Monday, February 04, 2008
Willow, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of January 26, 2008
Self-defense may be factor in fatal shooting near Willow
Alaska State Troopers are examining the possibility that a man who was killed near Caswell Lake north of Willow on Thursday was shot in self-defense.
Troopers have not yet arrested anyone in connection with the death of Bradley D. Mork, 43. Mork, of Talkeetna, died after being shot in a home driveway, troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said Friday.
Though no one has been charged, a male witness, also 43, was walking in the neighborhood with a "couple people" when troopers got to the scene about 20 minutes after the 5:30 p.m. call Thursday, she said. Peters did not identify the witness.
"We have identified someone who was involved in the incident that led up to the shooting, and they've been very helpful," Peters said.
Investigators are discussing the case with the Palmer district attorney to determine whether charges are warranted, she said. There is a possibility the shooting could turn out to be a case of self-defense, she said.
Peters refused to say whether the witness, who was apparently not related to Mork, had admitted shooting him.
She did not know whose home it was and was unsure whether the 911 call that Palmer police received originated from that residence or another in the area. Palmer police relayed the call to troopers.
Peters would not say how many times Mork was shot or what type of gun was used, but said the death was being investigated as a homicide.
The state medical examiner is expected to complete an autopsy on Mork in the next few days while the troopers' investigation continues.
A phone message left for the Palmer district attorney was not returned Friday.
Labels: AK, altercation
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Kodiak Island, Alaska
From the Seattle Times of January 1, 2008
Grizzly, 3 cubs killed on Kodiak Island
A rabbit hunter fired his pistol at a charging grizzly bear on Kodiak Island, badly wounding the old sow, which was later killed, as were her three cubs.
The hunter, whose name is not being released, was hunting rabbits near the American River on Friday about 15 miles outside Kodiak when the sow charged him, said John Crye, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, on Monday.
The hunter, who was carrying two weapons, shot the bear when it was about 10 yards away. It was the second time in a week that hunters had encountered the family of bears. The last time it was one of the cubs that charged a father and son out duck hunting as the mother and the other cubs slept nearby.
This time, the rabbit hunter was charged after he rounded a corner and surprised the sow, who was at least 25 years old.
"A rabbit hunter was in the brush and kind of woke them up out of their beds," Crye said. "He felt threatened by the sow, so he shot the sow."
The hunter immediately notified Alaska State Troopers and the Department of Fish and Game. Crye went with troopers to the site where the 8-foot, 400-pound sow lay barely alive.
It was determined that she was too badly injured and would have to be killed, so she was shot again.
...
Crye said the shooting was justifiable because the hunter felt threatened.
(More)
Further links:
Rabbit hunter shoots charging bear
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Palmer, Alaska
From KTUU of August 10, 2007
Homeowner kills charging pit bull
A homeowner in Palmer shot and wounded a pit bull after it charged at him.
Police say they went to the home last week and found two pit bulls had escaped from a nearby residence. 1 of the dogs charged a neighbor.
Police say the dog tried jumping through the neighbor's screen door last week. When it tried again, police say the homeowner shot it.
The dog's owner arrived within minutes and took the wounded dog to the North Star Animal Hospital.
Police say while discharging a firearm is against a city ordinance, the homeowner was well within his rights in trying to defend himself and his home from the dangerous dog.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Fairbanks, Alaska
From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner of July 3, 2007
Two grizzlies shot on Chena Hot Springs Road
Two sibling grizzly bears were killed Sunday night within a half mile of each other on Chena Hot Springs Road, one by a state wildlife biologist responding to a report of two brazen bears in a woman’s yard, and the other by a homeowner who shot it after the bear tore a window out and ripped siding off his home.
The two shootings bring the number of nuisance grizzly bears killed in and around Fairbanks this season to eight, not counting another grizzly that was found dead from a gunshot wound, a case that state wildlife troopers are investigating.
The two bears were killed in the yards of residences at 19.5 Mile and 20 Mile on Chena Hot Springs Road, about 20 miles east of Fairbanks.
