Deverick Woodfork, a devoted husband and father, was with his family when he was forced to make the split-second decision to defend himself and his loved ones against an armed attacker. Moments before the attack, Deverick, his wife, and his two sons under the age of 3 pulled into the parking lot of a local flooring store. He removed his keys from the ignition of his van and exited the vehicle, reaching to hook his keys to his belt. He heard a man’s voice demanding he hand over his keys; as Deverick turned around, he was greeted with a Glock aimed directly at him.
Before Deverick had a chance to respond, or even fully process what was happening, the stranger began firing at Deverick, shooting as he closed the distance between himself and Deverick and his family.
The attack took place in broad daylight during rush hour. Deverick’s family was trapped inside the van while the armed assailant emptied his weapon in Deverick’s general direction. The shots could have penetrated the metal of the van, potentially killing his wife or two sons. This situation is a father’s worst nightmare.
Deverick fired four shots from his Glock, which was loaded with hollow point ammunition. Two of his bullets struck the attacker—one in the leg and one in the chest—successfully stopping the threat. The attacker fired several rounds, and although he peppered the vehicle with gunshots, he missed Deverick and his family entirely. The attacker fled the scene after Deverick’s successful self-defense acts.
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In the moments following the attack, Deverick did exactly what he should have—he called the U.S. LawShield Emergency Hotline and immediately reached Independent Program Attorney Emily Taylor. “Deverick was, understandably, in a heightened emotional state when he called the hotline,” recalls attorney Taylor. “He needed someone calm to help him process what had happened so that he could give an efficient statement to law enforcement. That’s my job; I knew what questions to ask to get Deverick in the right state of mind to talk to the police and to paint the entire picture of the event. Your first statement should be your best statement. Luckily, Deverick acted in near-perfect self-defense, so our biggest hurdle was simply pulling the adrenaline down and giving a clear picture of the defensive incident.”
After shots are fired in self-defense or defense of others, there are a few things you should know:
- Law enforcement is there to investigate YOU. Even if you feel you have done everything right (like Deverick), do NOT give any statements until you have conferred with an attorney.
- Your first statement should be your best statement. Anything left out of your first statement will be treated with suspicion down the road when you want to “add” it in. A seasoned attorney knows what questions to ask you to get a clear picture of what occurred and ensure you’re not leaving anything important out.
- You don’t know what you don’t know. Just as important as not leaving out critical facts is not adding details to your statement that may be incorrect. How many shots you fired, precise positions…if your memory of these details is incorrect, police will treat the inconsistency as a possible deception. After reviewing the facts of your particular circumstances, your attorney will be able to help identify crucial information that law enforcement needs to know to understand your defensive action clearly.
Deverick protected his family from a violent attack that could have easily ended in tragedy. He credits his Independent Program Attorney and U.S. LawShield with making the aftermath of his self-defense shooting easier to navigate. Deverick was also prepared with custom coverage, including Bail Bond & Expert Witness coverage, to help him with any additional legal obstacles that might have ensued. If it comes down to defending your family with your everyday carry firearm, you need this same peace of mind for yourself; you need U.S. LawShield and our team of Independent Program Attorneys on your side.
To get prepared the “Deverick Woodfork” way, call U.S. LawShield at 877-448-6839 or visit our member sign-up page to become a member today.
Gutsy of all, i am so glad Derrick and his family were safe from harm and Derrick was not caught up in the legal system because he chose to use a firearm to defend himself and his family’s lives. Well done sir! Thank you Emily and all of the program attorneys on the emergency line 24/7. I hope i never have to call but I’m glad i have your number in case i do!
More power to you Derrick, very happy you were able to protect your family and yourself thank you US law shield.
I am a strong supporter of the second amendment. We all have the right to defend ourselves and our families.
Really glad to hear that this scenario ended well for Derrick & his family. SO to USLawshield for being the supportive agency in his corner.
So glad to hear you and you family came out of this situation physically unscathed. Thank God you had US Law Shield. Thank you US Law Shield attorney Emily Taylor!
While this is a feel-good story it doesn’t detail if any additional steps were needed or taken by US Lawshield.
Did the police give him a hard time? Did a lawyer have to get involved at the police level?
I’m always getting questions as to how well you folks service members but I can’t seem to find any good stories with follow through.
Yes the police did give me a hard time as they would do to just about anybody who’s had to legally defend themselves. Yes a lawyer did have to get involved and she was great every step of the way.
How scary- glad that family was OK – the video tells the whole story
Really sad we have to carry a gun for non-wartime self defense. But better prepared than not. Those of us that demand we not carry don’t have a better solution. Mace won’t always do it. Karate won’t always do it. A baseball bat won’t. Running won’t. Actually a gun held by a practiced owner won’t always do it. But I’ll always need something. A gun is my answer. I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
Can you share precisely what Derrick’s “first statement” to authorities was? That’s the meat of the matter in this blog post. Thank you.
I too concealed carry. Every time I hear a story like this, it make me thankful for the 2nd Amendment and the states that observe it outside of the home (shall issue). Remember, a vote for a Democrat is a vote for gun control and no right to self defense with a firearm.
Good for Deverick and Law Shield.
Why do you have to politicize this incident? I am a proud Democrat. But I am also a firm believer in our Second Amendment and our rights to defend ourselves. I have insurance because of people like you!! And people who attacked our Nation’s Capital on Jan 6. I served in the Air Force for 24 years and retired honorably. It was during that time that I swore to protect and defend the Constitution. Defend against people like you most likely. Let’s stop politicizing a person’s rights to legally defend his family and himself. Thank you.
