Octavious Rodgers, 35, allegedly threatened his ex-girlfriend and her 8-year-old son with a handgun, telling them he would kill them before police got there.
Did the young boy run and hide?
No. He took a knife and defended his mother.
And while he might have been disarmed by Rodgers — now facing a whole slew of charges, including attempted murder — he deserves a whole lot of plaudits he’s not getting.
Here at The Western Journal, we believe in the value of well-reasoned self-defense — not just as an option but as a moral obligation, particularly when it comes to one’s family. (If you agree, you can help us in our mission by subscribing.)
This unidentified young man rose to the occasion in a huge way.
According to police, on March 26, Rodgers came to the Memphis, Tennessee, home of his ex-girlfriend to get his belongings — and then threatened her and her son with a handgun, WREG-TV reported.
He said they’d be dead before the police got there, the report said.
The 8-year-old was determined not to let that happen. An affidavit said he grabbed a knife to defend his mother from her ex-boyfriend.
Rodgers was able to disarm him by grabbing his wrist and then choked the boy, according to police. However, both were alive by the time Rodgers left the premises.
It wasn’t the only time Rodgers terrorized the family, police said.
On March 28, they were called to the woman’s address again after Rodgers allegedly barged in and threatened to kill her yet again.
Three days later, the woman called them to a house in North Memphis, where she alleged Rodgers had shot two cars with what was described as “an AK-47-style rifle.”
The damage there totaled roughly $2,500; security cameras recorded some of the incident.
Yet again, on April 2, she called the police to get an escort in order to get her belongings from her house. However, police said, Rodgers got there first and shot at the house several times before leaving.
She told police that Rodgers had shot her uncle earlier that day.
“According to a police affidavit, that shooting happened after the woman’s uncle asked Rodgers why he kept shooting at his ex-girlfriend, and asked him to stop,” WREG reported.
“The uncle was shot in the leg, police said. Three children were inside the house, but they were not harmed. Rodgers allegedly left with an unknown second suspect.”
Finally, later that day, he was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated assault, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and use of a firearm in a felony.
Octavious Rodgers reportedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend several times. https://t.co/OaydGqc18Z
— True Crime Daily (@CrimeWatchDaily) April 4, 2022
Yes, the police were the ones who eventually took care of Octavious Rodgers; law enforcement ensured he would be in the slammer, sitting there on $280,000 bond. We applaud their good work.
Our sympathies are with the victim, of course. But let’s talk about her son.
When they were in her apartment, Rodgers allegedly had a firearm. Neither the woman nor her son did.
Most of us would cower in the corner at that age. I likely would have.
Instead, the boy did what he thought gave him the best chance of saving his mother’s life: He grabbed the closest weapon and defended her.
The police are wonderful, but they can’t be there in an instant. (This is especially true if they get defunded — a boon for the left but a disaster for the poorest among us.) In a valorous move, this 8-year-old took on a dangerous man four times his age and heaven knows how many times bigger.
Despite having been disarmed, he deserves a medal for bravery in the face of an incredibly dangerous situation. And — who knows? — maybe something the boy did changed the course of the confrontation so that he and his mom ended up surviving.
This young man and his mother clearly have been through trauma most of us will never experience. We fervently pray they get the peace and safety they richly deserve.
As for the 8-year-old, we hope that he gets the education and guidance he needs — and that the bravery he showed is nurtured in a positive direction.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
