Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Armed man scares away robber

A Bainbridge man refused to be robbed when he was accosted around 5 a.m. Saturday morning.

The complainant, a resident of Spruce Street, told BPS that he was sitting on his front porch smoking a cigar and drinking a cup of coffee. According to the resident, a man wearing a mask and carrying a large knife approached and demanded that he hand over his wallet.

The citizen said he told the masked robber that he had to go inside the house to get the wallet.

The homeowner returned, not with his wallet in hand, but instead wielding a pistol, which sent the robber off running.

Officer Gary Hines attempted to locate a suspect but was unsuccessful.

Georgia is one of several states that does not require people who are attacked or threatened to retreat before using deadly force to protect themselves, other persons or a property, according to Sgt. Ryan Wimberly of BPS. In fact, Georgia law gives legal immunity to people who "stand their ground" in self-defense but does require that a person can only use deadly force if they believe a human life is in danger or to prevent a forcible felony, Sgt. Wimberly said. Forcible felonies, which involve the use or threat of physical force or violence, include crimes ranging from rape to armed robbery.

Labels: GA, residence robbery

1 dead in botched robbery

A DeKalb County auto parts store employee shot and killed a would-be thief Thursday night during a botched armed robbery attempt, police said.

DeKalb County police are still looking for a second would-be robber, who fled on foot after the shooting.

Just before 10 p.m., police responded to an armed robbery and person shot report at the Auto Zone at 1805 Memorial Drive in Atlanta.

"One of the employees saw two individuals in the parking lot changing clothes and putting on masks," DeKalb Police spokesman Marcus Hodge said.

The two men entered the store with weapons drawn, but the store employee began firing a gun of his own, police said.

"He struck one of the suspects," Hodge said. "The other guy ran away on foot."

The man who was killed dropped his weapon in outside the store.

Police weren't sure if the second suspect got into a vehicle to escape.

Several customers and other employees were in the store at the time of the incident, Hodge said.

This wasn't the first robbery attempt at the store, he said.

"There have been some cases where this store has been robbed," Hodge said. "That's probably the reason the employee had a gun."

Police are still investigating the incident, and hadn't charged the employee, Hodge said.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Homeowner wounds would-be burglar

Fulton County police said they will consult with the district attorneys office before deciding on whether to charge a homeowner who shot and wounded a teenager charged with breaking into his townhouse Saturday evening.

"We're still looking into the homeowner," Fulton County police spokesman Scott McBride said Sunday. "We don't know if charges will be filed. [Investigators] have to talk with the [Fulton County] district attorney's office about that."

The homeowner, identified as Desonte Lindsey, 28, shot and wounded a teen breaking into his townhouse in the 6200 block of Flat Trace, near Union City, police said.

"The guy hears the front doorbell ring" just before 6 p.m., McBride said. "When he goes down to answer it, a 16-year-old kicks in his back door."

The man got a gun and fired twice at the teen, hitting him once in the arm, McBride said. The youth ran, and the man chased him into a nearby wooded area and lost him. Lindsey told police it was the second time this month his home had been broken into.

The teen was arrested after calling 911 to report he'd been shot, McBride said. He is charged with burglary and criminal trespass, McBride said. The teen underwent surgery at Southern Regional Medical Center on Saturday to remove a bullet from his arm.

Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender

Teen killed breaking into home

A 24-year-old man shot and killed a teenage intruder Friday after the youth and some other juveniles tried to break into the his northwest Atlanta home, police said.

The shooting occurred around 1:15 p.m. at 1426 Hawkins St., off Chappell Road, police said.

The victim was 16 years old, said Lt. Keith Meadows, commander of the Atlanta Police Department homicide unit. His name was not made public Friday afternoon.

Meadows said several juveniles tried break in through a back door.

They had broken a glass window pane and were trying to kick in the door, said Sgt. Lisa Keyes, a police spokeswoman.

It was not clear if the suspects got the door open before the resident, who was home alone, grabbed a handgun from his back bedroom and shot fired at least eight shots, hitting the 16-year-old at least once in the face, Meadows said.

Several of the bullets struck the door, police said. The other suspects ran away.

Meadows said it appears that the man acted in self defense. His home had been burglarized two other times this week, and detectives were trying to determine if all the burglaries are linked.

Meadows also said the teenage boy who was shot might have been arrested recently by Atlanta police on an unrelated burglary charge.

The Police Department's helicopter crew and ground units were canvassing the neighborhood in search of the other youths, Keyes said.

Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender

Police Investigate Deadly Shooting

DeKalb County Police are investigating a shooting in Lithonia that left one person dead Monday night.

According to police, the person who was shot and killed tried to break into an apartment at the Concept 21 Apartments on Hillandale Drive. Somebody inside the apartment pulled out a gun and shot the intruder.

DeKalb County Police investigators have not said if any charges will be filed.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Elderly Tucker man kills intruder

If a DeKalb County home invasion suspect thought an elderly Tucker couple would make an easy target Tuesday night, he thought wrong.

Now the suspect is dead, and DeKalb police say the 81-year-old homeowner will not face charges for shooting and killing the man.

DeKalb police spokesman J.T. Ware said that about 11 p.m., the unidentified suspect, who appeared to be in his 20s, broke into the home on Zemory Drive, in a neighborhood off Lawrenceville Highway.

"The suspect, as he was entering the location, made enough noise to arouse the suspicions of the homeowner, and he was able to locate his weapon and load it," Ware said.

The homeowner confronted the suspect, and after a brief struggle, shot and killed the man, Ware said.

He said the homeowner, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized for treatment of wounds suffered during the struggle, but is expected to be okay. The man's 78-year-old wife was not injured.

Ware said police do not plan to charge the homeowner.

"He defended his home, defended his wife," Ware said. "He did what everybody would hope to do in a situation like that."

Labels: GA, home invasion

Homeowner Refused To Be Robbed

One Augusta homeowner refused to be robbed. And now he's talking about his encounter with a burglar. At least eight homes, in the Olde Town neighborhood have recently been broken into.

"He was in the house. Made it down the hallway into another room," said Tim Asmann, victim.

A surprise Asmann was not expecting at his Olde Town home Thursday afternoon. Asmann says someone knocked on his door several times, but when he didn't answer, the intruder broke into his house through a window in the back.

"I knew what he was there for. Trying to do something looking for something trying to steal something," said Asmann.

So, Asmann says he was ready and waiting.

"It was quick. Shoot or not shoot. I chose not to shoot. He didn't know that was coming at all. He thought the house was completely empty and he would walk through and get what he wanted," said Asmann.

But when the would-be burglar saw Asmann's gun he took off...empty handed. And he didn't get far.

"He pretty much cased out the residents. Unfortunately, he didn't do a good job because the owner was home which helped us make an arrest and end his career in Olde town quickly," said Lt. Tony Walden, Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Richmond County deputies arrested a 16-year-old boy. They say he is responsible for at least four break-ins in Olde Town since Valentine's Day.

Police reports show the teen stole Jewelry, laptops, cell phones, and guns. Investigators say he even used a credit card stolen from one of the homes to buy several hundred dollars worth of clothing and shoes online.

Because of this crime spree, there are now more deputies patrolling the neighborhood, including the crime suppression team.

...

Investigators also charged two others in connection with this crime spree. ... Two people are charged with felony and misdemeanor theft for receiving stolen property.

Labels: GA, home invasion

By 7:30 Monday evening it was business as usual at the Family Store in northwestern Atlanta. The store smelled freshly clean. The owners had removed the blood from the floor.

Two hours earlier, according to witnesses, two men had come into the convenience store at 2535 Center St. and started beating a customer. The customer then produced a gun, said Manuel Fernandez, who was working the counter. Seconds later, a 26-year-old man lay dead on the floor.

"It was two on one," the 20-year-old Fernandez said. "One was holding him, and the other was beating him in the face. That's when he got his arm free and pulled out the gun and shot."

