Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Kingsport man stabbed during home invasion, fires two shots at intruders

A Kingsport man fired two shots at men who invaded his home early today, but he was stabbed twice during the incident.

The incident happened around 5:05 a.m. at 2333 1/2 Ashwood Street, according to a police detective. (CLICK HERE for map.

KPD Det. Greg Lane said Frank Johnson, 25, reported he heard noise outside his home and someone knocking on his door.

“He went to the door with a pistol in his hand. As soon as he opened the door, an unknown black male rushed in and attacked him,” Lane said.

A second unidentified black male entered the residence and stabbed Johnson in the left side and arm, Lane said.

Johnson fired his gun and the two men ran out of the house.

He went to the door and fired another shot and the men continued to run away, Lane said.

Police don’t know what the suspects motive might have been, but at this point the case is being investigated as an aggravated assault.

Lane said Johnson was being treated at Holston Valley Medical Center for his wounds, which were non life threatening.

Labels: assault, home invasion, TN

Frisco: woman fights off gunman, attacker wounded

Frisco police say a suspected carjacker is hospitalized in critical condition today after a 60-year-old woman fought him off.

Police say the attacker was shot with his own gun during an overnight struggle with the woman in the parking lot of her apartment complex.

The woman refused to give up her car keys, they scuffled and the 19-year-old man was shot in the abdomen.

He then took back the gun and ran away, but was later found near the crime scene.

Names of the woman and the suspect weren't immediately released.

Labels: carjacking, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, TX

Homeowner Shoots Burglar, Learns Later It Was Grandson, Police Say

A homeowner awakened early Tuesday morning by a burglar confronted the intruder and shot him, according to East Pennsboro Township police in Cumberland County. The homeowner learned later that the intruder was his 18-year-old grandson, a source told News 8.

Investigators said the shooting happened around 2:54 a.m. at a home along the first block of Victoria Way, Camp Hill, East Pennsboro Township. Police said the grandfather approached his grandson with a handgun and told him to leave. The grandson then fled into the attached garage. Police said the grandfather heard rustling and fired a single shot hitting his grandson in the hand or arm.

The grandson ran away and checked himself into Holy Spirit Hospital.

At this point, police said the shooting was justified.

"(The homeowner) feared at that point, the burglar was hunkered down. He didn't know if he was taking a position to fire at the homeowner," said Lt. Mark Green.

The grandson has not yet been charged in the incident.

News 8 was told that the grandfather is very upset. He did not wish to comment on the incident.

Man shoots intruder, learns it's grandson

Suspect was stealing liquor, investigators say

An East Pennsboro Twp. man early yesterday shot an intruder who turned out to be his 18-year-old grandson, township police said.

The intruder, whom police had not charged or named as of press time, broke into the home in the first block of Victoria Way and apparently was stealing liquor, police said.

The homeowner had no idea who it was when he fired his gun, police Lt. Mark Green said. "The house was dark, and he didn't turn the lights on."

Shooting grandson ruled as justified

An East Pennsboro Twp. man was justified in shooting his grandson in the hand after he encountered the younger man breaking into his home Tuesday, police said yesterday.

Darin D'Marcus Thompson, 18, of East Pennsboro Twp., was charged yesterday with one count each of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal attempt at theft and criminal mischief, township police Lt. Mark Green said.

Thompson's grandfather, Herbert Miller of the first block of Victoria Way, was not charged, Green said, adding, "Mr. Miller used a lot of restraint."

Labels: home invasion, PA, residence burglary

Northside homeowner scares intruder

Police are hoping the public has information on a break-in that led to a shot being fired early Tuesday morning.

It all took place at a house in the 6800 block of North Altamont. Police say the suspect entered the residence, waking the homeowner, who then pulled a gun and told the intruder to freeze. The homeowner then fired a warning shot when the burglar ran.

The only description of the suspect is that he is in his 20s, and wore a white shirt at the time.

Labels: home invasion, WA

Man not guilty in road-rage shooting

Public safety: Motorist maintained he acted in self-defense during fatal Caldwell incident

A jury found Aniceto Betancourt not guilty of manslaughter Monday after four days of testimony in the road-rage shooting death of a 19-year-old motorist. Patrick Wayne Ciarmoli died of multiple gunshot wounds March 27, 2006, after Betancourt shot him in the parking lot of a business center on Happy Day Boulevard in Caldwell.

Police said the two men had been involved in a “road rage” exchange along Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard before the shooting.

Betancourt has maintained since the incident that he acted in self-defense, saying he feared for his life as Ciarmoli approached holding an object, possibly the bottom half of a pool cue. Defense attorneys said Betancourt believed the long, black object was a shotgun. Jurors reached the verdict just a few hours after deliberations began Monday.

Labels: ID, road rage

Homeowner confronts, shoots suspected burglar in NW Houston

A suspected burglar was shot in northwest Houston last night.

Police say neighbors spotted a man breaking into cars on Ella and W. 12th late Friday night. One homeowner jumped into his truck and started chasing the suspect. Investigators say the homeowner then shot the suspect during a confrontation.

That suspected burglar is in the hospital with a gunshot wound to one of his limbs.

Labels: street robbery, TX

Police: Victim Turns Gun On Home-Invasion Robber

A suspected home-invasion robber was shot and wounded by one of his alleged victims according to police in National City.

Officials said three men, wearing masks, forced their way into a home at 2032 E. Seventh Street Thursday night. Four people were inside the home at the time.

The men, armed with shotguns and other weapons, ordered the residents to the floor, according to police.

Officials said one of the residents managed to wrestle the shotgun away from one of the robbers. A struggle followed and the gun fired, hitting a wall.

Police said a second resident picked up the shotgun and fired two rounds at the robbers, striking one of the men, identified as Marc Wideman, 19, of Spring Valley.

All three robbers fled the scene. Wideman was later found by police at a local hospital. He was taken into custody. Police said his wounds are not life-threatening.

Police are still looking for the two other men in this case.

Labels: CA, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, residence robbery

Homewood garage shootings ruled self-defense

The Allegheny County District Attorney's office today dropped all charges against a Homewood auto shop worker after an investigation concluded the Carrick man shot two assailants, killing one of them, in self-defense Feb. 12.

"This is a classic example of self-defense; it has all the elements. They came into his place of work and attacked him," said Bruce A. Carsia, defense attorney for Byron Samuels, 37. "He wrestled the gun from them and defended himself."

Upon arrival at Derek's Auto Sales, 7900 Bennett St., police found the body of Russell Thomas, 36. His brother Maurice "Reese" Thomas, 33, had suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Mr. Samuels told police two armed men beat and pistol-whipped him, and falsely accused him of burglarizing their Wilkinsburg home. He was cornered when he disarmed one of them and used the pistol to defend himself. He said one man was armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Investigators found a shell casing that matched the rifle he described.

"Once we got the ballistics analysis, it [supported] Byron Samuels' self-defense claim," said Mark V. Tranquilli, chief homicide attorney for the district attorney's office.

Mr. Carsia said he expected his client would be released today.

Labels: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, PA

County Man Acquitted on Assault, Armed Criminal Action Charges

A man accused of shooting two men near his Bourbon area farm in 2004 was acquitted Friday by a Franklin County jury. The jury found Bart Brendel, 50, not guilty on two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. He was indicted in November 2004.

Prosecutors claim Brendel shot at three men, wounding two, as an act of revenge when they were driving a minivan on the road in front of his home in the Bourbon area.

Two of the men were wounded in the legs, authorities said. All three admitted that they had been spotlighting deer in the area. They later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor poaching charges and were ordered to pay fines for the offenses.

Brendel's attorney Frank Carlson said his client acted in self-defense and acted reasonably to defend his home.

"We have to be able to defend ourselves and our homes and the jury said that loud and clear," he said.

Carlson said a key to the acquittal was that Brendel was not the "first to use force."

"The law of self-defense is different if you are the aggressor," said Carlson. "It was agreed that Bart Brendel was not the initial aggressor, therefore the right to use self-defense is not restricted."

Brendel is accused of firing almost 30 rounds from an assault rifle Oct. 28, 2004, at the van carrying the three men as they drove past his home on Parshall Road in far southwestern Franklin County.

Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Bob Parks said Brendel was charged because he continued to shoot at the van after it passed him.

"We were looking at more of the actions of Mr. Brendel after the car had passed -- when he shot into the van and hit the two men," said Parks "He was out of danger and that is why we charged him."

Parks said the jury deliberated for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

"We were disappointed that the jury acquitted him for whatever reason, but that is the way it is," he said.

Carlson told the jury that Brendel heard voices and believed that the men were tampering with his cattle. He said that Brendel shot an assault rifle in the air to protect his cattle. He added that Brendel shot at the van that sped toward him and continued to shoot at the van because he "feared for his life."

"Just a classic self-defense cse. In my mind charges shouldn't have been filed in the first place and the jury saw it for what it was," he said.

Carlson added that there was "really good police work" and "a good jury."

The victims, Bobby R. Mercer, Sullivan, James H. Moss, Sullivan, and Edward E. Heads, Bourbon, have filed a civil lawsuit against Brendel. Trial is scheduled for April.

Labels: assault, MO

Randolph County Man Charged With Murder Has Bond Hearing

Police say Steven Dan Snider fatally shot Leslie Woodford Friday night.

A Randolph County judge has set bond for a man accused of killing another man during a domestic dispute.

Steven Snider, 49, is in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail his bond has been set at 250 thousand dollars, cash only. Sheriff's deputies say Snider shot Leslie Woodford after a domestic dispute Friday night.

According to sheriff's deputies, Woodford was finalizing a messy divorce with his ex-wife.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Friday, deputies Mark T. Brady and Richard T. Swisher responded to a 911 call at a home on Sully Road near Alpina.

Woodford went to his ex-wife's father's home, kicked in the front door and pointed a handgun at the 76-year-old man.

Woodford was threatening to kill the family, authorities said.

The father attempted to defend himself with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Woodford confronted his ex-wife, but left the scene before authorities arrived.

Brady said Woodford then went to the South Henry Avenue home of Steven Dan Snider, who had been dating Woodford's ex-wife.

Deputies said Woodford busted down his door and shot at Snider.

Snider fired back and fatally wounded Woodford. Woodford was airlifted to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, where he was pronounced dead.

Snider is now charged with second degree murder.

Both incidents are under investigation by the Elkins Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff's Department and the West Virginia State Police.

Case Dismissed Against Randolph County Man Charged in Fatal Shooting

Evidence indicated the shooting was self defense.

A Randolph County magistrate has closed the case against Steven Snider in the shooting death of Leslie Woodford.

