Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Intruders shot, one fatally, in McKeesport

Two suspected robbers were shot, one of them fatally, during an apparent home invasion on Grover Street in McKeesport last night, police said.

Police were called at 10:10 p.m. to a home in the 2900 block of Grover, where a resident resisted an apparent robbery.

One suspect was killed, and the other was hospitalized with at least one gunshot wound, police said.

The extent of his injuries was not immediately known.

Labels: home invasion, PA, residence robbery

Man Who Shot Teen after Prank Acquitted

A Willcox man who shot and wounded a teenage girl after she and her friends banged on his windows in a late-night prank was acquitted of three felonies, but a jury couldn't reach a verdict on a fourth charge.

The Cochise County jury found Delbert "Cody" Evans not guilty of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon and endangering Kayla Shores, who was 14 when a bullet fired by Evans hit her in the back in February 2006. She has since recovered. Evans was also cleared of endangering another girl who was with a group of five teens on Evans' porch.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a charge of aggravated assault causing disfigurement. The verdicts came Friday after a three-day trial and eight hours of deliberations.

The teens had gone to Evans' rural home to get back at him for making a scary prank phone call, testimony showed. He had known Shores for years and they were friends.

Evans, 32, testified he had been threatened by a man over payment for a wood stove and thought he was shooting in self-defense at an assailant.

Prosecutor Vince Festa told jurors that Evans' actions were unjustified, saying Evans shot at ``fleeing shadowy figures'' that were not posing a threat.

Defense attorney Chuck Weninger said Evans would not have fired if he knew Shores was there, noting their long friendship.

A 13-person grand jury unanimously refused to indict Evans in 2006, infuriating some in the community, who accused Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer of bungling the case. A subsequent recall effort failed.

Rheinheimer eventually asked for a preliminary hearing, and a judge ordered Evans to stand trial on the four felony counts.

A hearing to decide if Evans will be retried on the remaining charge was set for Oct. 15.

Court dismisses final charge against Evans

A Cochise County Superior Court judge dismissed an aggravated assault count Monday against a man who shot a teenage Willcox girl in the back last year.

During a jury trial in late September, Delbert "Cody" Evans, 32, was found not guilty of one count of aggravated assault against Kayla Shores using a deadly weapon and not guilty of endangering the lives of Shores and her friend Shelby Fernandez.

The jury did not arrive at a verdict on a felony charge of aggravated assault against Shores by means of force that caused temporary but substantial disfigurement or loss or impairment of a body organ or part. On Feb. 18, 2006, Evans shot then-14-year-old Shores with a handgun after she and four other children had banged on the windows of his rural Willcox home at night in return for his making a scary prank phone call.

During a hearing Monday, Judge Stephen Desens dismissed the aggravated assault disfigurement count at the request of deputy county attorney Vince Festa.

Festa said the County Attorney's Office decided not to continue to prosecute Evans on the aggravated assault disfigurement count because of the small likelihood of getting a conviction on it.

He pointed out that according to a jury note, the eight-person panel had voted 7 to 1 on Sept. 28 for the acquittal of Evans on that count. Also, he said, during the summer of 2006, a grand jury had voted 13-0 against indicting Evans.

Based on those decisions, he said, it appears the people of Cochise County don't believe a crime was committed.

Sonny Shores, Kayla's father, said the outcome of the case is an "injustice."

"It's pretty sad that a guy can shoot a girl like that and face no consequences for it," he said.

He added that he wanted to thank all of the people who have helped support his family.

During the trial, Festa argued that Evans' actions violated the law. He said a person is allowed to act in self defense while there is apparent danger, but Evans shot at "fleeing shadowy figures" that were not posing a threat.

Defense attorney Chuck Weninger said Evans and Shores had been friends, and he would not have fired at her if he knew she was there. He explained that Evans thought he was shooting at Mark Rupert. He said Evans had been threatened by Rupert because Evans did not pay for a wood stove.

Neither Weninger nor Evans attended Monday's hearing. Also, both were unable to be reached for comment afterward.

Shores was seriously injured as a result of the shooting. She underwent surgery and was hospitalized for nine days.

She has scars from the wounds, and two bullet fragments remain lodged in her body.

Labels: AZ, trespassing

Marriage of Former Reno Couple Ends in Tragedy

The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office is investigating a deadly shooting at a home in Swan Valley between a wife and her husband.

Last night, Debra Schultz says she shot her husband once in the chest, claiming it was in self defense. 48-year-old William Schultz died.

Detectives are treating it like a homicide until they get all the facts.

Court and crime specialist Suzanne Hobbs spoke with law enforcement and with the woman who pulled the trigger.

Debra Schultz says throughout her relationship he was physically violent and she never got out, although just last week she did go to a women's shelter in Driggs for help, and just returned home where she had to fight for her life.

Three months ago, the couple moved from Reno Nevada to Swan Valley. They lived in an apartment just off the Swan Valley Highway above a real estate office.

Tuesday night, Debra says her husband was high on marijuana and drinking. The fight got so bad he grabbed a gun and said he was going to shoot her. She says it was either shoot him or she would be killed.

She even considered jumping out of the second story window, but says William stopped her.

She didn't want her battered and bruised face to be shown, so when I talked to her, we are showing you her injured leg, hurt as she was running down the stairs last night.

Debra Schultz said, "When he came home last night he told me that he was going to kill me and that was after he beat up my face and he said, "I can't let you go now because if the cops see this I'm going to go to prison." And he already has 5 charges in Reno hanging over his head for domestic violence against me."

Doug Metcalf, Bonneville Co. Sheriff's Office said, "Right now we are treating it as a homicide and it'll - we'll turn it into the prosecutor once we get all the interviews, the evidence from the autopsy and things like that to him, and they'll make the decision whether it's homicide or self defense."

The sheriff's office says their investigation will take several days. Debra, who is fully cooperating, is already making plans to move back to Reno as soon as she can..

No Charges Filed In Swan Valley Homicide

No charges will be pressed against the woman who shot and killed her husband a month ago in Swan Valley.

Today prosecutor Dane Watkins says that Debra Schultz shot her husband in an act of self defense.

The shooting came after a violent relationship that lasted a year.

According to Schultz, her husband William put her in the hospital multiple times during their courting period and again once they were married.

They were from Reno, Nevada and moved to Idaho to escape the five pending domestic violence charges against William.

Bonneville County Prosecutor Dane Watkins says he is not pressing charges against Schultz because theres evidence to prove she was the victim of domestic violence the night of August 28th.

She had extensive bruising and other injuries. She also says William made threats against her life.

Schultz tells investigators that William went for the gun and came toward her and that's when she says she got control of the gun and shot him at close range.

Prosecutor Dane Watkins says her story lines up with the evidence.

In an interview less than 24 hours after Schultz shot her husband she said, "He said I'm going to kill you and so I just pulled the trigger, I didn't know what else to do. It was me or him, he was, I could tell by the look in his eyes I was dead, I was going to be dead."

Prosecutor Dane Watkins explains his decision, "In order to prove self defense the defendant must believe she was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that action was necessary to save her from harm."

Watkins says that William Schultz's family is upset that no one is being held accountable for their son's death.

The case will remain open with the Bonneville County Sheriffs Office, in the case that more information arises in this case.

Debra Schultz has returned to Nevada where her family lives.

Labels: domestic abuse, ID

Jackson Homeowner Shoots At Would-Be Burglars

Students at McLeod Elementary School were on lockdown Friday afternoon as police searched for two men involved in an attempted home invasion.

Homeowner Fredrico Hamblin said he saw a car in his neighborhood most of the morning, passing in front of his Riverwood Drive house several times.

The two men tried to get into his home through the garage, Hamblin said, so he opened fire, shooting five or six times.

Hamblin said he thinks he hit one of the men. A stray bullet hit a neighbor's car.

"I was just trying to get them away from my home. I shot five or six times. One of them dove over the car. I think that's when I shot him," he said.

Both men ran into a wooded area; police found one of the men about a half-hour later behind the Mississippi Basketball Association Complex.

Police used a helicopter and dogs to search for the other man, and nearby McLeod Elementary was put on lockdown.

A constable arrested another person believed to be the driver for the two men nearby.

Police said Hamblin will not face charges related to this shooting because he was protecting his home.

Gunshots deter break-ins

Jackson residents fend off invaders

There were similarities in two attempted burglaries in Jackson on Friday.

The residents of both homes were watching television when the alleged suspects were caught in the act. And in both cases, the suspects were fired on.

Around 7 p.m., Patricia Parker, 53, who lives in the back of the duplex at 420 Barksdale St., said she was watching Wheel of Fortune when she heard her boyfriend calling her name from outside.

"I opened the door and this dude was laying on the porch," she said. "Otis was over him with a knife. I said, 'Otis, let that man go on.' "

Instead, her boyfriend, whom Parker would identify as Otis, went back into the duplex to retrieve a pistol to further convince the man to leave. But as her boyfriend made his way back to the porch, the man slipped past him and into Parker's home.

Otis followed the man into a back bedroom and fired shots, she said, and he continued to shoot at the man as he ran away.

Precinct 2 police found the suspect running down President Street toward Baptist Medical Center. He was wounded at least once in the right leg.

Sgt. Eric Smith said the man may have been trying to break into the back of the home to steal an air-conditioning unit.

The man, whom police have not identified, was being treated at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Neither Parker nor her boyfriend was charged, but police did take the boyfriend in for questioning.

And about 1 p.m. Friday, Fredrico Hamblin was at home at 1715 Riverwood Drive in northeast Jackson, watching SportsCenter when he heard rustling in his garage.
"It was too obvious," he said of the attempt to burglarize his home. "They stuck out like a sore thumb."

He said he chased the burglars away, firing five or six shots at them. It was unknown Friday evening if he hit hit either of them.

Within moments of the attempted burglary, which coincided with Hamblin's 28th birthday, police had two men in custody and were searching nearby woods for a third.

"The homeowner did a good job," Jackson Police Cmdr. Ron Sampson said.

(Much More)

Man who shot at burglars arrested for gun possession

A Jackson man who shot at two teenagers trying to break into his home has been arrested by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Fredrico Hamblin was not charged for defending his property, but instead was charged as a felon being in possession of a gun, Jackson Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeffery Scott said.

Jackson police did not aid in the arrest Friday.

The details of Hamblin’s previous felony conviction was not known.

During Friday’s execution of the arrest warrant, Scott said a large sum of money and narcotics were seized at the home at 1715 Riverwood Drive.

Oji Khanyyan, 17, and Christopher Ross, 18, were arrested for attempted house burglary for trying to break into Hamblin’s home two weeks ago. Neither were injured.

Labels: home invasion, minor offender, MS

Homeowner Defends Home

Patricia Parker was home watching Wheel of Fortune on televsion Friday night. She says just before 7pm she heard her live in boyfriend Otis yell out her name. She says... at that point, she knew something was wrong.

"He said, Tricia, Just like that. He said Tricia and I knew something was wrong."

When Patricia walked outside she realized that her boyfriend was holding a knife aimed at a man lying on their back porch. Patricia belives the man was trying to steal their air conditioner, and that Otis caught him in the act. She says Otis was so frustrated, he went into the house to get his gun. Instead of taking that opportunity to flee, the suspect ran into the house after Otis.

Patricia says at that point, things seemed to get out of hand.

"I said Otis, please don't shoot that man, please don't shoot him. But he shot twice. "

The suspect eventually ran out of the home, with Otis hot on his trial. He was struck at least twice, buy bullets in Otis' gun. Police found the suspect running down State Street, apparently trying to get to a nearby hospital.

Otis was taken away in handcuffs, though police say he probably won't face any charges. The suspect is recovering at a local hospital. He will likely end up in handcuffs once he is released from the hospital.

Labels: MS, residence burglary

Prosecutor Won’t File In Killing

No charges will be filed in the July 27 shooting death of a 25-year-old Fort Smith woman, according to Crawford County Prosecutor Marc McCune.

McCune said Thursday an investigation by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office turned up no evidence to refute a claim of self-defense by Edna Higgins, 69, of Mountainburg.

Higgins said she shot Heather Dyanne Mizell with a .22-caliber rifle as Mizell threatened her with a hammer in the Mountainburg woman’s residence.

According to investigators, Mizell, who was married to but separated from Higgins’ grandson, Jimmie Mizell, was at Higgins’ house to pick up money Higgins had promised to give her to replace a tire on her vehicle.

Mizell had earlier dropped off her two daughters, Katie, 4, and Megan, 1, with her estranged husband’s parents.

Crawford County Chief Deputy Ron Brown said Higgins told him after she gave Mizell the check, she turned around and Mizell was brandishing a hammer.

Higgins grabbed the rifle and fired twice, Brown reported. Mizell was struck once in the chest. A second shot apparently grazed her.

The shooting victim was taken to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, where she died during surgery.

Mizell’s mother, Becky Sides of Fort Smith, reacted angrily to news of McCune’s decision.

“This case is not going to close,” she said. “I know it was murder and everyone else knows it was murder. If (McCune) can’t see that, I don’t know what his problem is.”

Sides said she has been told that Mizell’s fingerprints were not found on the hammer. “Without that hammer, it’s murder,” she said.

Sides said her pleas for convening a grand jury, or having a second, independent investigation of the shooting, have so far been unsuccessful.

“When you have a major medical problem, you are entitled to a second opinion. This involves a death, and we don’t get a second opinion,” she said.

She said she continues to contact “civil rights people” and organizations she hopes can help her in her quest for justice.

Sides has assembled a Web site, www.heathermizellmemorial.com, dedicated to her daughter’s memory and family. On it, she reports that Heather, a university student and rack driver for the Times Record, “had so many plans of what she was going to do. Her life was just starting to go the way she was wanting it to go.”

Heather’s husband, Jimmie, died Aug. 11. This week, custody of their daughters was awarded to Heather Mizell’s father, Ed Sanders, who lives in Texas.

“At least something has gone right,” Sides says of the children’s custody. “At least one judge had the common sense to do the right thing.”

Labels: AR, assault

Cape Cod man acquitted of murder charge

A Cape Cod man is acquitted of charges that he fatally shot his friend.

Jeffrey Harrington of Bourne was acquitted of second-degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charges by a jury in Barnstable Superior Court today.

Harrington was on trial for shooting Gerald Carbone of Wareham in the head at close range in September 2004.

The two men had known each other for years but had been in a dispute involving a woman at a Buzzards Bay bar shortly before the shooting.

Harrington claimed self defense.

His lawyer told the jury that Carbone had threatened Harrington.

Labels: altercation, MA

Police: Carjacker Shot Shot [sic] During Carjacking

Detroit police are investigating a carjacking outside their headquarters in downtown Detroit.

Officers said three people attempted to carjack a man around 11 p.m. Thursday.

The carjacking victim was carrying a gun and fired at the men, shooting and killing one.

Police said the shooter had a license to carry the firearm.

The two other men are in police custody.

Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, MI

Store Clerk Pulls Gun, Scares Away Robbers

Police Investigate Armed Robbery At Regency Store

A clerk at a Regency area clothing store scared away a group of robbers with a gun when she produced her own handgun during afternoon shakedown, according to authorities.

Detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on Thursday afternoon launched an investigation of an armed robbery at the 904 Fashion store in the 10000 block of Atlantic Boulevard.

According to authorities, four or five men walked into the store and started grabbing clothes and then produced a gun and tried to take money from the store's clerk.

The store manager and JSO said the store clerk produced her own handgun from her purse and fired some shots at the robbers.

The men ran from store and then fled the scene in a vehicle. The thieves did not get away with much merchandise or money, authorities said.

Thursday's robbery was not 904 Fashion's first run in with a group of robbers. In July, some smash-and-grab thieves robbed the store.

Surveillance video from the July incident shows a truck smashing into the storefront and then several people running in and stealing clothing.

It remains unclear whether the two robberies are related.

Labels: business robbery, FL

Woman causes burglar to bolt

The woman had little choice but to pull the trigger. She was locked in her bathroom. An enraged burglar was pounding on the door. A loaded pistol was in her hands.

But now Paterson police are wondering what would cause a burglar to try to attack his victim, when most attempt to flee the scene when they are caught.

The 22-year-old woman indicated that she did not know the man.

The incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, when the woman returned to her Thomas Street home.

She walked into the kitchen through a side door, looked up and noticed a man rummaging through her living room, Detective Lt. Anthony Traina said.

The man, who was described as slender, 5 feet 2 inches tall and dressed in blue jeans and a green shirt, saw the woman and charged at her, Traina said.

