henric
01-08-2012, 10:12 AM
by Sameer Vasta
Sarah McKinley showed incredible poise when faced with a home intruder that threatened her and her baby. If the authorities had acted faster, she may not have had to shoot and kill.
For many of us, the holiday season can be stressful. For Sarah McKinley, it was life-altering.
McKinley, and 18-year-old in Oklahoma, lost her husband to cancer just before Christmas. On new year's eve, she faced an intruder that broke into her home and came at her with a knife and threatened her and her infant child. The young mother shot and killed the man after he broke in; authorities have decided that she used acceptable force in the incident.
For someone so young and dealing with the recent death of her husband, McKinley showed incredible poise: she called emergency dispatch services and remained on the line with them as the intruder tried to break down the door. She asked the 911 operator whether or not she could use her gun to deter the intruder if she felt threatened; the operator reminded her that under the law, she had a right to protect herself and her baby if she was being threatened in her home. She only used the gun once the intruder had broken down the door and had come after her with a hunting knife.
Many will argue that this incident is an argument for the right to bear arms and for more relaxed gun laws. Others will argue the other side. What I'd like to question, however, is why the situation got to the point where a weapon had to be used in the first place.
According to reports, McKinley called 911 as soon as the intruders started banging on her door. She remained on the line with emergency dispatch for 21 minutes. Where were the police? How long did it take for emergency services to be dispatched, and how long did it take for them to arrive? Presumably, if the police arrived quickly, the entire intrusion could have been avoided and the perpetrators caught before the situation had to escalate.
Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but the questions still linger — instead of being a story that incites a debate about gun laws, this could have been a story about how a poised young woman showed composure and called the police early enough to stop a crime. I'm impressed with McKinley's quick-thinking and level-headedness in a time of crisis, and happy that she was able to save herself and her baby, but wish it didn't have to end in anyone getting shot and killed.
Sarah McKinley showed incredible poise when faced with a home intruder that threatened her and her baby. If the authorities had acted faster, she may not have had to shoot and kill.
For many of us, the holiday season can be stressful. For Sarah McKinley, it was life-altering.
McKinley, and 18-year-old in Oklahoma, lost her husband to cancer just before Christmas. On new year's eve, she faced an intruder that broke into her home and came at her with a knife and threatened her and her infant child. The young mother shot and killed the man after he broke in; authorities have decided that she used acceptable force in the incident.
For someone so young and dealing with the recent death of her husband, McKinley showed incredible poise: she called emergency dispatch services and remained on the line with them as the intruder tried to break down the door. She asked the 911 operator whether or not she could use her gun to deter the intruder if she felt threatened; the operator reminded her that under the law, she had a right to protect herself and her baby if she was being threatened in her home. She only used the gun once the intruder had broken down the door and had come after her with a hunting knife.
Many will argue that this incident is an argument for the right to bear arms and for more relaxed gun laws. Others will argue the other side. What I'd like to question, however, is why the situation got to the point where a weapon had to be used in the first place.
According to reports, McKinley called 911 as soon as the intruders started banging on her door. She remained on the line with emergency dispatch for 21 minutes. Where were the police? How long did it take for emergency services to be dispatched, and how long did it take for them to arrive? Presumably, if the police arrived quickly, the entire intrusion could have been avoided and the perpetrators caught before the situation had to escalate.
Perhaps I am being presumptuous, but the questions still linger — instead of being a story that incites a debate about gun laws, this could have been a story about how a poised young woman showed composure and called the police early enough to stop a crime. I'm impressed with McKinley's quick-thinking and level-headedness in a time of crisis, and happy that she was able to save herself and her baby, but wish it didn't have to end in anyone getting shot and killed.