David, I don’t believe that he was trying to paint all Democrats with the same brush. If you think for a moment, who are the ones trying to take the guns from law abiding citizens who wish to defend themselves and their loved ones? It seems to be the Democrat politicians. The outlawing of guns will leave us all without protection from criminals and/or a too powerful government.
As far as the the “people who attacked our Nations Capitol” on January 6, none, I repeat, none of them were armed. Really, about the most anyone could be prosecuted for is trespassing. Yes, they were egged on by a few, and there should have been no destruction of any property! Ashley Babbet was the only true death that can be attributed to the “attack”. She was unarmed. The Capitol Policeman died of natural causes. His family verified that from his autopsy. But you haven’t heard that, have you?
Please, let’s not attack each other. We need to stand together to protect against those who will take our guns, given half a chance. President Biden stated that any of the amendments could be struck down. Is that what you want for our country? The Second Amendment will be the first to go down, if they have their way. Some Democrat politicians already are saying that the First Amendment, our right to free speech, should be curtailed. Again, is that the direction our country should go? Is that what you fought for while you were in the Air Force?
Well-stated, Marilyn. Will’s previous comment implied that all Democrats are in favor of infringements upon our 2nd Amendment rights, which is not true. However, unlike the Republican Party, defending the right to bear arms is certainly not part of the Democratic Party platform. As a Democrat, David is probably in the minority on this forum, but I take him at his word that he supports an individual right to self-defense, and on that issue I would consider him an ally. I also respect David for his service to our country, and thank him for expressing his views.
In a post firearm shooting incident, who is more important to call first, Law Shield or Law enforcement?
I would say without a doubt, law enforcement should be called first. Number one, you are not sure if the criminal has fled permanently or if he may return so you will want officers to secure the scene. Number two, when they pull your phone records and see that you chose to call a lawyer before calling 911, even if the shooting was completely justified, a prosecuting attorney can use it to paint a picture of someone who was more interested in covering his own behind than calling the cops. Happened a couple of years ago, can’t remember in what state, but the defender justifiably shot and killed a burglar, called his lawyer before calling 911 and almost got crucified on TV because of that. Hope that helps.
Glad the family was safe. The assailant was lucky it wasn’t me. They would definitely be planning his funeral.
I am also a strong supporter of the second amendment. We all have the right to defend ourselves and our families.
You reacted as you should have. I 100% carry my weapon openly so people know I am armed. I do take extreme precautions. I never carry with a with a chambered bullet. I carry a Glock 19 MOS with a Trijicon RMR Type 2. By not having one chambered it results in taking more time in an emergency situation. Glocks do not have a safety so I create one. No mishaps. I am asked all the time why I carry. My response is always. It is my Second Amendment right, and – it is better to have one and not need one !! than to need one and not have one. I also get citizens who will tell me (Thank You For Carrying And Because Of That We Feel Safer )
Under the new administration crime is running rampant and crime is at an all time record high. We must be ready for the unexpected and unwelcome confrontations from criminals.
Derrick – thank GOD you were able to defend you and your family and your all safe !!!!!
Thank God For Law Shield
That’s the way it should be done. Thank you Derrick for sharing your story. Thank you Emily for being there for him.
I’ve always wondered if we call TLS before or after calling the police.
Now I know.
It seems Deverick was faced with the ultimate self defense challenge. Bless him and his family for being prepared and strong enough to make it through. And bless US Law Shield for stepping in for the defense of this man and Americans everywhere.
Both unbelievable and thankful that the bad guy shot multiple times at Derrick from such a short distance (15 feet?) and missed every one. One can find stats that indicate over 50% of adrenaline-fueled shots are misses from even a 3′ to 10′ range — in this case the perps miss-rate was 100%! Once out of lock-up, he needs to find another profession.
Well done!
As an instructor, this is why we do what we do and why everyone should carry. More importantly everyone should get some training, and train. It has been proven, in a combat situation, you will perform half as good as the last time you trained. Think about that if you only shoot your firearm once every few years! Brace yourselves, it is going to get worse before it gets better! IMHO
I am glad that Deverek and his family are safe due to his quick actions. I have strongly supported the 2nd Amendment, I love my country dearly, but not all Democrats are against the 2nd Amendment. I am an extremely conservative Democrat and I have voted Republican at times, but after the last president, whom I knew and worked for in Atlantic City, and the actions taken by Mitch McConnell in the senate I will never vote Republican again. I know there are others like me out there, more than you realize and I think that politics should be kept out of this. Our constitution was written as it was and I support our constitution which helps to preserve our freedom as a nation. We need to be able to communicate and work together for the best outcome for all the people, not just some of the people. Violence has no party affiliation. Our families all bleed red, and we are there protectors. Please just consider that when you meet someone who might not feel the same as you. There is always common ground and nothing like a lively discussion to get the mine going. As for U.S. Law Shield, as soon as I completed my class to get my conceal carry, I subscribed to the service. I now have my conceal carry and U.S. Law Shield to protect my family and me if I ever need them. I hope I never do. Thank you.
I am definitely proud of Deverick for the training he had before hand. He was prepared and did what he had to, to protect his family and himself. My friend and I go to Stoddards gun range in Douglasville, Ga I hope to meet Deverick one day and to hear him speak live and learn more from him.
Thanks for the comment!
So glad you protected your family from a possible murderer, kidnapping/carjacking.
I cannot imagine your outcome if that looser Joe Biden and the demorats took our 2nd Amendment Rights…on another note: 50% accuracy in a highly stressful shooting event caused by a criminal is excellent. Good job sir!
So glad you protected your family from a possible murderer, kidnapping/carjacking.
I cannot imagine your outcome if that looser Joe Biden and the demorats took our 2nd Amendment Rights…on another note: 50% accuracy in a highly stressful shooting event caused by a criminal is excellent. Good job sir!