"I think it was over money."

Outside, 14-year-old Vincent Cameron, who had been playing basketball at the store hoop, was apparently struck by a ricochet bullet. Relieved relatives said Vincent, who was being treated at a hospital, was going to be OK.

"He got shot and somehow he pulled the bullet out himself," said his cousin Shekena Talley, who lives in Paulding County. "They are going to stitch him up. He should be home soon."

"He said when he pulled the bullet out, it was hot."

Fernandez said when the shooting started he ducked behind the counter and heard several shots. When he stood back up, he saw one of the men who had been doing the beating on the floor, dead. Both the shooter and the guy who was holding him fled, Fernandez said.

...

The violence — in a city with more than 120 killings last year — didn't even merit a press release from the Atlanta Police Department.

Labels: altercation, GA

Would-be teen intruder shot in Macon

Macon police are investigating a shooting that happened shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday on Beech Avenue.

Macon police Capt. Jimmy Barbee said investigators believe the shooting stemmed from the sale of a stolen automobile.

An armed 14-year-old male allegedly entered a residence on Beech Avenue looking for someone.

The teenager searched the home but found no one, Barbee said. Residents were hiding in the closet.

As the teen was leaving the house, he got into a confrontation with an adult male, possibly a relative of the residents.

The teen pointed a gun at the man, according to police.

The man fired a gunshot from his own weapon, grazing the teenager in the head, police said.

The teen was taken by ambulance to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. His condition was not available late Thursday.

No charges against the man are pending. Police continue to investigate the incident.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Augusta homeowner shoots suspected burglary in leg

One man admits he shot another, but it's the man who was shot who went to jail.

The Thurman family says after two people stole from them they got a security system and a gun. Now, they say, they've both come in handy.

"As soon as [the motion sensor] went off, we were able to look out the window and see that he had opened the door to the truck," said Michael Thurman.

He says he thought it was a burglar.

So he grabbed his gun, ran downstairs and went outside.

"When I saw him right here I said hey what are you doing?" Thurman said.

An incident report shows the suspect, Jeffery Whitt, started to run to a dark part of the yard.

Thurman says he couldn't see him and was afraid he might be going to get a gun.

"Anything could've been in [the] area, so I did what I thought I needed to protect myself and my family. I fired a few shots,"

One of those shots into the dark hit the suspect in the leg.

Whitt kept running down the street and ended up at Macedonia Baptist Church.

Deputies arrested him and took him to MCG.

Thurman says his GPS system was missing and deputies found one between his house and the church.

Michael's wife says she's glad her husband stood up for her.

"I am proud that I have a husband that would protect his family," Angela Thurman said.

Michael's thankful his bullet only hurt the suspect, but even happier it helped deputies catch him.

But still, he says he and his wife may have some sleepless nights.

"I'm still shaking from the incident. Going through anything like that is horrible," Michael said.

Labels: GA, trespassing

Wheelchair-bound Man Shoots Attacker

A homeowner who is confined to a wheelchair shot and wounded a man who confronted him on his door step, Atlanta police told 11Alive News.

The homeowner was on his way out of his house on Flat Shoals Avenue Friday morning when he ran into a man at his door. The homeowner asked the man to leave, but the man started to assault the homeowner, authorities said.

During a struggle, the homeowner grabbed a gun and shot the attacker in the arm and chest.

The suspect was taken to the hospital. His condition was not known.

The homeowner was not injured.

Labels: assault, GA

Mother Shot, Son Shoots Stepfather

A Fulton County woman was shot twice in the stomach early Monday morning by her estranged husband, police said.

Fulton County police said the woman was being escorted to her car in front of her home on Leisure Lane in south Fulton County by her son when her estranged husband shot her with a shotgun.

The woman's son returned fire, shooting his stepfather before calling police, investigators said.

"I had just come outside to walk my dog and I walked back in the house," said neighbor Mary Ann Washington. "As soon as I walked back in the house, I heard a girl scream and then I heard shots -- a lot of shots."

Police said the couple was involved in an on-going domestic dispute, with the woman obtaining a restraining order against her estranged husband before the shooting.

The woman's son had been walking her to her car in front of her home daily in order to provide protection for her, investigators said.

Both the woman and her estranged husband are in serious condition at a local hospital.

No information has been released on any charges that may be filed against the woman's son.

Further links:
Police: Husband Shot Wife, Son Shot Husband

Labels: domestic dispute, GA

Man Shot After Invading Home

A man ended up in the hospital on this Christmas Eve because of a shooting.

The shooting happened just after noon off of Bradley Road in Fort Mitchell in Russell County.

The Russell County Sheriff's Department tells News Three, two men entered the home with weapons drawn.

The men took off with some items, and then, the homeowner and the men had an altercation.

The homeowner shot one of the men.

Sheriff's Deputies say the two tried to get away in a stolen vehicle from Columbus but the vehicle was shot at as well.

The vehicle was found in a ditch on the homeowner’s property.

The men ran to the neighbor's yard, and the neighbor called 9-1-1.

“A man called saying there was a black male that had been shot, appeared to be by a shotgun, laying in his yard,” says Lt. Heath Taylor of the Russell County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the men is in critical condition at a local hospital.

Both men are in custody.

Labels: GA, residence robbery

Charges dropped in shooting death DA says wife acted in self-defense when she killed her husband

All charges against 61-year-old Bobbi J. Dailey, the woman accused in the shooting death of her husband, Michael, at their home in SummerGrove on Feb. 6, have been dropped by the Coweta County District Attorney's office.

Dailey had been charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. In light of new evidence recently uncovered, the District Attorney's office has concluded that Dailey was acting in self-defense on the evening of Feb. 6 and have therefore dismissed the case against her, according to Assistant District Attorney Pat Dutcher.

Dailey, who was represented by Criminal Law Attorney Lawrence Delan, has been out of the Coweta County Jail since posting the $25,000 bond set by Coweta Superior Court Judge A. Quillian Baldwin on March 9.

According to Dutcher, the original evidence presented by the Newnan Police Department detectives indicated that Dailey may have maliciously shot and killed her husband. The investigator for the District Attorney's office recently discovered new evidence that indicated that Dailey reasonably believed she had to use deadly force to defend herself against her husband the evening of Feb. 6.

On the night of the shooting, Coweta 911 received a call at 10:10 p.m. from 507 Hunterian Place in SummerGrove from Bobbi Dailey. Police arrived on the scene to find Michael lying dead on the floor in a bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the heart.

Investigators determined that the Daileys had gotten into an argument while both were under the influence of alcohol in which one of them had retrieved a .40 caliber Sig Sauer gun. Bobbi got that gun and fired one shot, striking her husband in the chest, according to police.

"While we don't condone the act, this is no doubt a tragic situation," said Dutcher. "We believe now that we have the complete picture in the best interest of justice — that is our ethical responsibility."

Psychological testing conducted on Dailey indicated that she suffered from Battered Person Syndrome, a sub-category of post-traumatic stress disorder. The investigator with the District Attorney's office had interviewed two of Michael's former spouses and concluded that there was a history of abusive behavior, according to Dutcher.

Furthermore, Dutcher stated that evidence suggests that Michael had struck his wife the evening of the deadly altercation. Michael's right hand was swollen with abrasions, and Dailey's left eye was reportedly swollen and bruised. There was also a hole in the wall of the kitchen with traces of blood indicating that Michael may have punched his fist through it. Finally, there was a scratch mark on his neck suggesting to investigators that Dailey had tried to fight back.

"All the evidence was consistent with a domestic altercation," said Dutcher. "This was a difficult case, and the Daileys are good people. My heart goes out to the them in this tragedy. The possibility that we could reopen this case exists if any new evidence presents itself."

(More)

Labels: domestic abuse, female, GA

Authorities in Baldwin County are investigating an attempted home invasion and robbery today, after a man was shot and killed while trying to rob a family.

It happened at a home on Lakemere Lane in the Oaks at Willow Lake subdivision.

