Like a good neighbor, a gun owner is there. That’s exactly what happened in Gainesville, Georgia as a knife-wielding mental case who was “off his meds” prowled the parking lot of an apartment complex.

As EMTs treated an injured victim, the lunatic, Darrion Suave Fraley, approached and apparently decided he wanted to perform some thoracic surgery on the EMTs. At the same time, a neighbor saw the commotion and the obvious threat of death or great bodily injury to the innocents. He shot Fraley four times.

Turns out hot lead stops violent, psychotic behavior even faster than medication. But not before the mental case had injured the good guy with a gun, too.

In any event, perhaps that injury to the good guy with a gun proved the one which motivated him to open fire.

Fox5 Atlanta has the details . . .

Gainesville police say that around 7:30 a.m., officers got a call about a man carrying knives, damaging cars, and threatening people on Shades Valley Lane.

Before they could get there, one resident took matters into his own hands when the man allegedly tussled with medics, who were in the area tending to another person.
 
“It was about four shots,” said John Morea, who awoke to the incident. “Somebody outside popped him, and that was it…”
 

Fraley was charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, two counts of obstruction of an EMT, possession of a gun during the commission of a crime, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, and aggravated assault. He was still in the hospital as of late Monday afternoon.

“They’re very brave for doing that. It takes a lot to take that on yourself,” said Carmella Neal, who lives near the scene. “I’m thankful they did it for the safety of others.”

We’ve written before about the potential perils of using deadly force to protect innocent third-parties who are threatened. It’s perilous on a good day. However, in times like this with an armed lunatic attacking first-responder EMTs with a knife, it’s easier to discern the innocent from the armed attacker.

Even low-information types — and prosecutors — should be able to figure this one out.