During my law enforcement career, I never saw what one might reasonably describe as an obvious act of courage on the part of any attorney, prosecutor, or public defender. Their lives and jobs were insulated from the gritty reality of day-to-day police work. It was a reality they experienced from the comfort of office chairs and argued in climate-controlled, guarded courtrooms. Such was not the case for US Attorney John A Sarcone III of the Northern District of New York on June 17, 2025 in Albany, NY.

Graphic: Saul Morales-Garcia. Albany County Sheriff's Office. Public Domain

Leaving his office in downtown Albany, he was confronted by Saul Morales-Garcia, a Salvadoran illegal who had been deported, but thanks to Joe Biden’s handlers, illegally reentered America in 2021. Brandishing a knife, Morales-Garcia made slashing gestures across his throat and screamed, in Spanish, threats. Years in America, and he couldn’t deliver proper, murderous threats in English.

Morales-Garcia pursued Sarcone through the streets as Sarcone sought help in the lobby of the Hilton. Morales-Garcia chased him into the hotel, and even though Sarcone was hidden in the crowd, he demonstrated the kind of courage anyone can admire:

"I felt an obligation to the public as the chief Federal law enforcement officer in the district that includes the city of Albany," Sarcone explained. "I feared for my life but I couldn't let this individual harm and potentially kill others." That's what real public service looks like—putting innocent lives ahead of your own safety, even when facing down a deranged criminal who wants to kill you

The article isn’t clear, but Sarcone apparently drew attention to himself and ran out of the hotel with Morales-Gracia in pursuit, ending the danger to others in the hotel. By then, someone had called the police, but as is virtually always the case, when seconds matter, they’re minutes—or more--away.

Morales-Garcia continued to scream at Sarcone and continued to make neck-slashing gestures. When he charged again, Sarcone retreated into the hotel lobby. Fortunately, Morales-Garcia walked away. The police arrived and he was arrested.  The police were impressed:

Graphic: Albany County Sherriff's Office. Public Domain.

“U.S. Attorney John Sarcone’s selfless actions likely saved lives,” Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said.

And charge again Morales-Garcia did, screaming and wielding his weapon until sheriff's deputies finally arrived to end the nightmare. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple didn't mince words about what could have happened: "U.S. Attorney John Sarcone's selfless actions likely saved lives."

It will be no surprise to learn Morales-Garcia has a criminal record in at least three states apart from New York.

Sarcone was unarmed, but even if he had a handgun, in the close quarters of a city, he would have been in deadly danger. In 1983, police officer Dennis Tueller wondered just how dangerous a knife wielding attacker was to police officers. He conducted reproducible experiments that revealed an average person could cover 21 feet in 1.5 seconds. Officers faced with a knife-armed attacker at 21 feet could draw and potentially put one round on target in 1.8 seconds, but not all of them and many missed.

In other words, even if an unusually fast officer managed to get a shot on target as they were charged from 21 feet, the attacker could easily slash or stab them from momentum alone. Nor can anyone rely on even multiple hits from handgun rounds to immediately stop an attacker:

The biggest flaw with this drill come from movies. We assume that a good hit on the bad guy, will stop him. That is rarely the case. Consider the case of Buchanan v. City of San Jose. 

Police received a call for a knife wielding subject. They initially made contact at a range of 130 feet. He started to jog towards the officers with a knife, intending to commit suicide by cop. They engaged him once he was 55 feet away from them. He then traveled a further 37 feet before he fell to the ground.

Even if armed with a handgun, even if Sarcone was sufficiently skilled and able under the pressure of a deadly attack to draw and place rounds on target if Morales-Garcia was too close those rounds may not have saved Sarcone. Obviously, adding other tactics such as putting vehicles or other obstacles between them, or continuously backpedaling while shooting, could have made a difference, but the armed option may not have occurred to Sarcone, nor might he have been able to exercise it in New York State which is very friendly to illegal criminals but death on armed law-abiding citizens, even federal prosecutors.

One suspects Sarcone has revisited these issues and now appreciates the value of carrying a concealed handgun. It might be worthwhile for President Trump to consider authorizing all US attorneys to be designated reserve federal marshals or some equally enabling credential so they can carry anywhere.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.