ARMED CITIZENS CATCH DANGEROUS ESCAPEES AND ANTI-GUNNERS ARE MUM

BELLEVUE, WA – When two armed citizens held a pair of dangerous prison escapees at gunpoint for police in Tennessee Thursday, they stopped a crime spree and earned the gratitude of all law-abiding citizens, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms declared. “This incident underscores the importance of an individual citizen’s right to keep and bear arms,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “These two rural homeowners are heroes and America owes them a debt of gratitude. We’re not surprised that the gun control lobby is suddenly suffering lockjaw. This is the kind of news they despise because it reinforces the validity of an armed citizenry.”

The capture ended a three-day manhunt for Georgia prison escapees Donnie Rowe and Ricky Dubose, who are suspected of murdering two corrections officers, Sergeants Christopher Monica and Curtis Billue, with their own guns. Rowe and Dubose fled in a stolen vehicle after overpowering the two officers. After a high-speed chase during which they shot at Tennessee lawmen, the two fugitives were spotted by a homeowner trying to steal his car. That homeowner stopped the pair at gunpoint, summoned a neighbor, and they held the criminals until police arrived, according to published reports. “This case provides a text book example of the value of armed citizens to the community,” Gottlieb observed. “It justifies public demand for national concealed carry reciprocity as well, because criminals like this could easily confront someone away from home, including tourists from another state. They have a right to defend themselves no matter where they are. Congress needs to act on this immediately. “Naturally,” he added, “our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Sergeants Monica and Billue, and we hope that they will have some peace knowing that the men who took their loved ones are now back in custody where they belong. We hope that these criminals feel the full weight of justice. “We are hopeful that Tennessee and Georgia officials recognize these two citizens in some way,” he concluded. “What they did helped their neighbors, and brought to an end a drama of horrible magnitude. We at CCRKBA thank them.”