday's:

[url]http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com/news/bearingarms/MGB4A0MJY0D.html[/url]

[b]Market owner tried negotiating
Then he chased robber and fired[/b]

Watkinson had just spent four or five minutes looking down the barrel of a gun and trying to talk the young man out of robbing him.  The man had approached the cash register after wandering around the store for about five minutes and talking on a cell phone. When he finally got to the counter, he pointed a .45-caliber pistol at Watkinson.

"I just stepped back. I was trying to keep a level head," Watkinson said during a recent interview at his store on North Lombardy Street.

He was 52 at the time, last June 13, and he had been robbed before. In fact, he had been robbed and shot before, and he didn't want that to happen again. He intended to give up the money, but first he wanted to try to talk the young man out of taking it. "It was almost like negotiating."

He explained to the robber that there was little money in the cash register because it was so early in the day. He tried to persuade the young man not to be a criminal, that what he was doing was wrong.  

The young man wasn't buying it. He finally reached across the store counter, punched open the cash register, scooped up the little money there was and turned to walk out the door.  But before leaving, he told Watkinson, "My mother was just raped by a white man."  That just plain made Watkinson angry. He had never met the young man, certainly had not done anything to his mother, and he told him so as he was leaving.

As soon as the robber was out of sight, Watkinson grabbed his gun from behind the counter - he keeps a .357-caliber Magnum - and took off after him.

"You just feel so violated," he said. "It was really irritating. . . . You want what's yours."  Besides, he knew that if he just let the robber escape, he would be back. Watkinson said his Lombardy Market has been robbed about 10 times in the 21 years he has been there, and he estimated six or seven of those robbers were repeats.

Watkinson chased the robber down a nearby alley. When he caught up, the robber was fumbling around outside the passenger side of his car. Watkinson ran past the car, around to the front where he could get the car between him and the robber. He told the young man that he wanted his money back.

When the robber held his gun out, pointed at Watkinson, Watkinson fired. He hit the robber in the stomach. He said he did not want to shoot the young man, "but he raised his arm. I didn't know what he'd do."

The robber started crying and yelling that the gun wasn't real. It turned out that what looked like a .45 was really a pellet or BB gun.  Watkinson tried to hold the young man until the police arrived, but the robber got into his car and drove away. Watkinson was not willing to shoot him again.

The young man drove to Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, where he was treated for his wound and arrested.  On Sept. 27, David Whitehead, 18, pleaded guilty to the robbery of Watkinson and to the robbery of two other Fan District markets. He is serving an eight-year prison sentence.

"I hate being put in that situation when you have to defend yourself," Watkinson said.

He has been there before. In 1982, he exchanged gunfire with a robber in his store. Watkinson was shot in both legs, and the robber was hit in the shoulder. They ended up side by side in the emergency room at MCV.  In that case, the robber served a 10-year sentence.

Watkinson is a Vietnam veteran who has been around guns all his life. He also is a member of the National Rifle Association.  He knows he is in a high-risk business, "but it shouldn't be, in a neighborhood like this." The Fan District, he pointed out, is dotted with millionaires and others who are well-off.

He said people should be able to carry guns. "There are a lot of violent people in the world, and you've got to protect yourself."  But he also wishes he had not felt forced to shoot that young man. "It's something that you think about. He was 18 years old, he was an attractive kid, and he had a future." Now, he's in prison.

who is travis fox?

BlackFox.  It's in his profile.

Congrats on the new arrival [0:)]

Congratulations on the new arrival! [beer]

Hey Travis, congratulations on the new daughter.  

9mm? Thought you always had a 45 on your HIP.  When did this occur?  Glad you are ok.  

The poor bastard that had to unload his 9mm into the chow needs a bigger gun.
[}:D]
Just think of all the dough he wasted in ammo![:D]

Congrats on the baby!

Congratulations on your baby.