Authorities arrested Snider after police said Woodford burst into his home, tried to shoot him and Snider fired back.

At that hearing, Randolph County Prosecutor Frank Bush moved to dismiss the case against Snider, saying the evidence indicates the shooting was done in self defense.

That case has raised questions about what is self defense.

State law doesn't specifically address the issue so how do you know when you can defend yourself with deadly force?

Bush said its a difficult claim since each and every case is different.

The magistrate granted the state's request to dismiss the case without prejudice. Snider's attorneys says the prosecutor made the right choice based on the evidence.

An amendment to the West Virginia state code covering home protections is making its way through the state Legislature.

The amendment outlines reasons to allow the use of deadly force.

1. The person against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person's will from the dwelling, residence or occupied vehicle.

2. The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

From a police perspective, investigating a shooting, self defense or not, still must be treated as a crime.

Right now that bill is making its way through the House Judiciary Committee. Snider has been released from jail and is back home.

Labels: domestic dispute, home invasion, WV

Metro Man Shoots, Seriously Injures 2 Intruders

Two men are still in an area hospital and another is on the run on Thursday after a shootout in northwest Oklahoma City.

Officers said three men broke into Anthony Eubanks' home at Northwest 51st Street and Portland Avenue early Thursday. The men started shooting, police said, hitting Eubanks twice.

Eubanks shot back, striking Ronnie Dixon and Rico Davis, police said.

Eubanks was taken to a hospital and released. Dixon and Davis are in serious condition, authorities said.

Police are still looking for a third intruder.

Labels: assault, home invasion, OK

Intruders shot during home invasion

Dallas police continue to investigate a home invasion, robbery and shooting late Wednesday night.

Police said two men broke into an apartment in the 5800 block of Skillman around 11:30 p.m. They robbed two people in the apartment, police said.

A third occupant of the apartment slipped a handgun to one of the robbery victims, according to officers. Both intruders were shot, police said.

One of the suspects collapsed in the apartment, while the other crashed through a glass partition, police said.

Both men are listed in critical condition in a Dallas hospital.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TX

Man shot to death in home

Dad hears shots, grabs gun, fires at intruders

His son answered a knock at the front door Wednesday, and suddenly, the "pop, pop, pop" of gunshots broke the silence of a sleepy afternoon in his Niles home.

Leonard "Lenny" Bird Jr. was upstairs and knew his son was in trouble. He grabbed his gun and ran toward the front door, where he saw an intruder, and watched his son, Michael Childers, dying in the doorway.

Bird and at least one gunman exchanged gunfire, then the gunman and a second intruder fled, Bird's family said, relating what Bird told them about the 3 p.m. shooting.

'Gunshot holes all over walls' "They were shooting back and forth . . . inside the home, there were gunshot holes all over the walls there," said Bird's sister Karen Nielsen. She said Bird was not hurt, and it didn't appear the gunman or the accomplice were either.

'It should have been me' Witnesses told police they saw two men run from the house, climb into a van parked nearby and speed away from the home in the 8100 block of North Susan Court. Childers, 28, a self-employed tile worker, died of a gunshot wound, according to police, family and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

"My brother just kept saying 'It should have been me, it should have been me,' " said Nielsen, who lives three blocks away. She said she was shocked and saddened that this could happen on a sleepy north suburban cul-de-sac.

Police were searching for the intruders. They closed two nearby schools and a day care briefly Wednesday afternoon as they combed the area.

Relatives suspect that the incident started as a robbery attempt. They said there had been an attempted break-in at the home in the last year. But Nielsen doesn't think it had anything to do with her brother's job, collecting and selling coins. Police said nothing was taken from the home.

Niles police Sgt. Tom Davis said there hasn't been a homicide in the suburb in some time.

Labels: home invasion, IL, residence robbery

An intruder kicked in the back door of a house and confronted three adults and a child inside, Summerville Police Capt. Jon Rogers said. Jamond M. Simmons, the homeowner, grappled with the man, who was shot with his own gun and taken to Medical University Hospital, Rogers said.

Here is Simmons' account of what happened: An intruder, whom Simmons said he did not know, burst through the door demanding money. Simmons told him there wasn't any money in the house. The man threatened to start shooting people if they didn't give him something of value. When he turned his head, Simmons lunged forward and grabbed him. There was a scuffle, and the intruder was shot in the stomach.

"I just thank God none of my family got hurt," Simmons said.

Bryan B. Green, 18, of Ladson underwent surgery Monday and is recovering, Rogers said.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, SC

Three men remained jailed Tuesday after an Oklahoma City pawn shop owner shot and wounded two of them Monday as they demanded money from his employees at gunpoint.

The robbery attempt was at about 6 p.m., and was captured on a surveillance camera inside Joe's Pawn and Bargain Center, 1825 NE 23.

Three suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery. They are: Robert Jamel Pennington, 17, , shot in the shoulder; Kentrell Smith, 16, shot in the left elbow and left thigh, and Garrick Lee Thomas, 17, who was not shot, police said.

Pennington and Smith were treated for gunshot wounds at an Oklahoma City hospital.

Mike Wilbanks owns the pawn shop. He said he was in an office when he was alerted the robbery was unfolding. His office looks out on the sales floor through a one-way mirror; people on the store side see their own reflection, but he can see them through the glass.

Wilbanks didn't notice the robbers at first. It wasn't until an employee came bursting into the office, white-faced and breathless, that he learned what was happening.

He pulled a 9 mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic out of his desk drawer and peered through the glass. He could see his employee, Daniel Ray, standing on the far side of the counter with a gun to his head. He could see another employee pawing money out of the register. And he could see the gunman.

"I got him in my sights,” said Wilbanks, 39, "but I didn't want to endanger anyone else. At some point, he started waving the gun around at other employees, telling them to give him the cash, and my manager backed way, way up, completely out of my line of fire. As soon as that happened, I had a clean shot on him, and I just started pulling the trigger.”

Wilbanks' gun was loaded with special safety rounds designed to prevent stray bullets from penetrating walls or other hard surfaces and accidentally striking innocent victims. Wilbanks pulled the trigger four times, shattering the mirror and apparently striking the gunman, then fired four more times as the robbers fled.

OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma County prosecutors decline to charge two men who shot at three would-be robbers at an Oklahoma City pawn shop.

Joe's Pawn and Bargain Center owner Michael Paul Wilbanks and employee Patrick Joseph Diorio fired about a dozen shots at three teenagers who tried to rob the store February 19th.

According to police, a robber had aimed a gun at another employee's head.

Two of the teens were injured and now all three face charges of robbery with a firearm.

Prosecutors reviewed police reports about the shooting and declined to file charges against Wilbanks or Diorio, calling their actions justified.

Labels: business robbery, minor offender, OK

Confrontation at NE Houston bar ends in fatal shooting

Tempers got out of control at a northeast Houston bar overnight when one customer allegedly began harassing a waitress. It all ended with that customer dead, and the shooter claiming self-defense.

It happened at Lexey's Place sports bar on Manor Way and Old Humble in northeast Houston last night. Investigators say the bar owner's son noticed a man hitting a waitress in the face and confronted him. Police say the aggressive bar customer pulled out a knife and cut the bar owner's son in the face. The owner's son ran outside and locked himself in his vehicle.

Witnesses say the aggressive man chased him with the knife and broke the car window. Police say the bar owner's son then grabbed a gun and shot his alleged attacker in the neck. That man died at the scene. Several witnesses described to police what they saw happen.

"All three of them have stated that the deceased party began confronting the other two parties in the bar -- the male who was a shooter, and a female bar employee," said Captain Milton Martin with the Houston Police Department.

The shooter suffered cuts to his face but is going to be OK. Investigators say the deadly shooting may turn out to be a case of self-defense.

Labels: altercation, TX

16-year-old kills home intruder

Police say teen ID'd masked, unarmed man as high school acquaintance

Clayton County police said a 16-year-old boy was "in fear for his life" Tuesday morning when he shot and killed a masked, unarmed intruder who broke into his Riverdale home.

Interim Chief Jeff Turner said the alleged shooter, identified by neighbors as Wes Stephens, has not been charged in the shooting on Camp Road, off Flat Shoals Road near the Fulton County line.

Stephens told police he heard a window break about 11:30 a.m. in the garage of the house he shares with his parents.

"He got his father's pistol, a semiautomatic, and fired multiple times," Turner said. "The intruder went to some lengths to disguise himself, wearing black clothes and a black bandanna across his face."

After shooting the intruder in the garage, Stephens recognized the man as Marques Karun McGhee, 19, of Riverdale, a former North Clayton High School acquaintance, Turner said.

Wes Stephens' father, Wesley Howard Stephens, had withdrawn his son from North Clayton High School because of danger caused by gangs, Turner said.

Turner said police are looking for a second person who may have dropped McGhee off on Camp Road, a mostly black neighborhood of modest ranch homes on 1- and 2-acre lots, and then fled when shots were fired.

Obscene graffiti with racial overtones directed toward "Wes" is sprayed in white paint on the road in front of the Stephens home and along Camp Road. Stephens is white, McGhee black.

Neighbors Dan and Linda Harris said the graffiti showed up about 45 days ago.

"I don't know if it's gangs, a black and white thing or just stupidity," Dan Harris said. "I know we've known Wes since he was a little boy, he used to swim in our pool and we've never had any trouble out of him."

Intruder, shooter had past ties

A 16-year-old Riverdale boy and the home intruder he shot and killed were arrested together about a year ago in a stolen car, Clayton County police Maj. Tim Robinson said Wednesday.

Police arrested Wes Stephens, a second juvenile and Marques Karun McGhee, 19, of Riverdale last March, Robinson said. McGhee's case was pending in Clayton Superior Court when he was shot. Robinson said he could not find a disposition in Stephens' case, which would have been prosecuted in Juvenile Court.

Robinson said Wednesday that Stephens probably will not be charged in the shooting. Shootings deemed by police to be self-defense usually are presented to a grand jury for a final resolution, Robinson said.

Stephens fired a semi-automatic pistol 14 times at McGhee on Tuesday morning, hitting him eight times, Robinson said.

McGhee was wearing black clothing and a black bandana over his face when he threw a rock through a garage window of the Stephens home on Camp Road in Riverdale, police said. McGhee climbed through the window and was shot by Stephens, who was armed with his father's pistol, police said.

Stephens told police he didn't know the intruder's identity until he was dead. McGhee and Stephens attended North Clayton High School together until Stephens' father withdrew his son from school because of a fear of gangs. Stephens was home alone when the shooting occurred.

