Texas Chief to Town: Grab Your Guns and Don't Run Out of Bullets

A Texas police chief is urging his citizens, and citizens everywhere, to buy guns, get carry permits and step in when officers can’t immediately help — or are in trouble themselves.

Hughes Springs police chief Randy Kennedy posted the plea as a Facebook video following President Barack Obama’s Oval Office address where he called for tighter gun control.

Kennedy’s video had been viewed nearly 100,000 times and shared more than 5,000 times Thursday afternoon.

“I know that we as law enforcement do the very best we can to protect our citizens and we do a good job,” Kennedy says. “But I know that if the tables are ever turned on me or one of my officers, then I want one of my citizens or a group of my citizens coming to my aid or rescue.

“And I don’t want you running out of bullets, and I don’t want you running out of guns before you’re able to pull our bacon out of the fire.”

The video comes at a time when law enforcement officers across the country are making similar statements following mass shootings in Paris, Colorado Springs and San Bernardino.

A Florida sheriff said he’s had “enough of terrorists and others deciding to target U.S. citizens.” A sheriff’s office in New York asked citizens in a Facebook post “to responsibly take advantage of your legal right to carry a firearm.”

Obama in his address suggested that people on the no-fly list should not be allowed to buy firearms and that it should be harder to buy powerful assault weapons.

But he’s faced opposition from law enforcement officials like Kennedy.

“Nobody who is a legal gun owner has ever wanted to harm or kill anyone,” Kennedy said.

A New York Times analysis of recent mass shootings found that, “The vast majority of guns used in 15 recent mass shootings, including at least two of the guns used in the San Bernardino attack, were bought legally and with a federal background check.”

“Mr. Obama, you need to understand what the 2nd Amendment is for,” Kennedy said. “It is not for hunting. It is there for the American people to protect themselves against the criminal element, to protect themselves against the criminal element, to protect themselves against terrorism and radical ideology.

“It is also there to protect ourselves against a government that has overreached its power.”

“Thank you, Randy!!” one of the top comments on the video reads. “Your advice is something that we need and we appreciate it so very much. Your service to our community is appreciated as well!! God Bless you and keep you and our community safe!! Thank You again!!!”

Watch the full video below: