Score one for the Marines

Father David Epps's picture

A pack of young thugs, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, picked on the wrong victim recently in Atlanta.

Thomas Autry, 36, was walking home after completing his shift as a waiter. According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Autry had left his job at the Jocks & Jills restaurant in Midtown and was walking along Penn Avenue when a blue Cadillac pulled alongside and three men and a woman, one armed with a shotgun, and the woman jumped from the car.

“‘This group had robbed two men on Piedmont earlier Monday night, taking a video camera and a cellphone,’ said Atlanta police homicide Detective Danny Stephens. ‘Autry takes off running, and they chase him. During the chase, Autry's trying to get into his backpack to get a pocket knife, which slows him down,’ Stephens said.”

“During the chase, Autry repeatedly yelled ‘fire, fire,’ which Stephens said attracted nearby residents' attention. Grabbing the knife from his backpack, Autry managed to kick the shotgun from the man's hands and stabbed the woman, age 17, in the chest, fatally wounding her, Stephens said. In the melee, Autry also stabbed one of the male suspects. Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol, which misfired, Stephens said.”

Thomas Autry, detectives said, would not be charged in the incident which police called “a clear case of self-defense.”

Autry, a former United States Marine, knows something about fighting for his life. Autry received an honorable discharge after serving during the first Gulf War. During his fight for his life in Penn Avenue, Autry suffered minor injuries including a cut to his hand. The former Marine shared with reporters that he tried to flee but when it was obvious that would not work, he had to fight. “This world has gotten to the point where it is predatory," said a shaken Autry.

It’s sad that this young woman’s life ended and that the other wounded young man is in critical condition in an Atlanta hospital, but what did they expect? Had not Autry fought, he would be dead today.

This former Marine, who was raised in New York, successfully disarmed the thug with the shotgun but, had the pistol wielded by another thug not misfired, he would have been dead anyway. And remember that Autry was running for his life with four armed predators in pursuit. The police made the right decision in deciding not to charge Autry.

Doubtless there will be howls from some quarters and some have suggested that lawsuits might be filed against Autry. But when these three young men and this young woman decided to prey upon innocent, hard-working citizens — when they decided to point a shotgun and a pistol into the faces of those they attacked — they made the choice to end their own freedom and end their own lives.

Several years ago, an armed robber attempted to assault and rob a man who was withdrawing money from an ATM. Unfortunately for the thief, the man, a New York police officer on vacation, drew his concealed weapon and shot him dead. No charges were filed in that case either.

How sad it would have been to read that Thomas Autry, a Marine veteran, had been killed by a pack of marauding thieves after he so honorably served his country. How sad it would have been if the valiant New York cop had lost his life so far from home and the city he was sworn to protect, dying on vacation in the streets of Atlanta.

Instead, the good guys fought back and the bad guys paid for their folly with their lives.

Maybe a message will be sent to other would-be criminals that it’s potentially deadly to choose a life outside the law.

The two thieves who were not injured will likely spend time in jail for their crimes. That is sad. It is uncertain whether the young man who was stabbed will live or die. That, too, is sad.

And it’s terribly sad that this young woman who, last month, was only 16 years old, will never be married, never have a family, and never see her life fulfilled.

But what did they expect? Didn’t anyone ever teach them that actions have consequences?

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Submitted by robert m on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:59pm.

you summarized the case for the Marine using the force necessary to defend himself quite well. What's difficult for me to imagine, tho I know it happens, is the extremes the left wingnuts will go to in suggesting that this former defender of their rights should be charged and tried, ostensibly for using excess force to protect his own life.

Frankly, I was surprised that the AJC, aka, fishwrapper, was as candid as they were and didn't attempt to slant the story in a left wing fashion. I will even suggest that had the former Marine been a WASP the presentation of the story would have been quite different, and the public would have been baited to an uproar.

I appreciate your insight and hope to see more posts from you.

Submitted by john doe on Tue, 03/25/2008 - 2:05pm.

you know I got to thinking about something. I personally feel this whole Liberal vs. Conservative thing is just a distraction created to split us apart and weaken us as a whole. Remember the old saying "Divide and Conquer, United we rule, Divided we fail." I know that both sides have viewpoints that not only make sense but are effective solution strategies, and besides you silly left wing nuts posting on wherever, don't you know that the Republican party in history was the first to give Black people rights and also respectable positions in court, Senate, House of Representatives, and Congress. D'oh, That's Right! The first ever colored party in the U.S. was known as the BLACK REPUBLICANS, read your old history textbooks if you don't believe me. Like I said distractions only deviate from the solution that is needed to make things work. Forget all this loyalty to a certain clique, group, or party junk, and everyone in here, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!

Submitted by dopplerobserver on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 6:30pm.

I suppose that hidden knife, although large enough to kill one person and seriously wound another, was legal? You don't mention that. But before I say more please understand that I think he should be treated gently at trial (and he should be tried just as a homicide by car is) for saving his own life. I have to at this point take his word that he had no other choice and was actually being robbed and threatened. Finding both sides somewhat liable is not unheard of in jurisprudence. My question to you, sir, is just how you know all of the facts, especially since there has not been, an by all apperarances, will not be a trial to bring out all of the facts? I do hope you don't feel the same way about the Marines in Haditha--at least until their superiors determine the facts. People in places of authority, as you are, must be more careful than the average citizen, lest you mislead someone by a macho attitude.

Submitted by McDonoughDawg on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 7:14pm.

I don't care if he used a machine gun.

nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 6:08am.

:I suppose that hidden knife, although large enough to kill one person
:and seriously wound another, was legal? You don't mention that.

I suppose that even though you have access to the Internet and likely a TV or newspaper, you can't comprehend that it was a pocket-knife he had? Duh! There is willful ignorance and then there is pure stupidity. I'm guessing you've travelled both paths until they are so worn-down it's an erosion problem.

Haditha? Hey, GREAT COMPARISON! No leap of logic involved there.

The guy tried to RUN AWAY to save his own life. He's not Rambo. He is a hero though for not only surviving, but also ridding the world of another piece of trash predator who was willing to kill another person for no reason whatsoever.

NUK


Submitted by doc on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 7:15pm.

Why did the shotgun and .380 handgun not come up on your radar. Could it be one democrat dead, one wounded and two jailed and one Republican hero that bothers you?

Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 7:36pm.

He might look like an ex-Marine but he don't look like no Republican.
The kids that survived by staying in the car have a good lawyer. Go former UGA classmate Bruce.

Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 7:04pm.

A knife in a backpack is never illegal - on the ground. 4 inch blade as I have been told.

Speaking of facts, the Caddilac Escalade and shotgun and 40mm Glock that were in the hands of the gang banger robbers are also facts.

Sure, there will be a trial. Results, 1 gang banger dead, 2 wounded and about to go to big boys prison. After the Marine tesitifies he will get mucho dinero from people like me and my woman - who has never, ever held up someone on the street. You are a hero - Marine dude!!

Dopplesomething, you are an idiot to try and tie this incident into Iraq. It is ok to be a liberal when you vote, but please don't talk to us about your whacko beliefs. We are officially not interested.


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 7:25pm.

I agree, Morgan.

First of all it says 'pocket knife,' which by definition is legal to carry.

Second, it was in his back pack. So he could carry a machete there legally, as long as he did not take it into a place where any such carry is illegal.

Third, it was self-defense against an armed gang. You don't have time to determine if they are going to shoot or not. You act.

It is idiot thinking like yours that puts a person at risk of legal actions for self-defense, home defense and so on.

Carry laws are being loosened because of too many incidents where those with license to carry could not take there gun into certain places. So when the nuts ran in and started shooting they were helpless to save lives around them.

Why do people living in rural areas get robbed less than those in the city? Because they own guns and weapons.

Why is it those cities that had high crimes rates that mandated owning guns have an instant drop in serious crime? Because the criminals no longer saw them as guarenteed helpless.

What a stupid and foolish thought that being unable to defend your self makes a place safer.

Or that self defense is a crime.

I still cannot get over criminals injuring themselves breaking into private property can successfully sue owners for massive dollars. What absurdity and liberal logic.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by john doe on Tue, 03/25/2008 - 1:55pm.

I will not be brainwashed by the popular media, let those young sheeps (worthless teen boys and girls who think they are all cool with no faults) go worship Jessica Lynch, MTV, and People's Magazine junk. Thomas Autry is a true hero for me, and Autry if you're reading this I want you to know one thing, you have REAL friends and fans who think you are a hero, and would love to assist you in shooting those cowards down who dared to mess with you, and I guarantee YOU SIR, I am not the only one who feels this way, we're like special forces we may be few in number, but let's be honest, 1,000 of us can destroy millions of those other phonies who will leave their fake "hero" as soon as they find someone else who fits the bill, also we are willing to take a bullet for you and help/protect you in any way possible.

let those fake corporate I bribed so and so newspaper or magazine to title me as a "hero" for ex. amount of money to live in their own steam of lies and insecurity, they may have more fake friends than you but deep down inside behind closed doors when they look at the mirror with no one else around they are ashamed of themselves.

Submitted by dopplerobserver on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 3:09pm.

Apparently there are maybe three posters here who think one can carry hand grenades in a back pack and use them for defense if necessary. That is what a legal hearing is about; to determine the facts from sworn testimony, and release the innocent and punish the guilty. Jackasses like you guys would have vigilante justice if you alone deemed to know all the facts as if you were there. You simply can't believe the cops all of the time and from what is printed by a stupid newspaper reporter.

