Ohio CHL Holder Apprehends Murderer
Tuesday afternoon, August 21, 2007, Dayton Ohio. Robert Bragg, a 24 year old Ohio Air National Guardsman heard gunshots and shrieks of fear and pain. He went into his home to retrieve his Beretta 9mm handgun. Unbeknownst to Bragg, at the Covault Market and Coin Laundry, two men had just been murdered in cold blood. 
An armed robbery had resulted in the deaths of the market owner, Roger Covault, and one of his employees, Robert T. Harris. Two killers were loose on the street.
About a half hour earlier, Robert Bragg had spoken with two young pedestrians, who asked him for directions in front of his home. He did not recognize them, but he made a mental note of their attire. They wore long sleeves and baggy clothing in the midday sultry heat of Dayton. They asked for directions to a street that Bragg did not recognize, and then they moved on. When Bragg heard the shots from down the street, he had ample cause for alarm.
Now he saw the men running down his street armed with handguns. Bragg quickly went inside his home and told his mother to call 911. He then exited his home with his own sidearm. When the two killers approached, Bragg identified himself as a military policeman and ordered both to halt, to drop their weapons and go prone on the pavement. "They were both stunned," Bragg recalled.
Bragg was outmanned, two to one. He was in a precarious predicament, but he held the initiative.
The tables had turned. Now, it was time for the criminals to be confused and shocked as a events they had not expected unfolded.
One killer lowered his firearm, but the other began to raise his in Bragg's direction. "I think he thought about it. Once he realized I was going to shoot him before he could shoot me, he just took off on foot. For a split second, I thought I was going to have to shoot him," Bragg said. The second killer dropped his weapon and his ski mask.
Assisted by his neighbors, Robert Bragg held one killer, Brandon Phillips, at gunpoint until the authorities arrived, but the other man, the one who raised his gun in Bragg's direction, was still at large in the vicinity. After a manhunt, police apprehended Michael Perdue, the other gunman.
"It never really crossed my mind that I could get hurt," stated Bragg. "It's hard to feel like a hero when two people lost their lives. It's a horrible loss."
Today, the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office approved charges of six counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of kidnapping against Brandon Phillips. Prosecutors also approved charges of aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence against Michael Perdue.
Robert Bragg holds a Ohio Concealed handgun License. Thank you for your service, Airman Bragg.
An armed robbery had resulted in the deaths of the market owner, Roger Covault, and one of his employees, Robert T. Harris. Two killers were loose on the street.About a half hour earlier, Robert Bragg had spoken with two young pedestrians, who asked him for directions in front of his home. He did not recognize them, but he made a mental note of their attire. They wore long sleeves and baggy clothing in the midday sultry heat of Dayton. They asked for directions to a street that Bragg did not recognize, and then they moved on. When Bragg heard the shots from down the street, he had ample cause for alarm.
Now he saw the men running down his street armed with handguns. Bragg quickly went inside his home and told his mother to call 911. He then exited his home with his own sidearm. When the two killers approached, Bragg identified himself as a military policeman and ordered both to halt, to drop their weapons and go prone on the pavement. "They were both stunned," Bragg recalled.
Bragg was outmanned, two to one. He was in a precarious predicament, but he held the initiative.
The tables had turned. Now, it was time for the criminals to be confused and shocked as a events they had not expected unfolded.One killer lowered his firearm, but the other began to raise his in Bragg's direction. "I think he thought about it. Once he realized I was going to shoot him before he could shoot me, he just took off on foot. For a split second, I thought I was going to have to shoot him," Bragg said. The second killer dropped his weapon and his ski mask.
Assisted by his neighbors, Robert Bragg held one killer, Brandon Phillips, at gunpoint until the authorities arrived, but the other man, the one who raised his gun in Bragg's direction, was still at large in the vicinity. After a manhunt, police apprehended Michael Perdue, the other gunman.
"It never really crossed my mind that I could get hurt," stated Bragg. "It's hard to feel like a hero when two people lost their lives. It's a horrible loss."
Today, the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office approved charges of six counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of kidnapping against Brandon Phillips. Prosecutors also approved charges of aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence against Michael Perdue.
Robert Bragg holds a Ohio Concealed handgun License. Thank you for your service, Airman Bragg.
Labels: Robert Bragg, Self Defense
posted by Xavier at 6:42 PM
4 Comments:
One citizen can make a difference. Bravo to this Air National Guard airman... just goes to show that his commitment to his community and fellow citizens as evidenced by his choice to enlist in Ohio's Air National Guard shows in his daily life. Many would have locked the front door and stayed inside. He went out in harm's way and the results are telling.
Bad guy = 0, Good guy = 1
Of course, let us recognize his Air Force military training as a security police specialist. It prepared him well for that moment outside his home. What he did isn't recommended for the faint of heart... it took great courage and conviction.
That people helped the guy is a breath of fresh air. I just read on CNN where a woman was beaten and raped for 30 minutes in an apartment building hallway. 10 people saw and did nothing about it. Some turned around and just walked away. Some watched from their doorways intermittently. Some psychologist was trying to explain the phenomenon away as "bystander syndrome." My technical term for it is "slimy coward syndrome."
Thank God for men like Robert Bragg.
Kudos to you Airman! thank you for standing up and making a difference. we need 10000 more like you!
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