Bat-wielding bad guy apparently wanted his pistol

From All Outdoors, April 21, 2015

by Russ Chastain

Yakima, WA – As I’ve noted before, open carry of guns is usually a bad idea for many reasons. When you advertise your firearm, you create opportunity–for others. Opportunities for the leery to get freaked out and for potential criminals to target you first in a violent crime or to try and steal your gun from you.

As I reported last October, that happened to an Oregon man who proudly toted his brand-new popper exposed–and then had it stolen from him at gunpoint.

Once again, open carry seems to have been the impetus for a crime against the carrier. Bearing Arms reports that a Yakima father was attacked while shopping with three children in Wal-Mart while openly carrying a pistol.

The victim, Brandon Walker, was attacked by a “disheveled” man who, after making eye contact with him several times, pulled a metal baseball bat from a rack and swung it hard at Walker’s head.

Walker stepped towards his attacker, leading with his shoulder to deflect the blow. He then stepped away from the bat man, drew his pistol and chambered a round, then told the bad guy to get down onto the floor. He complied.

Store employees helped contain the assailant until police arrived to arrest him, reportedly charging him with second degree assault (felony, max penalty ten years prison and $20,000 fine).

The attacker, who had been arrested before, said very little and never revealed his intentions in attacking Walker. Walker believes that the guy had to be coming after him to he could steal the gun, a Sig Sauer Model P226 in 357 Sig.

Bearing Arms reported that, in a phone interview, Walker stated that he would only carry concealed from now on.

Good choice.