St. Petersburg Times - December 2, 2003 --  "Man jailed after gunshot stops fight"
 

Approximately 9PM, November 30, 2003, 63-year-old George Lowe heard loud noises outside his home on 40th Street N in St. Petersburg. He went outside and found four young men apparently pounding on cars and creating a disturbance, apparently fueled by alcohol. He requested that they stop and move on but one of the men took a swing at him, missed, and then kicked him in the hip thereby knocking him to the ground. Three of the four, identified as James T. Moore, 20, James C. Ganoe III, 18, and Eric J. Palm, 18, began to kick him in the head and body as the victim was lying on the ground. The fourth young man did not become involved in the attack. As the attack continued, Melvin B. Spaulding, 71 years old and visibly frail, went to aid his friend. Spaulding had a .22 caliber pistol and warned the three scumbags three times to stop their attack of the 63-year-old but they ignored him and continued their attack of their elderly victim. Spaulding then discharged his pistol one time and struck Moore in his right biceps. The three attackers then fled. Lowe, who suffered bruises, a sore back and a torn leg muscle, stated that he considered Spaulding to be his hero and that Spaulding fired his gun  ... "To save my ass, I guess. I know I would have done it for him." Moore was treated for a gunshot wound to his right biceps at Bayfront Medical Center and then arrested for an earlier battery, and a previous warrant, that he committed earlier that Sunday evening. Allegedly this same group of scumbags was creating a disturbance on 55th Avenue N. and, when confronted by a citizen basically making the same request to quiet down as Lowe had made, Moore advised this citizen that he had a .45 caliber handgun. The citizen replied that he also had one inside his home so Moore hit him in the face with a plastic bottle! What was the initial outcome of the attack on Lowe? Very simple -- the alleged scumbag perpetrator is being investigated for a simple battery and the 71-year-old was arrested for attempted murder and taken to jail! The police response is that Spaulding should have called the police via 911 rather than become involved. Gee, it seems to me that life is at the instant isn't it? This is where the decisions made at the instant become very difficult for both the victim and the would-be rescuer:
       1. Perhaps the whole situation is avoided if Lowe simply calls the police to check out the disorderly punks!
       2. Perhaps the attempted murder charge is avoided if Spaulding calls the police!
       3. Perhaps Lowe is kicked or beaten to death or permanently crippled due to delayed intervention by the police!
       4. Perhaps either Lowe or Spaulding or both clearly articulate a well-founded fear that the felonious attack based on circumstances (three young punks kicking a relatively helpless much older man) would have resulted in either his death or great bodily injury!
       5. Perhaps the three punks are bright enough to be good cockroaches and flee when there was at least one witness to their evil & heinous deeds!
       6. Perhaps Lowe gets a simple whipping without serious injury!
       7. Perhaps this would have been a good time for Spaulding to say:
             I was in fear for my (buddy's) life
             I was only trying to make him (them) stop
             I want to speak with a lawyer now
       8. Perhaps this -- perhaps that, etc., The simple fact of life is that hindsight is usually 20/20!
As good citizens, please remember that you are totally liable and responsible for your actions and that you may be required to develop reasonable belief in a jury of your 'peers' that they would have done the same thing at the same time in the same situation with the same level of force against the same subject for the same reasons. This is definitely problematical due to the fact that the responding authorities were not present when the attack was ongoing and the jury of your peers will be even further separated from the event. Let's not forget the time factor -- what you experienced in seconds or minutes in a very stressful and uncontrolled environment, your peers can review for hours, days or weeks in a secure and guarded courthouse. You know my philosophy in these matters my friends. It is simply that it is easier to avoid it than to extricate yourself from it! Go forth and do the right thing -- whatever that is! There will be more than a few folks willing to tell you that you screwed up!

PS -- The latest news that I heard indicated that the three scumbag attackers had been arrested for misdemeanor battery and Mr. Spaulding had been released from jail on his own recognizance pending further review by the state attorney.

 

Added Discounts
 

As most of you know, I have several associates that provide specialized goods and services for my Security Survey clients. Tony Davis, Glass Protection Services (Mylar Glass Gard), Joe Pine, Suncoast Security Services (Guardian high tech portable alarm system), Chris Cooper, Best Lock & Safe (locks and safes) and Steve Morris, Madeira Beach Electric (security lighting, electrical work and security cameras) are on my "A Team" for those critical survey operations. By our agreement, Tony, Joe, Chris and Steve have agreed to provide 10% discounts to all my clients on a continuing basis. Due to the approaching Holidays, they have agreed to extend an extra 10% discount for all goods and services scheduled and completed before January 31, 2004. Please contact me either at my business phone (727-535-9151) or at my cell phone (727-515-1317) so that I may get the troops mobilized and on the way!

 

Ladies of the Knight Meeting -- December 18, 2003
 

The December 18, 2003, meeting will follow the standard format of registration, sign-in and refreshments from 6 - 7 PM, a seminar on Fashion and Quick Fix Makeup ideas and skin care presented by Katrina Campanello of Rocco's Hair Studio in Safety Harbor 7 - 8 PM and then 9MM Rock & Roll machine-guns vs moving & stationary targets from 8 - 9:30 PM. The cashier at Knight's has the LOK registration forms at the register so that you may pre-register before the 18th. The cost for shooters is $15.00 (includes range fees, firearm rental, targets, seminar & eye and ear protection) and your ammunition expense is extra per usual. The cost for non-shooters is $10.00. Please don't forget that April, the chair masseuse, works for tips only so please keep her coming back! We may break out larger machine guns, if requested, for your shooting pleasure! Please note that all ammunition must be purchased from Knight's due to the fact that these are demonstration firearms. You may email me and I will send you the registration form via email so that you can print same and then bring it with you to the meeting. The only stipulation is that you must date and sign in the presence of a witness at Knight's! FYI, I am offering an extra 10% discount on all Coronado Leather products purchased during the LOK meeting. I also have a Ladies Only CWP December 20 and coed CWP's December 21 and 27. I have room in all those classes so please contact me if interested. My business phone is 727-535-9151 and 727-515-1317 for my cell. See you at Knight's!  Thanks  Norm &  Jane