Armed Utah Citizens Defending Themselves
Courtesy of the National Rifle Association's "Armed Citizen" archives.

Note that these represent only a sample of  incidents.  Those marked * are from cases printed in the American Rifleman, limited by space to about a dozen cases each month from all over the country.
You can search for any state or key word at the NRA-ILA "Armed Citizen" file

Salt Lake Tribune 7/29/05- Robber flees after St. George victim pulls legally carried concealed weapon-
KSL TV 7/28/05 version
St. George police were searching Thursday for a man whose robbery attempt Tuesday was thwarted when the would-be victim produced a gun instead of money. The man had just cashed a check at E-Z Cash, 880 E. St. George Blvd., just before 2 p.m. when the robber flagged him down. When the man stopped his car, the robber approached, placed a knife to the man's throat and demanded money. The man, who has a concealed weapons permit, said he would get the money but grabbed a gun instead and pointed it at the robber, who then took off.

KSL TV 5/26/04 Courier Clobbers Would-be Robber - Loomis Fargo courier delivering money attacked by robber, but stops attacker with pepper spray and clobbering crook with his gun and holding him for cops.

Deseret News 9/23/03 WVC man kills attacker after midnight assault at his home. "When the ex-boyfriend appeared to be leveling the gun and taking aim at the resident, the resident fired his weapon. The ex-boyfriend fell to the ground and appeared to be taking aim a second time, so the resident fired again....The resident was questioned by police, but never taken into custody. "
Tribune version- WVC man kills gunman who was threatening him
Deseret News 9/28/03 WVC man cleared in self defense shooting. (It is curious that the Tribune never reported that this was confirmed as self defense and no charges filed, but that might undermine their anti-gun agenda.)

Deseret News 9/13/03 Permit Holder Nabs Robber- the full story while the Tribune (below) elected to bury it as a one paragraph item at the bottom of "for the record" section.

Salt Lake Tribune 9/12/03- Permit Holder nabs Robber
"A 27-year-old Orem man who entered a Provo Greyhound bus station Thursday and demanded money got quite a surprise. After handing the clerk a note demanding money, the clerk -- a concealed weapons permit holder -- took the robbery suspect into custody at gunpoint, Provo police say. A customer entering the Greyhound station at 124 N. 300 West called police at the clerk's request. The man was booked into the Utah County Jail on suspicion of attempted robbery and public intoxication."

KSL TV 8/4/03 Orem Man Nabs Home Invasion Gang
Citizen with legal gun held one thug at gunpoint until police arrived, delaying escape of others. If unarmed, he probably would have been viciously beaten and the gang would have escaped.

Deseret News 7/26/03 Aggressive Drunk shot at 1:45 AM by retreating homeowner
Permit holder charged. "Is it better to be tried by twelve or carried by six?"

Salt Lake Tribune 7/9/03- Hiker kills attacking bear
Salt Lake Tribune 7/10/03- Another bear attack
Although animal attacks are rare, it is good to read about a human life saved by a gun. Just another example of why everyone should be prepared to defend themselves at all times.

Salt Lake Tribune 5/21/03- Wanted parolee shot by Ogden homeowner in self defense
Jason Valdez, a parolee who had a warrant out for his arrest on a firearms-related allegation, was shot by a homeowner in self defense after Valdez pulled a gun on the man, demanding a car at 4:20 AM.

Salt Lake Tribune 4/17/03- Armed Homeowner nabs ex-con prowler at 3:00 AM
After a brief sprint, [the homeowner] caught up with a 36-year-old suspect and wrestled him to the ground. The man had been released from prison in February after serving a sentence for drug violations. When [the homeowner] saw that the man had a screwdriver in his hand, he chose to show his weapon.
Sgt. John Barker with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office was nervous when he heard that a resident with a gun had stopped a possible prowler, but applauded [the homeowner] for his efforts. "You have got to take your hat off. This guy got out of his house in the middle of the night and he did the right thing," said Barker.

Salt Lake Tribune 12/3/01- Homeowner shoots intruder
A Salt Lake City man shot and seriously wounded a teenage boy who was allegedly burglarizing his home Sunday afternoon.
At about 4:30 p.m., the 16-year-old allegedly entered the home at 1521 S. West Temple St. A 47-year-old homeowner, armed with a handgun, confronted the burglar and told him not to move. When the juvenile continued to move, the man fired several shots. The teen then fled and was found collapsed on the porch at a home around the corner.  Rickards said the homeowner believed he was about to be robbed after receiving a hang-up call. The man sent his six daughters to hide in the basement. The family had been the victim of two earlier robberies. During one of those robberies, a handgun was taken, Rickards said.

Vernal Express, reported in Salt Lake Tribune, 11/23/01- Attacking Mountain Lion killed
A hunting guide for the Ute Tribe killed a mountain lion that was trying to attack an elk hunter.
The incident happened in the White Rocks Canyon area in western Uintah County earlier this month.
Guide Ryan Burson says Brad Douglas of Kaysville had just shot an elk and was walking toward the kill when a mountain lion leaped from some brush to attack Douglas from behind. Burson yelled a warning to DougÂlas who dodged the animal, giving Burson time to raise his rifle and shoot the cat.

Salt Lake Tribune 11/22/01 Armed Convenience clerk sends armed robber fleeing (6th story down)
Police are looking for a suspect in an attempted armed robbery at a convenience store Tuesday night in Woodside that resulted in the would-be robber and store owner exchanging gunfire. Roy Pogue told Emery County sheriff's deputies that a man entered his store on U.S. Highway 6 around 10:20 p.m., shoved a gun in his face and demanded money. Pogue grabbed a gun he kept under the counter and shot at the robber, who returned fire while fleeing. Neither man was injured.
[Unarmed clerk would have been dead "victim of gun violence" prompting call for gun bans.  Why not encourage more victims to be prepared to defend themselves?]

Deseret News, 10/1/01- Armed farmer locates fleeing murder suspects
Carbon County farmer Terry D'Ambrosio alerted by unusual activities of his animals armed himself with a shotgun while investigating.  Having heard that two murder suspects were believed to be in the area, he was wary when approached by a man seeking food.  Warning him, " I got a loaded shotgun and I'm not joking around." he then gave the man some food. D'Ambrosio alerted police who captured the two fugatives on his property several hours later.  Until the supects were captured, D'Ambrosio stood gurad over his family with his shotgun and a pistol.  [In a TV interview, he stated "If I didn't have this shotgun, they probably would have killed me."]

Salt Lake Tribune 8/20/00- Crime Spree/ Home invasions
Three adults and one juvenile male were arrested Wednesday after allegedly taking part in a crime spree that ranged from Ogden to Salina. Police say it started Monday when a 17-year-old boy escaped from the Decker Lake youth correctional facility in West Valley City and made his way to Ogden where he stole a car. He reportedly picked up a man and two women, all age 19, and the four drove to Wellington, where the boy allegedly attacked a homeowner Tuesday in an attempt to steal guns and money. The homeowner and his wife fought him off, and the group fled. After allegedly stealing gas in Salina, they were arrested near the town of Moore in Emery County on suspicion of aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and conspiracy.

Deseret News 12/4/00- Bear attacks stopped by armed cabin owner
Steve Henline defended himself against an attacking black bear in Spanish Fork Canyon. Attempts to scare the bear failed and finally the homeowner had to use his shotgun to kill the bear.  The 250 pound black bear had earlier attacked Robert Rasmussen, a hiker who sought refuge in Henline's cabin. Rasmussen said " After this, I'll always carry something with me, a pistol or a spray."

Uintah Basin Standard, reported in Salt Lake Tribune 8/29/00- Carjacking fails- armed deputy wins
A state prison inmate who escaped from the Duchesne County Jail last year, jumped into an unmarked police car and threatened a sheriff's deputy with a garden tool has pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping in 8th District Court.
Gary Mitchell, 43, did not know the person he was threatening was a deputy until the deputy pulled his gun and arrested Mitchell, who was serving a sentence for heroin distribution when he escaped.

*Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, 5/22/00- Intruder killed by homeowner
Shortly before 3 a.m. one Sunday, a West Central City, Utah, couple was awakened by the sounds of someone pounding on a glass door to their home. When the glass broke, an intruder made his way inside. According to the homeowner's son, "[The intruder] looked at my dad with death in his eyes and said, 'Adios, amigos.' They were terrified ... he came at them violently." One bullet from the man's .40-cal. handgun fatally struck the intruder. The son later remarked of his father, "I can't imagine him intentionally hurting another person, but what choice did he have?"

*Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah, 7/3/00
When a 17-year-old robber wielding two butcher knives entered Jun Young Bok's Ogden, Utah, market one evening demanding money, the shopkeeper refused. Bok first attempted to match the threat with a golf club, but finally trumped the double-bladed menace with a handgun. Police arrived to find Bok holding the suspect at gunpoint. They arrested the youth and another 17-year-old who had acted as a lookout during the attempted robbery along with a 21-year-old getaway driver.

Deseret News 2/27/00-  Transient shot in attempted home robbery charged
A 29-year-old transient who was shot in the stomach during an armed robbery of a Salt Lake County home Feb. 18 is now facing pain of another kind. Pavel Shchetinin was charged Friday by the Salt Lake County Attorney's Office with aggravated burglary or, in the alternative, aggravated robbery in the alleged attempt to take money at gunpoint from an area man.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 4/7/97
Animal control must sometimes be performed with a firearm. Bill Call of Ogden, Utah, was walking his miniature schnauzer when it was attacked by a pit bull. Call tried to intervene, but received bites from the ferocious dog for his trouble. After a passing letter-carrier tried to subdue the large dog with pepper spray, Call drew his .22 derringer and shot the vicious canine in the head, killing it instantly. Police said Call had no other option to save the schnauzer as well as protect himself.

* The Desert News, Salt Lake City, UT, 2/25/96
"Thank God we have the constitutional right to bear arms. Let's hope they never take that away from us," said Vietnam veteran Mike Patton of Midvale, Utah, after he used a .38 to protect his wife and home from an armed 17-year-old housebreaker. Awakened by his barking dog, Patton confronted the intruder in his basement and fired three shots before holding him for police.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 2/16/96
Kade Marsh clung to the side of his mother's stolen Nissan Pathfinder as the three crooks inside the vehicle sped from a Lindon, Utah, restaurant parking lot. The driver swerved toward concrete overpass supports and parked vehicles at speeds up to 90 m.p.h., attempting to knock Marsh loose. As the trio slowed coming around a corner, Steve Strate, a citizen following the Pathfinder, forced it to the side of the road with his own truck and held the car thieves for police with his licensed .38.

* The Express, Vernal, UT, 1/17/96
Jensen, Utah, rancher Gary Snow suspected a predator when he couldn't locate his herd of 95 sheep. Shotgun in hand, Snow had not searched long before two rottweilers charged him from the banks of the Green River as if to attack. Snow shot the two dogs just 30 ft. away and to his horror, discovered that they had chased his sheep more than a mile and into the river, mauling them along the way. Of the 70 sheep killed, those not slaughtered by the dogs drowned after their wool became weighted down by the water.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 5/24/95
The intruders should have heeded 71-year-old Kenneth Struhs' warning to leave after kicking in the door to his Emigration Canyon, Utah, home. Instead, the two men continued toward Struhs, forcing him to shoot one of them in the leg with a .22 cal. rifle. At the sound of the shot, both men tried to flee, but the injured crook collapsed on the porch where he remained until police and paramedics arrived. The arrested criminal had a lengthy criminal record that dated back six years.

* The Desert News, Salt Lake City, UT, 1/31/92
"I told him he'd picked the wrong night," said Kyle Wagstaff of the knife-wielding robber he apprehended outside the Salt Lake City, Utah, store where his fiancee works. In the store when a man walked in, pulled a knife and demanded money, he retreated outside to get a shotgun from his truck. When the robber, clutching a handful of money, walked from the store, Wagstaff trained the shotgun on him and held him for police.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 8/6/92
After successfully fighting off a would-be rapist while walking her dog, a Murray, Utah, woman, enraged over the incident, retrieved a pistol from her home and went hunting for the man. Finding him attempting to hitch a ride on a local highway, she held him at gunpoint until a passing motorist summoned police.