Submitted by Sailon on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 8:06pm.

Frankly, I don't want the criminal element to be able to do to me what some here are proposing that they would allow the general population to do. That is to carry a lethal weapon in order to defend themselves. If we can do it, they can do it---all of them. If they traveled in bunches, all they would have to say as a group in court is that I threatened them and they blasted me. Or are you proposing that only certain people could be allowed to carry weapons?

nuk's picture
Submitted by nuk on Sun, 06/11/2006 - 9:07am.

There are already restrictions in every state on who can or cannot carry a concealed ANYTHING. There are restrictions on what length of knife can be carried. Some states don't even allow a registered gun-owner to carry a firearm.

Quit being seemingly ignorant and stupid just to further a conversation and a position that shows not a lot of thought or insight.

By the way, criminals don't really care what the laws on conceal-and-carry, murder, assault, etc are. DUH!


PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Sun, 06/11/2006 - 9:20am.

It is pure ignorance to think you cannot kill someone with a legal lengh pocket knife.

The liberal thinking expressed here would make it illegal to transport kitchen knives since they are longer than a legal pocket knife.

There are tons of people on the road and around legally packing. You just never know it.

How do I know? I was an NRA Certified shooting instructor in 5 disciplines for a number of years. One was Personal Proctection, which emphasised appropriate use of force and legal ramifications.

And I was a National Certified competition pistol coach, whose team competed everything from local to international. Shooting sports are the safest forms of competitve sports, contrary to what liberal think about people and guns.

So, you liberals don't have a clue what you are talking about when you say guns plus people equal death and murder in droves. They do not.

A criminal can get a weapon far easier than you believe. And they dont give a squat about laws.

One can create a very deadly projectile weapon from a compressor, build a bow and arrow (a very effective and silent weapon, make throwing knives (very effective weapons and silent) and so on.

It is a fools game to think laws can rid the streets of weapons.

Remember the good old days a zip guns in the inner cities?

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by Sailon on Sun, 06/11/2006 - 9:15am.

I assumed you wanted a law where EVERYONE could legally carry weapons. If so, then the crooks could blow you away legally by saying you harassed them. They wouldn't be punished for carrying a weapon, it would be legal! I'm getting tired explaining simple thoughts to some people. I quit participating. Converse with the other rednecks.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 4:17pm.

The issue is a pocket knife, and knives in general. Not gernades.

Can you not stay on topic?

Of course there will be a legal hearing. That is procedure.

But he is not going to be charged with anything for acts of self-defense. Get over it with your liberal nonsense of this could have been solved peacefully.

Self-defense is not vigilante justice. Vigilante justice is where a crime has been committed and one is deliberately hunted down.

We have the facts. A gang with guns chasing down a victim. He defended himself. End of story.

If he had even intervened to stop a gang after someone else it would have been justified.

Our society is collapsing because of people like you defending and feeling sorry for evild doers.

You let molesters, rapist and murderers back out to strike again. Or give them probation right off the bat.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by Sailon on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 6:04pm.

I can't agree with everything the person says, who you are criticizing, but you are never going to get everyone, or any one, to "stay on topic" as you seem to say all the time. Definition of the topic is a two way affair. How do you know the hearing won't change the facts? Were you there? I hope it works out your way, but... I think YOU are the vigilante that the poster mentioned, not the Marine. Our society exists yet because we do things by written and proven law, in court, not by people like you seem to be and your il-informed, possibly, opinions from maybe a prejudiced person.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 6:54pm.

How clear does an issue have to be to not need all this theorizing the Marine might need to be charged with a crime?

He was minding his own business, was attacked, ran, was pursued and then had to defend himself. They had guns and were threatening him.

That is his testimony and the police report.

I guess you would have prosecuted the guy who forgot to take his gun off when entering a resteraunt and killed the guy who was shooting randomly? After all, he was not suppose to take it into that place.

No matter he saved lives. No matter the Marine was under threat of being shot.

For the majority of our history self-defense was never subject to the threat of being prosecuted.

Be interesting to see how you would react under identical circumstances.

And proven law? BULL! Liberal foolishness has gone way too far. Way too far.

A gang walking down the street attacking someone with weapons and you think there is the possibility to guy did something that needs punishment.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 7:26pm.

that Highgreen might support an investigation into the killing of Zarquawi (or however the clown spelled it)? Those mean ole army guys probably blew him up while he was sleeping. As for me and my household and friends we are behind the Marine.

Let's let it rest on this one. Some bad guys were dealt with appropriately and now this man has to live with the results of having to defend himself.


Submitted by Sailon on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 7:53pm.

