Texas Woman Faces Charges In "Warning Shot" Case

The Texas woman who negligently pointed her gun at a half-dozen people attempting to contain a purse snatcher, before firing a “warning shot” and then wandering off before police arrived, has been indicted:

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A Robinson woman who pulled a gun on a suspected purse snatcher last month and fired a shot in his direction after he started to run away was indicted Wednesday.

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Emma Cotten, 28, on a deadly conduct charge in a Nov. 20 incident in the parking lot of a Bellmead Wal-Mart, sources familiar with the case said Wednesday.

Cotten was named in a sealed indictment, because Bellmead police did not arrest her but sent the case to the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The indictment will be made public after Cotten is arrested.

The incident was captured on video by at least two witnesses and sent to Bellmead police and media outlets. The video also was widely circulated on social media.

According to Texas law, a person commits deadly conduct if he or she “recklessly engages in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury” or if she “discharges a firearm at or in the direction of one or more individuals, or a habitation, building or vehicle.”

Deadly conduct can be a Class A misdemeanor or a third-degree felony, depending on how it is alleged. That was unclear Wednesday, because the indictment remains sealed.behavior.

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Cotten did not have a concealed carry permit, and it appears that she retrieved her weapon from her vehicle and was not carrying it on her person when the incident began.

Sadly, we’ve seen far too many people recently who think the right to bear arms means that they are some sort of quasi-law enforcement officer. We’ve reported two incidents recently where concealed carriers shot a shoplifters attempting to flee the scene of their crimes in addition to Ms. Cotten’s reckless behavior.

You have the right to bear arms, but the right to carry a deadly weapon comes with the gravest of responsibilities. It requires a knowledge of the law, and the training to use the firearm correctly and competently (what the Founders meant by “well-regulated”).

Get professional defensive firearms training, folks.

It matters.

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