10/9/09
Adams County, Colorado
From the First Coast News of October 7, 2009
Homeowner Opens Fire on Burglar
Police are trying to find a man that has broken in twice to the same house, where the homeowner chased and shot at him.
On Oct. 2, the man tried breaking into Guy Sitzman's home the second time and was caught him on tape.
Sitzman was watching security tapes from the previous hour in his computer room, when toward the end of the tape the system went back to "live" mode, and Sitzman noticed a man walking around the side of his house.
That's when he saw the man leaving through his back door carrying a rifle and a pistol.
Despite his initial fear, Sitzman said he grabbed another gun and ran after him. "I ran out back and fired two shots off at him."
The man dropped the items he stole from Sitzman's house and took off.
During the first break-in, Sitzman and his wife were in bed and the man tried breaking in through Sitzman's side window with a large hunting knife.
He was stole a computer, $200 and an iPod.
Detectives with the Adams County Sheriff Department are investigating the break-ins. They're asking people not to take matter into their own hands and instead to call 911
Labels: CO, residence burglary
7/29/09
Boulder County, Colorado
From the July 27, 2009 Boulder Daily Camera:
BOULDER, Colo. — It took three rounds from a shotgun, five bullets from a handgun and two shots from a rifle to kill the 120-pound black bear that broke into a Boulder County home early Monday morning.
The bear break-in was the fifth time in a week hungry bears have gotten into Boulder County residences, all while the residents were home. That has wildlife officials urging area residents to take precautions and bear proof their homes.
Brenda Fischer's barking dog woke her at about 2 a.m. Monday morning. When she went upstairs to investigate, she found a bear in the kitchen of her home on Poorman Road, between Sunshine and Fourmile canyons.
Fischer quickly returned downstairs to wake her two children and her husband.
"As soon as I knew there was a bear inside the house, I went to gather up both our weapon and our ammunition, because they are in two different places, and went to place myself with the weapon between the family and the bear," said Paul Fischer, Brenda's husband.
"As soon as I moved to try and make a place for him to get out, he charged me," Fischer continued. "That's when I shot him and he kept charging me. I shot him a second time, and he kept charging me. I shot him a third time and he was finally disoriented enough for me to get away."
The first two rounds from the 12-gauge shotgun were birdshot and the third was rubber bullets, according to a report by the sheriff's office. The Fischers escaped through a bedroom window, leaving the wounded bear inside the house.
When officers arrived on the scene at about 2:30 a.m., they found a bloody bear trying to claw his way through a screen door.
Sheriff's Sgt. Lance Enholm, after determining that the bear was severely injured and would need to be put down, fired his .45-caliber handgun five more times at the animal.
7/9/09
Aurora, Colorado
From the Denver Post of July 7, 2009
Aurora store owner shoots, kills robbery suspect
The owner of a check-cashing and cigarette store shot and killed an armed robber in his store early Monday afternoon, according to eyewitnesses and a vague police account.
Aurora police said they received a 911 call shortly after 1 p.m. about a gunman who attempted to rob the check-cashing store on the northwest corner of Clinton Street and East Colfax Avenue.
After investigating, police said a "possible suspect" had been shot by a person in the store.
The wounded person was driven by an unknown person to a Denver-area hospital where he died of a single gunshot wound, police said, refusing to identify the victim or the hospital where he was treated.
Police Lt. Bob Friel said detectives were hesitant to release any details until they were sure of their investigation.
However, Ryan Moench, 17, a mechanic at Muffler Pros, which his family has owned for 15 years directly across Colfax from the check-cashing store, said he heard a single gunshot, then saw two men dressed in blue running from the store, out of his view.
"I heard a shot and saw two guys running out of the store and around to the back," Moench said. He couldn't recall if one was bleeding and could give no other description.
"I could see the owner of the store in the door on the telephone. Five minutes later, the police arrived," he said.
The owner of the check-cashing business is a 56-year-old man named Tom, who has owned the business for 22 years, according to his landlord, Jim Rellos. Rellos said he couldn't remember his tenant's last name and couldn't find the lease.
"He's a good man," Rellos said. "I never have trouble with him. He runs a good business. His kid went to Machebeuf High School with one of my kids."
Friel said Tom was taken to police headquarters for questioning after the shooting.
Police also interviewed passers-by, residents and people working in the downtown Aurora neighborhood, just a few blocks west of the historic Aurora Fox Theatre.
Labels: business robbery, CO
6/18/09
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From KOAA of June 13, 2009
Bear shot to death after breaking into home
A man shot a bear to death after it broke into his home in Colorado Springs.
The bear broke in through the back door of a home on Columbia court around 8 p.m. Friday night.
Colorado Springs police say the homeowner loaded his gun, after a roommate yelled that the bear had broken in. The bear roared at the homeowner several times, and went to a part of the house where it couldn't get out.
The man shot the bear 4 times, and it died. Division of Wildlife investigated, and say the homeowner was justified in the shooting.
4/18/09
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From KKTV of April 18, 2009
Homeowner Fends off Alleged Armed Burglar With Gun Shot
A suspected burglar is under arrest Saturday morning after police say the homeowner took security into their own hands.
Colorado Springs police say they were called to 3295 West Woodmen Road on a report that a person armed with a knife had just broken into the caller's home. The caller told police they had used their gun to fire a shot at the armed suspect and the suspect had run away.
Police and K-9 units found the suspect in the woods with non-life threatening wound to his lower leg. He was transported to Memorial Hospital and arrested after he was released.
The suspect, Ricky Hatcher, was booked into the Criminal Justice Center for Felony Menacing.
Police say the homeowner and Hatcher may have known each other. Police say the homeowner is not facing charges pending further review by the District Attorneys office.
Labels: CO, home invasion
4/11/09
Aurora, Colorado
From the April 11, 2009 Denver Post:
A man armed with a box cutter pushed his way into an Aurora home early Friday morning and attacked a male guest who was sleeping on the couch before the intruder was shot to death by the man who lived there, police said.
The alleged attacker, who has not been identified, knocked on the back door of a single-family house at 1672 Jamaica St. around 3 a.m. The man who lived in the house went to the door but was pushed aside by the intruder, police said.
After a brief scuffle, the intruder went into the living room where Frank J. Sanchez, 18, was sleeping. The intruder began attacking Sanchez, who woke up and started fighting back, Detective Shannon Lucy said.
Meanwhile, the resident went into his bedroom, pulled out a pistol and shot the intruder dead, according to police.
"We don't consider this a random burglary or robbery," Lucy said Friday afternoon. She didn't identify the resident of the house, who is not considered a suspect in a crime and was not taken into custody, she said.
Sanchez, wanted on an outstanding burglary warrant in Kansas City, Kan., was arrested.
Labels: CO, home invasion
2/27/09
Woodland Park, Colorado
From KRDO of February 26, 2009
Pellet Gun Scares Would-Be Robber, Suspect at Large
A suspect armed with a revolver ran away after a Woodland Park store clerk pulled out a pellet gun and told him to leave Thursday. He is considered armed and dangerous by police.
The robbery happened at the 99 Auto Detail on 219 South West Street in Woodland Park just before noon. Police say the suspect walked into the business showed a small revolver and demanded all the money. The owner Glenn Kothe went to the area where the money is kept and picked up a pellet gun pointed it at the suspect and told him to leave. The suspect ran from the business. Nothing was taken, no one was hurt.
The suspect is described by police as a white male, early 20's, approximately 6 foot, 175 pounds, short brown hair, GI haircut. The suspect was last seen wearing blue jeans and a long sleeve crew neck shirt which was darker than the jeans.
The students in Woodland Park Schools were not released for lunch off campus due to the active search for the suspect. The Woodland Park Police Department and the Teller County Sheriffs conducted systematic patrols of all of Woodland Park and the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspect.
Point of contact is Detective Sergeant Tom Kinney at the Woodland Park Police Department, 719 687-9262.
Labels: business robbery, CO
1/29/09
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From Fox News of January 28, 2009
Headline
A Colorado Springs resident will not be charged for fatally shooting an intruder who tried to break into a home that he apparently thought was his, prosecutors said Tuesday.
James Parsons is protected under Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows people to use deadly force in self-defense in their home against intruders, according a statement from the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Parsons shot 22-year-old Sean Kennedy, an assistant golf pro at a Colorado Springs golf course, on Dec. 28. Kennedy had been drinking that night and apparently thought he was breaking into his own house, which was a block away.
Police handed over the case to the district attorney's office, which determined Parsons had "reasonable belief" that he and his girlfriend were in danger.
Prosecutors said Kennedy broke a window in the back door and was reaching inside to unlock it. Two dogs inside barked persistently as the couple shouted for him to leave. The ordeal lasted more than four minutes.
"A reasonable person in those circumstances would have believed that [Kennedy] was going to do a crime against them or property," said newly elected District Attorney Dan May, who oversaw the review of the shooting.
Kennedy had been drinking at a Colorado Springs golf course, and his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit for driving in Colorado when he pulled up to the Parsons' house in his pickup truck, The Gazette newspaper reported.
Friends and family members believe Kennedy thought he had arrived at his own home, which he shared with roommates.
He got out of his pickup and began shouting and beating on Parsons' door.
"[Kennedy] continued to beat and pound on the door, during which time the resident told his girlfriend to call 911, and he went into the bedroom to get his gun, a revolver," the DA's office said.
Kennedy went to the back of the house, forced open a screen door, smashed a window and was reaching to unlock the deadbolt, investigators said. Parsons then shot at him three times.
Two bullets went through Kennedy's arm and into his torso, May said.
Labels: accident, CO, intoxication
9/15/08
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From the September 14, 2008 Denver Post:
A man who came to the home of two women whom he had threatened to decapitate with a knife received a blow to the head that could cost him an eye, according to Colorado Springs police.
Russell Bowman, who claims to be an atheist, threatened the women because they are Christian on Sept. 8. On Friday, he arrived at their apartment and stood in a hallway, according to a police report.
"Another resident of the apartment retrieved a shotgun and approached Bowman, who was by then walking away. The resident ordered Bowman to put the knife down," according to the report.
Bowman refused and approached the resident, who hit him with the butt of the shotgun, injuring his eye.