The woman ran to her bedroom, locked the door and grabbed her husband's handgun and ammunition, Traina said.

The gun is legally registered to the woman's husband, he said.

She then ran into the bathroom, locked that door and loaded the weapon while sitting on the floor.

Meanwhile, the burglar burst through the bedroom door and began pounding on the bathroom door. "But he's not saying anything to her," Traina said.

The woman, still on the floor, pointed the gun at the door and fired.

While the bullet missed the burglar, it pierced the woman's bedroom wall and lodged itself into the outer wall of a neighboring house.

No one was injured and the burglar fled the house.

With her would-be attacker gone, the woman called police on her cell phone. Several patrolmen soon arrived. They entered the ransacked home and proceeded to the bedroom.

They discovered the woman still on her bathroom floor, crying with the handgun by her feet, Traina said.

Labels: NJ, residence burglary

Neighbors' dispute ends in death

Three woman stood Wednesday alongside a narrow road praying the rosary in Spanish, their eyes fixed on the large blood stain on the asphalt.

When they were finished, they splashed holy water from a gallon plastic jug onto the spots that had trickled down the street. The death the night before of Hermilo Talamante, 34, marked the second fatal shooting in rural Val Verde in less than a week.

"It's sad, it's so sad," Prescilla de la Rosa said in Spanish, her granddaughter Jessica Garibay serving as interpreter. Talamante was the boyfriend of Garibay's mother.

Talamante and Clarence Pullum were neighbors on Arlington Street, and had been involved in a long-running dispute regarding family members, Sgt. Martin Rodriguez said.

The shooting happened about 8 p.m. Tuesday after the two were involved in a fistfight, and both went home to retrieve handguns.

Talamante was shot in the lower torso and pronounced dead a short time later at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

Pullum, 38, was interviewed and released, and the case initially was deemed to be self-defense.

However, it is still under investigation and will be reviewed by the District Attorney's Office,

Labels: altercation, CA

Father Attacked During Home Invasion

A man posing as a police officer forces his way into a home and terrorizes a San Antonio family. The fake police officer attacked the father inside that house, as children and wife watched.

"He hit me with a crow bar in the face threatening to kill me," said the father, who did not want to his identity revealed because he still fears for his family.

He did reveal all of his stitches and staples from the attack.

"All the blood was in my eyes," he said.

He tells News 4 WOAI that he woke up about 3:30 in the morning because someone was trying to pry open the door.

"[The attacker] was posing as a San Antonio Police Department and it was a house raid," said the father. "Two other men came around with pistols and forced their way into the house."

Police say the three men demanded money from him and his wife, while his kids stood by them.

"A three year old and an eight year old scared out of their mind," the father said. "They didn't know what he was going on."

Scared for his family, the father fought back.

"I wasn't going to lay down and let them do what they wanted in my home," said the father. "Good Lord only what they would have done if I would have cooperated they could have killed all of us."

But they didn't because this father managed to get to his gun and fired several shots scaring all three men out of his home.

"We plan on moving out of the neighborhood," said the father. "I've lived here over 30 years, and it's just not safe."

Labels: assault, home invasion, residence robbery, TX

Beaten Man Says 911 Dispatcher Had Him Return To Scene

A disabled east Orange County man says a 911 operator told him to return to the scene where he was allegedly beaten by a group of thugs. When he got there, he said, he was almost beaten again by the same group until he used his gun to defend himself.

John Holloway says a group of thugs tried to rob him after he picked up some groceries at a State Road 50 Circle K. He said he was punched and the men broke the windows out of his truck before he escaped.

Holloway was then shocked to be told he needed to come back to the scene to get the address of the only Circle K in Christmas.

"Hit me three times in the head with his fist," Holloway said.

In the serene sounding town of Christmas, with one prosthetic leg and another leg paralyzed, Holloway was no match for five men surrounding to rob him.

"All the sudden they're kicking and beating on my car and hollering at me, 'We're gonna get you! 'We're coming to your house. We're gonna get you and after we kill you, we're gonna take everything you have,'" he said.

Holloway said he quickly drove away, but not before the thugs beat him and his Tahoe, even smashing his windows out. He called 911, but was shocked when the operator insisted he go back to the only Circle K in Christmas to get an address.

"I said, 'Please don't make me go back there, because they're still there,'" he said.

Holloway's account is confirmed in the incident report, which also describes what happened when he finally went back.

"I was scared for my life at that point. I was afraid to go back there. I was afraid they were gonna beat me down, if not kill me," he said.

Holloway said, when he went back, he had his pistol in his hand and, when they attacked again, he fired one shot and scared the men away.

The sheriff's office listed both Holloway and his attackers as victims and suspects. Apparently Holloway's mistake was firing his weapon to scare the men away. He said he did what he felt he had to do for his protection.

There was no word if the 911 operator will be reprimanded for sending Holloway back to the scene.

Labels: assault, FL, street robbery

Shoot Out At A Vinton Casino

It's something you would usually hear about in a movie, but Wednesday it happened.

What started as an armed robbery in Calcasieu Parish Louisiana led to a group of men in a shoot out with a security guard at a casino.

The men didn't get far.

“Mr. Budwine has been a constant nuisance to Vinton for a long time,” said Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John Degrosier.

Investigators say Kenyon Budwine from Vinton and three men from Orange began a crime spree in Calcasieu Parish early Wednesday morning.

The four men were armed with handguns and a shot gun. Authorities say they took what they could grab from an EZ Mart.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Mancuso said, “Took money from the cash register and some cigarettes. A handful of them from behind the counter.”

This was only the beginning of their trip. Down the road, three of the men attempted to rob the Cash Majic Truckstop casino about an hour later.

“We got another call of a robbery in progress,” said Mancuso.

But a quick thinking security guard kept them out. They exchanged gunfire and bullets struck Budwine.

In an attempt to get away, the men drove across the Texas border where Orange County Deputies stopped them.

“Getting ready to put him out of business, where he's going he won't bother anyone for a long time,” said Degrosier.

This isn't the first offense for Budwine. Vinton police say in the past he robbed a truck stop and got away with more than $1,000.

“Likes to rub in the nose of authorities, he called Vinton PD and asked why we were dragging his name through the mud,” said Chief Rick Fox.

Now his name is once again in the jail computer for a crime that cut across two states.

Budwine was treated at Memorial Herman Baptist in Orange and released to authorities.

All four of the men are being held under one million dollar bonds in the Orange County jail, but they'll be headed back to Louisiana soon.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Darlington County home invasion suspect shot to death

Deputies are investigating a series of home invasions that happened this morning, one of which led to the shooting death of a suspect, according to a press release from the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded the first call at a residence on Pan Road just north of Darlington about 1:45 a.m. They were told five black men dressed in black and armed with weapons were seen kicking in the front door of the residence. The suspects abruptly left in a vehicle, however.

The second call came in about 2 a.m. at a residence on Selena Drive, farther north of Darlington than the scene of the first call. A resident reported hearing several gunshots. He said he got up and checked, but didn’t see a vehicle. He did notice a bullet hole near the window of a back bedroom, though.

Moments later, a third call came in from a residence on London Fog Drive where an unknown number of suspects armed with weapons broke in and confronted several people inside. One of the people in the residents managed to escape into a bedroom and shut the door, but one of the suspects followed and kicked in the door.

Gunfire was exchanged between the two. The occupant was struck by a bullet, while the suspect suffered a shotgun blast to the chest. The intruders fled the residence, but the one who had been shot was found in the back yard. An EMS crew examined him and he was pronounced dead at the scene by Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee.

The dead man has been identified as 21-year-old Dewayne Antron Washington, Hardee said in a press release. He said Washington was shot while at a residence near Jeffords Mill Road near Mont Clare, a community north of Darlington.

No charges in home invasion

Police say they won't file charges against a Darlington County homeowner, who officers say shot and killed a man after that man invaded his home.

It happened at a home on London Fog Drive in Darlington County last week. Deputies say several men invaded the house.

Officers say gunshots were exchanged between the homeowner and one of the intruders. Deputies say both were wounded and the intruder, Dewayne Washington, died.

We're told the homeowner is recovering in the hospital.

Labels: home invasion, SC

Funeral Home Owner Shoots Robber During Crime

Police in Union say a funeral home owner stopped a robbery by shooting a suspect.

It happened early Wednesday morning at Lewis Funeral Home on Duncan Bypass in Union.

Police say the funeral home owner, Scott Lewis, was embalming a body when a man came in with a gun. Investigators say the suspect threatened to kill Lewis if he didn't get money.

Officers say Lewis told the robber he needed to go to the van to get cash. When they reached the vehicle, Lewis turned around and shot the robber in the arm.

The suspect, 26-year-old Tracy Bishop, is receiving treatment in the hospital and will face several charges. Lewis will not face any charges.

Labels: business robbery, SC

Boy defends home with BB gun

An 11-year-old boy home sick from school on Monday defended his home with a BB gun when an intruder waltzed in the back door, police said.

The boy, whose name was not released, was watching television when a man walked into the Webster Street home about 1:30 p.m. through an unlocked door. Police said the boy's German shepherd, Montana, then stood up and began barking at the man.

Police said the boy jumped up and told the man not to move, pointing the gun at him.

The boy, who only identified himself as Joe when contacted Tuesday, said he shot the man with a plastic BB when he reached for his waistband.

Police said the intruder grabbed his chest and then ran out the rear door. The boy then called his mother on her cell phone, and she told him to call 911.

The boy told police that before the intruder entered the house, he noticed a black sport utility vehicle with tinted windows "creeping" around the block about six times.

Roseto police Chief Jack Nicholais said an officer Monday night spotted a vehicle matching the description in the borough area.

"It seems to be confirmed," Nicholais said.

Bangor and Washington Township police could not find any vehicles or suspects matching the description after the incident, a Roseto police news release said.

The boy described the man to police as a 20- to 30-year-old white bald male, about 200 pounds with a bulky build and broad shoulders. Police said the man was wearing a red bandana around his forehead and had a scar on the left forehead running down through the bandana to just above his eye. He was wearing tinted sunglasses and had a "triangle-type" goatee just below his lip. He was wearing a navy blue shirt with long sleeves.

Labels: home invasion, minor defender, PA

Armed clerk foils would-be robber in Fullerton

Liquor store worker fires into ceiling, scaring off armed man, police say.

A liquor store clerk armed with a gun scared off a would-be robber with a warning shot into the ceiling Tuesday night, authorities said.

A man walked in to Crown Empire Liquor at 2631 W. Orangethorpe Ave. about 9:30 p.m., pulled out a gun, and tried to hold up the clerk, said Fullerton police Lt. Doug Cave. But the clerk pulled out his gun and fired a single shot into the store's ceiling, Cave said.

"That caused him to rethink what he was doing, and he left," Cave said.

No one was injured during the robbery.

Police are looking for the would-be robber, who is described as in his 20s with a shaved head.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Prosecutor drops murder charge against Brown

The Robeson County district attorney has dismissed a murder charge against a Rowland man.

District Attorney Johnson Britt said the first-degree murder charge against Jaralyn Edmond Brown Jr. was dismissed Sept. 18 before a probable cause hearing in Robeson County District Court.

“Based on the information provided to us, it was a self-defense case,” Britt said.

Brown was accused of shooting James McDougal, 26, who was found deadat Mill and Hickory streets in Rowland on April 2.

Investigators said McDougal and Brown had fought.

Residents who saw the altercation and members of McDougal’s family said McDougal had stepped in to help a relative who was fighting with Brown.

Britt said statements provided by Brown and a witness indicated McDougal initiated the fight. The men said McDougal hit Brown in the face with what appeared to be a handgun, Britt said. McDougal shot at Brown, and Brown returned fire.

“We had no other witnesses who would come forward regarding what specifically happened,” Britt said.

Regina McDougal, James McDougal’s mother, said the District Attorney’s Office only received information regarding Brown’s side of the story. She said she provided investigators with names of possible witnesses.

No one talked to anyone on the victim’s side. No one ever called me or asked me anything from Day One,” Regina McDougal said. “The only call I got from the chief of police was the day of my son’s death, and that was to get the correct spelling of my name. I feel my rights were violated as well as my son. My son would not have been in the fight if the police had done their job. They are taking his word. What about James? It needs to be taken to court to prove that it was self-defense.”

Labels: altercation, NC

Macon homeowner gets shot, responds by shooting armed robber in eye

A Macon man was shot in the stomach by an armed robber and returned fire, shooting the robber in the eye Monday night, according to a Macon Police Department report.

Grover E. Glover, 64, of Lamont St., reported to police that Jamel Scott came to his house just before 11 p.m. and asked to use the telephone to call for help for his broken down car.

Once inside, Scott pulled out a gun and demanded money from Glover, according to the report.

After striking him in the head with the gun, Glover told Scott his wallet was in a drawer in his bedroom. Once in the bedroom, Glover instead pulled a gun from the drawer and Scott fired before he could turn around, according to the report.

Glover told officers he then shot Scott in the eye and Scott ran out of the house, leaving his gun behind, according to the report.

Warrants have been issued for Scott's arrest on the charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault, said Macon police spokeswoman Sgt. Melanie Hofmann.

Labels: defender shot, GA, home invasion

Shootout in garage

Roger Gilchrist woke from a dead sleep when he heard his pregnant wife screaming for her life, as she honked her car horn incessantly in their garage.

He grabbed his gun.

It wasn’t 20 seconds after his wife pulled in and saw a masked gunman standing near her vehicle that gunfire erupted at point-blank range, the couple said.

“Under the circumstances, with him having a gun and standing next to my pregnant wife, I’m not going to wait and see what happens — I’m going to fire,” Gilchrist said.

Officials said the crook shot first, and Gilchrist returned fire. About 10 rounds were let off in the confines of the garage, officials said.

“I hit him once, and then I heard the click, click, click, and I knew he was out of ammunition,” Gilchrist said.

His wife, who asked not to be identified by first name, said those “clicks” were aimed at her head from about three feet away.

“I told him I was pregnant and not to hurt me, and he said he wasn’t going to. But when he got shot, there is no doubt in my mind that he decided he was going to kill me — only he was out of bullets,” she said.

Authorities said that around 12:30 a.m. Sunday they responded to a call of shots heard in the 12400 block of Blazing Star Way.

When they arrived they saw a garage door lying in the street behind a car with shot out windows and a trail of blood.

Apparently, Gilchrist was screaming at the intruder — later identified as Timothy Finney, 35, of Rialto — to get out of the house, but Finney responded that he couldn’t, said Deputy Bob Thacker of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station.

Gilchrist’s wife then put her car in reverse and slammed through the garage door, allowing Finney to run out, and escape in a white PT Cruiser, officials said.

It all happened in less than a few minutes, but now the events of those few minutes will stay with the family for the rest of their lives.

“It’s such a violation, it’s really indescribable,” the female victim said. “Reality still hasn’t set in, I still haven’t cried, I’m still in shock.”

...


Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes on Tuesday said ... that no charges are to be filed against Gilchrist for the shooting.

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Labels: CA, home invasion

Man Shot in Abdomen During Alleged Burglary Attempt

A man suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen during an apparent burglary attempt in Huelo Monday night.

Maui police responded to a reported gunshot coming from a home on Door of Faith Road in Huelo at about 8:45 p.m.

A preliminary investigation shows a man and two young boys entered the house to steal some items.

According to police reports, the owner of the house confronted the intruders with a gun and, at some point, at least one shot was fired, striking the adult intruder in his abdomen.

The three intruders fled the area, but the adult suspect later sought treatment at Maui Memorial Medical Center. The man was undergoing surgery Tuesday morning and is listed in critical condition, but is expected to recover.

The owner of the house is also undergoing surgery for severe and multiple facial fractures. He is listed in satisfactory condition.

Police found the two boys later and arrested them.

Labels: HI, residence burglary

Would-Be Robber Flees After Storeowner Shoots ATM

Police: Storeowner Won't Be Charged

A storeowner will not be charged after he fired his gun during an armed robbery attempt at his Framingham store, police said.

Armand Tavares, the owner of the A&J Variety Store at the corner of Kendall and Frederick streets, told police that a black man with a Luger-type pistol entered the store Monday at about 9:30 p.m.

The robber, who was wearing a hood pulled tight to cover his face, pointed the gun at Tavares and demanded money, police said.

Tavares, who is licensed to carry a gun, pulled out his .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and fired, hitting the ATM in the store. The startled robber ran out of the store unharmed and without any cash, police said.

Framingham police said Tavares will not be charged in connection with the incident.

Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MI

Clare Couple Fights Off Armed Attacker

The quick thinking of a Clare County couple helped them fight off a man who broke into their home and held them at gunpoint.

It happened just before 4 a.m. on Monday on Edgewood drive in Hayes Township of Clare County.

Helen Barker and Jeff Haley were sitting in the living room of Barker's home when a 24 year-old Travis Howell broke through the window, pointed a gun to Haley's head and demanded money and pills.

Haley was able to wrestle the gun away from Howell while Barker called the police.

Howell ran from the home, but was arrested shortly after by police.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MI, residence robbery

'Jarhead' confronts burglary suspect

An armed and nosy neighbor, an off-duty police officer and an even nosier dog led to the arrest late Sunday of two brothers accused of breaking into an occupied home.

Leslie Nolan Jr., a former U.S. Marine, was inside his 39th Avenue North home about 11:30 p.m., when his wife, Janice, saw a stranger prowling around a neighbor’s house.

Nolan grabbed his pistol, ran across the street and found the tenant’s backyard gate 6 inches ajar.

“I rounded the corner and saw a young man trying to pull the window out,” Nolan said. “It was locked so he busted it out with his hand. He reached in and tried to unlock it. He had his back to me, and that’s when I pulled my pistol and told him to ‘freeze!’ ”

The man bolted toward the open gate, but the tenant kept a piece of plywood on the ground to prevent her dog from escaping.

Nolan said he caught the intruder when he tripped over the plywood and fell to the ground. He said he fought the man with one arm, while keeping his pistol clear from the melee.

“I had him in a headlock and pulled him to the ground,” Nolan said. “He dug his fingernail into me. I took the gun and whopped him on the top of his head ... He went a little limp.”

Nolan gave the intruder one final warning.

“The next one,I explained, would blow his head off,” Nolan said. “I didn’t want to shoot him, but I turned him over on his back, and let him see it.”

Cpl. David Viel of Texas City police identified the man in Nolan’s grip as Irwin Travis Park, 37. Viel said a second suspect fled.

Nolan said he interrogated the man, who then gave him his address.

Janice, who was herself armed, called police to report the incident, and that a second man had hopped a fence and fled through a field.

“What shocked me was I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said. “They called back and kept me on the phone until police arrived. The police showed up really fast.”

Officer J.P. White was on his way to work when he heard dispatchers send police to the burglary call, Viel said.

“Officer White arrives at the scene first and sees the neighbor sitting on top of the bad guy,” Viel said. “A second one got away and he told the officer which way he ran.”

Viel said police found a ball cap, and a tracking dog used that to trace the scent.

Leslie Nolan said police pushed his park bench to a chain-link fence and the dog leapt over. He even lent police his ladder so they could climb over the 6-foot fence safely.

The dog immediately went to the place where Nolan said one of the men hopped the fence. The dog followed the scent through a field and straight to the front yard of 2525 36th Ave., Viel said.

Police returned to get Nolan’s ladder again, Nolan said.

“The front door was open,” Viel said. The officer entered and arrested the second suspect, Jimmy Earl Park, 35, Irwin’s brother.

The Park brothers remained jailed Monday on single-count charges of burglary of a habitation. Their bonds were set at $15,000 each, Viel said.

Nolan said police told him there have been a lot of burglaries reported in the neighborhood.

“I’m not going to hide behind the screen and sit idly by,” Nolan said. “I’m a former Marine and electrician by trade. This jarhead ... is going to stop it.”

Labels: residence burglary, TX

Attempted robbery suspect shot and killed

Police say the suspect in an attempted robbery was shot and killed by one of his intended victims. Police say two men tried to rob a group of people inside a home on Berry Lane in the Lydia Community of Darlington County Sunday night.

They say one of the people in the home shot and killed one of the suspects. The other suspect, 17-year old Demario Hickmon from Bishopville, is charged with burglary and armed robbery.

Police say no charges will be filed against the person who shot the other suspect.

Darlington County home invasion suspect shot to death

Series of incidents under investigation
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Meanwhile, a home invasion that happened Sunday night on Berry Road in Lydia, where a suspect was shot and later died, remains under investigation.

Christopher Stephenson, 20, of Lydia was pronounced dead after undergoing surgery at a local hospital, Hardee said.

Investigators think Stephenson was armed when, about 8 p.m., he and another man intended to rob four people playing cards inside the residence, Darlington County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tom Gainey said Monday.

One person at the home had a concealed weapons permit and shot Stephenson with a handgun, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities have filed no charges against the person who shot Stephenson. That person has given a statement to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies arrested the other suspect in the home invasion, 17-year-old Demario J. Hickmon of Felder Lane in Bishopville. He faces charges of first-degree burglary, armed robbery and criminal conspiracy. He remains at the Darlington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, SC

Freed in murder case, man faces new charges

Ronald Oats Jr. will not face a murder rap, but he is not off the hook yet.

Prosecutors dropped a murder charge against the 20-year-old man on Monday morning, but Oats was arrested minutes later in court on gun and drug charges.

Assistant State Attorney Brian Iten decided that Oats acted in self-defense when he shot a man during a drug deal turned sour.

In June, a man invited Oats and his friend to a home on 51st Avenue to sell a large amount of marijuana, Iten said. During a scuffle, someone tried to rob Oats and he grabbed a pistol and killed Jeremiah Matteson, 28, according to a State Attorney's Office report.

"It was exactly a case of self-defense," said Mark Lipinski, Oats' attorney.

After filing a motion to drop the murder count, Iten quickly had Oats arrested on gun and marijuana charges.

Bailiffs arrested him in the courtroom, and a judge ordered Oats to be released on his own recognizance because prosecutors did not have enough evidence to prove he was a flight risk. A trial date has not been set.

Labels: altercation, FL

West Side Store Clerk Shoots Alleged Robber

Man In Stable Condition After Being Shot In Head, Police Say

A store clerk on the West Side fought back against an alleged robber, shooting him in the head. Chicago police say Monday evening the suspect is in stable condition.

As CBS 2's Mike Flannery reports, the hardware store is just one block from another store that police say was robbed at gunpoint last week.

Police believe a hole in the front door of South Side Hardware was created by one of the shots fired as a clerk tried to defend himself from an armed robber.

Investigators and evidence technicians also believe the dark red drops staining the sidewalk nearby came from the offender as he fled with a bullet in his head.

"He produced the weapon, announced the robbery," said Sgt. Rich Dowling of the Chicago Police Department. "The clerk produced the cash register, at which time he also produced a weapon, and he began firing at the offender."

A man who identified himself as belonging to a local street gang, but declined to give his name, said he is a close friend of the man who was shot.

"He our friend. We be together every day," the man said. "Just so happened today we weren't with him.

When asked if he thought his friend was trying to rob the hardware store, the man said, "He might have. He might was. If he feel he was robbin' that store, he did what he did."

A clerk at a currency exchange next door told CBS 2 that she and the hardware store's owner had called police last week after robbers took cash at gunpoint from a now-shuttered office. She feared that street gang members were sizing them up in preparation for attempting a robbery.

"It's time for us to stand up for the victims," Shirley Walls said. "This was a black-owned business. Black-owned."

She warmly praised the hardware store clerk who shot in self defense.

"He just got married. He has a family," Walls said. "He's trying to make an honest living...This guy came in on him."

Police told CBS 2 detectives had gone to Holy Cross Hospital to await permission from doctors to interview the wounded suspect.

Friends of the hardware store clerk said they did not know whether the handgun he fired in self-defense was legally registered. They said they hope he is not charged with any crime.

Labels: business robbery, IL

Business Owner Shoots, Kills Burglar, Police Say

Dallas police said a man shot and killed a burglar who broke into his business early Saturday, NBC 5 reported.

The shooting happened at Walton Machine and Welding in the 2000 block of Chalk Hill Road, police said.

Police did not release the deceased man's identity.

There was no word on whether the business owner will face charges.

Ledbetter shop owner shoots, kills intruder

A business owner shot a 43-year-old man he saw breaking into his machine shop early Saturday morning, police said.

About 2 a.m., the owner of Able Walton Machine & Welding, who lives at the site in the 2000 block of Chalk Hill Road, awoke to an alarm sounding, police said. He saw a man, later identified by authorities as Raul Laureles, climbing through a pried-open window.

The businessman fired, killing Mr. Laureles, who records show lives about two miles north of the machine shop.

Homicide investigators responded to the scene. Police plan to refer the case to the grand jury to determine whether the shooter is at fault.

Labels: business burglary, TX

Tulsan acquitted in brother's shooting death

A Tulsan who claimed he was acting in self defense when he shot his younger brother to death has been acquitted of a murder charge.

Jurors deliberated for seven hours yesterday before finding 27-year-old Benjamin Smith not guilty in the March 2006 shooting death of 22-year-old Samsun Smith.

Defense attorney Allen Smallwood successfully argued that Benjamin Smith acted in self-defense when he shot his brother in the chest during an altercation.

The altercation, which took place at a family residence in west Tulsa, escalated when Benjamin Smith aimed a rifle at Samsun Smith. Immediately before he was shot, Samsun Smith threw a pillow at his brother and took a step backward.

Labels: altercation, OK

Prosecutors charged a killer today with trying to burglarize two homes seven months after his release from jail.

Feon Stone, 21, is to appear in court Tuesday on a probation violation. He may be sent to prison on his previous manslaughter conviction, for which he had received a stayed sentence.

On Sept. 13, at about 1 a.m., officers were sent to the 1200 block of Rice Street on reports of a man trying to burglarize a house, according to a complaint filed against Stone today by the Ramsey County attorney's office.

According to the complaint:

A man who lives in the home was working on his computer and heard a noise. When he went to check, he saw someone enter his enclosed porch. The man confronted the person on the porch and yelled at him.

The intruder ran toward the man and punched him in the head. They fought, and the man ran to his bedroom to get a gun. He went into the back yard and shot a round into the ground to scare the intruder away.

A police dog was tracking the suspect when police got a call about 1:15 a.m. about a burglary in progress at a home about two blocks away.

Labels: MN, residence burglary

Business owner shoots burglary suspects

A pair of burglary suspects were foiled Thursday evening by the owner of a business in the 700 block of Rodeo Center Blvd. when he entered the second floor of the building and fired a shotgun at the two suspects after they resisted an order not to move, Mesquite police say.

At about 10:25 p.m., Mesquite police received a call noting a burglary in progress at a closed business. The owner entered the building to investigate voices he had heard inside, the caller indicated.

Upon entering the building, officers heard three shots, police reports say. The owner of the building indicated he had found the two burglary suspects on the second floor. He pointed a shotgun loaded with buckshot at the burglars and told them not to move, police say. One burglar advanced toward the owner of the business and he fired, striking the burglar in his chest and face, police say. After hearing the gunshots, officers went upstairs and found both burglars lying on the floor, police reports state.

Charles Ray Knight Jr., 40, a white male, was transported to Baylor Hospital in Dallas suffering from pellet shot to the face, a punctured lung, and one pellet entered his heart. He is listed in stable condition.

James Edward Jamie Black, 40, a white male, was identified as the other burglary suspect.

Both Black and Knight have lengthy criminal histories. Black, who was found with bolt cutters and copper cable belonging to the business owner lying next to him, was arrested and charged with burglary of a building, a felony, and is being held on $2,500 bond. Knight was on parole from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice until 2017. He was also charged with burglary of a building and his bond was set at $1,500. The copper cable found near black [sic] could indicate it as [sic] the motive of the burglary. Copper theft has risen in the area as the price of copper has soared.

The owner of the building will not face charges in the incident.

Labels: business burglary, TX

Robbery Victim Turns Tables on Bandit

Philadelphia police had no trouble identifying a robbery suspect. He's the one with the bullet wound in his leg.

One of his victims grabbed the bandit's gun and turned the tables on him.

"I don't know what came over me. I just grabbed the gun from under his arm. I just started shooting," said Lillian Bailey.

She can't believe what happened at her Germantown hair salon as she worked past midnight.

When a client left the popular stylists business, a gunman lurking outside rushed in demanding money.

Her three clients gave him their purses and ran for cover in two back rooms. Lillian was shaken as she shared her frightening story exclusively with Action News.

"He went to reach for my pockets, but he put his gun under his arm with the pocketbooks. In that split second, I just grabbed the gun and started shooting," said Bailey.

The young mother thought about making it home to her children as she aimed at the robber and emptied his .38 revolver.

"After there were no more bullets, I just started bashing him on his head as he was trying to escape the salon," she said.

He got away. Lillian didn't realize he was shot until police found him unconscious in some bushes on nearby Johnson Street. He had a bullet wound in his leg.

The 19-year-old suspect, whose identity hasn't been released, remained in police custody at Einstein Medical Center.

Lillian said he came to the salon the night before asking about prices, but wasn't let in. When he slipped inside with a gun, she knew she had to do something to save herself because he looked high and out of control.

The tenderhearted 27-year-old still feels bad.

"It's like a double edge sword because I feel like I wanted to stop him from taking my hard earned money, taking these people's belongings. But then I didn't want to hurt anybody," she said.

She has not been charged with any crime. Police are trying to determine if the 19-year-old suspect was involved in a street robbery earlier that night where a robbery victim's dog was shot.

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

Oops -- robber leaves gun behind

A bumbling robber attempting to hold up a north Minneapolis convenience store left a crucial piece of evidence behind: his gun.

The suspect walked into the E & L Market at 2211 Lowry Av. N. Thursday night and demanded money.

The robber covered his face with something in one hand so he could not be identified. But then he made a critical error.

"He set his gun down on the counter to pick up the cash," said Sgt. Tammy Diedrich, a Minneapolis Police Department spokeswoman. "The clerk grabbed the gun."

The robber dropped the cash and fled.

No one has been arrested.

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

Resident Fights Off Intruder

A LaVergne man pulled a gun on a would-be robber Wednesday night.

The incident happened at a home on Jean Drive, officials said.

According to police, the homeowner was lying on the couch when a man with a knife burst through the door.

Police are still searching for the intruder.

The 62-year-old victim, who asked to remain anonymous, suffers from emphysema.

The man said his fight to live became more desperate when a knife-wielding robber entered his home.

“After the initial shock wore off, I’m mad,” he said.

According to the man, the intruder walked into his house through his unlocked front door.

“His words were, ‘Money. Uh, I want your money,’” he said.

The father of two said he managed to pull a .380 semi-automatic pistol from underneath the sofa cushions.

"And I just reached back and grabbed the gun, and then I brought it up. He’s trying to get out the door and I fired,” he said.

He said the results might have been different if he hadn’t had a gun.

“He would have got what little I had, and I would have been at his mercy,” he said.

The man said he believes the intruder was waiting outside his house and had been watching him for a while to learn his routine.

Neighbors said the man is almost always propped up on the couch to breathe better with his door unlocked.

“This neighborhood has always been safe. I can never recall anything like this happening,” he said.

The man said the intruder wore a mask and spoke with an accent. He said it was too dark to be able to see well enough to give police a description.

Labels: residence robbery, TN

Shooting at business leaves man dead

Police are investigating a shooting that left a man dead early Wednesday morning at a Huntsville business.

Police said Wednesday that Terry Reginald Green, from Industry — some 18 miles south of Brenham — was found dead at around 4:30 a.m. at T.J. Burdett & Sons Recycling near the intersection of state Highway 75 and Interstate 45.

The business owner — whose name was not released as of late Wednesday night — shot the man in the chest with a shotgun after he suspected the man to be trespassing.

“The business owner confronted an intruder that had made his way into the locked fenced area of the closed business,” said Sgt. Jim Barnes with the Huntsville Police Department.

The owner told Green to stay put, but Barnes said the man refused. The owner then shot Green an unknown number of times in the chest.

“The business owner was armed with a shotgun and attempted to hold the intruder at gunpoint,” Barnes said. “The intruder failed to comply and was shot in the chest area.”

Green was pronounced dead at the scene by Precinct Justice of the Peace Janie Farris.

Further details were not immediately available, pending an investigation.

Labels: trespassing, TX

Homeowner aids in arrests of two

The homeowner normally wouldn't have been home in the middle of the day. He should have been at work. But he came home at 1 p.m. Tuesday to check on a cable repair job.

Lucky for him he did.

When the Deatsville man pulled into his driveway in the Dusty Trail neighborhood, he saw a strange car and noticed the front door was standing open. He suspected something was wrong. And he was right.

Inside, two would-be burglars were ransacking the house.

"He went inside and confronted them," said Capt. Joe Sedinger of the Autauga County Sheriff's Department. "They told him they were looking for somebody who owed them money. He didn't buy it. They ran out, he met them around front and shot the tire out."

The victim, whom Sedinger would not identify, used a 20-gauge shotgun to blast the rear tire of a Kia coupe as the suspects attempted to speed away. His aim was true, and it helped deputies make an arrest.

Sgt. Casey Ott found the suspects a short time later along a secluded dirt road, attempting to change the flat tire.

"One of them looked like he was going to run," Ott said. "I drew down on them and got them on the ground. I called for backup, and help came pretty quick."

Arrested on burglary charges were Gary Arnold Alvies, 22, of 409 Mockingbird St., Prattville, and Aaron Michael Pace, 22, of 208 Deer Trace, Prattville.

They are being held in the Autauga County Metro Jail under no bonds pending a parole revocation hearing, courthouse records show. Both are on parole for theft-related charges, the records showed.

Sheriff Herbie Johnson applauded the quick action of the homeowner.

"A man has the right to protect himself, his family and his property," said Johnson. "I'm so proud of him. I'm thinking about buying him a box of shells so he can keep that shotgun loaded."

Labels: AL, residence burglary

Sprinfield [sic] man shot by motel owner

A Springfield man was in serious condition Wednesday morning after a Tuesday afternoon shooting at a motel near 12th and Main Streets in Springfield.

Police say Columbus Hayles was shot when a fight with the motel owner got out of hand.

Hayles' wife, Sherry, said they were at the motel to pay for a truck they were buying from a tenant there.

Witnesses say the motel owner, Edward Yu and his wife told them to leave. Apparently, when the Hayles couple refused, the fight began. Police say surveillance video shows Columbus Hayles attacking Yu's wife. They say the owner then shot Hayles, with a 38-caliber pistol.

Investigators call the shooting justified, saying the motel owners were within their rights to protect themselves and their property.

Labels: altercation, OR

Gun store owner pulls gun, foils robbery

A gun store owner confronted by an armed robber grabbed his own gun yesterday and foiled the attempt, after which police tracked down the suspect and put him in jail.

State police charged Jeffrey J. Ierino, 32, of Wampum, with attemped robbery of the Triangle Gun Shop in Perry Township, Lawrence County.

Mr. Ierino walked into the store at 11:24 a.m., pointed a pistol at owner Donald Pieri, 60, and ordered him to fill a bag with pistols, police said.

Mr. Pieri, of Ellwood City, then dived behind a door leading into the back room to retrieve his own gun. At that point, Mr. Ierino ran outside, where an accomplice picked him up.

Troopers tracked him down at his house in Wampum but said he fled when they showed up. They arrested him near the Paramount Cafe.

He is charged with attempted robbery, attempted theft, illegal possession of a gun, carrying a gun without a license, terroristic threats and simple assault.

He was being held yesterday in the Lawrence County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

Labels: business robbery, PA

Homeowner Shoots Home Invader

A homeowner shot a man who he said broke into his home around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Police answered a burglary call in the 6200 block of Forest Avenue early Wednesday morning.

The man who lives in the house said he was home alone when a man broke in through a window.

A struggle ensued and shots were fired.

The home invader was shot but managed to get away in a vehicle driven by another person, the homeowner said.

Police were nearby when they heard the call. They followed a car they saw leaving the scene and took two men into custody just a block away who they believe were involved in the home invasion.

One of the men in the vehicle had a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital with a serious, but non-life-threatening injury.

Labels: intruder, MO

No charges in fatal shooting

No charges will be filed in connection with a fatal shooting last month of a Wyoming man in southwest South Dakota.

Killed was 39-year-old Kevin Fiscus of Upton.

Authorities say Fiscus was shot in the chest with a shotgun by 31-year-old Kathleen Hack at a home about 30 miles west of Custer, South Dakota.

A grand jury considered the incident and decided that Hack was acting in self defense when she killed her boyfriend.

Hack cooperated with authorities and was not arrested.

No charges were presented against a 15-year-old boy who was in the home when Fiscus was shot.

Authorities say the boy was involved in a domestic altercation that preceded the shooting.

Labels: domestic dispute, SD

Drunken man shot in thigh while attempting apartment entry

West Salem family feared for safety as he pounded on door

A drunken man received a gunshot wound to the right thigh while trying to force his way into a West Salem apartment late Monday night, Salem police said.

Salem resident Christopher Cruz, 35, was shot through the door of the apartment by a resident worried for the safety of his wife and 4-day-old child, Salem police Sgt. Kevin Halvorsen said.

Police were called to the residence at 11:45 p.m. Monday as Cruz aggressively knocked on the door at Deer Creek Crossing Apartments in the 1500 block of Wallace Road NW, dispatchers said.

Cruz and the people in the apartment did not know each other, Halvorsen said. Cruz refused demands that he leave and continued to work the doorknob to get in.

Neighbors in the apartment complex said they heard loud banging that drew their attention, and others rose from a sound sleep.

"I stepped out on my balcony, thinking someone was beating on the cars in the parking lot," said Zivile Guevara, who had been working on her computer. "I heard some guy shouting, 'Why are you banging on my door?' "

Salem officers arrived on the grounds of the apartment complex at 11:52 p.m., seven minutes after the initial call, according to dispatch logs.

As officers approached the apartment on foot, they heard two loud thumps they later learned were gunshots, Halvorsen said.

The man in the apartment had fired a 9 mm handgun through the door twice, and one shot hit Cruz.

Cruz was arrested and charged with first-degree attempted burglary and a probation violation warrant for an earlier conviction of driving under the influence, Halvorsen said. No charges were filed against the man who shot Cruz.

Cruz was taken to Salem Hospital for treatment. Three and a half hours after the incident, his blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, Halvorsen said.

West Salem man describes how he gunned down intruder trying to pound down his door.

Yev Gerasimenko lives in a West Salem apartment with his wife and newborn child. On Monday, two men came to his door asking for someone who didn't live there. He closed the door and one of them returned minutes later and tried to beat the door down.

Gerasimenko told his wife to grab the baby and seek safety in the apartment. The 25-year-old has a concealed weapons permit and a handgun. He loaded it, warned the intruder to away, who ignored him. Gerasimenko then shot him.

The Statesman Journal has the full story, including reader feedback on the use of guns. Here is an excerpt.

Salem police arrested the intruder, Christopher Cruz, 35, late Monday, minutes after Gerasimenko wounded him. It happened at Deer Creek Crossing Apartments, in the 1500 block of Wallace Road NW.

Cruz has been charged with first-degree attempted burglary while at Salem Hospital, police said. Three and a half hours after the incident, his blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, police said.

Gerasimenko came forward Wednesday to tell his story, stung by public criticism that he'd been irresponsible in his gun use while defending his home.

"I want to let people know I was responsible and that a gun in a good responsible citizen's hand is a blessing," said Gerasimenko, 25, a journeyman electrician.

Salem police did not file any charges against him, saying he acted in self-protection.

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Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, OR

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MD, street robbery

Suspects In Home Invasion Killed

Police say two men are dead after an early morning shooting in Louisville.

Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley says it appears the men were attempting a home invasion at an apartment complex, and got into a confrontation with the resident.

Smiley says the resident appears to have shot both men. She says the resident suffered minor injuries and is being questioned.

Smiley says the two men who were shot died at the scene.

Two men fatally shot in Hunters Trace

Two men were killed in early morning shootings in the 1700 block of Tempest Way in the Hunters Trace area, police said.

The shootings took place just before 6:30 after a possible home invasion at the Thunder Bird apartment complex, said police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley.

A resident of a second-floor aparment told police that he fought with the two men. One man was found dead on a second-floor balcony outside his apartment; the second man was found dead in the middle of Tempest Way. The resident suffered minor injuries.

None of the three men has been identified.

Labels: home invasion, KY

Orem man shoots attacking pit bull

If John Erickson hadn't had his gun with him when a neighbor's pit bull attacked him, there's no telling how bad things might have been.

Erickson, 22, was walking up to his house on 400 South near 700 West in Orem on Wednesday when a neighbor's pit bull bit him from behind. As he rode his scooter to his house around 8:30 p.m., Erickson saw the dog sitting calmly while a neighborhood girl petted it. Then he parked and took three or four steps toward his house when the dog bit him.

"All of a sudden the dog grabbed my leg from behind," he said.

He swung his scooter helmet at the dog, which backed off for a moment. But when the dog charged forward, Erickson, who has a concealed weapons permit, drew his 9-millimeter pistol and fired at the dog's head. Erickson said he worries about what would have happened if he hadn't been armed.

"There's nothing I could've done. I couldn't run. There's no way I'm going to outrun it. There's nowhere I could go," said Erickson, a student at Utah Valley State College.

Even more, he said he worries about what would've happened if the dog had attacked his wife, Lynn Ann, who came home just two minutes before him, or the many children who walk down that street on their way to and from Orem Elementary School.

Erickson's mother, Lyn Erickson, who lives across the street, said she used to dislike her son's gun.

"Now I'm saying, 'I'm just so thankful he had a gun.' I'm just so thankful because what would you do?" she said.

At Erickson's request, no charges were filed against the dog's owner, said Orem police spokesman Lt. Doug Edwards. Vicious animal citations and letting dogs run free are misdemeanor offenses.

"You can't allow your dog to run at large. It doesn't matter how they get off the property, whether it's a hole (in the fence) or a broken leash. Dogs can't run loose," Edwards said.

The dog survived the shot to the top of its head. Erickson said the owner initially planned to euthanize the dog because its veterinary bills were expected to be as high as $4,000. But the owner had a change of heart and decided not to put the dog down, he said.

The owner of the dog, who Erickson said moved to the neighborhood several weeks ago, was not identified and could not be reached for comment. Orem police would not release the owner's name because no charges were filed.

Erickson said he is now concerned because the hole in his neighbor's fence has not been fixed -- a pile of branches now blocks the hole -- and the dog owner has another pit bull that he worries could get loose and hurt someone.

"Every day little kids from Orem Elementary walk right past the house. It could've been one of the little kids, it could've been my wife who got home two minutes before me," he said.

Lyn Erickson said she plans to talk to police about the hole in the neighbor's fence.

Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, student defender, UT

Authorities: Surry County Intruder Shot, Killed

Deputies are investigating a breaking-and-entering case in which they said the intruder was shot and killed.

The incident occurred just after 8 a.m. Monday in Surry County.

Authorities said a man woke up and found another man climbing through a ladder and going through his window.

The homeowner confronted 55-year-old Howard Jones as he came off the ladder, investigators said.

Jones was shot twice with a rifle and later died at a local hospital, according to the Surry County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities said it wasn't the first time Jones had broken into the home.

No charges have been filed.

The case is still under investigation.

No charges filed in shooting

No charges will be filed against a homeowner stemming from his fatal shooting of a suspected intruder last week, Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said Wednesday.

This determination in the case involving the shooting of Ky Howard Jones, 55, was reached after officials with the sheriff's office met this week with District Attorney Ricky Bowman and members of his staff.

Jones, for whom no official address has been given, was shot on the morning of Sept. 17 while trying to burglarize a home he once owned at 484 Surry Gadsberry Road in the Pilot Mountain area, according to earlier accounts.

Authorities have said that Jones had propped a ladder against the house and was attempting to gain entry through a window when he was confronted by Jayme Gullatt, the homeowner, who was awakened by a loud noise and grabbed a .223-caliber rifle.

The intruder then began to advance on the homeowner, who fired two warning shots into the ground, based on Gullatt's statements to investigators. Despite the homeowner's actions, Jones continued to approach Gullatt and got to within a few feet of him before being shot once in the upper body. Jones was transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he died later that day.

Atkinson said Tuesday that after reviewing the evidence with the District Attorney's Office, it was determined that the homeowner had acted reasonably and within his rights.

As a result, no charges will be filed against Gullatt, whom authorities ruled was trying to protect himself.

North Carolina law states that a lawful occupant within a residence is justified in using any degree of force that the occupant reasonably believes is necessary to prevent a forcible entry or terminate an intruder's unlawful entry. Deadly force is allowed if the occupant reasonably believes that the intruder might kill or inflict serious injury to someone in the home or commit a felony there.

A lawful occupant does not have a duty to retreat from an intruder in such cases, under state law.

Jones earlier had been convicted of breaking into the house on Surry Gadsberry Road and was a suspect in another illegal entry there which occurred in the days before he was fatally shot.

Labels: intruder, NC

Resident Shoots Robber, Foils Robbery

A resident opened fire on a would-be robber Friday morning outside a Waco apartment complex, foiling the hold-up and sending the man to a local hospital.

It happened outside the Parkside Village apartments on North 9th Street in Waco.

Initial reports were that a resident witnessed a man attempting to rob another person and fired as many as six shots at the would-be robber, who was struck at least three times.

Police learned of the incident after the badly injured man turned up at the Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center emergency room.

Late Friday morning police were still at the hospital and at the scene of the robbery.

Other details were not immediately available.

Labels: altercation, TX

Owner Sleeping In Gas Station Over Crimes Surprises, Kills Intruder

A gas station owner in Central Florida who was sleeping in his business after a rash of crimes in the area shot and killed a man trying to break into his store early Friday morning, according to sheriff's deputies.

Investigators said someone apparently began to break into the Citgo gas station located at the corner of Pine Hills and Silverstar Road at about 2:30 a.m.

The owner said when he was awakened by glass breaking he grabbed a gun and opened fire, shooting 14 times.

Police said the culprit was able to flee the business after being shot but was found dead after collapsing in a nearby parking lot.

The owner, who did not want to be identified, said he did not regret using lethal force.

"One way or another, he had to go down," the owner said. "His days were numbered. If it were not me, he would get somebody. And if he had a weapon, I would have gone down."

The owner said there have been 14 break-ins in the last two weeks.

Police said the business owner acted in self-defense but were checking surveillance video and still investigating the case.

The owner said he has slept at the station for the last 10 days to stop any crime at the station.

Labels: business burglary, FL

Possible Coyote With Rabies

Brian Akers and a group of neighbors were standing outside when a sickly looking coyote approached them.

They tried to run the coyote off by chasing it away with a four-wheeler, but the coyote wasn't startled.

After the coyote lunged and attempted to bite a neighbor, Mr. Akers shot and killed the animal.

The coyote was taken to the Bland County Health Department and is now undergoing testing for rabies.

Labels: animal, WV

Man shoots self when aiming for robbers

A 64-year-old Denver businessman accidentally shot himself in the chest Sunday night as he chased a pair of robbers from his dry cleaning business.

Rick Bugdanowitz went to his business, La Nouvelle Fine Cleaners, 4025 E. Dickenson Place, Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. to check a security alarm, said Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson.

Bugdanowitz found two robbers inside and they threatened him, Jackson said. The business owner grabbed a handgun he keeps in the store, Jackson said, and fired two shots at the robbers.

The pair fled and as Bugdanowitz chased them out the front door he tripped, Jackson said. The gun he was holding fired and hit Bugdanowitz in the chest.

His injury was not life-threatening, Jackson said.

Bugdanowitz is married to Sheila Bugdanowitz, president of the Rose Community Foundation, a civic and philanthropic organization formed in 1995 to enhance the quality of life in greater Denver.

Details on Bugdanowitz's injuries were not available Tuesday. An employee at his store referred questions to a manager who was unavailable for comment.

Labels: business robbery, CO, defender shot

Stepfather Shoots Man In Knee With Shotgun

A Tyler man was shot by his stepfather at a Quitman residence after an altercation broke out between them Tuesday morning.

Police arrived at a home on the 400 block of Main Street at about 10:35 a.m. to find Michael Eugene Bruney, 42, suffering a gunshot wound to the left knee, said Sergeant Wes Criddle, Quitman Police Department.

Criddle said police determined his stepfather, a Quitman resident, shot Bruney with a 12-gauge shotgun after the two men had a disagreement.

Bruney was flown by helicopter to a Tyler hospital for treatment. Neither East Texas Medical Center at Tyler nor Mother Frances Hospital showed record of Bruney on Wednesday afternoon.

Criddle said the stepfather, whose name is not being released, was not arrested.

The case is under investigation and will be sent to a grand jury hearing in Quitman, he said.

Labels: altercation, TX

Man killed during alleged home invasion

An early-morning struggle in a darkened duplex left a man lying dead on the floor next to a backpack full of burglary tools, Clayton County Police said.

The renting resident told detectives he heard the noise of someone breaking down his back door at about 4:30, Wednesday morning. He went to check, and bumped into someone in the kitchen.

