Man wrestles gun from assailant outside Manchester pub

[Howzit]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8402557.stm


Who needs blued steel when you have brass balls?

[Euromutt]

1. Or Dutch courage

Not that that's a term I particularly care for, being Dutch myself, but the point being that the chap with the disarming personality there had been drinking inside the pub before coming out, and the alcohol may have overridden his sense of self-preservation.

There's some more details in that incident, by the way, none of them pretty (http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1185360_gun_thug_jailed_after_being_caught_on_cctv).

The lad with the gun, James "Baby James" Drewitt, is apparently a long-standing member of the Longsight Crew, a Manchester gang, and had been released from prison a month before after having been convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. The shots he fired were apparently part of an altercation with members of a rival gang, three of whom took the opportunity, once he'd been disarmed, to pounce on him. One of them even stabbed him. Drewitt pleaded guilty to "possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence," stating as a mitigating factor that the weapon was an imitation (presumably a blank-firing replica). Since the gun went missing between Drewitt's being disarmed and his being arrested, it's impossible to tell whether that's true, though a lack of bullet holes in the surrounding architecture would seem to support the claim.

Still, it says something about the perceived effectiveness of British firearm laws that the overwhelming majority of people in the CCTV clip were taking cover. They sure as hell thought the gun was real.

[proteus_lives]

2. You know what's also made of brass?

Coffin handles.

Still, brave fella, lucky fella.

[struggle4progress]

3. I know of a case where a guy pulled a gun on a couple walking down the street and

demanded their wallets. The husband handed his over. But the wife argued with the gunman that he had no right to her money and she wasn't going to give it up. And the gunman took off

Personally, I'd just have just handed over my wallet

[Norrin Radd]

4. Always carry a dummy wallet filled with a bunch of ones.

[rfranklin]

5. I don't have a wallet...

and almost never have cash. Then again, I have never been robbed.

[Pavulon]

6. Wow. There was a guy in a mexican train station

who tried something similar who is now dead. He was called a hero, but is not really able to enjoy that status. I would probably just give up my wallet.