* The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT,4/15/92
Leon Peterson of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, got a pistol when he heard someone knocking on the doors to his home but found no one there. When he opened one door, however, several teenagers crashed in, one swinging a baseball bat. After issuing warnings, Peterson unleashed several shots, killing the bat-wielding intruder. Police said Peterson acted justifiably and arrested several suspects, including Peterson's estranged wife, alleging she hired the youths to beat Peterson and retrieve the couple's daughter.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 10/21/91
Her family taken hostage by her daughter's ex-boyfriend, Barbara Holt of Kearns, Utah, and her husband were threatened with death, then forced into the bathroom of their home. When the man, armed with a rifle, went into the kitchen with her daughter, Holt slipped into the bedroom and got her .22 pistol. "I was hiding in the corner and when he came out of the kitchen, I just pulled the trigger," Holt said. Her single shot hit the man in the head and stopped the attack.

* The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT, 5/19/91
Celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, Steve and Shelly Robertson had just checked into a motel in Midvale, Utah, when someone knocked on their door. Having earlier noticed several men loitering in the motel's parking lot, Robertson picked up a pistol while his wife answered the knock. When three intruders burst into the room, Robertson fired twice, wounding two of them, one mortally.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 10/30/87
When her landlord forced his way into her Salt Lake City, Utah, home and began beating her friend over a dispute involving automotive repairs, Michele Hansen grabbed her .44 Mag. handgun and repeatedly ordered him to leave. When he instead lunged at her, Hansen fired, killing him. A circuit judge dismissed charges against Hansen, who went into labor after the shooting and gave birth to a son later the same evening.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, 10/26/86
A Salt Lake City, Utah, homeowner was disturbed late at night by knocking at his door. After telephoning police, the homeowner armed himself and answered the door. An armed man standing in the door fired at the resident, who returned fire. In the ensuing struggle the homeowner fatally wounded the man.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (Dates from here on are for the issue of the American Rifleman where they appeared inthe "Armed Citizen" column- September 1979)
Anthony Lelis was relaxing at his Salt Lake City, Utah, home when he heard a cry for help. Investigating, he found a young woman being assaulted on his front lawn. Lelis called police, then took his .38 cal. handgun and went outside. When a warning shot went unheeded, Lelis fired twice at the would-be rapist, hitting him once and driving him away. Police arrested the man a short distance from the scene.

* The Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (Feb 1979)
A convicted felon barged into the backyard of a Salt Lake City, Utah, couple and threatened the pair with a revolver. He then tied up the householder, Lawrence F. Rosvall, 60, in his garage, and Rosvall's wife Velva in a bedroom. Rosvall cut himself loose with a pocket knife, borrowed a shotgun from a neighbor, and confronted the intruder as he was leaving the house. When the hood ignored Rosvall's order to lie down, Rosvall brought him to earth with two shotgun blasts. Police said the badly wounded man had a long record, including a conviction for second degree murder.

* The Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT (November 1978)
Salt Lake City grocer Ervin Wilkerson was seated at a table when a man drew a pistol and attempted a robbery at the check-out stand where Wilkerson's wife and son were working. When his son distracted the bandit and caused him to turn around, Wilkerson shot him with a 12-ga. shotgun.

* The Park Record, Park City, UT (December 1975)
An alert family dog and a .357 Magnum revolver thwarted an apparent holdup attempt at the Park City, Utah, home of Mr. & Mrs. William Bloom. Awakened by barking about 10:30 p.m., Bloom got his revolver and peered through the slit between the curtains of the front door. He observed two men on the doorstep, one brandishing a .38 revolver, the other carrying a large roll of adhesive tape. As they moved toward the door, Bloom pointed his gun above their heads and fired. The prowlers fled, dropping their gun.

* Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT (June 1974)
Sitting behind the counter in his Salt Lake City, Utah, jewelry repair shop one morning, Matthew DeSanto found himself facing a youthful gun-carrying robber. The thief fired a warning shot but scampered away in panic when DeSanto pulled a pistol and returned fire. "I shot over his head," DeSanto said. "He was a kid and had probably never done it before." Police soon cornered the culprit and made the arrest.