“He saw the suspect reaching for a gun in his waistband,” said Deputy Chief Tim Robinson, and “was somehow able to disarm the suspect. He fell back — I’m talking, maybe 10 feet — he fired and he killed the suspect.”

The renter, whose name has not yet been released by police, fired several shots inside his 5701 Williamsburg Trace residence, between Riverdale and College Park, according to his statements to police.

The man called 911 almost 2 1/2 hours later. He said he was calling from his cell phone and was standing outside, down the street from his home, according to police.

“He said someone had broken into his house and he had shot him,” Robinson said. “The question we’re trying to answer... We’re trying to account for the time frame between when he said it happened and when he actually called.”

Police dispatch received a report of shots fired, in that neighborhood, at about 5:15 a.m., between the time the man said he shot the intruder and the time he called for police.

A patrol car went through the neighborhood, after the first 911 call, but there was no one on the street and nothing visibly wrong, Robinson said.

The resident told police he was scared, after firing several shots at the man in the dark duplex, and ran away. He said he made calls to friends, on his cell phone, and eventually came back to the neighborhood and called 911, Robinson said.

After getting a warrant to search the home, because the missing 2 1/2 hours made police suspicious, detectives and crime scene investigators went inside.

Everything seemed to match the man’s account.

“The physical evidence tends to support his story,” the deputy chief said. “And he’s been very cooperative.”

The angle of the bullet, the position of the body, the signs the back door was forced open and the bag next to the dead man’s body all lent credence to the resident’s account of being surprised by a home invasion and then shooting a would-be burglar to death.

Police have not yet positively identified the dead man. They have a tentative identification, Robinson said, and have some indication he had burgled before.

“He did have a backpack, and inside that backpack he did have several items that are indicative of someone who was burgling homes,” Robinson said.

The investigation, however, is ongoing.

Labels: GA, residence burglary

Substitute teacher acquitted in neighbor's fatal shooting

A man accused of killing a neighbor during a dispute over a dog has been acquitted following his six-day trial in Preston County Circuit Court.

The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for nearly three hours Tuesday before returning the not guilty verdict against Ronald Schleger.

Schleger, a 56-year-old substitute math teacher, was initially charged with murder, malicious assault and attempted murder.

On May 12, 2006, both Schleger and Douglas Livengood, 43, called Preston County's 911 center to report that Schleger had run over and killed Livengood's dog.

Authorities said Schleger later called 911 to report that he had shot Livengood.

Livengood's wife was also shot but survived.

Preston County Prosecuting Attorney Melvin C. Snyder III told the jury in closing arguments that the shooting had all the elements of malice, premeditation and intent.

Schleger, however, maintained that he fired his gun in self-defense.

Labels: altercation, WV

Clerk shoots, kills robber, city police say

A clerk at a video store on Fort Wayne’s southeast side shot and killed an armed man as he was trying to rob the business Wednesday afternoon, city police said.

The man entered VIP Video, 7504 S. Anthony Blvd., about 4:40 p.m. The man pulled a gun, and the clerk shot and killed the man, police said.

Police were interviewing the clerk and other witnesses Wednesday afternoon.

Labels: business robbery, IN

1 dead, 1 injured during shootout in Laurens

A Tuesday night shootout at a horse farm in Laurens left one man dead and another injured, according to regional television outlet WYFF.

The shooting claimed the life of 64-year-old Robert Reid, of 3660 Indian Mound Road, Laurens. Reports indicate Reid died at the scene.

Meanwhile, Michael Smith, 32, of 3662 Indian Mound Road, Laurens, suffered one gunshot wound to the back and was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Reports indicate that Reid and Smith were working together at Treadway Farms Tuesday and spent a large portion of the day arguing with one another.

Smith reportedly told officers he was cleaning a gun on the farm property late in the day when Reid approached him, brandishing a gun.

Smith reportedly told the officers Reid fired and hit him in the back. Smith said he then picked up his gun and, in alleged self-defense, fired back at Reid.

An investigation by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing.

Labels: altercation, defender shot, SC

Two men shot during botched robbery

Police have cleared crime scene tape, but the investigation is far from over. Dried blood on a neighbor's front stoop is a reminder of the struggle that happened on Edith in south Memphis early Wednesday morning. Two people were shot during an apparent home invasion robbery. One victim was one of the men held at gunpoint. The other was the gunman.

"When someone pulls a gun on you demanding property, which is the definition of a robbery, anything can happen," say Lt. Joe Scott of the Memphis Police Department. Investigators tell us they responded to a call at 536 Edith around 2:30 Wednesday morning. Initial reports say a man knocked on the door asking to use a telephone. Someone inside answered the door and stepped away.

Lt. Scott says, "When the individual came back to the door, the suspect displayed a firearm. Another individual there began to struggle with the suspect and was shot." The man who answered the door managed to strip the gunman's weapon away and shot him. Both shooting victims were taken to the Med in critical condition.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN

Murder charges dropped against Louisa man

Charges have been dropped against a Louisa County man accused of murdering his brother-in-law.

A grand jury on Monday found that there was insufficient evidence to bring 40-year-old James E. Ward to trial on second-degree murder and firearms charges.

Authorities said Ward shot 36-year-old David Wayne Martin, his wife’s brother, after a June 18 domestic dispute.

“There was a strong indication from the very beginning that it could very well have been a self-defense case,” said Maj. Donald A. Lowe of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office.

Martin went to Ward’s home that evening and assaulted several people, including his sister and Ward, during an argument over a grill, Lowe said.

While Martin was struggling with another occupant in the house, Ward retrieved a .22-caliber pistol and shot him in the chest, authorities said.

Martin died at the scene.

Louisa County Common-wealth’s Attorney R. Don Short said he would talk to the investigator in the case to determine if other charges are appropriate. “That would be to make sure we’ve covered all the bases, and that there isn’t some piece of evidence that we may have overlooked,” Short said.

Labels: domestic dispute, VA

Hayward teen won't be charged in shooting

Jonathan Paniagua, a 19-year-old Hayward resident who shot a 12-year-old Oakland boy in the chest Friday, was acting in self-defense and will not be charged in the shooting, according to authorities.

Paniagua is still in custody at Santa Rita county jail in Dublin while the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reviews his immigration status, Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

The 12-year-old remains hospitalized at Children's Hospital Oakland and is in serious, but stable condition, Hayward police Lt. Reid Lindblom said.

"We have determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove that there was an unlawful shooting," Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Richard Klemmersaid. "I cannot disprove Paniagua's assertion that he was acting in self-defense. Most of the witness statements corroborate his version of events."

According to Lindblom, Paniagua pulled his red Cadillac up to the curb in front of the Casa Azul Taqueria on Harder Road on Friday evening.

The 12-year-old boy, accompanied by a 19-year-old friend, then approached the vehicle. Lindblom did not release the names of the boy or his friend.

"The 12-year-old allegedly simulated having a weapon and said he wanted the car," Lindblom said.

Paniagua pulled out a handgun, shot the boy and drove off, he said. The shooting occurred at about 5:45 p.m.

Police stopped Paniagua's Cadillac at Jackson Street and Soto Road about 10 minutes later. Paniagua was arrested without incident.

A handgun found inside the vehicle was confiscated, Lindblom said.

Paniagua was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a loaded and concealed firearm.

Klemmer said, however, no charges are expected to be filed in the case.

Lindblom said Paniagua claimed that the 12-year-old boy had attempted to rob Paniagua of his wallet several weeks ago and that Paniagua had armed himself in response.

Labels: CA, carjacking

Rochester Hills dad kills pit bull that mauled family pet

Oakland County sheriff's investigators are looking for the owner of a pit bull dog that was fatally shot by a man trying to get the animal to stop mauling his pet.

Deputies about 8:30 a.m. responded to a home on Eastern Street responding to reports of a BB gun being fired. They discovered that a man had fatally shot a pit bull with a 12-gauge shotgun after the dog clamped its jaws on the family dog's neck and refused to let go of the pet, sheriff's officials said.

The man's children were in the fenced, backyard of the home with the family pet when the pit bull attacked it, sheriff's officials said. The dad threw several objects at the pit bull to try and stop the attack.

When the pit bull would not let the family pet go, the dad went into his house and got the rifle [sic]. He fired a warning shot and then shot the pit bull once, sheriff's officials said.

Deputies said the pit bull did not have identification tags and they did not know who owned the dog. The man's home has a fenced yard.

It was not clear what happened to the other dog.

Labels: animal, MI

Man shoots at fleeing massage parlor robber

Police are working to figure out what happened during a bizarre string of events at a Boise massage parlor overnight.

Just after 3:00 a.m., someone tried to break into Tokyo Massage on Fairview Avenue near Orchard Street in Boise. When the business owner discovered the robber, the person tried to hide in the bathroom - but got stuck.

The owner called her husband - who grabbed his gun and fired a shot as the robber tried to flee.

Officers say nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt in the botched robbery attempt.

Police say members of the community should call 911, and not take matters into their own hands.

Labels: business burglary, ID

Oakland Park store owner guns down robbery suspect

A Hurricane Katrina refugee who relocated his family and his urban clothing store here was involved in another traumatic event Monday night. He shot and killed a would-be armed robber, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Store owner George P. Azar, 25, of Sunrise, was not injured in the attempted hold-up at O.G.'s Corner Urban Ware, 2192 W. Oakland Park Blvd., said his wife, Dana Kennedy. Officials said it was too early to tell whether Azar, who opened the business in October 2005, would be charged in the death.

There were no customers inside the store when the shooting took place, and investigators were trying to find possible witnesses who were in the area when it happened, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Leljedal.

Officials did not immediately release the name of the person who was killed but did say that he apparently had walked into the store with a teenage boy, whom deputies were still searching for late Monday. The Sheriff's Office did not release a detailed description of that teenager, who they said also was armed.

Details of the shooting were still unclear late Monday.

Deputies responding to a silent holdup alarm at the business about 7:30 p.m. reached the store in the Buglewood Plaza to find one of the suspected robbers dead on the store floor, Leljedal said.

The Sheriff's Office brought its 40-foot mobile crime lab to the scene so that investigators could immediately begin collecting and analyzing forensic evidence. The SWAT team showed up to aid in the search for the teenage suspect, and K-9s sniffed around the shopping center for clues. Meanwhile, a Sheriff's Office helicopter, with its beaming search light, circled the area.

More than a dozen people who were doing laundry at the laundromat next door to O.G.'s were forced to stick around until investigators interviewed them, officials said.

If investigators determine that Azar acted in self-defense, the shooting Monday would become the fifth such case in the county this year.

Lauderdale man charged in alleged accomplice's death

Teen died holding up a clothing store, detectives say

The Broward Sheriff's Office said detectives have arrested the accomplice of a robbery suspect shot and killed last week by a store clerk at an Oakland Park clothing store.

Michael McNeal, 19, was taken into custody Sunday outside a church in the 200 block of SW 27 Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. McNeal, of Fort Lauderdale, faces several charges, including murder, robbery, burglary and carjacking. He remains in jail without bond.

Store clerk George Azar, 25, shot and killed McNeal's friend, Hung Nguyen, 17, after they entered the Corner Urban Wear store armed with handguns, detectives said. Detectives believe McNeal fled on foot after the shooting.

Azar was not injured in the incident and has not been charged. If investigators find that Azar shot Nguyen in self-defense, the shooting would become the fifth such death in the county this year.

Labels: business robbery, FL, minor offender

Police: Man Shot During Burglary; Man Kills Suspect with Gun

A man is in the hospital after being shot during a burglary Monday afternoon at his south Reno home.

The incident happened just before 1:45pm on Britney Avenue in southwest Reno behind Walmart.

Police say a resident came home from the grocery store to find a suspect burglarizing his home. Both ended up fighting over a gun.

The unidentified resident was shot. He suffered non-life threatening injuries.

But police say he then managed to get the gun away from the suspect and fatally shot him.

The resident is currently recovering at Renown Regional Medical Center.

An investigation is underway.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NV, residence burglary

Man In Wheelchair Shoots Intruder

A wheelchair-bound man shot an intruder in his home in the 8100 block of Alpine Road in Detroit Sunday night.

The man said he saw the intruder as he was getting out of the shower.

The homeowner told police he shot the man to protect his home and he feared for his life.

He said he does not feel safe anymore, so he will be moving out of his home.

Police said the intruder drove himself to the hospital. He is listed in critical condition.

Labels: intruder, MI

Two Men Arrested for Attempted Murder

Nestled in the woods of central Moss Bluff, Tanglewood Drive is by all accounts a quiet neighborhood. But it was here around 1 a.m. Wednesday that Calcasieu sheriff's detectives say 18-year-old Robert Willis and 25-year-old Jesse Graham began a crime spree. The sheriff's office says both men have a long criminal record and knew the game well. They say one of them knocks on the door, asking to speak with someone, while the other hides nearby.

"They asked the homeowner to speak with someone, he said nobody lives here by that name... And then one stepped around the corner with a shotgun. At that point, the homeowner who had a gun, pointed the gun at them and they fled," said Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso.

(More)

Labels: LA, residence robbery, trespassing

Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

A Madison County homeowner shot and killed an intruder who tried to break into his home Sunday morning, police said.

Sheriff Clayton Lowe said William Keith Parks of Carlton, Ga., entered the home about 12:30 a.m. Sunday and was shot and killed by the homeowner.

Lowe did release the homeowner's name.

County Coroner Michelle Cleveland said Parks, 41, was shot in the chest with a shotgun at close range as he entered the house through the door of a rear porch.

Cleveland said there was no altercation before the shooting and the homeowner's wife called 911 afterward.

An autopsy is planned.

Comer is located near Athens, Ga.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Fox Shot & Killed In Henrico

A fox that terroized a East End neighorhood this weekend is dead.

The animal believed to be behind three separate attacks Saturday and Sunday. The first happened Saturday evening. A man fishing near the landfill on Charles City Road says the animal bit him several times.

Then not far away, a woman on Southbury Avenue got bit going to get her Sunday morning paper. At that point Animal Control Officers set up traps.

But the fox outwitted them and ended up making its way to Wildnerness Court and having a run-in with a dog. Ernest Kidd said his dog bit it, and he thought it was dead. It just acted like for a moment, then turned on the dog. Kidd says he pulled out his pistol and fired at the fox. He thought he hit it, but didn't.

Thankfully his neighbor came home and helped wrangle the animal.

Here's how Kidd says it happened.

"We saw it up in the dog house so he told me to lean around the doghouse, put the gun inside and shoot, so I shot it and the thing came out the dog house man, came toward us. So I threw a brick on it and I shot it again and then threw another brick on it and the neighbor shot a round into it and we thought it would lie there and die and 20 minutes later it was still moving."

Luckily, by that time Henrico Animal Control arrived on scene and euthanized the fox. They're going to test if for Rabies Monday.

Kidd's dog is up to date on its rabies shot, but still must be quarantined for 45 days as a precaution.

Henrico Police say this serves as a good warning for everyone.

"Wildlife is normally going to stay far away from us, but if its up near people- it's acting weird, agressive, or like it's drunk- it's probably going to be rabid," says Lt. Doug Perry.

Labels: animal, VA

Employee Foils Gunman's Donut Shop Robbery On L.I.

A gunman held up a doughnut shop, pistol-whipped an employee and forced her to open a safe but then ran away empty-handed after another employee grabbed his weapon, police said.

The gunman, Karsheam Simpkins, entered the doughnut shop just before 1 a.m. Sunday, confronted the two employees and ushered them toward an office in the back, Nassau County police said. He smacked a female employee with his gun and made her open the safe, they said.

But while he was going through the safe, a male employee snatched his gun from him, police said. He ran out a back door, they said.

Two police officers saw the robber running away and arrested him as he was entering his home a few blocks away, they said.

Simpkins, 31, was charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He was to be arraigned later Sunday. His home telephone number was unlisted.

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

1 Dead, 1 Wounded In Store Shooting

Police: Dead Man's Gun Had No Bullets

A convenience store security guard fatally shot a 21-year-old man and superficially wounded another in the parking lot during an apparent robbery attempt, Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

It's the same Circle K store where clerk Brady Daniel was shot and killed June 4, Hill said.

"At this time, there is nothing to indicate that these incidents are related," Hill said.

Hill said in the latest incident, two men entered the Circle K store at 5845 W. McDowell Road around 1:30 a.m.

The 21-year-old was was armed with a handgun and pointed it an armed security guard inside the store while the second man apparently went to steal property from the store, Hill said.

