Walking the Dog

Walking the dog is a solitary activity for most people. Walking the dog is a responsibility that builds a bond between man and animal. When I walk Ilsa, I sometimes think that she is the most perfect defense against a mugging. An attacker might doubt whether I am armed, or whether I might resist, although they would be wrong on either account. They would not doubt that the large black wolf-like creature with me would sink her fangs into their flesh if she felt I was threatened. Ilsa is a deterrent. Then, I read stories like this one from Terrell Texas.

On December 17, 2008, at approximately 10:20 PM, a citizen carried his legally concealed firearm while walking his dog in Ben Gill Park in Terrell Texas. He suddenly found himself surrounded by a pack of four teenagers intending to mug him. When one of the attackers pulled out a gun, the armed citizen responded with a gun of his own, and the willingness to use it to save his life.

The young thug with the gun, Markee Lamar Johnson, was shot in the head. His three cohorts turned tail and ran. They escaped in a black pick-up truck. The victim remained at the scene and called 911 on his cell phone. "I shot one guy. I think he's dead. He hasn't moved at all," the victim said.

Responding police found Johnson sprawled on the ground with incapacitating head injuries. His stolen handgun was near his body. "There's the gun right there that he had. He's moving, he's breathing still," said the victim, his cell phone connection with 911 recording his conversation with officers at the scene. The dog could be heard barking in the background. Johnson, a basketball player at Terrell High School, was transported to a local hospital. He was subsequently transferred to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where he was pronounced dead.

The black truck, which belonged to a family member of one of the thugs, was discovered abandoned about two miles from the crime scene. Ryan Scott Patterson, 19, of Terrell was apprehended and charged with aggravated robbery. The other two offenders, while identified by police, are not yet in custody.

The citizen who faced a lethal threat while walking his dog was not injured. Police are not filing any charges. "I think in this particular situation, it would be a clear example of someone exercising their rights to protect themselves under the law," Captain A.D. Sanson said. The case will be referred to a grand jury.