Brad Ratkovich was getting ready to take his son an early morning fishing trip when a man tried to get inside his truck. Ratkovich’s son was sitting in the passenger seat. Ratkovich told WCVB that he saw the man at the door looking into his truck. So, he came around and quickly drew his gun from his Alien Gear Holster.
Ratkovich told the man, identified as Steven Wayne Six, to get on the ground. Six, however, tried to convince Ratkovich they knew each other. This didn’t convince Ratkovich. He told Six to get on the ground and stay there, but Six didn’t want to comply.
“He did get on the ground. Then he got back up. Then he got back down,” he said. “He tried to escape at one point. He came at me multiple times where I could’ve then defended myself with my firearm.”
Ratkovich showed restraint and received praise from the Des Moines police department for that restraint.
“The privilege of carrying a handgun comes with a lot of responsibility,” Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said. “That’s where the police department always puts their emphasis and (Ratkovich) checked all the boxes.”
Son of Des Moines Father Has Awareness
Most of the report concentrated on how quickly the father reacted and how well he handled the situation. The son, however, did pretty well himself. The son saw Six before the man had even gotten onto the property, and immediately locked the truck. Both the father and son have good situational awareness.
This is a great example of why parents should teach children to pay attention, right along with gun safety. These two subjects go right together, as guns are the best means of self defense, but owners must use them safely. Kids who pay attention to surroundings grow up to be adults who don’t typically become victims.
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