'Good Samaritan' Ohio CHL-holder draws gun after wanted man tries to steal his truck

The Vinton Courier is reporting that an Ohio concealed handgun license (CHL) -holder drew his gun when a man he stopped to help attempted to steal his truck.

From the article:

The tables turned quickly on a Florida man who police say tried to steal a truck on Route 278 in Vinton County.

Donald Dwayne O'Connor Jr., 28, of Tampa, Florida, was arrested by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office for theft of a motor vehicle.

A Zaleski man had stopped along Route 278 the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 5 to help O'Connor, according to a news release from Sheriff Shawn Justice. When O'Conner allegedly tried to steal the vehicle, the truck's driver reportedly pulled out a weapon, held O'Connor at gunpoint and called for law enforcement.

The article identifies the 'Good Samaritan' as an Ohio CHL-holder, and goes on to say that the would-be robber also allegedly has an active warrant from Tennessee.

The article provides little other in the way of details about the incident, so there is no way to determine if there were other circumstances that may have led to the the CHL-holder drawing his handgun in this situation. The report states the case has been sent to Vinton County Prosecutor for review.

Under Ohio's Castle Doctrine law, if someone unlawfully enters or attempts to enter an occupied home or temporary habitation, or occupied car, citizens have an initial presumption that they may act in self defense, and will not be second-guessed by the State.

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

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.