When Aaron Davis pulled out a metal bar to settle an argument over a dented car door, the rules of engagement changed instantly, allowing the man he was attacking to legally draw his firearm to defend himself, according to a gun-safety trainer.
“It sounds like a life-and-death struggle,” said Marvin Miller, managing director of Safe Arms Academy in Denver. “(It’s) a perfect example of someone who may have saved himself by carrying a gun.”
In a state where obtaining a concealed-weapons permit is a relatively simple process, the incident only reinforces the need to carry guns, Miller said.
According to a grand jury report released Thursday, Glenn Eichstedt, 52, was struck in the head with the bar, and he then pulled out a pistol and fatally shot Davis and wounded Davis’ wife.
At the time of the Nov. 13 shooting, Eichstedt had a concealed-weapons permit, according to the grand jury. The report did not indicate whether he still has the permit.
The grand jury issued its report to explain why Eichstedt would not go to trial for the shooting. The report said that Eichstedt was bleeding from a gash in the head when he fired four shots.
Colorado’s concealed-weapons law allows people to carry pistols after a criminal background check is done and the applicant takes a gun-safety course, according to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation official.
Most people comply by taking a 10-hour course by the National Rifle Association, and the local sheriff’s office issues the permits, according to a Colorado law that took effect in 2003.
Miller said there are other courses he offers that help people think through confrontations like the one that led to Davis’ fatal shooting.
Eichstedt told the grand jury he obtained his permit because he owns a restaurant and needs the gun to defend himself.
In Colorado, a sheriff can revoke a concealed-weapons permit at any time, Miller said. The criteria for denial can be vague.
If the sheriff believes conduct of a permit applicant or holder makes it likely he is dangerous, he may deny or revoke a permit, according to the statute.
Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said he could not confirm whether Eichstedt ever had a concealed-weapons permit or lost the permit after the shooting.
Miller said he can train people how to defuse confrontations but that circumstances sometimes don’t allow it.
“Some of these things happen very quickly,” he said.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
