10/31/07
Enterprise, Alabama
From Dothan’s WTVYNews4.com of October 31, 2007
Enterprise Business Owner Shoots Burglar
Two brothers are behind bars after one of them was shot while allegedly trying to break into an Enterprise business Tuesday night.
Police identify the suspects as 21-year-old Contrell McReynolds and 19-year old Donwone Frazier.
Both have been charged with burglary.
They are accused of trying to kick in a side-door at Fred's feed and seed on Park Avenue just before midnight.
But the owner was inside and opened fire with a shotgun.
McReynolds and Frazier were arrested after McReynolds showed up at a hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound to the arm.
He was treated and taken to jail.
Labels: AL, business robbery
Indio, California
From Los Angeles’ CBS2.com of October 31, 2007
Man Acquitted In 2 Shooting Deaths
Daniel Kenric Karlsons Allegedly Shot His Girlfriend, Her Brother In Self-Defense
A man charged with murdering his then-18-year-old girlfriend and her brother more than three years ago was acquitted by a jury in the shooting deaths, his attorney said Wednesday.
Daniel Kenric Karlsons, 30, was found not guilty of two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a verdict returned late Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center, according to defense attorney Arnold Lieman.
Jurors believed Lieman's argument that the killings were in self-defense.
Elizabeth Morales and her 25-year-old brother Roberto Morales Jr. were fatally shot in February 2004 while sitting in an Acura on Long Canyon Road east of Desert Hot Springs.
"My argument throughout the trial was self-defense," Lieman said. "Roberto Morales took a shot at my client before he got shot."
Karlsons and the siblings were in the Acura with a fourth person when he and Roberto Morales got into a dispute over Karlsons' treatment of his sister.
"Roberto was intoxicated, and I think the liquor took over causing him to act irrationally," Lieman said.
Bullet casings found in the front of the Acura and gunshot residue found on Roberto Morales' hands may have swayed the jury in favor of acquittal, Lieman said.
Karlsons was arrested outside a Calimesa motel based on a tip received by sheriff's detectives that Karlsons was in a room there.
Labels: altercation, CA
Nicholasville, Kentucky
From the Lexington Herald-Leader of October 31, 2007
Shots fired during home burglary in rural Jessamine CountyFrom WLEX of October 31, 2007
The Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary in which shots were fired late Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Kevin Corman did not release many details, but he said the homeowner fired after discovering three intruders in his home. The homeowner told investigators that he thought the intruders returned fire. Corman said a neighbor heard three shots fired.
Corman said the confrontation happened on Ky. 169 between U.S. 68 and Keene. Because the matter is under investigation, he did not release the homeowner’s name or address.
It’s not known whether the burglary is related to another burglary in the area that happened Tuesday, Corman said.
Police Search For Burglary Suspects
Police are searching for three suspects in a Jessamine County home burglary Wednesday morning who ended up trading gunshots with the homeowner.
The incident happened at around 11:30 a.m. a home on Keene Road. Police say a man was on his exercise bike in the basement when he heard a noise upstairs. He at first assumed the sound was made by his wife, whom had been away from the home. When he went to investigate, the man encountered a man walking out of his bedroom.
The homeowner told LEX 18 that he then fired a warning shot, but the intruder, who police say was in the home with another suspect as a third suspect waited outside in the getaway car, had taken on of the homeowner's guns and shot back while running out of the home.
The homeowner, who did not want to be identified, says he hid behind some bushes and exchanged 8-9 shots as the intruders ran down the driveway chasing the getaway car. The two intruders caught the car and fled down Keene Road toward Kentucky 68.
The getaway car is an older model black Oldsmobile with plastic in the black window. The suspects are described as two were black men and one white man, One of the men who was inside the home was about 20 years old and thin, the other was older and stocky. There is no further description of the driver of the getaway car.
Labels: home invasion, KY
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
From the Baton Rouge Advocate of October 31, 2007
Guard shoots robbery suspect
An armed man exchanged gunfire with a shopping center security guard Tuesday after a robbery at a store near the Southdowns neighborhood.
The man, with two lookouts, had held up the Gameware store, 3151 College Drive, near Perkins Road, about 8:35 p.m., police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.
While leaving the store, the robber spotted a private security guard and fired one shot at him but missed, police said.
The guard returned fire, hitting the robber multiple times.
The robber, whose name was not reported, was taken to the hospital by EMS with life-threatening injuries, McKneely said.
His two accomplices fled in a green, older-model Pontiac, and police were still looking for them late Tuesday.
Labels: business robbery, LA
Jacksonville, Florida
From News4Jax.com of October 31, 2007
Police: Woman Shoots Suspect With His Gun
A woman confronted by two home invasion suspects in Westside apartment on Wednesday morning wrestled a gun away from one of them and shot him, police said.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's office, two suspects posing as maintenance men entered the woman's apartment in the 4400 block of Confederate Park Road.
When one of the men pulled a gun, the woman got it away from him and shot him. The man was rushed to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center in serious condition. His name has not been released.
The other suspect ran away and is being sought by police.
The woman was not hurt.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, FL, home invasion, residence robbery
El Paso, Texas
From the El Paso Times of October 31, 2007
In brief: El Paso police arrest 2 men in home invasion
Two men were arrested after an incident in which gunshots were fired in the 3300 block of Wyoming in Central El Paso, police said.
About 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, police were called after a 35-year-old man fired rounds into the air when he was allegedly threatened at his home by two men. When officers arrived, the men forced their way into the man's home and held him against his will before surrendering, police said.
The two men, ages 31 and 21, were charged with evading arrest and unlawful restraint. Names were not immediately available.
Labels: home invasion, kidnapping, TX
Milton, Florida
From Fort Walton Beach’s Northwest Florida News of October 31, 2007
Ex-boyfriend shot while breaking into woman's home
A man is in critical condition after he was shot while allegedly trespassing at 4225 Reinsma Road in Milton late Tuesday night.
The resident, a woman, told deputies that she shot the man, 32-year-old Matthew Scott Strickland, in the chest because he was attempting to break into her residence, according to a release from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman, whose name has not been released, told dispatchers that the intruder was her ex-boyfriend.
When deputies arrived, they found Strickland unconscious in the backyard. He was taken to West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, where he remains in critical condition.
“Investigators are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” according to the release.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, FL, home invasion
Memphis, Tennessee
From the October 31, 2007 Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
Memphis police early today were waiting for a suspect to be released from the hospital so they could charge him in a string of events in East Memphis that involved a crash, an attempted break-in, a shooting and smashed windows.
At about 3:30 the suspect crashed his vehicle into a pole on the 6500 block of Poplar Pike, then went to the nearby residence of an elderly couple.
He started banging on the door, demanding to be let in. When the 83-year-old man inside refused, the suspect kicked in a window.
The elderly man fired a shot at the suspect, which set him off running, police said. He was not struck.
Labels: home invasion, senior, TN
Minneapolis, Minnesota
From October 30, 2007 Fox channel 9:
Mpls Family Shoots an IntruderThe video report says that Willie Hobbs was allegedly trying to force entry into the home, "trying to find some copper, and got some lead."
A thief targeting a north Minneapolis house got a little more than he bargained when he attempted to break in. Fox 9's Beth McDonough, reporting.
Labels: MN, residence burglary
Miami, Florida
From Miami’s CBS4.com of October 30, 2007
Police: Grocery Store Owner Shot Would-Be Robber
The tables were turned on a would-be robbery suspect after police say a store owner shot him as he tried to rob a grocery store.
Miami-Dade Police say an armed and masked robber walked in to the Diaz Groceries located at 13501 SW 268 Street in Homestead and tried holding up the clerk. The store owner, who was nearby, witnessed the commotion and grabbed the gun and shot at the suspect.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the shooting victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital via air rescue, but he died on the way.
Police have not released the names of any of the parties involved, and they say they are determining if the owner was acting in self defense.
Labels: business robbery, FL
10/30/07
Springfield, Ohio
From the Springfield News Sun of October 30, 2007
Ramey acquitted of murder charges
Shane Ramey was acquitted Tuesday afternoon in his capital murder trial for the shooting death of Charles Trent in March.
Ramey, 35, of Springfield, was found innocent on felony murder, attempted murder and aggravated murder charges.
He was found guilty of weapons under disability and faces up to five years in prison on that charge.
Ramey was accused of shooting Charles Trent, 68, and his grandson, Anthony Donte Trent, 29, both of 233 W. Grand Ave., on March 15.
Defense attorneys claimed Anthony Donte Trent had been threatening Ramey over a number of days and that Ramey acted in self defense.
Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Darnell Carter blasted the jury for the "stunning verdict."
"It amazes me that 12 people wouldn't value the life of (Charles Trent)," Carter said to the jury after the verdict was read.
John Paul Rion, Ramey's attorney, said the jury had been fair in its decision.
"No one was kept from testifiying, and the jury deliberated more than 13 hours," said Rion. "They took this seriously."
The verdict was the first acquittal on a murder charge in Clark County in more than eight years, said Carter.
Investigators alleged that an argument took place between Anthony Donte Trent and Ramey, and that Ramey opened fire on both men as they sat in a car on Liberty Street.
Anthony Donte Trent was shot in both arms and recovered. Charles Trent was hospitalized for his injuries and died April 25.
Clark County Common Pleas Judge Douglas Rastatter set Ramey's sentencing for 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Labels: altercation, OH
Salt Lake City, Utah
From the Salt Lake Tribune of October 30, 2007
Clerk rifle-whips bandit - with bandit's gun
A would-be bandit carrying a rifle tried to rob a Salt Lake City convenience store Monday, only to be beaten with his own gun when the clerk fought back.
The 38-year-old man entered the EZ Mart near 600 North and 200 West around 2:15 p.m. and demanded money.
The clerk and the man began fighting, knocking money and store items across the counter, police reported.
The clerk then grabbed the rifle and began beating the would-be robber. Police arrived and arrested the 38-year-old man.
The clerk suffered chest pains and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, UT
Lutz, Florida
From Tampa Bay’s TBO.com of October 30, 2007
3 Men Sought In Home Invasions In Hillsborough
Hillsborough County deputies are searching for three men suspected in a string of armed home invasions and the shooting of a resident who defended himself and nearly caught one of the suspects.
Arrest warrants on charges of armed home robbery were issued today for Cedric Stephens, 20, Derrick Grady, 19, and Ronnie Bolden, 18. Stephens also faces one count of attempted murder.
On Friday morning, the suspects forced their way into an apartment at 15101 Buckhorn Court in Lutz, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. They demanded money and threatened to shoot the four victims. The men left in a newer model red vehicle after taking cash and personal property.
On Sunday morning, the same suspects knocked on an apartment door at 5427 Ginger Cove in Tampa, Carter said. After a victim opened the door, the suspects produced a gun and left with various items of personal property.
Four hours later, the suspects forced open a door at 2608 Rustic Ridge Loop in Lutz, Carter said. They pointed a handgun at a 34-year-old man and took his cash and a video game player, also leaving in a red car.
As they left, the robbers doused the victim's face with pepper spray, Carter said. The victim grabbed a rifle from in the apartment and chased after them. He caught up to one of the men and began to escort him back to the apartment when one of the other suspects came up behind him and fired a shot in the back of his neck, Carter said.
The suspects drove away in a red 2008 Chevrolet, Carter said. The victim chased after the vehicle on foot and then fired one shot at the vehicle.
The suspects abandoned the car and ran west out of the complex, she said. The victim was rushed to Tampa General Hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening and was released.
Labels: FL, residence robbery
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
From Harrisburg’s PennLive.com of October 30, 2007
Shot fired at intruder
Police are investigating an incident early Saturday morning in which a homeowner fired a shot at a man who had broken into his home.
Police said the homeowner told them he was awakened at 3:50 a.m. by the sound of breaking glass. He said he got up and went to the kitchen carrying a handgun. There he saw a man dressed in black carrying a baseball bat. When the intruder advanced toward the homeowner, police said he fired one shot at him. At that the intruder turned and ran from the home.
Police said they have evidence that supports the homeowner’s story that someone broke into the home and that a handgun was fired.
Lebanon Police Captain Dan Wright said police believe the intruder had specific reasons for picking that home to break into and that this was not a random incident.
Wright said the focus of the investigation is on the burglary.
Labels: PA, residence burglary
Olive Branch, Mississippi
From Memphis’ WMC.com of October 30, 2007
Police investigate carjacking, shooting near Olive Branch
Police are investigating a carjacking that lead to a chase and a shooting Monday afternoon near Olive Branch, Mississippi.
The shooting happened in an area near the intersection of State Line Road and Riverdale Road in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
Investigators said 71-year-old Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in the driveway of her south Shelby County home when a man approached her with a shotgun, demanding her car.
"He just walked up behind me as I was taking the groceries out and stuck the gun at me and demanded the keys," Gray said. "There was nothing I could do and I started screaming and I was surprised he didn't shoot me for screaming."
Gray's son Keith, who was inside her house, came outside when he heard the altercation.
Seeing the carjacker pulling out of the driveway in his mother's car, Keith jumped into his own car and followed the man. The pair traveled nearly three miles during the brief chase.
While driving, the suspect pulled a gun on Keith, who was also carrying a gun. He fired at the suspect.
The carjacker veered off into a field, with Keith in pursuit. There, both men jumped out of their vehicles.
Keith approached the carjacker with his gun drawn and ordered the man to stay still. When the carjacker moved, Keith again fired on the man.
"That's when the son confronted the suspect and said to stay put," said Shelby County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Steve Shular. "The suspect did not do that. The suspect kept getting up and that's when the son fired twice, hitting the suspect in the leg."
The victim was transported to a local hospital.
Marshall Gray, Bobbie's husband and Keith's father, warned others to be cautious.
"Pass the word on," he said. "You never know the next person you're going to carjack may have a gun bigger than yours in their car."
"What he did, I knew he would. He was trying to protect me," Bobbie Gray added.
Keith Gray is licensed to carry a gun in Mississippi, but not in Tennessee.
Officials said they were still working out who would be in charge of the investigation into the incident.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, MS
10/29/07
Memphis, Tennessee
From MyFoxMemphis.com of October 29, 2007
Nearly Nude Man Shoots Carjacking Suspect
With no time to think, not even enough time to grab clothes, a son took-off after his mother's alleged carjacker and shot him. Police say the carjacking started in Olive Branch in the 9100 block of Hickory Drive around 1:30 Monday afternoon. It ended in Memphis at Riverdale and Stateline Road, that's where the victim's son shot the suspect. Now, he's recovering at the Med.
The carjacking suspect is under a watchful eye at the Med. He's officially in Shelby County's custody. He's in critical but stable condition after he was shot twice by a man who didn't think twice about protecting his mother.
Keith Gray stood inside crime scene tape on Stateline Road. His first request after chasing down and shooting his mother's alleged carjacker was for some clothes.
"We got a call from my brother requesting some shoes because he ran out," said Lance Gray. "I think the only thing he had on was some underwear."
Lance Gray said his brother acted on instinct when he heard their 71-year-old mother scream.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in her Olive Branch driveway when 18-year-old David Andre Bates put a shotgun to her head and demanded the keys to her 2004 Mercury Marquis.
"My brother was on the couch, heard the commotion and went and got his gun and chased him down," said Lance.
The chase was about three miles down Stateline Road and into Shelby County. Keith Gray was in his 2002 Nissan Maxima with his pistol. In his mother's car, officers say Bates was armed with a shotgun.
"That's when the son fired several times at the suspect's vehicle," said Steve Shular, of the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.
Bates was hit in the left hip. Officers say he ran, leaving the Mercury Marquis, and eventually fell to the ground.
"The suspect kept getting up," said Shular. That's when the son fired one time, hitting the suspect in the leg."
Officers say Bates wasn't holding his weapon when he was shot. But Lance Gray doesn't question his brother's quick reaction which didn't even leave him time to put on clothes.
"He was legally okay to carry the gun and things like that and he was protecting my mother as anyone else would in the same circumstance," he said.
Olive Branch officers say Bates will be charged with aggravated carjacking. As for Keith Gray, Shelby County deputies don't know what, if any, charges he will face. His mother is at home and doing well.
Labels: carjacking, TN
Laredo, Texas
From the Laredo Morning Times of October 29, 2007
Homeowner shoots would-be burglar
A man attempting to break into a home was shot by the homeowner Sunday morning, police said.A resident of the 8800 block of Wyndham Terrace Trail called police at about 9:35 a.m. Sunday to report that he had just fired at a man who was attempting to break into his home. The would-be burglar ran off.
The caller did not know if he had hit the man.
Officers later found a man in the vicinity who appeared to have a gunshot wound to his hand. The man was taken to the hospital, and faces charges of burglary, police said.
The man who was hit, whose name police did not immediately release, was outside the house at the time shots were fired, police said.
Police did not release the name of the homeowner Sunday.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Jacksonville, Florida
From the Jacksonville Times-Union of October 29, 2007
Restaurant employees 'Wok N Roll' on robber
Employees at a Jacksonville Wok N Roll restaurant not only disarmed a robber Saturday night but also got his sweatshirt.
Police responded to the robbery call about 10:40 p.m. at the 8011 Merrill Road restaurant where employees said they had left the front door propped open because of the heat. That's when a gunman walked in and pointed his weapon at two of the employees behind the counter, the Sheriff's Office report said.
One of the employees opened the register and handed the cash to the gunman. As the man grabbed the money, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound employee grabbed the handgun and he and his co-worker chased the robber out the store. The victim threw the gun at the assailant's head but missed, according to the Sheriff's Office report.
The other employee grabbed the robber's hooded sweatshirt and pulled it off, the report said. But the man ran through the parking lot into the Paddock Club Apartments and jumped a wooden fence into the Sandy Beach Lane neighborhood. He got away with about $480, the report said.
The victims gave police the sweatshirt and gun, which turned out to be a BB gun.
The robber was described as a black man with a goatee, about 35 years old, 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and red shoes.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, FL
Brooksville, Florida
From Tampa Bay‘s TBO.com of October 29, 2007
Burglary Suspect Caught
A suspected burglar who was shot twice on his way out the door has been captured, authorities announced today.
Deputies cordoned off streets in the area of Sunshine Grove Road for hours Oct. 17 as they unsuccessfully searched for the suspect, now identified as 23-year-old Nigel Fleming.
An affidavit shows Fleming was arrested at his home, 21348 Canal St., Brooksville, on Friday, but a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office couldn't say what led investigators to Fleming because the case is still open.
An arrest affidavit states the victim, Mark Hartley, arrived at his home on Sunshine Grove Road that morning to find an unfamiliar red pickup in his driveway.
Hartley armed himself with a .22 caliber handgun from his pickup and went to investigate. When he stepped inside the open back door, Fleming allegedly charged him and pushed Hartley against a washing machine.
At one point in the struggle, Hartley shot Fleming in the gut with small pellets called rat shot. Fleming was also shot in the buttocks as he fled.
Detective Randy Williamson reported that the suspect left behind a pair of size 10 1/2 shoes and escaped capture barefoot.
Fleming is charged with burglary of a dwelling with battery and has been placed on a no bond status.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Ider, Alabama
From Huntsville’s WHNT.com of October 29, 2007
DeKalb Co. Man Kills Intruder With Shotgun
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department is investigating an overnight incident where a homeowner apparently shot and killed an intruder. However, the homeowner is recovering from multiple stab wounds himself.
Sheriff Jimmy Harris says deputies got a call just after 2 o'clock Monday morning that a stabbing and shooting had taken place at a home on County Road 764 near Ider.
