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This woman chose to get shot by a robber instead of give up her Android phone

smartphone kill switch california 2015 phone theft
Image used with permission by copyright holder
What would you do if you were confronted with an armed thief that was asking for your phone? In the case of 29-year-old Courtney, as reported by KHOU-TV, the answer was to hold on to her phone, a decision that almost cost her life.

The Harris County, Texas woman finished taking out the trash and was on her way back to her friend’s apartment when a would-be thief approached her, gun in hand, and demanded that she give him her Samsung Galaxy Android phone. She refused and prepared to be shot by crouching.

He did shoot, but luckily, the bullet grazed her head. Courtney’s friend opened the door after hearing the shot, with Courtney managing to get inside before the robber could follow her. The robber tried to push his way in until he decided to bolt.

Courtney then went to the hospital, where doctors stapled her wound. At the end, Courtney doesn’t regret her decision of not handing over her smartphone. “Get a job. I work hard for my stuff,” she said. “The look in his eye, if I would have given him the phone, he would have shot me anyway.”

Even though Courtney is still among the living, this might not have been the smartest of stunts to pull off. There isn’t a single phone that is worth more than your life. Phones are replaceable, but lives aren’t.

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