Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Armed Citizens Can Take Out Bad Guys Before the Police Arrive

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File

On December 18 Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Breitbart News that armed citizens can “stop the carnage” and take out bad guys “before the cops arrive.”

Arpaio stressed that this is true whether you are talking about a San Bernardino-style attack, an attack on a school or church, or a high profile shooting like the one in which two civilians and a police officer lost their lives at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood on November 27.

Regarding Colorado Springs shooting, Arpaio said, “The guy in Colorado, he killed a cop and two others, and I think he was roaming around for quite a while. If we had a citizen with a gun, they could have taken him down.”

Arpaio then talked about his push for citizens to carry guns to stop high profile shooters in their tracks. He said:

What about the 250,000 we know of that carry concealed weapons in Arizona–and it’s probably more than that–why can’t they be trusted to take the bad guys out? Before the San Benardino attack ever happened I said that if there’s a rampage going on, I would hope somebody may be there with a weapon and can shoot the guy; to stop the carnage before the cops get there.

I wasn’t talking about ISIS or San Bernardino, I was talking about the churches and schools. I’m just using common sense. Armed citizens make the difference.

Breitbart News previously reported that Arpaio sent his volunteer armed posse into Maricopa County shopping malls beginning November 30, to help prevent attacks. But even then–days before the San Bernardino shooting occurred–he stressed that rank and file Americans with concealed carry permits were also part of the defensive plan.

Arpaio said:

The volunteer posse can’t do it alone, so with nearly 250,000 Arizonans carrying concealed weapons, terrorists with evil intent entering large gatherings, including shopping malls, should be worried about armed citizens who will be ready to defend themselves and others.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

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