(More)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Fairbanks, Alaska
From the Fairbanks Daily News of June 22, 2007
Another grizzly shot
A man reported shooting a female grizzly bear in self defense Wednesday.
Alaska State Troopers reported Thursday that Fairbanks resident Christopher Sampson had contacted state officials and reported he had shot the bear while tending a black bear baiting station.
The report said troopers believe Sampson, 25, and two hunting partners had been charged by the bear twice before it was shot and killed from 30 feet away.
The location of the killing was not listed in the trooper’s report, and Sampson could not be reached for comment. If the incident occurred near Fairbanks, it would bring to seven the number of grizzlies killed in the last month in outlying areas. A homeowner on Freeman Road killed two grizzly bears on consecutive nights earlier this week.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Fairbanks, Alaska
From the Juneau Empire of June 3, 2007
Fairbanks man shoots grizzly
Another grizzly bear has been shot outside Fairbanks. It was the third killed in defense of property in eight days.
A Fairbanks man shot the grizzly early Thursday off of Farmers Loop road north of the city. His property borders Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.
Don Young, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, said the bear and a sibling approached the man at his backyard farm.
"They were kind of nosing around where the guy had a cow and some geese," Young said. "He yelled at them and shot a couple shots in the dirt and they kind of ran off and split up, but one came back and he ended up shooting it."
State wildlife troopers will investigate the shooting, Young said.
He estimated the bear weighed about 200 pounds and was 3 or 4 years old.
Two grizzlies were killed near here May 24. One was shot in Salcha, south of Fairbanks, after it got into a pig pen. The other was killed at Mile 13 Elliott Highway when it walked into a yard and confronted a barking dog.
"This early in season, the end of May, three (shootings) around Fairbanks is definitely on the high side," Young said.
The bear killed Thursday was shot in the same area where two grizzly siblings were reported last spring. One of those bears was shot and killed when it approached a horse corral.
Friday, June 01, 2007
North Pole, Alaska
From KTVA of May 31, 2007
Man shoots threatening moose
Alaska wildlife state troopers say a North Pole musher will NOT be cited for shooting a moose that threatened to charge him. The cow was defending a calf from a sled dog that had pulled loose from a chain in the yard of musher Jonah Lilley. Wildlife Trooper Dennis Roe says Lilley shot the moose in the head Monday with a .22-caliber rifle from about 20 feet away.
Roe says the cow and calf -- which was probably was less than a week old -- walked into Lilley's dog lot and "riled the dogs up." He says one of Lilley's bigger huskies pulled its anchor out and ran to the moose. Lilley went into his house for the gun, came back out and fired it into the air to scare the moose. Roe says the cow turned away from the dog toward Lilley, and when it moved toward him, he shot it.
Roe says the loose dog grabbed the calf by its hind end and seriously injured it. Roe says that when he arrived, the calf was alive but could not stand up, so he shot it. He says the shooting of the cow appeared to be justified. The cow moose was salvaged by a charity. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game took the calf carcass for research. Wildlife officials say cow moose aggressively protect their young and neither calves nor cows should be approached, especially at this time of year.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of January 6, 2007
Man and Mr. Shotgun surprise burglar
ARMY VETERAN: One day after a break-in, victim lies in wait and collars suspect.
Don't mess with a retired military man -- especially one who takes it personally and gets out a shotgun when you break into his home.
Richard Noren, a seemingly mild-mannered ex-Army soldier and current Junior ROTC teacher, decided he wouldn't rely on the police after bandits broke down a door of his Eagle River home and stole thousands of dollars of his stuff while he was out of town.
Summoned by his daughter, Noren rushed back from his Seward vacation, parked his car far away from his house, shut off the lights, hid the dogs and then lay in wait, sitting on the living-room couch with a 20-gauge shotgun in his lap, for the burglars to return.
They did, just as he figured, and Noren grabbed the man who tried to come in the front door by the neck and held him at bay until police arrived.
Police arrested Tracy Randall, a 32-year-old on probation with a long rap sheet, on burglary charges.
"It's disheartening. Your privacy has been invaded," Noren said in an interview Friday. "I wouldn't encourage anybody to just grab a weapon if they don't feel comfortable doing it."