[beer]

ARH

[b][size=3]Congrats BlackFox!!![/size=3][/b]

[beer][beer]

Congrats Travis!!

[beer]



Scott

Congratulations Travis!  I have the same question as 7, since when do you carry a 9 mm in a shoulder holster?

wonder what Travis was packin in that 9mm?
seems like he needs a better load...
or more gun [:)]

Congratulations on your new arrival!

And never apologize for killing a mean dog.  I love dogs, but I have no use for an animal which will attack unprovoked.

Congrats Travis!

The 911 looks sharp!

Woooo Hooooo!  Way to go Fox!  Mrs Fox too.  She had to do all the hard work.

I'll dump a 30 rd mag in celebration for you guys on Saturday!

side note:  Dang!  Those Chow dogs are tough!  I sure hope I don't have to draw down on one.

Congratulations Travis, I have a very active 3 year old daughter at home. They do wonders for you!

Just a note.... bad timing, now you have to pop for a BIG Mommy's Day present!!!

[beer]

Thanks guys!  Sorry - I've been at the hospital all day doing the new Dad thing.  It's been a wild day.  Besides the new daughter, they ran the story on the front page of the paper and on their website with my picture, so I've been running into people all day who saw it.  Here's the pic from the paper:

[img]http://media.gatewayva.com/photos/rtd/05092002/fox.jpg[/img]

Yes, I USED to carry a 9mm, and tried to be discrete about it.  I hit the dog 11 times, 7 in the head.  The 9mm did so little damage to the dog, it was still alive when I left.  Deputy who shows up finds the dog dying, an empty mag and brass scattered everywhere.  He said something about his 9mm, too.  Last time I saw him he had moved to a 40-cal.  

Specifically, I was using 115-gr Speer Gold Dot HP +P's.  My theory is that they clogged on the dogs thick fur and never expanded.  The exit wounds were the size of a #2 pencil.  I had solid hit placement for a charging animal - just no power.  

Now I carry a .45 out in the open (gotta love Virginia).  I usually wear nice shirt/tie and stay clean-cut, and have NEVER had anybody ask me anything about carrying my sidearm.  I no longer own a handgun in 9mm and try to explain why to others.  I went into my bank today and they had all read the article.  One of the tellers showed me a bullet wound (in & out) from a 9mm - never caused any damage.  I've often heard 10" is ideal penetration.  9mm 115-gr is something around 20" I believe.  I'm not saying a .45 will knock a target clean off their feet and kill them instantly (like some seem to think), but it has quite a bit more power than a 9mm.  

Thanks again for the kind words everyone.  Please, go have one on me!  

    Travis

Thats it!  Don't gotta tell me twice!  I'm gittin a .45!

Note to self:  Excellent reason to go down to the Richmond show next next Saturday.....

Oh yeah....gotta go upstairs for a shot of Scotch for you.

....MUST....HAVE.....SCOTCH.....MMMMMMMM.....SCOTCH........

Congrats on the baby!


The poll is pretty lame.  Two choices for "no, I'd never shoot!", one that's a weak maybe, and one that's a strong maybe -- no option for "hell yes, I'd shoot!"

Congratulations to you and the missus, Travis!
That article series is really great. You're the second person in that series that I know of. The person in the focus of a previous article shoots IDPA at my club. Small world....

Congrats on the family addition!!  Good thing it was You who confronted the dog and not another family member!  

My grandparents had a smaller chow probably 60 pds.  That thing could BITE!!  You could take a rag and play tug-of-war with it.....eventually the dog would be off the ground, and ya could swing him around your body and he wouldn't LET GO!!

[size=6][red]CONGRATULATIONS!![/red][/size=6]

Thanks again, guys!  I think I'm going to have a cold one for a change.  Just brought the family back home and everybody's great.