The security guard and the gunman got into a hand-to-hand fight with guns drawn, according to Hill.

Both men ran from the store and into the parking lot with the security guard chasing after them, Hill said.

The gunman pointed his weapon at the security guard and the guard opened fire, killing the 21-year-old Hispanic, Hill said.

The second man, a 20-year-old Hispanic, attacked the security guard outside the store and the guard shot him once in the arm, Hill said.

A Phoenix police officer who was working an off-duty job at a convenience store across the street heard the commotion and spotted a suspicious vehicle in the lot, according to Hill.

Hill said the occupants of the vehicle, who were detained, may have been involved in the crime.

Detectives said the dead gunman had a real gun, but it contained no bullets.

The man who was wounded faces possible charges, but not until after the investigation is complete, Hill said.

Labels: AZ, business robbery

Homeowner shoots suspected intruder

Detectives are questioning a man who shot a suspected intruder early today inside the northwest Harris County home he was remodeling, authorities said.

After the homeowner stopped by the house in the 7900 block of Shady Grove about 7:45 a.m., "he found an intruder inside," said Sgt. Joe Freeman of the Harris County Sheriff's homicide division.

In the ensuing confrontation, a suspect in his late teens to early 20s was shot, and subsequently taken to Ben Taub General Hospital, authorities said. His condition is unknown.

Deputies placed paper bags over the homeowner's hands to preserve any gunpowder residue from the shooting. He wasn't injured, authorities said.

Detectives haven't determined if the entry was forced or how long the suspect had been inside.

Labels: intruder, TX

Man dies in shooting near Denison; …

A Denison man died from a gunshot wound Friday night after he allegedly broke through a residential door. The incident happened about 11 p.m. at a home on Nash Street just east of the Denison city limits. Whether it will be considered a justifiable shooting under the ‘Castle Law’ will be determined by the Grayson County District Attorney’s Office after Grayson County Sheriff’s Office investigators complete their investigation.

According to Grayson County S.O. 1st Lt. David Hawley, Jimmy Lynn Suter, 19, lay inside the home upon deputies’ arrival. The resident, not yet identified by name, was standing outside with a woman later determined to be Mr. Suter’s former girlfriend. Deputies found the front door broken with falling splinters.

Denison EMS transported Mr. Suter to Texoma Medical Center, where Justice of the Peace James Harris pronounced him dead. He had the body sent to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, with the results being made available to aid detectives in their investigation.

Other details are not yet available.

On March 27, 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law Senate Bill 378, which permits Texans to use deadly force in self defense. A press release from the governor’s office said the law, dubbed the ‘Castle Law,’ went into effect Sept. 1. “The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law,” Perry said in the press release, “but is intuitive to human nature... the Castle Law allows Texas to not only protect themselves from criminals, but to receive the protection of state law when circumstances dictate that they use deadly force.”

In effect, the Castle Law is updated from a 1995 law which introduced the person’s right to use force without retreat “when an intruder unlawfully entered their home,” the press release continues. SB 378 extends that right to stand their ground beyond the home to vehicles and workplaces, with qualifications.

Hawley said no arrests have been made. When the investigation is completed, he said, it will be up to the Grayson County D.A.’s office to determine if it should be taken before a grand jury.

Labels: home invasion, TX

Intruder holds gun to man's head, flees home

Gunshots were allegedly fired as an intruder fled a Council Bluffs residence early Saturday morning.

According to a Council Bluffs Police Department report, an unidentified suspect entered the residence of Josh Konfrst, 21, about 2 a.m. and held a handgun to his head.

When another person in the house, Justin Woodman, 21, of Glenwood, pointed a hunting gun at the intruder, the suspect ran from the residence, the report indicated.

The report indicated Konfrst, Woodman and others in the house heard two to three shots fired as the unknown suspect fled.

The report did not indicate that anything was taken from the house, located at 1104 18th St.

Labels: assault, home invasion, IA

Man shoots teen, nabs 2 in his house

A 16-year-old required treatment for a gunshot wound Monday night after a resident in the 1500 block of 20th Street fired a gun and chased suspected burglars out of his house, police said.

The man didn't realize he'd shot anyone and thought all four suspects had fled, but when he re-entered his house he found two of them hiding inside, said Deputy Police Chief Alfred Sexton. The homeowner held the others at gunpoint until police arrived.

The incident was reported to police at 8:49 p.m. The homeowner, whose name was withheld, told police he was home alone when he heard noises coming from another part of the house, said Sexton.

The wounded Gulfport teen's condition wasn't available Tuesday, but police said he was released to his parents pending medical treatment and a Youth Court hearing.

The two found inside the man's home are 14 and 15 and also live in Gulfport, police said.

Police were trying to identify the fourth teenager Tuesday.

Labels: home invasion, MS, residence burglary

Business Owner Shoots Would-Be Burglar

Police said the owner of a tire store shot and killed a man who broke into his business early Saturday.

The owner was driving by to check A&J Tires off Pennsylvania Avenue after midnight when he saw someone behind his fence. After unsuccessfully chasing the man down an alley, he went inside to check his business.

He was then confronted by a man who tried to attack him with a pipe, police said. The business owner shot the man several times. He died at 5 a.m. at Baylor Medical Center, police said.

Police had not identified the man Saturday evening.

Labels: business robbery, TX

Bear wounded after charging bow hunter

A bear feeding on the carcass of a grizzly bear in northwestern Montana was shot after charging a bow hunter that apparently startled it, state wildlife officials said.

Game wardens tracked the wounded bear’s blood trail for four miles, but were unable to locate it.

The state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is warning hunters and others planning to be in the South Fork of Canyon Creek in the North Fork Flathead drainage that the wounded bear may be in the area.

The bow hunter shot the bear with a pistol Thursday evening. FWP Warden Perry Brown and biologist Tim Manley tracked the wounded bear Friday, following a blood trail for three or four miles before losing it. Biologists don’t know if it was a black bear or a grizzly.

It’s questionable whether the bear would survive the substantial blood loss, but the agency wanted to warn recreationists.

Brown said there was evidence the dead grizzly died several days earlier and may have been killed illegally.

Labels: animal, MT

Robbery suspect at large

The Lafayette police chief says a liquor store clerk who shot at a suspect during a late-night robbery attempt had the right to reasonably defend himself.

A single bullet was recovered from the siding of a nearby building. No one was injured.

Officers were called to Clark Liquors, 250 S. Fourth St., about 11:30 p.m. Thursday after an incident that started when an armed man entered the store and demanded cash.

The sole employee was somehow able to distract the man who then ran away, according to detective Capt. Kevin Gibson of the Lafayette Police Department.

Police are not releasing the employee's name to ensure his safety.

Gibson said the clerk went to the door to see which direction the suspect fled and -- believing the man aimed a gun at him -- fired one round.

Investigators do not believe that any cash or liquor was taken.

Chief Don Roush said case law supports allowing individuals who are faced with the threat of serious injury or death to use force to defend themselves.

"No one deserves to be a victim," Roush said. "He had the right to reasonably protect himself."

Investigators on Friday were able to recover video surveillance and still photos from the liquor store. But it's unclear from the footage which direction the suspect fled, Gibson said.

No customers were inside during the robbery attempt.

Labels: business robbery, IN

Burglary results in shooting in Fort Lauderdale

A man was shot in the leg by the owner of a home he was trying to break into Friday afternoon, police said.

The suspect, who police say they are trying to identify, was shot at about 1:30 p.m. at a house on the 800 block of Long Island Avenue, said Sgt. Frank Sousa, a police spokesman.

The suspect was taken to Broward General Medical Center for treatment, Sousa said.

Detectives are at the scene investigating the incident.

Labels: FL, residence burglary

Two men who were shot charged with felonies

A shooting last week that left two Los Lunas men injured has been determined by deputies to be justified, and the pair are now facing multiple felony counts in connection with the incident.

On Tuesday, Aug. 28, deputies found Arthur Lovato Jr. and Sean Viviani, both 23, suffering from gunshot wounds they received at a house in Tomé. On Friday, Lovato was arrested. Viviani remains in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Deputies say Viviani will be taken into custody after he's released.

Valencia County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. John Gordon said that after speaking to the homeowner, Fred Christanelli, and his wife, Susie, and conducting an investigation into the shooting, deputies determined the shooting was justified and done in self-defense. Christanelli, who police say shot Lovato and Viviani, will not be charged, Gordon said.

Instead, Lovato and Viviani have been charged with a total of 18 felony counts including aggravated burglary, two counts of armed robbery, extortion, attempted criminal sexual penetration, attempted aggravated burglary and several counts of accessory and conspiracy.

Gordon said Lovato, who was shot once in the leg and whose head a bullet grazed, was arrested Friday morning during a court hearing in District Judge John Pope's courtroom.

"We put the arrest warrants out for Mr. Lovato and Mr. Viviani, and we learned that he (Lovato) had a court hearing this morning," Gordon said. "We arrested him, and he gave us a statement."

According to the detective, the Christanellis told deputies a few days after the shooting that they were in debt and were unable to pay their bill.

The person to whom they owed money "sent Viviani and Lovato to collect the $400 debt," Gordon said. "The first time they went over there, Mr. Christanelli wasn't home, and they spoke to his wife, Susie. They left and waited on the ditchbank until the husband returned home about 30 minutes later."

The detective said Lovato and Viviani confronted the couple and demanded the money. Gordon alleged that when the Christanellis told them they didn't have it, Lovato and Viviani went inside and ransacked the house looking for money. They found a little more than $100, the detective said.

"While still in the house, Lovato produced a knife and Viviani a handgun," Gordon said. "They threatened the couple and told them that they needed to get more money."

The detective said when the two men walked outside and into the front yard, Viviani demanded the couple's cell phone, When Fred Christanelli told him no, both men allegedly threatened to sexually assault his wife, Gordon said.

"They (Lovato and Viviani) were approaching the house again when Mr. Christanelli got a gun from inside his house and shot both of them at close range," Gordon said. "At that time, everyone fled the scene,"

Deputies initially believed that the two men left the scene in a car being driven by a third party, but Gordon said he now thinks Lovato was the driver.

"There was no third person," Gordon said. "Mr. Viviani (who was shot in the chest) was afraid he was going to die, demanded to be let out of the car."

Lovato dropped Viviani at a home on Patricio Road and then drove himself to a house where he was staying on N.M. 47. Gordon said when Lovato arrived, an unknown person left in the vehicle.

Neither Fred Christanelli nor his wife, Susie, was injured during the incident.

Lovato is currently being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond at the Valencia County Adult Detention Center in Los Lunas. He is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Tina Gallegos for an arraignment hearing on Monday.

Labels: NM, residence robbery

Bar owner chases down .44 Magnum-toting robber

Herb Ott doesn’t like to be robbed. In fact, he takes it pretty darn personally.

On Thursday around noon, a man in a camouflage mask and clothing and carrying a .44 Magnum handgun and a bag walked into Ott’s bar, Poor Nate’s Tavern, in the township of Dellona about 50 miles northwest of Madison.

The bartender, who declined to give her name, said the robber never pointed the gun at her, but went straight to the money drawer. She began screaming for Ott, who was upstairs doing the bar’s books, as the robber headed out the back door with nearly $5,000 in his bag.

The 68-year-old Ott came charging downstairs and burst out the back door after the robber, shouting at him to stop.

"I told him, ’Give me my frickin’ money back,"’ Ott said.

Ott followed the robber through the countryside behind the bar, careful to keep his distance. The robber ducked from tree to tree, looking back at him from time to time, Ott said.

He ran up a hill toward some rental cottages before Ott found him trying to hide behind a shed.

Ott began to swear at the robber - "I used the Lord’s name in vain. I think he was scared" - and the robber handed the money bag and loaded gun over to him.

"I says, ’Why did you do it?’ He said, ’I’m sorry, but I’m broke,"’ Ott said.

Ott walked the robber back to the bar and made him sit at a table until Sauk County Sheriff’s deputies arrived.

Ott said he recognized the 31-year-old robber once he had the mask off him. He had come into the bar in the past to cash checks, Ott said, which explains how the robber knew where the money was.

The man offered no explanation for the robbery or his decision to surrender, Ott said.

"He just said he was sorry after I found out who he was," Ott said.

Ott has owned Poor Nate’s Place, on State Highway 23 between Reedsburg and Wisconsin Dells, for more than 30 years. He thinks he’s been robbed at least twice before. The police always have recovered his money, he said, but this time he took matters into his own hands.

"I wasn’t going to let him just walk away with a bag of money," Ott said. "Why would a guy just let him walk away?"

Sauk County Chief Deputy Chip Meister said chasing down a man who has a .44 Magnum may not have been the wisest move, but it worked.

"Obviously, it wasn’t the safest action. However, because of his efforts the suspect was apprehended," Meister said.

Ott said he didn’t have a plan when he went out the back door.

"I just wanted to follow him and, I guess, see where he went to and see if he got in a car and get a license number or whatever. I just stayed my distance and yelled at him and finally he gave up. He just handed me the gun and the money and that was it."

Ott said he expected the robber to turn and open fire. But he knew what he would have done:

"I figured if he’s going to shoot, I’m going to duck."

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

Store-owner Fires Shots in Greers Ferry Store

A grocery store owner shoots a man during an argument over forged checks.

It happened Thursday afternoon at the Family Market in Greers Ferry. That's in Cleburne County.

The shooting happened around 1:00 Thursday afternoon and people in the small town of Greers Ferry knew about it by 2:00 pm.

And what some people thought was a robbery was just a discussion gone wrong.

The Cleburne County Sheriff says a 25 year old man entered the Family Market to speak to the owner, Robert Knighten.

The two men were in the office discussing some stolen and forged checks that were cashed at the store.

One thing led to another and an exchange of words turned into an exchange of fists when the owner grabbed a pistol and shot the other man two times.

He was later air-evaced to a Little Rock hospital for surgery.

"This is not a common occurrence in Cleburne County especially in Greers Ferry. This is a wonderful place with wonderful people up here and it's kind of a shock to people here for something like this to happen," explains Sheriff Marty Moss.

The Sheriff says no one else was injured in the incident even though there were at least half a dozen people inside the store.

The shooting did force the Sheriff's Department to lock down the nearby school as a precaution.

Labels: altercation, AR

Dog Attacks Man on Street, Neighbor Shoots Dog Dead

A dog attack leads to gunfire in a Southland neighborhood. A man shoots a dog when it goes after his elderly neighbor. The dog owner says he overreacted and put her child in danger.

The dog's owner says she feels terrible about what happened to the 80-year-old victim but says the armed neighbor who shot and killed her dog went too far.

The attack sent an 80-year-old man to the hospital with dog bites and left the dog dead.

"The dog was on the ground. There was no more danger, and the guy came out of his house with a gun and right behind my back, at close range, shot and killed the dog as my daughter was reaching for him," said Robin Lifland, the dog's owner.

Police say the large mixed-breed dog named "Timmy" attacked 80-year-old Walt Kelly as he was walking in front of his home around 6. Robin Lifland says she was getting the mail when Timmy ran out of the house and apparently went after Kelly.

"He kept flailing his arms and hitting the dog and the dog got scared," said Lifland. "And he sort of ripped out a piece of his shirt."

Police say Kelly's neighbor heard the commotion and rushed outside to find the 80-year-old fighting off the canine.

"He went inside and retrieved a pistol and while the dog was still attacking the neighbor, he fired one gunshot wound to the dog, and then the dog apparently disengaged from the neighbor," said Sergeant Dennis Smith, Claremont Police Dept.

Investigators say Kelly suffered three puncture wounds to his chest, side and stomach. The dog later died at the animal hospital.

Police say the gun used in the shooting is registered and say it is now in police custody as the investigation continues.

It will be up to the district attorney to decide if the neighbor who shot and killed the dog may face any charges, and it will be up to the Humane Society to determine if Timmy's owner may face charges.

As for the victim, his injuries are said to be not life-threatening and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Labels: animal, CA

Store employee shoots robbery suspect

Richmond police say a man who robbed an ice-cream shop with a fake gun was shot to death by the store manager.

Police say the suspect entered the Baskin-Robbins store last night brandishing a BB gun that looked like a semiautomatic weapon and demanded money.

Police say a clerk handed over cash, and then the store manager grabbed a semiautomatic handgun from behind the counter and fired multiple times at the thief, striking him at least once as he fled.

Officers found the bleeding man lying on the ground about 100 yards away in front of a home believed to be his residence. He died a short time later in a Richmond hospital.

