See, cell phones are useful... The amazing thing is that a well written story like this made it into a MN paper.

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager ... 9&a=404570

Gun, cell phone credited with saving clerk's life
6/18/2009 2:25:41 PM
Comments (3)
By Johnny Clark

Associated Press

ROSWELL, Ga. -- A Georgia liquor store clerk credits his police officer son with giving him two life-saving gifts -- a cell phone and a gun.

Joseph Wescott says the phone he slipped into his shirt pocket stopped a knife to his chest when a robbery suspect attacked him at the store in a northern Atlanta suburb. He then reached under the counter for the .40-caliber handgun and shot the man.

"The knife that he had looked like it was about 10-foot long," the 67-year-old Wescott exclaimed.

When the suspect lunged at Wescott, he fell back and the knife struck the battery area of the phone, the clerk said. He then fired one shot at the man Monday night.

"That was the first time I had ever fired that gun," he said.

Police said Carlos JeanPeirre, 34, is recovering from non-life threatening wounds and faces multiple charges including aggravated assault and attempted robbery.

Wescott's son, Jason, said he gave both gifts to his father to keep him safe.

"Something like that can happen in a split second and it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it," Jason Wescott said.

After the attack, Joseph Wescot said he used his cell phone to call 911.

A good addendum to the story in my mythical happy world would have been a statement made where the cop son would have taken Dad to a range to make sure he was familiar, comfortable, and competent with his new weapon...





But we know how much real range time cops put in.

I'm sorta interested in what model cell phone that was. Sounds more rugged than mine!

I agree. My first reaction to reading that it was the first time he had ever fired the gun was....

The fact that the cell phone stopped a knife and he was able to use it afterword to make a 911 call was pretty amazing as well.

Doesn't a knife stab to the chest pretty much equal attempted murder?

That's what I was thinking as well...

Maybe the poor misunderstood robber didn't really mean to kill. Just wound.

-Mark

Well that and he was just turning his life around. And was only in the store to buy his disabled grandmother a quart of milk and a loaf of bread.