Ider Police, Henagar Police, and the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department responded, to find Jerry Lee Miller, 41, suffering from numerous stab wounds. Police and deputies searched the home and found a second victim in another room, Joseph E. Williams, 31, of Jackson County. Williams was dead, from a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Witnesses tell investigators Williams allegedly attacked Miller in his sleep with a large kitchen knife, stabing him several times in his back and arms. A family member interrupted the attack, and Miller was able to get a shotgun, and shoot Williams in the stomach.
Investigators have collected evidence at the scene, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is performing an autopsy on Williams' body.
Sheriff Harris says there are no charges at this time.
Tampa, Florida
From the University of South Florida‘s The Oracle of October 29, 2007
Robed man chases robbers with rifle
A resident of Campus Lodge wearing a bathrobe and armed with a rifle chased three would-be robbers from his apartment Sunday afternoon.
The man, whose name was not released by deputies, was shot in the neck by one of the robbery suspects before a deputy patrolling the area spotted him running in a parking lot, said J.D. Calloway, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Witnesses said he fired a round into the air, Calloway said.
The three men, one carrying a handgun, allegedly barged into the victim's apartment, located at 2608 Rusty Ridge Loop, around 3:41 p.m., but were chased out by the victim.
Frank Prather, a resident of Campus Lodge, said he was drawn outside his apartment by the sound of people arguing. He thought it came from the floor under his.
He heard a man pleading not to be shot before a gun was fired. Prather said he ducked into his house to grab his phone, and when he went outside a second time, he heard another shot.
The victim was shot from behind in the base of the neck outside his apartment, Calloway said. His injuries were not life threatening, but the victim was taken to Tampa General Hospital for examination.
The suspects, who drove a red Chevy Impala, got lost in the complex, and a deputy blocked their escape through the entrance, Calloway said. They then abandoned their vehicle and fled into the surrounding area.
The Sheriff's office sent deputies, K-9 units and helicopters to search the area around Campus Lodge. No arrests have been made.
Labels: defender shot, FL, home invasion
Gastonia, North Carolina
From Charlotte’s WBTV.com of October 29, 2007
Gastonia Man Shoots Burglar
New from overnight, police say an elderly man in Gastonia took matters into his own hands when a robber broke into his home.
It happened at a house on Sixth Avenue.
The homeowner said he didn't know what to think when the crook came inside.
He was shaken up and shot the intruder.
The burglar ran off, and police say he was later found on South Myrtle School Road.
He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center where he was released a short time later.
He's in jail this morning, charged with first degree burglary.
Labels: NC, residence burglary
10/28/07
Chesapeake, Virginia
From HamptonRoads.com of October 28, 2007
Chesapeake teen shot trying to enter wrong houseFrom HamptonRoads.com of October 29, 2007
A Chesapeake teen received minor injuries in an early morning shooting Sunday. The 16-year-old was taken to Norfolk General Hospital.
At 3:13 a.m. Sunday, Chesapeake police responded to a home invasion call in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road in the Vintage Estates area off Johnstown Road. Police spokesman Charles Thiebaed said police heard two shots when they arrived.
Police said the teenager had been drinking and was trying to get into a house he thought was his but was actually a neighbor’s house. The neighbor fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, according to police.
They are investigating the incident.
No charges expected for Chesapeake homeowner who shot teen
Charges are not expected to be filed against a Chesapeake homeowner who shot her teenage neighbor during a mistaken home invasion.
The 16-year-old suffered minor injuries Sunday morning after he was shot once in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road, in the Vintage Estates area off Waters Road. Police said the boy had been drinking and tried to get into his neighbor's Great Bridge home, thinking it was his own house.
Chesapeake police said they will consult with the commonwealth's attorney's office to determine if the teen should be charged. The investigation is ongoing, said Christi Golden, a police spokeswoman.
The teen was banging on the neighbor's door, yelling to be let in, police said. He was at the neighbor's back porch at one point and moved to another door, police said.
As he attempted to get into the second door, he was shot, police said. No one in the home was harmed.
"They were very scared and frightened, and they weren't sure why this person was trying to get into their home," Golden said. "They were yelling for him to leave."
The homeowner called police before she fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, police said. Police responded at 3:13 a.m. Sunday. As police arrived, they heard two shots. The teen never entered the house, police said.
Police did not release the names of the teen or the homeowner. No one answered the door of the home around 6:30 p.m. Monday.
Labels: female, home invasion, VA
10/27/07
Gainesville, Florida
From Orlando’s WESH.com of October 27, 2007
Blind Man Shoots Home Intruder In NeckYou can see his criminal history here.
According to police, Cevaughn Curtis Jr., 28, broke into Arthur Williams' house in Gainesville at around 3 a.m.
Curtis, police said, knocked on the door, asked to be let inside but Williams refused. Curtis then tried to force his way into the home.
The 75-year-old retired taxi dispatcher, who's been legally blind for the past 61 years, opened fire on the would-be-thief who kicked down his door, police said.
Police said Williams shot Curtis, who tried to flee but collapsed on the front porch, in the left side of the neck. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Police said Curtis was charged with burglary of an occupied residence and battery on a person over the age of 65.
Officials are praising Williams for protecting himself.
Labels: FL, home invasion, senior
Madison, Wisconsin
From Madison.com of October 27, 2007
Jury acquits State Street shooterFrom Chicago’s WLS of October 27, 2007
Even though he shot and killed a man during a drunken fight on State Street on May 22, Daniel Kelly left the courtroom Friday night a free man, found not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide.
Public defender Dennis Burke successfully argued that on the night when 23-year-old Austin Bodahl died from a gunshot wound to his chest, Kelly, an Army and National Guard veteran, had fired in self-defense.
Kelly's father, Steve Kelly, appeared relieved but subdued as he left the court late Friday after the jury announced its verdict.
"About all I can say is it's been a tragedy for both families," he said. "The Bodahls are very nice people.
"I would hope that society would treat young men who are a little different with a little more respect," he added. "This fight should have been stopped by people long before it got to this point."
The jury's verdict came after jurors deliberated through part of the afternoon and all of the evening. After it was announced, Steve Kelly said his son was planning to leave Madison to see his grandmother in North Carolina.
The case centered around a nighttime fight on State Street that erupted after Kelly encountered three drunken young men whose lives, like Kelly's, were largely untethered. Jurors were to decide, as instructed by Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser, whether Kelly, 31, caused Bodahl's death through "criminally reckless conduct" that showed "utter disregard for human life," or whether Kelly used force likely to cause death because he reasonably believed that such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself.
(Much More)
Man cleared in fatal shooting in Madison
A man has been acquitted in the shooting death of the son of a former Minnesota state legislator during a fight last spring.
A Dane County jury deliberated nine hours before announcing its decision in the trial of 31-year-old Daniel A. Kelly late Friday.
He was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Austin Bodahl of Waconia, Minnesota in a late-night fight on May 22. Kelly was accused of taking a gun from a homemade holster under a kilt he was wearing and shooting Bodahl on Madison's State Street.
Bodahl was the son of former Minnesota state Rep. Larry Bodahl. He had moved to Madison just weeks before his death.
Kelly's attorney, assistant public defender Dennis Burke, had argued in the trial that Kelly shot Bodahl in self-defense.
But prosecutors argued Kelly did not take reasonable steps to avoid the fight with Bodahl.
Labels: altercation, WI
Dallas, Texas
From the Dallas Morning News of October 26, 2007
Scrap yard owner shoots burglary suspect in armpit
A scrap yard owner shot a burglary suspect Thursday evening in South Dallas. The wounded man is being treated at a local hospital and is expected to survive. Police are trying to determine his identity.
The business owner told police that he caught the man taking a radiator from his scrap yard in the 4900 block of South Lamar Street. When the owner told the man he was calling police, the suspect dropped the radiator, said he wasn't going back to jail and began walking toward him.
The business owner told police that he fired two shots in the air and that a third struck the suspect's armpit as he climbed over a fence.
The man was caught nearby.
Labels: business burglary, TX
Mobile, Alabama
From the Mobile Press-Register of October 27, 2007
Jury acquits man of murder
Rodney Hamilton told a Mobile jury this week that he shot Miyako Hill five times in self-defense.
On Thursday, after two hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Hamilton of murder.
Court officials said Friday that during the trial before Circuit Judge John Lockett, prosecutors argued it wasn't self-defense but an ambush that took the life of Hill as he sat in his Chevrolet Avalanche in the driveway of Hamilton's Cheyenne Parkway home in Prichard.
It was the city's first homicide of 2007, occurring nine hours into the new year.
Officials said that in testimony this week before Lockett, Hamilton and Hill knew each other through their patronage of a Prichard barbershop and that around mid-December last year Hamilton borrowed $300 from Hill.
The agreement, witnesses said, was that by Dec. 28 Hamilton would repay the $300, plus an unusually hefty interest -- 150.
He couldn't come up with the money on that date and asked for more time, Hamilton testified, and a day or so later paid Hill the $450, court officials said.
But Hill wasn't satisfied, Hamilton said, and informed him that since he had been late on repaying the original loan, Hamilton now owed Hill another $450.
Hill then began a campaign of threats and intimidation, Hamilton testified, along with showing up at his house in the middle of the night.
Court officials said Hamilton and some of his family members, including children, testified that Hill returned around 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.
Hamilton's 10-year-old daughter testified she was awakened that morning by a man carrying a gun and banging on her bedroom window.
She told her father, and Hamilton confronted Hill outside, according to testimony. Officials said that according to Hamilton, Hill got back into his vehicle but refused to leave the defendant's property, then began smoking a marijuana cigarette.
Hamilton, 33, said at that point he believed Hill, 28, was going for a gun, and Hamilton shot him with a .38-caliber revolver.
(More)
Labels: AL, altercation
10/26/07
Houston, Texas
From Houston’s KTRK of October 26, 2007
Suspected burglar may have been living in couple's attic
An elderly homeowner in northeast Houston is shaken up after shooting a suspected burglar. It turns out the man had actually been living in her attic and she never knew.
Police say the suspect had been living in the attic at the home near Hardy and Lorraine, getting in and out of the house through a side window.
Police say the man saw the husband leave Friday afternoon, so he thought the house was empty. He went inside, but little did he know the man's 84-year-old wife was there. She heard the commotion and was waiting with her pistol in hand.
Police say she fired several rounds, hitting the suspect once in the neck area.
"She was in fear of her life," said Sgt. Richard Nieto with the Houston Police Department. "A stranger was inside her home. She used the force necessary to protect her personal safety."
The suspect ran down the alley behind the house, collapsing on the sidewalk in front of Shermann Elementary School. Police say the children were never in harm's way and it didn't disrupt the day.
Based on evidence found inside the attic, police think the suspect had been living there for a while. They also think he may have robbed the husband at knifepoint on Thursday.
The suspect is at Ben Taub Hospital, facing several charges. The woman who shot him is not facing charges.
Labels: female, residence burglary, senior, TX
Lawton, Oklahoma
From Lawton’s KSWO.com of October 26, 2007
Another would be burglar stopped by gun wielding homeowner
For the second time in just one week a shooting is ruled justified in connection with an attempted burglary. This time it happened in Lawton's Old Town North Addition in the 500 block of Bell. The homeowner says he was asleep in the middle of the afternoon when he heard someone trying to break in. He says his first reaction was to grab his gun to stop the would be burglar in his tracks.
This is a very separate case from Tuesday's incident where the burglar was killed. This would be burglar - who also happened to be a 17 year old boy - was not hit by gunfire. He got lucky because he very well could have been killed - and the law would have allowed it.
Like many homeowners in Lawton, Andy Miguez says he's been extra cautious of burglars lately. Especially after, he says, his neighbors home has been victimized a handful of times recently. What he didn't know was that he was next.
"Somebody rang my doorbell. Knocked on the door and I didn't answer it," says Miguez. "They lifted my mail slot up and looked in my mail slot and I could see somebody out there moving around - and they came around the other side of the house and jumped the fence," he says.
Miguez says he's CLEET certified - the same training law enforcement officers receive for a would be burglar trying to get through a window. "I grabbed my gun and I came out through the back door to see if I could catch them," he says. "And I caught the kid right there trying to pry open my window. He was up against the house and he turned toward me and he had a screwdriver in his hand or something that's when I shot."
He fired two shots - both misses. Miguez says the boy jumped the fence and took off running down the street until police caught him a few blocks away. The District Attorney's Office says Miguez's actions were justified under several laws - including the "Make My Day", and "Stand Your Ground" laws.
"I believe I have a right to protect my home and belongings in my home and my family," says Miguez. "You know, this is my property. I'm buying it. I'm paying for it. So I have a right." But, with two similar incidents this week - both justified - will it lead to more homeowners arming themselves to potentially fire upon bad guys who are only trying to steal?
"I don't think everybody ought to be running up and down the street with a gun," says Miguez. "But, if you buy a gun legally and you have a concealed carry permit and you have taken classes, I think you ought to be able to arm yourself to protect yourself and your property." He says this teenager initially tried to hit a house a few doors down from his, but when he rang the doorbell and heard someone inside, he moved on to the next target. Miguez says he picked the wrong house.
That 17 year old boy has been charged with attempted first degree burglary under the youthful offender act. He's now in the Comanche County Jail.
Labels: OK, residence burglary
Memphis, Tennessee
From Memphis’ MyEyewitnessNews.com of October 26, 2007
Man Shoots Burglar; Then Taken Into Custody
Police say a man shot a burglar trying to break into his house.
This shooting happened in the 1400 block of Stevenson in South Memphis around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night, October 25.
The accused burglar was hit with buck-shot. He's at The Med in critical condition.
We are told that the homeowner was taken into custody, Not because of this shooting, but because of an outstanding warrant.
Labels: residence burglary, TN
Bardstown, Kentucky
From Bardstown’s The Kentucky Standard of October 26, 2007
Homeowner shoots a would-be robber twice
An alleged robber was shot at least twice by a local homeowner early Wednesday morning. The injured man has been charged with several crimes . The suspect was hospitalized but those in the home were unharmed.
Nelson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Major Keith Greene said about 2 a.m. a call was received reporting a shooting at a residence at 1325 Plum Run Road. At least one suspect, armed with a handgun, forced his way into the home and allegedly demanded drugs. One of the residents then fired a small caliber handgun at the intruder, hitting him at least twice, Greene said. No one else was injured.
The suspect, later identified as Chaylin Montgomery, 30, Bardstown, was transported to a Louisville-area hospital for treatment. He was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Montgomery is already under indictment for his alleged role in the beating and injury of a man earlier this year in a parking lot.
The names of the resident who shot the suspect and those inside the home at the time of the incident were not released by police.
The investigation into the shooting and events that led up to it are ongoing, Greene said. No charges have been filed against those who were in the home during the incident.
Labels: home invasion, KY, residence robbery
Great Falls, Montana
From the Great Falls Tribune of October 26, 2007
Hunter charging grizzly
Sitting on his butt and aiming a 30-06 rifle with one arm, Carl Haggar of East Glacier fired the shot of his life — and maybe saved it.
The 350-pound grizzly that was closing in on him hit the ground — dead — just five feet away.
"It was an amazing sound," said Haggar, recalling the bear's heavy collapse, "because it was a lifeless sound."
Haggar, who was hunting elk, said he felt terrible after killing the bear, which happened late Tuesday morning near the South Fork of the Two Medicine River in the Lewis and Clark National Forest southwest of East Glacier.
But, he figured, it was the bear or him.
"I would have been killed if I hadn't had a killing blow," he said.
(More)
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
From the Knoxville News of October 25, 2007
Sevier officers arrest two men after attempted home invasion
Sevier County sheriff’s officers charged two men who allegedly impersonated police officers and wore camouflage clothing during a home invasion attempt that prompted a gun battle with a homeowner, according to authorities.
Robert Joel Hawkins, 21, and Isaiah Ray Kemp, 22, both of Sevierville, were charged with attempted aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and six counts each of reckless endangerment, according to a release from Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals.
The pair are accused of attempting to enter the home at 429 King Branch Road. Authorities were alerted at 11:13 p.m. Tuesday of the incident, Seals said in the release.
The homeowner told officers that two men dressed in camouflage clothing with stockings over their faces knocked on the door and claimed to be police officers. When the men couldn’t provide police identification, the homeowner refused to open the door, Seals said in the release.
The two intruders then displayed a handgun and an AR-15 rifle and pointed the weapons at people in the home, Seals said. The homeowner got his own weapon, and the two men ran. The homeowner fired at the fleeing men, and they returned fire before leaving in a dark-colored truck, Seals said in the release. No one was injured during the gunfight.
Sevier County deputies stopped a truck on Upper Middle Creek Road as it was leaving the area and found camouflage clothing, an AR-15 rifle, a handgun and a bullet-resistant vest in the vehicle, Seals said. Seals said the investigation is continuing.
Labels: home invasion, TN
Dallas, Texas
From the October 26, 2007 Houston Chronicle:
DALLAS — Dallas police say a man in a wheelchair disarmed and fatally shot a home intruder with the intruder's own gun.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Friday at the man's apartment in the Village Oaks Apartments in the Fruitdale neighborhood, south of downtown Dallas.
Investigators say the man was able to wrestle the gun away from the intruder and shoot him. The suspected burglar died a short time later at Baylor University Medical Center.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, TX
10/25/07
Pennfield Township, Michigan
From Battle Creek’s WWMT.com of October 25, 2007
Homeowner captures home invader
Police have arrested a juvenile after a homeowner kept him at gunpoint inside his home.
It happened Tuesday afternoon in the 100 block of Derby Road in Pennfield Township.
One of the two suspects got away. That second intruder turned himself in and had an arraignment Thursday in court.
It was the homeowner's handgun that helped him help police.
“I came to the door, I was walking to the door like this, I don't know where they're at, they came to the door like this,” said Damon Ogletree.
He took the concealed weapons course and has Navy medals for his marksmanship. Ogletree had no second thoughts about defending his home.
“He was probably just as surprised as I was,” said Ogletree.
Two intruders had broke through a back window. Ogletree met one of them by his bedroom. That intruder's partner managed to get out the same way he got in.
The one Ogletree first saw did not. “I'm like get your hands in the air, do not put your hands in your pockets whatever you do, and get them in the air, so he put them in the air and got on the ground.”
“That's their decision as a gun owner and homeowner,” said Captain Matthew Saxton. He says the decision is a legal one. But he wouldn't recommend it to everyone. “They gotta decide whether it's worth saving their TV or their life.”
This was the third break-in at Ogletree's house in the last year. For him it was an easy choice. “I just can't believe the mentality of some of the younger kids that's running around, that think they can do this kind of stuff and get away with it,” said Ogletree.
The Sheriff's Department doesn't know if these two intruders are responsible for the other break-ins at Ogletree's home. This time though, nothing was stolen.
Labels: MI, residence burglary
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
From October 25, 2007 Myrtle Beach Online:
A man who broke into a house Thursday morning on 44th Avenue North at Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach was shot in the hand by someone in the house, said Myrtle Beach Police Lt. Doug Furlong.
Emergency operators dispatched police to the scene at 10:40 a.m.
The burglary suspect, who has not yet been charged, was transported to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. No one else was injured, Furlong said.
Labels: home invasion, SC
Sharpes, Florida
From Orlando’s WFTV,com of October 17, 2007
Woman Calls 911 To Say She Shot Her BoyfriendFrom FloridaToday.com of October 17, 2007
A Sharpes woman called 911 saying she shot her boyfriend after he attacked her.