Police identified the dead man as 43-year-old Jerome Davis. Investigators said Davis was released from prison roughly nine months ago after doing time for robbery.

A police spokeswoman said investigators will consult with the Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office to determine whether charges will be filed.

What Will Happen To Ice Cream Store Manager Who Killed Robber?

Handclaps or handcuffs? An "attaboy" or an arrest warrant?

When robbery victims strike back, you can almost see Lady Justice rolling her eyes, especially when the robber winds up fatally shot while trying to make his getaway.

That's apparently what happened Thursday night when a career criminal fresh out of prison stuck up the Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors at 6940 Forest Hill Avenue, just around the corner from his house.

Lady Justice won't care that the deceased robber, 43-year-old Jerome Davis, wielded a BB gun. The self-defense statutes say if the victim thinks it's a gun - especially if the perp is using it like a real gun - then it is the legal equivalent of a functional, fully loaded firearm.

But the law gets much blurrier when the robber gets shot while in the act of fleeing. Jerome Davis was shot at least once in the back while allegedly trying to run out of the store. He managed to run the few blocks to his Cherokee Road home before collapsing in the yard, where police dogs found him bleeding to death.

So what will happen to the as-yet unnamed store manager?

Short answer: Probably nothing.

He'll likely have to sweat it out for a while, and then live with the knowledge he killed somebody, which might not be as simple as it seems.

It's been a long, long time since the victim of a store robbery was prosecuted for blasting off.

You may remember Mark Hazelgrove, whose Jackson Ward convenience store was robbed a couple of times in the mid-90s. He wound up shooting at a carload of young robbers fleeing his store in January of ‘95, winging two of them and killing the getaway car's engine.

A grand jury heard the facts and decided not to indict Hazelgrove for unlawfully wounding the teens.

Three months later Hazelgrove - still a little gun-shy from the previous robbery - fired four shots in the air outside of his store as yet another robber ran away. He wound up being arrested for discharging his firearm in a public place, although the public outcry drowned out that charge.

Often, these kinds of cases aren't decided by cops or prosecutors, but rather the citizens who sit on grand juries. And those citizens don't like robbers, especially since it's usually the store workers who wind up dead during these violent confrontations.

Former Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney David M. Hicks oversaw the Hazelgrove case.

The so-called fleeing felon rule, and its defacto expansion of the self-defense statutes, is a sticky area of the law, Hicks said Friday night.

The fleeing felon rule allows citizens (and law enforcement) to neutralize a real and continuing threat. The robber may not have shot you, but he could shoot the next victim, or anyone else who gets in his way.

The idea that Davis may have been fleeing the store - threat supposedly over - isn't necessarily a big deal, Hicks said, since robbers have been known to return and open fire.

A key question, Hicks said Friday night, is how many shots did the ice cream shop manager fire? Where did they go? In other words, was his response reckless - perhaps just as dangerous as the robbery itself? (A neighbor tells CBS 6 that he heard about five shots. Police have not told us how many times Davis was hit.)

There are three likely choices: Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring could announce that he's not going to file charges; Herring could have the store manager arrested and charged with manslaughter; or Herring could turn over the facts from the police investigation to the grand jury, which seems to be the most likely choice.

There's not much sympathy for robbers these days. The city has seen more than 700 individuals or businesses robbed already this year, a big surge over 2006.

And, as most of you know, when people die during robberies, it's usually the victim.

Two months ago, Lin Zi Ping was shot to death at his Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant on Williamsburg Road, within sight of police officers on a stakeout trying to stop a rash of hold-ups.

We've seen it over and over again - way too many times; some lost soul or lawless renegade taking the fruits of someone else's labor, and then taking that person's life.

My guess is most people are dead sick of this. I know I am. You hold up a store, you wave a gun around at innocent people, you waive your right to life.

So you probably won't see either handclaps or handcuffs from Lady Justice in this case. But don't be surprised if there's a little wink.

Petition defends Baskin-Robbins worker who shot robber

A robbery and subsequent shooting at Baskin-Robbins last week is stirring up a lot of emotion in the community — so much so that residents in one Richmond neighborhood have started a petition to keep the employee who pulled the trigger from being prosecuted.

Many Stratford Hills residents have signed the petitions that will be handed to the commonwealth’s attorney. They’re asking Michael Herring not to press charges against the worker for killing the robber, 43-year-old Jerome Davis.

Davis’ family sees it differently.

“He shot the first time,” said Marcus Davis. “My uncle didn’t shoot back, so he knew his life wasn’t in danger.”

Davis’ niece and nephew say the worker should be behind bars.

The police department’s investigation isn’t over. Until it’s finished, prosecutors can’t comment on whether criminal charges will be filed in this case.

A Baskin-Robbins employee shot and killed Jerome Davis after he held up the store with a BB gun. Police say Davis had been shot several times, including once in the back. The medical examiner ruled it was the back injury that killed Davis.

“I think deadly force would be justified,” said Richard Diggs, who started circulating a petition Saturday in neighborhood businesses.

Many people have already signed the forms. The petition is addressed to Michael Herring and asks him not to charge the employee with any criminal wrongdoing.

The petitions will be collected until Wednesday, then taken to Herring’s office downtown.

Ice-cream manager facing case

Prosecutors want firearms charge in fatal shooting of robber in South Side

Richmond prosecutors will seek a felony indictment on a charge of reckless discharge of a firearm against the Baskin-Robbins ice-cream parlor manager who fatally shot a man who robbed the store this month.

"We have considered everything the police officers have brought in, the witnesses interviewed, the review of the scene and the forensic evidence collected, and I believe there is probable cause that a crime has been committed," said Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring, explaining his decision to present evidence to a grand jury.

Herring is expected to formally announce his decision at a news conference this morning.

According to police, on Sept. 6 Jerome Davis, 43, entered the Baskin-Robbins at 6940 Forest Hill Ave. waving a BB gun version of a 9mm handgun and demanded money from the register. The shift manager, David Fielding, handed over cash and change.

According to investigators, Davis ordered Fielding, another Baskin-Robbins employee and the lone customer to go to the back of the store.

Once in the back of the store, investigators said, Fielding produced his own 9mm gun from his waistband. The 21-year-old art student at Virginia Commonwealth University moved back toward the front counter of the store and opened fire, causing Davis to flee.

Investigators said it appears three of the shots fired that night by Fielding were fired from inside the store. Outside the store, investigators found evidence of eight additional shots fired.

Davis, a career criminal with a record of robberies and prison time, was hit twice -- once in the hand and once in the back. He died a short distance away in front of his home in the 2900 block of Cherokee Road, a couple of blocks behind the ice-cream parlor.

Herring said he has decided to seek an indictment against Fielding for reckless discharge, not manslaughter, because it cannot be determined whether the shot that killed Davis was fired from inside or outside the store.

"One volley of shots appears to have been arguably reasonable," Herring said. "And from what I've seen, the other volley of shots does not."

"The robber's trial should not have taken place in the parking lot of the Baskin-Robbins," he said.

Reckless discharge is a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Herring said he wanted the grand jury to decide whether the second round of shots was reckless.

"If they believe they were, then they have the option to indict," Herring said. "If they don't, then I have to respect that decision."

(More,) including the prosecutors statement, "If there's anything I want people to take away from this, it's that I don't think more guns is in any way a good thing," the prosecutor added.

"It's only a matter of time before some victim hits an innocent bystander. Then what?"

Ice Cream Store Manager Not Indicted

A Richmond Grand Jury will NOT indict the Baskin-Robbins store manager with felony reckless discharge of a gun.

Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Herring says he will not pursue any further charges.

David Fielding Shot and killed Jerome Davis during a robbery at the Baskin-Robbins on Forest Hill Avenue on September 6th.

Labels: business robbery, VA

Pot grower takes shot at possible intruder

An Olivehurst man said he was defending his medical marijuana garden when he fired his shotgun in the middle of the night at an apparent intruder, according to the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies responded about 3:30 a.m. Thursday to a reported shot fired from a residence in the 1600 block of Broadway Road and contacted the owner, a man in his mid-40s who was not identified because the incident is still under investigation, said Sgt. Stephanie Murray.

The owner said he thought he saw a gun barrel poking through a backyard fence near his marijuana garden and heard a clicking noise as if the gun were being cocked, said Murray.

The man fired one time, hitting the fence. Deputies found shotgun pellets in the fence but no sign that anyone had been hit, she said.

“He said he was defending his property,” Murray said about the shooter, who was not arrested. He had a doctor’s prescription for the marijuana, she said.

Labels: CA, intruder

Man shot during burglary

A Louisville man has been charged with burglary after being wounded by a homeowner earlier this week, police said.

Paul E. Richardson, 33, of Little John Court, was charged with first-degree burglary, said Officer Phil Russell, spokesman for Louisville Metro Police.

Richardson is accused of entering a building on a property off of Lena Lane in southeastern Jefferson County late Tuesday night.

As Richardson attempted to leave the property, a couple who own the building tried to stop him until police arrived, Russell said. The man and woman were not identified by police.

The woman tried to use a car to block the vehicle Richardson was driving, but he drove into the woman’s car, Russell said.

At some point during the altercation, the man fired a shotgun and Richardson was wounded, Russell said.

Richardson was taken to University Hospital for treatment. After he was released, Richardson was taken to Metro Corrections early this morning, according to Russell and jail records.

The man and the woman had not been charged as of yesterday afternoon, Russell said. The Commonwealth Attorney’s office may review the case to make sure there will be no additional charges related to the incident, he said.

Labels: KY, residence burglary

A mentally disturbed man who authorities say approached a neighbor's home in a threatening manner was shot and critically wounded Thursday in South Hall County.

Authorities said David Klefforth, 20, had a history of violent criminal acts and suffered from unspecified mental health issues. Klefforth was in critical condition Thursday night at Grady Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Hall County Sheriff's Maj. Jeff Strickland said Klefforth and his parents had recently moved into a home behind the residence of Brian and Sandra Pannell, who live in the 5000 block of Blackberry Lane off McEver Road.

At about 8:10 a.m. Thursday, Klefforth approached the Pannells' home by walking up their driveway. The couple did not know him as a neighbor.

"They had never seen him before," Strickland said.

Sandra Pannell, who had just driven up to the house, saw the suspicious man and alerted her husband, who had her go inside the home while he came out with a small caliber handgun.

"He pointed the gun at (Klefforth) and ordered him to stop," Strickland said. Klefforth, who was unarmed, ignored the command and kept walking toward the front door of the home, Strickland said. After warning him several times, Brian Pannell fired one shot at the man's legs, which missed.

Strickland said Klefforth spoke to Pannell, though he declined to specify what was said.

"What put (Pannell) in fear of danger to his family is that (Klefforth) continued to make aggressive moves toward him after the first shot missed," Strickland said.

A second shot hit Klefforth in the abdomen, causing him to fall over.

Deputies and paramedics responded to the shooting scene within minutes and Klefforth was airlifted from a nearby industrial site off McEver Road.

As of Thursday night, Klefforth remained in "extremely critical" condition, Strickland said.

Pannell has not been charged with a crime. The case was forwarded to the office of Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh for review.

"That's a standard procedure in any shooting where self-defense is in play," Strickland said.

Labels: altercation, GA, trespassing

Clerk shoots, kills alleged beer thief

A Heights area store clerk shot and killed a man who allegedly ran out of his store with 18 beers Wednesday night.

The shooting happened at a Conoco in the 600 block of Studewood at White Oak.

The clerk said the man went into the store around 11:45 p.m. and walked out with a 12-pack and a six-pack of beer. The store clerk followed the suspect out to his car.

The suspect allegedly reached for something, and that's when the clerk shot him once in the chest, fearing the man was reaching for a gun.

Two witnesses tried to perform CPR on the suspect, but he died at the scene.

Houston police haven't determined if the suspect had a weapon in his car. They will refer the case to a grand jury.

Labels: business robbery, TX

Retired Officer Shoots Man Who Tried To Rob Him

A retired police officer carrying a handgun shot and wounded an armed man who apparently attempted to rob him in a residential North County neighborhood Wednesday, authorities said.

Responding to a report of a gunshot victim, officers found a wounded man in the parking lot of a Circle K convenience store in the 1000 block of West El Norte Parkway about 1:50 a.m., according to the Escondido Police Department.

About the same time, another man reported that he had just shot a man who tried to hold him up at gunpoint near Country Club Lane and Capistrano Glen -- less than two miles from where the shooting victim was found, Lt. Bob Benton said.

The description of the would-be robber matched that of the man found wounded in the parking lot, Benton said.

Investigators found that after getting shot, the injured man ran toward El Norte Parkway and into a nearby complex, where he asked a resident to call for help, Benton said.

The gunshot victim was taken to Palomar Medical Center, Benton said. His condition was not reported.

The retired police officer was not hurt.

Labels: CA, street robbery

Deputies: Homeowner Shoots Kills Burglar

A homeowner shot and killed a man trying to burglarize a Greenville County home late Tuesday night, investigators said.

Deputies said the homeowner was stabbed during the incident at a home on Lake Shore Drive.

Investigators said they got a call about 11 p.m.

The homeowners, a man and his wife, were inside the home when they arrived.

Deputies said that when they arrived, the homeowner told them that the burglar broke in through a window.

The homeowner said that he confronted the burglar in a hallway.

During a struggle, the homeowner was stabbed and the burglar was fatally shot.

The burglar died at the scene.

“At this point we haven’t made an identification on the deceased,” Greenville County Sheriff's Lt. Tim Ridgeway said. “The homeowner's at the hospital at this time.”

Investigators said that the homeowner is doing well and that the homeowner’s wife was not hurt.

An autopsy is planned on the burglary suspect’s body later on Wednesday.

Deputies: Wounded Homeowner Kills Intruder

Though he was slashed several times, a retired pastor who lives in Greenville County managed to shoot and kill an intruder Tuesday night, deputies said.

Deputies said they were called to the home on Lake Shore Drive, just down the road from the Donaldson Center Airport, at about 11:30 p.m. The homeowners, 70-year-old William Willis and his wife Judith, were at the home when they arrived. They said Judith Willis was sitting on the side porch in her nightgown, her arms covered in blood.

Investigators said Judith Willis told them that she woke her husband after she heard a noise in another room. William Willis grabbed a gun that he kept in the bedroom and went to investigate.

Willis said he confronted a man that was in another room. Deputies said Willis was cut several times during the scuffle, the most serious wound to his arm.

Deputies said Willis shot the intruder several times. He later died at the scene.

Investigators said that Willis was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital. As of noon time, he was reported to be in good condition.

Deputies said that Judith Willis was not injured in the incident -- the blood on her arms was not hers.
…

Brock's wife, Mary Brock, told WYFF that Willis is a retired pastor who moved to the Upstate from New York. She said, "I'm glad that they're still here. I thank God that they are still here and He gave mercy for them last night as well as forever."

An autopsy is planned on the man who was killed later on Wednesday.

Greenville County Sheriff's Master Deputy Michael Hildebrand said, "From the information we've gotten so far, it doesn't look like there's going to be any charges against the victim. Looks like he was merely protecting his property which is justified under the law."

The coroner's office has identified the man who was killed, but they are trying to notify his family before releasing his name.

His last known address was at the Greenville County Detention Center.

The Solicitor's Office will review the case, but deputies said no charges are expected.

Labels: residence burglary, SC

Hawthorne worker shoots at fleeing robbers

Three armed robbers held up two employees Tuesday at a credit counseling office in Hawthorne and were shot at by one of them as they fled, according to police.

The robbers entered Credit Investigations USA in the 12900block of Hawthorne Boulevard around 12:20 p.m., according to Lt. Michael Ishii.

They used one of their handguns to pistol-whip a male employee in the back of the head, Ishii said. He was "dazed" but did not need further medical attention, Ishii added.

About $100 was taken from the business, and a female employee was robbed of her purse, cash and jewelry, Ishii said.

The three got away in a gray, late-model Chevrolet Blazer - but not before the male employee shot at them.

It is not known if any of the robbers were hit.

Police were still investigating and did not have anyone in custody by Tuesday evening, Ishii said.

Labels: business robbery, CA

Pit Bull Attack Victim Speaks Out

Friends and family are staying close by Kelly Edwards' side as he recovers from multiple bite wounds to his arms, legs and torso.

He said he vividly remembers the attack by three pit bulls as he went for his daily walk Monday.

“The small one came out and leaped for me and got me on my side, and I fell,” he recalled. “Then, when I was on the ground they were snapping at me and biting me. There was one place on my arm where the skin was laid open where one of them bit me."