According to Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee, a homeowner went outside last night around 8:30pm and was attacked by two men. The homeowner was shot in the hand and pushed inside his home; he was held at gunpoint, and his wife was held at knife point.

Another relative was able to get out of the home and alerted the homeonwner's son, his parents were being attacked and robbed. The son arrived at the home with a gun, and shot and killed 27-year old Alonzo Mosley of Milledgeville. Mosley was pronounced dead at the scene.

This remains an ongoing investigation. Sheriff Massee says he does not believe this was a random robbery.

No charges will be brought against the victim's son for shooting Mosley. The sheriff says he feels like his actions were justified and necessary, adding "he did exactly what he should have done to protect his family".

Labels: GA, home invasion

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- A father protecting his family during a hold up shot and killed a robber late Thursday night.The family of four had just returned home from a school recital. After parking in their driveway the family was walking up the front walk at their house on Stardust Circle when three robbers stopped them.During the confrontation the father pulled out a gun and opened fire, killing one of the robbers. The other men ran off."It was a home invasion, but this time the invasion was on the other foot," said one neighbor.The neighbor says the wounded man died in the family's yard and the other two men fled on foot.That same neighbor told police that she heard her dog attack one of the robbers as he ran through her backyard.

DECATUR, Ga. -- DeKalb County police continued Friday to look for two suspects after a man shot and killed a third attacker who tried to rob his family as they returned home from a school event.

DeKalb Police spokesman Jonathon Ware said Ronald Johnson, 36, and his family were returning to their home in south DeKalb County and getting out of their vehicle when the suspects, armed with a handgun and a shotgun, attempted to rob them shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday.

Johnson pulled his own gun and killed one of the suspects, Ware said, and the other two men fled on foot.

Ware said Friday that police had not yet identified the dead man.

He said the shooting "has been deemed justified," and no charges will be filed against Johnson.

Neither Johnson, nor his family - whom Ware identified as Lekeysha Mattox, 34, and two girls ages 16 and 4 - were injured in the attack.

Labels: GA, home invasion, residence robbery

Bibb homeowner fires gun at suspected burglars, two arrested

Bibb County deputies have arrested two men who allegedly abandoned plans to break into an Ashford Chase Court home after the homeowner fired a gun at them, according to a sheriff's office news release.

Deputies received a 911 call from the home just after noon on Sunday in which the homeowner reported a burglary was in progress. When the burglars smashed a window the homeowner fired a shot from a pistol at the window, causing the men to run away, according to the release.

Evidence left behind at the house led deputies to a local fast food restaurant where video of the men was discovered.

Investigators were able to identify the robbers as 19-year-old Daunte Franklin of Park Lane Place and 22-year-old Kerrence Thomas of Forest Avenue who were suspects in previous cases, according to the release.

Shortly after 2 p.m. deputies found Franklin and Thomas hiding in a van in a parking lot off Zebulon Road, according to the release.

Franklin and Thomas have been charged with burglary and are being held at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Complex, according to the release.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Arbor Place Mall Reopens After Shootings

A Brinks employee and a suspected robber were shot as two men tried to rob a Brinks Security truck outside a shopping mall in west Georgia.

Douglasville police chief Joe Whisenant told CNN that at least one suspect fired shots at the Brinks employee as he was leaving the mall with money. Whisenant said the employee returned fire, hitting one of the suspects.

Both the guard and the suspect are recovering in Atlanta hospitals. Whisenant told CNN both are expected to survive, but the suspect was in worse shape than the Brinks employee.

"It was a lot of shots, like nine," witness Leigh Knight told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "After about the fourth one, we figured out what it was and we threw the kids under the table and we laid down on top of them. I saw a Brinks man laying face up, he was conscious. There was another man next to him laying face down."

A store owner told the newspaper that police SWAT team members roamed the mall with guns drawn.

The mall is a stand-alone mall in the suburb of Douglasville, which is west of Atlanta.

The mall was locked down after the shootings, but it has reopened.

Labels: defender shot, GA, private security, street robbery

Homeowner sends burglars to hospital

Investigators say two armed burglars invaded a home Friday night around 8:30pm on the 3000-block of Tate Rd.

A struggle occurred between the homeowner and one of the men. The homeowner was shot in the arm, but was able to get the gun away from the burglars to shoot back.

The two burglars drove themselves to the hospital where they were arrested.

The two men have been identified as Montrelle Teasley and Marcus Turner. Both will be charged with armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime.

Teasley is a juvenile, but will be charged as an adult.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, GA, home invasion, residence robbery

Albany-- There was gunfire in northwest Albany as a convenience store owner fought off an armed robber.

A little after seven o'clock Wednesday night, a man entered the Mini-Mart at 2422 Stuart Avenue, showed a gun and demanded money. That's when store owner Mike Patel pulled out his own gun and fired one shot at the would-be robber.

Labels: business robbery, GA

ATLANTA -- A witness fired shots at some burglars at a boutique in Atlanta Tuesday morning, police said.

Police said the burglars broke out a window at the Urban Fusion boutique on Peters Street around 4 a.m.

While the burglars were trying to carry out merchandise, a person living in an apartment across the street saw them and began firing shots.

The men dropped the merchandise and ran away, police said.

Police haven’t said who the shooter was.

Labels: business burglary, GA

Man shot dead attempting to rob nonprofit

An employee of a Stone Mountain nonprofit association that helps war-torn refugees shot and killed a robber who forced his way into the office Tuesday evening around closing time, authorities said.

The robber collapsed and died near a rear door of the World Relief, an immigrant resettlement agency at 655 Village Square Drive, according to DeKalb County police spokesman Marcus Hodge.

Hodge said around 6:30 p.m. the two robbers entered through the rear door as two male employees, described as older men, were preparing to leave and lock the front door.

Both robbers were armed with handguns, and one of them acted as a lookout, Hodge said.

The other demanded the victims' wallets, then put his gun to one employee's head and ordered him to open a safe, Hodge said.

When the robber turned his back, the other employee grabbed a gun from his desk and fired several shots at the robber, Hodge said.

Hodge said he did not know how many times the robber was struck, or where he was wounded.

Both robbers ran, though the wounded robber did not make it far. Police were still searching for the second robber late Tuesday.

The name of the employee who shot the robber was not immediately released Tuesday. He had not been charged late Tuesday, Hodge said, because the shooting appears to have been in self-defense.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Police Say Customer at Norcross Restaurant Fatally Shot Man in Self Defense

Police say a customer, who shot and killed a man at a restaurant early Thursday morning, did so in self defense. It happened at barnacles [sic] on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross.

Fatal shooting at Norcross bar marks Gwinnett homicide record

Norcross police say they're unlikely to file charges in a fatal shooting at a local bar early Thursday.

The killing — the third homicide within the city limits this year — marks the record for Gwinnett County.

Police identified the dead man as Juan Ojeda, 54, a Spanish national living near Norcross who officers said was a regular at Barnacles Restaurant on Jimmy Carter Boulevard.

Another patron killed Ojeda in self defense, said Norcross Police Detective Jason Carter.

The homicide is the 41st for Gwinnett, according to the county medical examiner's office.

That surpasses last year's record of 40.

In the 1997 Gwinnett had only 17 homicides. But in since 2003, it has had more than 30 every year. Local law enforcement experts have cited the county's skyrocketing population.

Witnesses said Ojeda appeared to have been drinking when he drove up to the restaurant around midnight, Carter said. Ojeda joined a group of four other people — other regulars, but not well acquainted with the man — on the patio and became belligerent when one person asked Ojeda not to be obnoxious.

Carter said Ojeda grabbed one man's neck.

"Imagine a 54-year-old man putting a 26-year-old guy in a headlock," Carter said. Witnesses said that a moment later Ojeda feigned an apology, then lunged at another man and bit him in the neck, Carter said.

