'Good guy' with AR-15 rifle stops knife attack on neighbor, police say

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An Illinois man wielding an AR-15 rifle stopped a knife attack on another person Monday, local police said.

The confrontation occurred in Oswego, about 45 miles west of Chicago, in what appeared to be a clash between two neighbors.

But when Dave Thomas witnessed the attack, he grabbed his AR-15 rifle from the house and stopped it with “only the threat of force” from the weapon, the Kendall County sheriff's office said in a statement.

"I poked my head out the door. There was a pool of blood, blood was everywhere in the hall. There was still a confrontation going on, there were about three or four people involved at this point," Thomas told WGN-TV.

"I ran back into the home, into my house and grabbed my AR-15. Grabbed the AR-15 over my handgun. It's just a bigger gun. I think a little bit more than an intimidation factor definitely played a part in him actually stopping,” he added.

"(T)his is just a perfect example of good guy with an AR-15 stopped a bad guy with a knife."

— Dave Thomas, gun owner

The alleged attacker quickly fled but was later found by police. He was detained and was awaiting charges.

The victim of the stabbing was taken to a hospital with multiple injuries. The person's medical condition was unknown.

Police confirmed Thomas had a valid firearm owner’s identification card and a concealed carry permit.

"The AR-15 is my weapon of choice for home protection," Thomas said. "It's light, it's maneuverable. If you train and know how to use it properly, it's not dangerous. And this is just a perfect example of good guy with an AR-15 stopped a bad guy with a knife. And there were no lives taken, so all in all it was a good day."