Good Samaritan couple with Ohio concealed carry licenses stop beating

Cleveland area media are reporting that Wadsworth police are crediting a gun-carrying couple for helping them catch a man who was allegedly beating his girlfriend in a parking lot in front of her two small children.

From NewsChannel5 (Cleveland's ABC affiliate):

Officers said the couple pulled into the Wadsworth McDonald's on High Street Sunday and saw a man hitting a woman in another vehicle.

Police said the couple, who each have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, called 911 then pulled out their guns and ordered the man to the ground.

"My husband and I both have CCW licenses and we were in fear of her life, and we drew our weapons on him," Heather Evans told the 911 dispatcher.

Police said the man, 18-year-old Anthony Konopinski, then ran off. A third witness then ran after Konopinski, calling police to tell them where they were headed.

The suspect was caught a half a mile away. Police said they had to use a taser to subdue Konopinski.

According to additional news coverage from The Medina County Gazette, the victim's children, a 2-year-old and an infant, were in the back seat of the vehicle.

From the newspaper:

Konopinski's girlfriend told police they had been arguing throughout the day, and he allegedly punched her in the side at Walmart, 222 E. Smok erise Drive.

When the girlfriend, who was driving, refused to leave the Walmart parking lot with Konopinski in the car, he reportedly stepped over the center console, put the car in reverse and stepped on the gas pedal, causing the vehicle to lurch backward and almost hit several parked cars, according to the police report.

She then drove to the McDonald's parking lot. When she parked the car, Konopinski reportedly "slammed" her back into the seat with his elbow and his body. At that point, witnesses intervened, the report said.

"We've been assisted by the public at times, but never with a CCW permit-holder utilizing their weapon, that I can think of," [Officer Ryan] Wyrick said. "It certainly sounds like they contributed to his capture and arrest by Wadsworth police officers."

Officer Wyrick is quoted in news coverage by the Ohio News Network as saying "I would hope that most of the public would be willing to help us, whether it be to notify us with a telephone call or take some type of physical intervention."

Konopinski is now facing domestic violence, child endangerment, resisting arrest and drug paraphernalia charges.

We can only hope that perhaps the victim will take this as motivation to obtain her temporary emergency license, and eventually her Ohio concealed handgun license.

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