Managers and patrons ran Ojeda off, but he returned a few minutes later around 1 a.m., gun in hand, witnesses told Carter. As people on the patio scattered, one of the men he'd been sitting with ran away but drew his own gun, police said. The patron fired once, hitting Ojeda in the head as he stood in the parking lot, police said.

Police did not release the name of the patron who killed Ojeda, citing their continuing investigation. But they characterized the event as an apparent act of self defense.

The group remained at the restaurant after the shooting and gave police statements.

"They've been totally cooperative," Carter said.

Calls to relatives and co-workers of Ojeda were not returned.

"If you came in here in the afternoons, you'd recognize him," general manager Mike Ogozelec said of Ojeda, referring further questions to the restaurant's corporate office.

Labels: assault, GA

Man killed in shooting after robbery

A suspected bank robber has been shot and killed by a security guard at an Atlanta bank.

Police say two other suspects are still at large.

Police say the guard shot the man just after he robbed the bank, as the man was trying to escape. They say the robber collapsed just outside the front door of the Bank of America branch office.

Just before the shooting, a customer alerted bank officials about suspicious activity in the parking lot. Police say the other two suspects are believed to have been waiting in a vehicle. They fled the scene.

Nobody else inside the bank was hurt.

Police are talking to the security guard -- but they say it looks like he acted appropriately.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Macon homeowner gets shot, responds by shooting armed robber in eye

A Macon man was shot in the stomach by an armed robber and returned fire, shooting the robber in the eye Monday night, according to a Macon Police Department report.

Grover E. Glover, 64, of Lamont St., reported to police that Jamel Scott came to his house just before 11 p.m. and asked to use the telephone to call for help for his broken down car.

Once inside, Scott pulled out a gun and demanded money from Glover, according to the report.

After striking him in the head with the gun, Glover told Scott his wallet was in a drawer in his bedroom. Once in the bedroom, Glover instead pulled a gun from the drawer and Scott fired before he could turn around, according to the report.

Glover told officers he then shot Scott in the eye and Scott ran out of the house, leaving his gun behind, according to the report.

Warrants have been issued for Scott's arrest on the charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault, said Macon police spokeswoman Sgt. Melanie Hofmann.

Labels: defender shot, GA, home invasion

Man killed during alleged home invasion

An early-morning struggle in a darkened duplex left a man lying dead on the floor next to a backpack full of burglary tools, Clayton County Police said.

The renting resident told detectives he heard the noise of someone breaking down his back door at about 4:30, Wednesday morning. He went to check, and bumped into someone in the kitchen.

“He saw the suspect reaching for a gun in his waistband,” said Deputy Chief Tim Robinson, and “was somehow able to disarm the suspect. He fell back — I’m talking, maybe 10 feet — he fired and he killed the suspect.”

The renter, whose name has not yet been released by police, fired several shots inside his 5701 Williamsburg Trace residence, between Riverdale and College Park, according to his statements to police.

The man called 911 almost 2 1/2 hours later. He said he was calling from his cell phone and was standing outside, down the street from his home, according to police.

“He said someone had broken into his house and he had shot him,” Robinson said. “The question we’re trying to answer... We’re trying to account for the time frame between when he said it happened and when he actually called.”

Police dispatch received a report of shots fired, in that neighborhood, at about 5:15 a.m., between the time the man said he shot the intruder and the time he called for police.

A patrol car went through the neighborhood, after the first 911 call, but there was no one on the street and nothing visibly wrong, Robinson said.

The resident told police he was scared, after firing several shots at the man in the dark duplex, and ran away. He said he made calls to friends, on his cell phone, and eventually came back to the neighborhood and called 911, Robinson said.

After getting a warrant to search the home, because the missing 2 1/2 hours made police suspicious, detectives and crime scene investigators went inside.

Everything seemed to match the man’s account.

“The physical evidence tends to support his story,” the deputy chief said. “And he’s been very cooperative.”

The angle of the bullet, the position of the body, the signs the back door was forced open and the bag next to the dead man’s body all lent credence to the resident’s account of being surprised by a home invasion and then shooting a would-be burglar to death.

Police have not yet positively identified the dead man. They have a tentative identification, Robinson said, and have some indication he had burgled before.

“He did have a backpack, and inside that backpack he did have several items that are indicative of someone who was burgling homes,” Robinson said.

The investigation, however, is ongoing.

Labels: GA, residence burglary

Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

A Madison County homeowner shot and killed an intruder who tried to break into his home Sunday morning, police said.

Sheriff Clayton Lowe said William Keith Parks of Carlton, Ga., entered the home about 12:30 a.m. Sunday and was shot and killed by the homeowner.

Lowe did release the homeowner's name.

County Coroner Michelle Cleveland said Parks, 41, was shot in the chest with a shotgun at close range as he entered the house through the door of a rear porch.

Cleveland said there was no altercation before the shooting and the homeowner's wife called 911 afterward.

An autopsy is planned.

Comer is located near Athens, Ga.

Labels: GA, home invasion

A mentally disturbed man who authorities say approached a neighbor's home in a threatening manner was shot and critically wounded Thursday in South Hall County.

Authorities said David Klefforth, 20, had a history of violent criminal acts and suffered from unspecified mental health issues. Klefforth was in critical condition Thursday night at Grady Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Hall County Sheriff's Maj. Jeff Strickland said Klefforth and his parents had recently moved into a home behind the residence of Brian and Sandra Pannell, who live in the 5000 block of Blackberry Lane off McEver Road.

At about 8:10 a.m. Thursday, Klefforth approached the Pannells' home by walking up their driveway. The couple did not know him as a neighbor.

"They had never seen him before," Strickland said.

Sandra Pannell, who had just driven up to the house, saw the suspicious man and alerted her husband, who had her go inside the home while he came out with a small caliber handgun.

"He pointed the gun at (Klefforth) and ordered him to stop," Strickland said. Klefforth, who was unarmed, ignored the command and kept walking toward the front door of the home, Strickland said. After warning him several times, Brian Pannell fired one shot at the man's legs, which missed.

Strickland said Klefforth spoke to Pannell, though he declined to specify what was said.

"What put (Pannell) in fear of danger to his family is that (Klefforth) continued to make aggressive moves toward him after the first shot missed," Strickland said.

A second shot hit Klefforth in the abdomen, causing him to fall over.

Deputies and paramedics responded to the shooting scene within minutes and Klefforth was airlifted from a nearby industrial site off McEver Road.

As of Thursday night, Klefforth remained in "extremely critical" condition, Strickland said.

Pannell has not been charged with a crime. The case was forwarded to the office of Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh for review.

"That's a standard procedure in any shooting where self-defense is in play," Strickland said.

Labels: altercation, GA, trespassing

Pit Bull Attack Victim Speaks Out

Friends and family are staying close by Kelly Edwards' side as he recovers from multiple bite wounds to his arms, legs and torso.

He said he vividly remembers the attack by three pit bulls as he went for his daily walk Monday.

“The small one came out and leaped for me and got me on my side, and I fell,” he recalled. “Then, when I was on the ground they were snapping at me and biting me. There was one place on my arm where the skin was laid open where one of them bit me."

He said he tried his best to fight the dogs off.

“I lost so much blood, I was just too weak,” he said.

As the dogs were attacking Edwards, one neighbor came up and fended them off with a walking stick, then another shot one of the dogs dead. Edwards said if David Banner hadn't stepped in, he might be dead.

“I owe him my life, I do,” he said.

“He’s our hero, said Edwards' daughter Kathy Westall.

The two surviving pit bulls are at the Barrow County Animal Shelter, but not for long.

“The two remaining dogs were surrendered by their owner and will be euthanized tomorrow, and then the remains will be analyzed for rabies,” said Barrow County Animal Control Director Stephen Eades.

Edwards and his daughters are now hoping he won't need rabies shots and that he'll soon be out of the hospital. They hope other dog owners learn from his ordeal.

