Based on the title, you probably think the constable in question did something sneaky and underhanded, and, well…he did. It was sneaky and underhanded–but in all the best ways.

You see, when it comes to protecting yours or someone else’s life, there is no “fair” and “unfair.” In this case, the Louisiana reserve constable did what he had to do to come out alive.

According to Police Chief Carl Dunn, the victim was working on a house he’s been building when a man with a handgun rode up to him on a bicycle.

The armed robber forced the victim go to an ATM to get cash, but Dunn said the robber was not satisfied with the amount of money he got.

The victim then told the robber he had another ATM card at his house in Baker. They went to the house and the robber allowed the man inside to get the supposed second card. But, the robber got antsy while waiting and went into the house. Police say the victim had his own gun inside the home and shot the robber once as he walked inside.

Dunn said the victim showed quick thinking and restraint.

I’ll be honest, other than the fact that the reserve constable didn’t have a firearm on his person at the time he initially made contact with the criminal, he did everything about as well as I can imagine.

Of course, it helped that the suspect was an idiot, but that’s not overly surprising. I mean, the guy rolled up on the victim while on a bicycle. That’s usually a sign you’re not dealing with a master criminal.

But by entering the home and leaving the criminal outside, he successfully got away from the criminal. The suspect entering after him gave grounds that the suspect intended harm. Plus, since Louisiana is a Castle Doctrine state and people who enter homes without permission routinely hurt people found inside said home, he had all the grounds needed to use lethal force.

Then, the victim did precisely what he should have done. He kept firing until the fight was over. In this case, the suspect dropped his weapon, thus ending the threat. The reserve constable then ceased firing.

However, I’d recommend you to be careful following this example. It’s not because the constable did anything wrong. Instead, my concern stems mostly from its success being predicated on the suspect being stupid. By all means, give it a try if you need to, though I hope you’re never in that position. But don’t be surprised when it doesn’t go by the numbers.

Still, it did for this constable, and I’m glad it did. He’s safe and sound, and the suspect is not only dealing with extra holes in his person but is facing several charges, including bench warrants from another jurisdiction. By any measure you want to use, this counts as a win for the good guys.

Just do yourself a favor. Carry your gun and don’t count on the criminal escorting you home to get it.