Thugs in the stores: Budier-Herrera, Would-be Kidnapper

Billy Yoe Budier-Herrera

Imagine grocery shopping one moment and then fighting off an armed stranger to save your child the next. A man armed with a machete and several other weapons tried to forcibly abduct two young children from their mothers in a Louisiana Walmart on 23 March 2018.

A police report states that Billy Yoe Budier-Herrera walked up to a woman and her son inside a Walmart and told her she was going to die if she didn’t do as he asked. The woman tried to walk away, but Budier-Herrera blocked her path and allegedly told the woman that if she didn’t comply with his demands, her 2-year-old son would also die.

When she asked store employees for help, Budier-Herrera grabbed her son and tried to pull him out of a shopping cart. Budier-Herrera and the woman began to struggle until she managed to wrest her son from the would-be kidnapper’s grip and ran into another section of the store. 

Budier-Herrera then ran into an aisle where he saw an infant sitting in another cart and grabbed that child; however, the infant’s seat strap prevented him from pulling her out. Several store employees and an off-duty Kenner police officer finally tackled Budier-Herrera and held him until other officers arrived.

Officers found a container of pepper spray, a homemade shiv constructed with a plastic handle, razor blades, duct tape, and a 10-inch machete. Budier-Herrera now faces two counts of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of illegal carrying of weapons, disturbing the peace, and an immigration detainer.

For many years I have asked my license to carry students how many plan to carry a pistol all the time once they receive their license? Very few raise their hands. Most indicate that they will only carry their pistol when they think they might “need it.”

How would you know are going to need a firearm unless you are the bad guy?  I strongly doubt that these women fighting for what may well have literally been their children’s lives thought they would soon be facing a life-or-death struggle when they entered the Walmart to go shopping. 

Another option often overlooked is pepper spray.  I am a firm believer that (where legal), everyone should routinely carry pepper spray or OC.  There are several reputable companies that market acceptable formulas.  From a design perspective, the flip tops are the easiest to use under stress (see below).

Flip Top Pepper Spray Canisters

As John Farnam is fond of saying, “when it is least expected, you are elected!” The pistol is an emergency tool for the unexpected black swan event and does you no good at home, in the car, etc.*

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* The black swan theory or theory of black swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory