The well-worn script that follows a justified defensive shooting in the U.S. usually results in law enforcement commending the citizen for being their own first responder. The defender, in most locales, will be exalted as a hero who stood up to the bad guys and won.
Then there’s Des Moines, Iowa.
Late last month, a 22-year-old man was sitting in his car when a young mob allegedly attacked him. The driver, who does not face charges, fired his legal weapon in self-defense and struck and critically wounded a 17-year-old suspect.
Official picked an odd time to lecture public on self-defense
Now, if the self-defense shooting had happened in Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago, the good citizen could expect legal pushback. But in Iowa?
For reasons unknown, Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek decided the incident meant authorities should lecture law-abiding gun owners on how to defend themselves. He noted that more taxpayers now carry weapons than in the past.
“There’s been several changes in gun laws here in Iowa over the years. And the one thing that we’ve seen, the byproduct of that, is there’s more guns out there.” Yes, Iowa became a constitutional carry state five years ago, so obviously, the people will be even more prepared.
The people have every right to protect themselves and their loved ones
Parizek continued. “Somebody can’t drive by and flip you off, and you can’t shoot them. That’s not a response for that. You can’t say I was scared they were going to get out of their car. There has to be a threat.”
Assuming there’s not been a recent rash of bird-flipping-related shootings, his comments are not what you’d expect when a brave citizen holds off an alleged attacker. And, as a law enforcement official, his comments could give reasonable Iowans pause about the legality of armed self-defense.
That would be wrong. Every law-abiding American has the fundamental right to protect themselves and their loved ones. If the Des Moines shooting had been a case of overreacting to a perceived threat, Parizek’s words would carry more weight.
But it was not. Instead, it was yet another example of an armed citizen surviving a violent assault.
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