"Bowman was treated at Memorial Hospital where it was determined the injury to the eye was so severe, the eye would need to be surgically removed."
Police will likely pursue charges of felony menacing against Bowman. Police couldn't be reached for comment Sunday.
Labels: altercation, CO
8/7/08
New Castle, Colorado
From the Rocky Mountain News of August 7, 2008
Man walking with wife shoots mountain lion near New Castle
A man shot and killed a mountain lion north of New Castle Tuesday night after the animal came too close to him and his wife, according to the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Randy Hampton, a spokesman for the DOW, said the agency received a call about the shooting a little after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The man and his wife were out for a walk in the area when the mountain lion came out of the brush and was in a "crouch position," Hampton said. The couple's names were not immediately available late Wednesday.
"(The mountain lion) began to approach them," he said. "The husband was carrying a firearm, and he shot and killed the lion as it got really close."
The animal was about 6 feet away from the couple when the man shot it, Hampton said. He added that the couple tried to scare the mountain lion away by screaming at it, but that the animal continued to approach.
The man said he had no other choice but to shoot the animal, Hampton said.
"He handled the interaction properly," he said. "They were certainly scared from the incident."
Neither the man nor his wife were injured, and no charges are expected to be filed, Hampton said.
5/6/08
Aurora, Colorado
From the Denver Post of May 6, 2008
Would-be robber shot in Aurora
A man shot by a security guard while allegedly attempting to rob a Check into Cash store in Aurora this morning was in grave condition, according to Aurora Detective Bob Friel.
As of 3 p.m., the suspect was still alive and being treated by doctors at a local hospital, the spokesman said.
Friel said Aurora police dispatchers received an alarm from the Check Into Cash shortly after 10 a.m., and officers — who were nearby — arrived at the store within a minute.
Friel said the security guard told officers he had spotted the man in the store holding a handgun and believed there was a robbery in progress.
Friel said the suspect was shot at least once in the body by the security guard.
"We are not sure if the security guard was employed by the business or the shopping center," said Friel. "The security guard has been cooperative" and is currently being interviewed by police at police headquarters.
At the time of the incident, there was a clerk in the store. She was not injured, said the police spokesman.
The store is at 15270 E. Sixth Ave., which is at the intersection of East Sixth Avenue and Chambers Road.
Detectives were at the scene investigating the shooting. Check Into Cash outlets offer "payday advance services."
Labels: business robbery, CO, private security
4/21/08
Douglas County, Colorado
From the Denver Post of April 22, 2008
Home intruder shot in Douglas County
Investigators are questioning a Douglas County homeowner about a shooting death at his home.
Sheriff's deputies on Sunday responded to a call about an intruder at 11961 S. Highway 83 and a report that the homeowner had shot the intruder, according to a press release from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies found the body of a man inside the home and are interviewing the homeowner in an attempt to find out what happened, the sheriff's office said.
The Douglas County Coroner's Office and investigators are trying to determine the identity of the dead man.
The incident remains under investigation.
The sheriff's office did not release the name of the homeowner.
Labels: CO, home invasion
1/22/08
Fountain, Colorado
From the Denver Channel of January 22, 2008
Teen Says He Didn't Hesitate To Shoot Armed Robbers
A Fountain teenager who woke up to the sounds of robbers in his home said that he didn't hesitate to shoot the men before they took off with his flat screen television.
Fountain police spokesman Sgt. Jess Freeman said the suspects are currently hospitalized for treatment of gunshot wounds.
Their names have not been released.
Cody Buckler, 19, said he was asleep at about 11 p.m. Sunday when he heard unfamiliar voices in the living room.
He told authorities he overheard someone tell a child in the house that they were a police officer, so Buckler crept down the hall and saw two men who were wearing masks, hats and gloves.
Buckler then went back to his bedroom, grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and shot one of the men as the man carried out Buckler's flat-screen TV. He then shot the second man as the man came up the stairs toward him.
Both men escaped but were apprehended at a nearby hospital by police. They both had semiautomatic handguns, according to police.
Buckler's girlfriend, her young daughter and two other children live in the home.
Police said they don't plan to file charges against Buckler at this point because the shooting appears to be covered by Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows a homeowner to use deadly force if they believe lives are in danger.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
12/10/07
Denver, Colorado
From December 10, 2007 ABC news channel 7:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Jeanne Assam appeared before the news media for the first time Monday and said she "did not think for a minute to run away" when a gunman entered the New Life Church in Colorado Springs and started shooting.There was applause as Assam spoke to a small crowd saying, "God guided me and protected me."
New Life's Senior Pastor Brady Boyd called Assam "a real hero" because the gunman, Matthew Murray, "had enough ammunition on him to cause a lot of damage."When asked by a reporter if she felt like a hero, Assam said, "I wasn't just going to wait for him to do further damage.""I give credit to God," she said.
Assam described how Murray, entered the east entrance of the church firing his rifle.Click to read more about the shootings in Colorado Springs and Arvada.
"There was chaos," Assam said. "I will never forget the gunshots. They were so loud."
"I saw him coming through the doors" and took cover, Assam said. "I came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down."
"God was with me," Assam said. "I didn't think for a minute to run away."
Assam said she believes God gave her the strength to confront Murray, keeping her calm and focused even though he appeared to be twice her size and was more heavily armed.
Murray was carrying two handguns, an assault rifle and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, said Sgt. Jeff Johnson of the Colorado Springs Police Department."It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," she said.
Assam worked as a police officer in downtown Minneapolis during the 1990s and is licensed to carry a weapon. She attends one of the morning services and then volunteers as a guard during another service.
Boyd said Assam was the one who suggested the church beef up its security Sunday following the Arvada shooting, which it did. The pastor credited the security plan and the extra security for preventing further bloodshed.
Boyd said there are 15 to 20 security people at the church. All are volunteers but the only ones armed are those who are licensed to carry weapons.
Labels: CO, concealed carry permit, female, private security
11/28/07
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From November 28, 2007 KKTV:
A robbery suspect was shot and killed after trying to rob a liquor store, Spring Police said. It happened just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening at a strip mall off of Jet Wing and Fountain.
The robbery suspect was taken to Memorial Hospital, but he was pronounced dead just minutes later. While the investigation is still on-going, Springs Police said the owner of the liquor store, in his 70’s, shot the suspect in the chest.
This is the 3rd robbery to happen in the Springs in the past 24 hours. In fact, robberies are on the rise in November.
"During the course of this year, we average 25-30 robberies a month, but now, that's how much we've had in the past 2 weeks," said Detective Don Chagnon with Springs Police. In November there have been close to having 60 robberies. Detective Chagnon said he doesn’t know why robberies are increasing.
Labels: business robbery, CO
10/10/07
Broomfield, Colorado
From TheDenverChannel.com of October 10, 2007
Police: Broomfield Intruder Shot After Door Kicked In
Police are investigating an early-morning shooting involving a man armed with a pool cue and a renter trying to get some sleep.
According to police, the renter was sleeping at about 2:30 a.m. when the female owner of the house showed up with a friend and didn't have her keys. She woke the renter to be let in.
Police said the renter asked the woman's friend to leave around 4 a.m. because they were being loud and he was trying to sleep. The man left, but returned a few minutes later, and police said he was carrying a pool cue.
The renter told police the man with the pool cue kicked in the door and threatened him with the pool cue. That's when the renter shot the man. He was rushed to a local hospital for surgery after suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said.
No names have been released and the investigation is continuing.
10/9/07
Boulder County, Colorado
From the Boulder Daily Camera of October 8, 2007
Questions in cougar shootingFrom the TheDenverChannel.com of October 11, 2007
Jeremy Kocar killed mountain lion that attacked a puppy chained on the property
Only stars and the glimmer from a 140-pound mountain lion's fierce gaze provided light in the midnight darkness of Boulder County's foothills for Jeremy Kocar to cock and aim his rifle.
Still, Kocar said his eyes adjusted "quick enough" when the cougar looked up from the puppy in its clutches.
"I took the shot, and that was the end of it," said Kocar, 31, who now finds himself facing possible criminal charges for shooting the adult male lion.
It's been three days since Kocar said he saved his family's Rottweiler-Labrador mix, Duke — and possibly his own life — by shooting the lion that attacked the 8-month-old puppy. But, Kocar said, it will be much longer before he's able to get over the moment he stared down the cat as it crouched in a "pouncing" position.
"That's one thing you don't ever want," Kocar said Monday while standing outside the trailer that he, his wife and their two children are living in near Nederland. "You don't want to come face-to-face with a lion."
Jeremy Kocar, a Wisconsin man temporarily living near Nederland, sits with 8-month-old Duke, who was mauled by a mountain lion near Kocar's trailer early Friday. Kocar shot and killed the cougar, and now may face criminal charges.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife confiscated the cougar that Kocar killed at approximately 1:30 a.m. Friday in a clearing east of Gross Reservoir. Wildlife officers are reviewing the shooting, and DOW spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said her agency is "investigating what will happen to the person who shot the lion."
"We do have laws that allow people to protect their safety and their livestock," Churchill said. "But this is the tricky gray area of it being a dog."According to Colorado law, it's legal "to trap, kill or otherwise dispose of bears, mountain lions or dogs in situations when it is necessary to prevent them from inflicting death or injury to livestock or human life."
That's exactly what Kocar said he was doing when the lion tucked Duke under his belly, as if "it was protecting its kill," and turned its attention to Kocar.
"I'm from Wisconsin — and we take care of things there," Kocar said.
(Much More)
Dog Owner Won't Be Charged For Shooting Mountain Lion
A Wisconsin man who shot and killed a mountain lion that was attacking his dog will not be charged, the Division of Wildlife announced Thursday.
Officials determined that Jeremy Kocar was acting in self-defense when he shot the mountain lion just outside his temporary home, near Gross Reservoir, earlier this week.
Kocar could have been charged with an illegal take, and could have faced a fine of $1,400. State law allows people to shoot a mountain lion if their personal safety or livestock are threatened -- but officials said they didn't know if that would extend to dogs.
Kocar and his wife, Angela, said that they heard a growl in the middle of the night and went outside to check out what happened and came face to face with the mountain lion.
"It was standing right there under the tree branch with my dog in its mouth," said Angela Kocar.
Jeremy tried to scare the mountain lion away but it didn't budge so he ran inside, grabbed his rifle and that's when the mountain lion approached him, he said.
Wildlife advocates were upset that Kocar shot the mountain lion.
The DOW said that pet owners who are going to live in lion country need to be a responsible and put their pets away, or inside at night.
Jeremy and his wife said they will never leave their dogs outside alone again.
10/5/07
Marble, Colorado
From the Aspen Daily News of October 5, 2007
Marble man shoots mother bear and cub
A man shot and killed a mother black bear and then one of her cubs as each one separately tried to break into his Marble-area cabin over the course of last weekend, according to state wildlife officials.
“The sow was tearing apart the floor of the (elevated) cabin and coming in from underneath” while the man, an employee of OutWest Guides, was home early Saturday morning, according to Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton. Hampton said no obvious food or garbage attractants were around the cabin to entice the bear.
The DOW managed to catch two of the dead sow’s three cubs and take them to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Silt, Hampton said, but the biggest cub remained at large and returned to the man’s cabin late Sunday night, where it allegedly tried to break in.
“The individual was afraid and shot the cub,” Hampton said.
The cub weighed about 50 or 60 pounds and was strong enough to break into the house despite its small size, Hampton said. “Think of it this way: Imagine if you had a 60-pound dog coming in the window growling.”
It’s illegal to shoot black bears out of season or without a hunting license, but a state statute allows people to shoot bears in self defense.
“We have determined that the individual in their house feared for their safety,” Hampton said. “They were within their legal rights to protect themselves. If additional facts come to light, that could change things. But for the present time, our investigation is done,”
Because the DOW did not issue the man a citation, his name will not be released.
It is possible that the DOW would have had to kill the mother bear anyway because of her unusually aggressive behavior, Hampton said. Bears that break through walls, floors or locked doors or windows must be put down under state law.
(More)
9/13/07
Denver, Colorado
From the Denver Post of September 11, 2007
Man shoots self when aiming for robbers
A 64-year-old Denver businessman accidentally shot himself in the chest Sunday night as he chased a pair of robbers from his dry cleaning business.
Rick Bugdanowitz went to his business, La Nouvelle Fine Cleaners, 4025 E. Dickenson Place, Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. to check a security alarm, said Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Bugdanowitz found two robbers inside and they threatened him, Jackson said. The business owner grabbed a handgun he keeps in the store, Jackson said, and fired two shots at the robbers.
The pair fled and as Bugdanowitz chased them out the front door he tripped, Jackson said. The gun he was holding fired and hit Bugdanowitz in the chest.
His injury was not life-threatening, Jackson said.
Bugdanowitz is married to Sheila Bugdanowitz, president of the Rose Community Foundation, a civic and philanthropic organization formed in 1995 to enhance the quality of life in greater Denver.
Details on Bugdanowitz's injuries were not available Tuesday. An employee at his store referred questions to a manager who was unavailable for comment.
Labels: business robbery, CO, defender shot
7/31/07
Arapahoe County, Colorado
From Denver‘s 9News.com of July 31, 2007
Security guard shoots pit bull during attack
Owners of a pit bull face vicious dog charges after their dog attacked a security guard near Leetsdale Drive and East Mississippi Avenue in unincorporated Arapahoe County Monday night.
The security guard for Veterans Security Services was driving on South Alton Street just south of Mississippi when he heard a loud noise.
The guard told Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputies a loose pit bull attacked him when he got out of his vehicle.
Witnesses told deputies the guard tried fighting the dog off but when it did not stop, the guard pulled out his gun and fired a single shot. The dog was hit in the right shoulder.
The dog scampered off and laid down in a yard about a block away. An Arapahoe County Animal Control officer took the dog to a nearby animal hospital.
The pit bull is now in the care of its owner's veterinarian.
Dr. Chaney Lupe, a veterinarian with Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton, told 9NEWS on Tuesday afternoon that the dog's owners are "weighing their options" on how to treat the pit bull.
The owner returned to the neighborhood Tuesday afternoon and told witnesses the dog was 8-months-old and may lose its leg.
Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputies investigated the incident and determined the guard was defending himself. Sheriff Grayson Robinson told 9NEWS the owners may be charged with owning a vicious dog and having a dog on the loose.
The sheriff's department has not yet released the name of the dog's owner.
It is legal to own a pit bull in Arapahoe County and there is no leash law per say [sic]. However, according to county ordinance, dogs do need to be "under control" of the owner at all times. The ordinance describes "under control" to be either on a leash or under verbal control of the owner.
7/24/07
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From Colorado Springs’ KKTV.com of July 24, 2007
Business Owner Holds Alleged Crook At Gunpoint
A business owner takes the law into his own hands and holds a suspected crook at gunpoint until police arrive. The suspect was allegedly breaking into cars at a business complex on North Cascade.
Just after midnight, something strange was going on outside the businesses. "He had taken a transformer off of Roger's truck and was beating on a car window. That was thumping noise I heard," Kristi Lyons told 11 News.
Her husband, Mike, grabbed his gun and ran outside. They knew there was an intruder when they saw the plastic window on their car sliced open.
Kristi said the suspect was caught red-handed, hiding behind and underneath cars in the parking lot.
"Mike had him at gunpoint. He said, ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ I called police." She was on the phone for about 5 minutes while she watched Mike go after the suspect.
"Mike had the kid at gunpoint. He started advancing toward Mike with a knife and Mike fired off a shot to let him know that he wasn’t kidding."
Police arrested 24-year-old Richard Richardson.
"I wish he would've shot the guy," said Lisa Yunker who owns the business next door. She said the row of businesses has been broken into several times. “Everyone is sick of it, this whole complex. We don't know why we're targeted."
For now, everyone who works there thinks of Kristi's husband as a hero. Kristi told 11 News she’d do it all over again if another intruder came onto her property, but “With a bigger gun."
Richard Richardon is behind bars charged with criminal mischief, trespassing and assault. Police said they had been looking for him earlier in the night for allegedly attacking a kid with a baseball bat.
Labels: assault, CO, trespassing
6/20/07
Holly, Colorado
From Syracuse’s (NY) WSTM.com of June 20, 2007
Rabid coyote attacks woman
An 87-year-old Colorado woman is recovering from wounds she suffered when she was attacked by a rabid coyote.
The attack happened last Friday, June 15 at a farm south of the town of Holly in southeastern Colorado.
Elsie Rushton, 87, was sitting out on her deck, enjoying the sunshine, when the coyote attacked. She says she first thought it was just a small dog running through her yard.
Rushton and her husband say they have lived in the house since 1948. They say they often see coyotes, but they rarely come onto their property.
This time, a coyote attacked Rushton, biting her on her legs and on her right arm.
"It came back through the yard here. The coyote come up through the stairs on the deck and jumped on my wife," said Rushton's 89-year-old husband, Hugh.
"It was terrible you know. Somebody grab a hold of your hand like that, something like a creature grabs a hold of your hand and tears it to pieces," said Rushton.
Hugh Rushton shot and killed the coyote and it later tested positive for rabies.
Rushton received seven stitches for her injuries. She has already had eight rounds of antibiotics, but doctors say she still needs more.
The coyote's brain tissue has been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further testing to determine what kind of rabies it had.
State health officials say it most likely got the disease from a bat.
However, if it had the skunk strain of rabies, it is a bigger concern because skunks are more likely to spread the disease to other animals.
The most common carriers of rabies in Colorado are bats, but any wild animal can be infected and can transmit the disease through a bite.
It's the first such attack in that area of Colorado in 30 years.
Ouray County, Colorado
From the Telluride Watch of June 19, 2007
Man Shoots Black Bear
A property owner shot a black bear with birdshot early last week, according to Division of Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewandowski.
The incident took place on Tuesday, June 12, about three miles north of Ouray. The property owner noticed the bear was “getting into garbage.” He first shot the bear with rubber buckshot, but when “the bear hung around,” he followed with a shot of birdshot, according to Lewandowski, after which the bear ran off.
Lewandowski said authorities were called and four DOW officers arrived to investigate the incident. Though the bear was not found, officials believe it is uninjured.
“It’s unlikely the birdshot hurt the bear,” Lewandowski said. “It was probably a non-fatal shot.”
Lewandowski reminds citizens that, “if they have a problem they shouldn’t try and get rid of a bear themselves…they need to get in touch with the DOW.”
6/8/07
Lamar, Colorado
From the Pueblo Chieftain of June 8, 2007
Home invasion suspect shot and killed
The Prowers County Sheriff's Department is investigating the death of a man who was shot by a homeowner during an alleged home invasion early Thursday.
At approximately 1:15 a.m. Thursday, authorities were notified of an alleged burglary west of town where Raul Munoz, 27, of Lamar had been shot.
Authorities would not release the name of the shooter nor the address where the shooting took place.
"I will not be releasing his name because there have been some threats made against him by some of the family members of the victim," said Sheriff Jim Faull.
Faull would only say that a young man shot Munoz in the shoulder and then in the head after he and two others allegedly invaded his home overnight.
Munoz died at the scene.
Faull said the incident may have been drug related.
The shooter may not be charged with a crime because of Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows residents to protect themselves from intruders.
"At this point it is leading to look more like the 'Make My Day' law, but we haven't completely ruled out filing charges (against the shooter). We still have some interviews to do yet," Faull said.
According to Faull, Munoz and two accomplices, Markos Enciso, 22, and Lupe Vargas, 35, both of Lamar, allegedly were trying to burglarize the home west of town.
Faull said both Enciso and Vargas are being held in Prowers County jail and face burglary charges.
The two suspects were apprehended by sheriff's deputies as they were leaving the scene.
Faull would not give any more details about the incident, stating that the shooting remains under investigation.
Labels: CO, home invasion, residence burglary
3/24/07
Aurora, Colorado
From the March 24, 2007 Denver Rocky Mountain News:
A carjacking victim may have turned the tables late Friday when he shot the suspect in the head as the man drove down the street.
Denver detectives and Aurora police were trying to sort out a violent sequence of events they said involved a carjacking, a possible kidnapping and a traffic collision in which the carjacking suspect slammed into another vehicle carrying five people. The ordeal began about 9 p.m. in the 9800 block of East Girard Avenue in Denver, Detective Virginia Quinones said.
She was only able to provide sketchy details but said the vehicle was carjacked with the owner inside. "The vehicle owner somehow has access to a gun and shot the person in the head," she said. The car owner then managed to get out of his vehicle while the wounded man continued driving. As he drove on South Havana Street, the man crashed into another car at East Kentucky Avenue. Five people riding in that vehicle suffered minor injuries. After the collision, the suspect fled on foot and was captured after a police dog found him in the back of a Budget Rental Car business in the 600 block of South Havana Street.
Labels: carjacking, CO
2/10/07
Denver, Colorado
From the Denver Daily News of February 9, 2007
Citizen catches robbery suspectAlthough his gun wasn’t “used”, having it surely gave him self-confidence to do what he did.
A bank robber was behind bars yesterday and all the stolen money was recovered thanks to the quick thinking and assistance of a good Samaritan.
Denver area resident John Adams was in the process of paying his mortgage at a Washington Mutual bank at 1705 Sheridan Blvd., at around 3 p.m., when he noticed a man walking away from the TCF Bank located directly next door at 1709 Sheridan Blvd, near Sloan’s Lake Park.
Adams’ antennas went up when he realized that the man walking away from the bank was holding a small grocery-like bag with red dye pouring out of it.
‘Funnier than crap’
“There was red smoke coming out of it, but he had no idea what was happening,” Adams told the Denver Daily News yesterday. “It was funnier than crap.”
Mr. Adams quickly told his broker that he may have spotted a bank robber, finished up his mortgage payment transaction, then called 9-1-1 from his cell phone. He was on the corner of 17th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Edgewater at the time, but the 9-1-1 call went to the Denver police dispatch.
Let police do their jobs
Denver police asked Adams for a description of the suspect and his location while Adams proceeded to jump in his car and carefully follow the man.
Adams has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but he said he felt no need to draw his weapon — he wanted to leave the police work up to the police.
“Why don’t you give us gun rights guys a plug?” Adams commented about his use of extreme caution and patience with a gun.
Persistance pays off
After losing the suspect for about three minutes, Adams caught up to the man again as the suspect entered an alley between Sheridan Boulevard and Zenobia Street near Colfax Avenue.
The suspect was in the process of taking off his sweatshirt that had been splattered with dye.
The man then moved out of the alley into a nearby motel parking lot when Adams noticed an Edgewater patrol car cruising up in the area. Adams flagged the officer down and in about 45 seconds, the Edgewater Police Department and the Denver Police Department together took the suspect into custody without incident.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Adams said. “I have a concealed carry permit like a million other guys, but I didn’t see any reason to pull my weapon out. I was not in any danger.”
Money recovered
All the dye-covered money was recovered from the suspect who is believed to have robbed the TCF Bank.
“A special thank you is directed to the very alert and concerned citizen, Mr. John Adams,” said Denver Police spokeswoman Det. Virginia Quiñones. “Without his involvement, it is not known whether or not this suspect would have been apprehended.”
Labels: business robbery, CO, concealed carry permit
11/1/06
Grand Junction, Colorado
From November 1, 2006 Denver channel 7:
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo -- A man allegedly found trying to break into a car got a lot more than he expected when his intended victim fought back.
Grand Junction police said 28-year-old Aaron Johnson pulled a knife on the man when confronted Tuesday afternoon, but the victim was armed with a gun and chased Johnson down the street.
...
No one was hurt, and police and sheriff's deputies caught the man within five minutes.
Johnson faces multiple charges including burglary, and possession of more than a gram of methamphetamine.
Labels: CO, street property theft
10/5/06
Fort Collins, Colorado
From the Fort Collins Coloradoan of October 5, 2006
Homeowner justified in shooting intruder, DA says
Man to face misdemeanor charge, though
A Fort Collins homeowner who shot a man on a stoop outside a side door was justified in doing so, the District Attorney's office decided Wednesday, but the homeowner still will face a misdemeanor charge related to the incident.
Steven Ray, 58, faces one count of prohibited use of a weapon stemming from the early-morning shooting that occurred Aug. 28 outside his home in the 300 block of High Pointe Drive, according to a news release issued by District Attorney Larry Abrahamson.
Ray said barking dogs woke him around 1:30 a.m. and he noticed someone in the backyard when he looked outside.
The power was out because of an unrelated outage, and when David Ebner refused to identify himself when asked by Ray, the statement said, Ray retrieved a .45 caliber handgun from his basement.
According to the statement, Ebner was reaching for a door handle when Ray returned, a struggle ensued and Ray fired three times. One shot struck Ebner's cell phone and another struck the back of the shoulder, according to the statement; that shot exited through Ebner's chest.
The third shot, Abrahamson said in the release, was an un-aimed shot fired several seconds later and Ray had no idea as to where the bullet was going. This shot, Abrahamson said in the statement, placed all those within range at risk and warranted the misdemeanor charge.
Ray's attorney, Patrick Renworth, said he and Ray were relieved more serious charges were not pressed, but Renworth added he disagrees with the misdemeanor charge.
Ray did not feel out of danger when Ebner was retreating, Renworth said, and was worried he could be circling around the house.
Stephen Cook, Ebner's attorney, said he and his client both thought the prosecution decision to not charge the felonies recommended by Fort Collins police a "shocking disbelief."
Abrahamson said the office did not feel it could prove that Ray's actions were unreasonable if charges had been filed relating to the first two shots.
Ebner will not face charges, according to the statement, because his blood alcohol levels were very high and justice would not be served by prosecuting him.
7/26/06
Grand Junction, Colorado
From the Grand Junction Sentinel of July 27, 2006
Man who shot burglar not facing any charges
A man who broke into a Grand Junction home and was shot by someone inside the home faces burglary, menacing and assault charges, while the man who shot him will not be charged.
Authorities said Michael Craig, 27, shot Michael Ball, 28, twice in the chest in self-defense on July 17.
Ball is suspected of second-degree burglary, a felony, and two misdemeanors, menacing and third-degree assault.
Ball allegedly broke into the home at 2995 Pinyon Ave. and began assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Myranda Clifton, 24, according to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department.
Craig told investigators he heard someone trying to break into the home, so he retrieved a handgun and told Clifton to call 911, according to the arrest affidavit.
Clifton was on the phone with dispatch when Craig confronted Ball with the gun when Ball entered the home, the affidavit said.
Ball ignored Craig and went into Clifton’s room, where he punched her in the head, according to the affidavit.
Craig followed Ball, telling him to stop, at which point Ball advanced on Craig, who shot Ball twice, according to the affidavit.
Clifton was on the phone with 911 throughout the event, and it was recorded, according to the affidavit.
Labels: assault, CO, home invasion
7/18/06
Aurora, Colorado
From July 18, 2006 channel 7:
AURORA, Colo. -- A homeowner shot and killed a man who he said tried to force his way into the home Tuesday morning.
It happened in the 1700 block Fulton at about 8:27 a.m.
"The intruder used a window that was partially opened with an air conditioning unit to gain entry into the home and climbed inside," said Detective Bob Friel. "At that point he was confronted by the homeowner and the intruder was shot one time with a shotgun."
According to Friel, the intruder pushed out the air conditioner to gain just before he was shot.
Police said the man was rushed to the hospital but died from his wounds. They also said the homeowner had been burglarized in the past.
3/27/06
Moffat County, Colorado
From the Craig Daily Press of March 27, 2006
Moffat County man shot to deathFrom the Craig Daily Press of April 5, 2006
A domestic dispute Sunday evening left a Moffat County man dead, shot in the chest by his ex-girlfriend's son in an incident police say was justifiable self-defense.
Craig Police say Mario Vigil, 60, of Moffat County, broke into a home in the 800 block of Washington Street armed with a .30-30-caliber rifle.
The homeowner, whose name has not been released, grabbed a shotgun, shot Vigil once in the chest, and hid in a bedroom with his 9-year-old son, according to a statement from police.
The gunshot wounded Vigil but did not stop him, according to police.
Vigil shot through the door of the room the homeowner was hiding in and tried to break down the door, according to police.
The homeowner grabbed another gun, a .30-06-caliber rifle, and shot Vigil through the door, striking him in the hip, according to police.
When police arrived, they found Vigil dead, lying on the floor outside the bedroom, according to the statement.
The homeowner and his son were still hiding in the bedroom, according to police.
Vigil had been involved in a domestic dispute earlier Sunday involving his ex-girlfriend at a home northwest of Craig, according to police.
In that incident, police said Vigil fired one shot at his ex-girlfriend and threatened to hurt her family, including her grandson.
Police said Monday that the investigation into the case is ongoing and will be referred to the district attorney's office.
The statement from police said the shooting appears to be have been justifiable self-defense.
D.A.: No charges filed in shooting
The Craig man who shot and killed an intruder at his home in Craig last week will not be charged with a crime, the district attorney announced Tuesday.
Mario Cruz Vigil, 60, was shot March 26 at a house in the 800 block of Washington Street after police say he broke into the home, armed with a gun. The homeowner, Josh Jackson, 33, shot Vigil twice, once in the chest with a shotgun and once in the thigh with a .30-06-caliber rifle. An autopsy showed Vigil died from the thigh wound.
District Attorney Bonnie Roe-sink said that after reviewing police reports, her office decided the incident was "a clear case of justifiable homicide."
In a statement released Tues-day, Roesink said no charges would be filed in the case.
"It's not only self-defense, it's under what we call the ‘make my day law,'" Roesink said, referring to the Colorado law that gives residents immunity if they kill intruders.
Roesink said that in her 19 years at the District Attorney's Office, she has never dealt with a case that was such a clear example of self-defense.
"This is a classic case of it," she said.
After the incident, Craig police said the case appeared to be justifiable self-defense.
Craig police Chief Walt Van-atta said Tuesday that Roesink's findings reflected what investigators saw.
(More)
Labels: CO, domestic dispute, home invasion
1/12/06
Greeley, Colorado
From the Grand Junction Sentinel of January 12, 2006
Weld DA says no charges against teen or homeowner who shot him
No charges will be filed against a teenager who was drunk when he walked into the wrong home in a rural subdivision after he was injured in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident, or against the homeowner who shot the intruder, the Weld County district attorney said Thursday.
District Attorney Ken Buck said the evidence could not prove that Nathan Weathers, 19, knowingly entered the wrong home or intended to commit a crime inside the home.
Weathers' blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.185 percent at the hospital, and he was disoriented from the motorcycle accident and believed he was entering his own home, Buck said.
He also said the homeowner, James Haflich, was reasonably concerned about his safety and that of his wife, Cheryl Haflich, when he heard Weathers banging on his doors and windows and shot Weathers with a handgun, hitting him in the arm.
The Haflich's home is one block away from Weathers' home, Buck said.
The 1985 Homeowners Protection Act, known as the "Make My Day" law, provides legal protection to homeowners or residents defending themselves against harm.
The possibility of a drunk-driving charge against Weathers was still under investigation, said Thea Mustari, Buck's spokeswoman.
Labels: CO, home invasion
1/4/06
Denver, Colorado
From the Denver Post of January 4, 2006
Police: Man shot after bar break-inFrom the Denver Post of January 5, 2006
A man was seriously wounded in a shooting at the Funky Buddha early Tuesday while the downtown bar was closed.
The man broke in to the bar at 776 Lincoln St., and one of four people who were inside at the time shot him about 4 a.m., police said.
It's unknown if it was an employee who shot the man and if there was a relationship between the shooter and the man who broke in, police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said.
The names of the people involved were not released.
No arrests were made, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.
The bar is owned by Regas Christou, who owns several nightclubs in Denver.
The wounded man was taken to Denver Health Medical Center.
Co-owner held in bar shootingFrom the Denver Post of August 1, 2006
The criminal charge comes in connection with a burglary at the Funky Buddha earlier this week.
The co-owner of the Funky Buddha bar is facing a criminal charge of first-degree aggravated assault in connection with the shooting of a burglar earlier this week.
Christakes Christou, 60, is being held at the Denver County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Denver police said he shot Dwayne Stepp, 44, about 3 a.m. Tuesday during a burglary inside the bar at 776 Lincoln St.
Stepp, who was shot in the abdomen, is expected to survive.
He's being treated at Denver Health Medical Center and is facing a burglary charge when he recovers.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson declined to say whether investigators believe Christou acted in self-defense, but emphasized the charge Christou faces indicates an aggravated assault.
Business owners do not fall under the protection of Colorado's "Make My Day" law that allows homeowners to defend themselves if they encounter an intruder, Jackson said.
Christakes Christou has a prior arrest record for a third-degree domestic violence assault in 1994 and a misdemeanor assault arrest in 1998.
Stepp appears to be a transient, according to court records, and has a lengthy criminal record that includes arrests for drinking in public, shoplifting, trespassing, assault, possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering.
Attempted-murder charge tossed in shooting of alleged bar burglarStill More:
After watching surveillance tapes from the Funky Buddha restaurant, a Denver judge orders the co-owner to stand trial for first-degree assault.
A Denver businessman who said he shot a burglar in self-defense inside his restaurant won a crucial victory Monday when a judge threw out an attempted-murder charge against him.
County Judge Aleene Ortiz-White said that Dwayne Stepp, 44, who broke into the Funky Buddha bar at 3:11 a.m. on Jan. 3, repeatedly advanced toward co-owner Christakes Christou.
The judge, who twice watched surveillance-camera tapes of the encounter, said Stepp and Christou were in close contact during the confrontation. Although armed with a pistol, Christou, 60, did not fire, she said.
Instead, Ortiz-White said, Christou pushed Stepp back twice. Only on the third occasion, when Stepp again was right in his face, did Christou shoot, wounding Stepp in the abdomen.
The judge, however, did order Christou to stand trial for first- degree assault, leaving it up to a jury to decide whether Christou intended to "cause serious bodily injury" to Stepp by shooting him.
Defense attorney Larry Pozner said that had the incident occurred in a home, Christou would have been able to shoot Stepp under Colorado's "make my day" law without any repercussions. But Pozner said the law doesn't apply to businessmen confronted in their businesses.
During the day-long preliminary hearing, Pozner also hammered Denver detectives and prosecutors, contending that they had failed to look into Stepp's lengthy criminal background. Pozner said that over the years, Stepp has been arrested more than 50 times in four states and used seven different names and three different Social Security numbers.
Among Stepp's most recent arrests, Pozner said, was at the Funky Buddha, where he was arrested Aug. 26, 2005, for walking in the back door, taking a bottle of bourbon from a liquor cabinet and then walking out.
(More)
From the Rocky Mountain News of August 1, 2006
Lounge-shooting tape disputedFrom the Denver Post of November 7, 2006
Funky Buddha owner Christakes Christou's fate could rest on what jurors can make out of the shadows.
Prosecutors contend a surveillance video seized by police shows the bar owner lying in wait for a man who had been breaking into his club then shooting the almost cowering intruder.
On Monday, however, after repeatedly viewing the tape, Denver County Judge Aleene Ortiz-White disagreed with that interpretation.
The judge found there was enough evidence to order Christou to stand trial on a charge of first-degree assault but told prosecutors they could not proceed on an attempted murder charge.
Christou, 60, is accused of shooting Dwayne Stepp, 44, a transient with a record of more than 50 arrests in the past 10 years, whom Christou told police had broken into his Funky Buddha Lounge on four previous occasions.
The surveillance video shows a man forcing his way into the front door of the bar at 776 Lincoln St. and being confronted by a man who emerges from a back room.
The rest of the video is in dispute.
(More)
Funky Buddha owner sentenced in shooting
The owner of a Denver bar who shot a burglar pleaded guilty Tuesday to tampering with evidence, and received a deferred prison sentence with no prison time.
Christakes Christou, 60, was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault after he shot Dwayne Stepp, who broke into Christou's Funky Buddha Lounge, 776 Lincoln St., at 3:11 a.m. Jan. 3.
A judge threw out the attempted first-degree murder charge earlier. Christou still faced the assault charge, which carries a sentence of 10 to 32 years on conviction.
But prosecutors agreed Tuesday to dismiss that charge in return for his plea to tampering with evidence, a class 6 felony. The tampering charge stemmed from an allegation that Christou picked up a gunshell casing at the shooting scene and put it in his pocket.
Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney's office, said prosecutors agreed to the plea bargain because "we didn't believe there was a reasonable likelihood of conviction had we gone ahead with the first-degree assault charge."
Denver District Judge Shelley Gilman gave Christou a deferred sentence. Christou will not, under the plea agreement, have to pay restitution to Stepp.
The deferred sentence means the case will be dismissed as though it never happened if Christou doesn't break the law in the next two years.
(More)
Labels: business burglary, CO
1/2/06
Boulder, Colorado
From Denver’s 9News.com of January 2, 2006
Attempted burglar hides in bushes after warning shot
Deputies arrested an attempted burglar who was scared off by a homeowner who fired a shot in the air on New Year's Day.
An elderly couple called police when the man tried to kick their door in at 4:15 a.m. on the 9100 block of Nelson Road.
After telling the suspect to go away several times, the man of the house fired a warning shot over the suspect's head. The homeowner told police he feared for his and his wife's safety.
When deputies arrived they found 22-year-old Michael Gadbois hiding in some bushes. He was arrested on charges of attempted burglary.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
12/28/05
Arapahoe County, Colorado
From the Rocky Mountain News of December 28, 2005
Homeowner fires gun, scares off intruder
Deputies arrested a suspected burglar early this morning after he fled from a homeowner who fired a gun.
Deputies received a report of burglary in the 16400 block of East Maplewood Drive at 4:32 a.m., said Capt. Brice Moomaw of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.
The male homeowner woke up, went downstairs and confronted a burglar. As he called 911, the suspect ran outside. The homeowner followed him, firing a gun into the ground, Moomaw said.
The suspect then ran about three blocks to a nearby field where deputies arrested him. There were no reported injuries.
The suspect's name has not been released.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
12/17/05
La Plata County, Colorado
From the Durango Herald of December 17, 2005
Man shot in struggle for shotgun
A La Plata County man was in serious condition Friday at Mercy Medical Center after being shot point-blank with a 12-gauge shotgun.
The 12:03 a.m. Friday shooting, La Plata County Sheriff's spokesman Dan Bender said, occurred four miles north of Bayfield in the 4000 block of County Road 501.
Bender explained the incident:
Andrew Williamson was at home, sleeping, when knocks on the door jerked him awake.
The 24-year-old reached for a shotgun for home defense. He then cracked open the front door, peeked outside, and spotted two shadowy figures - in a night too dark to identify.
So Williamson reached for a light switch. As he did, one man burst through the front door and grabbed for the gun.
A struggle ensued, with both men falling to the floor. That's when another man, Jesse Handley, 21, entered the house.
Watching a "tug-of-war" for the shotgun, Handley tried to break up the fight. While doing so, Bender said, the gun accidentally fired.
"There were several hands on the shotgun because they were struggling back-and-fourth with it," Bender said. "It hasn't been determined whose finger was on the trigger."
Bender identified the man shot as the intruder, Jason Egger, 31, of La Plata County.
Shot once in the right side, Egger was taken by ambulance to Mercy.
What prompted the late-night visit? That's a question investigators were still trying to resolve Friday. By day's end, Bender said, sheriff's investigators learned this:
Earlier, on Thursday evening, Williamson reported to police that an unknown man at the Billygoat Saloon in Gem Village was calling him, making harassing and threatening statements.
Egger had Williamson's phone number as a way to contact Williamson's estranged wife. But even though the estranged wife was not at the house that night, Egger headed there anyway.
He and Williamson apparently did not know each other before the struggle.
Investigators are waiting for Egger's condition to improve before interviewing him, Bender said.
No arrests have been made.
"It appears Williamson was in his own home and was assailed by a subject, and he was defending himself," Bender said.
Labels: assault, CO, home invasion
12/14/05
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From the Colorado Springs Gazette of December 14, 2005
Man acquitted of murder under Make My Day law
A jury Wednesday ruled a shooting death last year was self-defense under the state's Make My Day law, acquitting Gary Lee Hill, who was accused of first-degree murder for killing a man who had assaulted him in his home but was in his car when he was shot.