“They need to restrain their dogs, dogs don't need to be running free,” he said. “It’s bad what happened but if it had been a child they child would not have made it."

Labels: animal, GA

Residents Shoot Home Invaders in Brunswick

Brunswick police are investigating a deadly home invasion. In this case, however, police say the intended targets fought back and shot the suspects.

One man is dead and another seriously injured.

Brunswick police received a 9-1-1 call about a home invasion, just after 1:30 Monday morning. When officers arrived at the house on Wolfe Street, they found an 18 year old sitting on the porch, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Another man had been shot inside the house. He died at a local hospital. The man who was shot in the stomach will be facing criminal charges, according to police.

Police say the two men who were shot broke into the home and tried to rob the residents at gunpoint.

Robbery target won't be victim, kills intruder

When two armed men allegedly attempted to rob a house full of young adults in Brunswick early Monday morning, their victims fought back.

A man visiting the house at 601 Wolfe St. in the city's south end pulled a handgun from the front of his pants and shot the two would-be robbers, killing one of them and wounding the other, police said.

Police did not release the names of the two suspects. No charges had been filed Monday.

The renters of the house, Leah Whitman, 18, Robert Herd, 20, and Josh Stout, 20, had been living there almost three months and had spent all day Sunday moving out their furniture and personal things, Whitman said.

That evening, the three planned to hang out on the front porch one last time with friends and enjoy the Labor Day weekend.

At about 1:30 a.m. Monday, the three, accompanied by two other friends, were sitting on the porch of the two-story, yellow house when the two would-be robbers jumped onto the porch and pulled out a gun.

Whitman said they had been watching the two suspects canvass the neighborhood before the attack.

"They walked up and down the block a couple of times," she said. "We honestly didn't have any idea they were going (to rob) us, though."

Whitman said the two armed men walked her and the others, most of whom were in their early 20s, to the back of the house adjacent to the kitchen.

"They made us take off our shoes and empty our pockets, and stole all of our cell phones," Whitman said. "When they couldn't find cash, they began stealing our change and counting it right there in front of us."

She said the two then demanded car keys.

"They kept joking with us the whole time, telling us they had just smoked crack and that we are poor kids," Whitman said. "One of the robbers said that (his accomplice) had just gotten out of prison, and not to mind him because it was his first time robbing anybody."

At one point, one of the robbers went outside and returned carrying a shotgun, Whitman said.

Whitman said no one knows where the shotgun came from, but believe the robbers might have taken it out of a vehicle belonging to one of her friends.

"One of the robbers who took my car keys even went into the front console of my car and stole all the pennies I had laying there," Stout said.

Every time a new visitor showed up at the house, they were greeted by the robbers, frisked for money and taken to the back room.

The two men became aggravated when more people kept showing up, Whitman said.

About that time, Hector, a friend of the Wolfe Street renters, whose last name they would not reveal, happened to show up at the house.

Hector had never been to the house before and none of the other guests had any idea he was going to drop by for a visit, they said.

"When Hector showed up, (the robbers) walked him to the back room, too," Whitman said.

She said the two made Hector empty out his pockets and take off his shoes just like everybody else. What the two didn't realize was that Hector had a .45 caliber pistol tucked in the front of his jeans.

One of the attackers was in the kitchen area and the other in the front hallway when Hector began shooting.
It played out just like a scene from a movie, Whitman said.

"When the robber tried to rob (Hector), he emptied his pockets, then said, 'I don't know who you think you're robbing,'" she said Monday afternoon. "That's when he pulled out his gun and began shooting them."

Hector allegedly fired two shots at the suspect in the kitchen and three at the suspect in the hallway.

"He took both of them out before either had a chance to shoot back," Herd said. "It all happened so fast ... It's a blur."

The suspect in the kitchen was shot in the abdomen; the one in the hallway was fatally shot in the right side.

"After Hector shot (the robbers), we all crawled out the windows of the house, and (Hector) stayed inside to make sure we got out safe," Whitman said.

The suspect who was fatally shot tried to run up the stairs after he was wounded and died at the top of the staircase, said witnesses at the home on Monday.

The other suspect managed to walk out to the front porch, where he was found by city police and rushed to the emergency room of the Brunswick hospital of Southeast Georgia Health System.

Whitman, thinking back on the incident Monday afternoon, said she feels lucky to be alive.

She said neither of the suspects wore bandanas or masks to cover their faces.

"They were completely unmasked and I think they would have shot us because they wouldn't have wanted to leave any witnesses," she said. "(Hector) really saved our lives."

Everett Clark, who lives across from the house on Wolfe Street, said he hopes the shooting is a warning to any would-be robbers in Brunswick.

"Maybe this will send a message that we're sick of all these robberies and violence, and we're not going to take it anymore," he said.

Labels: GA, home invasion, residence robbery

Convenience store owner foils armed robbers

The owner of a west Chatham County convenience store derailed the plans of two armed men who tried to rob him Thursday morning, using a gun of his own to send them packing.

The would-be robbers, with guns drawn, entered Mike's Mini Mart at 2101 Lewis Mills Blvd. shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police.

When the owner saw the barrels of the assailants' guns, he pulled out his own weapon and immediately opened fire as they entered. Seconds later, the two assailants turned and fled from the business.

No customers were in the store, and no injuries were reported.

The men fired two shots at the business before fleeing, blowing out their own rear window in the process, according to a police report.

Police are asking the public's help to find a small blue or black car with the rear windshield shot out.

The car was last seen traveling toward ACL Boulevard with an orange hand truck or a lawn mower protruding from its trunk.

The assailants are described as two black males, one wearing a white T-shirt, dark shorts and white tennis shoes. He is 6 feet tall, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, with long dreadlocks. His accomplice stands about 5 feet, 9 inches, weighing 160 pounds. He was wearing a gray or green ball cap, a black hooded sweatshirt and yellow jogging pants with two stripes down the sides.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Convenience Store Owner Fires Back at Armed Robbers

A frightening night for customers and the store owner at a convenience store in Griffin.

The robbery happened at Tony's One Stop just before midnight Wednesday on U.S. 41.

A customer, Chris Albright, says he had taken a short cut through the woods to the store where he says two robbers, wearing orange ski masks, jumped him and told him to get on the ground and put a gun to his head. He says they also told him to stand against a wall.

Spalding County deputies say the two later confronted customers behind the store and robbed them.

Deputies say the robbers shot the store owner in the face; he fired back, wounding at least one of the suspects.

Officers later arrested two 17-year-old suspects when they showed up for treatment at a hospital in Clayton County. They also arrested a 17-year-old girl from Henry County who they believe was driving the getaway car, which they also recovered.

The store owner remains in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Wounded Store Owner to be Released

The Spalding County convenience store owner who was shot and wounded in a shootout with some teen robbers late Wednesday night was scheduled for release from Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon, according to his father.

"It's a miracle that saved his life," Parish Harvil's father, Ron Harvil, told 11Alive News. Harvil said that as one of the gunmen shot at Parish, Parish instinctively raised his hand in front of his face.

"That deflected the bullet and caused it to tumble" and lose velocity, Harvil said. It embedded in Parish Harvil's skin, in his head, and did not cause a serious wound.

"It took the tip of his middle finger off" on his left hand, Ron said. He said doctors have reattached it.

Parish Harvil was still able to wound one of the robbers in his hand, and that's what led police to arrest the three suspects who are now in custody. Now, Sheriff James Stewart said one of the suspects is cooperating with investigators. Stewart has scheduled an afternoon news conference to update the public on the on-going investigation.

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Labels: business robbery, defender shot, GA

Homeowner Shoots Burglar

According to police, a morning shooting in Columbus was a case of self defense.

Around 9:30 Wednesday morning police say a man armed with a gun entered a home on Patch drive.

