Recently, a man (Sammie Lamont Wallace) shopping around Walmart targeted a mother (Alicia Keating) and her two children shopping in the frozen food department. When the mother wasn’t paying attention, Wallace walked up to her cart, pulled her two year old daughter from it, threatened the child with a knife and demanded that Keating make a phone call to a cop in Dallas (who, as it turns out, the Wallace had been harassing for some time).
The police were called as the mother cried for her child back. Fortunately for her, the police station was across the street and officers arrived within a minute of being called. The store was evacuated while the police tried to negotiate with the kidnapper. After more than a half hour, the man moved his knife to the baby’s throat. Seeing this, an officer, Chief Huff, responded to his threat by approaching him and shooting him in the head.
Attacks like this one, which took place in the middle of the day in a public location, show that self defense situations may arise when you least expect it. Like the cases of the mothers I discussed last week, the assailant was not wielding a gun, and caught the mother off guard. Stories like these are unfortunate examples of how there are people who do bad things to good people for no reason. Will a concealed carry gun prevent that? No, but empowering mothers to defend themselves, and to give them self defense tools for that purpose, can allow them to counter lethal threats with their own. Because, as Keating experienced with her daughter’s kidnapper, the life you need to protect may belong to a loved one.
Destinee is also a vlogger. She publishes videos on weapons, gear, and fitness on her YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday.