Robinson said Wednesday that McGhee was a member of a local gang, the Hit Squad, but said there's no evidence Stephens was a gang member.

Labels: GA, home invasion

'Ain't nobody going to run me over'

WWII vet says he shot man who invaded his home armed with rifle

An Orangeburg man says he shot another man who broke into his home, while the person who was shot is telling another story.

A 24-year-old Minel Street man remains hospitalized at the Regional Medical Center after being shot at least once in the back.

World War II veteran and former Golden Glove boxer Newman Jackson says that if he had it to do all over again -- he would.

"Yes, sir!" Jackson said. "I can't stand that. I worked hard for what I got. I hate a thief, I hate a thief."

No charges were filed against any of the parties believed to have been involved in the incident as of late Tuesday.

Jackson, who fired his weapon from his bed, calls the incident a home invasion.

"You can't do without a gun in Orangeburg," the former WWII destroyer mechanic said. "I don't go around looking for trouble but ain't nobody going to run me over, either."

The wounded man, meanwhile, says it was perhaps a misunderstanding.

He told deputies that he, a friend and a female acquaintance were at the female's house drinking beer early Tuesday. The trio then left because he "needed to talk to the man about some money," according to an Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office incident report.

The wounded man said that while brandishing a gun, his friend kicked in the front door to the residence and ran inside, according to the report.

There, the friend encountered the 80-year-old Jackson. The invader then fled the residence, the report states.

When the second man tried to flee, he was shot in the back and fell, he said.

(More detail, and more versions)

Man glad he didn’t ‘freeze up’ for intruders

A judge has refused to grant bond to two men accused of breaking into a Charleston Highway home in February, including the man deputies say was shot by the homeowner.

“I’m not going to set bond on Mr. Aiken and Mr. Randolph. I’m going to deny bond,” Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein said Wednesday. “I do think the level of danger they are to the community is substantial.”

That decision from the bench came after 1st Circuit Assistant Solicitor Bryan Jeffries asked the court deny bond to the trio accused in the Feb. 20 invasion of the Charleston Highway home of 80-year-old Newman “Ted” Jackson.

Christopher Aiken, 24, of 2088 Muriel St., and Joseph Randolph, 23, of 105 Scarlett Drive, both of Orangeburg; and Lakeisha Rice, 23, of 405 West Pinckney St., Denmark, were charged with first-degree burglary a day later. Deputies say Aiken was shot after he broke into Jackson’s home.

Goodstein set bond on Rice at $25,000 surety with the stipulation that should she make bail, she’s confined to house arrest.

The story of Jackson defending his home became “water cooler” conversation around the community.

Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, Jackson talked about that night and his decision to pull the trigger, which apparently stopped the incident from going further.

“I thought I had about 20 seconds, but I had about five seconds,” Jackson said. “These things happen so fast.”

When deputies arrived on the scene, they were given conflicting reports. One individual told deputies his friend kicked in the front door to the residence and ran inside. A gunshot rang out and he was struck as his friend ran from the residence.

Another version was that the two males were drinking beer earlier and “needed to talk to the man about some money,” according to an Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office incident report.

(Much More)

Burglar shot in home invasion sentenced to 15 years

An Orangeburg man shot during the February home invasion of a World War II veteran was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he entered a guilty plea Tuesday.

Christopher Aiken, 24, of 2088 Muriel Street, was originally charged with first-degree burglary, a charge that after plea negotiations was reduced to second-degree burglary.

"I'm going to commit you to the state Department of Corrections for a period of 15 years," Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein said as Aiken held his head down.

The guilty plea came after two days of negotiations and reconsiderations surrounding the plea. Initially, Aiken was to offer his plea on Monday.

The plea hearing was rescheduled several times while details were worked out. The case would go before the bench, be withdrawn, then go before the bench again.

It finally went through around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Goodstein voiced concerns about the agreement to reduce the charge from first- to second-degree burglary.

"I think that's substantial, substantial," Goodstein said.

However, the case against the Muriel Street man proceeded until the sentence was on the books.

The cases against two co-defendants, Joseph Randolph, 23, of Orangeburg and Lakeisha Rice, 23, of Denmark are still pending.

The charges against Aiken came after the Feb. 20 invasion of the home of Ted Jackson, an 80-year-old World War II veteran and gun enthusiast.

It was about 2 a.m. on that date when the shooting occurred. Jackson said his dog began barking, alerting him that something was amiss.

As Jackson turned on a light, he grabbed a pistol. Seconds later, a man carrying an AK-47 kicked open his bedroom door.

At a bond hearing for Aiken earlier this year, Jackson said he's faced Japanese cannon bigger than a machine gun.

He fired at the intruder, striking the man in the upper shoulder.

Aiken was treated for the gunshot wound and later released.

When told of Aiken's sentence, Jackson said, "Yeah, that's OK, that's good. I'm glad that part's over."

However, Jackson wonders if it really is over. About two weeks ago, someone broke into his home while he was away. He wonders if that latest break-in isn't related to the February shooting.

Since then, the 80-year-old has installed steel plating around his entry ways to bolster the doors -- and make them bulletproof.

"You can run a Jeep through there and you wouldn't get in," Jackson said.

Obviously a no-nonsense individual, Jackson says that given the same circumstances, he'd do it all over again.

"Somebody's coming in my house? You dadblasted right I would," Jackson said. "If my little dog hadn't woke me up, it could have been a lot different. (A deputy) said to me, 'These fellows were going to kill you that night.'"

Burglar shot in home invasion sentenced to 15 years

An Orangeburg man shot during the February home invasion of a World War II veteran was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he entered a guilty plea Tuesday.

Christopher Aiken, 24, of 2088 Muriel Street, was originally charged with first-degree burglary, a charge that after plea negotiations was reduced to second-degree burglary.

...

The charges against Aiken came after the Feb. 20 invasion of the home of Ted Jackson, an 80-year-old World War II veteran and gun enthusiast.

It was about 2 a.m. on that date when the shooting occurred. Jackson said his dog began barking, alerting him that something was amiss.

As Jackson turned on a light, he grabbed a pistol. Seconds later, a man carrying an AK-47 kicked open his bedroom door.

At a bond hearing for Aiken earlier this year, Jackson said he's faced Japanese cannon bigger than a machine gun.

He fired at the intruder, striking the man in the upper shoulder.

Aiken was treated for the gunshot wound and later released.

When told of Aiken's sentence, Jackson said, "Yeah, that's OK, that's good. I'm glad that part's over."

However, Jackson wonders if it really is over. About two weeks ago, someone broke into his home while he was away. He wonders if that latest break-in isn't related to the February shooting.

Since then, the 80-year-old has installed steel plating around his entry ways to bolster the doors -- and make them bulletproof.

"You can run a Jeep through there and you wouldn't get in," Jackson said.

Obviously a no-nonsense individual, Jackson says that given the same circumstances, he'd do it all over again.

"Somebody's coming in my house? You dadblasted right I would," Jackson said. "If my little dog hadn't woke me up, it could have been a lot different. (A deputy) said to me, 'These fellows were going to kill you that night.'"

(More)

Labels: home invasion, SC

Man Found Not Guilty Of Murdering Friend

A 27-year-old man accused of murdering his best friend was found not guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court Tuesday.

Matthew Lisicki was found not guilty after prosecutors were unable to disprove Lisicki's argument that he killed 21-year-old Derek Rew in self defense.

Lisicki's attorneys said Rew punched Lisicki, then 24, in the face and threatened to kill him before Lisicki shot five bullets into Rew. The shots, attorneys said, were fired upward, as if Lisicki had been on the floor looking up at Rew.

Lisicki said he's puzzled why prosecutors charged him with the April 2004 murder. He says that he has been honest from the beginning.

Labels: altercation, OR

Businessman wounded in attempted robbery, one suspect dies

A Selma businessman was hospitalized and a suspect killed following an attempted robbery over the weekend. Selma police said a second suspect was arrested.

Authorities said it happened Saturday night about 7:30 p-m when two juveniles confronted Nathaniel Gary after he closed his business on Broad Street.

Police said Gary, owner of Doc's Fashions, exchanged gunshots with 18-year-old Michael Walker and 17-year-old Keotha Billingsley. Walker was shot dead.

Billingsley fled the scene, but he was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery.

Police said Gary was shot in the leg and was treated and released. Police said he will NOT face charges.

Billingsley was released on a five-thousand dollar bond and awaits an arraignment hearing.

Labels: AL, business robbery, defender shot

Three teens were allegedly involved in the attempted robbery of a 75-year-old Tifton man Sunday, according to incident reports obtained from the Tifton Police Department.

According to the reports, the victim told police that a 14-year-old female called him Sunday and asked him if she could come clean his home, a service that she had reportedly performed in the past. He declined the offer and told her that she could come later to clean, the report states.

Some time later, the man heard a knock at his Eighth Street carport door. When he answered the same 14-year-old female was standing there with another 14-year-old female that the complainant knew.

The report states that the man opened the door and allowed the girls to enter his home. As they were talking, another knock came at his carport door. The man opened the door, the report states, and an unknown, young white male entered the home wearing a blue bandanna around his face.

The complainant told police that the man demanded $200 from him for “propositioning her,” referring to one of the girls. The complainant refused to give the man money, he told police.

At that point, the masked man drew closer to the victim and allegedly threatened to cut him with the knife that he was carrying.

The complainant told police that one of the girls grabbed the intruder by the arm and began leading him out of the home, saying, “Don’t do it.”

The victim followed them out of the home after he retrieved a hand gun for self-defense, the report states. Once the intruder saw the handgun, all three of the teens left the premises.

The two females were arrested and charged early Monday morning with aggravated assault and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, according to a Tift County Sheriff’s Office jail booking report.

Labels: GA, residence robbery

Woman uses gun to scare off intruder

A woman used a gun to scare off an intruder who entered her home Saturday, according to a press release issued Monday by Darlington County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman was in her home at Journey’s End Road near Darlington when the incident occurred. The woman, who called the sheriff’s office at about 7:15 p.m., said she stepped from her laundry room and saw a man standing in her living room.

She told deputies that when the man saw her, he turned over a coffee table and appeared to be trying to get to her. The woman said she ran to a bedroom, got a pistol and came back to the living room, where she told the intruder that she was armed.

When the intruder saw the pistol, he turned and ran from the residence. The woman said she fired several shots as he ran from the house, but she doesn’t know if any of the bullets hit him.

The woman wasn’t injured, according to the press release.

Deputies used bloodhounds to try to find the intruder, but they lost the scent after a short distance. Investigators said they think the suspect fled the area in a vehicle, according to the press release.

