'Not All Heroes Wear Capes': Why The Utah PD Is Thanking One CC Owner

Over the weekend, Fox News first reported on a story where a law-abiding concealed carrier stopped an attack on a Utah police officer, potentially saving the officer’s life.

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From Fox News:

The unidentified police officer confronted the attacker, identified as Paul Douglas Anderson, after spotting feet dangling from a donation bin in Springville, FOX13 Salt Lake City reported on Saturday. Anderson got out of the bin, but refused to remove his hands from his pocket.

The officer ordered Anderson to remove his hands out of his pockets. Anderson eventually took his hands out of his pants’ pockets and began repeatedly punching the officer in the face.

How close the officer was to the individual or if he had drawn his weapon is not known, but the attacker was close enough and quick enough that the officer did not have time to react to defend himself.

Thankfully, Derek Meyer was driving by, was armed, and made the quick and right decision to help.

Derek Meyer told FOX13 he was driving by the area when he spotted the police lights and saw Anderson attacking the cop. Meyer turned around and pulled out his pistol.

Meyer aimed the pistol at Anderson and yelled at him to stop attacking the officer. Anderson bolted from the scene as responding officers arrived. The attacker, who was found hiding under a flatbed trailer, was arrested and faces several charges, according to FOX13.

The officer suffered a fractured eye socket and lacerations around his eye.

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Meyer said he didn’t jump into action to be labeled a hero or to make headlines. Regardless, he is a hero, and the headlines are deserving.

But Meyer did tell Fox 13 something that is important for people to hear. The article states that Meyer is “sharing his story because there aren’t enough ‘good stories from responsible, gun-owning people.'”

That statement couldn’t be more accurate. The American people see headlines about mass shootings, people acting irresponsibly with firearms, Congress fighting for or against gun control, and gun control advocates saying gun owners rarely save lives or that there are so few instances that it doesn’t matter. But stories like Derek Meyer’s go underreported. There’s that saying in news programming that “if it bleeds, it leads.” There’s bias in the media, whether it be from the left or the right, and that bias will push a narrative rather than inform readers.

However, in instances like this, not only does a man deserve recognition for an act of heroism, but the public deserves to know that there are Second Amendment supporters out there who are the good guys and they do what they can to protect the lives of others.

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Those on Twitter seemed to agree.

https://twitter.com/pnkrton182/status/960200293018370048

And to this last point – will more stories like this spur the Senate to take up and pass National Reciprocity?

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