Here’s a wild self-defense story out of Colorado. A retired police officer from Alabama faced off against a man police say was pointing a gun and firing at random people on a multi-county crime spree.
The suspect, Austin Benson, arrived at a campsite on July 2 where the retired officer, who has not been identified, said he had been camping with his wife. He heard a man yelling and went to speak to Benson, who told him “to get him water and that the law was after him.”
This story from 9news.com says Benson had a rifle in his left hand at the time and was pointing it at the retired officer.
He then pretended to get Benson water, went into his camper, and then gave his wife a handgun telling her to take cover. He then retrieved an AR-platform rifle and went outside, ordering Benson to drop his gun.
Benson, however, drove away and began shooting at the retired officer and his camper, prompting him to return fire. Benson then crashed into a tree.
The story says the officer fired his rifle dry and then set it in the bed of his truck where he retrieved another AR. He then fired one more shot to see if Benson would react, but saw no movement from his car.
Then Manitou Springs police officers arrived, finding Benson with wounds to his arm and face.
Leading up the incident, police say Benson shot at multiple people and vehicles on Rampart Range Road, hitting tires and cars, but not injuring anyone.
It is unclear what prompted the spree, which apparently began with a. carjacking, the story says.
Benson now faces six charges for attempted first-degree murder as well as one count of aggravated robbery. Before last week, Benson, 29, didn’t have a criminal record other than an obstruction charge and a drug paraphernalia charge from 2008, according to the story.