When a Marine veteran saw an armed bad guy who had brutally assaulted another man, he quickly sprang into action, taking down the violent offender. However, the victim and paramedics were shocked when police officers arrested the hero.
Lloyd Muldrow, 57, had just shown up at the Tequila Sunset bar in Baltimore for a friendly celebration when a fight broke out between several of the attendees. According to witnesses, Welsley Henderson was irate that Marshall Cullens was dancing with his ex-girlfriend, prompting him to brandish a handgun and pistol-whip his competitor.
Muldrow, a Marine veteran, says he looked to see Cullens covered in blood and Henderson brandishing the pistol and yelling that he would kill everyone in the bar. Just then, Muldrow’s military instincts kicked in.
“When I got there, I saw him [Cullens] bleeding profusely from his head. It looked like he had a gunshot wound to his forehead. He was bleeding so badly that I couldn’t do anything but react,” he told the Washington Times.
Muldrow, who is a security specialist, punched Henderson and tackled him, risking his life to protect bystanders. The pair tumbled to the ground, and with the help of Cullens, Muldrow pinned Henderson.
“I saw the guy with the pistol in his hand, and I hit the guy and knocked him down. We went to the ground, and I secured the pistol from him,” he said. “I mean, I reacted based on my training. I spent years training Marines to defuse situations.”
Video shows that when police arrived, Muldrow informed them that he had a concealed carry permit issued from Virginia and a legally-owned .22 caliber Beretta on his hip. However, Maryland didn’t recognize out-of-state permits, leaving Muldrow at the mercy of the law.
Despite Cullens, the bar patrons, and paramedics objecting to his arrest, officers arrested Lloyd Muldrow on a weapons violation, meaning he could face a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
“Lloyd gets up and walks out and he’s walking around a free man for a while, and you hear a bunch of cops lamenting the fact that their lieutenant has said, ‘find out if that gun is legal,’” said Michael Stark, Muldrow’s attorney. “And it sucks because the police do have discretion. They don’t have to make arrests in every single case.”
Sadly, even though Muldrow may have saved the lives of at least one person that night, he has been charged with an offense based on what his attorney calls an “outdated” law.
“Lloyd Muldrow is an accomplished Marine, a self-defense instructor, and a church-going mentor to young people. Now, because of Maryland’s outdated, and possibly unconstitutional gun laws, he faces jail as if he were every bit as criminally-minded as [the suspect], rather than the selfless hero for his country and his friends that he proved himself to be.”
According to reports following his arrest, Lloyd Muldrow was expected to receive a plea deal based on the situation. However, he announced that he will never negotiate over an unjust law.
“I’m not going to settle for probation or anything like that. I don’t think it’s fair. I’ve carried overseas in different countries, and you’re telling me I can’t carry my weapon from one state to another? I’ve trained more than the average police officer, and I can’t carry from Virginia to Maryland? I have a real big problem with that.”
Because of the pending charge, Muldrow’s career as a safety and training manager was also put in danger. As such, a Give Send Go account was set up so that donors could help him pay for his court costs to win his case.
Lloyd Muldrow is a hero yet he was faced with punishment for ending a crime. He has served his country and fellow citizens only to be treated like a common criminal.
Muldrow’s case serves as a warning that gun owners must be careful to know each state’s gun laws. Of course, it also exposes how unconstitutional legislation is punishing good citizens while empowering lawbreakers.
