A Cape Coral, Florida driver for the rideshare company Lyft used his legally owned and carried firearm to defend himself when a passenger pulled a knife and began threatening him. According to WINK-TV, the driver didn’t have to pull the trigger, but the fact that he had his gun may have saved his life.

While the Lyft driver was driving around 1:10 a.m., the passenger retrieved a small, black knife and began dictating where to drive. According to the Cape Coral Police Dept. arrest report, at the intersection of Chiquita Blvd and El Dorado Pkwy, Mormon banged the dashboard with the knife while waving it in a “threatening manner.”

The driver told Mormon to exit the vehicle because he was in fear for his life. When Mormon did not listen, the victim pulled out a firearm and told Mormon once again to exit the vehicle. The arrest report states that Mormon complied and the victim left the scene.

As WINK notes, Lyft’s policy is that drivers must be disarmed in their own cars while on the clock (Uber has the same policy). Kudos to reporter Justin Case (great name, by the way) for knowing that fact and asking nearby residents what they thought about the prospect of the driver losing his gig with Lyft for protecting himself with a gun.

“You have to look at the situation,” said Joanne and Bob Syversen, “before you clamp down on exactly what the rule says or what the law says.”

Police detained Mormon, who was found with a black pocket knife in his jeans. The victim later identified the detained suspect for officers with a request to press charges. Right now, Mormon is at Lee County Jail with a trial date on Feb. 10.

WINK News reached out to Lyft to see if the driver will face punishment for brandishing a gun to protect his life. So far, the rideshare company has not responded.

This is the second armed citizen story out of Cape Coral, Florida in recent days that WINK-TV has covered, and covered well. The previous story featured a concealed carry holder who came to the aid of two strangers who were being attacked by a man who allegedly became enraged after they refused his advances. It’s great to see the solid local reporting on these stories, especially since the national media will ignore them both.

In both cases, “average Americans” used firearms in public spaces to protect innocent lives. Yet Democrats like Mike Bloomberg, who’s spending his way up the polls, believe that this Lyft driver and Amir Rossi, the man who protected two women who needed help, should both have been disarmed. Those average Americans, says Bloomberg, just can’t be trusted with a gun. In Bloomberg’s America, the Lyft driver might not just be looking for a new job. He’d be looking at hard time.