Noren's crime fighting has Anchorage police applauding his self-reliance but warning others not to follow in his footsteps.
"Sometimes you need to take steps to protect yourself," Anchorage police burglary Sgt. Ron Tidler said. "I'm not advocating go grab a gun and stick it in the ear of anybody knocking at your door by any means. ... But people should take reasonable measures to protect themselves -- whatever they deem reasonable."
Noren, 56, is happy with his do-it-yourself stakeout.
"There has to be vigilance in us or we will all be victims forever."
(More)
Labels: AK, residence burglary
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of December 27, 2006
Hit-and-run driver shot after crash
BOTH ARMED: Pedestrian chases, fires at man who struck parked car.
A Christmas morning fender bender turned into a foot chase that left one man shot and injured on a Fairview street.
Police are still waiting for 22-year-old Josh Nida to recover from surgery after being shot in the chest to question him about the hit-and-run crash.
Nida drove a Subaru Impreza down 10th Avenue near LaTouche Street around 3 a.m. Monday, police say. He slammed into a parked car and kept driving on the snow-covered road.
Josh Cropper, a 25-year-old who works on the North Slope, said he was outside showing a friend where to park in front of his apartment complex. He saw the Impreza bang into the parked car on the south side of 10th Avenue and keep going. He decided to chase it. Cropper was armed with a 9mm Glock pistol at the time.
"I'm thinking he just hit a car and he's taking off. I need to get his license plate number or get him to stop," Cropper said.
Cropper pursued the car on foot down the road. About a block away, the car got stuck in a snowbank. Nida got out,
Cropper said. He was holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
"I'm thinking I'm about to be shot," Cropper said. "I shot him. He just ran down the road."
Police later said Nida had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to show up in court on a felony vehicle theft charge
A man riding in Nida's now snow-bound car as a passenger got out after the shot was fired and Nida ran off. He didn't seem concerned about Nida, Cropper said.
"He was like, 'I just want to grab my stuff,' " he said.
Cropper said he and his friend tried to hold the passenger at the scene, but the man eventually left. Cropper wouldn't say what he did next because "it's an ongoing investigation."
Police said Cropper fled the scene.
Another witness heard the shot and called 911. That witness tended to Nida until he was taken to the hospital where he had surgery.
Cropper, several hours later, went to the Anchorage Jail and told police what happened. He was then released.
The police have not yet interviewed Nida and no charges have yet been filed against anyone, said police spokeswoman Anita Shell.
Police are still looking for Nida's passenger and are asking him to come forward and tell them his version of events.
Police are considering Cropper's self-defense scenario, but want to hear from Nida and his passenger first, said Lt. Dave Koch.
"We only have one and a half sides to this story," Koch said. "We have (Cropper's) statement and the evidence found at the scene. But no statements from the passenger or Mr. Nida."
In an unrelated case, Nida is facing a vehicle theft charge. A $10,000 warrant for his arrest on that charge was issued Nov. 28. Police say the vehicle in the Christmas Day incident was not registered as stolen.
And, while Cropper holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon, it is not clear whether Nida was permitted to be carrying a weapon at all.
Cropper, who is a reservist for the U.S. Marines, wouldn't say whether it was the first time he'd shot someone. He didn't think much before pulling the trigger, he said.
"You're just reacting," he said.
Labels: AK, assault, concealed carry permit
Friday, November 03, 2006
Anchorage, Alaska
From Fairbank‘s WebCenter11.com of November 3, 2006
Authorities say Anchorage man shot teen in self-defense
Authorities say an Anchorage man will NOT be charged for killing a teenager in his driveway last summer.
According to the District Attorney's Office, Matthew Schneider shot 17-year-old James Ifopo in self-defense after the teen and two others attacked him in his driveway.
Authorities say Ifopo and the other two were on bicycles when they approached Schneider after he pulled into the driveway a little before midnight June 28th.
Department of Law spokesman Mark Morones says Schneider asked the youths to leave his property three times, and then said he would call the police.
Witnesses told police Ifopo then hit Schneider in the head and another teen pushed the door closed on him.