I agree that further discussion with someone who was there, saw everything, and believes everything printed, that he wants to believe, is not listening to how we have always governed ourselves, by law. We don't even try to understand the Arabs or we would never have assumed we could attack Iraq, who did not blow up the twin towers, and get away with it. We don't even know how they do their names, nor do we care: Al Zarq...means of the area of Zarq...the man's name is Abu Msab.. Abu Msab of Zarq.. is what it means. I won't spell it out entirely for you as you couldn't say it anyway. The Taliban and the terrorists are our target not Iraq's Civil War. We created a place for them when we destroyed the dictator there who killed all of them in Iraq.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Sat, 06/10/2006 - 8:22pm.

Hello! This garbage making self-defense subject to legal scrutiny because one may have done it in an illegal manner has not been how it has always been done. Historically it is a very recent invention coming from liberals.

And I do understand Islam. You don't.

They believe they are destined to force the whole world to be Islamic or die. That IS their righteous goal.

They have a whole End Time prophecy built around Isa and fulfilling this destiny. And believe we are at that time now, as the President of Iran is speaking about.

Their armies will march out and slaughter every infidel.

No. Iraq did not directly hit the towers. Yes, they did fund, support and train terrorist who did.

The Taliban ARE Islamics. The Sunni hate Shia. Shia hate the Sunni. They both hate every other sect of Islam who hates them in return. They even hate each other in different schools within such as Shia, in example.

To become another religion where Sharia law is in force is to die.

The Koran spells out a special hatred for Jews and Christian. As I posted on another topic, using Koran Suras, their answer to either being within an area they control is to drive them out, enslave them and/or kill them.

We did not create a place for them. They were already there and being supported by Saddam.

I only expanded on these points because of your liberal statements show a total bindness to what Islam believes.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 7:41pm.

I would think people in rural areas get robbed less because there are fewer of them. Or they have less stuff in the trailer park. Just kidding.
You should try and get the laws repealed that make it against the law to booby-trap your house.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:20pm.

In the Mid West many country homes had a lot more valuables in them than city homes did. They were larger to start with. Not to mention the equipment setting in the open and in barns.

I was not saying robbed less in total numbers, but in percentages. Crooks would rather go to towns and cities that had stricter gun laws.

Also, I was not talking about getting money suing booby-trapped places. I was talking about such where a kid decided to break into a school by going through a sky light.

He slipped, broke through the sky light and ended up paralyzed. He sued the school and collected 7 digits for the school not making it possible for him to have done his stupid stunt.

Or, in many places, if one breaks through a window in the middle of the night and you blow them out the window you can be charged with manslaughter. Either for shooting them to begin with or them falling outside, meaning they were claimed to not be in your home.

Absurd laws and court cases.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:52pm.

If you blast him out the window...you drag him back in the house & shoot him again.

In the Mid West, you say? Yeah that worked for those 2 losers In Cold Blood. I guess you never read it because it was written by an Alabama queer.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 9:12pm.

Of course you try to let them get full in. Or drag them back in. Dah!

It at least use to be, in the Mid West state I came from, if you lived in the country and blew someone away in your home you would not get prosecuted, even if you technically did something illegal.

You would get warned to fix the issue.

Right not the Cold Blood issue you are talking about does not ring a bell. Might just not be remembering it.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 9:27pm.

You ought to read the book or just watch the movie (even if a ALA queer wrote it). Don't want to ruin the end for you but they get hung. Just like the good ole days.

PTC Guy's picture
Submitted by PTC Guy on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 9:37pm.

Am I getting the wrong impression? That they were hung because they were gay?

If so, I don't see where that has anything to do with this issue.

If not, correct me, please.

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Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.


Submitted by fayetteobservers on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:08pm.

Yup, America is going down the crapper with these lawsuits. And here we are in Fayette about to elect a trial lawyer.

I remember my grandfather had a cabin out in the woods. Sometimes he wouldn't go out there for a long time. Nothing of value. But he didn't want no one messing with it. There was trespassing signs, locks and all that. But he set up a spring gun. Its a shotgun pointed at the front door and if you come in, you ain't going out. Front door opens and ba-bloom you get a belly full of lead. Now if you did that you would go to jail and get sued. I saw a story in the NRA about the British guy who shot an intruder and the government paid for a trial lawyer to sue his ass. We ain't far behind.

Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:19pm.

Hey, you and PTC-Guy need to GIT together and have that law repealed. You can lobby for it while you're at the capitol trying for that big critcal state flag vote you still long so for.

Submitted by bladderq on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:17pm.

Hey, you and PTC-Guy need to GIT together and have that law repealed. You can lobby for it while you're at the capitol trying for that big critcal state flag vote you still long so for.

Submitted by Honestly on Fri, 06/09/2006 - 8:16pm.

We can tell when a yankee tries to play a red-neck. They are too stupid to pull it off.

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