The intruder is described as a black man 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt and blue jeans.

Investigators said they think the man entered her house through an unlocked sliding door, according to the release.

Labels: home invasion, SC

Relatives Targeted by Home Invaders

Thursday morning, a Pender County man woke up to three men breaking through his door and demanding money.

One day after the crime, his wall is pock-marked with gun-shot holes. The victim says they fired a .45 caliber six times. He ran to his closet, grabbed his shotgun and fired back.

Just minutes earlier, his cousin, who lives next door, also faced the three masked men. They demanded money and information, then assaulted him.

The sheriff's department and the victim say they still don't know why it happened. Authorities are searching for three men in a burgundy van.

But the victim says he's not waiting for authorities to find the men who invaded his home. He's ready to move, because he fears for the lives of his young daughters.

Labels: home invasion, NC, residence robbery

Homeowner Shoots And Kills Alleged Intruder

A homeowner shoots and kills a man authorities say broke into the family's Bullard home. It happened just after 12:00 p.m. on County Road 150 in Smith County.

The Smith County Sheriff's Department says the owner of Graham Farms came home to find a strange car in his driveway, and the door to his house open. They say Terry Graham shot and killed 34-year-old Hiram J. Chambers, of Tyler, after coming face-to-face with the man. Chambers allegedly reached for something in a bag, and authorities say they later found two loaded weapons.

Chambers was out of jail on parole for a prior home burglary. Graham did not want to comment on camera, but described the entire incident as 'terribly unfortunate.'

Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TX

Woman Tells Police She Opened Fire As Man Broke In

Indianapolis Metro police said a homeowner fatally shot a burglar Saturday night at an apartment in the 2100 block of Lake Terrace Drive.

Officers found the man laying the hallway of the apartment building after they were called there at about 9:30 p.m.

A woman in the apartment told officers she shot the man as he broke into her apartment. The man's identity was not immediately released.

A second person, with the man who was shot, fled on foot immediately after the shooting. That man was described as black, heavyset, wearing a red shirt and black hoodie. The woman told police he was armed with a handgun.

Police tracked the man's footprints in the snow to the 2100 block of North Mitthoeffer Road before they lost the tracks.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will review the case to determine if any charges are warranted

Labels: home invasion, IN, residence burglary

Homicide ruled self-defense; woman freed

A Greenville woman walked out of the Greenville City Jail a free woman Friday afternoon after a murder charge against her was dismissed.

Municipal Court Judge Michael Prewitt dismissed the domestic homicide charge against Quintina Scott Brown during her arraignment hearing in city court.

Brown had been incarcerated since Thursday after an altercation at a Valentine's Day wedding reception led to Brown shooting her husband and being charged in the city's first homicide of the year.

Jermaine Brown, 23, was shot and killed early Thursday, and Quintina Scott Brown, 23, of Greenville was charged by the Greenville Police Department with one count of domestic homicide.

Police Lt. Andrew Kaho said the Police Department received a call about 1:30 a.m. Thursday concerning a shot person at 1253 Dublin St.

“Once officers arrived on the scene, Quintina Scott Brown told police that she had just shot her husband,” Kaho said. “Mrs. Brown said the two of them had been in an altercation earlier that day at a relative's wedding reception. It continued throughout the night.

“After they had left the reception and were at the house, Mrs. Brown said her husband assaulted her in the face,” Kaho said referring to police reports. “She told him to get his clothes and leave the residence.”

The woman said her husband refused to leave the house.

“She said he refused to leave the house and at that time, they began to wrestle with each other,” Kaho said. “She said she got loose and went to the closet and got a handgun. She said she told him again to get his things and leave the house, and he refused to leave.

“At that time, she said, the man was very upset and began to approach her,” Kaho added. “At that time, she raised the weapon and shot one time.”

Kaho said Jermaine Brown was shot in the left side of the forehead.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Quintina Brown was taken into custody by police at the scene.

Police officers retrieved a .380-caliber handgun from the residence, which is believed to be the weapon.

Kaho said the couple had three children: a 1-year-old boy and two 3-year-old girls. The police lieutenant said the children were at the house at the time of the incident, but they were not injured.

Quintina Brown reportedly “had bruises under her neck,” Kaho said. “Judge Prewitt ruled that the shooting appeared to be self-defense and dismissed the charges.”

Kaho said Friday that the case is still being investigated by the Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division.

“We are still investigating the incident, and the file will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for review,” Kaho said. “The D.A. will determine whether to submit the case to the next grand jury.”

Labels: domestic abuse, MS

Store Owner Wounds Gunman In Shootout

The owner of a southeast Houston food market fought back against men trying to rob his store, officials told KPRC Local 2.

Houston police said three men robbed the Shew Food Market on Canal Street near South 75th Street just before noon on Friday.

The owner of the store chased the men outside, where a shootout with the robbers erupted in the middle of the street, police said.

Investigators said the owner shot one of the men in the upper torso as the three robbers fled from the scene in a stolen white truck.

The gunmen then transferred to a Jeep Cherokee about a half-mile away and escaped, officials said.

Police said they found a large pool of blood near the abandoned truck, leading them to believe one of the robbers is in need of medical attention.

The search for the robbers is ongoing and area hospitals are being searched for shooting victims, police said.

The owner of the store was unharmed and is being questioned by the Houston Police Department about the shooting.

Labels: business robbery, TX

Passer-by shoots robbery suspect fleeing Circle K

A man who police believe attempted to rob a Circle K store was chased down and shot in the leg by a passer-by, Phoenix police said.

The would-be robber attempted to steal cartons of cigarettes from behind the store counter at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Monday, police said. The Circle K store is located near Camelback Road and 16th Street..

The store manager confronted the man, and the suspect fled the store, police said.

A person in a vehicle pursued the would-be robber and reportedly shot the suspect in the leg. The suspect was unarmed, police said, but the gunman was under the impression he had a weapon, according to police.

David Burton, 46, was arrested on suspicion of the robbery and taken to St. Joe's Hospital and Medical Center for treatment of his injury.

Labels: AZ, business robbery

"The camera showed very clear who it was. You could see a face," said Wayne Karczewski, the store owner.

Thursday night the cameras at the Sharpsburg Super Market captured video of this man walking to the back of the store. Karczewski's office is just out of range of the camera and that's where he was headed.

"It was my change drawer, all the money was gone," Karczewski said.

When Karczewski noticed the missing money he called police and they went to work on trying to identify the man from surveillance video.

"This guy came in and I was just taken aback that someone would return that quickly, Karczewski said.

The same man returned the very next morning and headed straight for Karczewski's office again.

"I immediately grabbed my gun pulled it out of the holster, Karczewski said."

Karczewski confronted the man about the missing money and called 911 all the while keeping his gun out and ready if the man should try to get away.

"It's my stuff. They violated my place. They violated my family. They violated the people who work for me."

When police arrived and interviewed the man he admitted taking the money and told Karczewski he was sorry. While Karczewski says he doesn't hold any animosity against the thief, he says he'll never let someone take advantage of him again.

Labels: business burglary, KY

Burglary suspect sought near Coalfield School

According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, deputies are looking for a burglary suspect near Coalfield School.

The suspect tried to break into a house near the school at around 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. A woman was home alone in the house with her two children. Her husband had just left for work.

The mother shot at the suspect, who fled.

The school principal says school officials are keeping a close lookout in the area surrounding the school.

A woman home alone with her two children in Morgan County's Coalfield community fired a gun three times Friday morning to protect herself and her family.

Shortly after Suzanne Carson's husband left for work, Carson said she went back to bed with her 3-year old daughter.

When she heard a noise, she got up to check on her 4-year old son, who was sleeping down the hallway.

"As I stood here, I could hear someone at the back door," Carson explained, standing in her home's hallway, at the doorway leading into the kitchen.

Carson said she saw the face of a young man trying to open her back door.

She said he appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing a dark baseball cap with a yellow logo

Carson went for a gun, with only one thought.

"The first thing actually was my kids," Carson said.

She thought, "Ok, I'm going to have to do something to protect them."

Holding the gun, Carson said she yelled for the man to stop.

"I could see his arm entering my home," she said. "That's when I fired the first shot."

The kitchen wall took a hit, but it didn't stop the intruder.

"He stepped completely into the kitchen, and that's when I fired the other two shots," Carson explained.

The shots shattered the glass storm door and ripped holes in the screen.

Carson said the man wearing a thick dark shirt or jacket fled into the woods behind her home.

"I was terrified, absolutely terrified," Carson said. "And I remember screaming the whole time it was going on.

"He didn't say anything, not one word," she added.

It scares Carson to even think about what he wanted, this time.

She believes he was also outside her home Thursday night, when she was home alone with her children again.

"They actually tried to open one of the playroom windows," she explained.

The woman whose husband taught her to shoot a gun for the first time a month ago didn't hesitate Friday morning.

"I'm so proud of her for being able to protect herself and the kids," husband B.J.. Carson said. "She's truly a hero."

"I've been wanting a new back door, so I figure this is a good chance to get one," Suzanne Carson laughed.

Carson said her daughter slept through the whole ordeal.

The Morgan County Sheriff said prison dogs lost the suspect's trail in the woods.

They're not sure if he was hit, but hospitals have been notified to be on the look-out for a gunshot victim.

Meanwhile, the Carson's home is not far from the Coalfield school.

Friday afternoon, the school principal said school officials were keeping a close lookout in the area surrounding the school.

Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TN

Attempted Robbery Suspect Dead After Gunfight

Victim Was Carrying 1-Year-Old Baby

A suspect is dead after an armed robbery attempt led to a gunfight in the Chatham neighborhood.

Police said 19-year-old Brian Neal and an accomplice approached a 23-year-old man and his 1-year-old son as they were going into their apartment in the 500 block of East 82nd Street on Thursday afternoon.

A fight broke out, and the two men exchanged gunfire. Neal was killed, while the would-be robbery victim was last reported in stable condition. The seriousness of his injuries was not specified.

The baby was not hurt.

Labels: IL, street robbery

Jewelry Store Owner Shoots Robbery Suspects

Two wounded robbery suspects are in the hospital after a frightening jewelry store shooting Wednesday night.

Gunfire erupted at Diamond Heart Jewelers located at 4th and South Streets.

Police said three suspects went inside and pulled out guns.

During the holdup an employee, who did not want to be identified, returned with dinner and walked into the middle of the robbery.

"My boss said, 'it's a stick-up, it's a stick-up,' and I wanna run but my legs were so frozen I can't move and I closed the store, the guys looks at me and when he turned around I saw the izzu (sic) coming out of his jacket and I just left the store, as soon I passed the store, I heard the shot," said the employee.

