Attackers who attempted to rob concealed handgun license-holder sentenced to 20 years in prison

by Chad D. Baus

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Devante L. Michael, 19, and Alexander C. Pinkston, 22, were sentenced to 20 years in prison after both men pleaded guilty in March to aggravated robbery and felonious assault with gun specifications. Last October, then men attempted to rob a man who, as it turned out, wasn't just another helpless victim.

From the article:

The scars on his torso are a constant reminder of the armed robbery in which Chuck Blevins was shot last year.

Blevins, who has a concealed-carry permit, responded by drawing his gun and returning fire, wounding both of the men who were robbing him on a Near East Side street corner.

He lifted his shirt yesterday in a Franklin County courtroom to show a judge the entrance wound, the exit wound and the scars from the surgeries he endured. Surgeons repaired his stomach and removed part of his upper colon where the bullet tore through, he said.

Blevins, 41, can't eat much now without getting sick, he told the judge, and he has problems going to the bathroom. He continues to work in auto repair, his occupation of 20 years, but lacks the strength to lift tires or other heavy objects.

"I never had serious physical problems before, but now I do, and I probably will for the rest of my life," he said.

The article reports that Common Pleas Judge Pat Sheeran sentenced each of the robbers to 20 years in prison — two years short of the maximum.

Blevins said the two seemed to be stalking him as he walked to a convenience store on E. Main Street about midnight on Oct. 14. At Wilson Avenue, Michael stepped in front of him, placed a gun to his midsection and said, "Give me everything you've got. This is the real deal."

When Blevins hesitated, the gunman fired one shot that entered just below Blevins' left rib cage and exited from his right side. Blevins immediately pulled a handgun from a shoulder holster under his zippered sweat shirt, shot Michael, and spun around and shot Pinkston, who was approaching from behind.

Blevins said he fired 16 rounds and hit Michael and Pinkston multiple times. Both were captured after they fled and sought help — one from a cabdriver, and one at a nearby police substation. They were hospitalized, but neither suffered permanent injuries.

Assistant Prosecutor John Litle said both had been carrying guns. Tests determined that the handgun found at the scene was not the one used to shoot Blevins.

According to the article, Blevins said that in addition to his injuries, he's left with $181,000 in medical bills and is months behind in paying other bills. The judge ordered Michael and Pinkston to pay restitution in the amount of the medical bills but said he's unconvinced that Blevins will ever see a dime.

As for the apologies, "Everybody is sorry, but they can't make me whole again," Blevins is quoted as saying. "They aren't going to be able to pay me or give my body parts back or give me my health. So they got what they deserved."

A complete list of known incidents involving Ohio CHL-holders defending themselves is available here.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.