Today's Bearing Arms article was another interesting one.  Unfortunately, this headline was just above the Bearing Arms one:

[b]Workplace Shooting Near Roanoke Airport[/b]

May 10, 2002

Roanoke County Police were on the scene of a workplace shooting this afternoon at the corporate headquarters of Advance Auto Parts near Roanoke Regional Airport.

The county medical examiner, who is summoned when a fatality is involved, was on the scene.

The shooting occurred shortly before noon. After the shooting, the man with the gun tried to kill himself , authorities said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

[url]http://www.richmondtimesdispatch.com/news/bearingarms/MGBYP7WC11D.html[/url]

[b]Display of gun repelled intruders
Boater says shooting threat saved two lives[/b]

James and Linda Jones were on the first day of their vacation on July 5, 1994, sleeping in the aft cabin of their 24-foot boat, Ickey Poo II.

They were looking forward to a cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway and back up the Atlantic coast. They loved to travel.

The boat was tied up to the dock at Waterside Marina in Norfolk. "I was docked at the last finger pier with my stern in," Jones recalled. "The hatch was open; it was quite warm that night."

About 4 a.m., Jones was awakened by the swaying of his boat and the sound of footfalls on deck. He looked up through the hatch and saw two sets of legs, and he knew they didn't belong to anyone he knew or had invited on board.

"I knew I had two people on board my boat," he said.

The hatch to the small cabin was open to let in the air, but it was covered with a nylon screen to keep out the bugs.

Jones saw one of the men start in on that screen with a knife. That's when he took the .25-caliber Beretta from a nook beside the bed and went to meet the pirates on his deck.

He assumes now that the men knew he was there and was moving around. Jones is a large man, and he was stumbling around, like anyone would who had been awakened suddenly at 4 a.m. The boat was rocking.

Jones said he came up through the hatch and confronted one of the pirates. "He had a knife in his right hand," Jones said. "He saw a naked man with a gun and realized he had brought a knife to a gunfight. He hollered, 'He's got a gun!'"

Then he turned and ran. So did his partner.

One of the pirates tripped over Jones' cooler when he jumped off the boat and onto the dock. "He broke the bungee cords loose and my cooler went in the water."

Jones didn't shoot. He said he no longer was in fear of his life, and he wasn't sure he wouldn't get into trouble with the law himself for shooting someone, even someone who had just come at him with a knife and who was running away. Besides, "I didn't want to shoot anybody."

Jones radioed the Coast Guard and reported that he had "repelled boarders by force of arms." He said the Coast Guard officer who received the call made him repeat it. "They probably hadn't had a call for piracy in quite a while."

The Coast Guard told him that because he was docked, he had to report the crime to the police. Jones didn't have a phone and wasn't about to go wandering down the pier with a gun in his hand and two criminals nearby to find a pay phone, so he persuaded the Coast Guard to call the police.

They arrived a few minutes later.

Jones wrote in an e-mail: "There is no doubt in my mind that if these two young armed predator males had entered the cabin and had been confronted in the confines of the cabin, my wife and I would have paid with our lives. The display of a firearm by an honest citizen stopped the crime in its tracks with no injury or loss of life."

Jones, who lives in Chester, said he doesn't like carrying a weapon. He's a Vietnam veteran and grew up as a hunter, and he was happy when the legislature passed laws allowing Virginians to carry concealed weapons. But "I don't take carrying a weapon lightly. . . . The thought that I even have to do it repulses me."

Jones' wife, whom he referred to as his first mate, died in 1998. But shortly after their boat was boarded, they bought a cell phone. And when the concealed-weapons legislation passed, they gave each other the tuition for gun classes and small pistols for their next wedding anniversary.

The .25-caliber gun he used to scare off the pirates that early morning in 1994 is long gone. It was stolen from Jones' grandfather. "They broke into his house, beat him up and took the gun."

BlackFox, did you get my e-mail?  I know you are really busy with your new angel, I just wanted to make sure I sent it to the right address.

Again, [b]CONGRATS!!![/b]