Police said the store owner shot two of the suspects but all three escaped with cash and jewelry.

Later on, police found the two wounded men inside a car in North Philadelphia.

Police said the third suspect was able to escape.

Labels: business robbery, PA

Store owner kills would-be robber

A liquor store owner shot and killed a man who tried to rob him Wednesday evening, police said.

The shooting occurred about 5:40 p.m., when a man walked up to the counter at Ione's Liquor Mart in the 8300 block of Broadway and threatened the owner with a long-barreled weapon , said Sgt. David Crain of the Houston Police Department's homicide division.

At that moment, a customer opened the store door, and the owner took advantage of the distraction to pull out his own weapon and shoot the man, who died at the scene, Crain said.

Investigators were interviewing the owner and witnesses, including one of two women who entered the store at the same time the gunman did, Crain said.

Police are looking for the second woman, who fled.

"We're still trying to sort out what their involvement was in the robbery, if any," Crain said.

The district attorney will decide whether to file charges in the case, but the store owner was within his rights to carry a gun on his property, Crain said.

"It's absolutely legitimate for him to have a weapon to protect his life and his property," he said.

The owner told investigators that he carried the gun because he was concerned about a history of robberies in the area, Crain said.

Labels: business robbery, TX

Wounded clerks' boss armed, 'ready'

Ahmed Alomari never thought robbers would target his gas station. Even worse, he never figured on his son being hospitalized with four gunshot wounds.

"I don't know what to say. I'm just thankful he's still alive," Alomari said about his son as he handed a customer change.

It was business as usual on Tuesday at the Chevron on 905 W. Northside Drive in Jackson. But three days earlier, it was mayhem as a gunman opened fire on two employees during a robbery.

The attack was caught on surveillance video. Police are still looking for the shooter.

Bassam Alomari, 25, was shot four times, and Alhoussine Arhgoummi, 34, was shot twice. Both men are in fair condition at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The robbery occurred around 1:30 Saturday morning.

The gunman "shot the clerk, jumped the counter, shot another clerk and made off with an undisclosed amount of money," Jackson Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeffery Scott said. "It all happened in about 40 seconds."

Scott said he believes there was at least one other person involved in the robbery.

The video shows a second person reaching into the cash register after the gunman had jumped the counter and pursued one of the clerks.

After being shot once in the neck and three times in the torso, Bassam Alomari grabbed a .44 Magnum, walked out of the store and fired three shots at the suspects, store manager Mohammad Shawsh said.

Arhgoummi, who had worked at the store only four days, was shot once in the head and once in the stomach, Shawsh said.

If there's another robbery, Shawsh said, his employees will be prepared. As Shawsh stocked a shelf Tuesday, he did so with one gun in a hip holster and guns in each of his two front pockets.

"We're ready," he said. "If they come back here, they're not going to leave back out.

Labels: business robbery, MS

Man shoots and kills intruder

A homeowner on the city's southwest side, told police he shot and killed an intruder Wednesday night. The shooting happened at 198 West High Terrace. An unidentified male homeowner called 911 to tell police he came upon another man in his home, and shot him, around 8:30. When police arrived they found a deceased male lying in front of the house. The investigation is continuing.

Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting, Killing Burglar

Rochester Police have arrested a man on charges of shooting an attempted burglar Thursday morning.

Reginald Leslie, 29, allegedly shot and killed a man who had entered his home on West High Terrace around 8:30 pm Wednesday night. A search warrant inside Leslie’s house led to the discovery of ¾ of a kilo of cocaine, one pound of marijuana, $20,000 in cash and a stolen handgun.

Leslie has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of marijuana and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. No charges have been formally filed regarding the shooting.

Labels: home invasion, NY, residence burglary

Woman fights off intruder who is later arrested

An Oregon man is charged with attempted murder after a struggle inside a rural Ontario home.

Malheur County Sheriff's deputies say 38-year-old Christopher Scott Hardy entered the home of a 33-year-old woman.

She struggled with Hardy for control of his gun and she was able to fire all the rounds, escape and call 911 around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Deputies say the victim knew Hardy.

"Basically what she did is she saved her own life by deciding that she was going to fight and attempt to escape," said Brian Wolfe, Malheur County undersheriff.

Hardy was tracked to another home north of Ontario and arrested.

Back in 2000, he was convicted of attempted rape and several counts of sex abuse against two teenagers and served prison time.

Hardy’s being held in the Malheur County Jail.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, OR

Alleged Robber Shot By Homeowner

An alleged robber was taken into custody Wednesday morning after being shot in the arm by the owner of the home police said he'd broken into.

Police said the man broke into the house near Third and Virginia avenues just before 4 a.m. and was confronted by the homeowner, who had a gun.

The homeowner shot the alleged robber in the arm and then was shot in the hand with his own gun while he and the robber struggled, police said.

The homeowner was able to subdue the alleged robber until police arrived and arrested him.

Labels: AZ, home invasion, residence robbery

No charges filed in Mescal shooting death

Criminal charges will not be filed in the November 2006 shooting death of a Benson man, according to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. The Cochise County Attorney's Office notified investigators in a Feb. 8 letter, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carol Capas.

"The present state of evidence does not allow us to overcome the defense of self defense. Indeed, the evidence seems to support the suspect's claim that he killed the victim in self defense," states the letter from Deputy County Attorney Gerald Till to Sheriff's Office Sgt. Mark Genz.

Jesse Earhart, 25, died at the scene of the Nov. 8 incident after being shot twice by Clavis Baum during an altercation in Baum's mobile home at 3183 W. Ripple Road in Mescal.

Baum told investigators and the News-Sun that he shot Earhart twice with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun after Earhart unleashed a brass-knuckles attack on him.

"I was defending my own life," said Baum in an interview with the News-Sum.

Baum reported to authorities the day after the shooting that he'd received death threats, according to Sheriff's Office incident call logs.

"A lot of people think that I had some other choice, that there was something else I could have done and that I didn't have to do this," said Baum. "But at that point it was life or death - I was fighting for my life."

Till told the News-Sun recently that the angles at which Earhart was shot - once in the leg and on the left side of the chest - seemed to support Baum's account.

In the days following the shooting, Baum said he was unaware of any motive Earhart might have had and that he did not think he would face criminal charges.

"I think it was pretty obvious to them (authorities), what they saw, how beat up I was and how swollen my head was on the left side.

"I simply and solely had that gun for protection for myself; I had in mind to shoot nobody with it. He had a plan, he was waiting for the opportune moment to initiate it or carry it out. I'm not a cold-blooded killer or murderer. I am a man who was doing his best and determined to save his own life."

Labels: altercation, AZ

Thwarted Thief

Clerk Pulls Gun On Would-Be Robber At Morganton Convenience Store

A pistol-wielding clerk told police she she chased away a robber Monday night.

Officers would not release her name Tuesday.

Burke County Sheriff's Detective Rodney Norman says a man came into the Shop and Save on N.C. 18 North about 10:30 p.m. Monday and asked the 34-year old female clerk if she was alone.

Norman says the clerk had noticed the man around the store earlier in the evening, and thought something was amiss.

He says the clerk told police the man slid her a note across the counter that said "Give me the money from the drawer or you're dead."

The clerk told the man she couldn't read English, Norman says.

She told the detective the man then got angry and pounded on the register until it opened.

Norman says the clerk pushed the register drawer closed before the man could get any money from it.

She then pulled a small silver handgun from under the counter, Norman says. The man ran from the store when he saw her cocking the weapon, the detective says.

The clerk had pushed a button that automatically calls police, Norman says. He says she did that after the man in the store asked her if she was alone.

Labels: business robbery, NC

Teen shot, charged, after breaking into classmate's home

A 17-year-old boy was recovering Tuesday from a gunshot to the chest after he tried to break into the home of a classmate who had allegedly been spreading rumors about his girlfriend, authorities said.

Daniel Scott Merkel has been charged with burglary and criminal mischief and is in custody as he recovers at Delray Medical Center.

"I'm just happy he's alive," the boy's mother, Mary Merkel, said Monday.

Ricardo Collier III, 44, who shot Merkel early Sunday morning, has not been charged with a crime. Investigators said he was defending his home under Florida's Castle Doctrine law, which allows the use of deadly force if there is a "reasonable fear of imminent peril."

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report, the teen was banging on the Colliers' front door. Ricardo Collier called 911 and told the 6-foot, 215-pound high school wrestler to leave. Merkel then charged at the door and broke inside, the report stated.

He lunged at Collier, who shot Merkel in the chest, according to the report.

The junior at Palm Beach Central High School had apparently come looking for Collier's son, Ricardo Collier IV, who Merkel thought had been spreading rumors about his girlfriend.

Merkel's family and attorney dispute Collier's account of the shooting.

"This was not a burglar that they didn't know coming through the window in the middle of the night," said Charlotte Danciu, Merkel's attorney and aunt. "He might have expected to address his girlfriend's honor but he never expected Ricardo's father to shoot him."

The elder Ricardo Collier's brother, Charles, said his brother was simply defending his home.

"He was trying to save his family," Charles Collier said. "Who knocks down a door over a girlfriend? That's not a balanced person."

Labels: FL, home invasion

WNY burglar runs from gunfire

A would-be burglar was frightened off in West New York yesterday afternoon by a gun-wielding homeowner who "accidentally" fired a shot in his direction, according to the West New York Police Department.

A man wearing a gray North Face jacket with a gray hooded sweatshirt underneath tried to kick in the door to a first-floor apartment, the 39-year-old resident told police.

The man ran to the door after hearing dogs barking and heavy pounding on his door, police said. He picked up a licensed handgun, leaned out a window, and yelled "what are you trying to do, I have a gun!" and tried to display it.

The gun fired accidentally, said West New York Police Director Tim Griffin, and the frightened burglar took off running.

Labels: home invasion, NJ, residence burglary

Homeowner shoots burglar

This time Michael Harmon's luck ran out.

The 46-year-old Gary man who was acquitted on burglary charges in June has a new felony charge and a gunshot wound to his leg, all the result of an alleged theft at a Brunswick home earlier this month.

Detective Cpl. Dan Callahan said Harmon of 1079 Jackson St. was charged with burglary after the resident of a home in the 1100 block of Hendricks Street caught the suspect inside and shot him.

Homeowner Waymond Pearson was not charged in connection with the shooting, Callahan said. Neighbors alerted Pearson to the break-in on Feb. 2 after allegedly seeing the suspect leave with items from the house, court records state. Pearson was on his way to coach a basketball team but returned home to find the suspect had returned and was in his bedroom.