* Ogden Standard, Ogden, UT (Feb 1973)
When a gunman tried to push his way into the South Salt Lake, Utah, home of Mrs. Ray Sanchez, Mrs. Sanchez grabbed him, causing him to drop the gun. Her daughter picked it up, fired two shots into the floor and one at the intruder, wounding him. Police took the man to a nearby hospital.

* Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (Jan 1973)
When one of two men he was waiting on pulled a gun, grocer Andrew Pursley of Salt Lake City, Utah, reacted quickly. He pulled a pistol from his apron, grabbed the unarmed robber by the throat, pointed the gun at his head, and asked his partner, "What are you going to do now?" The gunman fled, leaving his accomplice behind. Police arrested the man and later arrested a man believed to be the second robber.

* Murray Eagle, Murray, UT (July 1972)
A Murray, Utah, woman told police of being stabbed in the shoulder by a man who led her to a field, threatening rape. While they were in the field, a truck drove up and two unidentified citizens, one armed with a revolver, got out and chased the man away.

* Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT (July 1971)
Philip S. Summerhays, 27, noticed activity in a nearby parking lot when he arrived home late one night. Thinking somebody might be breaking into a car, he went to investigate and found a youth attempting to rape a 46-year-old woman. Summerhays drew a gun and held the youth for police.

* Deseret News-Salt Lake Telegram, Salt Lake City, UT (March 1971)
An intruder cut through a screen door and entered the home of Mrs. Dale Larsen of Pleasant Grove, Utah. Discovering Mrs. Larsen inside, he lunged at her with his knife. Mrs. Larsen picked up a rifle and fired, causing the man to run out of her house.

* Ogden Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UT (Feb 1971)
A burglar alarm sounding in Walter M. Bain's home late one night alerted him to an illegal entry of his Farmington, Utah, drug store. While his wife called the sheriff's department, Bain armed himself with a shotgun and went to the store. There he captured three suspects and held them until deputies arrived.

* Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (October 1967)
When a man walked into Andrew Pursley's Salt Lake City, Utah, grocery and asked for chewing gum, Pursley turned to get it--and turned back to find himself staring at a pistol. He pulled his own pistol, shot the gunman, and routed him with a possible stomach wound.

* Standard Examiner, Ogden, UT (October 1967)
Lemuel Earl and his wife were awakened by suspicious noises in their store, in front of their home at Mendon, Utah. Armed with a .45 automatic, Earl investigated. In front of the store, he confronted a youth who claimed to be alone. Just then, Earl saw a rifle barrel emerge from the shattered window of his store. He fired a shot which wounded one bandit and caused another to dart from the store with his hands up. Police arrested the three, and said they found a stolen car with four rifles in it.

* Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT (June 1967)
Service station attendant Edward Stambaugh, Provo, Utah, was counting the day's receipts when a car drew up on the drive and a man came around the car, gun in his hand. With no lost motion, Stambaugh scooped up a .38 caliber revolver and took one shot at the surprised "customer." The man fled. Station owner Al Nielson commented, "We always have the gun here just in case."

* Utah County Daily Herald, UT (Feb 1966)
In Santaquin, Utah, restaurant owner Russell Jarvis, who was staying in an apartment behind the restaurant, heard noises. Jarvis picked up a gun and went to investigate. He found a pane of glass removed from a window. Suddenly a man dove out of the window and started to run. Jarvis halted the man and held him at gun point until police arrived. The burglar admitted to police several other robberies in the area.

* Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (Jan 1963)
Standing in front of their Salt Lake City place of business, Nate Gallenson and his son Art witnessed an assault and robbery. Art dashed into a shop, obtained a pistol, and joined the chase. As Art approached, the thief reached inside his shirt and handed over the stolen wallet.

* The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT (March 1962)
Having been robbed at gunpoint and ordered to the rear of his South Salt Lake, Utah, store by a thief wanted elsewhere for seriously wounding a clerk in another holdup, Carl A. Templin grabbed his cal. .38 automatic and rushed to the street as the gunman headed toward his car. Templin fired, the thief returned the fire and sped away in the car. The store owner jumped in his pickup truck and chased the holdup man until he stopped his car, got out, put his gun on the sidewalk, and surrendered, wounded in the arm.