He said he tried his best to fight the dogs off.

“I lost so much blood, I was just too weak,” he said.

As the dogs were attacking Edwards, one neighbor came up and fended them off with a walking stick, then another shot one of the dogs dead. Edwards said if David Banner hadn't stepped in, he might be dead.

“I owe him my life, I do,” he said.

“He’s our hero, said Edwards' daughter Kathy Westall.

The two surviving pit bulls are at the Barrow County Animal Shelter, but not for long.

“The two remaining dogs were surrendered by their owner and will be euthanized tomorrow, and then the remains will be analyzed for rabies,” said Barrow County Animal Control Director Stephen Eades.

Edwards and his daughters are now hoping he won't need rabies shots and that he'll soon be out of the hospital. They hope other dog owners learn from his ordeal.

“They need to restrain their dogs, dogs don't need to be running free,” he said. “It’s bad what happened but if it had been a child they child would not have made it."

Labels: animal, GA

Victim Uses Gun To Scare Suspects From Home

Sheriff Arrests 3 Men, 1 Juvenile

The victim of an attempted home invasion robbery in Hilliard, Fla., fired a single shot and scared four men from his property on Labor Day, Nassau County officers said.

According to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, Louis Steinritz, Alex Hastie, Ryan Jeffers and a juvenile went to the home of Randy Nutty and after knocking on the door, struck Nutty in the head and shoved the victim back into the home.

The victim received further injuries during a struggle with the four suspects, officers said. They said one of the suspects knew Nutty.

The suspects were looking for money, authorities said, but when none was found, they went outside and were attempting to steal a vehicle when Nutty exited the home with a handgun and fired one shot into the ground.

The suspects fled the residence, but were captured by police a short time later.

Steinritz, Hastie and Jeffers were booked into the Nassau County Jail on charges of attempted home invasion robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The men's bonds were set at $75,006.

The juvenile was charged with the same crimes as the adults. He was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice and was booked in the Duval Detention Center.

Nutty was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries and then released.

Labels: FL, home invasion, residence robbery

Burglar's Gun Taken, Pointed At Him

A burglary victim grabbed the burglar’s .40-calibre handgun and held him at gunpoint until police could arrive, according to Louisville Metro Police.

According to a police report, Douglas L. Speaker Jr. broke into a home in the 7000 block of Bronner Circle on Sunday around 8 a.m. when he was apprehended and held at gunpoint with his own gun.

Speaker has been charged with robbery, burglary and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, KY, residence burglary

Carter Albrecht, musician with Sorta, New Bohemians, dies in shooting

The local music community was left stunned Monday by the fatal shooting of a well-known musician who authorities say beat up his girlfriend and then tried to kick in a neighbor's door in an apparent drunken rage.

Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, died early Monday after being shot in the head by the neighbor, who thought he was a burglar. Police said the girlfriend had bruises on her face but did not suffer serious injuries. The couple did not have a history of domestic violence, police said.

Mr. Albrecht, who went by his middle name, was a guitarist and keyboardist best known for his work with the Dallas rock band Sorta as well as with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

"It's a sad day for Dallas music," local concert promoter Mike Snider said. "He was a musical genius, a real prodigy — everything came to him naturally. He was an incredible instrumentalist — when he played, you could really see the joy he got out of playing."

According to police, Mr. Albrecht and his girlfriend had been partying at a Greenville Avenue bar. He had gotten drunk, and she had driven them to her home in the 9000 block of Santa Clara Drive, just east of White Rock Lake, police said.

The girlfriend told police that Mr. Albrecht slammed a drinking glass on a table, cutting his hand. He then struck the girlfriend in the face several times with his fist, knocking her to the floor at about 4 a.m. Monday, the report said.

He hit her in the back while she was on the floor, the report said. She broke away from Mr. Albrecht and ran outside. He followed her, according to the report. She then went around to the back yard and through the back door, locking Mr. Albrecht out, the report said.

Mr. Albrecht "attempted a few times to gain access to the … residence by knocking and banging on the door," but could not get in, the report said. Police believe Mr. Albrecht then went to the back of nearby neighbor's home.

The neighbor told police "he was awakened when he heard his wife screaming that someone was breaking into the house." The man was kicking and banging at the door, and the homeowner yelled at him to stop.

When the man, identified as Mr. Albrecht, didn't stop, the homeowner who was armed with a handgun "shot one time at the top of the door," the report said.

"He was trying to shoot over his head to scare him away," but Mr. Albrecht "is rather tall," said Sgt. Larry Lewis, a homicide supervisor, estimating the musician's height to be 6-foot-5.

Mr. Albrecht was shot once time in the head and died at the scene.

Police did not release the name of the homeowner who shot Mr. Albrecht. Investigators said the case will be referred to the grand jury to determine whether any charges will be filed.

A new law, nicknamed the "Castle doctrine," eliminates the requirement that someone has to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves. The law already allows a person to use deadly force to prevent someone from committing a break-in at night.

Dallas police believe shooting of keyboardist was self-defense

The shooting death of a member of Edie Brickell and New Bohemians appears to fall under state law permitting deadly force in self-defense, police and prosecutors said Tuesday.

A grand jury will decide whether the man who shot Jeffrey Carter Albrecht will be indicted, but Sgt. Larry Lewis said Dallas police aren't pursuing charges.

Police said Albrecht, 34, was inebriated and had been fighting with his girlfriend Monday before he was shot by a neighbor of the girlfriend.

"I am heart broken," Edie Brickell wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The neighbor, who was not immediately identified, woke up around 4 a.m. to his wife screaming that someone was breaking into the house, police said. The neighbor yelled through the door for Albrecht to leave and then fired his handgun through the door, hitting Albrecht in the head.

"He yelled several verbal warnings, 'I'll shoot! I'll shoot!'," Lewis said. "From what we gather, he fired near the top of the door, hoping he would scare the person away."

The homeowner was not arrested.

The shooting came two days after the enactment of a new state law, nicknamed the "Castle Doctrine," that gives Texans a stronger legal right to defend themselves with deadly force in their homes, cars and workplaces.

Lewis, however, said the shooter appeared to be protected under an earlier law that allows a person to protect their property with deadly force to "prevent the other's imminent commission ... of criminal mischief during the nighttime."

Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins said that in shootings like this, he'd be surprised to see a grand jury return an indictment.

"In an incident like that you're well within your rights under the old law, as well as the new one, to use deadly force," Watkins said.

Labels: intoxication, intruder, TX

Residents Shoot Home Invaders in Brunswick

Brunswick police are investigating a deadly home invasion. In this case, however, police say the intended targets fought back and shot the suspects.

One man is dead and another seriously injured.

Brunswick police received a 9-1-1 call about a home invasion, just after 1:30 Monday morning. When officers arrived at the house on Wolfe Street, they found an 18 year old sitting on the porch, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Another man had been shot inside the house. He died at a local hospital. The man who was shot in the stomach will be facing criminal charges, according to police.

Police say the two men who were shot broke into the home and tried to rob the residents at gunpoint.

Robbery target won't be victim, kills intruder

When two armed men allegedly attempted to rob a house full of young adults in Brunswick early Monday morning, their victims fought back.

A man visiting the house at 601 Wolfe St. in the city's south end pulled a handgun from the front of his pants and shot the two would-be robbers, killing one of them and wounding the other, police said.

Police did not release the names of the two suspects. No charges had been filed Monday.

The renters of the house, Leah Whitman, 18, Robert Herd, 20, and Josh Stout, 20, had been living there almost three months and had spent all day Sunday moving out their furniture and personal things, Whitman said.

That evening, the three planned to hang out on the front porch one last time with friends and enjoy the Labor Day weekend.

At about 1:30 a.m. Monday, the three, accompanied by two other friends, were sitting on the porch of the two-story, yellow house when the two would-be robbers jumped onto the porch and pulled out a gun.

Whitman said they had been watching the two suspects canvass the neighborhood before the attack.

"They walked up and down the block a couple of times," she said. "We honestly didn't have any idea they were going (to rob) us, though."

Whitman said the two armed men walked her and the others, most of whom were in their early 20s, to the back of the house adjacent to the kitchen.

"They made us take off our shoes and empty our pockets, and stole all of our cell phones," Whitman said. "When they couldn't find cash, they began stealing our change and counting it right there in front of us."

She said the two then demanded car keys.

"They kept joking with us the whole time, telling us they had just smoked crack and that we are poor kids," Whitman said. "One of the robbers said that (his accomplice) had just gotten out of prison, and not to mind him because it was his first time robbing anybody."

At one point, one of the robbers went outside and returned carrying a shotgun, Whitman said.

Whitman said no one knows where the shotgun came from, but believe the robbers might have taken it out of a vehicle belonging to one of her friends.

"One of the robbers who took my car keys even went into the front console of my car and stole all the pennies I had laying there," Stout said.

Every time a new visitor showed up at the house, they were greeted by the robbers, frisked for money and taken to the back room.

The two men became aggravated when more people kept showing up, Whitman said.

About that time, Hector, a friend of the Wolfe Street renters, whose last name they would not reveal, happened to show up at the house.

Hector had never been to the house before and none of the other guests had any idea he was going to drop by for a visit, they said.

"When Hector showed up, (the robbers) walked him to the back room, too," Whitman said.

She said the two made Hector empty out his pockets and take off his shoes just like everybody else. What the two didn't realize was that Hector had a .45 caliber pistol tucked in the front of his jeans.

One of the attackers was in the kitchen area and the other in the front hallway when Hector began shooting.
It played out just like a scene from a movie, Whitman said.

"When the robber tried to rob (Hector), he emptied his pockets, then said, 'I don't know who you think you're robbing,'" she said Monday afternoon. "That's when he pulled out his gun and began shooting them."

Hector allegedly fired two shots at the suspect in the kitchen and three at the suspect in the hallway.

"He took both of them out before either had a chance to shoot back," Herd said. "It all happened so fast ... It's a blur."

The suspect in the kitchen was shot in the abdomen; the one in the hallway was fatally shot in the right side.

"After Hector shot (the robbers), we all crawled out the windows of the house, and (Hector) stayed inside to make sure we got out safe," Whitman said.

The suspect who was fatally shot tried to run up the stairs after he was wounded and died at the top of the staircase, said witnesses at the home on Monday.

The other suspect managed to walk out to the front porch, where he was found by city police and rushed to the emergency room of the Brunswick hospital of Southeast Georgia Health System.

Whitman, thinking back on the incident Monday afternoon, said she feels lucky to be alive.

She said neither of the suspects wore bandanas or masks to cover their faces.

"They were completely unmasked and I think they would have shot us because they wouldn't have wanted to leave any witnesses," she said. "(Hector) really saved our lives."

Everett Clark, who lives across from the house on Wolfe Street, said he hopes the shooting is a warning to any would-be robbers in Brunswick.

"Maybe this will send a message that we're sick of all these robberies and violence, and we're not going to take it anymore," he said.

Labels: GA, home invasion, residence robbery

Security guard fires shot during altercation

A security guard at an east Norman apartment complex fired a shot at a suspect during an altercation early this morning, but police say no one was injured.

The incident happened about 1:10 this morning at the Dutch Hollow Apartments in southeast Norman.

When police arrived on the scene, they saw a man fighting with a security guard in the street. During the fight, police say a second security guard fired a handgun in the direction of the two men fighting.

Norman police broke up the fight and detained four people, including the two security guards.

They arrested 21-year-old Lelis Record of Norman on complaints of disturbing the peace and public intoxication.

The security guard who fired her weapon was not arrested, but police say the incident remains under investigation.

Labels: altercation, OK

Police Continue Investigation Into Esplen Shooting

Police continue their investigation today following a man's death in Esplen overnight after officials say he broke into a home with a loaded weapon.

The shooting happened just after 2:30am in the 500-block of Parson Street.

Authorities have identified the man who died as 32-year-old Charles Long, of McKees Rocks.

Police say it all started when Long began knocking on the door of West End resident, Terrence Triplett, 27, while he and his girlfriend were sleeping. Long then kicked in the front door and entered the home, officials report.

According to investigators, Triplett confronted Long, disarmed him and fired several shots.

Officials say when they arrived they found Long lying just inside the doorway. He was pronounced dead at the scene with gunshot wounds to the head and torso.

Police say neither Triplett nor his girlfriend was injured.

Investigators say Triplett has not been charged with any crime at this time, and is free on his own recognizance. Officials report that they will consult with the District Attorney's Office to see if any charges are warranted.

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

Shotgun scares off 2 robbers

Store clerk fires off a blast as men in black make hasty exit

An Ypsilanti Township convenience store clerk grabbed a shotgun and scared off two would-be robbers, including one who crawled out of the store on his hands and knees to escape, police said.

The clerk fired off a single shot after the two masked men got outside the Dairy Mart at 10131 Textile Road early Thursday morning, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said. The blast blew out a window in the door but missed the fleeing robbers, Egeler said.

Deputies responded to the Dairy Mart at 4:15 a.m. after receiving a call about a robbery attempt in which gunshots were fired, said Egeler.

The convenience store clerk, a 31-year-old Ypsilanti Township man, told deputies he was behind the counter when heard something hitting the side of store shortly after 4 a.m. He went into an office, loaded a shotgun and as he exited the office heard the front door to the store open, Egeler said.

The clerk told deputies he saw someone crouching in front of the counter and shouted as another man wearing a ski mask attempted to enter the store. Upon seeing the shotgun, the man by the entrance held the door open as the man by the counter crawled out, Egeler said.

The clerk ran after them and fired one shot through the glass window of the front door.

A tracking dog was unsuccessful in finding the robbers, who were dressed in all black and wore white gloves.

Labels: business robbery, MI

Neighbor shoots dog as it attacks puppies

A man shot his neighbor's dog that he said was attacking his three puppies, the sheriff's office reports.

In an early morning incident east of Bradenton, Willard Merchant, 18, said his neighbor's Rottweiler attacked his three puppies in his backyard, and so he injured the dog with a shotgun blast. A Manatee County Sheriff's Office report called the incident "shooting of a vicious dog."

Merchant lives in the 5200 block of 47th Street East. The shooting took place at 7:45 a.m. today.

An injured puppy died en route to a veterinarian, and the Rottweiler was treated and released, the sheriff's report said.

The Rottweiler had previously been deemed aggresssive and Animal Control responded for follow up, the report said.

Labels: animal, FL

Police: Father Protects Daughter, Shoots Alleged Intruder

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office investigated a shooting in Canutillo Saturday morning.

It happened on the 800 block of Anthony Road early Saturday morning, when deputies said a 21-year-old man attempted to cause damage or commit a theft.

The woman who lived in the home called her father, who lives a few houses away.

He showed up with a handgun and confronted the 21-year old outside.

Deputies said the father fired a warning shot first, and fired at the man when the 21-year old charged after him.

The 21-year-old was hit in the chest.

He was taken to the hospital.

Deputies have not released the names of anyone involved.

They said charges are pending.

Labels: trespassing, TX

Neighborhood horrified as bear attacks beloved dogs

The commotion started about a quarter to seven, as Tiffany Barnes dressed for a day of beauty school. It would take 22 hours, a shotgun blast and a dead black bear before her Moore Haven neighborhood would feel safe again.

Missy, the Jack Russell terrier, whimpered and growled at Tiffany's feet on Thursday morning. She pulled her curtain back and looked into the back yard.

Clear as the sunrise, she saw one of her father's puppies, the one she called Lucius, hanging from the mouth of an enormous black bear.

She called to her mother. Her mother screamed for her dad.

"Sam, there's a bear outside!"

Lucius was gone. His litter mate, the one Tiffany called Asisaly, lay dead with her skin ripped away. Under the bushes lay Sam Barnes' faithful Catahoula Leopard dog, the best hog-hunting dog he'd ever owned. It was eviscerated.

"I've never seen my dad cry until that bear took his dog," said Tiffany Barnes, 18. "He was my dad's best friend."

State wildlife officials believe the bear killed five pets on the outskirts of Moore Haven in Glades County this week. They set a trap and planned to euthanize the animal. But a hail of buckshot cut short the bear's final meal early Friday morning.

Dennis Griffin, Barnes' neighbor, turned his shotgun on the bear after losing his second hunting dog in four days, state wildlife officials said. Fearing reprisals from environmentalists, Griffin said he didn't want to talk about the incident.

Florida black bears are a threatened species. A spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that because shooting them is a third-degree felony, information on the incident would be passed along to the state attorney's office. It was undecided whether charges would be filed against Griffin.

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Labels: animal, FL