"He told the man to get on the floor ... the man continued to come towards him and he shot the man in the leg," the probable cause affidavit states.

When Patrolman Jeff Hornyak arrived, he found Harmon wounded on the kitchen floor. Harmon suffered a broken bone as a result of the shooting, police said.

Police arrested Harmon in November 2005 after residents saw him taking items from New Zion Temple Church, 1701 W. 15th Ave., about 1 a.m. Officers saw Harmon climbing out of the window of the church and apprehended him with some items.

But in June, jurors acquitted Harmon on burglary and other felonies.

Labels: home invasion, IN, residence burglary

A 72-year-old man catches his own crook

A 72-year-old Gates man took the law into his own hands when he captured a burglar in his home.

The suspect is identified as Eric Ray Mull. He's accused of breaking into a home on Buffalo Road around 10:30 Sunday night. Gates police say the homeowner, who has not been identified, heard a loud crash and grabbed his registered revolver.

The elderly man confronted Mull and ordered him to stop. When Mull refused, the homeowner fired his weapon, missing the suspect, then held him to the ground until police arrived to arrest him.

Armed Resident Confronts Intruder

A Gates couple decided a number of years ago to have guns in their home. They believe without them last night, they wouldn't be alive today.

"My wife had just gone upstairs and I was lying on the couch and I heard this big crash," said Bill, the homeowner.
Bill realized the crash was someone breaking down the side door of his Buffalo Road home.

"He was screaming, ‘Someone's shooting at me, someone's shooting at me!’"

"I jumped up and grabbed the gun I always have where it's conveniently tucked away."

The 38 special is one of Bill's lawfully registered guns.

The man kept coming into the house.

"I was right here, and he was there,” said Bill, pointing in front of him. "I said ‘Stop or get down!’ and he kept coming at me and I fired the shot… he dropped to the floor."

The gunshot just missed Eric Ray Mull's head and hit the stairwell.

Meanwhile, the house was dark and Bill's wife was upstairs calling 911. She didn't know whether the shot fired came from her husband, or was aimed at her husband.

"It's very scary," said Bill. “If I would have aimed about three feet higher I would have caught her in the leg."

Since the gun was registered, no charges have been filed against Bill. No gun was found on mull (sic).

This is not the first time Mull had visited Bill's home. Mull came to the door last week asking for money to shovel the driveway. They told him to go away.

Gates police say Mull is a prior felon. He is now charged with burglary, criminal mischief and petit larceny. He remains in the Monroe County Jail on $50,000 cash bond.

Labels: home invasion, NY, residence robbery

DA says shooting was self-defense

A Gastonia woman who shot and killed her ex-husband will not be charged with a crime.

Linda Friday just told WCNC that the district attorney decided the shooting was self-defense.

This weekend, Christopher Shane threatened to strangle Friday with an electrical cord and threatened to kill another man with a butcher knife.

Friday says she hid a gun in her wheelchair.

“It was either my life or his; I had to choose, and I did,” Friday said.

Labels: domestic abuse, NC

Police: Would-be liquor store thief may have been shot, still not found

Winona police were looking Saturday for a man who may have been shot while attempting to rob a liquor store Friday night.

According to police, a black man about 6 feet tall wearing a ski mask and dark jacket walked into the Golfview Liquor Store at 1671 W. Fifth St. shortly before 7 p.m., attacked the store clerk and demanded money.

The man threatened to shoot the clerk but did not show a gun, said Winona Police Sgt. Gary Hoeppner.

After a struggle, the would-be robber moved toward the front door, stopped and turned. The 60-year-old employee then fired one shot from a 0.38-caliber handgun.

The employee told police he believed he had shot the robber.

Police recovered one shell casing at the scene but found no blood or evidence of the bullet.

A passerby reported seeing a man run from the store and get into a red SUV.

Police said no one matching the suspect’s description had shown up at area hospitals with a gunshot wound as of Saturday morning.

There was no one else in the store at the time, and no money was taken.

Golfview owner Bill Ahrens said Saturday that he was held up once before “about 25 years ago” but didn’t want to discuss Friday’s robbery.

Nurse accused of helping alleged robber shot during Golfview Liquor holdup

Winona County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Rochester nurse with four felonies in connection with the Feb. 9 robbery of Golfview Liquor store in Winona.

A third person may yet face charges, according to Winona police investigators.

Susan Anne Leathes, 36, faces four counts of aiding an offender. The charges allege Leathes, a nurse, treated her companion, Andre Jones, after he was shot during the botched robbery, and that she lied about it to Winona Police investigators.

According to a criminal complaint, the 37-year-old man was shot with a .38 caliber handgun by a Golfview clerk after he grabbed the clerk by the collar, demanding money and threatening to shoot the clerk. Jones was arrested two days later in Rochester and taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound in his back.

Winona County Attorney Chuck MacLean said Leathes repeatedly lied to Winona police on the day after the robbery and told them she did not notice that Jones had been hurt.

Jones, who was released in July after serving more than 10 years in federal prison for robbing a bank, faces six felony charges in connection with the Golfview robbery. The most serious carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Two of the charges against Leathes carry a maximum possible sentence of one-half that faced by the offender she is accused of aiding. The others carry three-year maximum sentences.

No charges against liquor store owner

A grand jury declined to indict the owner of the Golfview Liquor store Thursday for shooting a man trying to rob his store in February.

Meanwhile, the man accused of robbing the store was in court as prosecutors sought permission to examine him for the bullet they say would tie him to the holdup.

The grand jury, which convened Tuesday, determined there was insufficient evidence to charge William Michael Ahrens, 60, with any crime in the Feb. 9 incident in which he shot a robber with one round from a .38 pistol he kept behind the counter.

Andre Dion Jones, 37, of Rochester was arrested Feb. 11 and remains in the Winona County Jail on six felony charges of robbery and attempted robbery of the store.

According to prosecutors, Jones was shot once in the back after he grabbed Ahrens, demanded money and threatened to shoot him. After his arrest, he was treated at St. Marys Hospital, where he told a doctor, in earshot of police, that he was shot in Winona.

Jones appeared Thursday afternoon in Winona County District Court, where Winona County Attorney Chuck MacLean asked permission to X-ray Jones’ back in search of the bullet.

When Jones was arrested in Rochester two days after the incident, he asked to go to a hospital, according to the criminal complaint. Doctors discovered a bullet his lower back and opted not to remove it.

Jones’ public defender, Ross Phelps, argued that officers took Jones to the hospital even though he didn’t ask to go and had him examined without his consent or a warrant. Phelps argued that MacLean’s request is connected to that search and should be denied.

Phelps also argued that evidence indicated the robber was facing Ahrens when he was shot, while Jones’ gunshot wound was to his back.

District Judge Mary Leahy, who heard the request, said she would issue a decision in the coming weeks.

Prosecutors hope to discover a .38 slug in Jones that matches Ahren’s gun, which would place Jones at the scene.

Prosecutors have also charged Jones’ girlfriend and a man who allegedly drove Jones to and from the store with aiding the robbery, and MacLean said Thursday that both may be called to testify.

An evidence hearing has been scheduled for May.

Jones, who previously has been convicted of bank robbery, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.

Labels: business robbery, MN

Home-invasion suspect is shot

A man was shot multiple times early Saturday morning after he allegedly broke into a Salt Lake City apartment.

He was in critical condition Saturday night at LDS Hospital with wounds to the abdomen, chest and arm, said Salt Lake City police Lt. Dave Cracroft.

About 1:15 a.m., a 35-year-old man kicked his way into an apartment at 1168 S. 500 East and assaulted a man living there, said police Lt. Gary Layton. The resident's grown son retrieved a small-caliber pistol and shot the intruder, Cracroft said. The shooting victim ran to a nearby residence, where he fell in the yard.

Layton said the shooting appears to have been in self-defense and the gunman has not been arrested. He didn't know what spurred the alleged home invasion.

Labels: assault, home invasion, UT

Man armed with BB gun shot during robbery attempt

A man carrying a BB gun was shot by a Northeast Heights shop owner while attempting to hold it up Friday night.

The incident happened at about 7:30 at the Higher Source smoke shop near Lomas and Wyoming. The co-owner of the shop reportedly shot the suspected robber with a nine millimeter handgun.

When police arrived, they found the suspected robber with two to three gunshot wounds to the chest.

“It appears at this point that the offender, when he walked into the business, may have had a BB gun,” said APD spokeswoman Trish Hoffman. “It looks very much like a real gun and the business owner may have shot him.”

The suspected robber was rushed to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition. He has been identified only as a 34-year-old Hispanic man.

The co-owner of the shop was detained briefly for questioning and released.

Mother of robber says she’ll sue store owner

The mother of a man who was shot three times by the owner of store that the man was trying to rob says she intends to rob (sic) the store owner.

Lorraine Sena, the mother of 34-year-old Mitchell Sena, says her son admits to trying to rob the shop armed with a BB gun to get money for drugs. But she says shop owner John Kemm only needed to shoot her son once – not three times.

Kemm, the owner of Higher Source Smoke Shop, says, “I will do whatever I have to do to protect myself.”

Kemm’s version of the February 9th event and the version Mitchell Sena related to his mother differ.

“Through the camera, I saw a gun in his hand aiming at the register,” said Kemm. “I heard him shout, basically, ‘Give me all your money or I will shoot and kill you.’”

Kemm says he snatched his handgun and “at that precise moment I shot him with the first shot in the shoulder.”

Kemm says Sena continued to try to go for the BB gun, which Kenn thought was a real firearm, and Kemm shot Sena two more times – he claims in self defense.

But Lorraine Sena says her son claims the second and third shots were execution style and that her son begged not to be shot.

Police say that Mitchell Sena will be arrested and charged with armed robbery when he’s released from the hospital. Police have not charged Kemm with anything.

Labels: business robbery, NM

Citizen catches robbery suspect

A bank robber was behind bars yesterday and all the stolen money was recovered thanks to the quick thinking and assistance of a good Samaritan.

Denver area resident John Adams was in the process of paying his mortgage at a Washington Mutual bank at 1705 Sheridan Blvd., at around 3 p.m., when he noticed a man walking away from the TCF Bank located directly next door at 1709 Sheridan Blvd, near Sloan’s Lake Park.

Adams’ antennas went up when he realized that the man walking away from the bank was holding a small grocery-like bag with red dye pouring out of it.

‘Funnier than crap’

“There was red smoke coming out of it, but he had no idea what was happening,” Adams told the Denver Daily News yesterday. “It was funnier than crap.”

