11/30/07
Port Aransas, Texas
From the Corpus Christi Caller Times of November 30, 2007
Port A homeowner shoots burglar
A 23-year-old man was shot in the chest about 11:15 p.m. Thursday by a homeowner who caught the man burglarizing his home, police said.
The 42-year-old homeowner confronted the intruder inside his home with a .22-caliber pistol, said Detective Mark Stokes, investigator for the Port Aransas Police Department. Police declined to release the home's location or the name and occupation of the homeowner because of possible retaliation, Stokes said.
The shooting victim was conscious while being taken by Halo-Flight to Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial, emergency rescuers said. He remained in intensive care Friday in stable condition, Stokes said.
Investigators will present information to the district attorney before arresting the suspect, Stokes said.
A woman was also at home at the time of the incident, but was not involved, Stokes said, and the homeowner was not charged.
By Texas statute a homeowner has the right to defend themselves and their property, he said.
Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TX
Middletown, Ohio
From WCPO of November 30, 2007
Middletown Man Found Not Guilty In Girlfriend's Death
A jury has acquitted a Middletown man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend.
Sixty-year-old Charles Frost was charged with murder in the May 11 death of 47-year-old Deborah Dockery.
Frost told a jury he and Dockery had been drinking and arguing when she came at him with a knife in their Helton Drive home.
Frost said he shot her twice in self defense, and the jury believed him and returned not guilty verdicts on all counts after nine hours of deliberation.
Further links:
Jury acquits man in fatal shooting of girlfriend
Labels: domestic dispute, OH
Toledo, Ohio
From WTOL of November 30, 2007
Home invasion suspect lands in hospital
Toledo police are investigating an attempted home invasion that ended with two people shot.
This all happened around 1:45 a.m Friday in the 100 block of Spencer near Western Ave. in south Toledo. Police tell us two men came to the back door of the house and allegedly told the man living inside -- who works as a "repo-man" -- that they wanted to talk about a tow.
The man told police they then tried to force their way inside. The homeowner was shot once in the arm. He said he fired back on the suspects, hitting one four times.
The suspects took off, and a short time later, the injured suspect was dropped off at University of Toledo Medical Center. His condition is not being released.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, OH
11/29/07
Porter, Texas
From ABC13 WTRK of November 29, 2007
Homeowner shoots and kills suspected burglar in Porter
A homeowner in Porter shot and killed a suspected burglar Thursday. And the situation became so intense that the homeowner himself was taken to the hospital.
We're also learning there have been other problems with crime in the neighborhood on West Hammond near Highway 59.
Around 1:30pm, property owner Gary Southworth called 911 and said that he'd shot a man who was stealing from him and that he needed help. Paramedics rushed the suspected thief to Kingwood Hospital, but he died from his wounds.
Paramedics had to also take Southworth to the hospital after the shooting because the 60-year-old was having chest pains. Meanwhile, his wife, Alberta Southworth, says thieves had hit them several times recently.
"It's beyond awful," she said. "It's our whole life, I mean, he's been so sick and all we have left to live on is what they've stolen. We have nothing now. They took our bank account basically."
"He had reported two thefts in the past two days that had occurred in the nighttime hours," said Sgt. Bill Bucks with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department. "It's my understanding that this is not his primary residence, but he does own the property. He came back to watch and make sure nobody stole anything from his house."
A new law that just went into effect in September allows Texans to defend themselves with deadly force in their homes, cars and work places. The Castle Doctrine removes the requirement that a person must attempt to retreat before using deadly force.
It's important to note that the deputy told us that when Southworth called 911, he was requesting help for the man he just shot.
Southworth is in stable condition.
Further links:
Porter man suffers chest pains after killing theft suspect
Labels: residence robbery, trespassing, TX
11/28/07
Akron, Ohio
From the November 28, 2007 Akron Beacon Journal:
In spite of yelling "APD" (for Akron Police Department), this was not an officer.After several restless nights, Manfreda and his partner's patience was rewarded.
''Six-eighteen. That's when we heard the glass breaking at the rear door and John said: 'It's happening','' Manfreda said.
Manfreda said he was amazed at how swiftly Polen made it from the broken rear door to within steps of the office.
''If I had been alone, I don't know what I would have done,'' Manfreda said.
As it was his partner pulled a gun on the intruder and yelled; ''Freeze APD,'' Manfreda said.
This immediately got Polen's attention, Manfreda said. The homeless man dropped to the ground.
Manfreda said Polen had come equipped with a crowbar, a large wrench, a hammer and a razor.
Manfreda said he was surprised when Polen, with a gun pointed at him, grabbed the crowbar and got to his feet.
''I thought he was going to run, but he didn't. He just said ''shoot me'' and start coming at us. It was like he didn't care about life.
''We had to hit him with the hammer just enough to make him drop the crowbar. We could have shot him,'' he said, ''but nobody wants to kill anybody.''
A relieved Manfreda called police. Within two minutes police arrived to take Polen off their hands.
Edwards said Polen was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.
''At this time, Kevin Polen is charged with breaking and entering and possession of criminal tools,'' Edwards said.
Labels: business burglary, OH
Cleveland, Ohio
From the Plain Dealer of November 28, 2007
Apartment dweller shoots burglary suspect running away
A man accused of trying to burglarize an apartment building at 11:30 Monday night in Cleveland got a bullet in the left leg. A resident shot him as he tried to run away.
Lawrence D. Cooke, 53, shot the suspect at 11:45 p.m. at East 133rd Street and Woodworth Road.
Police said Daryle R. Mitchell, 41, of Soika Avenue, was treated at Huron Hospital and arrested. Mitchell is charged with aggravated burglary.
An incident report says that the suspect tried to break down a rear door. Cooke heard pounding and went outside to check on it, while his wife called 911. Cooke found the suspect and told him to "stay put."
The suspect heard sirens approaching and "started reaching into his pockets and running in the field. As I got about twenty feet from him, I told him to stop reaching around. I then shot my gun near his feet to scare him, and I ended up shooting him in the leg."
Officers found a green flashlight in the field near Mitchell. The report quotes Mitchell; "I was going to buy weed at Coit and Woodworth. I didn't get any. As I cut across the field near St. Clair Avenue, I used my green flashlight to look out for skunks. Then I got shot. I didn't see who did it. I was going to catch the bus on St. Clair."
Police confiscated Cooke's .357 Magnum revolver.
Labels: home invasion, OH
Darlington County, South Carolina
From South Carolina Now of November 28, 2007
Darlington County woman shot after home invasion
Darlington County Sheriff's deputies are searching for a man who they claim shot a woman after breaking into her residence. According to Darlington County Chief Deputy Tom Gainey, the incident happened around 9:40am on 108 Woodhaven Drive. Gainey says someone broke into the house and a woman inside got her own pistol to defend herself. The suspect then managed to take the pistol away from the woman and shot her in the leg. He then fled the scene on foot through some nearby woods. The woman, who's name has not been released yet , was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Chief Gainey describes the suspect as a black male, approximately 6 feet tall, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and toboggan.
Chief Gainey says the Sheriff's Bloodhound Team is now actively searching the area for the suspect. Nearby Darlington High School is now under lockdown until further notice according to Chief Gainey.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, SC
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From November 28, 2007 KKTV:
A robbery suspect was shot and killed after trying to rob a liquor store, Spring Police said. It happened just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening at a strip mall off of Jet Wing and Fountain.
The robbery suspect was taken to Memorial Hospital, but he was pronounced dead just minutes later. While the investigation is still on-going, Springs Police said the owner of the liquor store, in his 70’s, shot the suspect in the chest.
This is the 3rd robbery to happen in the Springs in the past 24 hours. In fact, robberies are on the rise in November.
"During the course of this year, we average 25-30 robberies a month, but now, that's how much we've had in the past 2 weeks," said Detective Don Chagnon with Springs Police. In November there have been close to having 60 robberies. Detective Chagnon said he doesn’t know why robberies are increasing.
Labels: business robbery, CO
11/27/07
Derry Township, Pennsylvania
From the November 27, 2007 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
The lead state police investigator in the Aug. 17 shooting death of an Allegheny County man at a Derry Township campground said Monday that evidence collected to date indicates the shooting "points to self-defense."Trooper James Simpson of the Greensburg barracks said police are still awaiting a final autopsy report and the results of a few forensic tests. But at this point it appears the shooting of Sherman Shawn Prince, 40, of Mt. Oliver, during an argument with two other campers at the Lazy Acres Campground, near Keystone State Park, might have been justified.
"Believe me, I really do feel for the family who loses a loved one in the shooting, but right now all the evidence we've collected points in one direction (self-defense), and I'm not sure that's going to change with the tests that are still pending. But if it does, we definitely will pursue it," Simpson said.
"We can only take a case where the evidence leads us," the trooper said.
Members of Prince's family, including his father, Sherman, of Pittsburgh, and an aunt, Sharon Josefik, of Clearfield, complained recently that investigators had not responded to their inquiries about the shooting death and that the investigation has stalled. They said some details of the shooting released by police do not corroborate with what they knew about Prince, an automobile detailer, who died at the scene.Prince's family members maintain that he did not own a gun. However, Simpson said evidence collected at the scene and through forensic tests to date indicate that he was pointing a loaded .22-caliber handgun at the face of Anthony Verdiglione of McKeesport when he was shot.
Prince was shot by a friend of Verdiglione, Dale O. Miller, 43, of McKeesport. Police have said that Miller and Verdiglione have cooperated throughout the investigation.
According to search warrants filed with the case, Verdiglione and Miller arrived at the campground about 10:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Within an hour, Prince drove to their campsite in a golf cart and began arguing, police said.
Court documents said Miller escorted Prince out of his camper to the golf cart Prince used around the campground after Prince allegedly grabbed Verdiglione's shirt during an argument. Other campers told police that they could hear Prince cursing Miller and Verdiglione as he drove back to his own campsite, where police said he retrieved a gun from his car and returned to Miller's trailer.
Police said a second confrontation occurred among the three men outside of Miller's camper where a witness said Prince pulled out a small handgun and pointed it at Veriglione's face. Verdiglione swiped at the gun in an attempt to strike it from Prince's hand, but missed, according to the search warrant.
"Miller, who had been standing behind Verdiglione, then brandished his own weapon (a .38-caliber handgun) and discharged the same, striking Prince one time in the head," Simpson wrote in the search warrant affidavit.
Prince was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prince's mother, Paulete, said yesterday she is disappointed police still believe the shooting might have been self-defense.
"It just doesn't add up. Shawn did not have a gun and the gun they found him with was stolen from McKeesport, where they are both from," Paulete Sherman said.
Labels: altercation, PA
East Point, Georgia
From WSBTV of November 27, 2007
Businessman Wounded, Suspect Killed In Shootout
One suspect is dead and another man wounded after a shoot out during a home invasion robbery in East Point early Tuesday morning.
Police said two men burst into an apartment at 3029 Dobbs Way around midnight and held several people at gunpoint.
The armed men started ransacking the apartment.
At some point a woman who lives at the apartment, but was outside during the attack called her father for help.
The father, who police describe as a well-known local businessman, rushed to the apartment with his own gun.
When he entered the apartment a gun battle broke out with both the home invaders and the father trading shots. One of the suspects was shot and killed. The father also was hit and wounded.
The apartment residents then attacked the surviving robber and held him until police arrived.
Investigators have not released the names of those involved.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, residence robbery
Carthage, Missouri
From Fox News of November 27, 2007
Pistol-Packing Grandma Stops Would-Be Burglars
A 63-year-old grandmother with a handgun stopped two burglars at her backdoor in Carthage.
The Jasper County Sheriff's Department said a woman and a 16-year-old boy were arrested after the foiled break-in Friday and charged with first-degree burglary.
The grandmother was at home with her grandchild when the burglars broke down her back door.
She grabbed a handgun and stopped the pair, but they ran away when the woman went back inside to call the sheriff's department.
Deputies arrested the suspects about three hours later in Carthage.
Lt. Aaron Richardson of the sheriff's department said first-degree burglary charges have been filed against Faith Barrick, 39, of Carthage, and a 16-year-old male accomplice.
Further links:
Granny got her gun: Woman thwarts burglary attempt; two face charges
Labels: home invasion, MO
Columbia, South Carolina
From The State of November 26, 2007
No charges filed against 15-year-old
No charges have been filed against a 15-year-old boy who police say was trying to protect his mother when he shot and killed his stepfather Saturday.
Deputies had been dispatched to the Fairforest Drive apartment previously for domestic-related calls, said Richland County Sheriff’s department spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan.
Roosevelt Carter, 42, of 100 Fairforest Drive, Apt. No. 7 died at 9:32 a.m. Saturday at Palmetto Health Richland. He had been shot in the upper body.
The preliminary investigation indicates a domestic disturbance occurred inside the home. The boy’s name and age have not been released because of his age.
Further links:
Boy may have shot stepfather to protect mom
Sheriff: Man Shot, Killed By Step-son
Labels: domestic abuse, minor defender, SC
Fairfield, California
From NBC11 of November 26, 2007
Fairfield Man Killed In House Invasion
An autopsy was scheduled for Monday on a Fairfield man who was shot Saturday night during an apparent home invasion robbery.
The Solano County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 48-year-old Timothy Banks.
Fairfield police said Banks was fatally shot and his 17-year-old son also was shot in their home in the 200 block of Holly Drive.
Lt. Al Bagos said Banks' wife called police around 11:34 p.m. Saturday. She said she awoke to find her husband and an intruder struggling over a rifle in the upstairs bedroom. The gun discharged, striking Banks in the head and torso and the intruder fled, Bagos said.
The teen was found shot downstairs and he was taken to the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where he was in fair condition, Bagos said.
Police said it appears there were two intruders. One of them is a dark-skinned male approximately 17 years old who was wearing dark clothing, Bagos said. Police are investigating a motive for the shootings.
Labels: CA, defender killed, home invasion
Pascagoula, Mississippi
From the Sun-Herald of November 27, 2007
Store clerk shoots armed robber
A convenience store clerk surprised an armed robber Monday when he shot the man in the arm, leading to his surrender a short time later, Pascagoula Police Lt. Paul Leonard said.
The clerk at the K&B store on Telephone Road told authorities that a robber, identified as 21-year-old Jason Fairley of Moss Point, walked into the store with a handgun at about 6:25 a.m. Monday, fired a round in the air and demanded cash.
The clerk handed the money over to the robber, who walked out in the store's parking lot and raised his gun once again, police said, as if he planned to fire again.
That's when the store clerk pulled out his own gun and fired at the robber, hitting him once in the left shoulder. The robber ran to his car to escape, but the clerk took down a description of his getaway car and the tag number.
Two hours later, Leonard said, the wounded Fairley walked into the Police Department and surrendered. From there, he was taken to Singing River Hospital, where he was treated and released.
By late Monday, Fairley was back in custody at the Pascagoula City jail, charged with armed robbery. He was awaiting bond.
Further links:
Store owner shoots armed robber
Store owner had eye on robber before shooting him
Labels: business robbery, MS
Bibb County, Georgia
From the Macon Telegraph of November 26, 2007
Bibb homeowner fires gun at suspected burglars, two arrested
Bibb County deputies have arrested two men who allegedly abandoned plans to break into an Ashford Chase Court home after the homeowner fired a gun at them, according to a sheriff's office news release.
Deputies received a 911 call from the home just after noon on Sunday in which the homeowner reported a burglary was in progress. When the burglars smashed a window the homeowner fired a shot from a pistol at the window, causing the men to run away, according to the release.
Evidence left behind at the house led deputies to a local fast food restaurant where video of the men was discovered.
Investigators were able to identify the robbers as 19-year-old Daunte Franklin of Park Lane Place and 22-year-old Kerrence Thomas of Forest Avenue who were suspects in previous cases, according to the release.
Shortly after 2 p.m. deputies found Franklin and Thomas hiding in a van in a parking lot off Zebulon Road, according to the release.
Franklin and Thomas have been charged with burglary and are being held at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Complex, according to the release.
Labels: GA, home invasion
St. Louis, Missouri
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of November 26, 2007
Two dogs attack North County man
A 53-year-old man was hospitalized today after two bulldogs attacked him at a home in north St. Louis County.
The man had been playing with the dogs about 9:20 a.m. in a fenced-in section of the back yard of the home in the 2600 block of Lyndhurst Avenue, police said.
One of the dogs started biting him, and the other dog quickly joined in the attack, said Officer Tracy Panus of the St. Louis County Police Department.
A neighbor heard the man's screams, got a gun from his residence and fired at the dogs. One of the animals was killed. The other, injured, was later euthanized.
The dogs, both American bulldogs, were taken away by St. Louis County Animal Control.
The man suffered bite wounds to his arm and leg, Panus said. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Panus said the man told police the animals had never bitten him before or showed any vicious tendencies.
Officials said the dogs and their owner were visiting from out of town. The owner is an in-law of the man attacked, Panus said.
The owner has agreed to euthanize the female dog, which survived the shooting, LeFebvre said. Both dogs will be tested for rabies as a standard measure, he said.
Further links:
Dogs Attack Man In North St. Louis County
Pit bulls shot by neighbor after attacking man
Avondale, Louisiana
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette of November 27, 2007
Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims
A would-be robber was shot to death in Avondale, and authorities say he apparently died at the hands of his intended victims: a man and a boy who wrestled away his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun.
Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 7:40 p.m. Monday and found a man lying dead in the middle of an Avondale street, area residents and Col. Robert Garner of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Detectives believe the dead man had tried to rob the two other people just outside or inside a nearby house. He was shot at least once and staggered into the street.
It was not immediately known whether the dead man broke into the home, what he demanded or took, or whether he was shot just inside or outside the home. Garner said he didn't know whether the man and boy were residents of the home.
Further links:
Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, LA
Balch Springs, Texas
From MyFoxDallas of November 26, 2007
Store Clerk Shoots at Attempted Beer Thieves
A clerk fired shots at two people trying to steal beer from a convenience store in Balch Springs early Tuesday morning.
A woman and a man entered the 24-hour store on Seagoville Rd. at around 4 a.m. and took off with a case of beer.
The store clerk followed, and fired a gun at the suspects several times. He missed, and the male suspect dropped the beer as he ran.
A nearby police sergeant followed the suspects, who reportedly fled in a gold Contour sedan. The sedan was found wrecked further down the road.
The female suspect was discovered in the nearby woods, and she was arrested.
The male suspect is still on the loose.
The gas station was equipped with security cameras, which police hope will lead them to the man.
The store was temporarily shut down while police investigated, but has since been reopened.
Labels: business robbery, TX
Montgomery, Texas
From the Monroe County Courier of November 27, 2007
Montgomery man shot, killed
An argument between neighbors ended with gunfire Sunday night, leaving one man dead and another with questions to answer.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of Pamela Way in Old Oak Estates, located off Texas 105 near Montgomery.
The deceased was identified as 43-year-old Dennis Clark.
Lt. Dan Norris, of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, said deputies arrived to find Clark was shot once in the abdomen while on a neighbor's property.
"The shooting incident occurred after Dennis Clark went to a neighbor's home, where an argument escalated from verbal to physical," Norris said. "The homeowner told investigators that Dennis Clark had been told repeatedly to leave, and when Dennis Clark came toward the homeowner in an aggressive manner, the homeowner shot Clark one time."
Clark was transported to Conroe Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Steve Kelley, who lives next door to the home where the shooting occurred, said he was surprised Monday morning when he heard about the shooting from his daughter-in-law, who also lives nearby.
"We didn't hear anything," Kelley said.
He and his wife, Joyce, knew of Clark, but did not know him personally.
Homes in the subdivision are scattered on large pieces of land in what Kelley says is a quiet neighborhood.
No charges have been filed against the homeowner, and the MCSO has not released his name.
More
Further links:
Authorities say man fatally shot neighbor during dispute
Labels: altercation, trespassing, TX
11/26/07
Indianapolis, Indiana
From Indianapolis’ TheIndyChannel.com of November 26, 2007
Police: Worker Shot At Would-Be Robbers; Suspect HurtAlso reported November 26, 2007 WISH-TV channel 8.
Wounded Man Arrested; Second Person Sought
At least one employee of an Indianapolis pawnshop fired a gun at two would-be robbers Monday morning, and a suspect was arrested after arriving at a hospital with a gunshot wound, police said.
Police weren't sure whether the arrestee, Nurdeen Anderson, was shot at the pawnshop, but they said they believe he was one of the two men who tried to rob it.
Authorities said two men armed with handguns entered the Universal Gold and Silver pawnshop at 4320 E. 10th St. at about 11:30 a.m. and tried to rob it. Two employees in the store also were armed, and at least one of the workers fired at the would-be robbers, police said.
The would-be robbers exited the store. About 20 minutes later, Anderson, 26, arrived at Methodist Hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck, police said.
A female who took him to the hospital told officers that Anderson had been shot in or near the 1600 block of College Avenue, several blocks to the northwest of the pawnshop.
Police said Anderson, who was treated at the hospital, matched the description of one of the men who robbed the pawnshop, and they arrested him on a charge of attempted robbery. Information on his condition wasn't available.
Authorities said they were trying to determine who the other would-be robber was.
Police said they believe no charges would be filed against the pawnshop's employees.
Labels: business robbery, IN
Douglasville, Georgia
From Atlanta’s CBS46.com of November 26, 2007
Arbor Place Mall Reopens After Shootings
A Brinks employee and a suspected robber were shot as two men tried to rob a Brinks Security truck outside a shopping mall in west Georgia.
Douglasville police chief Joe Whisenant told CNN that at least one suspect fired shots at the Brinks employee as he was leaving the mall with money. Whisenant said the employee returned fire, hitting one of the suspects.
Both the guard and the suspect are recovering in Atlanta hospitals. Whisenant told CNN both are expected to survive, but the suspect was in worse shape than the Brinks employee.
"It was a lot of shots, like nine," witness Leigh Knight told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "After about the fourth one, we figured out what it was and we threw the kids under the table and we laid down on top of them. I saw a Brinks man laying face up, he was conscious. There was another man next to him laying face down."
A store owner told the newspaper that police SWAT team members roamed the mall with guns drawn.
The mall is a stand-alone mall in the suburb of Douglasville, which is west of Atlanta.
The mall was locked down after the shootings, but it has reopened.
Labels: defender shot, GA, private security, street robbery
Charlotte, North Carolina
From the Charlotte Observer of November 26, 2007
Robbery victim shoots suspect
Police say it was a robbery attempt gone bad Sunday night in east Charlotte, and they say a would-be suspect is hospitalized as a result.
The incident happened about 11:20 p.m. in the parking lot of the McDonalds restaurant on Albemarle Road at Farm Pond Lane.
According to police, two armed men confronted another man in the parking lot and tried to rob him. The would-be victim, however, pulled out a gun and shot one of the suspects in the stomach. Police say the victim then ran off.
The wounded suspect was taken by MEDIC to Carolinas Medical Center with wounds that police say are not life-threatening. Robbery detectives are investigating the case.
Labels: NC, street robbery
11/23/07
Colt, Arkansas
From Memphis’ WREG.com of November 23, 2007
Deer Attacks Arkansas Grandfather
A deer attacked an 84-year-old man in Colt, AR on Thanksgiving Day. J.W. Mitchell has lived in Colt for a long time. It's a town of about 300, and who knows how many deer. Mitchell and the deer usually keep to themselves. That changed Thursday.
Mitchell says the deer was attacking his dog, Buddy, in the backyard. Mitchell says the seven point buck turned on him when he went outside to help. Mitchell suffered injuries to his arms and wrists, but says it could have been worse. "Yes it could have. If I hadn't of had that stick there's no telling what he would have done," says Mitchell.
Mitchell uses a walking stick made out of metal from an old swing-set. He was carrying it during the attack. A neighbor came over with a shotgun, and killed the deer.
Memphis, Tennessee
From Memphis’ WREG.com of November 23, 2007
Store Video Shows Bold Robbers In Action
A violent robbery caught on tape. Cops say the bad guys were bold and were ready to shoot and kill to get what they wanted. But a store worker was able to turn the tables on the thugs. And the clerks were saved by sheer luck.
It happened at the Fast Check Convenience Store off Winchester Thursday around 9:30pm. Two robbers busted in, one got away with cash, the other took a few bullets after one clerk chased the robbers out of his store.
"One of the victims inside the store heard click click," says Lt. Darren Goods with the Memphis Police Department.
The click was the gun... jamming. Both clerks know are lucky to be alive. It lasted just a few seconds -- a few seconds that could have ended someone's life.
Lt. Goods calls them robbers with a sinister motive, "Their purpose was to take-over style robbery. Lets take any and everything we can, lets get as much money as we can. Both armed with guns. And lets get out of here as fast as we can."
What's worse say police, several customers - including young teenagers - were inside the whole time. One lady walked into the middle of it.
Police say somebody has to know these brazen robbers. The one robber hasn't been charged yet. He's still critical but stable at The MED.
Labels: business robbery, TN
Westwood, Ohio
From the Cincinnati Enquirer of November 23, 2007
Robber shot at Mexican market
A store clerk shot a robbery suspect inside a Mexican market on Glenway Avenue tonight, and police were hunting for a second suspect.
The incident happened about 8:45 p.m. when two suspects, wearing scarves over their faces, entered the Tienda y Carniceria. A woman behind the counter shouted for her husband, while trying to protect a 3-year-old child who was with her.
The male clerk scuffled with the robber and was struck in the face with a gun. Both apparently fired shots. One robber was wounded in the shoulder and was taken to University Hospital.
The second fled the store and was being hunted by police. Police said he was a heavy-set Hispanic male with a shaved head, wearing a black sweater, black jeans and white tennis shoes.
Labels: business robbery, OH
Kansas City, Missouri
From the Kansas City Star of November 23, 2007
Would-be Westport robber shot
A would-be robber remained hospitalized in critical condition this afternoon after he was shot by one of his intended victims.
The man was shot about 1:30 a.m. after he followed several people to their car in a Westport parking garage in the 4000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.
As the people were getting into their car, the man, who had earlier asked them for money, pulled up his shirt and revealed a gun in his waistband, Kansas City police said.
One of the car’s occupants retrieved his own gun from inside the vehicle and fired.
Police later determined that the wounded man was carrying a BB gun.
Labels: MO, street robbery
Monroe County, Michigan
From MonroeNews.com of November 23, 2007
Monroe homeowner shoots intruder
An intruder was shot and wounded by a resident wielding a handgun during a home invasion that took place about 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 401 W. Sixth St., the Monroe Police Department reported.
The suspect is receiving medical care at Mercy Memorial Hospital. Lt. Charles Abel, public information officer for the city police, said the man received more than one gunshot wound and has undergone surgery as a result.
The suspect's name is not being released because he has not yet been arraigned in court. Police said a court date is pending either on his release from the hospital or - if arrangements can be made for arraignment now - while he still is at Mercy Memorial.
A call came to Central Dispatch as a home invasion in progress. While police were on the way, according to reports, the man who lives in the house was confronted by the intruder. The resident fired multiple shots with a handgun, and the intruder fled.
When police checked the neighborhood, they found the suspect wounded and lying in the roadway near W. Seventh and Smith Sts. The Monroe Fire Department ambulance service took him to the hospital.
Lt. Abel said a duffel bag also was found near the suspect, with items that possibly were stolen elsewhere.
Further links:
Man shot during break-in pleads guilty
Labels: home invasion, MI
11/21/07
Crestview, Florida
From the Fort Walton Beach Daily News of November 21, 2007
Suspect's case closed after owner held him at gunpoint
The state attorney's office will not pursue charges brought by Michael Joseph McCreary
An 18-year-old arrested in October for trespassing on another man’s property and breaking into his vehicles won’t get to press charges against the owner, who held him at gunpoint until lawmen arrived.
The teen, Michael Joseph McCreary, had his case closed last week by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
He had approached deputies on Nov. 14 with his mother to file a complaint for aggravated assault and battery against the owner of the property on Reinke Drive — Victor E. Mikell — for using excessive force in detaining him in an Oct. 28 incident.
McCreary said Mikell hit him with the butt of a rifle, held the barrel at his head, drug him into a driveway and threatened to kill him while he waited for law enforcement to arrive.
But Mikell told investigators he had “heard shots” coming from the back of his property and went to investigate. That’s when he found McCreary and two other men fleeing after allegedly breaking into vehicles and stealing property from Mikell’s wooded land.
Mikell said he raised his rifle to his shoulder and yelled at McCreary to stop or he would shoot, and McCreary stopped.
But he soon became belligerent and acted like he might take off again, Mikell said, so he hit McCreary in the stomach with the butt of the rifle and marched him to the driveway, where he kept him face-down on the ground until lawmen arrived.
Mikell said this all took place while he was hearing gunfire from the woods on his property.
Sheriff’s deputy Jennifer Bellamy contacted assistant state attorney Bobby Elmore and gave both accounts of the incident, according to the report. But Elmore said his office would not file criminal charges against Mikell.
The case was approved closed on Nov. 15.
Labels: FL, residence burglary, trespassing
Memphis, Tennessee
From Memphis’ MyEyeWitnessNews.com of November 21, 2007
Memphis Police: Store Owner Shoots Accused Crook
Wednesday evening, November 21, 2007, a convenience store robbery in Southeast Memphis ended in a shooting. Police say the shooting victim had just tried to rob a clerk at the store.
It happened just after 9 p.m. at the "Fast Check" on Winchester near Knight. That's just east of the airport.
Police say when two crooks tried to rob a clerk at the store, the store owner shot one of the robbers. They say the other robber is on the run.
The shooting victim was taken to The Med in critical condition.
Labels: business robbery, TN
Douglas, Arizona
From the Douglas Daily Dispatch of November 21, 2007
Domestic violence between teens erupts into gunfire
A teenaged girl fired a handgun at her boyfriend and missed early Saturday morning after she was punched, nearly strangled and held against her will.
The girl then scooped her 1–year-old daughter and fled the boyfriend’s home, police authorities said.
Both teens are 17. Their names were not released by the Douglas Police Department.
At about 1:21 a.m. Saturday the police were dispatched to a Douglas home involving violence between the two teens.
The boyfriend arrived home from work and accused his girlfriend of cheating on him, said Marcus Gonzales, the spokesman for the Douglas Police Department.
His girlfriend attempted to leave, but the boyfriend wouldn’t let her. The boyfriend then became violent and he pushed her, causing her to fall to the floor.
He then punched her and began to strangle her.
She escaped and once again tried to leave the house. The boyfriend held her against her will and struck her on the forehead with a frying pan, Gonzales said.
The boyfriend then took out a handgun from a dresser drawer, pointed it at her, then pointed it to his own head.
She knocked the gun out of his hand, grabbed it, aimed it at him, and squeezed the trigger twice. The gun, though, did not fire.
The boyfriend ran through the hallway of the house and out the front door.
The girl, fearing that he would return, squeezed the trigger and fired off a shot that went through the screen door, Gonzales said.
The girl put the gun down, grabbed her daughter, and ran out of the house, looking for help.
She spotted a Douglas police officer on 10th Street and D Avenue and flagged him down.
Police arrested the boyfriend and charged him with aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment and three counts of endangerment.
Police also found a two-month-old baby in the house.
The boyfriend was transported to the Cochise County Jail, where he is being held on a $250,000 bond. The girl was released without charges
Labels: AZ, domestic abuse, female, minor defender
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• From Shreveport’s ArkLaTexHomePage.com of November 21, 2007
Police: Shooter Apparently Justified In Fatal Shooting Of 14-Year-Old Boy
Baton Rouge Police say a man they have yet to locate was apparently justified in the Wednesday morning fatal shooting of 14-year-old Da'Vonte Reed.
The teenager was shot when he allegedly attempted to rob the victim near the intersection of Charles and Mission.
His body was later dumped onto North Sherwood Drive by the driver of the car, 17-year-old Demarcus Alexander, who was wounded by the gunfire.
Sergeant Don Kelly says police have charged Alexander with first-degree murder, quote, "because he was involved in the commission of an armed robbery where someone died." He says the actual shooter is believed to have fired his weapon in self-defense and will not face any criminal charges.
Labels: LA, street robbery
Kansas City, Missouri
From the November 20, 2007 Kansas City Star:
An armed robbery victim reportedly shot at his assailant as the suspect fled tonight in Kansas City.
The robbery was reported at 7:45 p.m. at the E&J Market, 2900 E. 27th St.
The victim, who was working in the store, told police he shot at the suspect as he was escaping but was unsure whether he hit him, a dispatcher said.
Labels: business robbery, MO
Delray Beach, Florida
From the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel of November 21, 2007
Guns fired in attack on Delray coin and jewelry store
Three men and a woman were arrested Tuesday after police said they burst into a coin and jewelry store on Federal Highway and fired shots at employees.
No one was hurt and nothing was stolen, but a chase ensued that led police through three cities after the getaway car.
Brittney Hinners, 18, of Delray Beach, Blake Lauseng, 20, of Boynton Beach, and Horace Brown, 23, and Thomas Coates, 24, no addresses given, were charged with armed robbery with a firearm, said Jeff Messer, police spokesman.
It started as a ruse when a young woman entered Andrew's jewelry shop shortly after 3 p.m pretending to look at engagement rings. She managed to prop open the front door to bypass its automatic locking system as she left.
Two men with handguns then stormed into the shop and yelled, "Hey you!" At least one of the men fired four rounds at the owner and two employees, Messer said.
"When I heard the shots I thought Andrew [the owner] was just nailing something to the wall," sand Lee Pickens, owner of the Scuba Center shop next door.
The store owner reached for his gun from behind the counter and was going to return fire, Messer said, but the men fled the store, tucked in the corner of the small Mayfair Plaza in the 800 block of northbound Federal Highway. They jumped over a cream-colored stucco wall that separates the plaza from a quiet neighborhood street where the getaway car, a black Mitsubishi Galant, was waiting.
Police picked up the woman and a man thought to be the driver near the store. They pursued the two other men in a zigzagging, 16-mile car chase that finally ended a half-mile south of the Forest Hill Boulevard exit on Interstate 95 when police blew out the car's tires. One of the men tossed a gun over the median, and police recovered the other inside the car.
No one was hurt in the car chase, Messer said.
"South Florida has been hit like a plague with these violent robberies recently," he said. "Who are all these people?"
The four were being booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Tuesday, and most of them confessed to their part in the robbery, Messer said. Brown also had a warrant and was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, he said.
Initially police were treating the incident as an attempted murder since the men did not demand anything and instead started shooting. However, further investigation revealed that their intent was robbery, Messer said.
By 5 p.m. crime scene investigators were dusting the store's door for prints and making molds of footprints left near the wall. Meanwhile, customers and employees came out of their stores to see what the commotion was about. Most did not even hear the gunshots. When Pickens went to see what was going on she saw the owner standing outside the shop with a shotgun in hand, she said.
The Delray Beach resident said she's known the owner since she opened her shop eight years ago.
"He's a nice guy," she said. "I've always felt good about Andrew being next door because he has a gun."
Labels: business robbery, FL
Phoenix, Arizona
From the Arizona Republic of November 20, 2007
Man fatally shot after trying to forcefully enter Phoenix hotel room
A man was shot in the head and killed after trying to force his way into a Phoenix hotel room early Tuesday morning.
A father, his wife and three children were inside their hotel room at Budget Suites hotel near Interstates 101 and 17, when an armed man attempted to enter around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Pat Tortorici of the Phoenix Police Department.
Police said that the two men knew each other.
The armed man initially got into a fight with the man inside the hotel room as he attempted to enter.
The armed man then cut the man's hand. While trying to get into the room, the armed man pulled out a gun, Tortorici said. But the man in the hotel room was quicker and shot the intruder in the head.
He died at the scene, Tortorici said.
No one else was injured.
The man and his family were taken to police headquarters for questioning.
Labels: AZ, home invasion
11/20/07
Indio, California
From November 20, 2007 CBS channel 2 Los Angeles:
(CBS) INDIO, Calif. An Indio man disarmed and fatally shot a would-be intruder early Tuesday during a struggle that left the resident with a gunshot wound in his foot, authorities said.
Police sent to a home on Hamilton Court in the Indian Palms Country Club at 1:30 a.m. found the body of 31-year-old Genaro Chavez Munoz lying partially in the front window of the residence, according to Ben Guitron with Indio police.
The preliminary investigation indicated that the homeowner was awakened by the sounds of someone trying to enter his home through the front window, according to Guitron.
"The homeowner managed to disarm the intruder and shot him several times, killing him in the process," Guitron said. Police believe there may have been other suspects outside the residence who ran away after the shooting, he said.
The homeowner, whose name was not being released, was taken to John F. Kennedy Hospital.
Guitron said no charges would be filed against him at this time, but that the investigation was ongoing.
Labels: CA, defender shot, residence burglary
Indianapolis, Indiana
From the Indianapolis Star of November 20, 2007
Security guard kills man in vacant building
Police this morning identified the private security guard who shot and killed a suspected intruder in an empty Eastside apartment Monday as a 22-year-old from Greenfield.
Nicholas B. House, who works for Trinity Security, told police he thought the man had a gun. The deceased had not been positively identified this morning, but the Marion County coroner's office suspects he might be a 30-year-old from Centerville, Ill. House, according to police, was patrolling the Spanish Oaks apartment complex in the 10300 block of Governours Lane when he noticed an open door to a vacant apartment shortly before 9 p.m. Monday.
House went inside, identified himself and encountered two men in a bedroom. Believing one man had a gun, police said House fired his handgun.
One man collapsed from the gunshot to the chest, police said. The other man ran. Police think others may have fled the apartment.
Sgt. Paul Thompson said House was not an off-duty police officer. House could not give a description of the man who ran.
Police have not yet said if they recovered a gun from the dead man.
Labels: IN, private security, trespassing
Dallas, Texas
From MyFox Dallas of November 19, 2007
Dallas Homeowner Shoots Home Invasion Suspect
A man was shot early Tuesday morning after he attempted to break into a Dallas home.
Police said a 76-year-old homeowner heard his dogs barking at around 3 a.m. at his home in the 3700 block of Fordham. He opened the front door and found a suspect prowling around the front yard.
When the door opened, the 28-year-old suspect ran inside. The two began fighting, and the homeowner managed to get a shotgun from under the bed.
He fired one shot, and the suspect was struck in the hand, shoulder and face.
Police arrived, and he was transported to Baylor Hospital. He was listed in serious but stable condition.
The homeowner suffered several blows to the face, but did not need medical attention.
Labels: home invasion, senior, TX
11/19/07
Yakima, Washington
From the Yakima Herald Republic of November 19, 2007
Homeowner shoots suspect taking weapon from house
A teenager was shot in the arm this morning by a Yakima resident who returned home to find his West Valley home being burglarized by two juveniles who were stealing weapons from the house, Yakima police said.
The homeowner was returning home about 10:30 a.m. when he saw a brown Honda Accord he didn't recognize parked in the driveway. Inside, the man saw two teenagers, one of them carrying his rifle.
Police said the homeowner opened fire with a .45 caliber handgun that he was carrying, injuring one of the burglary suspects. It was unclear whether the rifle was pointed at the man, but police said he was defending himself when he opened fire.
The wounded teenager was taken to a Yakima hospital, where his condition was not immediately available. However, police said the gunshot was not life-threatening. The other suspect was arrested by police at the house.
The incident occurred in the 2200 block of South 64th Avenue.
Labels: residence burglary, WA
Augusta, Georgia
From Augusta’s WRDW.com of November 19, 2007
Homeowner sends burglars to hospital
Investigators say two armed burglars invaded a home Friday night around 8:30pm on the 3000-block of Tate Rd.
A struggle occurred between the homeowner and one of the men. The homeowner was shot in the arm, but was able to get the gun away from the burglars to shoot back.
The two burglars drove themselves to the hospital where they were arrested.
The two men have been identified as Montrelle Teasley and Marcus Turner. Both will be charged with armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime.
Teasley is a juvenile, but will be charged as an adult.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, GA, home invasion, residence robbery
Hialeah, Florida
From Miami’s Local10.com of November 19, 2007
Security Guard Fights Back During Robbery
Guard Kicks Gun From Man's Hand, Chases Attempted Robbers Away
A security guard fought back during an attempted robbery at a Hialeah cafeteria early Monday morning.
Around 3 a.m., two men -- one of them armed and wearing a mask -- approached El Palacio de los Jugos, located at 2393 W. 78th St., police said.
One of the men pulled a gun on the security guard, who was sitting on a chair in the parking lot. Surveillance videos shows the guard kick the gun out of the man's hand and draw his own gun. The guard can then be seen firing two shots as the men ran away.
The guard was not injured and it didn't appear either man was shot.
Labels: business robbery, FL, private security
11/18/07
Riverside, Texas
From the November 17, 2007 Huntsville (Tex.) Item:
The Walker County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of a man who was shot and killed by another man in Riverside Tuesday night.
Jerry Wayne Bratton, a 40-year-old white male from Crockett, was killed just before 8 p.m. when another man — whose name county officials are not releasing — shot him in front of the Valero store off state Highway 19, just over the Trinity River bridge.
Lt. Charlie Perkins with the Walker County Sheriff’s Department said that when police responded to the scene they found Bratton lying on the ground with one gunshot wound to the torso.
“There was some altercation between the victim and the suspect and the victim was shot,” Perkins said Friday.
Walker County Criminal District Attorney David Weeks said his office had been brought into the investigation early to determine if the suspect shot Bratton in self-defense.
“There are certainly some elements of self-defense that we’re going to present in detail to the grand jury,” Weeks said. “There was enough evidence there that I thought there were no felony charges appropriate at this point.”
No charges have been brought against the subject, Perkins said, and that Sheriff’s Department officials are still working the investigation.
Labels: altercation, TX
Dayton, Ohio
From Dayton’s WHIOtv.com of November 18, 2007
Man Tries To Break-In Home, Gets Shot
A Dayton homeowner shot a suspected burglar Saturday morning.
Police responded to the 4000 block of Pleasantview early Saturday morning.
Police said a man tried kicking in the back door of the home and that is when the homeowner shot him.
The burglar was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition
Labels: home invasion, OH, residence robbery
11/17/07
Allentown, Pennsylvania
From Harrisburg’s PennLive.com of November 17, 2007
Police searching for robber in fatal Allentown holdup
Allentown police are searching for an unidentified male robber after a botched robbery at a center city mini-market Friday night left one of the robbers dead and two of the store's workers hospitalized.
At 6:29 p.m., Jonathan D. Fernandez and an unknown man entered the Allen Mini Market at 601 N. Ninth St. and attempted to rob the store at gunpoint and knifepoint, Assistant Police Chief Ron Manescu said tonight.
The married store owners, Catalino Bautista, 44, and Eneyda Ponce, 46, were working in the store with Ponce's 27-year-old son, Wilson Cabrera, Manescu said. During the robbery attempt, Bautista was shot in the chest and Cabrera was stabbed in the chest. Manescu declined to specify exactly when they were injured.
"Even though they were injured, they began to fight back," Manescu said, noting this caused the robber wielding the knife to flee the store.
Bautista, Cabrera and Ponce tackled Fernandez, 30, of the 600 block of Tilghman Street in the city, and a "violent struggle ensued," he said.
During the struggle, Fernandez was fatally shot but police did not specify who shot him and whether it was with his own gun.
"I'm not going to get into any other details," Manescu said. "We have a lot of people to talk to, and we have to get some facts straightened out. All we can say is he received his injuries during the struggle until we get further in our investigation."
Bautista is in critical condition at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Cabrera is listed in serious condition, Manescu said. Ponce suffered minor injuries in the struggle but was not hospitalized.
Police are also looking for two customers who fled the store at the time of the robbery.
Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim pronounced Fernandez dead at 7:25 p.m. Friday at the store. An autopsy Saturday determined he died from gunshot wounds to the body, Grim said.
Labels: business robbery, PA
Tarboro, North Carolina
From the Rocky Mount Telegram of November 17, 2007
Shootout at store kills clerk
Edgecombe County authorities arrested three teenagers in connection with a string of crimes at a Princeville convenience store that ultimately led to a shootout and the store owner's murder Thursday night.
One teen, who was wounded in the shootout, was charged with the man's murder; another was charged with having the gun purportedly used in the shooting; and a third was charged with burglarizing the store twice in the last month, authorities charge.
"These gentlemen are tied together," Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight said. "But how the whole puzzle fits together, we don't know yet."
Ahmad M. Nimer, 61, owner of Wings N Things on N.C. 33, was shot and killed Thursday night during an apparent robbery attempt at the store, Knight said.
The store, which was previously called Exum's Grocery, recently reopened under the new name, the sheriff said.
"Gunfire was exchanged in the business, and (one of the suspects) has a bullet wound in his shoulder," Knight said.
William Earl Allen Jr., 18, of Tarboro was taken to Heritage Hospital for treatment. He is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Nimer, and he's being held under no bond.
(More)
Labels: business robbery, defender killed, NC
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From Pittsburgh’s KDKA.com of November 17, 2007
Brookline Man Fights Burglar During Home Invasion
A Brookline homeowner turned the tables on a would-be burglar who broke into his home.
Dorjian Anderson, 31, and a single father of seven, says 23-year-old Christopher DePaolo kicked open his door. When the suspect got to the top of his steps, he and Anderson got into a fight.
Eventually Anderson grabbed some extension cords and hog-tied him. He and a friend held DePaolo at gunpoint until police arrived.
DePaolo was treated at UPMC South Side for a fractured right arm before he was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. He faces burglary, assault and criminal mischief charges.
Anderson said he had the opportunity to shoot DePaolo, but didn't because he saw him before in the neighborhood.
Labels: home invasion, PA, residence burglary
11/16/07
Waynesville, Missouri
From the Waynesville Daily Guide of November 16, 2007
Disabled man pulls gun, ends violent armed robbery spree
A disabled man defending himself with a firearm from people trying to break into his trailer appears to have stopped a crime spree early Thursday morning that several hours earlier sent two motel occupants to a Springfield hospital with head injuries.
According to Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department logs, at 3:34 a.m., deputies received a report that two men had kicked in the door of a room at the Fort Wood Inn at the Buckhorn exit of Interstate 44 and attacked those in the room with a baseball bat.
“They severely beat two individuals; one was immediately helicoptered to Springfield and the other was later flown to Springfield,” said Sheriff J.B. King, who due to the extent of the victims’ injuries didn’t have their names or many details of the incident.
The injuries were predominantly blunt force trauma and lacerations to the head, King said. The medical condition of the victims wasn’t immediately available but presumed to be serious.
“The deputy said he was worried about them, and that tells me about all I need to know,” King said.
After the deputy finished investigating the Fort Wood Inn incident, the sheriff’s office received a call from a man and his wife on Reporter Road who told deputies that they had caught a juvenile breaking into their mobile home about a mile north of Waynesville and were holding him at gunpoint. They said another man who had tried to break into their home had already fled.
King said the couple told him they were confronted in their home about 6 a.m. by a man in his 30s and a 16-year-old male. The older intruder pulled a handgun, but apparently didn’t anticipate that his intended victim — a disabled man in his 40s who takes medication for serious back pain — might not be an easy target.
“The homeowner pulled his weapon and the suspect fled,” King said. “The suspect had a pellet gun; the homeowner had a real gun.”
The deputy left the Fort Wood Inn and headed toward the Reporter Road address, but while driving on Highway T on his way to Reporter Road, at 6:09 a.m., he saw a small silver passenger car matching the description of a car that had fled the Fort Wood Inn.
“My deputy made a split-second decision to pursue the suspect vehicle on Highway T,” King said. “He made a snap decision in a critical incident and it will bear major fruit.”
The sheriff’s department had only one deputy on duty in the early morning hours, so sheriff’s dispatchers called Waynesville police to assist with securing the juvenile being held at gunpoint by the homeowner; King responded from his home, took custody of the juvenile from Waynesville police, and transported him to the county jail where he awaits filing of charges.
King said the homeowner showed him a baseball bat left by the juvenile in the living room of the trailer on Reporter Road; the deputy found a pellet gun after stopping the car on Highway T, along with a laptop computer believed to have been stolen from the Fort Wood Inn.
(More)
Labels: home invasion, MO
Clinton Township, Michigan
From ClickOnDetroit.com of November 16, 2007
Store Clerk Shoots Alleged Robber
It happened around 7:30 p.m. at Nick's Short Stop party store in Clinton Township located at Cass Road and Romeo Plank
The 17-year-old clerk said he was protecting his brother who was being held up by a knife.
"I just want people to understand we are the victims and I hope he is OK," store owner John Acho said.
Acho said he wants to make sure people know his nephew was acting in self-defense.
Police said the robber had a knife.
"I hope he is OK, but he had no right to come in here and rob the store and try to hurt people," said Acho.
Police said the clerk fired several shots at the 22-year-old robber, hitting him once in the chest and once in the arm.
The robber is hospitalized in grave condition, according to officials.
This is the second robbery of the store since Acho purchased it a month ago.
The Macomb County prosecutor office will decide whether charges will be filed against the clerk.
Labels: business robbery, MI, minor defender
Bedford Heights, Ohio
From the Mansfield News Journal of November 16, 2007
Store owner shoots suspect during robbery attemptFrom Cleveland’s NewsNet5.com of November 21, 2007
A suspect entered the Northfield Food Mart around 7:15pm Thursday evening attempting to rob the store owner.
In defense, the store owner pulled out a weapon and shot the suspect.
The injured suspect attempted to exit the store and was quickly apprehended.
Police are in early stages of their investigation.
The Food Mart crime scene has been blocked off. An area of the nearby Rite Aid parking lot has also been blocked off while police continue searching for and sorting through evidence.
There are a handful of witnesses who police are speaking with as well.
The suspect was taken to Bedford Hospital and then lifeflighted to MetroHealth Medical Center.
There is no word on his condition, however, there are reports that he may have been shot in the head.
Surveillance Video Shows Storeowner Shooting Robber
Suspect Charged With Aggravated Robbery
Surveillance video showing the struggle between a Bedford Heights store owner and an alleged robber was released on Tuesday.
Prosecutors will not charge Mushtaq Ahmed, the owner of Northfield Food Mart, for shooting a man who allegedly held him at gunpoint last week.
Police arrested 27-year-old Roddy Prophet, of Maple Heights, in connection with the robbery.
Prophet was in court Tuesday morning and was charged with aggravated robbery. His bond was set at $100,000.
Police said Prophet used a toy gun in the heist.
Labels: business robbery, OH
11/15/07
Havertown, Pennsylvania
From Philadelphia’s NBC10.com of November 15, 2007
Mother Turns Tables On Carjackers
Police Investigate Carjacking On Suburban Road
Police said Wednesday a mother wrestled away a gun from a carjacker who tried to take her car with her 7-year-old daughter inside.
Chopper 10 was over the scene at Bellfield Avenue and Route 1, where police were using metal detectors and a search dog.
Bellfield Avenue was shut down for the investigation. Firefighters arrived with lights so police could continue the investigation.
Police said the 37-year-old woman was leaving work at the Sunny Days Early Child Development Services facility on Township Line when she said she was approached by two men who got out of a black Jeep. After a brief conversation, one pointed a gun at her and demanded her SUV.
Police said the woman pleaded with the gunmen to allow her to retrieve her 7-year-old daughter out of the backseat. As she helped the child out, she grabbed the gun from the carjacker's lap. The woman then began to back away, with the gunmen following in an attempt to retrieve the gun.
Police said the gun went off in the struggle.
While neither the mother nor daughter were injured, it was unknown if their attackers were hurt. The gunmen got the weapon back, and one jumped into the victim's SUV and drove up Belfield Avenue, while the other was picked up around the corner on Township Line in the black Jeep they had pulled up in, NBC 10 News reported.
Police said they were looking for at least three men, their black Jeep, and the victim's 2007 White Over Black Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Labels: carjacking, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, PA
Cleburne, Texas
From the Cleburne Times-Review of November 15, 2007
Man shot Wednesday in scuffle over son
Seventeen-year-old charged with felony firearm possession
A 20-year-old Fort Worth man was shot in the chest Wednesday night while attempting to take his 15-month-old son from a residence in Burleson after a fight with another Fort Worth man, according the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Ashton Lamar Miles Brown, 17, is accused of shooting Damarcus King, who was transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital. Brown was arrested on a charge of a felon in possession of a firearm. Details on King’s condition were not available.
According to reports, King, the father of the child, had sent threatening messages to the mother. King said he would harm the mother and grandmother and then take the child from the East Renfro Street home.
Brown was inside the residence with the mother and child when King arrived at the home. When King entered the residence, a fight began between the two men. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, King is three years older, six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Brown.
During the fight, Brown fired a shot from a 9 mm handgun, which struck King in the chest. The shot entered and exited King’s chest cavity area.
Despite the wound, the fight continued while King and Brown stumbled over a love seat. King went out the front door and collapsed in the front yard, where he remained until paramedics arrived for treatment.
Both men have prior arrest records.
Although the case is under investigation, reports indicate that the new Castle Doctrine Law may apply. The law, also known as the Defense of Habitation Law, gives people the legal right to use deadly force when defending their residence from an illegal trespasser.
Labels: domestic dispute, home invasion, minor offender, TX
11/14/07
Pasadena, Texas
From Austin’s KXAN.com of November 14, 2007
Two suspected burglars in Pasadena fatally shotFrom the Houston Chronicle of November 15, 2007
Pasadena police say an elderly man today shot and killed two men he believed were burglarizing his neighbor's house.
Captain "Bud" Corbett says the man heard noises he thought sounded like broken glass and determined the commotion was happening next door.
The man called police and then saw two men coming through a gate in the backyard of the neighbor's house.
Corbett says the elderly man had a shotgun and confronted the pair -- told them to stop -- and shot them when they refused.
One person was found dead about two houses away. The other was found dead across the street.
Police were interviewing the elderly man.
Shooting of theft suspects may test self-defense law
In a case legal experts say may "stretch the limits" of the state's self-defense laws, a Pasadena man shot and killed two suspected burglars during a confrontation as they attempted to flee his neighbor's property Wednesday afternoon.
…
Police said the neighbor, whose name was withheld Wednesday, appeared calm as he retraced his steps for police.
"He was well composed and knew what he was doing," Mitchell said. "He was protecting the neighbor's property."
It will be up to a Harris County grand jury to decide if the man committed a crime by opening fire, police said.
Wednesday's shooting "clearly is going to stretch the limits of the self-defense law," said defense attorney Tommy LaFon, who is also a former Harris County prosecutor.
If the absent homeowner tells police that he asked his neighbor to watch over his property, that could play in his favor, LaFon said.
"If the homeowner comes out and says, 'My neighbor had a greater right of possession than the people trying to break in,' that could put him (the gunman) in an ownership role," LaFon said.
The Texas Penal Code says a person can use force or deadly force to defend someone else's property if he reasonably believes he has a legal duty to do so or the property owner had requested his protection.
The neighbor, however, would have been on much safer legal ground if he had been trying to protect his own property, LaFon said.
(More)
Labels: residence burglary, TX
Hessville, Indiana
From Chicago’s NBC5.com of November 14, 2007
Police: Woman Shoots Stalker To Death After Break-In
Woman Endured Many Incidents With Stalker, Police Said
An accused stalker was shot to death Monday night by the object of his obsession after he broke into her Hessville home, police told the Northwest Indiana Times.
Hammond resident Ryan Lee Bergner, 41, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to his abdomen shortly after 10:30 p.m. at a local hospital.
According to the Times, Bergner went on a date with the 51-year-old woman last June, and his behavior became obsessive, offensive and violent then on [sic].
On Monday night, the woman was watching television in her living room when she said she heard Bergner break a bathroom window near her back door and called 911.
A friend had given the woman a pistol for protection earlier in the day.
After the 911 operator told her to lock herself in her bedroom until police could come, she ran upstairs to do so and retrieved the gun.
This was the second time in recent days that Bergner broke into her home, breaking a back window, destroying a clock radio, and stealing several of her undergarments over the weekend.
Police records show Bergner also had tried to kick in the woman's front door a week before that, and also accosted her at her job and being ejected from the business by her co-workers.
He also was suspected of slashing her Jeep's tires on at least two occasions, police records show.
"This isn't over yet," Bergner told the woman on Nov. 3, according to police reports.
Hiding in her closet on Monday night, the woman said she heard Bergner enter the bedroom, then watched as he opened the closet door.
She said she told him to stop, but he kept coming. She fired the gun three times.
She said he then proceeded to choke her violently before collapsing to the floor.
"I was shaking so bad, I didn't think I'd hit him," the woman recalled Tuesday afternoon. "He just kept coming… I didn't want it to end this way."
Bergner had not been charged over any of the half-dozen previous complaints made against him.
"We only went out on that one date," the woman told the Times on Tuesday. "I got a look at his temper, and realized I didn't want anything to do with him. But he wouldn't take no for an answer."
From NBC5 of January 10, 2008
911 Tape Captures Horror Before Fatal ShootingClick here to listen to all of the chilling 911 call
Police in Northwest Indiana have released the audio tape of an emergency call for help.
A woman was reportedly watching TV when she heard a window breaking in her home and called 911.
She then hid in a closet, armed with a gun.
The tape captures the woman struggling with a man, repeatedly saying, "Stop it. Stop it."
The woman eventually shot and killed the intruder. Police said she will not face charges, because she acted in self defense.
Memphis, Tennessee
From the Commercial Appeal of November 13, 2007
Robbery suspect shot, killed at car wash
A robbery suspect was shot and killed in South Memphis tonight.
According to Memphis police, multiple suspects attempted to rob the After Hours car wash at 770 Polk near Crump just before 7 p.m.
A person inside the store had a gun. He fired, hitting one of the suspects and killing him, police said.
Police were still investigating the incident late tonight, and were uncertain if any charges would be filed against the shooter.
The victim’s identity had not been established.
Labels: business robbery, TN
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
From the Tuscaloosa News of November 14, 2007
Three arrests made in botched burglary attempt
Three men were arrested by police Monday night shortly after a botched burglary attempt.
According to a Tuscaloosa Police Department news release, Aaron Phelps, 23, Rhett Phelps, 19, and Jeremy Porter, 20, were arrested on first- degree burglary charges. Police say they tried to burglarize a residence in the 3400 block of Second Street Northeast about 8:15 p.m. Monday.
Police said the resident was watching TV when he heard a knock at his front door. When he opened the door to see if anyone was outside, he saw a man armed with a shotgun and wearing a Confederate flag bandana over his face.
The resident slammed the door and ran into the kitchen, police said. But he was caught by the man with the shotgun, who had forced his way in through the front door, and another man.
Police said the burglars held a shotgun to the resident's head and demanded money, but the resident pushed the shotgun aside and began fighting with the burglars.
At some point during the fight, the resident grabbed the barrel of the shotgun while the intruder was still holding the other end, stepped outside his home and yelled for help.
While wrestling over the shotgun outside, the assailant pulled the trigger, but the shot missed the resident.
The resident managed to pull the shotgun from the assailant's hands and both intruders fled into the woods nearby. Police said a third person joined the pair as they fled. The investigation led officials to the three, who were taken into custody and confessed, police said. Bail was set at $25,000 each. The resident suffered minor injuries.
Labels: AL, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion
Dallas, Texas
From WFAA of November 14, 2007
Intruder shot in North Dallas
Dallas police are investigating the shooting of a home invasion suspect late Tuesday night.
Investigators said the man broke into an apartment in the 9700 block of Forest Lane around 11:30 p.m. A man in the apartment shot the intruder, according to police.
Police were questioning three witnesses early Wednesday and they believe the shooter was one of the three.
The intruder was on life support at a local hospital Wednesday.
Labels: home invasion, TX
11/13/07
Las Vegas, Nevada
From Las Vegas’ KVBC.com of November 13, 2007
Man shot, killed attempting to carjack security guard
A suspect is dead after messing with the wrong person Tuesday morning. North Las Vegas Police say a man tried to carjack a security guard at about 6 in the morning near Gowan and I-15.
The intended victim and the suspect got into a shootout. The security guard was taken to the hospital with a minor wound. The suspect was taken to UMC where he later died.
Police say the security guard may not face any charges, because it appears he was acting in self defense.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, NV
Bakersfield, California
From the Bakersfield Californian of November 7, 2007
Store clerk shoots man wielding knife
A liquor store employee shot a 27-year-old man Wednesday night after the man attacked the clerk with a knife.
At about 8 p.m., Daniel Perez had entered AA Liquors at 1305 Niles St. and asked a clerk and his wife to kill him, according to a news release by the Bakersfield Police Department.
Perez pulled out a knife and hit the male clerk on the left thumb, according to police. The cut was minor.
The clerk took out a gun and shot the suspect in the right arm.
Perez then went to a cooler, stole a beer and exited the store, police said.
Officers arrived and ordered the suspect to lie down, according to the news release.
Perez did not listen and was arrested after a police dog dragged him down, according to the news release. The suspect hit the dog several times with the beer bottle.
Perez was taken to Kern Medical center with a gunshot wound to his right arm that had entered his chest. The wound was non-life threatening, police said.
Labels: business robbery, CA
11/12/07
St. Francisville, Louisiana
From Lafayette’s KATC.com of November 12, 2007
Woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver
A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish.
Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release.
West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest.
Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged.
Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA
Kalispell, Montana
From MontanasNewsStation.com of November 12, 2007
Hunter recovering from mountain lion attack
The state wildlife agency says a hunter is recovering from a weekend attack by a mountain lion, southeast of Kalispell.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks says the hunter was on a trail yesterday when he heard a growl, turned and saw the lion 10 to 15 feet away. The man dropped his rifle and sought protection behind a tree, but the lion pounced on his back and knocked him into the tree. The man was able to grab his pistol, fired a shot and the mountain lion fled.
The hunter, whose name was withheld, received medical attention at a hospital and was released.
Cincinnati, Ohio
From the Cincinnati Enquirer of November 12, 2007
Market owner shoots at gunman
The owner of NM Minimart, 823 Elm St., fired at a gunman who robbed the store this morning, Cincinnati police said.
Cincinnati Police Lt. Mark Briede said a man entered the store about 11:30 a.m., implied he had a gun and robbed the store of cash.
The owner followed the man outside onto Ninth Street and fired at him.
"Officers in the area actually heard the shots,'' Briede said.
Briede said there is a school across the street from the market and lots of people were walking in the neighborhood.
"I think we are very fortunate that no one was hit that we are aware of,'' Briede said.
Police were interviewing the store owner and searching for the robbery suspect.
Labels: business robbery, OH
Knox County, Tennessee
From Knoxville’s WATE.com of November 12, 2007
Knox Co. homeowner fights back, shoots would-be burglar
A homeowner in south Knox County stopped a home invasion robbery by shooting a would-be burglar.
Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office say just before midnight Sunday, a pair of men kicked in the door of an elderly couple's home on Chestnut Street.
The homeowner opened fire, wounding one of the robbers. The pair then fled without taking anything from the home.
The wounded suspect turned up a few minutes later outside UT Medical Center. The other suspect apparently dropped off their partner and then fled.
Deputies are still searching for the second suspect. The sheriff's office has yet to release a description of that suspect.
It isn't clear if the homeowner was injured in the incident.
Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TN
11/11/07
Indianapolis, Indiana
From TheIndyChannel.com of November 11, 2007
Employees, Customer Tangle With Armed Robber
AutoZone Employees Wrestle Armed Man In Struggle
An armed robber was hospitalized after three would-be victims decided to fight back, Indianapolis Metro police said.
Investigators said while they would not recommend what two employees and one customer of an Indianapolis AutoZone store did, they called the actions very brave, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.
Police said the employees who were working Sunday morning got suspicious as soon as Michael Jones, 41, walked in to the store, in the 6100 block of East 46th Street, on the city's northeast side.
"He was wearing a black hat and a hoodie, so the employees got kind of suspicious when he walked in dressed the way he was," said IMPD Detective Leon Benjamin.
Police said Jones pretended to shop, waiting for all customers to leave, then went to the counter and asked how much brake pads would cost for an older-model Cadillac.
"The clerk … turned around to check the pricing on the computer. When he turned back around, the suspect had a gun pointed directly at his head," Benjamin said.
The clerk then made a split-second, what some would call crazy decision, grabbing the gun and wrestling with the attacker.
A second employee jumped in to help, fighting the attacker out the door of the business and to the ground.
"When they fell to the ground, the gun was knocked loose from the suspect," Benjamin said.
The only customer in the store at the time grabbed the gun and called police, and the two employees held the man down until police arrived.
Police said the second employee only has one arm.
"His other arm is actually a hook, and he was able to use that hook … as a weapon in subduing the suspect," Benjamin said.
Police normally suggest victims do what a robber said. In this case, the clerk's reaction paid off.
Police said Jones had previously been incarcerated twice in robbery cases, and that he told a detective that he owed some money and needed quick cash.
Jones and the first employee during the struggle were taken to hospitals to be treated for cuts and abrasions but neither was seriously hurt.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, IN
Youngstown, Florida
From the Panama City News Herald of November 11, 2007
Angry hog meets fate on Youngstown property
A Youngstown man with a .22 rifle was the last line of defense between his family and an angry porker.
The 300-pound swine terrorized a home along County 2301 on Saturday morning, but ultimately, the hog was killed and taken away to become bacon, ribs and other meats.
“It charged my mom. She was getting very upset,” said the 47-year-old who shot the hog. The man’s name is being withheld at the family’s request because of fear of retribution. “It even came after me one time and nipped me on the leg.”
Officials with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the family contacted their neighbors to see if the hog belonged to anyone, but no one claimed the curly-tailed creature.
After the family called for help, two officers from Bay County Animal Control arrived, but they could not catch the hog either.
“We chased the pig all over the place,” the man said. “The pig was street-wise.”
The animal control officers then called for backup, and an unnamed Bay County Sheriff’s deputy showed up. But the pig eluded him, too.
“Two animal control officers were able to get a noose around the animal but could not hold onto it,” said Sgt. John Sumerall of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. “Three hundred pounds of pig will pull you pretty good.”
The officers told the deputy to shoot the hog, but the deputy refused, Sumerall said. The officers then requested the deputy contact Sumerall, who concurred with the deputy’s decision.
“We’re not shooting an animal that is not a threat to anyone,” Sumerall said.
However, Sumerall told the officials the homeowner could shoot the pig. Homeowners have a right to safely kill game on their property, and hogs always are in season, Sumerall said.
“When an animal is being aggressive and going after people and we’re not able to catch it, the complainant is allowed to protect themselves and their property,” said Debbie Evernham, interim manager of Bay County Animal Control. Sumerall added the shooting was acceptable because it did not take place in city limits, and the shooter was clear of other houses and traffic. “The property owner went inside, found a rifle and shot the pig in the head, I guess,” Summerall said. The Youngstown man said he never has killed an animal before and did not want to do it. “I don’t like killing nothing,” he said. Animal control officials had the hog harvested later Saturday.
11/10/07
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of November 10, 2007
Boy, 15, shot dead during burglary in North Miami
A 15-year-old boy died from a gunshot wound early Saturday morning after he and another suspect tried to burglarize a home in North Miami, police said.
The owner of the home, described as a business, apparently confronted the two burglary suspects after they were spotted on the property.
Details of the shooting were unclear, but police arrived to find the boy lying in front of the residence with a gunshot wound.
Police notified emergency rescue workers, who were unable to save the teen, according to a statement released by the North Miami Police Department.
The dead teen was identified as Paul-Marc Petit.
The other suspect, who was not identified by North Miami police, was apprehended and charged with felony murder, burglary and theft.
Labels: FL, minor offender, residence burglary
11/9/07
Springfield, Massachusetts
From the November 9, 2007 Springfield Republican:
Police said they followed a trail of blood to capture a city man who was shot by a convenience store clerk during a botched robbery attempt yesterday morning.
The clerk had been pistol-whipped during the crime, and had a cut to his head, said Detective Bureau Capt. Robert T. McFarlin. The clerk, a 44-year-old native of Iraq, will not be charged, he said.
As described by police, two males entered Wheeler's convenience store at 597 Dickinson St. around 11:20 a.m. One had a stun gun and the other a semi-automatic handgun. A struggle ensued, and the clerk took the handgun and shot one of the suspects in the leg.
Police followed the blood and found Abraham Ramos, 20, of 227 White St., in a garage at 146 Draper St., McFarlin said. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg.
Labels: business robbery, MA
Camden, Tennessee
From Paducah’s (KY)WSPDtv.com of November 9, 2007
Tennessee Man Shot By Two WomenFrom the Camden Chronicle of November 14, 2007
A deadly shooting in Camden, Tennessee on Thursday.
29-year-old Jason Robinson of Holladay suffered a shotgun wound to the chest and died about an hour after being shot yesterday afternoon.
The police chief says an argument started when Robinson told his girlfriend Sonja Moore that he had an affair with her friend Benita Murphy.
All three were at Moore's home at the time. The women told police Robinson was beating them. Officers say both women show signs of abuse.
The women said Murphy got the shotgun to defend herself and shot Robinson when he kept attacking them. No charges have been filed at this point.
Self-defense possible factor in fatal shooting
Self-defense may have been a contributing factor in the shooting death of a Holladay resident, Jason D. Robinson, 29, Thursday afternoon. The shooter, Benita G. Murphy, 21, was taken into custody on the scene, but was later released pending the District Attorney’s decision on whether or not to file charges.
“All of the evidence gathered at the scene has been sent to the crime lab or turned over to the D.A.,” said Camden Police Chief George Smith. “It is up to them whether or not we charge her.”
According to District Attorney Hansel McCadams, his office will likely meet with TBI agents next week to make the decision. If charges are filed, the case will most likely go to the grand jury.
Benton County Central Dispatch received the call at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday that there was a woman standing in the front yard of 312 Wren Avenue, a residence well known to local law enforcement for domestic situations, holding a gun, which had been fired, and that a man was lying on the ground.
Upon arriving on the scene, officers from the Camden Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Department discovered Robinson laying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest, but still alive. He was transported to the Camden Elk’s Lodge to be airlifted, but passed away before take off. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene
According to Chief Smith, Murphy was still on the scene when officers arrived, along with Robinson’s girlfriend Sonya Moore, who lived at the residence and witnessed the shooting. The 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting was laying on the ground in the front yard.
Smith said that Murphy surrendered peacefully to the officers and cooperated with the investigation. Both women told investigators that Robinson had been beating up on both of them, prompting Murphy to grab the gun and fire. Smith confirmed that both women did show signs of abuse.
“This case is still under investigation by both the TBI and the Camden Police Department,” said Smith.
Labels: domestic abuse, female, TN
Orlando, Florida
From Orlando’s Local6.com of November 5, 2007
Police: Orlando Cricket Player Shoots Opponent During Match
An argument between several Indian men during a cricket match in Orlando led to an on-the-field shooting that seriously injured one of the players, according to police.
Orange County sheriff's deputies said they responded to a 911 call at 4:20 p.m. Saturday from a cricket match at Cyprus Grove Park and found Francis Singh, 36, shot in the abdomen.
Click here to find out more!
Officers said Singh apparently became involved in a fight and threatened Devan Bascom, 37, with a cricket bat.
Police said Bascom then pulled a small semi-automatic gun and fired at Singh, hitting him at least once.
"The shooter was defending himself from an attack with a cricket bat which is simlar to a baseball bat but it's flat," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Spike Hopkins said. "For this man to bring a firearm to a sporting event is odd but then again, he has the right to do so. He has a concealed weapons permit and if, in fact, he was protecting himself, he was authorized by law to do so."
Singh was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was undergoing surgery late Saturday.
There have been no arrests made in the case as the investigation continues.
Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, FL
11/8/07
Albany, Georgia
From November 8, 2007 WALB channel 10:
Albany-- There was gunfire in northwest Albany as a convenience store owner fought off an armed robber.
A little after seven o'clock Wednesday night, a man entered the Mini-Mart at 2422 Stuart Avenue, showed a gun and demanded money. That's when store owner Mike Patel pulled out his own gun and fired one shot at the would-be robber.
Labels: business robbery, GA
Mobile, Alabama
From Mobile’s WKRG.com of November 7, 2007
Newlywed Fight Ends in Gunfire
A man ends up in the hospital after his wife of 4 months shoots him in the knee.
Kim Brown told the Escambia County Sheriff's Office that her newlywed husband tried to attack her in the shower, so she shot him in the knee.
Brown kicked David Crockett out of the house a few days ago and he had been sleeping in his vehicle in the backyard. This morning, deputies say Crockett forced his way into the house and tried to sexually assault his wife. During the attack, Brown grabbed a gun and shot Crockett.
Crockett was taken to Baptist Hospital. He will be charged with Battery, False Imprisonment, Attempted Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.
Labels: AL, domestic dispute, female, rape
11/7/07
San Diego, California
From San Diego’s Fox6.com of November 7, 2007
Neighbor Shooting
Prosecutors today plan to dismiss murder and assault charges against an ex-Marine and his wife accused in the fatal shooting of a neighbor whose girlfriend sought their help at a University City condominium.
William Bennett Porter and Nicole Leanne Porter pleaded not guilty Aug. 7 in San Diego Superior Court.
William Porter was charged with murder and an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the shooting four days earlier that killed 47-year-old Larry Kermit King.
Nicole Porter was charged with assault with a semiautomatic weapon.
Deputy District Attorney Marcella McLaughlin told a judge this summer that around 2 a.m. on Aug. 3, King and his ex-girlfriend got into some sort of dispute and she went to the Porters' residence for help.
William Porter tried to arrest King, then shot him several times in the back, the prosecutor alleged.
A bullet from Nicole Porter's gun also struck the victim in the neck, McLaughlin told Superior Court Judge David Szumowski.
The prosecutor alleged that King was retreating back into his condo in the 7900 block of Avenida Navidad when he was shot.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong said William Porter served four years in the Marine Corps -- including three tours of duty in Iraq -- before getting out in the fall of 2006.
The defendant -- who was working as a weapons and tactics instructor in Twentynine Palms -- has no record and is a "squeaky-clean guy," the attorney said.
Armstrong said at the time that the case was a strong self-defense case.
Today, McLaughlin refused to comment further before a scheduled afternoon hearing.
Labels: altercation, CA, female
Buffalo, New York
From the Buffalo News of November 7, 2007
Fired upon in her Winspear home, woman shoots back
A gunman fired a shot Tuesday night into a Winspear Avenue house, and the occupant retaliated by firing a shot back, police reported. No injuries were reported.
The incident happened in the 400 block of Winspear in the city's University Heights neighborhood at about 6:10 p.m.
Northeast District Police said three men dressed in black hooded shirts repeatedly pounded and kicked on the door, and demanded that the woman inside open it, police said.
One of the men then fired a shotgun through the door, near the peep hole.
When the woman used her own shotgun to return fire, the three men drove away, police reported. The woman's shot struck a neighboring house at 494 Winspear.
Police believe two of the men had shotguns, while the third man had a handgun.
Labels: female, home invasion, NY
Browning, Montana
From the Browning Glacier Reporter of November 7, 2007
Haggar's encounter with grizzly ends tragically for hungry 400-pound bear
Carl Haggar has been living just west of the Blackfeet Reservation boundary on U.S. Highway 2 for years, and he's been hunting the Lubec Hills area across the highway for just about as long. Carl is a responsible and careful hunter, and he'd already talked to Dan Carney, bear biologist for the Blackfeet Tribe, as well as Gabe Salois, a game warden for Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife. They'd already told him there were grizzly bears at large in the Lubec Hills.
"I went out Tuesday morning [Oct. 22] at daybreak," Haggar said Sunday, Oct. 28. "It was a beautiful morning, not much wind. It took me about an hour and a half to get to the area where I hunt. Bears were not on my mind, but I knew of multiple sightings," he said of his conversations with the experts. Nevertheless, Carl saw no signs of bear activity as he continued his solitary hunt.
He was walking along the top of a ravine - the Lubec Hills include several parallel ridges with narrow valleys between - when he saw a grizzly cub scamper up the other side. Immediately an enormous sow grizzly charged up his side of the ravine to investigate. Haggar stood his ground with his rifle held across his chest and softly but firmly said "whoa" to the griz. Haggar said "whoa" three times as the female griz waited, deciding what to do next, when Carl tripped and fell over backwards.
The griz was on him in a flash, covering the 20 feet separating them in a split second. "I knew I would be mauled," he said. "I remember thinking that if I got a round off I hoped I'd have time to get in another one because it was obvious I was in deep sh_t."
Haggar fell on one arm, still holding his semi automatic 30.06 rifle in the other. He got a single shot fired and hit the female just above the left eye, killing it nearly instantly. She fell at his feet, motionless.
"There was a moment when she was at the top when I thought she would stop, just for an instant, but my tripping just triggered her instincts...when she dropped at my feet I couldn't believe it," he said.
Standing by a tree and catching his breath, Haggar said he looked to see if there were more cubs, but didn't see any. "Then I started to get angry about the situation and why the bear had to die," he said. "I wasn't thinking at all about how close I'd come to death."
Haggar hiked back out, called the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and that afternoon accompanied Rod Duty to investigate the scene.
When they got there, a male grizzly prevented the official from gathering biological samples, but upon investigating from the opposite ridge, they were able to see a gut pile from a hunter's elk kill, lying at the bottom of the ravine. Although invisible from Haggar's vantage point earlier, the remains had attracted the female as well as the male later that day.
Duty found Haggar's shell casing lying nine feet from the bear's carcass. Haggar said he'd tested his gun at home and found it throws the casings about five feet behind him so the bear was only about four feet away when it was killed. Duty absolved him of any guilt in the bear's death, ruling it was self defense.
Smith Valley, Nevada
From the Reno Gazette Journal of November 7, 2007
Dog attack in SV results in death of horse
A horse was put down in Smith Valley as a result of injuries suffered from an attack by neighbors' pitbulls and the horse owner would like to inform residents of this situation and perhaps save an animal's life.
Lisa Adams of Smith Valley said three or four pit bulls attacked her quarter horse gelding "Zack" Sunday morning and inflicted wounds so severe the equine had to be euthanized.
Adams, who helplessly watched her horse, a barrel racer, being attacked by the dogs of neighbors who had just moved into a rental next door, said it will take a while to overcome this attack. She was struck in the head by her horse as they tried to tend to it after the attack and was briefly hospitalized, while a neighbor, kicked by the horse trying to chase off the dogs, also received medical treatment.
…
The incident began about 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the neighborhood between Day Lane and Artist View in Smith Valley as Mrs. Adams got up and saw a neighbor who had apparently moved in the day before let four dogs out of a small fenced kennel. She said she couldn't tell what kind of dogs they were but admitted she was a little concerned seeing a neighbor with dogs. Her husband Steve, a LCSO deputy, had already left for work.
Lisa Adams then walked to the other side of the house and noticed her 26-year-old mare, who can barely move, walking in circles, dust kicked up.
She ran outside and heard noise in the other horse's stall (a third horse the Adams own is on the other side of their five-acre property). She saw an apparent owner crouched down with one dog to the side and three pit bulls in the stall.
So she ran inside to call 911, Mrs. Adams related, and apparently was screaming for help so the three neighbors arrived. Two tried to get the dogs away from the horse, but one was kicked and injured in the leg, so the other and Mrs. Adams dragged her out of the stall.
"Thank God the dogs didn't turn on her," she said.
Eventually, Adams went into her home to get a pistol and shot one of the dogs, although it survived, as Bolzle said it was a superficial wound. However, Adams said the other dogs then left her horse alone.
(More)
Lubbock, Texas
From Lubbock’s KCBD.com of November 5, 2007
Authorities Continue to Investigate Robbery and Homicide
Authorities are still asking questions to find out what exactly happened in East Lubbock County Saturday afternoon. That's where a suspected robber ended up dead in the store clerk's Jeep.
It's expected this case will eventually go to the grand jury, but for now the investigation begins at the Carl's Corner on 98th and MLK.
Authorities say around 3 p.m. Saturday, Jesse Jermane Pearson tried to rob Carl's Corner Convenience Store. Just minutes later, a store clerk reportedly chased him and about two miles from the store, Pearson was fatally shot.
"He waited until all of the other customers left and he came up to pay and instead of pulling out money he pulled out a big switch blade," says Alex Hamil, the Carl's Corner Convenience Store Clerk who was held up at knife point Saturday.
Hamil says 32-year-old Jesse Jermane Pearson of Lubbock was a frequent customer at the store. But Saturday afternoon, he visited the store for another reason.
"He got real close and put it right there so if he needed to he could cut somebody with it. He probably took $800 tops," says Hamil.
But Pearson would not get far. As Pearson was leaving, another store employee, Jace Martin, was arriving for work.
"Follow him and get his tags and he was like ‘what?' I said follow him. He just robbed me, follow him and get his tags," says Hamil.
Barely two miles down the road Pearson's Toyota Tercell broke down at the intersection at MLK and US 84.
"Jace and I were both talking to 911 at the same time and he said he sat back and the guy looked around and got out of his car and Jace said he got out of his car because he didn't want to be in a vulnerable, prone position," says Hamil.
Pearson allegedly ran toward Martin. That's when Martin allegedly grabbed his deer rifle. Hamil tells us that Pearson allegedly jumped in Martin's Jeep Cherokee and took off.
"And he tried to hit him with the car and that's when Jace shot him," says Hamil.
Moments later, Lubbock Police and Sheriff's Deputies arrived on the scene to find Pearson sitting in the driver's seat of the Martin's Jeep bleeding from the left side of his body. Pearson died in route to the hospital.
As for Martin, he was questioned and released Saturday. He has not been arrested or charged with anything in connection with the shooting, however it is standard in any homicide, for the grand jury to look at the case to decide if it's self defense or if charges should be filed.
Labels: business robbery, TX
Orlando, Florida
From the Orlando Sentinel of November 7, 2007
Orlando victims scare off armed robbers with own guns
They draw permitted concealed weapons when suspect shoots
Two holders of concealed-weapons permits surprised armed thugs who approached them in west Orlando this week.
Both men opened fire rather than surrender their wallets. The robbers beat it.
"They left with broken egos. They didn't get nothing from us," Juan Amezaga said Tuesday. "If more people stood up for themselves, a lot of crime could be prevented. And the concealed-weapons permit, that's great."
The men say they exercised their constitutional right to own guns, carried them legally and defended themselves within the state's deadly force law.
"If it's appropriate, people have to defend themselves," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, Orlando police spokeswoman. "It's no different from us using a gun. It has to be justified, and we will, of course, investigate what happened."
The gunfight erupted at 6:10 p.m. Monday near Clear Lake, according to a police report on the incident.
Amezaga, 25, and Stephen Soto, 23, were enjoying the fall weather outside Soto's apartment on South Wilts Circle when two strangers walked by them two or three times. Thinking that was suspicious behavior, Amezaga and Soto took notice when both strangers walked up to Amezaga's parked car, where the men were standing.
"What time is it?" one of the strangers asked.
Soto looked down at his watch and said, "It is 6:10." Raising his head, Soto heard the stranger say, "Hey, run them," as the man drew a black snub-nose revolver from the pouch in his sweat shirt.
As Soto pulled a 9 mm Keltec pistol from his right front pants pocket, he heard the robber's gunfire and felt a bullet graze his left shin, breaking the skin. Still standing, Soto fired two or three times before both robbers turned and ran, the report states.
"They tried to rob me and my homeboy," Soto said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Man, put it like this: If I didn't have a concealed-weapons permit, it would have been a lot worse."
When the robbers fled, one stopped, turned and fired an unknown number of shots.
Soto shot back and fired two to three more times, and Amezaga drew his .357 Magnum Sig Sauer pistol and fired eight or nine times at the robbers. Crime-scene technicians later collected 15 shell casings ejected by both of the men's handguns, the report said.
Both men were unsure whether they hit either robber. Police did not determine where the 15 bullets fired by the men struck in the neighborhood.
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Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
San Leandro, California
From Oakland’s InsideTheBayArea.com of November 7, 2007
Store manager shot into house while pursuing thief
Homeowner fears for safety after discovering bullet holes made by .357 Magnum
A Hollywood Video store manager who fired his .357 Magnum revolver at an escaping thief Sunday night thought he hit the thief's getaway vehicle, but instead hit the front door of a house on Toler Avenue.
The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, said he noticed a bullet hole in his door Monday morning when he was getting the newspaper.
"It's a very unsettling thing," the homeowner said. "I don't think anybody should be firing a gun in a residential neighborhood. He could have killed me or my fiancee. I'm pretty upset about it."
Late Sunday night, a man wearing a hockey mask robbed the Hollywood Video store at 300 Davis St. The masked man zip-tied an employee and forced the store manager at gunpoint to empty the contents of the store safe and cash registers into a white plastic bag. When the thief fled the store with about $700 in cash and change, the store manager, armed with a handgun, chased after him.
The thief was getting into his car on a dark street a few blocks from the store when the store manager yelled at him to stop.
According to the manager, the thief then turned and faced him, still wearing the hockey mask and with the gun in his hand.
"He turned around and drew on me," the manager said. "I could see his gun clearly because of the dome light from his vehicle."
The manager said he fired his gun and then ducked behind a parked car. The thief then jumped in his car and drove off.
(More)
Labels: business robbery, CA
11/6/07
Bakersfield, California
From Bakersfield’s KGET.com of November 6, 2007
Homeowner kills; second burglar to be charged with murder
A Bakersfield homeowner who killed an intruder Monday night acted in self-defense, the Sheriff's Department says, but a surviving burglar will be charged with murder in connection with the death of his crime partner.
That was the latest development Tuesday afternoon as detectives sorted out what happened in the 15000 block of Westdale Drive, near Renfro and Brimhall, in northwest Bakersfield.
Sheriff's spokesman Ed Komin gave this account:
Just before 10 p.m. Monday, Ulises Aaron Espino, 19, and Alberto Torres, 18, went to the home of 44-year-old Steven Stewart.
"It appears that Torres and Espino went to Stewart's residence intending to enter the house and burn it down," Komin said in a news release. A flammable liquid was found inside the house, Komin said.
Torres stayed in the car, while Espino tried to climb into a window. Stewart, the resident, had a shotgun and fired at the intruder, the release said.
Espino was wounded, but made it back to the car. Torres drove him to Calloway Drive and Rosedale Highway, where he stopped and called for an ambulance. The ambulance took Espino to the hospital, where he died. Torres was arrested.
The Sheriff's Department will seek criminal charges against Torres, accusing him of the murder of Espino. Even though it was Stewart who fired the fatal shot, and although Torres and Espino were partners, Espino's death can be considered a murder because it is a death resulting from the attempted commission of a felony.
Torres also was booked on charges of attempting to murder Stewart, for attempted arson, for conspiracy and for participating in a street gang.
Labels: CA, residence burglary
Saugerties, New York
From the Kingston Daily Freeman of November 5, 2007
Bear, dogs scuffle in Saugerties
Thinking his home was being burglarized, a Saugerties man came face-to-face with a black bear early Sunday morning before his dogs came to the rescue.
Daniel Kelly, of Valk Road in Saugerties, said he and his wife awoke at approximately 2:15 a.m. Sunday to a neighbor's dog barking and considerable noise in his back yard. Kelly opened his back door where the bear stood a few feet away. Without the aid of his glasses, Kelly thought it was a burglar and yelled at the figure.
Luckily, his two 50-pound chow-chow dogs realized this was no burglar and attacked the bear, wrestling with it for close to 20 minutes. Somehow in the struggle between dog and bear, Kelly was blocked from his back door and could not get back in the house.
At one point, he said, the bear tried to climb over the 6-foot fence in his yard, only to be pulled back into the yard by his normally docile dogs. Kelly, who estimated the bear to be slightly taller than his 5-foot 7-inch frame and over 150 pounds, was eventually able to get back in the house and retrieve his 12-gauge shotgun. His wife called 911.
Kelly, who hadn't fired a gun in 20 years, went back to aid his dogs and once again got too close. The bear again took a swipe at him from close-range before he fired a warning shot. This was enough to scare the bear up a tree. Kelly said the bear, which he had no interest in killing, left soon thereafter.
Kelly, who said he half-expected to have to put one of his dogs out if its misery with his gun, was shocked to find them in perfect condition, minus a scratch to one dog's hind-quarters.
Saugerties police responded not long after the bear left. Kelly said Saugerties police also called for the Department of Environmental Conservation, but they never arrived.
11/5/07
Ovando, Montana
From the Great Falls Tribune of November 5, 2007
Hunter kills advancing grizzly
A female grizzly bear was killed over the weekend at close range by a hunter near Ovando, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said.
The hunter told authorities that he was walking down a game trail on Saturday then he saw three grizzlies 75 yards ahead of him. A large female advanced, despite his attempts to warn it of his presence.
The hunter shot the 300-pound bear at close range, killing it with one shot, FWP officials said Monday. The two other bears left the area.
The hunter immediately reported the incident to authorities, who closed the road in the area until they could retrieve the bear on Sunday.
FWP said the incident is a reminder that much of western Montana is grizzly bear country.
Bear specialist Jamie Jonkel asked hunters to carry bear spray, saying it is the most successful way to fend off bear attack and prevent injury to hunter and animal alike.
“Hunters should watch for bear sign, be especially careful around dense cover, make plenty of noise, avoid hunting alone and use extra caution when returning to retrieve a game carcass,” Jonkel said in a release.
Houston, Texas
From November 2, 2007 KTRK channel 13:
(11/02/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - A suspected purse snatcher didn't know what he was in for when he picked a woman in a Home Depot parking lot for a victim. As soon as he grabbed her purse, the woman's husband grabbed a shotgun and opened fire.
It happened at the Home Depot on the Eastex Freeway near Little York. With as much activity during business hours there, you never know who may be waiting in the wings, night or day, ready to strike.
"I was just standing here and the guy just came up and pushed me real hard with a force, like it was a car that hit me. And he was just yanking my purse and my arm got twisted up in my purse and he just was just yanking it," said victim Sandra Hulsey.
Sandra may have looked like an easy target standing there as her husband, Norman, loaded wood into the couple's pickup truck. It turned out the suspect who shoved Sandra and tried to steal her purse didn't know who he was messing with.
"I had a board in my hand right here and I thought he was going to beg for money...is what I thought," said Norman. "He grabbed her and I already had that door open so I just grabbed my shotgun."
He fired a shot.
"The sound of the shotgun and that dude burning off -- it was funny," said eyewitness Freddy Butler.
Butler chased after the accused purse snatcher. who took off running and ended up asking a police officer for help.
"He displays a weapon and it scares the suspect," said a deputy on the scene. "The suspect runs up the police car and saying, 'Let me in. They are shooting at me'."
Police took the suspect into custody.
Labels: street robbery, TX
11/4/07
Palm Beach County, Florida
From the Palm Beach Post of November 4, 2007
Attempted-robbery suspect shot dead near Lake Worth
One of three men who allegedly tried to rob the El Rancho night club early Sunday morning died after being shot in an altercation with the owners. The would-be robbers were patrons at the club on Lake Worth Road earlier Saturday night, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials. They returned at around 2:30 a.m.
The men fled the gunfire inside and one man, who has not been identified, died on the sidewalk a few storefronts away, officials said. The other two men could not be found.
Labels: business robbery, FL
Southbury, Connecticut
From Rocky Hill’s WFSB.com of November 4, 2007
Man Shoots Home Intruder In Southbury
Intruder Involved In Car Crash, Police Say
State police said they received a call Sunday from a man who said he had encountered an intruder at his house.
John Nagy told police that he may have shot the intruder at his home, located at 44 Berkshire Road in Southbury.
Nagy told police that he was awakened at about 2 a.m. by a noise in the basement area of the house. Nagy said he went to investigate the basement area armed with a weapon.
He stated that he encountered a man who had entered the basement. The man advanced in the direction of the Nagy, and Nagy said he shot his gun in the direction of the intruder and left his home to wait for police.
Nagy told state police that he believed that the intruder was still in the basement.
State troopers entered the home with a state police K-9 to search for the intruder, police said.
The intruder was located by troopers in the basement of the home suffering from an apparent single gunshot wound.
EMS responded, provided emergency care at the scene and transported the wounded suspect to Waterbury Hospital, where he underwent surgery for his injuries.
The identification of the suspect is being withheld pending notification of family, police said.
Initial investigation by state police determined that the man was in fact the operator of a vehicle that had been involved in a one-car crash on River Road in Southbury.
The man fled the crash scene on foot and walked for about a half a mile and then entered the Nagy's house, where he encountered the homeowner.
State Police Western District Major Crime Squad will handle the investigation at the crime scene by collecting physical and forensic evidence and conduct follow-up investigation, police said.
Nagy was not injured in this incident, police said.
At the conclusion of the investigation, all facts and circumstances of this incident will be reviewed with the state's attorney, officials said.
Orlando, Florida
From MyFoxOrlando.com of November 4, 2007
Man shoots cricket bat-wielding attacker
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting which happened around 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Cypress Grove Park in Orlando.
The victim, Francis Singh, 36, is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center and is currently in stable condition.
Deputies say Singh and another man, identified as Devan Bascom, 37, began arguing with each other. During the argument, Singh produced a cricket bat and assaulted Bascom. Upon feeling threatened, Bascom defended himself with a small caliber semi-automatic handgun and shot Singh once in the abdomen.
No arrests have been made in the case, which has been filed with the State Attorney's Office. The investigation reveals that the shooting was in self defense.
Labels: altercation, assault, FL
Phoenix, Arizona
From KPHO of November 3, 2007
Homeowner Shoots Armed Invader
A homeowner shot one of three armed men who forced their way into his house overnight, Phoenix police said.
The man, his wife and their three children were sleeping in their home at 11th and Apache streets, just north of Interstate 17, when the three invaders barged into the house around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
Police said one of the invaders, all of whom were armed with handguns and rifles, hit the homeowner in the head with a gun.
A scuffle ensued and several shots were fired. Police said the homeowner shot one of the invaders, but it was unclear whether he had his own gun or fired one of theirs.
The gunshots woke up the neighbors, who called police.
Officers arrived quickly and shot out the street lights and lights on the outside of the house so the invaders wouldn't be able to see well enough to escape.
Police caught the two uninjured invaders in the back yard; the third was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.
The homeowner and his family were not hurt, according to police.
Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the invasion and said they don't know if the armed men knew the family.
Labels: AZ, home invasion
11/2/07
Atlanta, Georgia
From October 30, 2007 WGCL channel 46:
ATLANTA -- A witness fired shots at some burglars at a boutique in Atlanta Tuesday morning, police said.
Police said the burglars broke out a window at the Urban Fusion boutique on Peters Street around 4 a.m.
While the burglars were trying to carry out merchandise, a person living in an apartment across the street saw them and began firing shots.
The men dropped the merchandise and ran away, police said.
Police haven’t said who the shooter was.
Labels: business burglary, GA
Sunrise, Florida
From Miami’s Local10.com of November 2, 2007
Police: Man Shoots, Kills Girlfriend's Ex
Police Trying To Determine If Shooting Was Act Of Self-Defense
Police said a man shot and killed another man who showed up Thursday night at a Sunrise apartment where his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend live.
According to Sunrise police, a man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's apartment and got into an altercation with her and her live-in boyfriend. At some point, police said, the boyfriend fatally shot the man.
Click here to find out more!
Police are trying to determine whether the shooting was an act of self-defense. No one has yet been charged.
Labels: domestic dispute, FL
11/1/07
Yucca Valley, California
From Palm Springs’ MyDesert.com of November 1, 2007
Juvenile shot, killed during Yucca Valley burglary
A juvenile was shot and killed while attempting to burglarize a Yucca Valley home Wednesday evening, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
The incident happened about 6:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Longview Avenue when the teenager and another juvenile tried to break into a home.
A third suspect, 18-year-old Duncan Nicholson, waited outside in a getaway vehicle, according to the sheriff's department.
An investigation determined the homeowner pulled out a gun when he heard somone knocking at his door. He armed himself because his home was robbed several times in the past month.
The juvenile and two suspects are suspected of committing the burglaries, according to the sheriff's department.
The homeowner fired his gun when the two juveniles forced their way into the home, killing one of them and hitting the second suspect in his arm.
The two remaining suspects fled the scene, but later returned with the juvenile's father.
The younger suspect was booked into a local juvenile hall and Nicholson was taken to the Morongo Basin Jail, both on murder charges.
Labels: CA, home invasion, residence robbery
Bridge City, Texas
From Port Arthur’s PANews.com of November 1, 2007
Bridge City police looking for burglar, homeowner recovering from self-inflicted wound
Bridge City police continued their search Thursday for a man who reportedly tried to burglarize a home with the homeowner still inside.
Meanwhile, the homeowner is recuperating from surgery after accidentally shooting himself in the foot; an injury he received while trying to keep the burglar from entering the home.
The quiet town of Bridge City is not known for such residential burglaries and BCPD Chief Steve Faircloth said he cannot remember the last time the city had a home robbery.
Police received the call of a residential burglary in progress at about 12:51 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 300 block of Rachel. According to a press release, the suspect forced open the front door of the home and the homeowner fired several shots at the suspect with a semi-automatic pistol. The suspect then left the scene on foot and has not been identified. There is no indication the suspect was shot during the incident.
“This continues to be investigated thoroughly and vigorously,” Faircloth said.
Faircloth said nothing was taken during the crime.
The suspect is described as a white male with thin build and a long goatee. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket and jeans.
Labels: defender shot, home invasion, residence robbery, TX
Pulaski County, Arkansas
From Little Rock’s KATV.com of November 1, 2007
Suspect in Alleged Home Invasion Killed by Gunfire
Sheriff’s deputies have identified a man shot and killed while allegedly trying to break into a home in Pulaski County Wednesday night.
Right now, deputies believe the incident was a home invasion where the victim allegedly tried to kick down the door to a home, when gunfire erupted.
When authorities arrived at 3800 Vinson Road, they found a man lying on the side of the road with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Stephen Woods of Little Rock. He later died at a local hospital.
Detectives believe Woods was running from the residence when several gunshots were fired--some from the house, and some toward the house.
(John Rehrauer, Pulaski Co. Sheriff's Department) “The homeowner said there were a number of people outside he saw. We believe there are involved and are actively looking for them and running down all leads."
A neighborhood resident says he's shocked someone would randomly target a home on Vinson Road.
(Matt Cicirello, Resident) “This has been a very peaceful neighborhood, no trouble whatsoever. We love it around here, this is the last thing we want."
The investigation continues.
Labels: AR, home invasion
Jackson, Alabama
From Jackson’s The South Alabamian of November 1, 2007
… jury returns not guilty verdict in murder trial
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Not guilty of murder In the other trial, a jury deliberated for more than four hours before finding a Grove Hill man not guilty last Friday of the 2005 murder of a Zimco man, apparently believing defense attorneys' claims that the shooting death was in self-defense.
Nathan Chapman, then 44, shot and killed Kelvin Louis Foster, 37 in Fulton on Dec. 1, 2005. Foster was shot in the back with a .45 caliber pistol.
Chapman turned himself in at the Clarke County Jail in Grove Hill almost immediately after the shooting, claiming self-defense. Law enforcement officers charged him with murder.
The trial lasted a week in Judge Stuart DuBose's court with District Attorney Spence Walker leading the case for the prosecution and James Brandyburg and Phil Perkins defending Chapman.
Prosecutors contended that the two men had differences and that Foster busted out the windows of Chapman's vehicle sometime prior to their fatal confrontation. They contended that Chapman got a gun and ambushed Foster outside of his workplace.
The defense said that Foster pulled a gun on Chapman first and that Chapman fired back, killing him.
A loaded and cocked derringer handgun was found in Foster's vehicle.
Chapman testified in his own defense. There were no other witnesses to the shooting.
Labels: AL, altercation
Greer, North Carolina
From Greenville’s FoxCarolina.com of November 1, 2007
Robbery Suspect Found Shot To Death
Man Was Shot During Robbery, Deputies Say
A man who robbed a convenience store on Wednesday night was found shot to death Thursday morning, deputies said.
The robbery happened at the Handee Mart at 1016 South Main St. around 8:30 p.m.
Deputies said a man wearing a blue, hooded jacket and khaki pants walked into the store showed a black handgun and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk then pulled out his own gun and fired at the man and he ran away.
Deputies said when the [sic] responded they could not find the man.
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, a passer-by noticed a body lying near South Main Street about 100 yards away from the Handee Mart, deputies said.
Deputies said the man had been shot. They said based on the description provided by the clerk, they believe the body is that of the man involved in the robbery. A weapon was also found with the body.
The man’s identity has not been released pending positive identification of the body, deputies said.
Deputies said charges will most likely not be filed in the case, but the final decision on that will be made by the solicitor’s office.
Labels: business robbery, NC
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of November 1, 2007
Victim pulls own gun, kills would-be robber
For the second time in two days in South Florida, victims have opened fire on armed robbers. And both gunmen ended up dead.
In the latest incident overnight, a man sitting in a car alongside a woman was confronted by a man dressed all in black, wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. He demanded money -- and to see the woman strip naked, Miami police said.
The man in the car, a security guard from a nearby Food Giant, pulled his own gun and exchanged gunfire with the man in the mask. The robber ran, threw his gun down in the mud and collapsed.
The intended victims were unharmed.
The would-be robber was dead.
The location of the shooting, 115 NE 78th St., is just outside a two-story brown apartment complex in the shadow of a 15-story condo rising at the northern edge of Little Haiti.
Just over a day earlier, a ski-masked man trying to rob Diaz Groceries in Naranja was shot dead by the owner.
Labels: FL, street robbery
Lansing, Michigan
From the Lansing State Journal of November 1, 2007
Lansing man not guilty of murder in death of girlfriend
But he faces prison time after jurors convict him on gun possession charges
A 29-year-old legally blind Lansing man who said he shot his girlfriend in self-defense after she attacked him with several knives, was found not guilty of murder Wednesday.
Shamari Milton - who a doctor testified cannot see - had been charged with killing Nakiesha Brown on Jan. 21 in the parking lot of her Lansing apartment complex.
During the five-day trial, which ended Tuesday, Milton testified that Brown, 26, threw knives at him in her apartment during an argument, and then came after him in the parking lot. Milton said he fired the gun to scare her.
Milton's attorney, Andrew Abood criticized how investigators handled the crime scene.
"Potential evidence was lost that would have proven my client was innocent - where he never would have had to go through a trial," Abood said.
The jury did find Milton guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a maximum of five years in prison on those charges.
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said it was a difficult case that came down to whether Milton committed murder by firing the second shot.
"This is why we have juries - to resolve these issues," Dunnings said, adding, "We never disputed that he fired the first shot in self-defense."
Milton, who is being held at the Ing-ham County Jail, still faces an assault with intent to commit murder charge in connection with a Jan. 7 shooting. That trial is scheduled to begin in December.
Labels: altercation, MI