Rescue crews tried to help the man as he stumbled from the house after being shot in the abdomen. Investigators said the woman claimed it was self-defense.
An unidentified friend said the man was trying to move out of the home off Canaveral Groves Boulevard.
"He was taking a minute to get some clothes and, bam, gunshot. He ran out and came and called the cops,” the friend said.
Investigators were not releasing the names of anyone involved. The man who was shot was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition.
Deputies respond to shooting
Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a shooting that happened this afternoon at a Canaveral Groves home.
At about 2:16 p.m., a woman called 9-1-1 and reported that she shot her boyfriend in the stomach after he threatened her with a knife, said Lt. Andrew Walters. The man, whose name the sheriff’s did not release, left the residence in the 500 block of Canaveral Groves Blvd. on foot.
The man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition, Walters said.
No arrests have been made, he said. Deputies are still interviewing witnesses, and haven’t released the name of the woman involved.
Pasadena, Maryland
From the Maryland Gazette of October 24, 2007
Investigator shoots pit bull in Pasadena
Ryan Scott knew his dog was going to die when he held him in his arms yesterday morning.
The Pasadena man came home on his lunch break to let his 7 month-old pit bull, Hershey, outside. Within a few moments, the dog would be shot by a man identified as a Social Security investigator after the animal got loose.
"I picked him up and I knew he was going to die," Mr. Scott said.
Cpl. Mark Shawkey, county police spokesman, said officers who arrived at Mr. Scott's home on Colony Road at just after 11 a.m. found a official from the Office of the Inspector General.
He told them he was investigating a Social Security case. They did not release his name last night.
The investigator told police he warned the person who answered the door several times to call the dog and that the animal chased after him.
Police said the animal, which weighed 50 to 60 pounds, was shot at very close range, with the shot fired almost straight down. No charges have been filed.
Dorothy Clark, spokesman for the Social Security Administration, said yesterday afternoon that her office had not been informed of the incident. She was unable to say if anyone from the Office of Inspector General was in Pasadena yesterday. The office investigates cases where a Social Security number is fraudulently used to obtain benefits.
Mr. Scott said he wasn't outside when the dog was shot. Hershey, seeing company coming to call, was excited and jumped up on the inspector playfully, he said.
...
Both Mr. Preissler and Mr. Scott argue that if the inspector had time to call off the dog, there was no need to shoot him.
"Obviously he wasn't in imminent danger," Mr. Preissler said.
Mr. Scott's sister had called the dog, who was running back toward the house with his back to the inspector, Mr. Scott said.
"He definitely made the wrong call. The dog wasn't even doing nothing," he said.
Mr. Scott said that he thought pit bulls get a bad reputation, but he has two others and doesn't worry about the baby his girlfriend is carrying being around the dogs.
"I believe because he was a pit, they shot him," Mr. Scott said.
Sherwood, Arkansas
From the Arkansas Democrat Gazette of October 25, 2007
Homeowner fears shots were fatal as body investigated
Sherwood resident Larry Staley fears he may have shot a would-be burglar Tuesday morning, but he holds tightly to the hope that the man died when he slipped and fell into Gap Creek.
Police are investigating the event in which Staley, whose home on Arkansas 107 has been a frequent target of burglars, fired several shots in the direction of an intruder in his backyard early Tuesday. Though police found nothing when they searched the area just after the incident, his wife discovered a body Tuesday afternoon in the creek along the edge of the family’s property.
“I’m very much afraid that I shot the man,” Staley said Wednesday.
Sherwood police spokesman Ryan Baker identified the man as Bryant Cross, 18, of McAlmont but said investigators have not verified his involvement in the burglary attempt and are waiting for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Tuesday night, the Pulaski County coroner’s office verified that the death is being investigated as a homicide. Wednesday, Coroner Mark Malcolm said the autopsy results will be delayed because of a backlog of pending autopsies.
In the interim, Staley said he is trying to make sense of what happened. “I’m very confused as to how the man got there and when,” the former Marine said. “I certainly wasn’t trying to deliberately take a life.” Staley said Wednesday his family has been the target of burglars five times since February 2006. In July, he and his wife, Erlene, thwarted a group of burglars after the family’s fourwheelers by firing shots over their heads.
Around 1: 30 a. m. Tuesday, Erlene Staley woke to see two men running from their garage, Larry Staley said. She stayed awake to watch the men. When they returned 10 minutes later, she woke her husband and called 911.
Staley said that when he took up a position at the backdoor with a. 22 pistol in hand, he saw the two men — a black man in a black-hooded shirt who was walking toward his shed and a white man who stood at the back corner of the house.
Suddenly, he said, the white man ran toward him. The man kept running when he told him to “Freeze,” so Staley said he fired a few shots into the tops of a small stand of pine trees in his backyard. When the man crossed Gap Creek and ran up and an embankment, Staley fired a few more shots several feet to the left of the man, into the embankment.
According to police, four Sherwood off icers who arrived at the Staleys’ house around 1: 45 a. m. heard gun shots and saw someone running west, away from the house. They searched, with the help of a dog, for more than an hour, but they found no one.
During it all, Staley said he lost sight of the black man.
“I never saw the man with the hood again that night,” Staley said.
Tuesday afternoon, he did.
Staley said his wife told him she saw a body in the creek around 1: 30 p. m. He said he didn’t believe her at first but, after walking to the creek’s slippery, rocky banks, he saw the man. He said he recognized the black-hooded clothing he had seen early Tuesday, but he said he saw no blood or gunshot wound.
Regardless of the cause, Staley said that, while he was trying to protect his family and defend his property, he regrets what happened.
“I feel so bad that a man died out here,” Staley said.
Baker said investigators have located another man they believe was involved in the attempted burglary. He did not identify the man and no charges had been filed against anyone as of Wednesday afternoon.
“This is one of those cases that’s up in the air,” Baker said. “We’re trying to put the pieces together.”
Detectives will turn their investigation over to the Pulaski County prosecutor, who will determine what, if any, charges should be filed, Baker said.
Wednesday, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said he had not received any information from Sherwood police.
He will review the reports once they are filed. He could make a determination then or ask detectives for some additional information, Jegley said.
Labels: AR, trespassing
Fargo, North Dakota
From In-Forum News of October 23, 2007
Man pulls gun on would-be robber
A would-be robbery victim turned the table on a robber in a case under investigation by Fargo police.
A gas delivery driver reported to police that he was confronted early Saturday morning by a man holding a knife when he was at a south Fargo convenience store.
The man with the knife, described as standing about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds, told the driver to empty his pockets.
The driver reached toward his jacket pocket and said, “You brought a knife to a gunfight,” according to the report given to police.
At that point, the would-be robber fled quickly on foot, Lt. Pat Claus of the Fargo Police Department said. The man was described as having short hair, dark and curly, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, according to the incident report.
Labels: altercation, ND
10/24/07
Jacksonville, Florida
From News4Jax.com of October 24, 2007
Store Owner Chases Gunman From Business
Fish Market Owner Refuses To Become Victim
A store owner refused to become a victim Tuesday night. When a masked gunman rushed into his Westside fish market, the store owner fought back and scared off the crook.
The attempted robbery took place just before 6 p.m. at Jacobson's Fish Market on Beaver Street, where a bustling shopping plaza once stood and now only one store remains.
The fish market owner, Sameer Kandah, said doing business at the location has been rough.
Kandah said he was getting to ready to close up his fish market on Tuesday night when a man wearing a Halloween-type mask stormed inside with a gun.
"I was with a customer and next thing I know he's holding a gun to my face and handing me a bag telling me to put money in the bag," Kandah said.
However, the store owner refused to comply. He said instead he told the robber to do it himself.
"I was trying to get him to come close enough so I could disarm him, but when I tried he ran away," Kandah said.
After that, the owner said he chased the masked gunman out of his store with a shotgun in tow but by the time he got in the parking lot the crook was nowhere to be found.
Kandah said since the grocery store next door to his market was abandoned the shopping plaza has been plagued with crime.
"Our life is in danger everyday because of this. The day before the robbery we had someone waiting for us in the bushes because it's too dark outside when we close," Kandah said.
Contributing to the problem he said are broken lights in the parking lot that invite crooks to his store.
"You never know what you're walking in and out of -- it's very dangerous," Kandah said. "I'm not trying to take justice into our hands. I'm trying to survive that's all."
Labels: business robbery, FL
New Bedford, Massachusetts
From New Bedford’s SouthCoastToday.com of October 24, 2007
Shooting victim now charged in connection with house break
A 24-year-old city man, allegedly shot in the neck during an armed house break, has been arrested on home invasion and gun charges in connection with the break.
Brandon L. Medeiros of 450 Kempton St. is charged with four counts of armed home invasion with a firearm, two counts of armed assault with intent to commit robbery with a firearm, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawfully carrying/possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, armed burglary with a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to New Bedford police.
Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Mr. Medeiros will be arraigned on the charges today in New Bedford District Court.
He added that prosecutors will seek a dangerousness hearing to hold the suspect for up to 90 days while awaiting trial.
He said Steven Gagne, an assistant district attorney, has had preliminary discussions with Christopher Markey, the defense attorney for Mr. Medeiros, and a dangerousness hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Friday in New Bedford District Court.
The charges stem from a house break at 33 Sycamore St. about 8:15 p.m. Monday when a gun discharged during a scuffle between two suspects and the male occupant.
Mr. Miliote said prosecutors allege one of the suspects is Mr. Medeiros.
Mr. Medeiros was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford, and then flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. Police found Mr. Medeiros when they responded to a report of a man shot laying in the street near 74 Parker St.
Mr. Miliote said Mr. Medeiros was not seriously injured in the shooting and will be present in court for his arraignment.
The spokesman did not identify the second suspect in the house break and said he remains at-large.
Flagstaff, Arizona
From Flagstaff’s Daily Sun of October 24, 2007
Man shoots, kills home invader
A Flagstaff resident shot and killed a man he knew who broke into his home Monday morning.
Flagstaff police received a 911 call at about 10:36 a.m. Monday to respond to a home on North Center Street in Sunnyside, said Sgt. Tom Boughner of the police department.
Once officers arrived, the resident told police that he had shot an intruder, who was a man he knew, Boughner said. How the resident knew the man who was shot is still under investigation.
"He said he heard a crash in one of the back rooms," Boughner said, adding that the resident stated he saw the intruder and knew him.
"He reported he felt threatened by the intruder," Boughner said. "He then shot at the intruder six times with a .45-caliber pistol."
The intruder, who was shot three times, has been identified as Edward Matthew Duran, 22, a Flagstaff resident, Boughner said.
Duran is a convicted felon who was released from prison in November 2006 after being convicted in Coconino County Superior Court of three separate violent felonies, according to court records.
Boughner said the shooting does not appear to be drug- or gang-related, and that the resident has been cooperative with police.
The resident has not been arrested or charged with a crime.
(More)
Puyallup, Washington
From the October 23, 2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
TACOMA, Wash. -- Pierce County prosecutors have declined to file charges against a 21-year-old man who fatally shot another man at a Puyallup gas station.
The prosecutors say the shooter was justified when he shot 23-year-old Nicholas Cruz, of Eatonville, on October 7 at a Shell station.
The shooter told investigators he was sitting in his car at the gas station when Cruz approached and punched him several times, reportedly after breaking the driver's side window.
Police say the driver has a valid concealed weapons permit. They say he pulled out his .357-caliber handgun and shot Cruz twice.
Police say the men apparently were involved in an altercation of some sort before the shooting.
Labels: altercation, WA
Stone Mountain, Georgia
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of October 23, 2007
Man shot dead attempting to rob nonprofit
An employee of a Stone Mountain nonprofit association that helps war-torn refugees shot and killed a robber who forced his way into the office Tuesday evening around closing time, authorities said.
The robber collapsed and died near a rear door of the World Relief, an immigrant resettlement agency at 655 Village Square Drive, according to DeKalb County police spokesman Marcus Hodge.
Hodge said around 6:30 p.m. the two robbers entered through the rear door as two male employees, described as older men, were preparing to leave and lock the front door.
Both robbers were armed with handguns, and one of them acted as a lookout, Hodge said.
The other demanded the victims' wallets, then put his gun to one employee's head and ordered him to open a safe, Hodge said.
When the robber turned his back, the other employee grabbed a gun from his desk and fired several shots at the robber, Hodge said.
Hodge said he did not know how many times the robber was struck, or where he was wounded.
Both robbers ran, though the wounded robber did not make it far. Police were still searching for the second robber late Tuesday.
The name of the employee who shot the robber was not immediately released Tuesday. He had not been charged late Tuesday, Hodge said, because the shooting appears to have been in self-defense.
Labels: business robbery, GA
Wichita, Kansas
From the Wichita Eagle of October 24, 2007
Woman shot, man injured in domestic dispute
Wichita police are investigating a domestic violence disturbance that occurred Tuesday night in the 500 block of North Spruce.
Sgt. Jeff Davis said a 76-year-old man asked his 52-year-old girlfriend and roommate to move out. She poured bleach on him, a police report said, and then sprayed him with Mace. As she began hitting him with a frying pan, he pulled out a .38 revolver and shot her twice in the left shoulder.
Emergency workers transported both of them to Wesley Medical Center.
Doctors treated and released the man; the woman is in serious condition, Davis said. Police did not arrest the man, Davis said, but expect to arrest the woman when she is out of the hospital.
"We think this was a situation of self-defense," Davis said.
Labels: domestic abuse, KS, senior
10/23/07
Battle Creek, Michigan
From the Battle Creek Enquirer of October 23, 2007
Pennfield Township resident holds burgular at gunpoint
A Pennfield Township resident was home alone at about 2:40 p.m. today when he heard burgulars in another room.
The resident caught one and held the juvenile at gunpoint until Calhoun County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and arrested the suspect.
A second suspect escaped and police are still searching.
No more information was immediately available.
Labels: MI, residence burglary
Lawton, Oklahoma
From Lawton’s KSWO.com of October 23, 2007
Burglar killed by homeownerFrom Wichita Falls’ KAUZ.com of October 25, 2007
Lawton police have towed away a truck that they say may have been involved in the shooting in the 1700 block of Northwest 70th that has left one person dead.
Deputy Chief James Apple says a family came home and found a burglar in their house. Apple says there was some type of confrontation between the family and the burglar, and it led to shots fired.
A neighbor says the homeowner was on the phone with the police holding the burglar on the front lawn until authorities arrived. But, the burglar moved and he fired - killing the intruder.
Eyewitnesses say they thought the two were just goofing around until they found out the burglar was shot and killed. Now, they say it looked like self defense.
Lawton Teen Killed While Burglarizing A Home
Tonight prosecutors are asking themselves if this is a case of self-defense. The Make My Day Law gives Oklahomans the right to kill intruders inside their homes. Something 40-year-old Jeff Dorrell did yesterday afternoon in his front yard. When he noticed a suspicious truck and found the front door open he immediatly went back to his vehicle and grabbed his pistol. "He has a concealed license so he has a right to carry that pistol."
Family Attorney John Zelbst says when Jeff approached the house he came face to face with the intruder. "At that time he chambered up the weapon and ordered the man to the ground and called 9-1-1."
But while waiting for police, he says the intruder came after Jeff, "Jeff charges the pistol and grazes him probably because he is on the phone and sees the guy coming after him."
Zelbst says the 17 year old laid back down but then tried to attack again, "Goes after the gun hand and jeff discharges and strikes him in the chest."
"The gentlemen who owns the house and the intruder didn't know each other as far as we can tell now." Police say it was all caught on 9-1--1 audio tape, "People remember things different ways and when we have a recording we can go back to see exactly what happened and lot of time it can jar memory and say that's right it did happen that way."
But Zelbst says bottom line, this is a case of self defense. "It's not something he relishes in or enjoys or even brags about. it was a very traumatic experience for him to deal with too, to have shot somebody and they end up loosing their life."
While in Lawton a family member of the 17-year-old approached us. He says Freddy didn't come from a broken home and says he was trying to change but was too involved with the wrong crowd. He also says the family doesn't hold a grudge against the homeowner---but wish the situation would have ended differently.
Labels: OK, residence burglary
Spartanburg, South Carolina
From Greenville’s WYFF4.com of October 23, 2007
Deputies: Homeowner Shoots 2 BurglarsFrom the MyrtleBeachOnline.com of October 24, 2007
Spartanburg County deputies said two home invasion robbers were shot early Tuesday morning by the man who lived in the home they tried to burglarize.
Deputies said that the men forced their way into the home on Harley Court about 4 a.m. The man who lives in the home said that he got his pistol and fired several shots at the men, who ran away.
Investigators said that Lashawn D. Miller, 22, and Haldane D. Oden, 21, were located a short time later in the emergency room at Mary Black Hospital. Both men had gunshot wounds.
The sheriff's office said that Miller and Oden will be charged with first-degree burglary.
There was no immediate word on the extent of their injuries.
Homeowner who shoots would-be robbers faces no charges
A 31-year-old man will not face charges for shooting two men who broke into his home, authorities said.
Lamont Dawkins said he grabbed his pistol and hid behind his refrigerator after hearing glass break and his back door being kicked about 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Dawkins said he fired several rounds as two men entered, and they ran away. Investigators found Lashawn Miller, 22, and Haldane Oden, 21, both of Spartanburg, in a hospital emergency room.
"I was scared at first, but now I feel good. I just didn't want nothing to happen to me," Dawkins told WYFF News 4.
Miller was treated for a gunshot wound to his right arm and Oden was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Authorities said both face first-degree burglary charges.
Dawkins will not be charged because he used the weapon to defend himself, authorities said.
Labels: residence robbery, SC
Largo, Florida
From Tampa Bay Online of October 23, 2007
Largo Man Shoots Dog In Self Defense
A homeowner shot and killed a dog that broke through the fence and attacked his pet on Monday night, police said.
Police said George Frank, of 334 Lake Palms Drive, was within his rights to protect himself from the dog. No charges are expected to be filed stemming from the incident that occurred at 7:30 p.m.
The dog, a chow mix, attacked Frank's dog, police said. Frank tried to separate them when the chow mix started snarling at him. Then, Frank shot two rounds into the dog, killing it instantly.
Frank has a concealed weapons permit and was armed with a 9mm handgun.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, FL
East Liberty, Pennsylvania
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of October 22, 2007
Man killed in E. Liberty home invasion
An armed man was shot and killed early this morning after he and another man broke into a residence in East Liberty, police said. Shawn Davis, 18, of Duquesne, died of a shotgun blast to the head inside an apartment at 300 North Negley Avenue. He was shot at 3:15 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene 10 minutes later. Police said he and his accomplice, Rashawn Gibson, 20, of Garfield, tried to rob the occupants of the apartment.
"It was definitely a home invasion," said Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki, head of Major Crimes. "We're still sorting it out."
Detectives said Mr. Davis pointed his gun at the occupants and ordered them onto the floor. He and Mr. Gibson walked one victim to the rear of the apartment at gunpoint, then returned to the living room and approached the other victims who were hiding in the kitchen.
When Mr. Davis pointed a gun at one of them, the man shot him in the head with a shotgun.
Mr. Gibson jumped through a window to get away, but police caught him.
He is charged with burglary, robbery and criminal conspiracy.
Labels: PA, residence robbery
10/22/07
Boise, Idaho
From Idaho Falls’ Idaho8.com of October 22, 2007
Bear named 'Twister' that survived Idaho tornado shot by camper
After surviving a howling Idaho mountain tornado, a female black bear cub's luck has run out.