Schneider told authorities he was knocked to the ground with all three teenagers punching him. He said he pulled out a gun he carries and shot Ifopo in the chest.
Ifopo died of the injury
Sixteen-year-old Rodney Maatafa was hit in the arm, but survived.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Manley Hot Springs, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of July 14, 2006
Tourist kills man who pointed gun at trooper
Shooter says victim had fired at him and companion.
A man was shot to death near Manley Hot Springs on Tuesday after pointing a long gun at an Alaska state trooper, officials said Thursday.
The man was shot by an out-of-state fisherman who had called for trooper assistance because, he said, the man who was killed had earlier been shooting at him and a fishing partner. The trooper was Michael Wery, based in Fairbanks.
The dead man had lived in the 75-person community of Manley Hot Springs for several years and had been camping nearby for what troopers say may have been several months.
The two men didn't know each other and troopers said their identities would be released only after family members had been notified.
Trooper spokesman Brandon Anderson said the man who was shot was 40 years old and had a criminal history, including a DUI.
The incident is still under investigation. Troopers don't know why he may have been shooting at the fishermen, who had been sportfishing on the Tanana River.
Troopers also didn't say whether the fisherman, a 42-year-old tourist from Arizona, would be charged in the shooting.
A law passed recently by the Alaska Legislature allows a person to use deadly force in self defense outside the home, but the law doesn't go into effect until mid-September.
"There will certainly be an investigation into whether it was defense of self and defense of a trooper," Anderson said.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Mountain View, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of June 30, 2006
Teen killed in driveway confrontation
Two teenagers were shot and one of them died after they approached a man in his Mountain View driveway Wednesday night in what may have been an attempted robbery, city and police officials said Thursday.
James Ifopo, 17, died after a single bullet hit him in the chest, authorities and witnesses said. A 16-year-old boy was also shot after the three youths -- all of them on bicycles, according to witnesses -- rode up to the man.
The wounded teenager was treated at a local hospital and released, police said.
The name of the injured 16-year-old and the third juvenile were not released because of their ages, police said.
The name of the man who fired the gun on the juveniles was also not released. A witness said Thursday that police took the man away in handcuffs.
Police Sgt. Slawomir Markiewicz said the shooter was cooperating with police and was released from custody Thursday morning.
The Police Department and district attorney's office were evaluating the circumstances late Thursday for possible charges, they said.
"We have to go through and take our time," said District Attorney Bob Linton on Thursday afternoon. "I've (not) had a chance to know enough detail to make an intelligent decision on my own and in consultation with police. That's what I need to do."
Labels: AK, minor offender, street robbery
Friday, June 02, 2006
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of June 2, 2006
Homeowner shoots bear inside house
A large black bear broke into an Anchorage home early this morning, rummaged around like a burglar and feasted on a box of chocolates before the homeowner shot him dead with a Glock.
The bear entered the two-story Stuckagain Heights house on the Anchorage hillside around 2:30 a.m., according to police.
Stan Knowlton, who lives next door to the house, said his son and daughter-in-law own the place that was ransacked. They were asleep in their bedroom with their Rottweiller, Baby, when the dog started barking wildly, he said.
The bedroom door was closed. Outside, the couple could hear things being knocked over.
Police spokesman Lt. Paul Honeman said the owners initially thought the bear was a burglar. They could not be reached for comment.
Knowlton said his son quickly determined the real identity of the intruder.
"He opens the (bedroom) door and he's face to face with this big black bear," he said. "He slammed the door right away."
Knowlton said his son hollered at the bear to go away and it ran downstairs. The man grabbed a .40-caliber Glock automatic handgun from another bedroom and looked around. The bear had knocked some things over and eaten a box of chocolates that had been sitting near the couch.
"It left all the heart candy sitting in a basket there," Knowlton said.
Knowlton said the bear started back up the stairs toward his son. He shot the animal multiple times and it went back downstairs.
Knowlton said his son didn't know if the bear was dead. He called police. Honeman said the sergeant who responded quipped that he'd been in many a hairy situation over the years, but few so scary as entering a house where there might be a wounded bear on the loose.