Mr. Adams quickly told his broker that he may have spotted a bank robber, finished up his mortgage payment transaction, then called 9-1-1 from his cell phone. He was on the corner of 17th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Edgewater at the time, but the 9-1-1 call went to the Denver police dispatch.

Let police do their jobs

Denver police asked Adams for a description of the suspect and his location while Adams proceeded to jump in his car and carefully follow the man.

Adams has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but he said he felt no need to draw his weapon — he wanted to leave the police work up to the police.

“Why don’t you give us gun rights guys a plug?” Adams commented about his use of extreme caution and patience with a gun.

Persistance pays off

After losing the suspect for about three minutes, Adams caught up to the man again as the suspect entered an alley between Sheridan Boulevard and Zenobia Street near Colfax Avenue.

The suspect was in the process of taking off his sweatshirt that had been splattered with dye.

The man then moved out of the alley into a nearby motel parking lot when Adams noticed an Edgewater patrol car cruising up in the area. Adams flagged the officer down and in about 45 seconds, the Edgewater Police Department and the Denver Police Department together took the suspect into custody without incident.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Adams said. “I have a concealed carry permit like a million other guys, but I didn’t see any reason to pull my weapon out. I was not in any danger.”

Money recovered

All the dye-covered money was recovered from the suspect who is believed to have robbed the TCF Bank.

“A special thank you is directed to the very alert and concerned citizen, Mr. John Adams,” said Denver Police spokeswoman Det. Virginia Quiñones. “Without his involvement, it is not known whether or not this suspect would have been apprehended.”

Labels: business robbery, CO, concealed carry permit

Police: Shootout started as social gathering

The two men who allegedly robbed two residents of Campus Crossings South before being shot themselves were invited in by a resident of the apartment complex, police said.

Three men were shot and one died Jan. 14 in Apartment 506 of the complex on South Rutherford Boulevard in southeast Murfreesboro.

"Evidently, it was a social gathering that turned into the aggravated assault and kidnapping," Murfreesboro Police spokesman Alvin Baird said Thursday.

Baird said the two alleged perpetrators had been invited into the apartment of Mike Holt, 22, prior to the alleged kidnappings and assaults.

Initial reports had indicated that that the two, Thomas John Eckerle Jr., 29, and Alan B. Bell, 21, had forced their way into the home with handguns.

Eckerle was arrested two weeks ago on two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping for his part in the robbery of Holt and Chris Deberry, 23.

Eckerle and Deberry were both treated for multiple gunshot wounds, and Bell died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene.

Deberry, who is out of the hospital and being treated on an outpatient basis, told police he started firing at Bell and Eckerle when they put down their handguns to tie up him and Holt.

Holt, the apartment's resident, received blunt trauma to the head and was treated and released from an area hospital the same day.

A preliminary hearing in Eckerle's case has been set for Feb. 20 in General Sessions Court.

Police found a white powder believed to be drugs in the apartment and have said the incident is drug-related.

Baird said Thursday that unless other facts emerged in the course of the investigation no further charges are expected to be filed.

Labels: altercation, TN

Shootings leave 2 dead, 2 critical

Two men remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday night after a rash of violence this week left two others dead.

Police have made one arrest, while one of the incidents is being investigated as a case of self-defense.
…

Police said Samuel Giles, 36, of the 4000 block of Figtree Drive in Jones, went to pick up his stepdaughter from her boyfriend's house, where the couple were arguing, police said.

Giles told police his stepdaughter called him Wednesday from Robert Bren's house at 546 S. Court St. and asked him to pick her up. Giles said Bren is his stepdaughter's boyfriend.

When Giles arrived at about 8:40 p.m., police said the two men argued. Giles drew a gun and tried to shoot Bren, but Bren shot him first with a 9 mm handgun.

Giles was taken to Jackson Hospital, where he remained in critical condition Thursday.

Bren was taken to police headquarters and questioned. The incident appeared to be one of self-defense, police said.

Labels: AL, altercation

Man Critical After Killing Intruder

A Coweta County man was hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest after killing the intruder who shot him early Thursday morning.

Police said the two men were part of a domestic dispute that erupted in gunfire in the normally quiet Coweta County neighborhood. According to investigators, the victim, Kevin Went, and his girlfriend were inside the home on St. James Place near Sharpsburg at the time of a violent intrusion. The girlfriend's ex-boyfriend kicked down the door about 5:30 a.m. with a gun in hand. Both men started to argue and both started shooting.

"The old boyfriend followed her here, kicked the door in, forced his way in, confronted the new boyfriend with a firearm and they shot each other," said Major James Yarbrough of the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.

A neighbor said bullets were flying from the home. "I could hear him kick in the door and he shot and I think some of the bullets came out through the wall over there," said Curtis Scruggs.

The ex-boyfriend, who was identified as Vance Tanner, died at the scene. The homeowner was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition.

Labels: domestic dispute, GA, home invasion

Garden City Man Found Not Guilty

After nearly 12 hours of deliberation a jury found a Horry County man not guilty of murder.

Police say 76-year-old Henry Bramlett shot his neighbor, Robert Tomlinson, more than a dozen times after a property line dispute.

But prosecutors say the evidence solicited to the character of the victim showed he wasn’t a good neighbor in the minds of jurors.

Defense attorney Morgan Martin told the jury his client acted in self-defense.

The shooting happened in August of 2005 off Stanley Drive in Garden City. Bramlett was facing life in prison with no chance at parole. Today he is a free man.

Labels: altercation, SC

An accused intruder shot during a botched robbery attempt in Ann Arbor late Friday was arraigned Tuesday on six felony charges in the case. A second man also was arrested Tuesday and is expected to be arraigned today.

Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Jim Stephenson said this morning that detectives are seeking a third man but would not discuss his potential involvement in the shooting.

The three men are suspects in a late-night attempted robbery and shooting inside an Ann Arbor home in the 700 block of Miller Avenue. Police said several people were inside the home when two intruders forced their way in. Gunfire was exchanged, and a 19-year-old resident and one of the intruders were shot.

Stephenson said the intruders appear to have targeted that home, but he declined to elaborate. He declined to say who was firing shots and said police are still piecing together the case, but none of the residents inside the house is expected to be charged - "they are all victims and witnesses.''

Labels: MI, residence robbery

Auto repair shop robbed for 29th time

Owner says he fired shots, may have hit one robber early Sunday

Maybe he hit the guy when he fired his .38, maybe he didn't, but Eugene Miner is fed up either way.

On Sunday, the longtime Jackson business owner was burglarized again, the 29th time that has happened to his auto repair business, he said.

It was the second time in two days. He can't take it anymore.

"I think I hit one of them," he said Monday morning. "He was limping when he was going up that hill there."

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, someone broke into Miner Auto Repair on Fortification Street just east of State Street.

Eugene and Linda Miner had moved back to that location in August after less than a year on South Street. Their shop had been broken into 27 times there, they said.

And so it was sometime between 2 a.m. Saturday and dawn that someone broke into the new shop and made off with tools, a computer, dozens of purses that had been for sale and more.

They ate food in the cooler, left forks and soda cans on the floor, even took off with a trash can.

The Miners figured whoever did that was not finished. The place looked like they'd left in a hurry.

So at 3:30 a.m. the next day, Sunday, the Miners went to the shop, expecting trouble.

"We hadn't been in here 30 minutes when it happened," Linda Miner said.

What happened, according to both Miners, is this:

Two skinny guys in a white 1991 Ford Crown Victoria backed up to the same bay door that had been broken into the day before.

Eugene Miner said he'd fixed the door with metal and wood, and that he knew it was a 1991 Crown Vic because he's in the auto business and knows cars.

A short black man with light skin and a taller black man with dark skin broke through the door with a 2-by-4.

The Miners said they watched all this from the shop's office, adjacent to the repair bay where the burglars were but separated by thick glass.

Eugene Miner said the tall guy crawled on the floor next to an undamaged bay door. The other guy stayed where he was.

"That's when I started shooting," he said.

On that piece of glass between the office and the repair bays are now two small bullet holes with cracks leading from them like streams from a mountaintop lake.

After the gunfire, the men ran. The tall guy up the hill on Fortification, the short guy to the Crown Vic, which he drove away to where he could pick up the tall guy.

Jackson police detective James Cornelius is investigating the case.

He said Monday afternoon that he'd checked the area's hospitals and hadn't found anyone with a gunshot wound who fit the burglar's description.

Still, he said, that doesn't mean the man was not shot. Perhaps it was a minor injury, or maybe he went far away for treatment.

Cornelius said he had no leads he wanted to discuss publicly on Monday but might have some news today.

Either way, Linda and Eugene Miner are getting sick of this.

They said they appreciate the police and didn't want to sound like they were complaining, but something has to be done about crime.

"Right now," Linda Miner said, "we are at our breaking point. We feel like the city should step in and do something. ... We have just got to have some help. We deserve some help.

"You know it's gone too far when we have to take up arms to protect ourselves."

Labels: business burglary, MS

Tri-Cities pharmacist stops armed robbery using her gun

Susong Pharmacy in Greeneville usually welcomes the sound of a person entering the store, but not lately. The pharmacy has been robbed twice in the last few months and employees have had enough.

"I hated it happened, but he asked for it in my opinion," a store employee who asked to remain anonymous said.

Police say an armed man entered the store wearing a ski-mask this afternoon, went to the front, and demanded hydrocodone. An unnamed pharmacy technician says the man confronted her.

"It was like deja vu, being that I was just robbed by what looked like the same gentleman back on December 27th," the woman said. "He thought he was going to walk in, walk back out, and he was very surprised. He got a little bit more than he asked for."

The woman says her co-worker pulled out her gun and fired a warning shot at the man. She says the first round didn't phase the robber, but the second did. She says the bullet hit the man in his chest and before the robber made it out, the employee fired one more shot.

The stores surveillance cameras caught everything on tape, but the video has since been locked up in evidence. Investigators now search for the man in that video. Capt. Terry Webb says he doesn't question the pharmacist's reaction, but he discourages anyone from taking matters into their own hands.

"We always recommend if you're put in an armed robbery situation, to go ahead and cooperate and give the person whatever they're asking for, and that way nobody gets hurt," Webb said.

That said, pharmacy employees say they're tired of being the victim. In fact, they hope two bullet holes in the wall send a message.

Police believe the suspect fled the scene in an early nineties model Dodge Dakota pick-up truck. They say the two-tone tan and possibly silver pick-up also has back bumper damage.