Twister, as the yearling was called after being orphaned by the 2006 storm, was shot and killed last month by an armed camper.
The bear was raised at the Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation Center near Boise and had been released back into the Boise National Forest in June.
Ever since, Idaho Fish and Game officials say they received sporadic reports of the bear loitering near campsites.
Early September 20th, Twister was shot by a camper who said he caught Twister sticking her nose inside the wrong tent.
Fish and Game officials say this year's drought has dramatically reduced bear foods such as wild berries, forcing many animals into closer proximity to humans - and into harm's way.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
From Grand Rapids WZZM13.com of October 22, 2007
Armed robbery attempt at Grand Rapids jewelry store
Police in Grand Rapids need your help to find a man who tried to rob a jewelry store at gun-point in Grand Rapids Monday night.
The call came into Grand Rapids Police at 6:28p.m. of a man attempting to rob Trajan Jewelry located at 2407 Eastern Ave SE.
Police say the owner fired a warning shot at the would-be robber to scare him off causing the man to leave without incident.
The man is described as a black male in his 40's. He was wearing a black shirt with a white hat and was carrying what looked like a cane or a stick. The man had a silver hand gun.
Labels: business robbery, MI
Franklin County, Massachusetts
From the Quincy Patriot Ledger of October 22, 2007
Animal shot in western Massachusetts may be state’s first wolf, officials say
State wildlife officials say a large animal killed in Franklin County last week may have been the first wild wolf in Massachusetts since 1840.
After investigating reports from several farms about attacks on lambs and sheep, MassWildlife received a call on Oct. 14 that an 85-pound wild dog had been killed in Shelburne, about 8 miles west of Greenfield.
A farmer shot the animal Oct. 14 when it returned to his Shelburne farm after having killed 13 lambs the day before. The farmer’s name was not released.
On Oct. 13, a wildlife biologist visited the farm where the lambs had been killed. The owner was told he had the right to shoot the animal, which at that point was assumed to be a dog.
Officials described the animal as a wolf or a cross between a wolf and a dog.
Todd Fuller, a professor and wolf researcher from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, examined the dead animal and said it may have been a wolf or a hybrid.
The carcass has been sent to a lab in Oregon for DNA testing.
Friendship, Pennsylvania
From the Pittsburg Tribune-Review of October 22, 2007
Police: Friendship home invader fatally shot
A man in a Friendship apartment fatally shot one of two men who broke into the home early this morning, Pittsburgh police said.
The two invaders, one of whom had a gun, entered the apartment at 300 North Negley Avenue about 3:15 a.m., Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki said. A man in the apartment grabbed a shotgun and shot one of the intruders in the side of the head, Stangrecki said.
The man died at the scene, Stangrecki said. The other intruder ran away and was still being sought. Police did not identify anyone involved and no charges were filed this morning.
Labels: PA, residence robbery
10/21/07
Leeward, Hawaii
From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin of October 21, 2007
Police investigate death of Waianae woman, 46
…
DeMello is the fourth person killed in the Leeward area this year.
In March, 28-year-old Jason Sylva was shot in a gunfight when he and another man allegedly forced themselves into a Waianae home, where the battle ensued. The resident, 55-year-old Keith Kuraoka, has claimed self-defense and has not been charged in the killing.
Labels: HI, residence burglary
Roswell, New Mexico
From Albuquerque’s KOB.com of October 21, 2007
Pizza delivery man kills assailant
Police will not bring charges against a pizza delivery man who shot and killed a man trying to rob him Friday.
The Roswell Police Department said the delivery man, who has not been named, acted in self-defense.
A witness said the delivery man was approached by several people. She said the group attacked him and tried to take his money.
That is when the delivery man pulled out a gun and began shooting.
One person, described as a male in his 20s, was shot and killed. Two other suspects, whom police are still looking for, fled the scene.
Labels: NM, pizza delivery driver, street robbery
10/20/07
Shreveport, Louisiana
From Shreveport’s ArkLaTexHomepage.com of October 20, 2007
Two Injured, One Charged in Early Morning Shooting
Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, Shreveport police officers responded to the 2900 block of Penick in reference to two males who had been shot. A Yellow Checker Cab advised they went to the Cajun Inn Hotel and picked up Luther Mcduffy, along with two black females and they requested to be driven to a vacant house directly across from 2921 Penick. The cab driver stated Mcduffy and one of the black females got out of the cab and walked up to the vacant residence where several subjects were standing around. That's when the cab driver said he heard gunfire and saw muzzle flashes. The cab driver thought two subjects were shooting. The crowd near the vacant house quickly scattered, leaving both Mcduffy and Randy Bennett shot in the yard. Both were transported to LSUMC with multiple gunshot wounds. Mcduffy advised investigators that he went to this location with the two black females but did not give a reason why. Upon approaching the house he stated that the subject he shot, Bennett, attempted to rob him and they exchanged gunfire. Two different caliber shell casings were recovered at the scene along with cash. Bennett told investigators he was walking down the street when some guys started shooting and he got shot. Bennett was taken into surgery but both he and Mcduffy wounds are considered non life threatening. Bennett faces one count of Attempted 1st Degree Homicide.
Labels: defender shot, LA, street robbery
Farmington, New Mexico
From the Farmington Daily Times of October 20, 2007
Charges dismissed for man accused of killing brother
The Bloomfield man accused of killing his brother in July had all charges dismissed after a preliminary hearing Friday.
Armon Martinez, 24, had been charged with first-degree murder for shooting his older brother Roman three times on July 24, 2007, after repeatedly receiving violent threats from him.
The preliminary hearing was held in Farmington Magistrate Court to determine if the District Attorney's Office had sufficient evidence to prove the killing was intended or planned, which is necessary for the case to be heard by a jury in District Court.
By dropping the charges, Magistrate Judge William Vincent expressed that he interpreted the shooting as one of self-defense.
The case for self-defense was best made in the testimony of Armon's brother, Jerome, who told the court Armon was backing up, telling his brother to "get back" as Roman approached while yelling threats.
"If a man can break you in half with his bare hands, most of us would feel it's perfectly acceptable to arm yourself and defend yourself against such a man," Defense Attorney Gary Mitchell said, referring to Roman's powerful build and demeanor.
The ruling was a disappointment, assistant district attorneys Carolyn Wilber and Eric Morrow said.
"We presented a good case," Wilber said. "I believe we pretty well established a motive for a first-degree (murder)."
That office plans to refile a new case against Martinez, likely reducing charges to second-degree murder, Wilber said after the decision.
"We'll go back and put our heads together and we'll see what we can refile on," she said.
Roman, who several family members testified was incredibly violent when he was drunk, had threatened Armon throughout the day while Armon was serving as Roman's designated driver, as well as in the preceding days.
Arnold Martinez, the men's father, told the court he was "petrified" of Roman, and had even attempted to file a restraining order against Roman the day he was killed.
The prosecuting attorneys appeared to be scrambling for objections against witnesses testifying to how afraid Armon really had been of Roman.
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Labels: domestic dispute, NM
San Diego, California
From SignOnSanDiego.com of October 20, 2007
Suspect in store robbery shot by clerk
An attempt to rob a convenience store went awry Friday night when the store clerk pulled out his own gun and shot one of the suspects in the chest in an exchange of gunfire, police said.
The suspect, a man in his 20s, remained in critical condition Saturday.
The clerk was standing in front of JR Market on National Avenue at 38th Street at 10 p.m. when he was approached by two men armed with a handgun, San Diego police said.
When they pointed the gun at him, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and they exchanged fire.
The suspects escaped in a gray mini-van.
About 20 minutes later, a woman called to report that a man had been shot.
Officers who responded found a man lying in a van on 30th Street suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.
No other suspects were found.
Labels: business robbery, CA
Royal Highlands, Florida
From the October 18, 2007 St. Petersburg Times:
ROYAL HIGHLANDS -- Mark Hartley returned to his house Wednesday morning to find an unfamiliar red pickup in the driveway. He grabbed a pistol and walked to the back of his doublewide mobile home and saw the door was ajar.
In his mind, he said, "This isn't good," Hartley told the Hernando Times.
In his hand, Hartley gripped a .22-caliber pistol. He gently opened the screen door, but it creaked as it shut behind him. The intruder heard it.
"I said, 'Freeze,' and he came charging out of my bedroom at me," Hartley said. "He tried to tackle me at the back door; he came shoulder down."
Hartley managed to fire one shot from about a foot away. But the first bullet was "snake shot," or a bullet filled with tiny lead pellets used to kill small varmints.
It didn't slow the intruder, described as a white male in his 20s with a shaved head, last seen wearing baggy blue jeans and a white tank top. The intruder ran out the door of the home at the corner of Sorrell Street and Sunshine Grove Road and headed for the red pickup.
The truck, authorities said, was reported stolen about three days ago in Hernando County. On the front seat was a .38-caliber handgun, also reported stolen in an unrelated incident. But the suspect didn't have time to reach the weapon, Hartley said, because Hartley was close behind him.
As the man fled, Hartley fired another shot -- this time with a real bullet. It's unclear if the slug hit him, but Hartley said he saw the man begin to limp as he ran north along Sunshine Grove Road before crossing a field in this rural neighborhood northwest of Brooksville.
Authorities launched an exhaustive daylong search involving nearly two dozen sheriff's deputies, a helicopter and numerous scent-tracking canine units.
The suspect remained on the loose Wednesday evening.
"We felt comfortable that the perimeter was set pretty quick, but after checking with canine and helicopter" nothing was found, said Lt. Scott Bierwiler, a spokesman for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
10/19/07
Conover, North Carolina
From the Charlotte Observer of October 19, 2007
Conover man won't be charged in killing
A Conover man who shot and killed another man during an argument earlier this month won't be charged by the District Attorney's Office, authorities said.
Officials decided not to charge John Kenneth Hedrick, 73, in the Oct. 6 shooting death of 36-year-old Raymond Weathers because it appeared that Hedrick fired in self-defense, authorities said.
"There was not enough evidence to prosecute this as a crime," said Capt. Roy Brown of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
The men had starting arguing, likely over a female they both knew, in front Weather's Newton home, Brown said, and Weathers began hitting and kicking Hedrick.
Brown said the men were fighting on the ground, with Weathers sitting over Hedrick, and Hedrick was able to reach into his van and grab a gun off the floorboard.
Weathers was shot at least two times -- in the neck and shoulder -- with a revolver, and Hedrick had "visible injuries" to his upper body and head when the men were found in Weather's yard, Brown said.
Labels: altercation, NC
Schererville, Indiana
From Merrillville’s PostTrib.com of October 19, 2007
Robber's victims turn tables, shoot as he flees
A would-be robber got more than he bargained Wednesday night, when his victims fought back and shot at him as he fled from a bank parking lot.
The victims were dropping off a night deposit at First Midwest across from the Highland Grove shopping center around 8:30 p.m. when they were approached by a slender man in a dark hooded sweatshirt, Detective Mark Santino said.
The man demanded the money, then scuffled with the two men before turning to run, Santino said. As the man ran off, one of the victims pulled out a handgun and fired several shots.
The robber fired back, but neither appear to have been wounded.
Police from Highland and Schererville searched near the scene for more than an hour, but did not find the suspect.
Santino said investigators have leads on several suspects.
Labels: IN, street robbery
10/18/07
Norcross, Georgia
From MyFoxAtlanta.com of October 18, 2007
Police Say Customer at Norcross Restaurant Fatally Shot Man in Self DefenseFrom the Atlanta Journal Constitution of October 18, 2007
Police say a customer, who shot and killed a man at a restaurant early Thursday morning, did so in self defense. It happened at barnacles [sic] on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross.
Fatal shooting at Norcross bar marks Gwinnett homicide record
Norcross police say they're unlikely to file charges in a fatal shooting at a local bar early Thursday.
The killing — the third homicide within the city limits this year — marks the record for Gwinnett County.
Police identified the dead man as Juan Ojeda, 54, a Spanish national living near Norcross who officers said was a regular at Barnacles Restaurant on Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Another patron killed Ojeda in self defense, said Norcross Police Detective Jason Carter.
The homicide is the 41st for Gwinnett, according to the county medical examiner's office.
That surpasses last year's record of 40.
In the 1997 Gwinnett had only 17 homicides. But in since 2003, it has had more than 30 every year. Local law enforcement experts have cited the county's skyrocketing population.
Witnesses said Ojeda appeared to have been drinking when he drove up to the restaurant around midnight, Carter said. Ojeda joined a group of four other people — other regulars, but not well acquainted with the man — on the patio and became belligerent when one person asked Ojeda not to be obnoxious.
Carter said Ojeda grabbed one man's neck.
"Imagine a 54-year-old man putting a 26-year-old guy in a headlock," Carter said. Witnesses said that a moment later Ojeda feigned an apology, then lunged at another man and bit him in the neck, Carter said.
Managers and patrons ran Ojeda off, but he returned a few minutes later around 1 a.m., gun in hand, witnesses told Carter. As people on the patio scattered, one of the men he'd been sitting with ran away but drew his own gun, police said. The patron fired once, hitting Ojeda in the head as he stood in the parking lot, police said.
Police did not release the name of the patron who killed Ojeda, citing their continuing investigation. But they characterized the event as an apparent act of self defense.
The group remained at the restaurant after the shooting and gave police statements.
"They've been totally cooperative," Carter said.
Calls to relatives and co-workers of Ojeda were not returned.
"If you came in here in the afternoons, you'd recognize him," general manager Mike Ogozelec said of Ojeda, referring further questions to the restaurant's corporate office.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
From PhillyBurbs.com of October 18, 2007
Man is shot to death in apparent robbery attempt
Police say a man was shot and killed while trying to rob a recycling business in Philadelphia.
Police say a man in his 20s entered Geppert Recycling in the 4500 block of Wayne Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
When the man attempted to rob the company, a Geppert employee apparently opened fire.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are saying the incident was self defense, but further details are unavailable.
Labels: business robbery, PA
Chicago, Illinois
From the Chicago Tribune of October 18, 2007
No charges for man who shot drunk U. of C. student
A man who shot a threatening University of Chicago student in the chest Wednesday night acted in self defense and will not be charged, authorities said today.
The student, who was reported to be in critical condition, threatened to hit a fellow apartment-building dweller with a vodka bottle and kicked in the door of the man's Hyde Park apartment, police said.
The incident began about 7:30 p.m. as the student and shooter were riding together in an elevator of their apartment building in the 5400 block of South Cornell Avenue, Chicago Police Officer Laura Kubiak said.
The 24-year-old student, who was drunk and carrying a vodka bottle, followed the man out of the elevator and down the hall, threatening to "hit him in the head with the bottle," Kubiak said. As the man entered his apartment, the student kicked the door and pushed it open, continuing to yell threats, she said.
The apartment's resident retrieved a handgun and shot the student once in the chest as he entered the apartment, Kubiak said.
The student was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was in critical condition as of Wednesday night, Kubiak said. An update on his condition was not available this morning.
Detectives questioned the gunman, who was released without charges after prosecutors decided he had acted in self-defense, according to Kubiak.
Labels: assault, home invasion, IL, intoxication
Saugus, California
From The Signal of October 18, 2007
Armed Homeowner Scares off Burglar
A gun-wielding Saugus homeowner scared off a daytime burglar Wednesday afternoon.
No one was hurt and nothing was stolen, said Lt. Tom Bryski of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
About 1:25 p.m., a lone male was reportedly spotted trying to break into the rear of a house in the 20000 block of Canterwood Drive.
"The person inside the house saw him trying to get in so he pulled out a gun," Bryski said. "The burglar saw the homeowner then took off."
Sheriff's deputies detained a man suspected in the crime. Charges have not yet been filed.
Labels: CA, home invasion
Montgomery, Alabama
From the Montgomery Advertiser of October 18, 2007
Burglar made to clean up mess
After a robber cleaned out a Montgomery couple's home, the couple made him clean up -- at gunpoint.
When Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned to their Centennial Hill home, the husband and wife discovered that thieves had broke into the Ross Street residence and cleaned the house out of almost everything the family of five owned, said Tiffany McKinnon, crying as she spoke.
"Tears just rolled down my face as I walked in and saw everything gone and piles of trash all over my home," said the woman, who discovered the burglary Tuesday when they went home to prepare for the rest of their family's return after a week away.
Reassuring her that everything would be all right, her husband sent her to her sister's home a block away while he inspected the piles of ransacked items.
It was while he was doing this, making his way back into the sunroom, when she said a man walked in the back door, straight into her husband.
"My husband Adrian caught the thief red-handed in our home," she said, a smile replacing the frown on her face.
"And what is even crazier, the man even had my husband's hat sitting right on his head," she said.
Adrian McKinnon held the suspect -- Tajuan Bullock, 33, of 2963 University Drive -- at gunpoint and told him to sit on the floor until he decided what he was going to do, she said.
"We made this man clean up all the mess he made, piles of stuff, he had thrown out of my drawers and cabinets onto the floor," she said.
Once police arrived, Bullock complained to them about being forced at gunpoint to clean up the home.
"This man had the nerve to raise sand about us making him clean up the mess he made in my house," she said. "The police officer laughed at him when he complained and said anybody else would have shot him dead.
"That made the man shut up."
Police arrested Bullock at 2 p.m. Tuesday on burglary and theft charges, said Capt. Huey Thornton, a Montgomery Police Department spokesman.
Bullock is being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $30,000 bond.
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Labels: AL, residence burglary
10/17/07
Minot, North Dakota
From Bismark’s KXNet.com of October 17, 2007
Jurors in Minot acquit man charged in shootingFrom Dickinson’s KQCD.com of October 17, 2007
A Minot man accused of shooting another man has been found not guilty of aggravated assault.
A jury deliberated about three hours before returning the verdict today.
Sixty-five-year-old Robert Hurt was accused of shooting 37-year-old Michael Moran three times early on the morning of December 16th. Moran is now paralyzed below the torso.
Hurt said he shot Moran in self-defense.
Jury Acquits Man in Shooting
A Ward County jury has acquitted a Minot man who shot and paralyzed another man from the waist down.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on aggravated assault charges.
Robert Hurt, 65, shot Michael Moran, 37, three times after an early morning argument outside Hurt`s home in December.
Hurt`s attorney argued that the shooting was done in self defense and that his client feared for his life and was trying to protect his two sons.
Prosecutors says Hurt had plenty of time to call police before shooting Moran.
Labels: altercation, ND
Orange County, Florida
From Orlando’s WESH.com of October 17, 2007
Police: Stripper-Involved Death Was Self-Defense
Authorities are investigating a twist in the shooting on Tuesday night involving a stripper.
Orange County investigators said the stripper was part of a setup to rob the people who hired her.
One of the intended victims shot and killed a man who detectives now say was there to rob him, and had a gun of his own.
The exotic dancer was invited to a private home, but it seems she was part of a larger, Internet-based scheme to rob the two men who invited her, investigators believe.
"It's very weird," neighbor Maria Fernandez said.
Area residents first became concerned after they heard the shooting was the result of an argument over an exotic dancer.
"People have parties, and they have these strippers come to the house in your own neighborhood. You know, i'ts like, unbelievable," Fernandez said.
Then authorities discovered a new twist in the case on Wednesday afternoon.
"You have two individuals that were just looking for a night of entertainment, unfortunately, they called in the wrong act," Sgt. Alan Lee of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
Homicide detectives said the two men had responded to an ad for an exotic dancer on Craigslist.
"A lot of times there is inherent risk with that. A lot of times these ads, it's a setup for you to be robbed," Lee said.
