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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on February 20, 2018 in blog posts: Says a 79-year-old woman with AK-47 rescued two LAPD officers from a street gang. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * Fake news * PunditFact * Bloggers By Kyra Haas August 21, 2018 # Nope, an elderly woman with an AK-47 did not rescue LAPD officers from gang members A nearly three-year-old fabrication touting a fictitious elderly woman as a real vigilante has recently resurfaced on fake news sites. The story goes that this 79-year-old woman looked out her kitchen window and saw two Los Angeles police officers struggling to match a local street gang’s firepower. Naturally, the woman then donned her bulletproof vest, busted out her personal AK-47 assault rifle and saved the officers by firing off 160 rounds at the gang members. That didn’t happen. This story was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on September 3, 2024 in an Instagram post “Kamala Harris said she will shut down X if elected.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 5, 2024 The article originally appeared online in 2015 on World News Daily Report, a website with a disclaimer page saying, \"All characters appearing in the articles in this website – even those based on real people – are entirely fictional and any resemblance between them and any persons, living, dead, or undead is purely a miracle.\" Since then, numerous fake news websites have copy-pasted the story, presenting it as a true act of heroism. In addition to the text being fabricated, the photo caption of the officers who were supposedly saved misidentifies the officers in the photo. That picture originates from a 2010 blog about Melrose Village — a different neighborhood than the one where the incident supposedly took place. We rate this story — written as a joke nearly three years ago — Pants on Fire. Share the Facts 2018-08-21 16:15:38 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" 1 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" pof.png\\") PolitiFact Rating: Pants on Fire A 79-year-old woman with AK-47 rescued two LAPD officers from a street gang. World News Daily Report Blogger street-gang/ ![](\\" Tuesday, February 20, 2018 2018-02-20 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Police Info, Grandmother with ak-47 saves cops being attacked by street gang, Feb. 20, 2018 Melrose Village Blog, \"Support our local police station at Carnival Nov. 19-2,\" Nov. 8, 2010 World News Daily Report, \"Disclaimer,\" accessed Aug. 20, 2018 World News Daily Report, \"Grandma with AK-47 saves cops being attacked by street gang,\" September 2015 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Kyra Haas ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on December 3, 2018 in a Facebook post: Says Ann Coulter said, \"I am a settler. I am descended from settlers — not from immigrants.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Kyra Haas • December 6, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on November 21, 2018 in a tweet: Just before Thanksgiving, oil was $54 a barrel, down from $82. \"Thank you to Saudi Arabia.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • November 26, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on November 7, 2018 in a tweet: Said that man wearing racist shirt was working at a polling station in Mississippi. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kyra Haas • November 12, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on November 2, 2018 in Facebook post: Says photo of man shows \"diseases coming across the border.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kyra Haas • November 6, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on October 30, 2018 in an interview: Says that Andrew Gillum said, \"Police and prisons have no place in justice.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • November 6, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Claire McCaskill stated on October 25, 2018 in a debate: \"I made my decision on Kavanaugh before the allegations surfaced, and it was all about Kavanaugh\'s alliance and allegiance to dark money and unlimited political contributions.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • November 1, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Karin Housley stated on October 18, 2018 in an ad: \"Tina (Smith) profited from the opioid crisis.\" ​ ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kyra Haas • October 31, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on April 26, 2018 in a post on Facebook: A \"man surpasses Tesla by inventing an electric car that never needs charging.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 29, 2018 ![](\\" mugs-mug- independentgroup__________________3/98605b4996e42408507987c4affd735f.jpg\\") ![](\\" mugs-mug- independentgroup__________________3/d34069b2fffce57ddf492536b7c1e859.jpg\\") worldnewsdailyreport.com stated on October 18, 2018 in post on Facebook: \"Canadians face major donut shortage after first day of cannabis legalization.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 25, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on October 12, 2018 in a speech: \"All across Ohio, steel mills are reopening.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Gillum stated on September 30, 2018 in in an interview: \"Of course you\'ve got a low unemployment rate when people\'ve got to work two and three jobs just to make ends meet.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 15, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Gillum stated on September 30, 2018 in in an interview: Says Florida\'s economy \"is largely propped up on low-wage work.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 15, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joshua Feuerstein stated on October 7, 2018 in a Facebook post: Says #MeToo movement sign suggested assaulting First Lady Melania Trump. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 11, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 25, 2018 in a Facebook post: Says Socrates said, \"When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • October 8, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Bloggers stated on September 25, 2018 in a blogpost: Says \"Christine Blasey Ford’s letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein revealed to be a total FAKE… contains 14 glaring errors that could only be committed by a poorly educated writer.\" ​ ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kyra Haas • September 28, 2018 ### Nope, an elderly woman with an AK-47 did not rescue LAPD officers from gang members * ![](\\" ![](\\" House Majority PAC stated on September 9, 2024 in a television ad: Laurie Buckhout is “trying to get to Congress to pass a national abortion ban, allowing politicians to ban abortions with no exceptions and prosecute women if they get an abortion, treating women right here like criminals.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Paul Specht • October 1, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump Jr. stated on September 9, 2024 in a post: “Less than three months ago, Kamala Harris and her administration blocked 300,000 unvetted Haitian migrants from being deported out of our country.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on September 30, 2024 in an X post: Photo shows President Joe Biden lounging on the beach \"while towns all over America were being wiped out” by Hurricane Helene. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Samantha Putterman • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on September 30, 2024 in in social media posts: “Biden Announces: ‘2.4 billion more to Ukraine’ but ‘no more aid for Hurricane Helene.’” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 24, 2024 in a post: “Olympic boxer Imane Khelif fails gender test, stripped of all titles, lifetime ban and $25 million prize money revoked!” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on September 30, 2024 in a press conference in Georgia: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was calling President Joe Biden after Hurricane Helene but \"hasn\'t been able to get him.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Caleb McCullough • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on September 29, 2024 in an Instagram post: “Video shows Kamala (Harris) responding to someone talking through her earrings that she allegedly wore during the Trump vs. Harris debate.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Elissa Slotkin stated on September 30, 2024 in a Meta ad: U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers “believes he should make that decision” about whether to end pregnancies. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Sheehy stated on September 27, 2024 in an ad: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “voted to give taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • September 30, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 26, 2024 in an Instagram post: “Kamala involved in P-Diddy’s rapes and assaults.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 30, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. 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A 79yearold woman with AK47 rescued two LAPD officers from a street gang