The Make My Day law permits people to use deadly force to protect themselves from intruders into their homes.
Hill, 24, declined comment as he was leaving the courthouse.
“He’s not guilty. Justice has been done,” said his mother, Kathy Jastrab. “He didn’t deserve to even be here. Those kids beat him and robbed our home. There was no reason for him to even be on trial.”
The jury deliberated for about six hours, after being handed the case late Tuesday. Fourth Judicial District Judge Robert Lowrey presided over the two-week trial.
Hill was acquitted on charges of first-degree murder with extreme indifference, and two counts of menacing, in the shooting death of John David Knott, 19. The shooting happened Sept. 5, 2004.
“He got away with murder,” said Knott’s sister, who would only identify herself as Tina. “He was my only brother. My kids only uncle. This is a sad day.”
According to testimony, Hill had been having a party that night at the house at 513 Potter Circle. He got into an argument with Allesandra Ash and Amanda Padilla over Padilla’s missing purse. Padilla admitted punching Hill. He brandished a rifle and ordered them to leave.
The women left, called Padilla’s boyfriend, Knott, and Ash’s boyfriend, Anthony Padilla. They went back to Hill’s house and entered Hill’s basement room, where he was sleeping.
Padilla testified she hit Hill three more times, and once more with brass knuckles, causing his head to bleed. They fled the house. Hill got a high-powered rifle, loaded it and fired once from the porch into the car Knott was driving. Knott crashed the car into a house and died.
Labels: assault, CO, home invasion
11/7/05
Bow Mar, Colorado
From the DenverChannel.com of November 7, 2005
Burglar Shot By Homeowner In Bow MarFrom the Denver Post of November 8, 2005
Police: Man Was Shot During Attempted Burglary
A suspected burglar was shot in the arm early Monday by a resident of the small hamlet of Bow Mar in Arapahoe County, 7News reported.
According to the police, the incident happened at about 12:15 a.m. in the 52000 block of South Bow Mar Drive.
"The subject then fled the scene and went door-to-door trying to get help from people," said Bret Cottrell, chief of the Columbine Valley Police Department.
He was taken to Swedish Medical Center, where he was treated and then released.
The man was arrested following his release and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail.
Authorities have impounded a Jeep Cherokee that may have belonged to the man. It was found parked in the area of the shooting.
Homeowner shoots prowler
Would-be Bow Mar intruder, a sex offender, found hurt in nearby yard
A registered sex offender who was trying to break into a home was shot early Monday by the homeowner.
The wounded would-be intruder fled, leaving a trail of blood for police to follow.
Aaron Joseph Vigil, 37, was found in the backyard of a nearby home. He was taken to Swedish Medical Center and treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and released into police custody.
…
The homeowner probably will face no charges because of Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which says homeowners have the right to protect themselves in their homes, using deadly force if necessary.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
10/26/05
Jefferson County, Colorado
From Denver’s 9News.com of October 25, 2005
Deputies catch suspected burglar hiding in greenbelt
A man suspected of trying to break into at least three homes on the 10700 block of West Berry Drive is in custody.
The sheriff's department says they received several calls just after midnight from people living on the street. One homeowner said she heard her front door being hit hard enough to break the leaded glass. She said she yelled out that she was going to get a gun and the person took off.
A short time later another homeowner called saying he was holding an intruder at gunpoint. The intruder was attempting to steal a plasma television in the living room. The caller told deputies that the intruder then dropped the TV and ran
Deputies surrounded the area and began a search with a K9 team. The suspect was found hiding in a nearby culvert and taken into custody without incident. He has been identified as 20-year-old Connor M. Sullivan. He's facing two counts of second-degree burglary and two counts of attempted burglary.
Labels: CO, residence burglary
9/23/05
Aurora, Colorado
From the Denver Post of September 23, 2005
Aurora woman fires at intruder who cops think was serial rapist
A man police believe may be a serial rapist preying on women in Aurora and Denver narrowly escaped injury when a would-be victim fired a shot at him as he stood in her bedroom doorway, said Sgt. Rudy Herrera of the Aurora Police Department.
The incident occurred about 9 p.m. Sunday in the Colinas Pointe Apartments in the 9800 block of East Mexico Avenue in Aurora, Herrera said.
The young woman heard a noise in her apartment, and she waited in her bedroom, gun in hand. The would-be attacker fled when the shot was fired, Herrera said.
The description the woman provided differed slightly from others, Herrera said. But it is close enough that detectives are looking at the possibility it might be the same man responsible for at least nine sexual assaults and two or three break-ins in southeast Denver, Arapahoe County and Aurora since November.
Labels: CO, home invasion
9/19/05
Rifle, Colorado
From TheDenverChannel.com of September 19, 2005
Hunter Shoots Mountain Lion In Self-Defense
DOW Won't Cite Hunter Who Feared For His Life
A Denver-area hunter has quite a story to tell after killing a mountain lion that threatened to attack him.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife did not identify the hunter, but said he was hunting deer with a muzzleloader near Rifle on Friday evening.
The man was stationed in a ground blind when he heard hissing and turned around to find the lion threatening him. The man threw things at the mountain lion, but the cat continued to advance, he told the DOW.
He shot the lion and notified wildlife officials who said he wouldn't be cited because he fired in self-defense and was afraid for his life.
The mountain lion was about 2 to 3 years old, according to the DOW. They did not know why the cat charged the hunter.
The shooting took place north of Rifle in Garfield County.
9/14/05
Weld County, Colorado
From Denver’s Rocky Mountain News of September 14, 2005
Weld County shooting under investigationFrom the LongmontFYI.com of September 15, 2005
Weld County Sheriff's deputies are investigating the shooting of a 19-year-old man wounded as he allegedly broke into a neighbor's home.
The shooting occurred in a home in the 2100 block of Meadowlark in the Meadow Vale subdivision near Weld County Road 5 and Highway 119 near Longmont, according to a press release issued by Weld County Sheriff John Cooke.
The sheriff's office did not identify home owner or the wounded man, Nathan Weathers.
Weathers was shot with a 9 mm handgun, according to the sheriff's office. He is being treated at Longmont United Hospital.
Cooke's press release noted that the shooting may fall under Colorado's "Make My Day Law," which allows a home owner who feels threatened by an intruder to shoot the suspect.
Police: Drunken teen shot
Man enters wrong home after accident
A bleeding, drunken man stumbling home after a motorcycle accident was shot Wednesday morning by the owner of a house he mistakenly entered, according to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff’s office, 19-year-old Nathan Weathers was in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident sometime early Wednesday morning near Weld County Roads 5 and 26.
Without notifying the authorities, the injured and intoxicated Weathers then traveled a half-mile from the scene of the accident, presumably on foot, and entered the home at 2173 Meadowlark Place through a window off the back porch, investigators said.
According to Weld County records, the home, owned by James and Cheryl Haflich, is a block away from where Weathers lives with his father at 2133 Blue Mountain Road in the Meadow Vale subdivision off Weld County Road 51/2, east of Longmont. The houses are each on the east side of their respective streets and are both one house from a corner.
Weld County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Margie Martinez said Cheryl Haflich was getting ready for work at around 4 a.m. when she heard Weathers trying to enter through the window. She alerted her husband, and they both yelled for Weathers to get out, but he entered the house, Martinez said. James Haflich then fired three shots with his 9 mm handgun, one of which hit Weathers, she said.
The Haflichs called 911, and Weathers was taken to Longmont United Hospital, where he was in serious condition in the intensive care unit Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators have not said whether the first two shots were fired in warning, or where the one bullet hit Weathers.
“The bullet wound was not life-threatening,” Martinez said. “He’s probably in critical condition from the motorcycle accident.”
A family spokesman, contacted at the hospital, said the family did not want to comment Wednesday.
Martinez also said she didn’t believe Weathers was armed when he entered the house.
“I don’t think ‘Make My Day’ requires that,” she said of the Colorado law that allows homeowners to shoot intruders under certain circumstances.
The Haflichs declined to comment.
The sheriff’s office said it is not recommending that the Weld County District Attorney’s office file charges against the Haflichs, but is recommending that Weathers be charged with trespassing, traffic violations and driving under the influence.
(More about Weathers)
From the LongmontFYI.com of September 16, 2005
Shooting probe nearly complete
Sheriff pursuing trespassing, traffic charges against teen
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office has nearly completed its investigation of an intoxicated teen who they say was shot by the owner of a house he mistakenly entered Wednesday morning.
According to spokeswoman Margie Martinez, the sheriff’s office is still recommending that the district attorney charge the intruder, Nathan Weathers, with trespassing, in addition to traffic and driving under the influence violations related to a motorcycle accident they say he left just before entering the wrong house.
Officials from Longmont United Hospital said Weathers is in serious condition in the intensive care unit.
Martinez said the homeowner who shot Weathers, James Haflich of 2173 Meadowlark Lane, will not have charges recommended against him.
(More about Weathers)
From the LongmontFYI.com of September 17, 2005
Weld DA will make call on ‘Make My Day’ shootingFrom the Longmont Daily Times-Call of January 13, 2006
The sound of a window breaking awakens Ona Boutcher, who alerts her 69-year-old husband, Francis. Francis Boutcher pulls his .38-caliber revolver out of a closet and confronts the intruder in the kitchen of his home at 1020 Collyer St.
The two struggle. In the dining room, the intruder shoves Boutcher, who fires one shot and misses. The intruder throws a chair at Boutcher and pushes him to the floor.
Boutcher fires two more times.
One bullet hits Laureano Jacobo Griego Jr. in the head, killing him.
An autopsy later revealed the 18-year-old Longmont man had been drinking and smoking marijuana before he died.
The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office did not pursue charges against Boutcher, citing Colorado’s “Make My Day” law.
The Colorado Homeowner’s Protection Act of 1985 gives the occupant of a dwelling the right to use “any degree of physical force, including deadly physical force,” if a person is there illegally and seems intent on committing another crime. The occupant must have a “reasonable belief” that the intruder has committed or will commit a crime or might use physical force against anyone inside.
The law got its colloquial nickname from a line in a Clint Eastwood movie.
While Boutcher’s killing of Griego was justified under the law, it was not easy for the couple to accept, according to police.
“They were both devastated,” said Longmont Police Cmdr. Craig Earhart, who was the first sergeant at the scene that morning. “They were both very shook up by it.”
Both Francis and Ona Boutcher have died since the incident.
Almost immediately, police knew the “Make My Day” law applied to the situation, Earhart said. He believes it was the first situation of its kind in Longmont after the law passed.
Even without the “Make My Day” law, Francis Boutcher likely would have been protected by laws allowing people to defend themselves.
The difference is, self-defense laws require someone to use a reasonable degree of force against an imminent threat. The “Make My Day” law allows a resident to use any degree of force against an intruder to protect himself, other residents or his property, Earhart said.
“You don’t have to believe they’re going to kill you or assault you,” Earhart said.
The Weld County District Attorney’s Office will have to consider if the “Make My Day” law applies to Wednesday morning’s shooting in Meadow Vale, a subdivision east of Longmont. James Haflich, 49, shot Nathan Weathers after the 2004 Skyline High School graduate crawled into his house through the back window at about 4 a.m., according to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.
Weathers, 19, survived and is in serious condition at Longmont United Hospital.
The gunshot wound was not serious, and his injuries likely were sustained in a motorcycle crash from earlier in the night, according to a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
The sheriff’s office said Weathers was intoxicated and likely thought he was entering his father’s house, a block away and on the same side of the street and distance from the corner.
(More about Colorado‘s “Make my day“ Law)
Shooting won’t lead to charges
Homeowners, invader cleared in Sept. incident
A drunk and injured man who stumbled into the wrong home east of Longmont early on the morning of Sept. 14 and was shot by the homeowner will not face charges.
Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck said Thursday that his office will not file charges against 19-year-old Nathan Weathers for entering the home of James and Cheryl Haflich.
James Haflich, who shot Weathers in the arm when he entered the home, also won’t face charges.
According to Weld County Sheriff’s Office reports, Weathers was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident near Weld County roads 5 and 26 before the shooting. He walked nearly a half-mile and tried to enter the Haflich home at 2173 Meadowlark Place, believing he was going to his own house a block away, reports indicated.
Weld County investigators said Weathers entered the Haflich home at 4 a.m. through a window off the back porch because the door was locked.
Cheryl Haflich first saw Weathers and then called her husband, who shot at Weathers three times with a 9-mm handgun, hitting him once, according to investigators.
The sheriff’s office initially recommended that the district attorney charge Weathers with trespassing.
Weathers was intoxicated, according the district attorney’s office, with a blood-alcohol level of 0.185 when he was taken to the hospital after the incident.
“Evidence in the case does not, beyond a reasonable doubt, establish that Mr. Weathers knowingly and unlawfully entered the Haflichs’ home or wished to commit a crime,” Buck’s office said in a statement.
“Mr. Weathers was also disoriented due to the motorcycle accident, and evidence shows that he did not know the Haflichs or have anything against them,” the statement said. “In addition, evidence does not show that Mr. Weathers was trying to sneak into the home, but rather believed he was trying to enter his own home and seek assistance for his injuries.”
The district attorney also said James Haflich acted reasonably when he armed himself and shot Weathers as an intruder.
9/8/05
Fort Collins, Colorado
From the Greeley Tribune of September 8, 2005
Three men arrested after home robbery in Fort Collins
Fort Collins police took three 18-year-old men into custody after a home robbery shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of Remington Street. A fourth suspect is in Poudre Valley Hospital recovering from gunshot wounds.
Robert Joseph Cruz Jr., Gerald Lee Batrez and Mitchell Anthony Rosales, all of Fort Collins, face charges of aggravated robbery. Rosales and Cruz also face charges of kidnapping and menacing.
According to the victims, a man entered their home through an unlocked front door, head covered in a stocking mask, carrying a shotgun and demanded cash or drugs. The suspect grabbed a male and threatened a female in trying to force entry into an adjoining apartment. An apartment resident shot the suspect after he appeared to threaten him. The intruders then picked up the injured man and fled in a car.
At 2:15 a.m., police got a 911 call reporting a man had been shot and needed assistance. When police and emergency personnel arrived at 532 Villanova Court, they determined the incidents were related and the suspect was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he was treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Those in custody are believed to be suspects in two prior home robberies Monday evening in the 1600 block of Hastings Drive and 600 block of Zuni Circle.
Labels: CO, home invasion, kidnapping, residence robbery
7/10/05
Windsor, Colorado
From the Denver Post of July 10, 2005
Suspect shot in head by liquor store owner
An armed-robbery suspect was in critical condition at North Colorado Medical Center after being shot in the head Friday afternoon by the Windsor liquor store owner he allegedly attempted to stick up.
According to the Weld County Sheriff's Department, the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Douglas Wies, entered the Corner Liquors store near 6th Street and Ash in Windsor about 5 p.m. Friday with a mask covering his face. He held what appeared to be a weapon wrapped in a scrap of cloth.
The suspect forced three people, including store owner Ron Trauernicht, his wife, Norma, and a customer into the narrow cooler that ran the length of the store, the sheriff's office said. All three escaped through the cooler's back exit.
Trauernicht hurried back into his store. He grabbed a gun he kept behind the counter and told an uncompliant Wies to drop his weapon, according to the sheriff's office.
After a short standoff, Trauernicht fired at the startled robber. The bullet went straight into the weapon Wies held - the mouth of an aluminium garden hose nozzle disguised by a T-shirt rag, the sheriff's office said.
The bullet pierced the lightweight nozzle and struck Wies in the forehead. Wies was airlifted to North Colorado Medical Center, where he remained in the critical care unit Saturday.
Labels: business robbery, CO
6/10/05
Aurora, Colorado
From Denver’s TheDenverChannel.com of June 10, 2005
No Charges To Be Filed In Fatal Parking Lot ShootingUPDATE: Here's the grand jury report.
Grand Jury: Man Acted In Self Defense
A white restaurant owner who shot and killed a black man in a parking lot following a confrontation over a small dent caused by a car door acted in self defense, a grand jury that investigated the incident announced Thursday.
Glenn Eichstedt, 52, who is white, shot and killed Aaron P. Davis, 39, and shot Davis' wife, Benita Coleman-Davis, 37, twice in the chest during a confrontation in a shopping center parking lot Nov. 13. Both victims were black.
The Arapahoe County grand jury's announcement of no charges angered the city's black community.
"Everyone in the black community knows that if a black man shoots a white couple in a public parking lot in a fight over a dinged car door the black man goes to jail," said community activist Shareef Aleem.
Eichstedt was questioned on the scene by police and released after he handed them a .38-caliber revolver and said he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Witnesses said Aaron Davis struck Eichstedt in the head with a metal bar several times. Coleman-Davis was standing apart from the scuffle and was not armed when she was shot.
In a statement released through his attorney, Eichstedt called the death and wounding an "indescribable tragedy."
"However, I only acted in self-defense Davis' race had nothing to do with this incident," he said.
Labels: assault, CO, concealed carry permit
5/2/05
Pueblo, Colorado
From the Pueblo Chieftan of May 2, 2005
Guard shoots man after alleged threat
A man was in critical condition Sunday night after being shot by a security guard early Sunday morning.
The victim, Steven Carrillo, age unknown, was shot about 2:25 a.m. near the intersection of Lake and Joliet avenues, according to a press release issued by Pueblo Police Det. Mark Bravo.
The unidentified guard told police he saw a black Toyota truck knocking over traffic cones as it drove through a construction site on Lake. When stopped, the driver of the truck, Carrillo, allegedly got out, confronted the guard and pulled out a silver and black folding knife.
The guard said Carrillo kept walking toward him with the knife and refused to stop even though he was told to several times, according to the press release. The guard fired one shot from a handgun, hitting Carrillo in the upper chest.
Carrillo was taken to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.
The guard reportedly works for Parker Excavation, the company handling the construction project.
No charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation, according to Bravo.
11/16/04
Aurora, Colorado
From ABC 7 in Denver, November 15, 2004:
AURORA, Colo. -- Aurora police said Monday that it is still too early in the investigation to determine what charges, if any, will be filed in a fatal weekend shooting outside a video rental store.UPDATE: February 5, 2005 Rocky Mountain News reports:
Police said the incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday outside a Blockbuster store at Mississippi and Chambers streets when two men began to argue after one of their car doors dinged the other’s car door.
The wife of one of the men tried to break up the confrontation, and then all three parties became involved in a fight, according to witnesses. Police said Aaron P. Davis, 39, acquired a metal pipe type of object and hit Glen Eichstedt, 52, in the head. Eichstedt then allegedly pulled a handgun and shot Davis and his wife, Benita Coleman-Davis, 36, according to police reports.
...
Police are trying to determine if the shooting was done in self defense.
"We need to re-interview all the witnesses in the case and then we will turn over the findings to the District Attorney's Office," said Kathleen Walsh, Aurora police spokesman.
Eichstedt had a concealed weapons permit, according to police.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY - District Attorney Carol Chambers will ask a grand jury to hear the case of a parking-lot shooting at a Blockbuster video store that killed an Aurora man and seriously injured his wife.UPDATE: From the June 10, 2005 Rocky Mountain News:
...
Police said they didn't have enough probable cause to arrest Eichstedt, co-owner of the Hoffbrau Tavern & Grill near downtown Denver, the night of the Nov. 13 shooting.
That decision brought allegations that Eichstedt wasn't arrested because he is white and the victims are black.
"Finally the mainstream law enforcement is listening to our community," Alvertis Simmons said Friday. Simmons is a black activist who had organized protests at the Hoffbrau.
"I am glad they're going to put it toward a grand jury," Simmons said. "They should come back with an indictment."
Larry Pozner, Eichstedt's attorney, said he believes otherwise. "This event is extremely tragic," he said. "But it doesn't change the nature. It is self-defense, vividly and unquestionably. I'm very comfortable with 12 citizens looking at the facts."
Eichstedt, who had a license to carry a concealed handgun, told police that Davis and his wife attacked him during a fight over a damaged car door.
Police said the three started fighting and Davis hit Eichstedt over the head with a pipe. Eichstedt then pulled out a gun and shot the couple, according to police reports.
CENTENNIAL - An Arapahoe County grand jury will not recommend criminal charges against a man who shot a married couple, killing the husband, during an altercation outside an Aurora video store last November.
In a report released Thursday by Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers, the grand jurors said that Denver restaurateur Glenn Eichstedt acted in self-defense when he fatally shot postal worker Aaron P. Davis in a Blockbuster parking lot after a dispute over a dinged truck door.
The nine-page report says that while the death of Davis is "tragic," it "cannot be the basis of any criminal charges" against Eichstedt, who grand jurors said pulled out his legally licensed handgun after Davis hit him on the head with a metal bar.
At a news conference in her offices, Chambers said the grand jury reached a "no true bill" decision, which means that legal action in the case against Eichstedt is finished.
Chambers said that given the grand jury's ruling, her office will not reopen the case unless new evidence arises against Eichstedt, 52, co-owner of the Hoffbrau Tavern & Grill on Santa Fe Drive in Denver.
Although the case has sparked some racial tensions - Davis was black and Eichstedt is white - several Arapahoe County and Aurora officials said that race was not a factor in the Nov. 13 incident.
Assistant District Attorney Leslie Hansen said that while the grand jury heard conflicting testimony from witnesses, Benita Coleman-Davis testified that her husband struck the first blow.
Hansen said the grand jury considered the metal bar that Davis used a deadly weapon, which was a "significant factor" in their decision.
Eichstedt's attorney, Larry Pozner, said that the clearing of his client shouldn't be considered a victory because a life has been lost and the lives of others will be changed forever.
Coleman-Davis could not be reached Thursday to comment about the grand jury's decision.
In a written statement Eichstedt called the shooting an "indescribable tragedy" and said he acted in self-defense.
"The Davis' race had nothing to do with this incident," he wrote. "The only thought in my mind was saving my life."
Eichstedt also wrote that he suffered a permanent brain injury because of the blow to his head.
The report says the grand jury heard the testimony of seven witnesses, including Coleman-Davis, who was shot twice.
Davis, 39, and his 36-year-old wife were in their Toyota 4-Runner when they pulled into the store parking lot in the 15000 block of East Mississippi Avenue on Nov. 13.
Davis waited in the truck while his wife got out and entered a nearby restaurant to order takeout food.
Minutes later, Eichstedt and a companion, riding in Eichstedt's Ford Mustang, parked in a spot next to Davis' truck so they could eat at the same restaurant.
When Eichstedt got out of his car, he allegedly dinged Davis' truck with his door and Davis got out of his vehicle to confront him.
The two men started arguing and Coleman-Davis said that Eichstedt yelled, "I didn't damage your truck!" and "What do you want to do, little man?"
Eichstedt weighs about 235 pounds and is 6 feet, 1 inch tall. Davis weighed 166 pounds and was 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
The witnesses' accounts vary slightly about what happened next, with Coleman-Davis saying that Eichstedt leaned toward her and she pushed him away.
Other witnesses said that Eich-stedt reached over Coleman-Davis to hit her husband, who started to strike Eichstedt with what was later determined to be a bar that was eight to 10 inches long.
Witnesses testified that the couple began to beat Eichstedt, who fell to the ground. Eichstedt later said he thought the man was going to "bash his brains in," the grand jury report said.
Eichstedt pulled out the .38-caliber revolver that he told police he always carries because his bar/restaurant had been robbed before.
He fired the gun four times, with two bullets hitting Davis in the torso and the other two hitting his wife in the upper body.
Davis, a Jehovah's Witness who could not accept blood transfusions because of his religion, died from hemorrhaging.
Labels: assault, CO, concealed carry permit
8/19/04
Aurora, Colorado
From the Aurora Daily Sun & Sentinel of August 10, 2004
Officials: No charges in Sunday shooting
Colorado’s Make My Day Law will likely keep an Aurora man from facing charges after he shot a gun-toting intruder in the face Sunday morning, police said.
Police said the a 19-year-old man and another 20-year-old man were surprised about 10:30 a.m. Aug. 8 when two armed men barged into the house at 805 Oakland St.
One of residents got a gun and a gunfight erupted inside the house. At one point, one of the intruders was shot in the face, and the two intruders fled.
The injured man later turned up at an area hospital for treatment and was arrested. He was later identified as 21-year-old Johnathon Vann. Police said neither Aurora man were injured. The other suspect was not identified and remains at large.
Charges are not expected to be filed against the resident of the house because he is protected under Colorado’s Make My Day Law, police said.
The Make My Day Law allows residents to use “justifiable use of force” against intruders into their homes as long as residents have reason to believe that an intruder may commit a crime other than the illegal entry and have a legitimate belief that the intruder will physically harm them.
Labels: CO, home invasion
1/31/04
Wiggins, Colorado
From the Fort Morgan Times of January 30, 2004
Auto theft suspect nabbed after chase
A man on foot kept law officers busy Wednesday as they tracked him with dogs and put up a perimeter to find him after he allegedly tried to take autos in Wiggins.
It was teamwork among law enforcement agencies and Wiggins area residents which finally resulted in a man being taken into custody Thursday morning. The suspect was captured after an incident that began Wednesday when he abandoned one stolen vehicle northwest of Wiggins, tried to steal two others and entered an occupied residence where he was confronted at gunpoint by one of the homeowners, said Morgan County Sheriff Jim Crone.
The suspect fled that residence and managed to elude law enforcement until early Thursday morning when he was caught after an attempt to steal yet another vehicle.
The man, who has yet to be positively identified, was captured in the Kiowa Creek bottom just west of Wiggins at approximately 6 a.m. after Wiggins Police Chief Leroy Dilka and Morgan County Sheriff's Deputy David Kallweit pursued the man on foot for about half a mile before he was tackled and taken into custody.
Labels: CO, home invasion
1/16/04
Grand Junction, Colorado
From Grand Junction's NBC11NEWS.com (KKCO) of January 14, 2004
GUNMAN MAY NOT BE CHARGED IN APARTMENT SHOOTING
An investigation reveals the man who was shot inside a home in the Villa San Marcos apartment complex was one of two men who allegedly barged into the home of the shooter looking for someone who owed one of the suspects money. One man involved in the crime is behind bars, the other is in a hospital bed recovering from a gun shot wound to the stomach. The resident of the apartment where the shooting happened, Joseph Moyano, 25, told police the suspect who's now in custody, Claudio Baca, 24, of Grand Junction and another man who's identity has not been released, broke into his apartment about four o'clock Tuesday afternoon. The two were apparently looking for a woman who's known to frequent the apartment. Once the two men entered the house a scuffle ensued between Moyano and Baca. Both men had guns. Moyano's gun fired hitting the unidentified suspect. So far police say Moyano was justified in the shooting. Baca is being held in the Mesa County Jail on felony charges of 1st degree burglary, menacing and kidnapping. The two suspects allegedly held a friend of the woman they were looking for against her will during the incident. She's been identified as Crystal McFadden, 21. Charges against the injured suspect are pending.
Labels: assault, CO, home invasion
12/7/03
Kiowa, Colorado
From AP, December 1, 2003:
Authorities began weighing charges Monday against the owners of three dogs that killed a woman over the weekend in a gruesome rampage that left two other people wounded.Unsurprisingly, some news stories about the incident left out the dramatic ending for the pit bulls at the hands of armed civilians. (And here are some more news accounts that talked about the crisis of a shortage of police to handle this--but neglected to mention the role of armed civilians.) Can you imagine that?
Neighbors said the dogs had been a roaming menace for months in the rolling ranchland near Kiowa, southeast of Denver. A local fire official said residents had even adopted an informal warning system when the pit bulls were loose.
Elbert County Undersheriff Jim Underwood said the animals, which were gunned down by a teenager and sheriff's deputies, had been involved in previous attacks, but declined to elaborate.
...
The latest attacks began about dawn Sunday when the dogs killed 40-year-old Jennifer Brooke after she went to her horse barn. Ranch partner Bjorn Osmunsen, 24, was wounded by the animals after he went looking for her.
Neighbor Lynn Baker was the next victim. The dogs attacked as he stepped out of his home, jumping on him and going for his throat.
Baker thought he was going to die.
"They were monsters. And they don't run away. They come at you. Even when you are shooting at them," he said in a telephone interview.
His screams for help brought son Cody outside with a shotgun. The teenager fired bird shot at the animals, wounding two and distracting the other dog enough so his father could get inside his pickup truck.
"He knocked two of them down. He's the hero," Baker said.
Baker said he drove his truck closer to the home so he could slip inside and get his own weapon.
"They couldn't see or couldn't walk but the big one was still watching me," said Baker. "I came out and shot the big one twice but it hardly slowed him down."
11/11/03
Ault, Colorado
This isn't a terribly sympathetic person who did the shooting, but he appears to have been within his legal rights, and it sounds like he had good reason to be afraid for his life:
AULT - A Weld County man accused of killing his neighbor last week in a squabble over a barking dog will not be prosecuted. The district attorney says the shooting was justified under Colorado’s Make My Day Law.If Griffin shot Hammock's barking dog (which seems at least open to discussion), then he certainly broke the law. But it still wouldn't justify Hammock going over to Griffin's house with a club, or breaking the glass on the front door.
Richard Hammock, 48, died Nov. 2 from a shotgun wound. His dog had been shot with a pellet gun and he went to his neighbor’s house to confront him about the incident.
Hammock was carrying a three-foot club when he went to 33-year-old Eric Griffin’s home. The district attorney says Hammock broke out the glass on Griffin’s front door and then Griffin shot him.
Griffin was arrested for the shooting, but district attorney Al Dominguez says he can't prosecute him because of the court's interpretation of the Make My Day Law. He says he believes it was a mistake for the state Legislature to pass the law.
I can see why Griffin might have felt legitimately afraid for his life. At least in most states, the moment when someone gets any part of their body through a broken window or door, they have committed breaking and entering.
The club could be interpreted as a sign of intent to attack Griffin. It could also be a sign that Hammock was afraid of Griffin--but if he was that afraid of Griffin, why did he go over there? Why didn't he call the police?
Labels: assault, CO, home invasion