Detectives said the woman went to the house first to scope it out in order to determine for her accomplice if it was worth robbing.
The dancer's accomplice showed up with a gun and the homeowner returned fire with his own weapon and killed the man.
Authorities said neither of the two residents of the home will be charged.
"They were acting in self-defense," Lee said.
Detectives have been working to try to figure out the identity of the man who was shot to death. They strongly suspect the man has a criminal record.
The police are encouraging victims of similar crimes to contact them directly.
Labels: FL, home invasion, residence robbery
Atlanta, Georgia
From Youngstown’s (OH) WFMJ.com of October 17, 2007
Man killed in shooting after robbery
A suspected bank robber has been shot and killed by a security guard at an Atlanta bank.
Police say two other suspects are still at large.
Police say the guard shot the man just after he robbed the bank, as the man was trying to escape. They say the robber collapsed just outside the front door of the Bank of America branch office.
Just before the shooting, a customer alerted bank officials about suspicious activity in the parking lot. Police say the other two suspects are believed to have been waiting in a vehicle. They fled the scene.
Nobody else inside the bank was hurt.
Police are talking to the security guard -- but they say it looks like he acted appropriately.
Labels: business robbery, GA
Chattanooga, Tennessee
From Chattanoogan.com of October 17, 2007
Man Fights Off Home Invaders
An Eastview Drive man fought off three home invaders and traded shots with one of them on Tuesday night.
Police said 30-year-old Courtney Brown was treated for several injuries, including a shot to the calf.
Around 9:30 p.m., Chattanooga Police responded to a home invasion call with shots fired at 311 Eastview Dr.
Upon arrival, officers talked with the victim, who said he was returning home and was backing his vehicle into the garage when three black males came out of the closet and attempted to rob him.
Mr. Brown said he fought the three suspects and yelled for his daughter to call the police. One of the suspects got into the house and went upstairs to where the daughter had locked herself in the bedroom. The suspect then kicked the door in and demanded she lie on the bed and she would not be hurt. He then took her cell phone.
Mr. Brown continued to fight with the other two suspects and was able to get away from them. He managed to lock the door behind him.
Mr. Brown then encountered the suspect who was inside the house and they fought in the hallway. Mr. Brown broke free, retrieved a handgun from his bedroom and started back to the front door area. The man who was still inside then fired a shot at Mr. Brown, striking him in the calf. Mr. Brown returned fire but did not hit the suspect.
All three of the suspects fled on foot.
Mr. Brown was taken to Erlanger where he was treated for several cuts to his head and face and the gunshot wound to his calf. He was treated and released.
Chattanooga Police are looking for suspect #1 who is tall and thin wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Suspects 2 and 3 were medium build with scarves over their faces and knit caps on their heads.
All three of the suspects were armed with chrome handguns.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, TN
Brooksville, Florida
From the MyFoxTampaBay.com of October 17, 2007
Hernando man confronts, shoots burglar
The search is on for a wounded burglar in Hernando County.
According to deputies, a Brooksville man returned home to find a red pickup truck in his Sunshine Grove Road driveway. The man armed himself and then went inside to confront the intruder.
A struggle ensued, during which the homeowner shot the intruder in the stomach and the backside with bird shot, which was loaded in his .22-caliber pistol.
The wounded intruder fled, and now K9s and helicopters are helping to search for him.
There were initial reports out of the area that three schools had been placed on lockdown, but deputies say that never happened. Additional deputies were dispatched to the schools as a precaution, however.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s with a shaved head. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and carrying a dark jacket.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Gary, Indiana
From Merrillville’s The Post Tribune of October 17, 2007
Man shot by owner charged in burglary
A man wounded early Monday has been charged with burglary.
Antoine D. Whitehead, 19, faces up to eight years in jail if convicted of the charge.
Whitehead was arrested at The Methodist Hospitals in Gary where he was being treated for a gunshot wound.
Mustafa Alayah, owner of Dave's Tire Shop, told Detective Dan Callahan he heard noises at his business and saw shadows, then fired his gun.
Investigators found the cash register at the shop had been opened by intruders, court records state.
Labels: business burglary, IN
Naples, Florida
From the Bonita Daily News of October 16, 2007
Woman portrayed as battered spouse acquitted of attempted murder
A 48-year-old North Naples woman who shot her husband in the face was acquitted of attempted murder Tuesday in a case domestic violence advocates hope will prompt battered women to come forward at the first signs of abuse.
The four-woman, two-man jury deliberated roughly 2 1/2 hours before acquitting Victoria Vawn Dales of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and shooting inside a building in the June 20, 2004, shooting of her third husband, Michael W. Dales.
The verdict means jurors had reasonable doubt or believed Dales was justified and acted in self-defense. The early morning shooting at 387 Huntington Drive in Victoria Park shattered 35-year-old Michael Dales’ jaw when a bullet pierced his lower lip, lodging in his spine. Dales, a crane operator with law enforcement training, testified he lost part of his jaw.
During the four-day trial, prosecutors portrayed Dales as jealous and possessive, pushed to kill after catching her husband on the phone with a woman and learning he planned to leave her. The defense, however, painted him as possessive, obsessive and violent, a man who controlled everything from the clothes she wore, to her jobs and friends. They say he attacked her after she threatened to leave and painted her as a victim of battered spouse syndrome who’d survived two serious prior beatings and suffocation attempts.
Testimony concluded Friday with a battle of forensic psychologists who disputed whether she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and battered spouse syndrome.
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Labels: domestic abuse, FL
White Plains, New York
From White Plains’ The Journal News of October 17, 2007
Man acquitted of assault in Yonkers shooting
A Brooklyn man accused of shooting a Yonkers man in the buttocks last year was acquitted of felony assault charges yesterday but was convicted for illegally having a gun.
A jury found 44-year-old Robert Harris not guilty of second-degree assault and first-degree attempted assault for the Nov. 12 shooting of 29-year-old David Poncurak.
Harris was found guilty of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor that became a nonviolent felony because of Harris' past criminal record.
If he had been convicted of the assaults, Harris would have been considered a mandatory violent felony offender and sentenced to life behind bars.
He now could serve two to seven years in prison on the gun conviction. He is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 6 before state Supreme Court Justice Lester Adler.
Defense attorney Barry Warhit argued that Harris shot Poncurak in self-defense because he was being robbed and attacked by Poncurak and Michael Soto. Warhit said the gun belonged to Poncurak, who did not testify at trial. Soto testified against Harris.
Assistant District Attorney John Thomas said Harris never mentioned the alleged robbery to police on the morning of the shooting and that he changed his account of how the gun discharged. Thomas also questioned how Poncurak was shot in the buttocks if he was attacking Harris.
Yonkers police apprehended Harris at his girlfriend's home in Yonkers shortly after the shooting. Police said they recovered a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun inside a bag in a bedroom closet of the home.
The Westchester County District Attorney's Office could ask that Harris be considered a discretionary persistent felony offender, which could lengthen his prison sentence.
Labels: NY, street robbery
10/16/07
Lumberton, North Carolina
From the Fayetteville Observer of October 16, 2007
Lumberton teen shot, in critical condition
A 15-year-old boy was shot Monday night after pointing a shotgun at a man’s house, according to authorities.
The incident happened about 11 p.m. near a residence on the 500 block of East 21st Street.
The 15-year-old is in critical condition at Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
Investigators say the teenager was in a vehicle with four others. The driver parked the car next door to a residence. Four people, including the teen, got out of the car. The juvenile had a shotgun in his hand, said Sgt. Howard Reaves of the Lumberton Police Department.
Jeremy Locklear, 26, told lawmen he was sitting in his car in his driveway when he heard his dogs barking. He got out of his car to see what was going on when he saw the group near a building next to his residence. They came toward the house, and the teen pointed the shotgun in Locklear’s direction, Reaves said.
Locklear had a shotgun in his vehicle. He shot at the teenager, Reaves said. The teenager was struck on the right side with buck shots, he said.
The other men with the teen ran from the scene, he said. One person who remained in the car during the shooting was questioned by lawmen.
Investigators are still trying to determine why the men came to Locklear’s residence, Reaves said.
No charges had been filed as of Tuesday.
Jackson, Michigan
From Lansing’s WLNS.com of October 16, 2007
Teen Arrested for Attempted Robbery
A suspect is behind bars after an attempted robbery in Jackson. It happened Friday at the Quick Mart party store on Greenwood Avenue. Police say a male suspect entered the store, showed a handgun and in response, the clerk grabbed his own handgun and chased the suspect out of the store. Then on Saturday, police say they received a tip that led them to arrest a 14-year-old Georgia boy for that crime. He is currently being held at the Jackson County Youth Home pending formal charges.
Labels: business robbery, MI
Florence, Alabama
From Huntsville’s WHNT.com of October 14, 2007
Man Shot by Brother
Florence Police say a man shot his brother this weekend.
It happened around noon Sunday at a house on Shelly Lane in Florence. Investigators say Beau Behel shot his brother, Sam, once in the stomach.
Doctors operated on the 39-year-old and he's in stable condition.
Police do not expect to formally charged Beau Behel. It could be self defense.
Florenc [sic] Police say Sam Behel tried to stab his brother, Beau, during an arguument [sic], so Beau pulled out a gun and fired it.
Labels: AL, domestic dispute
Dallas, Texas
From the Dallas Morning News of October 16, 2007
Homeowner kills burglar in DallasFrom the Dallas Morning News of October XX, 2007
A would-be burglar is dead, after targeting the wrong house early Tuesday morning.
Police said the homeowner confronted and shot the intruder about 4:10 a.m. inside a small garage at the back of his property in the 3600 block of Cortez Drive, a few blocks north of Dallas Love Field.
The unidentified burglar was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
According to investigators, the shooting appears to have been justified. The unnamed homeowner—who was said to have been the victim of of severeal previous burglaries this month—will not be charged.
NW Dallas homeowner shoots, kills intruder after parrot's warning
Dennis Baker's home security system includes three cameras that feed video to 42-inch screens in his living room and bedroom. But it was his pet parrot, he says, that alerted him to a burglar he shot and killed early Tuesday.
Also Online
Video: Homeowner Dennis Baker, accompanied by his parrots, talks about shooting the intruder
"Hello, hello," the parrot said, waking Mr. Baker from what he says was a deep sleep.
The 59-year-old locksmith keeps several pet birds in his northwest Dallas home, including a Mexican Red-headed parrot named Salvador. The bird says "hello" whenever he sees someone. When someone passed by a window about 2 a.m., Salvador squawked the greeting.
"It woke me up," Mr. Baker said. "I guess you could call him a stool pigeon."
Police say it appears that Mr. Baker was within his rights to shoot the burglar, but as is routine in such cases, they will turn the facts to a grand jury for review.
Mr. Baker killed 46-year-old John Woodson, whose criminal record includes charges of burglary, theft and possession of a controlled substance.
Tuesday's burglary, police say, was the fourth on Mr. Baker's property within a month. Investigators say preliminary information indicates Mr. Woodson may have been responsible for some or all of them.
Mr. Baker puts the number at five.
"I got hit five times this month. I have tools in my garage, my house and my van," Mr. Baker said. "They were coming here like they owned the place. I hate what happened, but somebody has to do what's necessary."
Mr. Baker runs a locksmith shop at the home in the 3600 block of Cortez Drive. A large safe sits on the porch. The door of the detached garage is off its hinges. He plans to fix the doors soon but has to replace some of the wood first.
Mr. Baker said he installed a video surveillance system after burglars targeted his home repeatedly. Thieves have taken $20,000 worth of locksmith equipment, saws and lawn gear, he said.
After the parrot woke him, Mr. Baker said, he got up and walked to the garage.
"He was in the very back of the garage," Mr. Baker said of Mr. Woodson. "There were no lights on. The only thing I could do was see a silhouette, and as you saw in the video, he had his hands in his pockets when he came through here. I had no idea what he had."
The security video shows a man – presumably Mr. Woodson – with his hands in his pant pockets, casually walking around the perimeter of the garage and then inside.
Neither police nor Mr. Baker would give a detailed account of the confrontation that followed, and the cameras don't capture it. But police said Mr. Woodson didn't try to flee and that Mr. Baker shot him in his midsection.
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Labels: home invasion, TX
Joplin, Missouri
From the Joplin Globe of October 15, 2007
Would-be robber flees after man pulls handgun
A Joplin man reported thwarting a robbery attempt Saturday night in downtown Joplin with a handgun he was legally carrying.
Thomas W. Doyle, 38, 2931 N. Michigan Ave., reported at 7:28 p.m. Saturday that after he obtained some cash from an automated teller machine at Seventh Street and Virginia Avenue, he was approached by a man while parked in the 700 block of Virginia Avenue, according to Cpl. Chuck Niess of the Joplin Police Department.
Doyle told police that the man pulled out a knife and demanded his money, Niess said. But the man fled when Doyle pulled out a handgun for which he has a concealed-carry permit, Niess said.
No arrest had been made by Monday afternoon, Niess said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MO, street robbery
10/15/07
Oil Center, Oklahoma
From Oklahoma City’s KOCO.com of October 15, 2007
Woman Checking Mail Attacked, Killed By Dogs
A woman checking her mail was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in south-central Oklahoma on Monday, authorities said.
According to officials with the Ada Fire Department, the dogs belonged to the woman's son-in-law, who lived next door near Oil Center. Emergency crews found the woman dead just after noon, lying in a nearby street.
Authorities said she had bite marks all over her body.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, they reported seeing somebody shoot the dogs with a shotgun. Four of the dogs were killed, but the rest got away.
Mobile, Alabama
From Mobile’s WSBtv.com of October 15, 2007
Elderly Woman Shoots Homeless Man In Her Laundry Room
Mobile police said an 81-year-old woman shot a homeless man this morning after finding him washing his clothes in her laundry room.
Police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant told the Press-Register that Ethel Sanders told people she heard noises in her laundry room. When she went to investigate, she found a man standing in his underwear near the washing machine.
Gallichant said Sanders was carrying a handgun and shot the man when he came at her. He said Sanders fell to the ground and dropped the gun after firing.
Gallichant said the man grabbed the gun, pointed it at Sanders and took his clothes from the washing machine.
The man fled and Sanders called police just before 8 a.m. Officers caught the man at the nearby Plateau Community Center.
James Penn, who is 25, was taken to University of South Alabama Medical Center. Gallichant said he is expected to survive. Upon release from the hospital, Gallichant said, Penn will be charged with first-degree burglary.
Labels: AL, residence burglary, senior
Kansas City, Missouri
From the Kansas City Star of October 15, 2007
Shots exchanged during KC home invasion
An intruder who forced his way into a Kansas City home early this morning was chased off when a resident fired a shot through his closed bedroom door.
Kansas City police were called to the house in the 4100 block of South Benton St. about 1:50 a.m. and found signs that the front door had been pried open.
A 69-year-old man told officers that he was awakened by the sound of the door being forced open. The man said that as he heard the intruder approach his bedroom he fired a shot from a .40-caliber handgun. The suspect fired a return shot and fled.
Another man was sleeping in the house, but neither resident saw the intruder, according to police reports. The residents were not injured and there were no signs that a bullet hit the intruder.
Iola, Kansas
From the Iola Register of October 15, 2007
Woman shot in dispute
Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway will decide whether to file charges from an incident that involved discharge of a firearm in a domestic setting a mile southwest of Iola Saturday evening.
Sheriff Tom Williams said Don Hammer, when confronted by his wife, Geraldine, holding a handgun and aiming it at him, fired a single shot that struck her hand and sent the weapon flying to the floor. The confrontation came after the couple apparently had argued, William said.
Williams said Gerlandine Hammer, 68, riding a motorized scooter, retrieved a .25 caliber handgun from a cabinet just prior to the shooting. Don Hammer was armed with a .357 caliber handgun.
“When she confronted him with the weapon, he shot it out of her hand,” the sheriff said. “He then called 911.”
Geraldine Hammer suffered a minor wound to a finger. She was taken into protective custody and was released to family after a screening by mental health authorities.
Don Hammer also was taken into custody after Lee Roberts, a 911 dispatcher, convinced him to come from the house and give himself to officers, several of whom were waiting outside.
Hammer later was released.
“We looked at the scene and everything matched statements made by both of the Hammers” that it was self defense on his part, Williams said.
The case will remain open until Hathaway decides whether charges are warranted.
Labels: domestic dispute, KS
Grand Rapids, Michigan
From the Grand Rapids Press of October 15, 2007
Gas station clerk pulled gun before he was shot
A gas station clerk wounded in a holdup Friday night was shot after pulling a gun on the robbery suspect, police now say.
Grand Rapids police said the clerk, Eugene Earl-Evonta Eursher, 27, complied with the gunman's demand for money from the register but then pulled a handgun on the thin, bearded robber, who shot and critically wounded Eursher.
Police first said there was only a confrontation between the alleged robber and the clerk.
Police said they believe the suspect is the same man who robbed two other businesses, taking time to say "I'm sorry" during one heist.
Eursher's parents said Sunday that they are not interested in the apologies of whoever pulled the trigger -- they just want that person off the street.
Eursher is recovering at a local hospital from the gunshot wound he received at the Boston Square Shell station, which is owned by his father, Edward Earl Eursher.
Labels: business robbery, defender shot, MI
Dallas, Texas
From Dallas’ WFAA.com of October 15, 2007
Man kills 2 suspected burglars in 3 weeksFrom Fort Worth’s MyFoxFW.com of November 20, 2007
A Ledbetter-area business owner fatally shot a suspected burglar Sunday morning – the second time in three weeks that he killed an intruder, Dallas police said.
James Walton, owner of Able Walton Machine & Welding in the 2000 block of Chalk Hill Road in West Dallas, was alerted to the intruder when his motion sensor system activated about 9 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Mr. Walton, who also lives at his business, went downstairs with a shotgun and fired at a man who had broken in. The intruder was later identified by police as Jimmy Gannon of Ferris.
Police said Mr. Walton also noticed another man outside Sunday. Mr. Walton shot and wounded that man. He escaped, but a witness eventually led police to him. The man, whom police did not immediately identify, was questioned by officers Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Gannon, 37, was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where he died.
Police said Mr. Walton is allowed to protect his property. No charges were filed against him Sunday, though the case will be referred to a grand jury, police said.
"He's got a right to defend his property. What gives a stranger the right to go in and vandalize or burglarize his business?" said Dallas police Sgt. Gene Reyes. "He's within every legal right to do this."
Mr. Walton could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Dallas police Sgt. Andrew Harvey said he doesn't believe anything was stolen from Mr. Walton's business on Sunday.
On Sept. 22, Mr. Walton shot and killed a man he saw climbing through a pried-open window of his business, police said. The intruder was later identified as Raul Laureles. That incident also was referred to a grand jury.
Dallas Man 'Justified' in Shooting Two Burglars on His Property, Grand Jury Says
The owner of a West Dallas machine shop will not face charges for shooting and killing two burglars on his property.
A Grand Jury determined the actions of James Walton were justified.
Walton shot the two men while they were each committing separate burglaries at the shop where he works and lives.
He told FOX 4 that he is relieved the ordeal is over.
Police responded to at least 42 calls for burglaries and thefts at Walton's place before the shootings.
Labels: business burglary, TX
10/14/07
Schenectady, New York
From Schenectady’s Fox23News.com of October 14, 2007
Schenectady Store Owner Shoots Burglary Suspect
A Schenectady shop owner tells FOX23 News that he confronted and shot a man who he says broke into his store early Sunday morning.
Police say the alleged burglar tried to leave the scene of the crime and came face-to-face with the store's owner who was armed with a shotgun.
Investigators tell us that 21-year-old John Sayers of Schenectady is recovering at Albany Medical Center on Sunday night.
Police say Sayers broke into Funn Electronics on Albany Street in Schenectady some time before 6:00 a.m. on Sunday.
The shop owner and his son live above the store.
They tell FOX23 News that they heard glass breaking and went to investigate.
They say that's when they found Sayers inside the building, armed with a wrench.
When the alleged burglar tried to leave, the store owner shot him.
Schenectady Police arrived and arrested Sayers who now faces burglary and criminal mischief charges.
The shop owner's son says he recognized Sayers as a customer of the store.
Labels: business burglary, NY
Jackson, Mississippi
From Jackson’s WAPT.com of October 14, 2007
Police Say Would-Be Robber Shot, HospitalizedFrom the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of October 15, 2007
A would-be robber was hospitalized early Sunday morning after his alleged victim shot him multiple times, Jackson police said.
Jerriod Peters knocked on the door of a home on McKee Street at about 5:30 a.m., officers said. But when the homeowner answered, he apparently took the handgun from the [sic] Peters and shot him.
Peters is listed in critical condition at University Medical Center.
The homeowner hasn't been charged in the shooting.
man shot in alleged robbery dies
The latest in a spate of suspected criminals to encounter an armed Jackson resident died Monday morning.
Jerriod Peters, 21, was the second man to die in just over two weeks after being shot during an apparent botched robbery.
Police haven't released the name of the man who shot Peters. They've said the man reported Peters knocked on his door, in the 300 block of McKee Street, about 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
Peters and the homeowner had guns, and they exchanged fire. Peters was hit multiple times and died shortly after midnight at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said autopsy results are pending.
No one in the neighborhood would talk about the incident on Monday. Several men outside the duplex where it happened said they knew nothing about the shooting.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MS, residence robbery
10/13/07
Bartlett, Tennessee
From Memphis’ MyEyewitnessNews.com of October 12, 2007
New Information: Bartlett Man Shot & Killed In HomeFrom the Memphis Commercial Appeal of November 5, 2007
Eyewitness News Everywhere uncovers new information about a Bartlett man shot and killed in his home Friday, October 12, 2007. Police say either Allen Lovell’s son or wife pulled the trigger. They also say the family has a history of domestic disturbances at their Scepter Cove house.
Bartlett police say Lovell’s wife, Bobbie called them at 11:57 a.m. Friday to report that she and her son Cody were being held hostage by her husband. Police say dispatchers called back a few minutes later and were told Allen Lovell had been shot in the chest. Lovell was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bobbie and Cody Lovell were taken to the Bartlett Police Department. They were questioned for several hours. As of 8:20 p.m. Friday night, police say they do not know who fired the shot that killed Allen Lovell. They say prosecutors will determine if any charges will be filed on Monday, October 15th.
Eyewitness News Everywhere has learned this incident is far from the first time police have been called to the Lovell home. On April 28th, 2006, police charged Allen Lovell with domestic assault for beating up his son. The police report says Cody Lovell told police he "reached under the bed and pulled a silver colt . . . revolver. Cody then stated he pulled the trigger in self defense.” No was hurt during that incident.
On March 1st of this year, Allen Lovell was charged with aggravated assault. Police say Lovell threatened them with a gun, and then ran off. Police they had gone to Lovell’s home to check up on him after a friend told police Lovell was suicidal.
Lovell’s neighbor Rachel Edwards says he was a good neighbor. She says, “He was great. I liked him. He was just a good ol' boy.” But she also says she saw Lovell arguing with his family in their front yard several times. She says, “I knew they had problems, but not that drastic, not that bad.”
Allen Lovell was a boxing referee. He has been a referee for several fights at the New Daisy Theater for “Boxing on Beale.”
Charges against Bartlett wife dropped in shooting of husband
Criminal charges against a Bartlett woman who fatally shot her husband last month were dropped today after a review of the case pointed to self defense.
Dorothy ‘Bobbi’ Lovell, 42, was charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting her husband, Alan Lovell, 46, with a .357-caliber Magnum on Oct. 12. He was a ticket agent and well-known boxing referee.
She and her 21-year-old son, Kody, told police Lovell had held them hostage for nine hours in their home at 6954 Scepter Cove. They said Lovell had acted irrationally and had pointed a gun at them several times and would not let them leave.
Bartlett police said they had been called to the home several times in the past on complaints of Lovell’s aggressive behavior.
Asst. Dist. Atty. Gen. Thomas Henderson said late today that after reviewing the police investigation of the shooting the evidence did not support a manslaughter charge and appeared to be self defense. The case was dismissed in Bartlett City Court.
Labels: domestic dispute, TN
10/11/07
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
From Milwaukee’s WISN.com of October 11, 2007
Victim And Alleged Attacker Come Face-To-Face In E.R.
A Milwaukee pizza delivery driver managed to fight off two would-be robbers, but was surprised when he ran into one of his alleged attackers at the hospital.
Police said a gunman tried to hold up the Pizza Hut driver while he was out on a delivery near 23rd Street and Verona Court just after 7 o'clock Wednesday night.
While the driver was fighting with the suspect, a second man attacked him.
That's when police said the pizza man grabbed the gun and began pistol whipping the first attacker.
The pizza driver went to St. Francis Hospital to get treatment and saw the first suspect sitting in the emergency room.
The victim called police, and the suspect was arrested.
Officers are still looking for the second suspect.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, pizza delivery driver, street robbery, WI
Fort Bend County, Texas
From Houston’s ABC13.com of October 11, 2007
Armed homeowner catches suspects in the actFrom Houston’s KHOU.com of October 12, 2007
A quick-thinking homeowner who happens to be an early riser may be responsible for getting some crooks off the street.
The man awoke early this morning at his home in th Cinco Ranch subdivision. As he went to feed the cats, he noticed the side door to the garage was open.
Sheriff's deputies say Brian Bostic, 18, was inside a vehicle belonging to the homeowner's wife and Richard Holley, 20, was standing in front of the garage keeping lookout.
Before the suspects noticed him, the homeowner retrieved a 12 gauge shot gun. He then demanded they lie on the ground and detained the suspects until deputies arrived on scene. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident. They are currently being held in the Fort Bend County Jail for burglary.
Investigators located the suspects' vehicle, which contained stolen property from other homes in the area. Detectives believe these suspects may be responsible for a string of at least five burglaries. It appears that the suspects gained entry into unlocked vehicles located in the driveway as well as unlocked garages.
Speak softly and carry a 12-gauge
A Fort Bend County homeowner fought back when he found burglars in his home.
“You know there's something about when you hear a pump shotgun click,” said Nathaniel Brooks. “It makes everybody think twice.”
And the two burglars did think twice.
“You are trying to steal something out of my garage,” Brooks recalled telling the robbers. “You in my garage so you have no rights now. This is my house.”
He saw them through his back door rummaging through his garage.
“And I walked out of the house and I went around and confronted those guys on the side of the house,” he said. “So, I aimed at him and said, ‘You sneeze, you're dead man.’ And I called the other guy out of the garage.
"I watch a lot of movies it sounded like a good thing to say. It got his attention."
Brooks held them at attention until deputies got there two minutes later.
“I feel like I reacted like every homeowner should react,” said Brooks.
Deputies have praised Nathaniel for what he did, said he is well within his rights to do what he did. But they also say he helped them catch someone who has done this many, many times before.
The suspects are Brian Bostic and Richard Holly. Deputies say this isn't Bostic's first time to be arrested for a break in.
Meanwhile, Brooks has the praise of his neighbors.
"I think it's fabulous I wish more people would do it,” said neighbor Charlotte Priest. "I don't blame him. I'd do the same thing myself."
Even Brooks own wife said in 20 years of marriage she had never heard this tough talking guy before.
"And I have never seen that side of him. It’s like I'm a newlywed now,” said Vanessa Brooks.
Yes, life is good again on Cinco Park Place where burglars are reminded to listen, and think twice.
“Don't go to my house. I wouldn't come to my house if I were you,” said Brooks.
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Wenatchee, Washington
From Seattle’s KOMOtv.com of October 11, 2007
Man swinging bottle shot by driver at Highway 2 rest area
The Chelan County sheriff's office says a man seeking a ride was critically wounded while harassing a driver who stopped at a Highway 2 rest area.
The sheriff's office says 45-year-old Jay Kneer of Renton was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Wednesday night with a head wound.
Investigators say 66-year-old Dennis Shaw of Lynnwood and his wife had stopped at the Nason Creek rest area 14 miles west of Leavenworth where Kneer asked him for a ride.
When Shaw refused, Kneer became angry, followed Shaw to his car and struck his vehicle window with a glass bottle.
Shaw told investigators the attack continued when he pointed a handgun at Kneer. Shaw says he fired in an attempt to scare Kneer and hit him in the head.
The Shaws were not injured.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From Tulsa’s KOTV.com of October 11, 2007
Shots Fired At Apartment Complex
The sound of gunfire overnight at a Tulsa apartment complex. Tulsa Police say it happened about 1 am Thursday when a security guard at the Normandy Apartments near 36th & Sheridan fired a shotgun blast at a car.
Police officers say the driver in the car has a history of violence and had been banned from the apartment complex. The security guard told police, he fired when the man backed the car towards him. The driver ran off but has been arrested.
No one was hurt in the incident. Tulsa Police continue to investigate.
10/10/07
Marianna, Pennsylvania
From the ThePittsburgChannel.com of October 10, 2007
76-Year-Old Woman Takes Gun From Girl, Thwarts Robbery
A 76-year-old storeowner in Washington County said she was having a bad day when a young woman tried to rob her on Monday.
Police said Virginia Hart was behind the counter of the Lone Pine Market in Marianna when a young girl came in and demanded money.
Police said when Hart refused, the woman pulled a gun and again demanded money.
Once again, police said, Hart refused and then grabbed the gun, picked up a stool and chased the woman out the door.
The girl is described as blond, in her 20s and was wearing a blue sweatshirt.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, PA, senior
Fairfield, Alabama
From the Birmingham News of October 10, 2007
Fairfield man kills pit bull that attacked mother, dog
A Fairfield man shot and killed a dog that was attacking his mother and her pet dog Tuesday morning.
Joann Farley said she had let her small mixed-breed dog "out to go to the bathroom" in front of her house on 50th Street about 6:40 a.m. when a pit bull, which lived at a neighbor's house, jumped the dog, she said. Her son, Raymond Farley, was able to pry the pit bull's jaws open to get the small dog released, she said.
"I ran out in nothing but my gown. I picked up my little dog and it (the pit bull) bit me on the arm, trying to get my dog again," she said. "When he bit me I dropped my dog and he got it again."
Finally, Raymond Farley shot the attacking dog twice with a .38-caliber pistol, killing it.
Joann Farley went to Trinity Medical Center for treatment of her arm, where she received 12 stitches, she said.
Terra Cotromano of The Emergency Animal Rescue Service said she was called to come help with the injured dog.
"When I got there the little dog was lying there on the ground. It couldn't get up. He (Raymond Farley) was trying to deal with his mother. I took the dog to the vet. It really doesn't look very good for it," she said.
Joann Farley, who has several small dogs, said the pit bull has attacked them before.
Fairfield Police Chief Mardis said he expects to charge the pit bull's owner, who lives in Birmingham, with violating the city's leash law. It wasn't clear why the dog was at the address in Fairfield.
Joann Farley said she is also concerned with whether the pit bull had been vaccinated for rabies. She said she was told it been vaccinated, but the remains had been removed from her yard by the time she returned home from the hospital.
"I've got to try to find the body (for testing) or get some proof that it had been vaccinated," she said.
Cotromano said the incident lends further support to people who want to see a dangerous-dog law in place.
"There are some who want it breed-specific, but I believe it should be addressed by the (individual) animal that presents a danger to the public."
Broomfield, Colorado
From TheDenverChannel.com of October 10, 2007
Police: Broomfield Intruder Shot After Door Kicked In
Police are investigating an early-morning shooting involving a man armed with a pool cue and a renter trying to get some sleep.
According to police, the renter was sleeping at about 2:30 a.m. when the female owner of the house showed up with a friend and didn't have her keys. She woke the renter to be let in.
Police said the renter asked the woman's friend to leave around 4 a.m. because they were being loud and he was trying to sleep. The man left, but returned a few minutes later, and police said he was carrying a pool cue.
The renter told police the man with the pool cue kicked in the door and threatened him with the pool cue. That's when the renter shot the man. He was rushed to a local hospital for surgery after suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said.
No names have been released and the investigation is continuing.
Billings, Montana
From Butte’s The Montana Standard of October 10, 2007
Athlete recovering from mauling
A Carroll College student is recovering from a severed hamstring and other injuries suffered when he was mauled by a grizzly bear while bow hunting over the weekend.
Roman Morris, who is a freshman wide receiver on Carroll’s football team, said he was crouched on a hillside north of Gardiner at dawn Saturday when a female grizzly bear walking by turned and attacked him.
‘‘It charged down the hill and just drilled me,’’ said Morris, 21, of Whitewater.
Over the next 30 to 45 seconds, Morris fought with the bear as it bit and clawed, severed his left hamstring, punctured his shoulder, chomped at his head and tossed him around.
‘‘I thought the whole time, This is so messed up. I’m going to die, I’m going to die,’’’ said Morris, a pre-med major.
The bear ran off after a friend fired a pistol. Morris underwent surgery at a Livingston hospital and was recuperating Monday at his brother’s house in Helena.
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10/9/07
Laurens, South Carolina
From GreenvilleOnline.com of October 9, 2007
Two robbery suspects may have gunshot wounds
Greenville police were searching tonight for two men who may have been shot as they attempted to rob the Concrete Jungle on Laurens Road this afternoon, spokesman Cpl. Jason Rampey said.
The store’s operator told investigators that he fired multiple times when the two walked in and tried to rob the store at 1810 Laurens Road at about 4 p.m., Rampey said.
Police haven’t said how many shots were fired. "He shot more than once," Rampey said. The name of the store operator hasn’t been released.
Police notified all area hospitals that one or two men may be seeking treatment for a gunshot wound, Rampey said. "When we have something like this, we notify all the area hospitals," he said. "If there’s a gunshot wound staggering in, they notify us."
The two men "fled on foot away" from Laurens Road toward Blakely Road, Rampey said.
One man was described as a black male in his 30s and about 6 feet, 1 inch, weighing about 190 pounds and wearing a white T-shirt, blue shorts and a day-old beard, Rampey said.
The second man was described as a black male in his 20s, about 5 feet, 10 inches, weighing about 180 pounds, and wearing a white T-shirt, black shorts, a black hat and white shoes.
Labels: business robbery, SC
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From ThePittsburghChannel.com of October 9, 2007
Man Kicked Out Of Home, Returns With Gun, Is Shot Dead
A young man was wounded by gunfire while he shot and killed an intruder at a home in Pittsburgh's Homewood area Tuesday morning, according to homicide detectives.
Police officers patrolling the neighborhood said they heard gunshots near the home in the 1500 block of North Murtland Street around 2:40 a.m. (See Map)
They found one man on nearby Lincoln Avenue with a chest wound and a gun in his possession, police said. He was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in critical condition but later died.
Police identified that man as Ronnell Pittman, 34. No address for Pittman was given.
Pittman had entered the home without being invited and was told to leave, then came back with a gun and started shooting at James Hill, 19, police said.
Hill fired a gun and shot Pittman, who was able to run away but eventually died from his injuries, police said.
Police did not say why Pittman entered the home in the first place. They said he may have gone there by mistake.
Hill, of the Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood, was treated at UPMC Presbyterian for a gunshot wound to the foot.
His uncle said Hill fired the gun to protect his family.
Hill is being held at the Allegheny County Jail on an alleged firearms violation but is not facing any charges for Pittman's death, police said.
Homicide detectives are still investigating. The District Attorney's Office is also involved in the case.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, PA
North Fort Myers, Florida
From Fort Myers’ NBC-2.com of October 9, 2007
Burglar shot in the face during break-in
A burglary victim shot the thief in the face early Tuesday morning in North Fort Myers.
It happened around 3:45 a.m. on Redlin Street, between Atlantic & Pacific.
Authorities say when the resident of the home heard the burglar, he pulled a gun and fired, striking the thief in the cheek.
The wounded man ran from the house and was picked up by authorities on Pacific.
The man, whose name has not been released yet, was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital with a wound to his cheek. Authorities say the injury doesn't appear to be life-threatening.
Labels: FL, residence burglary
Amarillo, Texas
From Amarillo’s KVII.com of October 9, 2007
No charges filed in homicideDear Mr. Reporter: If the Castle Doctrine is now the law of the land in Texas, it kinda seems like maybe, sorta, it should have something to do with it. Does that answer your question?
Does the Castle Doctrine play a role?
A deadly shooting in the 6800 block of Cleon on Sunday afternoon has many of you asking questions.
According to police, Calvin Farmer was shot and killed after confronting a homeowner on that homeowner’s property.
As of right now, no charges have been filed in the case.
Does the new Castle Doctrine have something to do with that?
The Castle Doctrine was passed September 1st, and gives Texans broader powers in defending themselves with deadly force.
“The only change is that then it was written in the law that if you could, you should retreat,” said Lt. Gary Trupe with the Amarillo Special Crime’s Unit. “Now it says there is no obligation for you to retreat.”
Will this case be affected by that law?
Trupe said the homeowner might have had some reason to use self-defense.
“The person may have had some reason in which to use deadly force,” said Trupe. “This was his property. Mr. Farmer came to his property. There was a physical altercation between the two where blows were struck.”
ProNews 7 spoke with a local attorney who tells us the Castle Doctrine may open up a can of worms for Texans.
“By changing around some sentences in the law, they’re going to make this a lot easier for people to kill other people as long as they are defending their home allegedly, or their car allegedly,” said Jeff Blackburn.
He says that because of the new law, these kinds of cases will change drastically in the near future.
“I think this is probably going to foreshadow a lot of what we’ll see in the future in these kinds of cases where you’ve got a homeowner that’s on his property and he plugs somebody,” said Blackburn. “His chances of getting indicted are probably a lot thinner than they used to be.”
So what’s the next step in the case?
“We could file charges against the person who did the shooting, however, if the information remains as it is now we could be presenting this to the Randall County district attorney as an original matter to be looked at by the grand jury to see if they feel that the person was justified in why he did the shooting,” said Trupe.
Labels: altercation, TX
Boulder County, Colorado
From the Boulder Daily Camera of October 8, 2007
Questions in cougar shootingFrom the TheDenverChannel.com of October 11, 2007
Jeremy Kocar killed mountain lion that attacked a puppy chained on the property
Only stars and the glimmer from a 140-pound mountain lion's fierce gaze provided light in the midnight darkness of Boulder County's foothills for Jeremy Kocar to cock and aim his rifle.
Still, Kocar said his eyes adjusted "quick enough" when the cougar looked up from the puppy in its clutches.
"I took the shot, and that was the end of it," said Kocar, 31, who now finds himself facing possible criminal charges for shooting the adult male lion.
It's been three days since Kocar said he saved his family's Rottweiler-Labrador mix, Duke — and possibly his own life — by shooting the lion that attacked the 8-month-old puppy. But, Kocar said, it will be much longer before he's able to get over the moment he stared down the cat as it crouched in a "pouncing" position.
"That's one thing you don't ever want," Kocar said Monday while standing outside the trailer that he, his wife and their two children are living in near Nederland. "You don't want to come face-to-face with a lion."
Jeremy Kocar, a Wisconsin man temporarily living near Nederland, sits with 8-month-old Duke, who was mauled by a mountain lion near Kocar's trailer early Friday. Kocar shot and killed the cougar, and now may face criminal charges.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife confiscated the cougar that Kocar killed at approximately 1:30 a.m. Friday in a clearing east of Gross Reservoir. Wildlife officers are reviewing the shooting, and DOW spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said her agency is "investigating what will happen to the person who shot the lion."
"We do have laws that allow people to protect their safety and their livestock," Churchill said. "But this is the tricky gray area of it being a dog."According to Colorado law, it's legal "to trap, kill or otherwise dispose of bears, mountain lions or dogs in situations when it is necessary to prevent them from inflicting death or injury to livestock or human life."
That's exactly what Kocar said he was doing when the lion tucked Duke under his belly, as if "it was protecting its kill," and turned its attention to Kocar.
"I'm from Wisconsin — and we take care of things there," Kocar said.
(Much More)
Dog Owner Won't Be Charged For Shooting Mountain Lion
A Wisconsin man who shot and killed a mountain lion that was attacking his dog will not be charged, the Division of Wildlife announced Thursday.
Officials determined that Jeremy Kocar was acting in self-defense when he shot the mountain lion just outside his temporary home, near Gross Reservoir, earlier this week.
Kocar could have been charged with an illegal take, and could have faced a fine of $1,400. State law allows people to shoot a mountain lion if their personal safety or livestock are threatened -- but officials said they didn't know if that would extend to dogs.
Kocar and his wife, Angela, said that they heard a growl in the middle of the night and went outside to check out what happened and came face to face with the mountain lion.
"It was standing right there under the tree branch with my dog in its mouth," said Angela Kocar.
Jeremy tried to scare the mountain lion away but it didn't budge so he ran inside, grabbed his rifle and that's when the mountain lion approached him, he said.
Wildlife advocates were upset that Kocar shot the mountain lion.
The DOW said that pet owners who are going to live in lion country need to be a responsible and put their pets away, or inside at night.
Jeremy and his wife said they will never leave their dogs outside alone again.
10/8/07
Nashville, Tennessee
From Nashville’s WKRN.com of October 8, 2007
Gunfire Kills East Nashville Store Owner
The owner of a convenience store in east Nashville was shot and killed at her store on Cahal Avenue Monday afternoon.
Customers found the body of 70-year-old Classie Wilson inside her store, Cahal Market, at about 1 p.m. Monday.
She had been shot in the chest.
Police believe Wilson and the suspect exchanged gunfire before she was fatally wounded.
Officers said the suspect came in, asking for to purchase [sic] a single pack of cigarettes when the altercation began.
Wilson and her husband owned and operated the Cahall Market for more than 20 years.
Her son, Ronald Wilson, spoke with News 2 Monday.
He said, “She lived by example. For 28, 30 years we’ve been at the store she’s helped people when they needed it… If they didn’t have enough money or couldn’t pay, she’d help them out.”
Police are searching for a suspect Monday night.
They believe he escaped on foot and may still be in the neighborhood.
Labels: business robbery, defender killed, female, senior, TN
Dallas, Texas
From Dallas’ CBS11tv.com of October 8, 2007
Dallas Dry Cleaner Fatally Shoots Alleged Robber
Police say a would-be thief was fatally shot after trying to rob a Dallas dry cleaner at gunpoint Monday morning.
The owner of 'Joe's Cleaners', Joe Baggett, spent the afternoon talking with police about the death of the 42-year-old alleged robber. Baggett told CBS 11 News the man had been in his business earlier in the morning and that he had smelled liquor on his breath.
Baggett says when the man came back with a gun he offered to give him money but he wouldn't take it.
According to the owner, instead of taking cash the man kept pushing him back while putting a gun to his head.
Detectives say Baggett was being forced into the back room when he and the armed man got into a struggle over the thief's gun.
Seeing the commotion, the store owner's wife retrieved the couple's firearm and eventually handed it to her husband - who fired several shots.
"The guy feared for his life, you know as any one of us would with a gun pointed to his head. His wife went to his aid by grabbing their gun," said Sgt. Gene Reyes, Dallas Police Department.
After being stuck in the head the gunman collapsed and died in the parking lot just a few feet away from a daycare center. Sheranda's Playhouse has about 150 children registered at the location. No children were injured.
Daycare owner Edwin Reed says he hasn't seen any problems in the area before. "It doesn't concern me unless we have another incident around here happen � then I'm gonna start having a little bit more concern," he said. "I just think it's, again, an isolated incident that some guy that just got greedy and curious to try and take a store owner's money."
Kishina Covington's child attends the daycare and after driving by and seeing the crime scene she stopped to check on her child. "It's really disheartening that this type of activity goes on, especially for someone to see that there is a daycare next door and that didn't stop them," she said.
As of Monday afternoon police hadn't been able to contact the alleged robber's family as a result the dead suspect's name has not been released.
Police are still investigating the shooting but say they don't expect to press any charges against the owner of the dry cleaners.
Labels: business robbery, TX
Seattle, Washington
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of October 8, 2007
Police investigate family shooting
Seattle police detectives are investigating whether a Seattle man was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed his adult son this past weekend.
The shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. Saturday at a home in the 4600 block of South Cooper Street.
Spokeswoman Renee Witt said it appeared to be a domestic violence situation, and that the father, 84, had previously complained to other children that the 51-year-old son living with him had been beating him.
"It was pretty sad," Witt said.
There were few details available as to what led to Saturday's shooting, but afterward the father apparently called police himself. He walked outside when officers arrived.
Witt said officers recovered a weapon, which they took as evidence.
The son was found dead in the home. His wheelchair-bound mother, 76, also was in the house and not hurt in the incident.
Police took the father in for questioning, but released him shortly afterward. The case remains under investigation, Witt said.
Labels: domestic abuse, WA
Grand Rapids, Michigan
From Grand Rapids’ WOODtv.com of October 8, 2007
Photographer shoots, kills intruderFrom the Grand Rapids Press of October 16, 2007
A well-known local photographer shot an intruder to death early Monday morning when the man broke into the gallery, according to police.
About 12:30 a.m. Monday, people who live in apartments above the photography shop on Division Avenue just north of Cherry Street heard breaking glass and a popping sound, and called 911.
Detectives say a man smashed the front window to get in, waking up the business owner who lives just behind the shop.
Allen Stevenson, 43, of Muskegon Heights confronted the owner, Jeff Dykehouse, who then allegedly shot the intruder. Stevenson was dying on the floor when police arrived on scene and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Dykehouse is a well-known Grand Rapids photographer who spearheaded "Emily's Big Picture Project." Dykehouse photographed pediatric Hospice patients free of charge. He lost his own child to leukemia.
Grand Rapids Police Captain Jeffrey Hertel said, "When officers arrived, the individual was inside the business, lying inside the front door. There's broken glass, so there's some indication there was some type of break-in."
Police have not determined how many gunshots were fired and have been talking with people who live nearby. A gun has been recovered.
A neighboring artisan says the gallery's owner has been targeted before.
Stevenson previously was convicted for breaking-and-entering, possessing burglar tools, and receiving and concealing a motor vehicle.
Shooting of burglar ruled justified
Rattled by sounds of a burglar breaking into his downtown photography studio and apartment, Jeff Dykehouse called a neighbor in the early hours of Oct. 8, intending to ask if he could see what was going on from his vantage point.
Before that talk could take place, authorities say, Dykehouse shot and killed Allen Stevenson inside the 120 S. Division Ave. building.
It was the third time in under a year the artist had faced threats from an intruder.
Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth was to announce today he will not file charges against Dykehouse for the fatal shooting. Forsyth's conclusion that Dykehouse, 45, acted in self-defense was based in part on the actions of Stevenson, a 43-year-old convicted felon, and on Dykehouse's prior experiences.
Labels: business burglary, MI
Tom Miner Basin, Montana
From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle of October 8, 2007
Bear in mauling found dead
Game wardens confirmed Sunday that a female grizzly bear shot by a Pennsylvania elk hunter in Tom Miner Basin on Saturday has died of its wounds.
“It's not foolproof,” he said. “But it's still the best thing going.”
Kevin Frey, a bear management specialist for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the bear weighed about 300 pounds and was probably between 8 and 10 years old.
It attacked a pair of bow hunters early Saturday afternoon. One of them used bear pepper spray and halted a charge within nine feet, but the grizzly turned and charged a second time. That's when the second hunter shot it twice with a .44 magnum pistol.
“It hit her and turned her,” FWP Warden Captain Sam Sheppard said of the spray. “Then she whirled and came back over a log at them.”
Without the spray, the bear likely would have mauled one of the men before they had a chance to pull the pistol, Sheppard said.
The first pistol shot entered the bear's body just under the chin, traveled through the sternum and clipped the aorta, Sheppard said. The second hit the bear in the chest. Both likely would have been fatal.
Investigators on Sunday looked over the scene, which had received about 20 inches of snow, and performed a field necropsy.
“It happened just like they said it did,” Sheppard said. “It's self defense. The matter is closed.”
10/7/07
Salt Lake City, Utah
From the Salt Lake Tribune of October 7, 2007
Man shot in face during SLC jewelry store robbery
Salt Lake City police are investigating a robbery that left a man with three gunshot wounds, including one to the face.
The unidentified victim was transported at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday to LDS Hospital in serious condition with two gunshot wounds to the side and one to the face, said Lt. Rich Brede.
Police throughout the Salt Lake Valley were on the lookout for a gray passenger car that fled the shooting at The Mouthpiece Company, located at 40 E. 1300 South. The suspected shooter is described as a black man, about 6 feet 2 inches tall, with red and white shoes.
Police were dispatched to a robbery that escalated into a shooting at the business. Authorities believe the suspect entered the store and got into an altercation with the victim. Both men eventually pulled guns and "several" gunshots were fired, Brede said.
"There are four holes in the wall within the store," Brede said.
Police believe the suspect also may have been wounded in the exchange. Investigators recovered a handgun and several spent bullet casings, Brede said.
The business's motto, etched in lettering on a window, advises customers to "Give them something to talk about." The store specializes in watches, chains, pendants, bracelets, rings and custom grills - jewelry worn over one's teeth.
Labels: business robbery, defender shot, UT
10/6/07
Tampa, Florida
From MyFoxTampaBay.com of October 6, 2007
Police seek leads in shoot out
In exclusive video obtained by FOX 13, you see a man in dark clothing and a hat, walk up to the counter, wave a gun, and demand cash from store clerk Nasief Oudeh.
"It was scary, that's it," said Nasief.
The terrifying armed robbery played out late Thursday evening at Papa Dan's Food Store in North Tampa.
In the video, Nasief is helping a customer when suddenly he's starring into the barrel of a gun.
"By the time I turned my back to the customer I saw a suspect come in with a .38 gun waving it at me and said open the cash register. So I said 'okay calm down let me give you the cash,' " said Nasief.
The gunman cleans out one register and then demands cash from the second one.
As the armed suspect bolts out the door, Nasief's cousin fires one shot.
Nasief also fires shots as he runs out of the store, but the armed robber gets away.
Tampa police investigators are now looking at surveillance video and trying to figure out how many shots were fired, and by whom.
"Certainly it had the possibility of being a lot worse, and we're certainly hoping to be able to find this person and get them off the street before somebody does get hurt, " said Corporal Jared Douds with the Tampa Police Department.
Nasief says despite this latest robbery, it will be business as usual.
"The next time, he's not going to get away. We're going to be here and we're going to open for business everyday," said Nasief.
Labels: business robbery, FL
Newburgh, New York
From Middletown’s MidHudsonNews.com of October 6, 2007
Deli clerk thwarts robbery
A deli clerk is credited with averting a robbery in the City of Newburgh.
City Police said on Friday morning, October 5 at about 6:15 a.m., a man walked into the Star Grocery at 111 William Street, walked behind the counter and pointed a shotgun at the clerk.
The clerk grabbed the weapon, struggled with the would-be robber and pulled the shotgun away from him.
The suspect fled with another employee chasing after him. The robber got away and the employees called the police.
Police said that despite the heroism of the employees, they do not recommend that store clerks wrestle shotguns away from anyone committing a robbery. “This could have very easily been another homicide had the gun been loaded and gone off,” said Lt. Charles Broe, Sr.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NY
10/5/07
Bexar County, Texas
From San Antonio’s WOAI.com of October 5, 2007
Gunfight Leads To Man Getting Shot, Gunman Wanted
A man remains in critical condition after being shot by a rifle during a fight near the Bexar County / Atascosa County line.
Investigators with the Bexar County Sheriff's office say two men got into an argument, one man left, but came back with a rifle and began shooting at the house.
Deputies say that's when the other man came outside with a handgun and began shooting back. Within minutes the man with the handgun was shot two twice, once in the neck and once in the arm.
Deputies say they know who the gunman is, and are expected to make an arrest in this case pretty soon.
Labels: assault, defender shot, TX
Gainesville, Florida
From Gainesville‘s WCJB.com of October 5, 2007
Man Killed in Act of Self Defense
Investigators say a man from Gainesville was shot to death, while robbing his neighbor's home. The accused shooter says it was an act of self defense.
A Gainesville man is shot to death and deputies say his neighbor is responsible, but he isn't facing any charges.
Alachua County deputies say 33-year-old John Wilds shot 42-year-old Robert Aden in the chest while they were at Wilds home.
Wilds and a witness told deputies that Aden tried to forcefully enter Wilds home, and even broke off the front door's handle. Wilds then grabbed his 22 caliber handgun, told Aden to leave, and fired a warning shot in the air. Aden then came at Wilds with his fists clenched and shouting obscenities. Fearing for his life, Wilds shot Aden in the chest. Wilds isn't facing charges at this time, but deputies say they will talk with the State Attorney's Office about possible charges when the investigation is complete.
Labels: assault, FL, home invasion, residence robbery
Marble, Colorado
From the Aspen Daily News of October 5, 2007
Marble man shoots mother bear and cub
A man shot and killed a mother black bear and then one of her cubs as each one separately tried to break into his Marble-area cabin over the course of last weekend, according to state wildlife officials.
“The sow was tearing apart the floor of the (elevated) cabin and coming in from underneath” while the man, an employee of OutWest Guides, was home early Saturday morning, according to Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton. Hampton said no obvious food or garbage attractants were around the cabin to entice the bear.
The DOW managed to catch two of the dead sow’s three cubs and take them to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Silt, Hampton said, but the biggest cub remained at large and returned to the man’s cabin late Sunday night, where it allegedly tried to break in.
“The individual was afraid and shot the cub,” Hampton said.
The cub weighed about 50 or 60 pounds and was strong enough to break into the house despite its small size, Hampton said. “Think of it this way: Imagine if you had a 60-pound dog coming in the window growling.”
It’s illegal to shoot black bears out of season or without a hunting license, but a state statute allows people to shoot bears in self defense.
“We have determined that the individual in their house feared for their safety,” Hampton said. “They were within their legal rights to protect themselves. If additional facts come to light, that could change things. But for the present time, our investigation is done,”
Because the DOW did not issue the man a citation, his name will not be released.
It is possible that the DOW would have had to kill the mother bear anyway because of her unusually aggressive behavior, Hampton said. Bears that break through walls, floors or locked doors or windows must be put down under state law.
(More)
10/4/07
Louisville, Kentucky
From the Louisville Courier-Journal of October 3, 2007
Robbery attempt leads to shooting of 2, including bystander
Two Louisville men -- one a bystander -- were shot during an attempted robbery early yesterday, police said.
Officers from the 4th Division were called to an apartment in the 700 block of South Clay Street just before 1 a.m. on the report of a robbery and shooting, said Alicia Smiley, spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Police.
The two people who live in the apartment, Jonathon Postell, 29, and Chiquita Cooper, 23, told police that they both shot at a man who broke in and tried to rob them, Smiley said. The intruder fired back, striking Postell in the ankle and the buttocks, she said.
Postell was transported to University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Smiley said.
Hearing the shooting, a neighbor ran out of his apartment to get his juvenile nephew inside and was hit in the shoulder, Smiley said. The wounded neighbor, who was not identified, later walked about five blocks to University Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, she said.
It was not immediately clear which of the people firing shots wounded the neighbor, Smiley said.
Police are looking for the man Postell and Cooper said tried to rob them, Smiley said.
Meanwhile, Postell has been charged with possession of a handgun by a felon; and both he and Cooper have been charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, wanted endangerment, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, Smiley said.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, KY, residence robbery
Clackamas, Oregon
From Portland’s KATU.com of October 4, 2007
Three shot in Clackamas home invasion, marijuana grow also found
Clackamas County deputies say an attempted home invasion occurred in Clackamas, leading to the shootings of two suspects and the roommate of a man living there.
Police also found a small marijuana growing operation at the residence.
It happened Thursday morning inside the rural residence on southeast 162nd, near State Highway 212. The home is located on a 30-acre plot of land.
Authorities got a 911 call at about 3 a.m. from a person who lives at the house, telling them he shot two men who came into the basement section of the home, where his roommate was residing. The man also says his roommate got caught in the crossfire and was also shot.
The three have been hospitalized. Their conditions have not been released but the roommate reportedly does not have life-threatening injuries. The nature of the injuries of the two other people has not been released.
Authorities say they think the marijuana grow at the residence may be the reason the suspects broke into the home, which is located in a secluded area at the end of a long private driveway.
Labels: home invasion, OR
Wolcott, Connecticut
From Hartford‘sWFSB.com of October 4, 2007
Homeowner Chases Men Out Of House
Wolcott police said officers arrived at 4:41 a.m. at the site of a home invasion on Chestnut Drive. Police said a woman was home alone with her sister when the two men entered the house.
Police said the homeowner was armed with a gun and chased the men out of the house.
The two men remain at large Thursday morning. Police described one man as 5 feet 11 inches tall with a medium build. He was last seen wearing dark-colored clothes.
Police described the second man as having a large build and said he was last seen wearing blue jeans and shorts.
Labels: CT, home invasion
Dallas, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of October 4, 2007
2 robbers die when guard fights back
Two teens are dead following a botched robbery of a 20-year-old security guard who fought back early Thursday in southwest Dallas, police said.
The dead are Detavias Davis, 17, and Sergio Vann, 19, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.
The incident happened 12:30 a.m. outside a Family Dollar store on Redbird Lane, south of Dallas Executive Airport, formerly Red Bird Airport.
The guard, Dedrick Howard, was using a laptop computer in his vehicle when he was approached by three young men, said Sgt. Ray Beaudreault, a homicide detective.
They ordered him out of the vehicle, and one of the robbers, later identified as Vann, had a handgun, Beaudreault said.
But Howard grabbed an semiautomatic SKS carbine and opened fire, killing Vann, Beaudreault said.
Davis, Beaudreault added, tried to flee in white car, but Howard was worried the teen might also have a gun.
"So, fearing for his life, (Howard) fired again and struck the driver,'' Beaudreault said. "(Davis) drove off, but because of his injuries, he wrecked."
Davis was taken to the hospital from the crash scene on nearby U.S. 67, also called the Marvin D. Love Freeway, but he died later, Beaudreault said.
The third robber, age 17, ran from the parking lot to the wrecked car and he tried to retrieve some personal property from the white car, but police arrested him, Beaudrealt said.
The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Beaudreault said.
Howard was not arrested, and the case will be referred to a grand jury to determine if he acted within the law, Beaudreault said.
But, the detective added, Howard "was licensed and authorized to carry that weapon."
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, street robbery, TX
Donnelsville, Ohio
From WHIO of October 3, 2007
Deputies Search For Couple In Attempted Home Invasion
Deputies in Clark County are looking for a couple they said tried to force their way into a home near Donnelsville.
It happened Wednesday night in the 6500 block of West National Road.
Deputies said an occupant of the home grabbed a shotgun and a shot was fired into the porch area.
The couple fled and deputies said the occupant of the home was cut by flying glass.
He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The search for the couple continues.
Labels: home invasion, OH
10/3/07
Sacramento, California
From Sacramento’s CBS13.com of October 3, 2007
Manhunt Underway For Home Invasion SuspectFrom the Sacramento Bee of October 3, 2007
A manhunt is underway in the Florin Road area of Sacramento for a suspect following a viiolent [sic] home invasion.
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies say a suspect broke into a home on Florin Road and the homeowner fired several shots at the man.
The suspect then took off on foot.
Deputies are going door to door looking for the suspect in the area around Florin Road between Watt and Florin Perkins.
They have even brought out dogs to search the area.
It's unclear if the suspect was hit by the gunfire.
Apparently the homeowner was not injured.
Homeowner shoots at man during attempted break-in
An alleged burglar left a critical piece of evidence behind when he attempted to break in to a south Sacramento home early Wednesday morning: his car.
James Villapando, 34, of Sacramento, parked his Toyota sedan in the driveway of a home on Florin Road, just west of south Watt Avenue, before allegedly attempting to enter the home through a window around 3:35 a.m., Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.
The homeowner heard the man trying to get in, armed himself with a gun and fired several shots, Curran said.
Villapando was not injured and ran away from the home, leaving the car in the driveway, Curran said.
Deputies found Villapando hiding out in the area about two hours later.
Villapando, who was an at-large parolee, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and is being booked into Sacramento County Jail.
10/2/07
Frayser, Tennessee
From Memphis’ MyEyewitnessNews.com of October 2, 2007
Frayser Home Invasion: Man Fights Back
A man fights back three robbers after being forced inside his Frayser home at gunpoint.
It happened just after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at a home in the 700 block of Frayser Drive.
Family members say 31 year-old Kevin Hill was approached by a guy with a gun while getting out of his SUV after running some morning errands.
That's when two other guys came up and forced Hill inside his home and up into the attic to rob him.
Police say Hill struggled with his attackers and managed to take away one of their guns and fire.
Police say no one was hit but several shots were fired inside of the home.
The robbers ran from the home, jumped in Hill's SUV and sped off. Police later found the SUV after the trio crashed it on Syndey Street in North Memphis.
Officers were able to take all three robbers into custody.
The Robbery Division is investigating. So far no charges have been filed.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, residence robbery, TN
Columbus, Ohio
From September 24, 2007 Ohio News Now:
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Police were searching for three armed men who broke into a house on the city's east side Monday morning.
Cynthia Davis said she had just gone into the basement of her home on Picard Road when she heard the back door being kicked in, 10TV News reported.
"I guess God sent me to the basement right at that moment, because I would have been sitting there when they kicked the door in," Davis said. "I had just been sitting on the couch there moments before."
Davis' husband, Frank Watson, yelled to her to stay downstairs and call 911, 10TV News reported.
Watson, 60, picked up his gun and started towards the men. When he saw the burglars, one of the men opened fire, police said.
"Nothing was taken," Davis said. "When they saw Frank with a pistol, he scared them off and they started to run."
Davis said she could not tell Watson had been shot at first.
"He said, 'They shot me,' and that's when I could see his T-shirt was soaked with blood," Davis said.
Watson (pictured, left) was taken to Grant Medical Center in serious condition.
Labels: home invasion, OH
Anson, Maine
We have removed a posting made in December 2006 concerning a Gary Watland. It has been called to our attention that he was subsequently tried and convicted of murder for that shooting.
Boyle Heights, California
From Los Angeles’ CBS2.com of September 30, 2007
Gang Member, 22, Shot During Attempted Robbery
A 22-year-old man was killed when he tried to rob a man who was armed and shot him in Boyle Heights Sunday, police said.
The shooting occurred just before 3 a.m. on Lorena Street near 6th Street, said Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations section.
Fernando Sedano, described as a member of the "White Fence" gang, and a fellow gang member were driving down Lorena Street with Sedano's girlfriend and another passenger in the back seat. Police said Sedano stopped the car and, with the other gang member, apparently tried to rob a man walking down the street, police said.
The intended robbery victim pulled out a gun, and as the two struggled for the weapon, shot Sedano in the chest.
Sedano was taken to White Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Labels: CA, street robbery
Shaftsbury, Vermont
From WCAX of October 2, 2007
Man Fights Off Attackers, Accidentally Shoots Self
Police are investigating a bizarre shooting in southern Vermont.
It happened on the East Road in Shaftsbury. Police say a 49-year-old man went to check on his neighbor's home after he saw a suspicious car pull into the driveway. When he got to the home, the victim claims either two or three masked men jumped him and pointed a gun to his head.
A scuffle ensued, and the victim was able to grab the gun. He then accidentally shot himself in the hand.
The suspects fled.
The victim was treated at the hospital.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, VT
Middleburg, Florida
From Jacksonville,com of October 2, 2007
Two pit-bull terriers attack, kill Middleburg owner
Authorities are urging people in a Middleburg neighborhood to stay indoors while they search for a pit-bull terrier that ran away after it and another dog fatally mauled their owner.
The unidentified woman in her 40s was with the dogs about 8:30 a.m. when they both started to attack, according to Clay County Sheriff's Office reports. Both of the animals were the woman's pets, authorities said.
The woman was able to make a call from her cell phone for help and others tried to intervene, but the dogs turned on them, according to reports.
One of the people giving aid to the attack victim shot one of the dogs and the other ran away.
Deputies were searching the neighborhood around Cosmos Road where the attack occurred.
Cosmos Road is off Conty Road 218 West,.
Fort Worth, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of October 2, 2007
Man shot to death during argument with mom
A woman told police that she and her adult son argued late Monday over money, but it turned violent, and she fatally shot him, according to reports.
Martin Birdow, 34, was identified by the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.
Police were called at 11:09 p.m. to the home in the 2500 block of Pioneer Street, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, police spokesman.
The 55-year-old woman, whose name was unavailable early Tuesday, was identified as Birdow's mother, Sullivan said.
She told officers there had been an argument over financial matters and violence ensued, Sullivan said.
According to her statement to police, her son threatened to burn down the house, and when she tried to call for help, he wrestled the phone from her, Sullivan said.
The woman got a .38-caliber handgun and shot Birdow once in the chest, Sullivan said.
Birdow was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office.
It was not clear, however, if the woman had been arrested.
Homicide detectives are reviewing evidence and the statement of the woman, who was cooperating with police, Sullivan said.
"It will probably be presented to the district attorney," Sullivan said. "Self defense could be a possibility."
But, he added, "Right now the incident is being treated as a homicide."
Labels: domestic dispute, TX
Dothan, Alabama
From the Dothan Eagle of September 25, 2007
Charges dropped against grocery robbery suspect
The owner of a small, neighborhood grocery who was recently robbed says he’s confident the Dothan Police Department will find the man who stole his money.
Jay Enfinger, 77, who owns the Stough Street Grocery, said he hopes he does not get robbed again after authorities released a teenager arrested last week who had been charged with robbing his store.
“You have to watch everybody that comes in the door,” Enfinger said. “If it’s somebody you don’t know you have to pay more attention. You just stay alert all the time. You stay kind of worried it can happen anywhere anytime, and you just have to stay alert and hope the Lord will protect you.”
A man with a green bandanna covering his face robbed Enfinger at knifepoint on Sept. 18 around 10 a.m. Later that day police arrested 19-year-old Cordaryl Cornelius Berry and charged him with felony robbery of the store. He was jailed on a $50,000 bond.
Two days later, Houston County District Attorney Doug Valeska dismissed the charges against Berry after the police investigator approached him about the evidence in the case.
“A witness changed his story ... wasn’t sure,” Valeska said. “The police did the right thing. When we prosecute people we want to be sure.”
Valeska said the police investigator contacted him and said he was not satisfied with the case based on the initial information obtained during the investigation.
“I personally drove the order to the jail ... you know there’s overcrowding over there,” Valeska said. “I just didn’t want the kid to spend any more time in jail.”
Valeska said Dothan police are still investigating the robbery. The robbery became the third time in as many years someone attempted to steal from Enfinger’s community grocery. He has been robbed twice at his store and he thwarted a third attempt when he pulled a gun during the robbery.
“I feel like they are pretty sure he’s not the one, otherwise they’d have kept the charges,” Enfinger said. “I’d rather lose a little money since nobody got hurt rather than see an innocent person in jail.”
Enfinger, who has owned the store for 35 years, said he plans to protect himself if someone tries to rob him again. Last week, Enfinger attempted to shoot the man who robbed him, but his handgun misfired.
“I just have to try and stay in reach of my protection, sometimes people will make you do things you don’t want to do,” Enfinger said. “I think the police are doing a great job, but they can’t do it all by themselves. They need the community’s help.”
Labels: AL, business robbery
Nevada City, California
From the Mercury News of October 1, 2007
Nevada County marijuana shootout leaves one dead
A homeowner apparently engaged in a gun battle with two masked men who tried to break into his marijuana garden, killing one of the alleged assailants and ending up seriously wounded himself.
Nevada County sheriff's deputies say the Saturday night shootout started when two masked men armed with assault rifles broke into Dusty Beck's home in North San Juan, just north of Nevada City.
Beck fatally shot one of the assailants with a shotgun, the sheriff's department said. Investigators did not immediately name the 31-year-old Yuba County man who died at the scene.
Beck, 43, was shot once in the leg and twice in the abdomen. A hospital spokeswoman said he was recovering after surgery at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, where he was taken by helicopter.
The second robber fled, said Nevada County Sheriff's Det. Ray Kress.
Kress and sheriff's Lt. Bill Evans said the robbers apparently wanted the nine marijuana plants they found on Beck's property. Beck has previously reported similar theft attempts, Evans said.
"A guy loses his life over nine pot plants," he said.
Lt. Joe Salivar said Beck is unlikely to face homicide charges because he was apparently defending himself during a home invasion. Narcotics officers were assisting with the investigation, but will leave it to the district attorney to decide whether Beck should face drug charges, Salivar said Monday.
Labels: CA, home invasion
Brownsville, Texas
From the Brownsville Herald of October 1, 2007
Dog owner shoots, kills stray pit bull to save pet
When police arrived at the 1700 block of Polk Street Sunday to investigate a report of shots fired, they found a distressed dog owner that told them, “there was a pit bull killing his dog in the back yard.”
Police reports show the man, who has not been charged with any crime, shot the pit bull as it attacked his dog, a Labrador mix, outside the home.
He said the pit bull chased his dog into the back yard, where they began to fight. The 12-year-old Lab mix is missing teeth, his owner said and suffered several bite marks in the attack and was bleeding.
Finally, the dog’s owner, who works as a security guard, shot the pit bull multiple times with a .357 handgun.
The animal died at the scene and was picked up by Animal Control officers.
La Vernia, Texas
From MySanAntonio.com of October 2, 2007
Elderly man shoots, kills suspected burglar
An elderly man in La Vernia caught two burglars in the act, but they were no match for his trigger finger and his shotgun. One of the men is dead, and the other is behind bars.
"He's an old timer up there in the county and an old hunter," Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt Jr. said.
And 83-year-old Raymond Bunte wasn't afraid to defend someone else's home.
"He didn't take any mess, I mean he meant business," Tackitt said.
Bunte heard suspicious noises next door on a rural road in La Vernia at about 2 p.m. Friday. He stumbled across a kicked in door and two thieves helping themselves to Dolores Hendershot's valuables. He blocked their exit and ordered the men out and on the ground. But 23-year-old Dustin Houston didn't get very far when he tried to flee.
"One of them for sure is never going to do another burglary," Tackitt said.
That's because Houston was shot dead through the windshield. Deputies say 24-year-old Steven Christopher Muniz then took off running. Texas Rangers tracked him down in San Antonio.
"If it's a matter of your life or someone else's life? You do what you have to do to protect yourself," Tackitt said.
It will be up to a grand jury to decide whether or not Bunte's actions were justified or if he will face charges.
Labels: residence burglary, senior, TX
10/1/07
St. Petersburg, Florida
From ABC Action News of September 26, 2007
St. Petersburg resident shoots man suspected of breaking into his home
A St. Petersburg man shot a person he suspected of trying to break into his home last night.
The home invasion suspect is under arrest at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
A police spokesperson says the resident fired more than 6 shots through his back door, without looking, when he heard a noise.
The suspect was hit two times in the chest. Police say someone drove the suspect to the hospital.
It happened around 10pm last night at a home at 1710 13th Avenue North.
Labels: FL, home invasion
Charlotte, North Carolina
From WSOC of September 30, 2007
Police: Charlotte Robber Shot, Killed By Victim
A man is dead after an attempted robbery went wrong.
Police in Charlotte said 20-year-old Javauis Brown and another man tried to rob a group that was having a get-together behind some apartments on Conway Avenue in southeast Charlotte. It happened early Sunday just before 1:30 a.m. Officers said someone in the group shot and killed Brown. Hector Rojas Picheco, 16, was also shot, but was treated and released from Carolinas Medical Center.
Labels: NC, street robbery
Orlando, Florida
From Orlando’s Local6.com of October 1, 2007
Chinese Restaurant Employee Opens Fire On Gang Of Robbers
An employee of a Chinese restaurant in Orange County, Fla., opened fire on four men robbing the business early Monday, hitting at least one of them with bullets, according to police.
Investigators said four armed men burst into the King Express restaurant located on Oakridge and Texas, using the front and back door and surrounding employees.
Detectives said one of the culprits fired his gun into the ground because an employee apparently was not moving quickly enough.
At some time during the crime, an employee escaped, ran to his vehicle and grabbed a gun.
As the men tried to flee in a vehicle, the restaurant worker fired into the vehicle, police said.
Officers said the driver of the getaway car apparently panicked during the gunfire and slammed into a building.
Two of the suspects were captured when deputies arrived and two others fled on foot.
One of the robbery suspects was shot and injured but was expected to recover.
"It's one of those things that in this case, it worked out to the employee's advantage," Orange County Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Luckey said. "It very well could have turned the other way around and could have been deadly for the employee, the suspects or both."
Police continue to search for the missing two robbers.
Labels: business robbery, FL
Jackson, Mississippi
From the Clarion-Ledger of October 1, 2007
Police: Jackson homeowner shoots, kills man during robbery attempt
A homeowner shot and killed a man who he said was trying to rob him early this morning, police said.
Jackson police Sgt. Jeffery Scott said two men tried to rob a homeowner in the 4900 block of Rosehaven Drive, near Clinton Boulevard and Dixon Road about 1 a.m.
The homeowner, whom police did not identify, retrieved a gun and fired one shot.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Kenneth Stewman, 20, of Jackson died at the scene. He suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest.
The second alleged robber escaped. Police had no specific description of him or any getaway car.
From WLBT of October 1, 2007
Homeowner Will Not Face Charges for Fatal Shooting
Tonight WLBT news has uncovered new information about a deadly encounter early this morning in west Jackson.
A homeowner shot a man who he said was attempting to rob him. 20- year old Kenneth Stewman was killed around 1 a.m.
According to police a homeowner on Rosehaven Drive was approached by two armed men. The unidentified homeowner retrieved a gun and opened fire, killing Stewman. Today, he declined to talk with us about the fatal shooting.
We have learned, the suspected robber lived less than a block away. A family member says, the Hinds Community College student would never rob his neighbor. The crime victim and robber knew each other.
"He probably acted on impulse. We've seen some strange faces around here lately, so we really don't know and at night time I guess you really can't distinguish if you really know somebody," says Kenya Stewman, Sister.
Stewman's grieving sister said police have not talked with the family about the incident. The search for a second man continues. According to investigators, the unidentified homeowner will not face any charges.
Labels: MS, residence robbery
Memphis, Tennessee
From the Commercial Appeal of September 30, 2007
East Memphis homeowner shoots burglar
An East Memphis homeowner shot a burglar who had been prowling around his home Sunday morning, police said.
Memphis police responded to the call at 3:20 a.m. in the 1700 block of Danville near Perkins and Mallory.
The 24-year-old suspect was taken to The Regional Medical Center in critical condition.
Labels: TN, trespassing
Sparks, Nevada
From the Reno Gazette-Journal of October 1, 2007
Man caught assaulting woman shot by victim
A man who was caught sexually assaulting a Sparks woman early Sunday morning was shot in the foot by the woman after her boyfriend interrupted the attack, Sparks police said.
Douglas Mendoza-Lobos was found near Poulakidas Park in Sparks with a gunshot wound to his foot after officers said he raped a 22-year-old woman at gunpoint in her home in the 100 block of Lincoln Way at around 3:30 a.m.
Douglas Mendoza-Lobos has been charged with sexual assault, robbery with the use of a firearm, burglary with the use of a firearm and assault with a deadly weapon.
Pocatello, Idaho
From the (WA) Olympian of October 1, 2007
Fists, then neighbors help thwart Idaho home-invasion robbery
An eastern Idaho resident got help from his fists, then his neighbors to thwart a terrifying home-invasion robbery attempt last week. Now, Robert Mandziara is installing a security system - just in case.
"The thing that bothers us the most was that we didn't even know he was there," Mandziara told the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello. "He told police he was in the house for an hour."
Mandziara was sleeping early Monday. His wife was beside him, his three kids in their bedrooms down the hall. That's when Dean C. Miller, Jr., allegedly entered the garage of their Pocatello home, took Mandziara's shotgun and then slipped inside the home through an unlocked side door.
Miller, who has since been charged with first-degree kidnapping, burglary, possession of methamphetamine and assault with intent to commit robbery in 6th District Court, was pointing the weapon at Mandziara when he awoke and his wife awoke. Miller held both of them prisoner for roughly 25 minutes, Mandziara said.
"He would move from the door to our master bathroom to the door on our walk-in closet," he said. "I tried to be patient."
Agitated, Miller began to pay more and more attention to what was happening outside the couple's bedroom window - and less to what was happening inside the house. When the Mandziara's baby began crying, Miller grew more agitated and told the couple to "make it stop." After that, Mandziara's wife had had enough, he said: Holding the wailing infant, she tapped his leg - a signal that it was time to take action.
"I struck him in the face with my fist," he remembers. "It startled him, but it didn't put him down."
As the two struggled, his wife fled to a neighbor's home for help. Mandziara said he grabbed his shotgun and eventually wrestled the weapon away from Miller. He then hit Miller in the back of his head with the stock of the gun - only Miller didn't go down.
"It made me realize there was a problem," Mandziara said, adding he then sprinted from the house to the neighboring home. Another neighbor arrived with a second shotgun, and together Mandziara and he held Miller captive in the garage until police arrived and were finally able to user a jolt of electricity from a stun gun to subdue him.
Friday, Mandziara was back at his job as a sales manager at a local Pocatello automobile dealership for the first time since the incident. He's spent the last few days overseeing the installation of a security system in his home, rearranging furniture - and trying to soothe his family's fears.
"Time makes it go away," he said. "I just wish we could fast forward."
Meanwhile, Miller likely faces up to life in prison if convicted, with prosecutors hoping to increase the penalty by 15 years because he is suspected of using a firearm.
Labels: ID, residence burglary
