When Ben Carson Faced Down A Dangerous Gunman, He Pointed Him To Someone Else

Amanda Terkel
Updated

GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson said Wednesday that he once came face-to-face with a gunman, but instead of taking him down -- as Carson said he would have if he had been present at a recent school shooting in Oregon -- he directed him to a different person.

"I have had a gun held on mewhen I was in a Popeye's organization," Carson toldhost Karen Hunter on Sirius XM RadioWednesday, referring to the fast food chain.

"Guy comes in, puts the gun in my ribs. And I just said, 'I believe thatyou want the guy behind the counter,'" the candidate continued. "He said, 'Oh, okay,' and moved on."

The reaction Carson described is very different from the way he said he would have responded to the gunman who killed nine people at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, last Thursday. He told Fox News earlier this week that he would have been aggressive in rallying people to fight back against the shooter.

"I would not just stand there and let him shoot me," Carson said. "I would say, 'Hey, guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all.'"

A Carson spokesperson did not immediately return a request for additional details on what happened at Popeye's.

UCC shooter Christopher Harper-Mercer hadsix guns with him at the school (and seven more at home). Witnesses said that Harper-Mercer asked some of the victims tostate their religion -- and that they likely complied in the hope that he would spare their lives -- buthe reportedly killed them no matter what they answered.

Mathew Downing, who survived the UCC shooting, criticized Carson's comments on Wednesday.

"I'm fairly upset he said that. Nobody could truly understand what actions they would take like that in a situation unless they lived it," he told CNN.

On Monday night, Carson also wrote on Facebook that the Oregon shooting hadn't changed his opposition to increased restrictions on gun ownership, because he "never saw a body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right to arm ourselves away."

Also on HuffPost:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) -- Announced March 23, 2015

Cruz <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-drops-out-2016_us_561c5138e4b028dd7ea4e838">dropped out</a> of the race May 3, 2016.
Cruz dropped out of the race May 3, 2016.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) -- Announced April 7, 2015

Paul&nbsp;announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rand-paul-suspends-campaign_us_56211546e4b069b4e1fbc71b?utm_hp_ref=politics">suspending his campaign</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;Feb. 3, 2016.
Paul announced he was suspending his campaign on Feb. 3, 2016.

Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton -- Announced April 12, 2015

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) -- Announced April 13, 2015

Rubio <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marco-rubio-ends-2016-campaign_us_56143762e4b0b134ad66b478?3m92dkvz18arybvs4i">suspended his campaign</a> March 15, 2016.
Rubio suspended his campaign March 15, 2016.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) -- Announced April 30, 2015

Ben Carson -- Announced May 4, 2015

Ben Carson <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ben-carson-formally-suspends-presidential-campaign_us_56d9f366e4b0ffe6f8e96173">officially suspended his campaign</a> March 4, 2016.
Ben Carson officially suspended his campaign March 4, 2016.

Carly Fiorina -- Announced May 4, 2015

Fiorina <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/carly-fiorina-suspends-campaign_us_563c326ae4b0411d30708c05">suspended her campaign</a> Feb. 10, 2016.
Fiorina suspended her campaign Feb. 10, 2016.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) -- Announced May 5, 2015

Huckabee announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-huckabee-2016_us_560bf437e4b0768126fff8de">suspending his campaign</a> on Feb. 1, 2016.
Huckabee announced he was suspending his campaign on Feb. 1, 2016.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) -- Announced May 27, 2015

Santorum <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rick-santorum-ends-campaign_us_56099a5be4b0768126fea11c">suspended his campaign</a> on Feb. 3, 2016.
Santorum suspended his campaign on Feb. 3, 2016.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) -- Announced May 28, 2015

Pataki dropped out of the race&nbsp;on Dec. 29, 2015.
Pataki dropped out of the race on Dec. 29, 2015.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) -- Announced May 30, 2015

O'Malley&nbsp;announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/martin-o-malley-2016_us_562551f8e4b02f6a900d5d62?gpg5jyvi">suspending his campaign</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;Feb. 1, 2015, the night of the 2016 Iowa caucuses.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) -- Announced June 1, 2015

Graham dropped out of the race on Dec. 21, 2015.
Graham dropped out of the race on Dec. 21, 2015.

Former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (D) -- Announced June 3, 2015

Chafee ended his campaign on Oct. 23, 2015.
Chafee ended his campaign on Oct. 23, 2015.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) -- Announced June 4, 2015

Perry&nbsp;announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rick-perry-ends-presidential-campaign_55f3427ee4b063ecbfa46be7">ending his campaign</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 11, 2015.
Perry announced he was ending his campaign on Sept. 11, 2015.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) -- Announced June 15, 2015

Bush <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeb-bush-south-carolina-primary_us_56c8ba1de4b041136f1736b4">suspended his campaign</a> Feb. 20, 2016.
Bush suspended his campaign Feb. 20, 2016.

Business Mogul Donald Trump (R) -- Announced June 16, 2015

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) -- Announced June 24, 2015

Jindal dropped out of the race on Nov. 17, 2015.
Jindal dropped out of the race on Nov. 17, 2015.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) -- Announced June 30, 2015

A spokesman said on Feb. 10, 2016, that Christie <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chris-christie-drops-out-2016-race_us_560c3cbfe4b0768127006bc1">was suspending his campaign</a>.
A spokesman said on Feb. 10, 2016, that Christie was suspending his campaign.

Former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) -- Announced July 2, 2015

Webb announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/10/20/jim-webb-drops-out_n_8337898.html">ending his campaign</a> on Oct. 20, 2015.
Webb announced he was ending his campaign on Oct. 20, 2015.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) -- Announced July 13, 2015

Walker announced he was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-walker-drops-out_56006302e4b08820d919b6d6">dropping out of the race</a>&nbsp;on Sept. 21, 2015.
Walker announced he was dropping out of the race on Sept. 21, 2015.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) -- Declared July 29, 2015

Gilmore <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jim-gilmore-quits-presidential-race_us_56144300e4b0fad15919fc2c">suspended his campaign</a> on Feb. 12, 2016.
Gilmore suspended his campaign on Feb. 12, 2016.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (L) -- Announced Jan. 6, 2016

Johnson will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination.
Johnson will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination.