Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Shooting ruled self defense

The killing of a Beebe man in Searcy has been ruled self defense by local prosecutors.

Jose Martinez, 24, kicked in the locked back door and illegally entered the home of Kevin M. Reed at 1300 West Arch St. in Searcy, according to a press release. The incident happened at 2:26 p.m. Jan. 8.

According to Reed, Martinez threatened him with bodily harm, prosecutors say, and Reed fired eight shots at Martinez, killing him.

“The Searcy Police Department investigation confirms that the door to the home was dead bolted and forcibly kicked in,” the press release stated, and “paint from the door was found on the bottom of Mr. Martinez' shoe.”

The shooting was within the provisions of Arkansas law, and no criminal charges will be filed, prosecutors said.

As officers entered the residence, they discovered Martinez dead of an apparent gunshot wound. The body was sent to the state crime lab for autopsy.

State law (5-2-607) says “a person is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if the person reasonably believes that the other person is (1) committing or about to commit a felony involving force or violence, (2) using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force” or “(3) imminently endangering the person's life or imminently about to victimize the person” in reference to domestic abuse.

State law (5-2-620) says, “the right of an individual to defend himself or herself and the life of a person or property in the individual's home against harm, injury or loss by a person unlawfully entering or attempting to enter or intrude into the home is reaffirmed as a fundamental right.” That law also states that, “there is a legal presumption that any force or means used to accomplish a purpose” was “exercised in a lawful and necessary manner, unless the presumption is overcome by clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.”

Labels: AR, home invasion

A Dardanelle man is dead after he and an unidentified accomplice apparently broke into a residence off State Highway 22 near Dardanelle late Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday.

Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey confirmed one of the home’s occupants shot and killed Mike Jensen, 44, after Jensen and another man allegedly entered the residence by kicking in the front door.

Four people were inside the home at the time of the break-in, Gilkey said.

Jensen — who after entering the home made his way down a hallway and was at the point of entering a bedroom when he was shot — was armed with an SKS assault rifle investigators later learned was not loaded, Gilkey said.

The other intruder fled the scene in a vehicle authorities recovered Thursday morning, Gilkey said, adding investigators were working to process the vehicle in hopes of learning the second man’s identity.

Gilkey said authorities do not expect any charges will be filed against the homeowner — who Gilkey said used “a shotgun” to deter Jensen — in connection with the matter.

He said the intruders’ motive was uncertain.

“We’re just assuming that they came in there to rob the family,” he said.

Labels: AR, home invasion

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.

Labels: animal, AR

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

Homeowner fears shots were fatal as body investigated

Sherwood resident Larry Staley fears he may have shot a would-be burglar Tuesday morning, but he holds tightly to the hope that the man died when he slipped and fell into Gap Creek.

Police are investigating the event in which Staley, whose home on Arkansas 107 has been a frequent target of burglars, fired several shots in the direction of an intruder in his backyard early Tuesday. Though police found nothing when they searched the area just after the incident, his wife discovered a body Tuesday afternoon in the creek along the edge of the family’s property.

“I’m very much afraid that I shot the man,” Staley said Wednesday.

Sherwood police spokesman Ryan Baker identified the man as Bryant Cross, 18, of McAlmont but said investigators have not verified his involvement in the burglary attempt and are waiting for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Tuesday night, the Pulaski County coroner’s office verified that the death is being investigated as a homicide. Wednesday, Coroner Mark Malcolm said the autopsy results will be delayed because of a backlog of pending autopsies.

In the interim, Staley said he is trying to make sense of what happened. “I’m very confused as to how the man got there and when,” the former Marine said. “I certainly wasn’t trying to deliberately take a life.” Staley said Wednesday his family has been the target of burglars five times since February 2006. In July, he and his wife, Erlene, thwarted a group of burglars after the family’s fourwheelers by firing shots over their heads.

Around 1: 30 a. m. Tuesday, Erlene Staley woke to see two men running from their garage, Larry Staley said. She stayed awake to watch the men. When they returned 10 minutes later, she woke her husband and called 911.

Staley said that when he took up a position at the backdoor with a. 22 pistol in hand, he saw the two men — a black man in a black-hooded shirt who was walking toward his shed and a white man who stood at the back corner of the house.

Suddenly, he said, the white man ran toward him. The man kept running when he told him to “Freeze,” so Staley said he fired a few shots into the tops of a small stand of pine trees in his backyard. When the man crossed Gap Creek and ran up and an embankment, Staley fired a few more shots several feet to the left of the man, into the embankment.

According to police, four Sherwood off icers who arrived at the Staleys’ house around 1: 45 a. m. heard gun shots and saw someone running west, away from the house. They searched, with the help of a dog, for more than an hour, but they found no one.

During it all, Staley said he lost sight of the black man.

“I never saw the man with the hood again that night,” Staley said.

Tuesday afternoon, he did.

Staley said his wife told him she saw a body in the creek around 1: 30 p. m. He said he didn’t believe her at first but, after walking to the creek’s slippery, rocky banks, he saw the man. He said he recognized the black-hooded clothing he had seen early Tuesday, but he said he saw no blood or gunshot wound.

Regardless of the cause, Staley said that, while he was trying to protect his family and defend his property, he regrets what happened.

“I feel so bad that a man died out here,” Staley said.

Baker said investigators have located another man they believe was involved in the attempted burglary. He did not identify the man and no charges had been filed against anyone as of Wednesday afternoon.

“This is one of those cases that’s up in the air,” Baker said. “We’re trying to put the pieces together.”

Detectives will turn their investigation over to the Pulaski County prosecutor, who will determine what, if any, charges should be filed, Baker said.

Wednesday, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said he had not received any information from Sherwood police.

He will review the reports once they are filed. He could make a determination then or ask detectives for some additional information, Jegley said.

Labels: AR, trespassing

Prosecutor Won’t File In Killing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: AR, assault

Store-owner Fires Shots in Greers Ferry Store

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: altercation, AR

TEEN SHOT DURING HOME INVASION

A teen-ager was shot while allegedly trying to break into a home in the Dollarway area Thursday night, police said.

The boy, about 14 or 15 years old, allegedly tried to kick in a door of a residence near the intersection of School and Malcomb streets. He was almost inside when the homeowner shot him, said Sgt. Greg Holland, assistant public relations officer with the Pine Bluff Police Department.

The juvenile reportedly was shot in his lower body and was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. His condition was not known at the time, Holland said.

An investigation is continuing, he said.

No Charges Filed in Pine Bluff Home Invasion Shooting

A homeowner who fatally shot a Pine Bluff teenager during a botched home invasion won't face criminal charges.


Authorities say Jimmy Shaw shot and killed 14-year-old Winston Walls Junior after the teen broke into Shaw's home on August 23rd.

Prosecutor Steve Dalrymple has ruled the shooting was justified.

Dalrymple wrote in a memo to Pine Bluff Police Chief John Howell that the law allows deadly force as an appropriate means of self-defense. The memo says Shaw's actions were tragic but unavoidable.

Authorities say the teenager had a handgun when he broke into Shaw's home along with two other teens.

Labels: AR, home invasion

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - The owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop shot dead a teenager he suspected to be a burglar, police said.

Taron Hopkins, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene early Friday morning, said Chad Kelley, chief deputy coroner. Hopkins suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body.

Police Lt. Bob Rawlinson said the shooting happened at Chuck Smith's Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff. The store's owner, Chuck Smith, told police he shot the teenager with a .38-caliber revolver as the teen and others tried to break into the store.

Smith was in a small living area at the back of the business when he heard people breaking in, Rawlinson said. Smith told police he fired several shots toward the group.

Several of the people fled, and a tire iron was left behind, Rawlinson said.

"We're going to gather the facts and then present them to the prosecuting attorney to determine whether the shooting was justified or if charges are warranted in this case," Rawlinson said.

SHOOTING OF TEENAGER RULED JUSTIFIED BY PROSECUTOR

Jefferson County’s prosecutor ruled Wednesday that the death of a 15-year-old boy who was shot by the owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop was “justified under the law.”

Taron Hopkins was shot by Chuck Smith, the owner of Chuck Smith Pawn Shop at 3621 W. Sixth Ave., on Aug. 16 after Hopkins and two other juveniles tried to break into the business at approximately 11:30 p.m.

In a memo to Police Chief John Howell, 11th Judicial District West Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple said, “The physical evidence of the event was corroborated by the statements of the two youths that accompanied Taron Hopkins in the burglary of the building. Additionally, their two statements support the account of Chuck Smith.”

Smith told police he heard a noise at the back door of the building and, when he opened the back door, saw several individuals standing in front of him, including one holding what appeared to be a tire iron.

“The law is very clear on the use of deadly force,” Dalrymple said in the memo to Howell. “The use of a firearm by Smith was justifiable when faced by an intruder armed with a potential weapon, a tire iron.”

Hopkins was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:15 a.m. of an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body.

“The results are both tragic and deadly,” Dalrymple said. “Also clearly upsetting is the fact that three young teenagers were out and about in the late hours. Taron Hopkins was 15 years of age. It does not require a keen insight to recognize that such an act is an invitation to trouble.

“Both the evidence of the burglary and the statements of the accomplices of the deceased demonstrate that these actions were far beyond a mischievous act of a youth but rather were a planned criminal act,” Dalrymple said, adding that Smith’s actions “are not the subject of criminal prosecution.”

Wednesday afternoon, Dalrymple said he has received the complete case file in the death of Winston Walls Jr., 14, who reportedly kicked in the back door of a house in the Dollarway area on Aug. 23, and was shot by the homeowner, Jimmy Shaw, who had a handgun.

Dalrymple said he is reviewing that file before making a decision on whether the shooting was justified under state law.

Labels: AR, business burglary, minor offender

Wal-Mart shooting justified, Gibbons says

Battery charges expected against shooter’s alleged assailant

Fifth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons has declined to prosecute a man who shot an acquaintance in the leg July 18 in the Wal-Mart parking lot on East Main Street.

William Garfield Farr, 50, was arrested later that night in connection with the shooting after he fled the scene without notifying authorities of the incident, a circumstance Gibbons called “troubling” in a memo sent Wednesday to Russellville Police Department Det. Mark Frost, which was provided to The Courier.

A witness recorded Farr’s license plate number as he drove away, according to a July 20 article by Scott Perkins and Janie Ginocchio.

In a July 20 bond hearing held at the Pope County Detention Center, District Judge Don Bourne ordered Farr held on a $25,000 commercial bond. At that time, the alleged victim, Ben Lopez, was in stable condition at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, according to testimony by Frost.

Gibbons cited Arkansas Criminal Act 5-2-607 in the memo, which provides that “a person is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if he reasonably believes that the other person is: (1) Committing or about to commit a felony involving force or violence; (2) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force; [or] (3) Imminently endangering his or her life.”

In the memo, Gibbons wrote despite Farr’s failure to call police and fleeing, “from the evidence, it is clear that Lopez was the initial aggressor and entered Farr’s vehicle while possessing a knife. Farr retreated to the passenger side of his vehicle, a point beyond which he could go no further with complete safety.”

“Although disputed by Lopez,” Gibbons continued, “the credible evidence is that Lopez struck at Farr with the knife injuring Farr’s lip. At that point, Farr shot Lopez in the leg with a handgun which he was authorized to carry under Arkansas Law.”

Frost testified July 20 officers found a knife at the scene. During that hearing, Farr appeared to have a small cut on his upper lip consistent with a superficial knife wound.

Gibbons wrote he anticipates filing battery charges against Lopez in connection with the incident.

It remains unclear how the two came to meet in the parking lot, as well as what caused the encounter to turn violent.

Labels: altercation, AR, assault, concealed carry permit

Murder Charge Dropped

A 2006 first-degree murder charge against a former Ozark woman has been dropped, according to Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons.

An order dismissing charges against Audrea Waldo, 24, was signed July 26 by Circuit Court Judge James Kennedy.

Waldo was accused of shooting her father, Joel Waldo, 48, on Jan. 2, 2006, at the family’s home at 504 W. Main St. in Ozark.

A probable cause affidavit filed in the case said Waldo shot at her father eight times with a .45-caliber pistol. Waldo told police she was threatened by her father and feared he would do something to her and her grandmother. Gibbons said autopsy results show the shooting victim had a large amount of methamphetamine in his system, giving credence to Audrea Waldo’s claims and justifying her use of deadly force.

According to the Ozark Spectator, Waldo now lives in Texas.

Labels: AR, domestic dispute

Police: El Dorado man, 93, shoots robber after beating

An elderly man beaten unconscious by an assailant wielding a soda can later awoke and shot the man during an attempted robbery, police said.

Willie Lee Hill, 93, told police he saw the robber while in his bedroom Wednesday night. Hill confronted Douglas B. Williams Jr., 24, of El Dorado, who struck the elderly man at least 50 times, kknocking him out, police said.

Hill, covered in blood from the attack, regained consciousness and pulled a .38-caliber handgun on Williams. Williams saw the gun and charged Hill, who fired one round, police said. The bullet struck Williams in the throat.

When police arrived, officers said Williams told them, "I can't feel my legs and I got what I deserved."

Paramedics took Hill and Williams to the Medical Center of South Arkansas for treatment. Doctors later sent Williams to the Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport, where he was listed in critical condition Friday.

Employees at the Medical Center of South Arkansas refused to give Hill's condition or say if he'd been discharged from the hospital Friday, citing medical privacy laws.

Officers reported finding a set of keys, two hearing aids, a CD player, an MP3 player, a Craftsman drill bit set and three pocket knives inside Williams' pockets. Police plan to charge Williams with residential burglary, second-degree battery, theft of property and theft by receiving.

Labels: AR, home invasion, residence robbery

Police: Suspect dead in home invasion, shot by victim

Little Rock police are investigating a home invasion in which 1 of the suspects was shot dead by 1 of the victims. Police say the incident began early this morning when someone banged on the apartment door of 27-year-old Julian Armstrong and demanded to see someone named "Steve."

Armstrong told the person he had the wrong apartment. A while later, the man returned with a second person. Armstrong told police the men kicked in his door and that he exchanged gunfire with the second suspect.

Police say Armstrong sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and that the suspect was shot dead. Police say Armstrong's injury isn't life-threatening. No name has been released for the dead suspect, and police said they have not been able to find the other assailant.

Police say the shooting at southwest Little Rock apartment occurred at 2:20 a.m.

Labels: AR, assault, defender shot, home invasion

Crawford County Man Shot, Killed

Officials said a Crawford County man was shot and killed Monday night in front of his wife and children.

Bobby Joe Freeman, 32, was killed at his home off Cartwright Mountain Road, police said.

Freeman's family told police he became aggressive, so they hid in a bedroom. When Freeman barged into the room, investigators said, Freeman's stepfather shot him.

Sheriff's officials said it appears the shooting was in self-defense.

Fatal shooting could be self-defense

A Texas man was killed Monday night in a shooting that investigators believe could have been self-defense.

Crawford County sheriff's deputies were called to 17800 Cartwright Mountain Road near Chester around 9:30, where they found found 30-year-old Bobby Jo Freeman unresponsive with a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few weeks ago Freeman, his wife, and their two children had moved to the residence, which belongs to Freeman's mother and stepfather, from Vernon, Texas.

They were all present at the time of the shooting, but police won't say which family member shot Freeman.

Deputies say they have been called to the residence before a number of times for domestic violence reports, and that could have played a factor in Monday night's shooting.

From interviews, they know Freeman crashed his pickup earlier that night, and had to be given a ride to the house from someone in a white Extended Cab or four-door pickup.

Now deputies are asking that person to come forward, so they can find out more about what state Freeman was in when he got home.

Labels: AR, domestic dispute

Marion, AR - A would-be robber is recovering in the med after being shot by the store clerk he was trying to rob. It happened this afternoon at the marion discount pharmacy in marion arkansas. Tonight.. Locals are calling the shooter a hero.

It's well-known around town that marion discount pharmacy had been robbed three times before. Locals are fed up. And when they heard how an attempted robbery got foiled.. Some.. Called the shooter a hero.

"There was a guy laying in front of the door," says Nicky Glover a bystander who hadn't seen anything like this happen in Marion before.

Marion Discount Pharmacy had just been robbed two weeks ago. But this latest attempt sent the would-be robber to the hospital. The shooter? A female pharmacist who was tired of being scared.

"I think she probably solved a lot of problems here in Marion," says a friend who came to give support when they heard pharmacist Susan Burns shot a robber in her store. "We're all tired up and down this mall of robbers, thieves. She's my hometown hero."

Police say around 3pm, the suspect, 26-year-old Jeremy Johnson, walked in with a gun. Police say Johnson then told a pharmacist behind the counter to get down on the ground, and ordered another to get him drugs.

Det. Sgt. G.B. Martin with the Marion Police Department says "There were other customers in the pharmacy. He advised one of the witnesses in there to sit down turn around get out of the way."

Included among the customers was a girl about ten years old. Police do not think she witnessed any of the violence. Somehow, Burns pulled a gun from behind the counter and fired. Police say the last time a robber came in, that robber had stuck a gun to her head. This robber didn't get far.

Witness Glover says "Yeah she was very shaken up, there was policemen surrounding her and comforting her yeah she was very shook up."

Police say Johnson already had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from another robbery in Tennessee. They do not believe he is connected to the earlier robberies at the Marion Discount Pharmacy.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Shots fired at armed midnight intruder

Responding to a call for help around midnight, the parents of Rebecca Little of 150 County Line Road arrived to see a man armed with a shotgun fleeing from the residence.

When told to stop, the man reportedly turned and pointed the shotgun at the parents, and a shot was fired at him in return before he fled into a wooded area.

Sgt. Mike Price with the Independence County Sheriff’s Office said Little told him that she was awakened by someone knocking and then pounding on her door around midnight.

Unable to see anyone outside, Little said she called her mother and step-father, Tony and Debbie Mesa, to come to her house.

“When they arrived they saw a white man, approximately 18 to 25 years old in a white T-shirt and jeans with short blond hair, run from the area of the house near the master bedroom into the backyard,” Price said.

“The suspect was carrying a shotgun with a black synthetic stock. Mr. Mesa yelled for the suspect to stop and at that time the suspect turned around to face Mr. Mesa in a threatening manner. Mr. Mesa stated he then fired his pistol at the suspect, but didn’t’ believe he had struck the suspect,” Price said.

The intruder then reportedly fled into a nearby wooded area in the direction of Marce Lane, and the family left the residence to call police, mistakenly leaving a door unlocked.

Price said when officers arrived they searched the area but couldn’t find anyone and then called for Little to return home.

After the family left someone reportedly entered the home, pulled a bed comforter and sheets from a bed and threw them in the floor. Two other comforters, a cell phone on a charger and a package of diapers were reportedly taken from other areas of the residence.

No suspects were listed at the time of the incident, according to Price.

Labels: AR, home invasion

Store Clerk Shoots Suspect During Robbery

Pine Bluff - Quick thinking by a Pine Bluff convenience store clerk kept a would-be robber from getting away with cash and merchandise.

It happened just before 8:00 p.m. Saturday at the United filling station on Hutchinson and Dollarway road.

The suspect entered the business and demanded cash from the employee. That's when the clerk reportedly told the robber he would comply if the suspect shared a portion of the money and waited for a customer to leave the store.

(Lt. Bob Rawlinson, Pine Bluff Police Dept.) "The suspect went into the back room while a customer came in. When the customer left that's when the suspect came out and by then the employee armed himself and they exchange gunfire."

Officials say the suspect was apparently struck by gunfire and fled on foot.

Meanwhile, minutes after the incident, officials were called to a shooting victim in a residential area. There they found 20-year-old Norman Bullard with multiple gunshot wounds. Bullard alleged he was robbed by a man fitting the description of the suspect.

An investigation is ongoing.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Homeowner Claims Self Defense in North Little Rock Shooting

It happened early Thursday morning near Haywood and Water Street. Police say a man has admitted to shooting at another man, but claims it was in self-defense.

(Sharea Yancy, Neighbor) "I knew there was somebody over there laying down because I seen the white sheet."

When Sharea Yancy got home early Thursday morning, her North Little Rock neighborhood was full of police, and the coroner was on the scene. Across the street from her house a man lay dead on the ground.

(Yancy) "It's just shocking. I was kind of shaken. It just shocked me."

When police responded to a shots-fired call around 12:30 a.m., they found the body of 22-year-old Erroll Bernard Robinson, Jr. on the front porch of a vacant home on Water Street.

A resident around the corner, 43-year-old Myron Doss, told investigators he fired twice in self-defense, and the man ran away.

(Officer Carmen Green, North Little Rock Police Dept.) "The resident heard glass break outside his residence. When he opened the door he saw a black male crouched down behind his vehicle. When he stepped out onto his porch that's when the individual stood up turned towards him and fired one shot. And returned? Yes and he returned fire."

So far, police have not made any arrests.

(Yancy) "If it was me, I would have done the same thing if everything was legit and everything went like he said it was. People are just getting tired. It's like you stay at your house and I'll stay at mine and leave other people's things alone."

The man who was found dead had been arrested previously on robbery charges. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Homeowner Kills Suspect

A North Little Rock neighborhood that's out of control. That's what some people are saying after an overnight shooting in the Rose City area that left one man dead. But North Little Rock police believe it's a case of self-defense.

Mickie Brown likes her neighborhood, one that is usually quiet the silence broken by gunfire early this morning. "Shocked I thought I slept through this. I live across the street, one of the bullets could have ricocheted and hit me," says Brown.

North Little Rock police say someone was trying to break into a car parked in front of a house. When the homeowner came out, he was armed and approached the man. The suspect fired at him and the homeowner shot back... 21 year old Bernard Robinson died on the steps of this vacant home a block away. "They need more patrol, watch more and cut down on the gang bangers," says Brown.

Brown says this part of Rose City isn't a bad area they just need a little help. "it's a proud neighborhood, I've been here seven years and never had a problem. The police need to step up and get some of the bad elements out of the neighborhood," says Brown.

The homicide is too much for Akika Perkins and her small children. "They aren't going to grow up around here, not if this is going to happen," says Perkins.

It's the fifth homicide for the city, but it's the first for this east-end neighborhood. Brown says it's a preventable tragedy. "Here we sit today with a 22 year old who didn't get to finish his life out," says Brown.

North Little Rock detectives are not done in this case. Investigating tonight whether what happened last night was a justified shooting or a crime. Meanwhile those living in the area want something to change. Investigators are looking at the shooting as being justified since the suspect was invading the homeowner’s property. The last decision will come from the prosecutor's office on whether to file charges. The homeowner was questioned and released.

Labels: AR, assault, street property theft

Man Shoots Intruder

A confrontation between a man in his home and an intruder ended badly Monday night -- for the intruder.

Joshua Nicholson, 26, 425 Sheppard Road in Avoca, was asleep when someone broke into his home through the back door, according to a Benton County Sheriff's Office news release.

Upon hearing a disturbance, Nicholson grabbed his gun, a .380-caliber pistol, and walked down the hallway. Nicholson saw a man entering the residence and fired one shot, believing he hit the man, according to police.

Also in the home at the time were Marty Martin, 31, Nicholson's roommate; Sarah Enkler, 25, and her two children. Enkler and her two children were staying at the residence to escape an abusive relationship with her husband, according to police.

Richard Deshields, 37, Enkler's husband, checked himself into a hospital in Joplin, Mo., suffering from a gunshot wound. Joplin Police Department officials contacted the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Officials with the Sheriff's Office have requested the Joplin Police Department arrest Deshields in connection with a felony charge of residential burglary and a misdemeanor charge of first-degree criminal mischief. Deshields will be transported to Benton County as soon as his condition allows, the release states.

There are currently no charges pending for Nicholson.

Labels: AR, intruder

Victim, robber both armed

A Craighead County man got more than he bargained for early Friday morning after apparently choosing the wrong resident to rob.

The early-morning alleged attempted robbery ended in a shoot-out, though no one was injured, police said.

Walter D. Hatton, 22, 820 West Huntington Ave., Jonesboro, was arrested around 4 a.m. Friday after he allegedly forced his way inside a Jonesboro home and fired a shot at the 64-year-old man inside.

Detective Chad Hogard wrote in his probable cause affidavit that officers were dispatched to 211 Maple St. around 3:45 a.m.

He wrote that patrol officers "had picked Dale Hatton up just down the street with blood coming from his head. The victim was in bed and heard someone trying to kick in his front door."

The victim, Ray Horton, told police the suspect entered his home and fired a 9mm bullet at him during a struggle and missed.

But Horton had a weapon of his own -- a shotgun.

"During the struggle the victim struck Hatton in the head with the barrel of a shotgun," Hogard wrote. "The two then wrestled onto the bed leaving blood evidence on the bed sheets."

Horton then attempted to shoot Hatton, but the suspect managed to grab the barrel of the shotgun, forcing it toward the ceiling where the blast struck.

"Hatton then grabbed the shotgun away from the victim and ran out the door," Hogard added. "Both guns were recovered."

The shotgun was recovered in a tree line near Parker Park and the 9mm on a lawn across the street from the park.

(More)

Labels: AR, home invasion, residence robbery

Man kills alleged intruder

A man wanted for questioning about a shooting death and an apparent burglary attempt is free after the Marion County Sheriff's Department decided not to detain him after he turned himself in.

Joe Kelley, a 71-year-old Peel resident, was asleep recovering from heart surgery Friday when he woke to sounds at his front door, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Department report.

Kelley said he found a man in his hallway and shot him with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to the report.

According to the report, police found Travis Morrison, 27, of Harrison, dead on the floor of Kelley's home late Friday night. Marion County Sheriff Carl McBee reported Kelley told police he was "scared to death" when he shot the intruder.

Kelley was not detained because the shooting death was the result of apparent self-defense, the sheriff said.

McBee said Kelley described a second man who entered the home after the shooting, asked questions of him and attempted to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Morrison. The sheriff said the suspected accomplice was gone when police arrived.

The next morning, Johnny Lee Carter, 32, of Harrison, turned himself in at the Marion County Sheriff's Department, according to a second police report. Carter told police he had been with Morrison on the night of the shooting, according to the report.

McBee said the incident still is under investigation.

Labels: AR, residence burglary

Rogers woman shoots intruder

Jodi Qasem remained shaken Sunday afternoon after an early morning ordeal that ended in her shooting an intruder.

The last time Qasem, of 1819 Beth Drive in Rogers, remembers looking at the clock Sunday morning, it was 5: 15 a. m. She soon heard a door open somewhere in the home and thought it odd. She was expecting her husband to come home from work sometime in the near future, but not that early.

“ The next thing I knew, (a man ) was in my bedroom, ” she said with a slight tremor in her voice.

She chased the man through the house and eventually out of the house. As she ran outside to make sure he was gone, the unidentified man grabbed her. Qasem had her new. 22- caliber handgun in her hand and she shot the man.

“ It was pointed at his belly, ” she said. “ I saw the muzzle flash. ”

Qasem said she that during the incident she yelled at the man several times, but he never said a word, including when he was shot. The man stumbled and fled.

“ I ran back in and called 911, ” she said. “(Police ) were here in 30 seconds. ”

Qasem bought the gun shortly after she found a peeping tom peering in her windows. She said the peeping tom had the same build as the intruder, but she didn’t know if they are the same person. She said she could tell he was wearing a hooded shirt and that he was probably white or Hispanic — definitely not African-American.

Qasem said she is concerned because the man hasn’t been found.

“ I want him caught, ” she said Sunday afternoon.

Rogers Police Sgt. Kelly Cradduck said the call to the Rogers Police Department came in at 5: 58 a. m.

“ She had a right to defend her home, ” he said.

Licenses are not required to keep a gun in the home. The only requirements are that the owner be at least 21 years old, not a convicted felon and must be a U. S. citizen. Qasem said she is an avid hunter and is used to handling.

Labels: AR, assault, home invasion

Store employee shoots at would-be robber

Sheriff’s deputies and Forrest City Police are investigating three separate violent incidents, one of which has resulted in an arrest.

Early this morning, a would-be robber was allegedly chased away from the Phillips 66 station at Wheatley.

Salih A. Nomi, an employee at the Phillips 66, reported that around 2:10 a.m., a man wearing a dark hat and ski mask came to the door and while standing in the doorway pointed a black handgun and told him, “Give me all the money.”

Nomi reported he told him OK, but instead pulled a 9 mm pistol and fired a shot at the suspect, which missed, shattering the door glass. The suspect fired one round, missing Nomi, and ran. Nomi said he pursued the suspect and fired four more rounds at him, missing him all four times.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Man Shot Dead at Estranged Wife's Home

Howard County officials are awaiting autopsy results on a man who died from a gunshot wound to the head at his estranged wife's house. Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, deputies got a call from 52-year-old Charles "Danny" Sullivan's wife.

The two were in the process of a divorce and the woman told deputies Sullivan had shown up at her house with a gun. Officers got to her home, just in time to hear a gunshot. They saw Sullivan in the backyard with the gun, before he ran out of their line of sight. Then, deputies heard one more shot.

Sullivan was found with a gunshot wound to the head.

Labels: AR, domestic dispute

West Memphis man shoots, critically wounds intruder

A West Memphis man shot and critically injured an intruder who broke into his house and tapped him on the forehead with a pistol, police said.

The homeowner, who has not been identified, told police that he was lying on the couch watching television early Friday when a man "tapped him on his head with an old black pistol" and demanded money. The homeowner gave the man his wallet, then pulled a handgun from under his pillow and shot the intruder.

"The homeowner stated he didn't know how many times he fired his weapon, but that he fired every shot in his magazine," said Mike Allen, assistant chief for the West Memphis police.

The suspect, David Mablin, 23, of West Memphis was found lying in an alley outside the home, police said. Mablin had one gunshot wound and was taken to The Med in Memphis, where he was in critical condition Friday.

Police say they don't expect to file charges against the homeowner.

"The case is still being investigated but it appears that the homeowner acted in complete self defense," Allen said.

Labels: AR, home invasion, residence robbery

Prosecutor: No charges in shooting

No charges will be filed against a Lockesburg woman who shot her husband in the upper right thigh with a .38-caliber pistol, Prosecuting Attorney Tom Cooper said Thursday.

Natallia Roberson, 43, of Lockesburg, allegedly shot her husband, Roy Roberson, 52, during an argument Sept. 22 at their home in the community of Penny Hill, about six miles south of Lockesburg.

Sevier County Sheriff John Partain said the shooting started as a “domestic dispute” and became a physical altercation involving the couple and Natallia’s son.

Partain said the woman’s son had an mp3 player-recorder in his pocket and recorded the argument. The recording was turned over to the Sheriff’s Department as part of the investigation.

Roy Roberson was transported by LifeNet helicopter to CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana for treatment of the gunshot wound. He has been released from the hospital.

Labels: AR, domestic dispute

Concealed Weapons Discussed After Shooting

A shooting Wednesday night is raising new interest and concerns over concealed weapons permits.

Little Rock police say 56 year old Samuel Mitchell shot and killed a man who was pointing a gun at him and demanding his truck. It happened at a church parking lot. Mitchell had a concealed weapons permit.

KARN talk show host Dave Elswick says received (sic) a permit 3 months ago, “Police can only be a few places at one time. They normally solve crime. They don’t follow me around daily. I think it’s my responsibility to protect myself and family.”

But Lt. Terry Hastings with the Little Rock police department warns not all incidents turn out like the one Wednesday night, “This is not the old west where we have quick draws. Most of the time if a person is standing there pointing a gun at you the chances of getting your weapons out successfully are difficult.”

Labels: AR, carjacking, concealed carry permit

Suspected Robber Shot by Store Owner

Little Rock police say a suspect walked in shooting to the R-B Causey Company after 4 Monday afternoon... threatening to rob the store. Police say the owner of the company also had a gun and fired shots at the alleged robber, hitting him in the arm and the shoulder. He was taken to a local hospital where he is in stable condition.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Sheriff says Logan County shooting likely justified

The Logan County sheriff says homeowner who shot an alleged intruder was most likely justified in the shooting.

Sheriff Mark Limbird says 22-year-old Casey Steele Weber went to the home early Saturday and demanded to see a person who did not live there. The homeowner told Weber that no one by that name lived at the home but Weber insisted.

Two girls between ages 9 and 12 -- the homeowner's daughter and her cousin -- were awakened and the homeowner hid them in a bathroom.

Limbird says that when Weber broke a window the homeowner fired a shotgun, inflicting a fatal wound.

The sheriff says his office is still investigating and that it will turn over the case file to a prosecutor for review.

Labels: AR, home invasion

One dead, one hurt in shooting

Keith M. Morse was in the middle of his prayers and had just gotten to "deliver us from evil," when he heard a knock on the door. Within minutes, two men started beating Morse with sticks, and at the end of the struggle, a man Morse had never met before was dead on the front porch from several gunshot wounds, while Morse's brother-in-law was at the hospital being treated for a gunshot wound.

Robert A. Vetor, 24, was pronounced dead at 1:30 a.m. after being taken to Baxter Regional Medical Center with three gunshot wounds to the upper body, according to Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery.

Jesse M. Kepler, 24, had one gunshot wound to his upper left thigh and was taken by a private vehicle to BRMC where he was listed in good condition, according to hospital spokesperson Sharon Miller.

The shooting occurred at approximately 12:12 a.m. Monday at 47 Baxter County Road 5 off U.S. Highway 62/412 west of Mountain Home.

Morse, 23, of 47 CR 5, was taken into custody at the scene by sheriff's deputies pending investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, Montgomery said. Morse was taken to the sheriff's office to be interviewed by investigators. He later was released.

"He started thumping on me and another guy jumped out with a stick and broke it on me," Morse said in an interview with The Bulletin Monday afternoon. "I fell, grabbed my gun, fumbled with it and shot. They were going to kill me."

Morse said he was afraid for his 5-month-old daughter, who was at home with him while his wife was at work.

"After shooting, I passed out," Morse said. "When I came to, I grabbed my cell phone and called 911. The (911) operator told me to put the pistol down."

Morse said there were three men who came to his home. One fled as soon as Morse started firing.

Morse said they knocked on his door, and his brother-in-law Kepler wanted him to come out, but Morse refused. When he finally opened the door, two men who had been hiding — one behind a grill on the front porch and the other at the side of the house — came to the door and starting beating on him with some pieces of wood. Morse said he let them beat on him until he heard one say they were going to kill him.

Morse said he did not know the other two men who were with his brother-in-law.

(Much more)

Labels: AR, assault, domestic dispute, home invasion

Intruder killed in Jonesboro

Police are investigating the fatal shooting of an intruder whom witnesses said kicked in a door and apparently confronted the resident inside.

The resident at 1301 Calley Cove in suburban north Jonesboro was identified by neighbors as Jeff Gulley. It could not be determined at press time whether Gulley was alone in the residence at the time of the shooting.

At least seven Jonesboro police officers, several Criminal Investigation Division officers and Medic One Ambulance service responded to the call.

Sgt. Stephen McDaniel of the Jonesboro Police Department said the call came in at 9:31 p.m. as a "break-in with shots fired." He said when officers arrived they found the resident and a 45-year-old white male lying dead inside the home. He would not identify the resident or the shooting victim.

Police issued no statements and few details were available at press time. Detective Chris Poe is the lead investigator in the case, police said.

Medic One emergency personnel left the residence with an empty stretcher as detectives investigated the crime scene. Sources at the scene said the intruder's body remained in the residence as the investigation continued for hours.

Neighbors told The Sun they heard a loud noise sometime after 9 p.m. that they said sounded like the roar of a motorcycle starting its engine. With no motorcycles seen in the residential cove, they said they believed the noise was possibly a break-in with gunshots.

Sources at the scene said the alleged intruder kicked in the door of the home and was shot by Gulley with a handgun.

Gulley, identified by neighbors as an Arkansas State University employee, was taken to police headquarters for questioning and an interview about the shooting. He was released by police.

The ASU faculty-staff directory has a Jeffrey S. Gulley, identified as a skilled trades worker in electrical and mechanical maintenance. It could not be confirmed that it was the same person identified by neighbors at Calley Cove.

Neighbors said that Gulley had a permit to carry to concealed handgun and had a gun collection.

Labels: AR, concealed carry permit, home invasion

Hot Springs woman puts end to indecent exposure

It is not a good idea as a rule for a person to take the law into her own hands, but a Hot Springs, Ark., woman appears to have deterred some crime in her neighborhood with a flash from a gun. Problem is, she may have run afoul of the law herself.

Last weekend, a 37-year-old man turned up in the woman’s yard, exposing himself. The woman, 30, after repeated calls to police, fired a warning shot at the flasher. He jumped and fled, hitching up his drawers as he ran off.

He came back Sunday evening, this time dropping his pants, chunking stones at her windows and howling like a dog.

This time his victim took aim—well, maybe not perfect aim—and shot him in the leg.

That brought an end to his expose.

He took himself to a local hospital for treatment. He told law enforcement officials that he did not want to pursue charges against the shooter because he was in her yard and shouldn’t have been there.

Police, though, are required to forward the case to the local prosecutor for a determination on charges.

Perhaps the woman needs a little counseling about the actual circumstances in which self-defense is acceptable. But that’s all.

If police had showed up while the flasher was showing off, the woman might not have been tempted to end the unwanted peep show all by herself.

At least this guy is not likely to be showing up and out at the victim’s house again. That’s what law enforcement and judicial officials call a crime deterrent.

Labels: AR, nl

Suspect Won't Be Charged In Shooting Deaths

Drug and weapons charges have been filed against a man believed by police to have shot and killed two people during an apparent robbery at an indoor marijuana-growing site. But they said the man will not be charged in the deaths Sunday night.

Bradley Webster of Mena was charged with possession and use of a machine gun -- simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms -- manufacturing marijuana -- first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor -- possession of drug paraphernalia -- and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Prosecutor Tim Williamson said Webster will not be charged for the deaths of 34-year-old Chris Pangle and 23-year-old Thai Flores, both of Henryetta, Oklahoma. Williamson said Webster was defending his property, even if it was illegal property.

Labels: AR, residence robbery

Intruder Killed During Home Invasion

A Little Rock man was shot dead this morning after he and several other suspects broke into a residence.

It's the 5th homicide of the new year in Little Rock. It happened just after 2:00 this morning at the 9200 block of Hilaro Springs Road

According to police, the men broke in to the trailer because they wanted to find out who was driving one of the cars parked outside.

Authorities say four to seven men forced their way into this residence early Saturday morning, but by the time police got there, all the suspects except one had left.

(Sgt. Terry Hastings, Little Rock Police) "They found a person lying on the floor deceased he was wearing gloves and a mask."

Tremayne Beasley was shot after he entered one of the bedrooms. At that time, according to the police report, the owner of the trailer shot Beasley once in the shoulder and once in the stomach.

(Hastings)"The suspects then fled out of the trailer and left in an unknown direction."

Police say a women inside the trailer was also shot, but her injuries were not life threatening. At the time of the intrusion five adults were inside the residence.

(Hastings)"We know that these individuals were looking for particular person so we are not releasing any names of those involved here in the trailer, until we can get a better handle on exactly what these individuals were doing."

Right now no charges have been filed against the owner of the trailer for shooting the intruder.

Labels: AR, home invasion, intruder

Dramatic shoot-out injures 2 policeman, intruder killed

A Conway man who shot two Faulkner County deputies was shot to death by a resident of the home he broke into early Friday morning.

Michael Tindoll, 27, of Conway, allegedly broke into 16 Havens Lane, the home of his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Weber, according to Lt. Jack Pike, spokesman for the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office. Tindoll allegedly started a fist fight with Weber's new boyfriend, John Sides Jr., Pike said. Sgt. Jason Bell and Deputy Wesley Martin responded to a 911 call about 1:24 a.m.

Tindoll left and drove to a house on Sunny Gap Road where he retrieved his shotgun, Pike said. The sheriff's office did not know who the residents of the home were or the nature of their relationship with Tindoll, however, Pike said the residents called Weber and warned her Tindoll was on his way back with a gun. Weber called the sheriff's office, and Bell and Martin responded, Pike said.

About 1:55 a.m., the officers spotted Tindoll and followed him to the home. They followed him into the home and commanded him several times to put down his weapon, but he did not comply, Pike said.

The deputies fired two less-lethal rounds that hit Tindoll in the torso, but he still did not drop the shotgun, Pike said. Instead, he allegedly fired one shotgun blast, hitting both deputies with pellets. Bell returned fire, hitting Tindoll in the side.

Tindoll turned and started down the hall toward Weber's bedroom. Sides, who was in the bedroom, fired one shot from his own gun, hitting Tindoll in the chest, Pike said.

Three small children, ages two to four years old, were in the home during the domestic disturbance. One slept the whole time, Pike said.

Conway Police officers arrived shortly after for backup and assisted in clearing the home and securing the scene, Pike said. MEMS transported the deputies to Conway Regional Medical Center. Martin was treated and released. Bell was taken into surgery about 6 a.m. to remove a couple of pellets. He is expected to fully recover, and his injuries were not life-threatening, Pike said.

"We applaud their bravery, and their quick action no doubt resulted in saving the residents of the home," he said.

The officers will be off duty pending an investigation into the shooting. Pike said the sheriff's office has no reason to believe there was a violation of policy or misconduct on behalf of the officers.

No charges will be filed against Sides for shooting an intruder in his home, Pike said.

Labels: AR, domestic dispute, home invasion

Victim of Domestic Abuse Shoots Husband

A Little Rock man continues to recover after Police say his ex-wife took a gun and shot him in self-defense. The incident happened Monday morning at 7105 Fourche Dam Pike in Little Rock. Police say 50 year old Judy Melton shot her 50 year old ex-husband Eddie Melton. According to Little Rock Police, Melton showed up at the residence, got very angry because his ex-wife wouldn’t let him in, and then he proceeded to kick in the door, and she shot him.

Police say he has a record of domestic abuse. Just last year, Police sat he kept Judy Melton hostage for 6 hours at gunpoint.

"Mom -- didn`t want to press the charges all the way, because everything kind of blew over,” said the couple’s son Michael Melton.

Judy Melton is not facing charges at this time, but the case will be reviewed by the prosecutor.

Labels: AR, domestic abuse, home invasion

Police Investigate Attempted Home Invasion

Shots rang out in a Fort Smith neighborhood Thursday, part of what police now say was an attempted home invasion.

According to police, a man who just got out of jail tried to get back into a home where he once lived. About 1 p.m. Thursday, police said Marvin Wilson, 42, showed up at a home on the corner of 46th and Kinkead.

Wilson's brother and another woman who lived inside would not let him in the home. That's when, police said, he got angry, which caused Alonzo Wilson -- Marvin's brother -- to use force to keep him out.

Officials said they believe he fired one shot at Marvin Wilson, who was not hit. Marvin Wilson reportedly took off in his car but did not get far.

Police said he caused an accident at Towson and Dodson.

According to officials, he fled the scene of that accident and was stopped at North O and arrested.

"He was involved in a hit and run at Towson and Dodson, so he'll be looking at charges there," said Fort Smith police spokesman Jarrard Copeland. "I believe his drivers license may be suspended, so he'll be looking at additional charges for that. So it's probably a whole list of things he's looking at."

Police said they believe Wilson might have been under the influence of alcohol at the time as well. Plus, he is a convicted felon who should not have been in possession of a firearm.

Labels: AR, home invasion

DE QUEEN, Ark.-Police are investigating a home invasion shooting that left a Texarkana resident dead.

James Douglas Harrison, 48, a former resident of the Randy Sams Shelter for the Homeless in Texarkana, was killed about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when he was shot while allegedly breaking into a home in De Queen, said De Queen Police Lt. Troy Cravens.

"There were several points where he had tried to make entry into the house. The homeowner had fought him back once and when he (Harrison) tried to get back in, the homeowner shot him," Cravens said.

...

He said there is no known connection between the homeowner, Hermileo Camacho, and Harrison.

No charges are expected to be filed against Camacho.

Labels: AR, home invasion

Police are still trying to sort out a bizarre shooting in Pine Bluff. It happened around 12:45 this afternoon. Police say two men got into an argument over a woman in the 1900 block of E. 10th St.

One man reportedly brought a crowbar to a residence, where he was then shot twice by the occupant. The man`s injuries were not severe.

Police have not made an arrest yet. They are still trying to determine if the shooter acted in self-defense.

Labels: AR, assault

A teenage girl shot a 48-year-old man who allegedly was attacking her at her home Tuesday morning, July 19, sending him to a Texarkana hospital.

The incident took place on County Road13, just north of McNab. According to the Hempstead County Sheriff's Office, Ben Haywood, 48, the teen told them Haywood began to hit her and tried to undress her, pulling her shirt off.

The girl got away from Haywood, according to the HCSO, and hid in a closet at the rear of the home. She was found by Haywood and once again he began to beat the girl. After a period of confrontation, the girl was able to grab a 9mm rifle from a gun rack that was near her and shot the alleged attacker -- hitting him in the left leg. She then fled to search for help.

Labels: AR, assault, rape

A Pine Bluff man arrested after a fatal shooting Sunday night was freed Monday pending further investigation.

Jerry Wilson, 37, of the 6300-block of Mulberry Street, had been held on probable cause of first-degree murder in connection with the death of James Castillo at a house in the 1300-block of Stowe Road.

"The state notified the court that the investigation is continuing and we're not ready to make a recommendation on charges at this time," Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple said.

The death of Castillo is being investigated as Jefferson County's fifth homicide of 2005 and the first outside the Pine Bluff city limits this year.

Castillo, 42, of the 6300-block of Shannon Road, was pronounced dead at 10:12 p.m. by Deputy Coroner John Lawson of apparent multiple gunshot wounds. The body was sent to the state Crime Laboratory at Little Rock for an autopsy.

Sheriff's deputies were sent to the house, off U.S. 270 near German Springs Road, at approximately 8:59 p.m. after Wilson called 911 and said an intruder had broken into the house and attacked him and his girlfriend, Mary Castillo.

Wilson said he shot the intruder several times, and identified him as James Castillo, the woman's ex-husband, authorities said.

Investigator Thaddeus Handley said in a report James and Mary Castillo had been separated for more than a year. James Castillo had not lived at the house on Stowe Road during that period, Handley said.

"There appeared to be a degree of justification in the shooting and I instructed our investigators to get the information to the prosecutor immediately so he could make a determination," Chief Deputy Gerald Robinson said.

Labels: AR, assault, domestic dispute, home invasion

Victim shoots robbers in C'ville

Despite being shot, an 80 year-old Crawfordsville man was able to hold his own against two would-be robbers last night, leaving one man dead and another wounded.

According to Investigator Thomas Martin with the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department, Clarence Cochran operates a small store which is called The Neighborhood Store out of his home on Greene Street in Crawfordsville.

Martin said that Cochran was approached by two black male suspects last night around 8:30 p.m., and the situation quickly escalated from there.

"It appears that the two black male suspects entered the store with the intent of robbing it. One of the men shot at the homeowner, striking him in the abdomen," said Martin. "Mr. Cochran then retrieved his own weapon, a .38 caliber pistol, and shot at both suspects striking them both."

Cochran was airlifted from the scene to The Med. Deputies on the scene said that Cochran was alert and able to speak to them, but due to his age and the injury, he was airlifted out as a precautionary measure.

Martin said that of the two suspects who were shot by Cochran, one suspect was pronounced dead on the scene.

"We do not have an identification on the deceased suspect at this time, however, we do believe that we know who the man is. We are waiting on positive identification before we release his name," said Martin.

The second suspect, Antonio Bass, 21, left the scene. However, he was identified by witnesses and was later apprehended at Crittenden Memorial Hospital when he arrived for treatment of his gunshot wounds, according to Martin. He gave police an address of 2802 E. Jackson in West Memphis.

"Bass has been charged with aggravated robbery, and is currently being held at The Med in Memphis where he is receiving further treatment of his wounds," said Martin.

Labels: AR, business robbery, defender shot

Police Continue to Search for Suspects in Attempted Jewelry Robbery

Several suspects are still on the loose Tuesday night after police say they tried to rob two jewelry merchants in Little Rock Monday afternoon. Up to seven suspects were reportedly involved. Two are in custody, one was shot and killed, and three or four others are still on the loose.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jairo Andres Martinez and 25-year-old Raul Adolfo Camaro were arrested Monday afternoon on charges of aggravated robbery, theft, and manslaughter.

Police say the two men plus four or five others, tried to rob two jewelry merchants from Texas while at Cecil's Fine Jewelry in west Little Rock.
…

A shootout began and the two merchants, who were also armed, shot back at the suspects. One suspect was hit in the shootout, dropped off near a local hospital, and later died.

Gem salesmen fired all shots during botched Ark. robbery

Two jewelry salesmen who resisted a robbery attempt outside a west Little Rock jewelry store in March were apparently well-armed.

All five guns confiscated after the botched robbery on March 14 belonged to the two salesmen, according to testimony Thursday by Detective Linda Keel, and all 21 shell casings found at the scene had been ejected from those five guns, she said.

Keel testified at a bond hearing for two men arrested in the case. One man died at a hospital after the shootings, and two others remain at large.

Police had said at the time that the two salesmen -- brothers Charles and Roy Hirschberg, both of Dallas -- exchanged fire with the five robbers. But test results found no shell casings that had come from any gun other than the five belonging to the brothers.

Prosecutors say no charges will be filed against the salesmen because they acted within the law. The Hirschbergs were licensed to carry concealed weapons, authorities said.

Keel testified that the brothers said they believed someone was firing at them, so they returned fire.

She said the only weapon discovered in a getaway car was a knife used during the robbery.

Andre G. Felipe, 26, died after the shootings. Police said he was one of a group of five men who accosted the salesmen in a parking lot outside a jewelry store where the salesmen had just shown their goods. The men grabbed the bags containing the salesmen's merchandise, and the salesmen opened fire with guns they were carrying.

The robbers fled in a van and a car, but the car crashed nearby and two men were arrested. All of the stolen jewelry was recovered from the crashed car.

The two men arrested, Raul Camaro and Jairo Martinez, remain in the Pulaski County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond each.

Labels: AR, concealed carry permit, street robbery

A postal worker’s "eerie screams" and cries for help early Tuesday were answered by a Little Rock man who jumped out of bed, grabbed his gun and ended an assault by shooting the attacker, authorities said.

"He probably saved my life," Samuel Baggett said of Mark Brisco in a telephone interview from his home after his release from Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.

Baggett, 48, of Sherwood was robbed about 3 a.m. at the postal branch at 1700 Main St., where he worked repairing mail-sorting machines.

Police said the attacker, identified as Bobby Don Releford of Little Rock, was in a hospital Tuesday night with a single gunshot wound in his stomach. Police were searching for an accomplice in the case.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Store Clerk Fires Gun At Robber

An armed man was making his getaway after robbing a Fort Smith convenience store Wednesday night when a store clerk drew a gun and began firing at the robber, police said.

The robbery occurred at Mr. Jiff, 5307 Towson Ave. Police said a man armed with a large-caliber handgun walked into the store shortly before 9 p.m., pointed the gun at the clerk on duty and demanded money.

The robber left the store with a cash register drawer containing an undetermined amount of money, Fort Smith police Capt. Donald Howard said. The man got into a vehicle described as a red sports coupe and was last seen driving east on Vicksburg Street.

As the robber was driving away, the clerk ran out of the store with a handgun and fired three shots at the vehicle, Howard said. Police found no signs that the vehicle or the robber were hit, but area hospitals were notified in case the man was injured and sought treatment, he said.

Labels: AR, business robbery

Two Men Charged in Death of Partner in Shootout

Police say two robbery suspects face capital murder charges for the death of another man who was working with them, even though neither actually shot him.

Reginald Scroggins, the man whose bullet killed Cortelyous Johnson, has not been charged because it appears he was acting in self-defense.

Sergeant Terry Hastings, spokesman for the Little Rock Police department, said prosecutors are reviewing whether to charge Scroggins or not.

The men charged with killing 28-year-old Cortelyous Johnson are 22-year-old Jarrett Johnson and 23-year-old Gregory Williams, 23. They're also charged with two counts of committing a terroristic act and four counts of aggravated robbery.

A police report says the three men were robbing people outside a Little Rock nightclub early Monday.

Labels: AR, street robbery

Robbery Suspect Dies In Early Morning Gun Battle

A man, believed to have committed his fourth robbery in the early morning hours on Monday, died from a fatal gunshot wound.

Police say an employee from the nightclub "The Palace" heard gunshots and raced outside to see what happened.

It was there, police say, he witnessed 29-year old Cortelyous Johnson and two other men in the middle of a robbery.

Police say the suspects fired first; the employee returned the fire, hitting Johnson. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

23-year old Gregory Williams and 22-year old Jarrett Johnson were both charged with four counts of aggravated robbery and one count of capital murder.

The club employee hasn`t been charged.

Labels: AR, street robbery

Prosecutor: Homeowner may be protected by defense law

The Washington County prosecutor says a homeowner who shot an intruder to death Thursday may be protected by Arkansas' home defense law.

Homeowner Randy Grizzle, 55, was not arrested or charged after he told police that he had shot an intruder who was trying to flee.

The intruder turned out to be former neighbor Carl Worden, who was already in his parked car trying to get away when Grizzle shot him once in the chest with his hunting rifle.

Prosecutor Terry Jones said any charges brought against Grizzle would test the state law that justifies deadly force when someone is protecting his or her home during a break-in.

"We'll have to look at this through the eyes of someone who lives in the country and is several minutes to an hour away from response by a police officer," Jones said.

Winslow is situated along Highway 71 between Fayetteville and Ft. Smith.

Jones said that the law could extend to justifying deadly force even when the intruder is outside the home.

Grizzle lives in a converted barn on a dirt road.

Labels: AR, intruder

Home invasion thwarted by armed citizen

Two quick-thinking Jacksonville residents turned the tables on an apparent home invasion suspect Tuesday, police say.

Initially, a strange man got the upper hand on a female resident, who lists her address as 615 Northeastern Ave. in Jacksonville. The woman told police that she had heard a knock at the backdoor of the residence and thought it was the man whose address was also listed as 615 Northeastern Ave., as well.

The woman said that she then went to the door and opened it only to have a male suspect, later identified as Thomas Perrow III force his way into the residence. The woman advised that Perrow refused to leave and told her to stay put as well. Perrow also allegedly told the woman that someone was trying to kill him.

While the male suspect went into another room, the woman grabbed up her keys and fled to her van. Up the road, she met up with the actual man she had thought had been knocking upon the backdoor.

After the woman told him what had transpired at the residence, this man took a gun out of his truck and tried to gain entry through a side door of the residence. The man told police, however, he had to break the door to gain access because it had been locked with a chain.

The man advised that upon entering the residence, he observed a white male standing in the kitchen. The man told police that he then grabbed the white male by the shirt and pointed his gun at him while asking him, “‘Why he was at his house?’”

Perrow allegedly replied that he had been running from “some black males.”
No arrest report was accessible in connection with this case. However, Jacksonville Police Department officials indicated that Perrow now faces a burglary charge stemming from this incident.

Labels: AR, home invasion

Gunbattle Erupts At Lavaca Home

A shootout at a residence Sunday night left one person dead and one injured, police said.

The incident occurred at a residence in the 1800 block of Holt Street sometime between 9 and 9:30 p.m., authorities said. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found a man dead and a woman injured, Lavaca Police Chief Randy Dean said.

Dean did not immediately release the names of any of the people involved.

The injured woman had at least one gunshot wound to the shoulder, Dean said. She was taken by ambulance to a Fort Smith hospital.

Witnesses told police an armed man forced entry through the back of the house, which was occupied by four people, and an exchange of gunfire followed, Dean said. The man who was killed was identified as the man who broke into the residence.

A semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a handgun were found in the house. Spent rounds from all three weapons were found, indicating that all three weapons were fired in the gunbattle, Dean said.

Labels: AR, assault, home invasion

Pastor Ends Rampage by Gunning Down Suspect

(Reuters) - A 64-year-old minister shot a man dead on church grounds after the assailant attacked him and his son-in-law with a poker amid a string of assaults in an apparent drug-induced frenzy, police said on Wednesday.

The attacks on the minister and the five other people began on Tuesday when Corey Adams, 30, was denied the use of a telephone in the office of a low-income housing project.

In quick succession, Adams is suspected of striking and robbing an acquaintance standing nearby. He then attacked the apartment manager, an exterminator and an insurance agent, Henry Vance, 54, who was critically injured and still hospitalized, police said.

The Rev. Arthur Ford, one of six people attacked, got a handgun from his living quarters at the inner-city church where he is pastor and fatally shot Adams, police said.

Adams entered Ford's residence at The House of Prayer of the Apostolic Faith, took a poker from the fireplace and began beating the minister, and then the clergyman's son-in-law. Ford escaped the melee long enough to find the handgun and fired several shots at Adams, who collapsed outside the church and later died in hospital.

A police spokesman said that it appeared to him that Ford's use of deadly force was justified, although a final decision would be made by the local prosecuting attorney.

Labels: AR, assault, home invasion