At Cobbs Creek Park in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a 67-year-old man suddenly encountered two masked men who were prepared to rob him. One of them had a pellet gun (a toy) and the other carried a stick as a weapon. The one with the fake gun pointed it at his face and demanded he gives up any valuable items that he may have been carrying.
The 67-year-old man refused to relinquish his possessions, and the two of them soon engaged in a physical altercation. It was then that the elderly man produced a .38 caliber handgun and fatally shot the robber – possibly someone in their early twenties or a teenager – right between the eyes. Fortunately, due to the fact that he had legally obtained a concealed weapons license coupled with an absence of criminal history, authorities quickly released him at the scene after due process.
Following the altercation that led to the demise of the robber, an ambulance transported the elderly man to a hospital for evaluation. Emergency personnel were concerned when he indicated chest pains as it is a sign of a heart attack; however, his racing heartbeat and immense anxiety due to such a traumatic experience were also likely attributing factors.
As the situation began to turn against the crooks, their accomplice with a stick quickly ran away. Unfortunately, authorities have yet to locate or identify him.
Despite the violent outcome, police have decided to treat this incident as an act of self-defense and will not be charging the 67-year-old man with a crime. The intended victim successfully defended himself by killing his assailant who was armed with a gun.
“At this point, I don’t see any charges being filed,” stated Upper Darby Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood.
A man from Philadelphia found himself in a state of panic when, while strolling through the park around 2:30 pm, he heard unfamiliar voices behind him. Upon turning around to investigate the commotion, his worst fears were confirmed – robbers had been stalking him and prepared to pounce! In self-defense mode now, the man knew he needed to act fast.
“When he turns around, he sees a guy with a mask covering half of his face, and he’s got a gun in his right hand,” Chitwood stated.
In the words of Chitwood, when the criminal asked for money from the elderly man, he quickly moved to grasp his right hand that held the toy gun in a bid to gain control.
“A struggle ensues – this is a 67-year-old tangling with a much younger man – and as (the robbery victim) starts to lose his balance, he reaches into his waistband and pulls out his gun, a .38-caliber revolver,” Chitwood stated. “As he’s falling backward, he fires one shot.”
Law enforcement authorities strongly suggest that the 67-year-old man was unaware of his opponent’s weapon being a replica and consequently acted in self-defense as if it were an authentic gun with lethal capability.
Superintendent Michael Chitwood of Upper Darby Police said the victim “did a great job defending himself.”
