“Sally” (we’ll call her) has worked as a registered nurse (RN) in both clinics and hospital settings in downstate Illinois for over ten years. Recently, without a hubby or kids living at home, she decided to take a leave of absence from her downstate hospital to work a Chinese coronavirus unit at a Cook County facility.
She’s a Guns Save Life member, and a carry license holder in the Land of Lincoln. Additionally, she lives life with eyes wide open when it comes to situational awareness inside and outside the medical world.
Taking the initiative to reconnoiter the lay of the land ahead of starting her assignment, she secured a hotel room on her own dime and drove up a day early.
Exiting the Interstate, she drove toward her assigned hospital. Obviously, she doesn’t want to name the hospital or its location. But I can say it borders a violent neighborhood as listed at HeyJackass.com.
She pulled up to a red light and stopped. Sally said there were two cars ahead of her and she noticed a pair of men walk up to the first car in her lane. Both approached the driver’s door, one with a white bucket and the other with his hand in his pocket in a manner that suggested he had a gun in his hand.
Driver #1 tossed cash into the bucket and the two men approached the second car with their heads on swivels as if looking for police.
The same scenario played out, and this time Sally could see more clearly that Mr. Hand-in-Pocket acted rather aggressively. Once again, it looked even more clearly that he represented to the drivers that he might have a gun in his pocket.
Driver #2 ponied up some cash and the pair started toward Sally’s car. Only Sally had drawn her pistol and pointed at the guy with his hand in his pocket with her gun’s muzzle just over the steering wheel.
Mr. Hand-in-Pocket saw Sally’s determined expression and then the muzzle of a gun. In an instant, he and his pal took off like their hair was on fire.
Sally breathed a sigh of relief and put her gun away. She admitted to having the shakes afterwards. Finally, a few blocks later, she arrived at the hospital.
The security staff at said hospital aren’t young girls, overweight retirees, or the Paul Blarts that Sally says she’s accustomed to seeing downstate. At this facility, she described the security as serious professionals with body armor, duty belts with TASERs and big, semi-auto pistols.
She asked me if she did the right thing and I opined that I thought she put herself on very thin legal ice. Especially given the propensity of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to hammer law-abiding gun owners while giving a pass to many career criminals.
Fortunately it all worked out well for her. But it could have gone sideways pretty quickly. Just like life.
Know the laws in your state. Don’t present a firearm unless you perceive a threat of death or grievous bodily harm to you or your loved ones. And be careful out there.
Just another lawful use of a firearm safety someone from being robbed or Worse which in the annals of modern police work will go but are unreported. I say good for her and keep your mouth shut or as they say in Michigan shoot shovel and shut up.