Authorities say the homeowner pulled his own gun to defend himself. Sergeant Harvey Hatcher with the Columbus Police Department tells News Three this was a clear case of self defense. Hatcher says "right now the preliminary investigation shows the homeowner who lives here was confronted by a subject with a gun. The homeowner was able to retrieve his own weapon and fired shots at the suspect". Hatcher says the attacker was shot in the arm and was taken to The hospital. After the shooting the culprit ran one block away to Eddy street where he was taken into custody.

The case is being handled as an attempted burglary. The homeowner was not charged.

Labels: GA, residence robbery

Tattoo parlor owner shoots robber

The shotgun hangs on the wall of the Tattoo Doctor for a reason, its employees say. It's meant to convey a message to anyone walking in: Don't mess with us.

Until now, the insinuation worked fine. But when a would-be robber tried to hold up the southwest Atlanta tattoo and piercing parlor Thursday night, he learned the hard way what happens when you disobey.

The store owner shot the man at least three times, sending him scurrying out of the shop and into a nearby apartment complex — where he was promptly arrested.

"Stop trying to rob, that's not the avenue they need to take," said the owner's brother, who goes by the name "Zok" Patrick.

"But if you do," he added, "be ready for the repercussions."

About seven people, including patrons and employees, were at the shop on Campbellton Road when two men came in about 8 p.m. asking to get tattooed.

As one of them was called in for his appointment, the second man pulled out a gun, ordered everyone to get down on the ground and demanded money, Patrick said.

"He pointed to the [shotgun] and said nobody touch it," Patrick said. "We put it up there to curtail exactly this type of behavior."

As the patrons hit the ground, the store owner — whose business license lists him as Ikeno Patrick, but who goes by "Nomadic" — pulled out a different gun and fired.

"Zok" Patrick says his brother returned fire only after the would-be robber fired some shots of his own. Police had not sorted through the details of the attempted robbery by late Thursday night.

"From what I seen, [my brother] hit him on the mouth, the shoulder, the side," Patrick said.

The man ran out, firing back over his shoulder as he made his escape through the parking lot.

"The whole neighborhood must have called police. There were so many shots fired," Patrick said.

The store is in a shopping center that houses, among other businesses, a barber shop and a pizza place.

As the shots flew, the second man cowered in a corner, saying, "Please don't kill me. I didn't have nothing to do with it," Patrick recalled.

Atlanta police Officer Eric Schwartz said the would-be robber, whose name was not released, was arrested and taken to a hospital in stable condition.

"Nomadic" Patrick was taken to a police station to give his version of events. The other employees spent late Thursday night picking up glass shards and sweeping out the debris.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Burglar pursued by quick-thinking man, nipped by dog

Thief apprehended after hold-up at Ellenwood truck stop

A security guard on his way to work late Wednesday night helped capture a man police said had just robbed an Ellenwood truck stop.

Vincent Taylor, 40, noticed a man coming out of the Fuel Center on Ga. 42 carrying a gun and large amount of money, said Clayton County police Deputy Chief Tim Robinson. Taylor was on his way to work at Turner Broadcasting, police said.

"Realizing what had occurred, Taylor gave chase on foot," Robinson said.

The armed robber, later identified by police as Robert C. Flynn II, 21, of Stockbridge, turned and fired at Taylor, Robinson said. Taylor returned fire from his handgun as Flynn ran into nearby woods, police said.

Neither man was hit and Taylor stayed at the truck stop to wait for police, Robinson said.

A K-9 unit was sent into the woods and tracked Flynn down within minutes, Robinson said. Flynn struggled with the dog and was bitten, police said. He was treated at Southern Regional Medical Center before being taken to the Clayton County Jail.

Robinson said the gun Flynn used in the robbery was reported stolen in January 2006 out of DeKalb County. Police said they also recovered more than $1,200 in cash stolen from the Fuel Center.

Flynn is charged with armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and theft by receiving stolen property, police said

Labels: business robbery, fugitive, GA

Monroe man shot with own pistol after fight

When David Brown pulled out his 9mm pistol Monday morning, he was ready to use it.

But when the gun jammed on Brown, Greg Cooper, the would-be victim, took the weapon and used the handgun to beat Brown with it. The weapon fired, hitting Brown.

Police responded to a report of shots fired just after 9 a.m. at 713-B Lacy St. When officers arrived, they could not find an assailant or a victim but followed a blood trail from where the shooting took place to the back porch of 717-A.

“It appears the two men got into an argument, one pulled a weapon out, cocked it, and it misfired,” Investigator Alicia Martin said. “It then proceeded into a physical altercation. Once the gun misfired, the victim took the gun away and proceeded to use it against his assailant.”

A 9mm shell was located in the driveway, according to reports seven to eight feet away from where the blood started.

Brown, 28, of 735 Lacy St., was later located at his house and transported by Walton EMS to Athens Regional Hospital. Reports were that he had several lacerations to his hand and was shot in the wrist of his left hand.

Monroe Police Department officials expect to issue warrants for Brown’s arrest by the end of the week.

Labels: altercation, assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, GA

No charges for Bishop man who shot intruder

Oconee County Sheriff's deputies don't plan to charge a 30-year-old Bishop man who says he shot an armed burglar Sunday afternoon.

The Railroad Street man told deputies that he was acting in self-defense when he shot an intruder in the left forearm.

Deputies said the man was awakened shortly before noon by the sound of someone prying open a side door, which had been screwed shut because of a previous break-in.

The man told deputies the burglar walked into the living room and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at him, but he grabbed a .38-caliber handgun from a nearby coffee table and fired.

The burglar, identified as Joseph Lee Austin, 29, of 4140 Bowers Pointe Drive, Lilburn, ran from the house and left the area in a pickup truck driven by another man, deputies said.

Austin called deputies minutes later from Jack's Food Mart on Greensboro Highway, four miles away in Watkinsville, to report the shooting. Deputies who responded to the convenience store said they found an empty pistol holster on the floor truck.

Austin, who was unarmed when deputies arrived, was taken to St. Mary's Hospital for treatment.

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Labels: GA, home invasion

Store owner shoots suspect, police say

The brother of a man charged this month in a nightclub shooting was shot Monday morning by an Augusta merchant who said he caught the teen burglarizing his store.

Derrell Lamar McNair, 14, the younger brother of Darion Antonio McNair, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and burglary, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Brandon Beckman.

The older Mr. McNair has been charged with murder in a July 9 shooting at Club Super C's Lounge on Tobacco Road, and remains in jail.

Police said Raheim Michael Badger, the owner of the F.A.M.E. clothing store on Wrightsboro Road, told them he was spending the night in the store because of recent burglaries.

At about 4 a.m. Monday, he said, he awoke to a crash in the front of the business and saw a figure, later identified as Mr. McNair, stealing clothes.

The burglar fired a handgun at the owner, who returned fire, Investigator Beckman said.

Mr. McNair was later found at University Hospital, where he had been dropped off for treatment of a gunshot wound, Investigator Beckmam said.

Police said they believe 23-year-old Jordash Tanksley, who has outstanding warrants for aggravated assault and carjacking in connection with a shooting this year, also was involved in the burglary.

He, too, is wanted for questioning in the Super C's shooting that left 18-year-old Stedmund Fryer dead, Investigator Beckman said.

Mr. Tanksley's father, Clarence Tanksley, 46, of the 2400 block of Madrid Drive,is also wanted for questioning.

Labels: business burglary, GA, minor offender

Teen shot in southwest Cobb

A juvenile was shot Sunday night after he allegedly participated in a home invasion in southwest Cobb County.

According to police two juveniles attempted to rob a home on South Gordon Road in Mableton just before 11 p.m. Sunday. When police arrived on the scene, they found one of the youths with a gunshot wound.

Sgt. Dana Pierce, a police spokesman, said that during the attempted robbery the youths shot at the victims. One of the people in the home returned fire, wounding one of the youths. He was taken to a local hospital.

The remaining juvenile was charged with aggravated assault.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Would be robber met with shotgun

A Dougherty County armed robber found himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun Thursday night. The robber had every intention of holding up a liquor store near Putney, but a quick-thinking security guard changed his mind in a hurry.

In the parking lot at Dora's Beer and Wine on U.S. 19 South in Dougherty County, the would-be robber, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, pulled a gun and headed inside.

But before he got inside, he got a surprise. Manager Sheryl Morgan said "we have a security guard in the evening who sits here, and he saw him. And he went out after him."

The guard pulled a shotgun, and the robber took off running. Morgan went out to back him up, but the robber escaped in a waiting car. Morgan said "you are working hard to make a living, what little bit of living you can make, and then someone wants to come in and take everything away from you. To me it's not fair."

Morgan was the victim of a robbery late last year at the store, when a man held a gun to her head. She says she got angry, and is not going through that again. Morgan said "I'm gonna fight back. I really am. We have the protection and all, so yes, we are going to fight back."

Dougherty County Police Chief Don Cheek says no amount of money is worth dying for, but understands when people decide they are willing to fight against criminals. Cheek said "we certainly recognize that people want to protect their property, and have the right to protect their property."

Morgan says they will continue to keep armed security, and are ready to use guns to protect themselves. Cheek said "it can have deadly and disastrous consequences. You stand the possibility of being injured. But you might also be able to protect your property, so it's the individual's choice."

Morgan says she believes it's time people took a stand against crime. Morgan said "if you just lay down and let them take over, you are losing. You are letting them win. Something has to be done."

Morgan and her fellow workers say they are glad they are not the latest crime victims today.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Motorist fights back in robbery

A Columbus motorist decided he wasn't going to take it after a robber took his wallet at gunpoint on Tennessee Drive Monday night, police said.

Jerrod Towers was stopped in his 1996 Lincoln Town Car at Tennessee Drive and Matilda Lane about 11 p.m. when a man pulled up in a white Chevy Caprice, stepped from the vehicle, put a handgun to Towers' head and demanded money.

Towers complied and put his wallet on the ground. The gunman demanded more. When Towers said he didn't have any more, the robber put one hand around Towers' neck.

The victim took that opportunity to drive away from his attacker, who quickly fired two rounds, police said.

Towers stopped his car, popped his trunk, pulled a shotgun out and fired a round at the robber who was at that time running back to his own vehicle, police said. The robber wasn't hit, and Towers escaped unharmed.

The case remains under investigation.

Labels: GA, street robbery

Elderly Roswell Woman Seriously Injured after Pit Bull Attack

An elderly Roswell woman suffered serious injuries after she was viciously attacked by a pit bull Friday.

This incident happened Friday morning when the dog got away from the 12-year-old girl who was walking it.

Roswell police said that around 7:45 a.m., 60-year-old Lankhanh Trinh was was on her morning walk when the pit bull attacked her. A 12-year-old girl was walking the dog when it broke free and attacked Trinh.

Several neighbors heard the attack and tried to get the dog off Trinh. Another neighbor, Marc Del Santo, came outside to help and when the dog charged toward him, he shot and killed the dog,.

Trinh suffered severe head and facial injuries and was rushed to North Fulton Regional Hospital in serious condition. Another neighbor was bitten on the arm.

Animal Control issued the dog's owner a vicious dog warning.

Labels: animal, GA

Another Local Homeowner Forced To Kill Intruder

An 84-year old man fired the shots overnight. Investigators say he hit the woman trying to rob his home--- a woman in her late 20s early thirties who is now in serious condition at MCG. Frank Sams says the same woman had been coming to his house trying to steal from him and his wife several times this week. He was outside with his gun early this morning when she came back. He says he saw her trying to break in this building behind his house when he fired. Investigators say this is just another case of a homeowner protecting themselves and their property. This shooting follows a similar incident earlier this week. Authorities say a homeowner came face to face with a burglar trying to get in his home Wednesday. The army captain shot and killed him. No charges are expected.

Labels: GA, residence burglary

South Richmond County Homeowner Fights Back

WJBF News Channel 6 has learned that a South Richmond County resident will not be charged after he reportedly shot and killed a home invader. At the scene, WJBF has learned that when the Linderwood Drive resident came home today, he noticed that his home had been ransacked. He grabbed a weapon and came upon a suspect in his home. That's when he shot the invader. Early indications from deputies are that this homeowner was defending himself and no charges will be fired.

South Augusta Homeowner Shoots Intruder While On The Phone With 911

A homeowner took matters into his own hands Wednesday afternoon.

He shot an intruder while he was on the phone with 911.

The homeowner used a high powered rifle, similar to an A-K 47, to defend himself when he noticed his house had been robbed.

He also noticed several of his guns were missing.

While he was on the phone with 911, he saw the burglar come back into his house.

The homeowner told investigators that because some of his guns were missing, he opened fire.

Investigators say they believe he was acting in self-defense, but it's still early in the investigation.
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The intruder went into surgery at an Augusta hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Soldier comes home early, kills burglar
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A man who police said broke into an Army officer's south Augusta house to steal guns was fatally shot Wednesday by the soldier living there.

Errol Lavar Royal, 29, of the 2200 block of Ramblewood Drive was pronounced dead at Medical College of Georgia Hospital about 6:45 p.m. Police said he lived with his parents near the burglarized home in the 3400 block of Linderwood Drive in the Pepperidge subdivision.

Capt. Barre Bollinger, an Iraq war veteran, told police he returned from work about 3:30 p.m. and found his house had been ransacked, said Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Thomas Johnson.

Capt. Bollinger told police he entered his bedroom and noticed that guns were missing.

He grabbed his SKS rifle - a weapon similar to an AK-47 assault rifle - and called 911, Investigator Johnson said.

"While on the phone with 911, he sees the suspect approaching his back door. Because he believes the man now is armed with his stolen weapons, Mr. Bollinger fires at him three times," Investigator Johnson said.

Mr. Royal was shot at least twice in the stomach area. A search of his residence produced two guns taken from Capt. Bollinger's house and marijuana, the investigator said.

Neighbors told police that Capt. Bollinger, who is stationed at Fort Gordon, generally works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but occasionally returns home early.

As of now, there are no plans to charge Capt. Bollinger in the shooting, police said.

A similar shooting occurred a week ago, when a woman shot an intruder on Lexington Drive, less than a mile from Linderwood Drive.

Labels: GA, residence burglary

Brunswick man acquitted in shooting death

A Brunswick man has been acquitted in the shooting death of another man in the parking lot of a Glynn County apartment complex two years ago.

Moses Emanuel Walker, who testified that he acted in self-defense, was found not guilty of murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in the death of Darrell Hobbs, 27, of Brunswick on Nov. 9, 2005, outside Camelia Apartments, 5800 Altama Ave.

A Glynn County jury deliberated about five and a half hours before acquitting Walker, 26. The verdict Wednesday night ended a trial that began April 18.

Hobbs was shot twice at close range with a .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic pistol. Walker was seated at the steering wheel of his car when he shot Hobbs who was standing outside at the driver's door, a Glynn County police investigation showed.

The shooting occurred during an argument about a woman, according to the investigation.

Walker testified that he believed Hobbs had a gun, and shot him as he appeared to be reaching for the weapon.

Hobbs had a criminal record, including convictions in 2004 for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana. He also had been convicted of sale of cocaine in 1997, Georgia Department of Corrections records show.

Glynn police records show Walker had been identified as a suspect in six complaints reporting either family violence or public disturbances from 2002 through 2005. Walker had been arrested for criminal trespassing in January 2005 following a domestic dispute involving a sister at their mother's home, according to the police records.

Labels: altercation, GA

Man shot during home invasion

A man is recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest after breaking into a house just before 4 o'clock this morning at 3721 Lexington Drive in Augusta.

Deputies say a woman living there shot the man once. Then he ran across the street tossed the gun and was found later lying on a picnic table.

He is being treated at MCG.

Homeowner Fights Back

The WJBF News Channel 6 Crime Tracker reports an arrest in an early morning, violent break-in in South Augusta. Happened shortly before four-thirty this morning, on the 37-hundred block of Lexington drive -- that's just off Rosier Road in South Augusta. The homeowner was no easy mark. She fought back against her attacker. It looks like the victim stopped the suspect in his tracks. The victim is a 57 year old woman who lives alone. But that only made her more prepared to protect herself. Even though she was abruptly awakened while asleep, it didn't take long for her to come to her senses and take aim at the suspect who turned out to be a neighbor. The Mount Vernon subdivision is usually quiet, but that peace was broken in this Lexington Drive home this morning. Detectives say 19 year old Justin Brent Haynie got into his neighbors home while she slept and put a knife to her throat.

Sgt. Calvin Chew, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office: “He jumped on the bed and he started trying to cover her mouth because she was shouting.”

During the struggle Sergeant Calvin Chew says the victim, a 57 year old woman who lives alone somehow managed to grab her .357 off the nightstand. That was something haynie (sic) didn't know. Detectives say as haynie (sic) walked behind her with a knife to her neck, she quickly spun around and shot him in the stomach. Haynie grabbed her gun and ran. But he didn't get far.

“It was really shocking to me that something like this would happen.”

It was a little after four in the morning when Joann Hatchell heard voices. She says she saw police and the suspect in her backyard.

“Then I looked over at my picnic table and this young man was sitting there that was bloody front and back.” “He turned sideways and I recognized him. I said Brent.” “Is that Brent?”

Hatchell says she knows Haynie and he would often offer to help her out in the yard. He lives next door with his grandparents.

“I just think it's a sad situation that things like this happen.”

The victim wasn't seriously hurt, just a few scratches on her neck.

“This is actually the perfect scenario for self-defense and protecting your home and family.”

“A lot of time you hear about gun control and so forth but she was able to use her gun to protect herself in her home.”

Haynie is in serious condition in a local hospital. He's expected to be o.k. A list of charges is waiting on him when he gets out. They include burglary, kidnapping aggravated assault and weapons charges. The homeowner is not facing any charges. Investigators say there was no sign of forced entry. The suspect may have come in through an unlocked door.

Teen breaks into neighbor's house, ends up shot

He broke into her home...so she shot him.

19-year-old Justin "Brent" Haynie was arrested this morning for breaking into the home of his Lexington Drive neighbor, Theresa Wachowiak.

The 56-year-old woman shot him before he escaped, and he survived.

It was a burglary gone bad for Haynie. Little did he know his target was within arms reach of a revolver.

"Terrible. Scary, really," said neighbor Joann Hatchell. "I looked and this guy was sitting here and I didn't recognize him."

19-year-old Justin "Brent" Haynie was slumped over Hatchell's picnic table. He'd been shot.

"I said, 'Oh my God, that's Mary's grandson'," Hatchell told News 12.

The young man lived next door and often helped Hatchell with yard work, which is why she never imagined he'd break into the home of another neighbor, 56-year-old Theresa Wachowiak.

Woken up at 3:30 a-m, Wachowiak was startled by the intruder.

"She was initially, but she's a strong lady," said Sgt. Calvin Chew of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Sgt. Chew says what she did next may have saved her life: "She had a gun in her nightstand, and she was able to retrieve the gun during the assault and ended up shooting the suspect."

Shot in the chest, Haynie then left, leaving a bloody trail to Hatchell's yard.
News 12 found Haynie's cousin, Patrick, who didn't want his face shown on TV.

"I think that I'm glad he's still living, but maybe it'll make him not do some of the things he's done," Patrick Haynie said.

Hatchell, whose morning was unlike any other in her lifetime, fears what could have happened.

"Do you own a gun, and if not, do you want one now?" we asked her.

"Yes. I would love to have a gun," she said. "I'm telling you, you're not safe anymore."

Brent Haynie is still recovering from that gunshot. He faces several charges, including burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping and possession of a knife during the commission of a crime.

We're told relatives have not been allowed to visit Haynie in the hospital because he's been placed under arrest.

Labels: GA, home invasion

Store Clerk Shoots Would-Be Robber

Macon Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery at the BP Station on Eisenhower Parkway. The incident happened Tuesday morning at 8:30.

The store clerk told officers he shot the would-be robber after he allegedly entered the business, displayed a weapon, and demanded money. The suspect then ran from the business.

Shortly after the robbery, police received a call from the Houston Coliseum Hospital Emergency Room about a gunshot victim. When police arrived they found the gun shot victim was the armed robber from the BP Station.

The 20-year-old Macon man is being treated for a gun shot wound to the wrist. He is in stable condition.

Police: Clerk Shoots Robber

A Tuesday-morning armed robbery in Macon was foiled when a store clerk opened fire on the robber, police say.

The robber entered the BP station at 1179 Eisenhower Parkway around 8:30 a.m, according to a Macon Police Department news release.

Police say the robber, a 20-year-old man, ran away and later turned up at the Coliseum Hospital with a gunshot to the wrist. He has not been identified or charged, according to police.

Labels: business robbery, GA

Shooting in Macon

Macon police are investigating a fatal shooting at 3998 Floyd Avenue.

Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones says 26-year-old Erik Poole died of a gunshot wound around 3 a.m. Thursday.

According to Lieutenant Eric Walker, Poole came into the house where two other men were playing video games. The three talked for a few minutes; then Poole pulled a gun and tried to rob the other two.

Walker said one of the victims, Josh Askew, pulled out his own gun. Askew and Poole exchanged shots and both were hit.

According to Walker, Askew was taken to a local hospital with wounds in his arm. He is listed in stable condition.

Walker said the third person in the house has been taken to the Macon detective bureau for questioning.

Labels: defender shot, GA, residence robbery

Suspected Intruder Shot And Killed

DeKalb County police are investigating the deadly shooting, of a man who may have broken into home.

The shooter's roommate, says the intruder wasn't wearing shoes when he came into their house. Paul Meoaur told Channel 2 Action News that the man had a kitchen knife, that was about six inches long. He says tried to bust through his friend's locked bedroom door. He told police the man didn't stop, when his roommate warned him that if he didn't leave, he would shoot. Moments later the roommate did just that.

The suspect died of his injuries at the hospital.

Meoaur doesn't know what the man's motive may have been. He does believe he got into their home through an unlocked side door.

Labels: assault, GA, home invasion

16-year-old kills home intruder

Police say teen ID'd masked, unarmed man as high school acquaintance

Clayton County police said a 16-year-old boy was "in fear for his life" Tuesday morning when he shot and killed a masked, unarmed intruder who broke into his Riverdale home.

Interim Chief Jeff Turner said the alleged shooter, identified by neighbors as Wes Stephens, has not been charged in the shooting on Camp Road, off Flat Shoals Road near the Fulton County line.

Stephens told police he heard a window break about 11:30 a.m. in the garage of the house he shares with his parents.

"He got his father's pistol, a semiautomatic, and fired multiple times," Turner said. "The intruder went to some lengths to disguise himself, wearing black clothes and a black bandanna across his face."

After shooting the intruder in the garage, Stephens recognized the man as Marques Karun McGhee, 19, of Riverdale, a former North Clayton High School acquaintance, Turner said.

Wes Stephens' father, Wesley Howard Stephens, had withdrawn his son from North Clayton High School because of danger caused by gangs, Turner said.

Turner said police are looking for a second person who may have dropped McGhee off on Camp Road, a mostly black neighborhood of modest ranch homes on 1- and 2-acre lots, and then fled when shots were fired.

Obscene graffiti with racial overtones directed toward "Wes" is sprayed in white paint on the road in front of the Stephens home and along Camp Road. Stephens is white, McGhee black.

Neighbors Dan and Linda Harris said the graffiti showed up about 45 days ago.

"I don't know if it's gangs, a black and white thing or just stupidity," Dan Harris said. "I know we've known Wes since he was a little boy, he used to swim in our pool and we've never had any trouble out of him."