Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Man shot in home invasion south of Hartly

A 29-year-old man was shot in the leg during a home invasion early Monday south of Hartly, state police said.

The victim was not seriously injured and refused to be taken to the hospital, state police spokesman Cpl. John W. Barnett Jr. said.

According to investigators, two or three men entered the home in the 3000 block of Hourglass Road by an unsecured ground-floor door about 2 a.m.

When the intruders were confronted by the homeowner, one of the intruders fired a gun at him.

The homeowner returned fire at the suspects using a handgun, Barnett said.

After several shots were fired, the intruders fled without taking anything.

The homeowner was struck once in the left leg, Barnett said. The gunshot wound was minor and he was treated at the scene.

A 22-year-old woman and two children, ages 2 and 11, were also home during the incident. They were not injured.

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Labels: DE, defender shot, home invasion

It took seven shots from Bernis Martin's Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm pistol before the Wilmington merchant hit his target. And he felt vindicated afterward.

"I had one robbery attempt before, but he wasn't able to get anything," Martin said Thursday night, standing inside his BGM Liquor Store at 11th and Lombard streets. "This time I have some vengeance because he did get hit."

Martin was speaking the day after he fended off a robbery with his handgun, clipping one of four fleeing suspects and sending the others banging on doors crying for help.

Wilmington police took his weapon as evidence in the 10 p.m. shooting, but filed no charges against the store owner for wounding a 15-year-old suspect in the right thigh.

Police said the wounded youth was arrested at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., where he allegedly went for treatment. Three others charged with trying to rob Martin as he was leaving his store were arrested in the neighborhood.

Before their arrests, two of the suspects were heard banging on rear doors, shouting, "Open the door, let me in," said Wilmington Master Sgt. Steven Barnes.

Police said it was the 15-year-old who was later wounded who approached Martin as he was leaving the store and demanded money.

"I was startled when I saw him," Martin said. "He looked like he might have been startled, too. He had a hood covering his head and a white-and-black bandanna on his face. He said 'Give it up, old head,' " Martin, 53, said from behind the glass door that separates him from the customers he serves. Several loyal patrons came by to check on him Thursday night.

Martin said the only reason he was caught off guard was because he was headed to his second job as a technician for Chrysler in Newark. He wanted to rush to the store to get his wife some roses for Valentine's Day.

"I was behind these pillars, so I guess he couldn't see me. He said, 'What you doing?' I guess when I didn't answer he shot at me. That's when I shot back," Martin said. He said he has applied for a permit to carry the gun which he holsters on his hip.

Police said the youngster shot at Martin with a .22-caliber rifle, which they recovered in making the arrests after officers responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 10th and Pine streets.

As responding officers ran to the corner where the shooting happened, they saw two people running and chased them to rear yards in the 1000 block of Lombard St., where both were arrested.

Detectives later learned that the 15-year-old had turned up at the hospital, telling medics he was wounded in downtown Wilmington near Fifth and Orange streets. Detectives went to the hospital, interviewed the teen and brought him back to Wilmington to face charges.

The fourth participant, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested after officers raided a home in the 1000 block of Lombard St.

The two teens, along with Christopher Whittaker, 20, of the 300 block of Rolling Green, in New Castle, and Cory Clark, 20, also of the 1000 block of Lombard St., were charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during a felony, reckless endangering and conspiracy.

Labels: business robbery, DE

Teen bandits flee after store clerk takes gun

A store clerk turned the tables on a pair of armed robbers during an attempted holdup at a convenience store, Dover police said today.

Two teens walked into the Little Grocer convenience store on East Division Street about 9 p.m. Sunday and demanded money, Lt. James Hosfelt said.

When one of the bandits brandished a sawed-off shotgun in the direction of the clerk behind the counter, the gunman and clerk got into a physical confrontation, Hosfelt said.

The clerk refused to hand over any money from the register and then grabbed the shotgun out of the hand of the would-be robber.

After the clerk established control of the situation, the two bandits went running from the store, Hosfelt said.

Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, DE

New Castle County police are investigating the shooting of a man Wednesday afternoon during a break-in. Shortly before 3 p.m., police were called to the first block of Christiana Crossing Drive in Newark, where a 31-year-old male resident of Christiana Farms town houses said he had shot someone trying to break into his home, said spokesman Cpl. Trinidad Navarro. A female witness drove the intruder, a 39-year-old, to Christiana Hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper torso, Navarro said. He was reportedly in stable condition.

Labels: DE, intruder

WILMINGTON -- A Wilmington man is recovering from a gun shot wound to his ankle. Police say he was shot after exchanging gun fire with a man who tried to rob him.

Police say 26-year-old Matt Hearn was getting out of this truck, when a man pulled out a gun and demanded all his money.

Police say Hearn gave the man his wallet, but no money was inside, so the robber demanded Hearn drive him to the ATM.

That's when Hearn went to the other side of his Ford Ranger, pretended to go through his bag looking for his keys, but instead pulled out a gun.

Police say the robber fired at Hearn, and Hearn fired back. When police arrived on the scene, the robber was gone.

Labels: DE, street robbery

Man Released After Fatal Shooting of Teen

New Castle County Police had taken a man into custody after the fatal shooting a 17-year-old boy in a parking lot at the Canby Park Apartments, just outside the Wilmington city limits near Elsmere.

New Castle County Police say the 35-year-old man is a security guard and a licensed gun carrier, who was allegedly walking his dog when he was jumped by a group of teens. The man claims he fatally shot one of the three teens in self-defense, and has since been released by investigators.

Police say the boy was found shot in the upper body about 10 last night in the 500 block of Homestead Road. Paramedics say he died on the way to the hospital.

The name of the victim has not been released.

Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, DE

Charges dropped in case of man who shot father

Emotional-distress defense OK'd because of abusive history

John Eugene Latimer's last measure of control over his terrorized family ended this week.

Prosecutors dropped first-degree murder charges against Joseph Latimer, 28, who killed his father by shooting him in the head on the front lawn of his mother's house last July.

The family then let the body sit outside, overnight, under a blue tarp for 10 to 12 hours before calling police.

On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Colleen K. Norris said that after reviewing all the evidence, dropping all charges "was the right thing to do."

…(A lengthy litany of abuse and intimidation by the elder Latimer is omitted here)

On this night, the elder John Latimer was arguing with his wife "about medication he had not been taking," according to a court transcript.

At some point, the confrontation became violent, Jennings said, and John Latimer repeatedly threatened to kill Marie and Joseph. At one point, holding a rusty lawn-mower blade in one hand, he grabbed Marie with the other and looked like he was going to strike her.

So, Joseph then decided he had no choice, Jennings said.

He believed his father would kill his mother unless he acted, she said. He grabbed a .22-caliber rifle that his father had left at the house earlier.

Marie Latimer told police she heard a "pop" and then saw John Latimer fall to the ground. Joseph fired a single shot, hitting his father in the head.
…

Joseph sat in prison for four months before he was released on bond last fall.

On Thursday, prosecutors dropped the charges against Joseph.

"The prosecution is to be commended for their open-minded view of this case," Jennings said. "Justice is not always obtained with a guilty verdict."

She said the Latimer family can now "for the first time in their lives, live in peace."

Labels: DE, domestic abuse

Pair Apprehended while Breaking into Vehicles

Delaware State Police arrested two suspects Sunday morning after they were observed breaking into vehicles in Up Country Mobile Home Park, located on Woodland Road.

At approximately 4:00 a.m., a witness observed a male suspect attempting to enter a neighbor’s vehicle. The suspect was unable to make entry into this vehicle so he went to the next vehicle and entered it. When the witness saw the suspect enter the vehicle she called 911 and her neighbors. The witness then saw the male suspect enter a third vehicle, so she went outside in an attempt to obtain the tag number of a black vehicle that was following the male suspect. The owners of one of the vehicles that the suspect had entered then exited their home armed with a shotgun and ordered the male suspect to stop. Meanwhile the witness was able to obtain the tag number of the suspect vehicle. A female suspect who was operating the suspect vehicle then yelled for the male suspect to get in the car. The female suspect then put the car in reverse and backed up approximately 50 feet. The female suspect then put the car in drive and accelerated towards the witness. The witness was not able to get out of the way of the car and she was struck by its front end and knocked to the ground. The female suspect then turned the car around and sped towards the witness who was still on the ground. The neighbors were able to pull the witness out of the way and the suspects sped off.

Troopers who were responding to the scene located the suspects inside the park and took them into custody without further incident. While searching the suspect vehicle troopers located four car stereos that were apparently stolen by the suspects.

Amber D. Kennedy, 23, of Seaford, was charged with two counts of possession of a deadly weapon (the car) during the commission of a felony, two counts of burglary, reckless endangering 1st degree, attempted burglary, conspiracy, and attempted theft.

Ralph J. Sutton, 17, of Bridgeville, was charged with the same offenses as Kennedy.

Kennedy and Sutton were both released on $21,000 secured bond pending further court action.

The witness, who is a 52-year-old female, was treated at Nanticoke Hospital for multiple contusions.

Labels: assault, DE, minor offender, street property theft

ROSELLE, DE-November 10, 2005 - This story began Wednesday night when two men made a fatal decision to break into the home of an armed man in Delaware.

The home, on South Woodward Avenue in Roselle, has bullet holes in the windows, evidence of the gunfight that left one armed intruder shot and critically wounded.

The unidentified homeowner told police two men invaded his house. One of them was captured last night and taken for treatment. Today, helicopters took to the air and tracking dogs were called in as part of the search.

The body of one man was found in a weeded area behind a home along Woodward Avenue.

Labels: DE, home invasion

Shootout leaves 1 dead, 1 critically injured

A 60-year-old homeowner exchanged gunfire with two burglary suspects early this morning in a shootout investigators are still trying to piece together, New Castle County Police said this morning.

A 911 caller alerted authorities about 12:30 a.m. to a home on Woodward Avenue, just outside the Elsmere city limits. When they arrived, investigators found one suspect from the burglary near the home. He had been shot at least once and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The second burglary suspect wasn’t found until 8:45 in the bushes of a home across the street. He was pronounced dead. Investigators found a gun and a flashlight by the body.

The homeowner was believed to be uninjured. Police were questioning him this morning. His home was cordoned off as the investigation continued.

Labels: DE, residence burglary

Woman Shoots At Half-Naked Burglar

Police Say Suspect Wearing Red T-Shirt, Little Else

A Wilmington woman got the scare of her life when a nearly naked intruder broke into her home, but she turned the tables on the man, who quickly turned tail and ran.

According to police, Keith Simpson, 32, was wearing nothing more than a red T-shirt when he tried to break into her house Friday morning.

"Somebody was ringing my doorbell and so I yelled, 'Who is it? Who is it?' They wouldn't answer," said Cheryl Pettaway.

Pettaway grabbed her son and her gun and started to call 911.

That was when the half-naked Simpson broke through Pettaway's back door.

"The next thing you know, I just heard somebody in my house and I ran midpoint down the steps and I fired shots randomly," Pettaway said.

She fired her gun at least eight times, but missed the intruder. He tried to flee through the garage, but that is where he was caught by police.

Police said this was one of the oddest burglary cases they have seen.

"This is definitely something we don't see every day. ... Breaking in half-clothed -- that's different," said Sgt. William Wells, of the Wilmington police.

Police said Simpson was admitted to Wilmington Hospital for psychiatric evaluation and for treatment of wounds he got when he broke through a glass door.

After he is released from the hospital, he will face charges.

Labels: DE, home invasion

Burglary suspect shot near Smyrna

A burglary suspect, already wanted on drug and weapons charges, was shot in the face while trying to stab a Smyrna-area resident and his neighbor, police said Monday.

The incident occurred about 11:30 p.m. Sunday outside a house on Cathleen Drive in Burtonwood Village, south of Smyrna.

A 58-year-old man saw a stranger inside the shed next door and armed himself with a .38-caliber revolver before going to alert his neighbor, said state police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Oldham.

The neighbor and the resident, who is 43, went to the shed and were confronted by the intruder, who was armed with a knife, Oldham said.

As the suspect lunged toward the men, the resident tried to close the shed door to protect himself, but caught the suspect in the doorway, Oldham said.

With his upper body outside the door, the intruder kept jabbing the knife at the men, Oldham said. They told the man repeatedly to drop the knife, but he kept trying to stab them, Oldham said.

The neighbor then fired his gun once, hitting the intruder in the face, Oldham said. The resident and neighbor both stayed with the suspect until state police and medical personnel arrived, he said. They were not injured.

The suspect - identified by police as James P. Porter, 26, of Holly Hills Estates, Smyrna - was flown to Christiana Hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition.

"No charges [have been] filed against the neighbor at this time," Oldham said.

Porter faces charges including attempted first-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and two counts of aggravated menacing. Police said Porter already was wanted on drug and weapons charges.

Labels: assault, DE, intruder

Robber flees when victim pulls gun

State police have charged a 25-year-old Bear man in a string of liquor store robberies after police found him hiding under a porch as he fled a botched robbery attempt.

Michael A. Brown, of the first block of Barrister Court in Buckley off U.S. 40, was being held Sunday in the Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington for lack of $160,000 secured bail, said police spokeswoman Cpl. Helen Zane.

The manhunt began with the report of an attempted robbery at Chelsea Liquors, 8 Morris Road, near New Castle, shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, Zane said.

An armed, masked man walked up to a 52-year-old employee, but ran away when the employee produced a gun of his own, she said.

Police patrolling the area spotted a dark Acura with a Pennsylvania tag leaving the scene and followed the car to the neighborhood of Roselle off Kirkwood Highway, where a man jumped out of the car and ran, Zane said.

State troopers and New Castle County police flooded the area, Zane said.

Brown was found hiding under a porch in the first block of Roselawn Avenue, Zane said. Officers also found a gun and mask believed to have been used in the attempted robbery.

Labels: business robbery, DE

WILMINGTON A knife-wielding robber fled empty handed but unharmed after his victim pulled a gun on him Sunday night, according to police.

The unidentified man went into Forest Service Center at 316 Lowell St. about 8:15 p.m. asking for change to use in a vending machine, Police Chief Bernard P. Nally said.

The clerk left the office to tend to a customer and when he returned the man asked for more change.

"After the attendant made change the second time the suspect produced a knife and pointed it at the attendant and said, 'Don't do anything stupid and give me all the money,'" Nally said. "About this time the attendant produced a handgun which he is lawfully licensed to do and ordered the suspect to leave the store, which he did."

Labels: business robbery, DE