Labels: business robbery, TN

WOMAN FOUND INNOCENT IN HUSBAND'S DEATH

Wanda Sue Gough, 54, can return to her home in Raleigh N.C., a free woman, after being found not guilty of murdering her husband in 1980.

A jury of three men and nine women deliberated for three hours Thursday afternoon before reading a not guilty verdict.

In 1980 Ms. Gough told police she shot and killed her husband, John Gough, in self defense. At the time, a grand jury failed to indict her.

In 1995, Kilgore Police reopened the case at the request of John Gough's family members.

The case was later submitted to the Texas Rangers Cold Case Unit.

Ms. Gough was arrested in May 2006, nearly 26 years after her husband's death.

Gregg County District Attorney Bill Jennings said he respects the jury's verdict and the effort they made in coming to a verdict.

Labels: domestic abuse, TX

An apparent burglary attempt ends in a fatal shooting in East Tulsa, police said. Officers were called to the 1100 block of South 146th East Avenue around 3 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived they found a 39-year-old white man dead in the front yard.

The homeowners told police the man had started banging, then kicking on their door. The husband said he went to get his gun and when the door started to give way, he pulled the trigger. The couple told police they did not know the suspect.

Neighbors heard the whole thing. "I heard three gun shots and went and got my dogs and put them in the house, both my dogs were facing the house so I knew something was up," said neighbor Kris Orman.

Detectives say the evidence matches what the homeowners told them. They're investigating the shooting as a justifiable homicide and didn't arrest anyone.

"You've got an unknown subject attempting to kick the door in and a husband and wife that are fearful for their safety," said Tulsa Police Captain Eric Dalgleish.

A Tulsan was justified in fatally shooting a man who evidence indicates was breaking into a home earlier this month, a prosecutor said.

The Tulsa County District Attorney's Office has declined to file any charge against William E. Wright linked to the Feb. 4 shotgun slaying of Jerry A. Savino, 39.

Police did not arrest anyone after the shooting and said then that evidence indicated that a resident had shot a man who was trying to break into a house at 1131 S. 146th East Ave.

After reviewing reports, Assistant District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said this week that Wright was justified in defending himself and his wife, who was in the home, against an intruder, identified as Savino.

Savino had felony convictions for crimes such as burglary, concealing stolen property, petty larceny, possessing a police radio in commission of a felony, possessing a controlled drug and possessing a controlled drug with an intent to distribute, records show.

Labels: home invasion, OK

Man fatally shoots intruder at his South Side home

A man defending his South Side home shot and killed an intruder last night, police said.

The shooting occurred just after 10 p.m. inside 925 Lilley Ave. just south of Livingston Avenue.

According to police, the homeowner was on the second floor.

"He heard a crash through the front-door window," said Columbus police homicide detective Bill Rotthoff. "He comes downstairs and there’s a person in the living room he doesn’t know."

Police declined to release the name of the intruder, who died at Grant Medical Center, or the homeowner.

The homeowner was being interviewed early this morning by police. It was unlikely he would be charged, Rotthoff said.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Men Critically Hurt in Fight

An argument between two men escalates, ending with one man stabbed and the other shot. Now police are trying to figure out what lead up to the bloody fight. It happened early Friday evening at a home in the 1700 block of South Sedgwick.

Police believe the two men were arguing over something when the fight escalated to violence. Apparently, one of men stabbed the other. Police say the person who had been stabbed then shot the attacker. Police believe the shooting was self defense.

Police say the man was shot multiple times but he managed jumped in the other man's truck and took off. Officers had just arrived to find the stabbing victim when the shooting victim returned to the scene. The injured men were taken to the hospital. They're both listed in critical condition.

Police interviewed neighbors to see if any of them heard or saw anything that would explain what led to this fight. They say it's too early to tell if alcohol may have been involved.

Labels: altercation, KS

2 Would-Be Robbers Shot, Wounded By Guard In NoHo

Two would-be robbers were wounded in a shootout with a security guard in a North Hollywood liquor store, police said.

Two armed suspects entered a store at 12650 Sherman Way just after 11 p.m. Friday and demanded cash, said Los Angeles police Sgt. Ben Alanso of the North Hollywood Station.

Inside was an armed and licensed security guard. Outside, a getaway driver waited in a parked vehicle.

“There was a confrontation and shots were exchanged,” Alanso said.

When the shooting stopped, both suspects were wounded, Alanso said.

A 19-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach and collapsed at the scene, Alanso said. He was reported to be treated in an intensive care unit.

A16-year-old boy was wounded in the shoulder and left knee, Alanso said. The boy made it out of the store but was caught nearby. He was reported hospitalized with stable vital signs.

The driver got away, Alanso said.

Detectives were reviewing surveillance video of the shooting, he said. The shooter was not arrested, pending the outcome of an investigation.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Union City teen hurt in shooting

Police say attack followed argument between pedestrian, people inside vehicle

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder after a teenage boy was wounded during a gunbattle in front of the Greenhaven Apartments early Friday, police said.

The 17-year-old victim suffered a nonlife-threatening wound to his lower body just after midnight when he and a 32-year-old man who was a passenger in his car got into an argument with the shooter, who was on foot, Lt. Jim Bizieff said.

The teen and the shooter, who was arrested and identified later as Barry Stewart, live in an the apartment complex on Alvarado Boulevard, Bizieff said.

Police do not know exactly what provoked the shooting, but said Friday afternoon that they still were investigating.

Although details remained unclear, police said early reports indicate the teen and his passenger were driving in front of the complex when they argued with Stewart, Bizieff said.

For an unknown reason, Stewart began shooting at the teenager's car, hitting him once, the lieutenant said.

The driver then crashed his car into a fence as he tried to get away, and his passenger pulled out a gun and returned fire.

The passenger was not arrested because authorities believe he was acting in self-defense, Bizieff said.

Moments after the shooting, police began receiving calls about it. When officers arrived, they found several bullet casings but could not find a victim, the lieutenant said.

Less than 10 minutes later, the wounded teen called police as he drove to a nearby hospital, the lieutenant said.

Officers and paramedics met the victim near Union City Boulevard and Whipple Road and then drove him to the hospital.

Through questioning, police were able to locate Stewart in his apartment at the complex and arrested him on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder as well as single counts of possessing marijuana for sale and being a felon in possession of ammunition, Bizieff said.

Labels: altercation, CA

60-year-old acquitted in Kokomo shooting death

Jurors acquitted a defendant who said he acted in self-defense in a shootout that killed a man at a busy commercial area of the city.

The jury deliberated 3 1/2 hours Thursday before finding Willie Winston, 60, not guilty of murder in the death of 24-year-old DeMarco Moore.

Earlier in the day, Winston took the stand and said he had no choice but to shoot after Moore came at him and his family with a gun.

Prosecutors say Winston exchanged gunfire with Moore on Jan. 27, 2006, outside a fast-food restaurant near Markland Mall on the city’s east side. Moore died the next day at a hospital in the city about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.

The jury Thursday also acquitted Winston on felony charges of possession of an altered handgun and criminal recklessness. They did convict him of a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun without a permit, which Winston did not dispute.

Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Peelle said evidence disputed Winston’s claim that Moore fired the first shot.

“DeMarco Moore did not have to die on that day,” Peelle told jurors. “Is he an angel? No. Willie Winston’s decision to carry a gun changed lives that day and ended one life.”

Winston worked for Chrysler for 31 years and had no criminal history, said his defense attorney Brent Dechert.

As he left the courtroom, Winston said, “Thank God, and thank Mr. Dechert.”

Labels: altercation, IN

A Blacksburg homeowner fired three shots while two burglary suspects were running from his home at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states. Police have charged R.J. Osborne, 19, and his brother, Ronald Franklin Osborne Jr., 20, both of 103 Maxine Lane, Blacksburg, each with 2nddegree burglary.

Labels: residence burglary, SC

Arrest made in break-in that ended in shooting

A man police said was shot at by the owner of a home he'd broken into and who aroused the suspicions of an off-duty firefighter was arrested Wednesday.

Joseph Ingalls, 36, originally of Norton Shores but who also lives part-time in Traverse City, was arrested and lodged in the Muskegon County Jail on Wednesday and arraigned Thursday in Muskegon County District Court on a charge of first-degree home invasion. He is a fourth-time habitual offender, according to court documents.

According to police, Ingalls entered a garage in the 800 block of Farr Road at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The homeowner, who was not identified by police, spotted the intruder carrying a toolbox and other items from his attached garage, and opened fire on his vehicle with a handgun.

Norton Shores Detective Lt. Timothy LaVigne said Ingalls had approached the home of the Norton Shores firefighter and asked for directions. When Ingalls drove away in the opposite direction he inquired about, the firefighter became suspicious.

The firefighter was able to write down part of the license plate number of the older, dark-blue Chevrolet Ingalls was driving, LaVigne said. He then reported it to police. Ingalls was arrested around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"We did find bullet holes in the hood of his vehicle and (Ingalls) made some admissions," LaVigne said.

A preliminary examination for Ingalls is slated for Feb. 15. A judge set his bond at $3,000, cash or surety.

Labels: home invasion, MI, residence burglary

Judge throws out manslaughter charge against security guard

A judge threw out a manslaughter charge and another felony count today against a security guard who fatally shot a 16-year-old boy.

William Swofford of Deltona then pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of not carrying his security-guard license at the apartment complex where he worked the night he shot Travares McGill in July 2005.

Swofford paid a fine of just under 400 dollars and left a free man.

Swofford has maintained that he shot McGill in self-defense.

Swofford and his partner were working night security at the apartment complex parking lot when they approached McGill's car.

Police said McGill tried to pull away, pinning a pedestrian against a van and hitting the security guards' car. The two opened fire, killing the teenager.

Ansley had been charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, but prosecutors dropped the charge yesterday.

Labels: assault, FL

Store Clerk Fights Back Against Would-Be Robbers

For the second time in a week, a store clerk fought back against would-be robbers.

The attempted robbery occurred at the Walford Market in Clinton Township at about 8 p.m., NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

Police said 19-year-old Shandos Young and 18-year-old Justin Cockrell entered the market with bandanas over their faces and threatened the owner and another employee.

The store owner wrestled the gun away from one of the robbers and then fired the gun at them.

"I seen these guys storm in with their guns. I dropped the phone, backed away, drew my gun and fired two shots and just tried to get them out of the store," said Clive Weidle, the store clerk.

Investigators said set of footprints leading away from the store guided officers to the alleged weapon, a coat and latex gloves.

Both teenagers were captured a few blocks away and charged in connection with the robbery.

Officials said the extensive surveillance system in the market showed the incident from several angles.

The teens are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

No injuries were reported.

Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, OH