In an incident underscoring the reality that guns work better than restraining orders, a woman in Monrovia, California, shot and killed a man who attempted to assault her with knives. The harrowing incident left the assailant dead and the armed woman physically unscathed.
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The shooting occurred on Friday night, shortly after the man arrived at the homeowner’s residence armed with knives.
The shooting was reported at about 9 p.m. Friday in the San Gabriel Valley community after the man arrived at the home, apparently intent on attacking the woman, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said. Another man was inside the home at the time.
The woman phoned dispatchers to report that a man with a restraining order against him was at the home armed with knives. The man with a gunshot wound was dead when law enforcement officers arrived.
“(The man) went to the residence armed with knives, attempted to stab the white female adult and white male adult, and to stop the threat the white female adult discharged a firearm,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “ The female adult and male adult provided voluntary statements and were not arrested.”
A firearm and several knives allegedly were recovered at the scene.
The identity of the deceased assailant was confirmed as 42-year-old Thanh Cong Le. The authorities found him lying dead in the driveway of the home. The woman and the other man who was inside the home during the altercation gave statements to the police. They have not been arrested for the shooting.
The incident rattled members of the community. Neighbor Paulette Polk described the incident as “a little traumatizing” and recounted going outside and seeing the assailant in the driveway. Another local resident said he saw one of the man’s knives “lying on the ground.” He first believed it was a leaf but then realized it was a knife after a closer look.
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Monrovia police noted that “several knives and a firearm were recovered by investigators at the scene,” according to a local report. The authorities acknowledged that the woman acted in self-defense after Le tried to stab her and the other individual in the home. “To stop the threat, the white female adult discharged a firearm,” the sheriff’s department explained in a written statement.
The incident shocked members of the community as these types of incidents are rare in that part of the city. It is not known why the woman had filed the restraining order against the assailant, but in the end, it did not matter.
This story further highlights the importance of women being armed. In this case, the victim had obtained a restraining order against her assailant, who obviously did not care. In far too many cases, that piece of paper does nothing to stop violent people.
However, having a gun is far more effective at stopping an assailant. Luckily, the woman in this story had the wisdom to arm herself rather than depending on the government to protect her. This incident could have turned out much differently if she hadn’t.