On this episode of “If They Only Had a Byrna”… A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after shooting his attacker with a firearm at a pro-Israeli demonstration.

In September, while Scott Hayes was attending a pro-Israeli demonstration in Newton, Massachusetts, a protestor charged Hayes from across the street and began brutally attacking him. During the lengthy attack, where multiple people attempted to step in to help, Hayes shot the protestor once in the abdomen with a pistol he was licensed to carry.

Once police arrived, Hayes, the victim in the attack, was arrested for assault with a dangerous weapon as well as violation of a constitutional right causing injury. The attacker, however, survived the gunshot and was not charged with a crime.

If they only had a Byrna… Hayes would have been able to engage the attacker sooner, possibly before he had been able to close the distance, thwarting the assault altogether. And even if the attacker had made it to Hayes before he responded, the Byrna launcher can be used effectively at point-blank range without the fear of killing someone or causing serious bodily injury.

While the legality of using deadly force in this case will be argued in court, the use of a Byrna launcher could have saved Hayes from what will surely prove to be a lengthy and expensive legal battle, and possible prison time.

Be smart, be safe, and be prepared to defend.