71-year old Plantation Fla. Marine Defends Self ...

... and Cashier at Subway Shop
Two Would Be Robbers Shot
One Dies Instantly and the Other ...
Learned a Hard Lesson

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Before any of you out there get too exorcized over this article let me make it clear, I believe strongly in the right of anyone to use deadly force to defend themselves, their family, or anyone else in need.

This is not a decision that is made easily and yet one that at times must be made.

I learned gun safety as a youngster from surrogate Fathers, Mr. Doug Travis at Ky Fish and Wildlife, and my grandfather.

The military taught me more about weapons than I will ever be able to forget. They spent a lot of money on teaching me to be a sniper and how to handle small arms.

And yes, I carry a Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permit. That also means that I carry a weapon for those of you not initiated in the lingo. I only secured the permit after 9/11 and only then after much thought.

I qualified at 100% from a tough instructor, who by the way is also a minister, and yes, if I ever have to draw my weapon I will use it.

I don’t believe in drawing a weapon and not pulling the trigger.

I have encouraged my wife, and others I love to get their CCW permits. And I encourage you to think long and hard about your need for one because we live in a society where we must take control of our own security and safety.

There are “Progressives” out there, and one grieving Mother, who want to know why the 71-year old Marine had to “kill them.”

They are attempting to make Mr. John Lovell the villain.

He is no hero. He is not villain.

He is a former Air Force One pilot for two presidents, a Marine and a man that has earned the right to sit in a Subway shop in Florida and enjoy his dinner and to not be robbed by two hoodlums brandishing their own guns.

As far as the grieving Mother. I am sorry your son was shot. I truly am. However, you would not be grieving if you had raised your son properly. Accept your own responsibility in this situation. Pray for your own forgiveness.

Why did John Lovell draw down on two hoodlums and shoot them?

Why did you not hear about it in any of the mainstream media?

I don't know. Perhaps, you should read on and decide for yourself what you would have done ...

{Thanks to my friend, mentor, and former employer Harl Barnett for sharing this article with me.}

June 29, 2007 --- Plantation Andres Ramirez remembers lying prone on the cold floor behind the sandwich counter, listening to the horrific sounds of a violent struggle he could not see. He worried he was going to die. Then the fighting and gunfire stopped.

Two days after a customer shot a pair of armed robbers during his night shift at a Subway restaurant, Ramirez returned to work Friday, saying it was his responsibility. The Costa Rican native speaks little English but understood the robbers' orders.

'They were asking me for the money,' Ramirez, 26, said of the robbers. 'I pointed to the cash register, said it was by the menus and then dropped to the floor.' Police said the robbers, later identified as Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale, and Fredrick Gadson, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, then turned their attention to the lone customer at the restaurant: former Marine John Lovell, 71.

Ramirez feared that the robbers were killing Lovell, not realizing at the time that it was Lovell who was pounding on and shooting the robbers.

In the end, Lovell had fatally wounded Arrindell and shot Gadson, who was in stable condition Friday at Broward General Medical Center, police said.

Police have charged Arrindell with felony murder and armed robbery. Under Florida law, anyone who commits a felony such as armed robbery resulting in death can be charged with murder. Police say Lovell will not be charged.

On Friday, police announced that detectives are investigating whether Arrindell and Gadson are suspects in similar holdups in Broward and Palm Beach counties. They are reviewing the restaurant surveillance tape for clues. Owner Khalid Malik, 54, of Coral Springs, recounted the scene captured by the store's security camera.

He declined to let a reporter watch it.

According to Malik, Gadson and Arrindell walked in at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, wearing sunglasses and bandannas covering their faces. Gadson approached Ramirez and demanded money.

Arrindell pointed his gun at Lovell, who was finishing his veggie sandwich and diet Coke. Lovell stood up and raised his hands.

'He said he handed whatever he had on him - $500 - but they kept pushing him,' Malik said.

Arrindell pushed Lovell toward the women's restroom while Gadson took the cashier's money tray, Malik said. Gadson entered the employee area and grabbed the change box. That's when the shooting began.

'The victim believed he would be executed, and when he noticed [Arrindell] distracted ... reached behind his back, removed his loaded .45 caliber handgun from his holster and fired seven rounds,' according to a police statement.

Two bullets struck Arrindell in the head and stomach, police said. Another flew through a wall and hit the walk-in cooler, according to Malik. Gadson emerged from the employee room, and Lovell, who has a concealed-weapons permit, fired several times. One bullet shattered the store's glass door, and another hit Gadson. He collapsed in the doorway, scattering dollar bills and coins across the sidewalk. Gadson got up and ran off, only to be found later in the bushes next to a bank down the street by a K-9 unit.

Back at the store, Lovell adjusted his pants and patted his pockets.

'He looks very calm. He's just like our president says, 'Bring it on,'' Malik said. Lovell pulled out his eyeglasses and put them on. He called 911.

Then came the police questioning, the phone calls, the pack of reporters and TV crews camped in front of his home in the rain. Lovell is surprised by the attention, said his lawyer and friend, Wesley White. People are fascinated with Lovell's story, and many have contacted White to express their admiration.

'It's recognition that there are still heroes among us. They may not act like it, they may not proclaim it, nevertheless they're walking among us,' said White, of Yulee. 'And one of them, by circumstance or fate, steps up to the plate.' Gadson has no arrest record, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Arrindell was convicted in 2004 of carrying a concealed weapon.


Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

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