⏱ 2 min read
A 27-year-old Century, Florida, man shot himself in the leg while patrolling his property in the early hours of July 23, 2025. Joshua Dean Hardy’s self-inflicted wound was a desperate move as he was already under investigation for possessing an unregistered silencer during a November 2023 traffic stop.
Hardy’s property search turned up a second unregistered silencer, homemade explosives, and a firearm with its serial number removed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office joined forces to take him down.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson prosecuted the case, which is part of the nationwide Operation Take Back America.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin praised the law enforcement efforts, saying, ‘We will continue to deliver justice to secure the safety of our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.’
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Explosives
- Location: US
- Source: DOJ Press Release