Officers found the bear dead in a bathroom, surrounded by a pool of blood and scat. Knowlton said state wildlife officials came and picked up the carcass. It took four people to load it into the truck, he said.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of May 16, 2006
(Scroll down)
Made-for-TV murder
The bartender said Johnny Christopher didn't care if he lived or died. Police accounts of Christopher's death Nov. 9, 1957, suggests the bartender was right. Christopher, a 43-year-old construction worker, died in an Anchorage shootout with Ernest Henry. The barman had seen the two arguing the day before.
The Daily News account of Christopher's death is surprising. It's old-fashioned tabloid journalism under the headline, "Blameless in Slaying Case Panel Finds."
According to the News, Henry was in bed at 11:30 p.m., "watching dancer Carmen Miranda shake and wiggle" on television. Suddenly, Johnny Christopher burst through the door, whipped out his pistol, called Henry a profane name and began firing.
"I grabbed my gun and shot back," Henry said.
Both men fired multiple times. Christopher never hit Henry; Henry hit Christopher in several places, most importantly the head.
"Henry," according to the newspaper, "then told of reloading his own gun and replacing it near his bed, as he returned once again to the fascinating and wondrous wiggles of the lady known as Carmen Miranda."
He was still watching Carmen when a neighbor, responding to the gunshots, arrived at his door. Undisturbed by a dead body and the neighbor's questions, Henry remained abed, fixated on "his favorite hot tamale." When police arrived, Henry was forced to "sacrifice" the end of Carmen Miranda's show to explain the gun battle.
Henry said he shot Christopher in self-defense. So did a coroner's jury on Nov. 20, 1957. The jury never established why Christopher was angry at Henry.
Labels: AK, assault, home invasion
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Fairbanks, Alaska
From the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner of February 9, 2006
Teens try to rob gun store
Three teenagers are in jail after the owner of Alaskan Guns and Ammo withstood a blow to the head Wednesday afternoon and pulled a gun on his assailants, according to Fairbanks police.
One of the would-be robbers struck store owner Stevan Smith on the back of the head with a crowbar. Smith said he thwarted the robbers when he pulled a gun. One robber fled and Smith said he held the other two at gunpoint until police arrived.
"As soon as I got the gun out, the situation changed dramatically," the 62-year-old said.
Smith sustained a minor injury from the crowbar but declined medical attention, saying he felt OK. He later learned that two of the suspects also had guns.
The incident happened about 2 p.m., shortly after the three boys entered the store at 308 Sixth Ave. and began looking around.
"They were just asking questions about hunting," Smith said.
One of the youths had been in the store before. Otherwise, Smith was not acquainted with them.
Their behavior seemed suspicious, Smith said, but he declined to elaborate. As soon as Smith turned his back on one of them, he was struck with what felt like a hammer, he said.
"He hit me hard," Smith said.
The proprietor almost fell to the ground but kept his composure. Then the tables turned.
"Once I pulled my gun out," Smith said, "he bolted. The other two were trapped. They couldn't get out. I just told them to stay and face the wall until police arrived."
Two of the youths, ages 16 and 17, face charges of first-degree robbery. The third teenager, arrested later at his home about eight blocks from the gun store, faces charges of first-degree robbery and third-degree assault, Fairbanks police Sgt. Eric Jewkes said. Jewkes said the youth with the crowbar carried a firearm at some point but "stashed" it inside the gun store. One of the two who were held at gunpoint by Smith also had a gun.
Labels: AK, assault, business robbery
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Kenai, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of January 28, 2006
Jury acquits Kasilof woman in boyfriend's shooting death
VERDICT: John Clark was shot in self defense, Betsy Hester contended.
A Kenai jury acquitted a woman in the shooting death of her boyfriend.
The jury found Betsy Hester not guilty of murder in the death of John Clark, killed in 2003 at the mobile home the couple shared in Kasilof.
Hester, 53, was charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend on Oct. 4, 2003. The Superior Court jury took little time to reach its verdict.
"This should never have come to trial," said defense attorney Jim McComas. "It's a crock and the jury told you that in two hours."
