We hear plenty from gun-control advocates that firearms don’t prevent or stop attacks, and how they’re more likely to end up being used against victims instead. Tell that to Charlie Blackmore, who recently acquired a concealed-carry permit in Wisconsin after the legislature recently made them legal. Blackmore, a Marine Corps veteran, wasn’t being attacked himself, but was driving down the street early in the morning when he saw a large man kicking something in the sidewalk. When Blackmore realized the “something” was in fact a woman, he stopped the attack without firing a shot — and probably saved the woman’s life:

A Marine Corps veteran was able to stop a man early Tuesday, March 12th from nearly kicking a woman to death. It happened near 102nd and Lincoln, and Wisconsin’s concealed carry law made his efforts possible.

Charlie Blackmore was driving home from work at 4:00 a.m. along Lincoln Avenue when he saw something on the sidewalk. Blackmore didn’t realize it was a woman on the ground being kicked in the head and stomach until he got closer.

That’s when he jumped out of his car and sprung into action.

“I said ‘stop’ and he starts coming towards me and that`s when I drew on him. He started getting closer and I said ‘get down on the ground,’” Blackmore said.

Blackmore held his gun on the suspect and called West Allis police. He says several times while waiting for police to arrive, the attacker moved toward him.

“I mean I’ve already made it up in mind that if he came at me I was going to have to take him down and I told him that. I warned him multiple times not to come towards me because he was a big guy and I wasn’t playing around and he didn’t seem like he was playing around,” Blackmore said.

If you think that the woman couldn’t have been killed with the man’s feet, think again. In 2011, more than twice as many murder victims died from “personal weapons” — hands, feet — as did from rifles of all kinds, not just “assault weapons.” In this case, the man was the woman’s jilted ex-boyfriend who had been stalking her. She might be considering a concealed-carry permit next, if the boyfriend isn’t put away for a very long time.