The defense argued that Hester had legitimate reason to believe she was in danger of suffering serious injury or death if she did not defend herself from Clark's attacks.
…
According to Hester's testimony, she and Clark had been drinking and arguing at the Decanter Inn in Kasilof before they returned home. Once home, the argument escalated and Clark slapped and hit her with his fist.
He then went to the kitchen. When he returned holding a knife and continued to threaten bodily harm, Hester shot him with a pistol Clark left in the living room.
In closing arguments, Seaton questioned the claim that the shooting was made in self-defense. He recounted Alaska State Troopers' testimony on the severity of the injuries observed on Hester in the two days following the shooting.
"(Troopers) noticed and photographed a scratch on the side of her face. John Clark had two bullet wounds ... and the defense had a scratch," Seaton said.
The defense argued that Hester did not have to wait until she was severely beaten to defend herself.
"What was she supposed to do? What is the state saying she was supposed to do?" Browning said. "Was she supposed to wait until she became another domestic violence statistic?"
Labels: AK, domestic abuse
Friday, December 02, 2005
Fairbanks, Alaska
From Anchorage’s Alaska Journal of Commerce of December 2, 2005
Robbery victim shoots suspects
Two men suspected of robbing a man in his mobile home were shot in the driveway by the victim as they fled, Fairbanks police said.
The man were hospitalized Thursday night with non-life-threatening wounds to their legs.
The name of the resident was not released.
Detective Dave Elzey said the men were shot at about 7 p.m. in the Peaceful Lane Trailer Court in the Lemeta Subdivision.
Police said two armed men entered the mobile home the man shares with his pregnant girlfriend and stole $50 and a cell phone.
The robbers appear to have picked the trailer at random or picked it by mistake, Elzey said. They told the trailer resident, "Where's your money? Where's your money? You know what we're here for."
"There doesn't appear to be anything here of value," the detective said. "This doesn't appear to be drug involved."
The trailer resident told police he suspects a drug dealer formerly lived at the residence.
The man told police he was not acquainted with the robbers, but they knew he had a safe and demanded to look inside.
The resident declined to give his name to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. He said he feared for his family's safety.
"I've got a son on the way," the man said. "I am not looking to mess around."
The man said he moved into the trailer a few months ago and has been burglarized twice, spurring him to install video monitoring equipment.
"It sounds like he'd had enough," Elzey said. "That's when a gun was eventually purchased."
One of the robbers may have shot back, Elzey said.
Labels: AK, residence robbery
Friday, November 11, 2005
Juneau, Alaska
From Anchorage’s KTVA.com of November 11, 2005
Juneau man defends boat while naked
According to the Associated Press, a Juneau man defended his boat from an intruder before dawn Thursday with a shotgun and little else.
Russell Peterson grabbed his shotgun, sprang out of bed and marched the intruder off the vessel - all while in the nude. Peterson says he saw a man in a black coat standing in his bedroom doorway aboard his boat docked in Aurora Harbor. Peterson says he used his sawed-off shotgun to march the man off his ship.
Peterson then called 911. After explaining the situation, Peterson told the dispatcher he needed to get off the phone so he could get his pants on.
Police say 27-year-old Clay Calabrese was jailed at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center on a charge of criminal trespass. Peterson says Calabrese lives on another boat at Aurora.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Anchorage, Alaska
From Anchorage’s KTVA.com of August 26, 2005
No Charges Filed
Five months after a fatal shoot out at the Dimond Center Mall we learn there will be no charges filed. On March first of this year, fourteen-year-old Calil Gross-Mininall was fatally wounded after being hit by gunfire. The crime sent shockwaves thru the Anchorage community. Bullets were fired mid afternoon with shoppers just feet away. Today investigators along with the DA's office say the evidence collected revealed a group of young men including the victim walked out into the parking lot. Gross-Mininall had a handgun, as did another boy. They then say, gross-Mininall fired the first shot, seriously injuring a boy... And then one of the other boys fired back. District Attorney Bob Linton said, “Under these circumstances we concluded that we could not disprove self defense. We could not prove the three men were not justified in using force to fire back in the exchange of gunfire.” Police Chief Walt Monegan says, “I can tell you that the anchorage (sic) police department and district attorneys office are extremely frustrated in a case like this whenever someone is killed in our community, it is our job to try and find out who did it and was it justified and in this case we couldn’t find out neither.” Police say the statements of the three young men differed as to who on their side did the shooting. There were no other eyewitnesses or physical evidence to prove which of the three fired the shot that killed Gross-Mininall. If new evidence or witnesses come forward, .the DA's office says they will re-consider filing charges. Meanwhile both the police and the DA's office say their goal is to perfect self-defense laws to better hold people accountable.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Wasilla, Alaska
From the City of Wasilla press releases:
On August 7, 2005, at approximately 2257 hours, Wasilla Police responded to 1401 Vaunda Avenue for a report of a homeowner who was holding a burglar at gunpoint. Investigation revealed the homeowner, Robert Locke, age 23, of Wasilla had come home and discovered a front window open which had been closed when he left. He approached the side of the residence and confronted a 15 year old male from Wasilla. The subject complied with Locke’s orders to stop and lay down on the ground. Locke then called police.
The juvenile had approximately $500.00 in jewelry, cash and coin, beer, prescription narcotics, and other items on his person. Also taken was a $1500.00 laptop computer. It was discovered two other subjects had also been involved with the burglary; a 17 year old male from Wasilla and Michael Goerdt, age 18, of Wasilla. The juveniles were taken to the Mat-Su Youth Facility. The 15 year old was charged with Burglary, Theft, and Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance; the 17 year old was charged with Burglary and Theft; and Goerdt was remanded to Mat-Su Pre-Trial on charges of Burglary and Theft. Goerdt’s bail was set at $2500.00.
Labels: AK, residence burglary
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Anchorage, Alaska
From July 21, 2005 Anchorage Daily News:
An intruder was shot twice after he climbed through a window in a mobile home and was met by an angry resident early Wednesday morning, Anchorage police said.
Shane Crousser, 20, whom police have charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree assault, was recovering from his bullet wounds at the Anchorage jail on Wednesday evening.
Labels: AK, assault, residence burglary
Monday, October 11, 2004
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
From Albuquerque’s KOBtv.com of October 10, 2004
Homeowner shoots prowler outside Rio Rancho home
A prowler who fired shots at a Rio Rancho homeowner was killed when the homeowner returned fire.
Rio Rancho police spokesman John Francis says the homeowner has not been charged with a crime.
The homeowner apparently spotted an adult man in his front yard late Friday night and went outside.
A motion sensor light went on when the homeowner walked out and the intruder ran to the backyard.
The intruder opened fire when the homeowner followed.
Friday, September 24, 2004
Anchorage, Alaska
From Anchorage‘s KTUU.com of September 23, 2004
Dog-walker shoots brown bear on Fort Richardson
Picture this -- a 750-pound brown bear in full charge, just feet away. You have just a fraction of a second to react, and your life depends on it.
That’s exactly the situation an East Anchorage man found himself in Thursday afternoon while taking his dog for a walk.
In the front yard of Gary Boyd’s house, a crowd gathers. The conservation piece -- a massive brown bear hide stretched across his lawn. Just a couple of hours earlier, that bear was alive -- and not far from Boyd’s house -- on Fort Richardson.
Boyd was walking his dog on a nearby road when he heard something big coming through the brush. He instinctively drew his weapon -- a .44-caliber handgun.
“When he broke into the open at a full run, he was at about 20 feet from me and that's when I fired the first round,” Boyd said. “And then he didn't turn and I shot a second time at about 15 feet and that turned him to the right, and then I shot him three more times.”
…
Boyd says it’s fortunate the way it worked out, because shortly after he shot the bear a group of high school cross country runners passed by that very spot.
(More)
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Anchorage, Alaska
From Anchorage‘s KTUU.com of September 17, 2004
Don’t mess with old lady and her shotgun.
An 18-year-old man is behind bars, charged with attempted burglary Thursday morning in a Fairview neighborhood. Police arrested him after he was apprehended by the resident of the home he invaded -- an angry 70-year-old woman.
It’s normally a quiet neighborhood, with Shiloh Baptist Temple only a block away. For some reason, the teen targeted this house in broad daylight, apparently ignoring the “Dog in Yard” sign, and soon found out he was messing with the wrong lady.
Just another Thursday morning, and 70-year-old Edna Brackney came home a little earlier than usual. As she reached her door, she saw the deadbolt had been broken.
“I knew something because of the door, that we had been burglarized.”
She called 911. “Nothing was disturbed in the kitchen,” Brackney said. “Nothing disturbed in the living room. I was calling my dog because I was worried about him.”
Six-year-old Sam the poodle smelled the intruder, hiding in the hallway bathroom. “Sammy’s a good boy. He showed me where that guy was, yes, sir. ‘Till the dog growled I didn't know he was in there. Then I pulled the door shut.”
Brackney was in no mood to leave. She stood her ground, holding her gun -- “a Brazilian stagecoach shotgun” -- pointed down the hallway toward the door 10 feet away.
“I was too mad. Soon as you step through that door, I will shoot,” she told the teen. “The cops are coming. You better sit down.”
“It’s loaded and I know how to use it. And down the hallway, there's nothing you can hit but what you're aiming for.”
Brackney says her home was burglarized nine years ago. This time she was ready.
“When we bought this at a second-hand store, a policeman was there and showed us how to use it.”
Brackney held the intruder there until police arrived. Friday, 18-year-old Lee Guerra was arraigned at the Anchorage Jail, charged with attempted burglary.
“The police thanked me,” Brackney said. “They said they knew him and they thanked me and they said I did a good job.”
Labels: AK, residence burglary
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Anchorage, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of April 7, 2004
Man shot in leg after argument outside club; investigation continues
(Scroll down 4 stories)
A 19-year-old man was shot in the leg outside a Muldoon billiards club Monday night but no arrests have been made.
The shooting took place outside the club at 500 Muldoon Road a little before midnight. Police say Daniel Vincent, 19, got into a verbal altercation with another patron inside the club and the argument spilled into the parking lot.
In the parking lot, Vincent was shot in the thigh area by the man he had been arguing with, police said. Officials would not say what the argument was about or release the name of the shooter.
Vincent was treated at a local hospital.
Sgt. Gil Davis said police took a statement from both parties.
"We've got a self-defense claim by the person who fired the gun," he said. Davis declined to elaborate, saying he did not want to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found
Labels: AK, altercation
Monday, November 10, 2003
Jury Rules Self-Defense
A pastor went into his church in April because an alarm went off in the middle of the night. Once there, he confronted two burglars. He shot and killed them. By his own description, he panicked, and acknowledged that he might have misread their movement towards him as an attack, when they were actually headed for an exit. It was one of those split second decisions that you hope you never have to make.
He was prosecuted. The news is that he was found innocent on all charges:
Speaking by phone Monday evening, Mielke said he was glad it's all over. He said he's sad that two people lost their lives in the situation, but he still feels he would have been killed if he had not pulled the trigger that morning.Well, yes I guess they were disappointed. It's hard for me to be very sympathetic when two adults commit a felony, and get killed. Even if they were not a threat to Mielke, and were just running towards him to get out an exit, the burden was on them for committing a felony under conditions where a reasonable person could misinterpret their actions as a threat.
Mielke faced charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after shooting and killing 31-year-old Christopher Palmer and 23-year-old Francis Jones.
The pastor had caught Palmer and Jones as they were robbing his Big Lake Community Chapel around 5 a.m. on April 24. Mielke testified that, when he went to the church to check out a noise, it was dark and he panicked in the confusion, then shot the two men in the back after they ran past him up a flight of stairs and tried to get out of the church.
Palmer's family members were clearly disappointed by the not guilty verdicts.
This situation isn't something to be thrilled about, but neither is it an argument for gun control. It is an argument against burglary.
It is also an argument against going into an unoccupied building yourself, instead of calling the police to do it for you. Whatever was lost in that church was, I'm sure, less expensive than hiring an attorney to defend Pastor Mielke.
Labels: AK, business burglary
