Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Man remains in critical condition after weekend shooting

A Shreveport man remains in critical condition at LSU Hospital in Shreveport this morning after being shot by his estrange wife over the weekend.

Gary Young, 34, was shot at least once in the chest on Saturday after he went to the residence in the 5900 block of Candlewood Circle and attempted to drag the woman out of the bed, according to police.

The couple began arguing and Frances Young, 33, pulled out a handgun and shot her husband.

The woman was questioned by police and released. Police say the couple was separated.

Labels: domestic dispute, female, LA

Attempted carjacking victim accidentally shoots self

A man accidentally shot himself last night after an attempted carjacking. Police were called to the 4400 block of Pines Road around midnight.

The victim was sitting in his car at a gas station when he was approached by two black males wearing all black clothing and black bandanas over their faces.

They produced a silver revolver and demanded the car. The victim refused and produced his own handgun.

He accidentally shot himself in the leg, and the suspects fled the scene. The victim then went inside the gas station and told the clerk what happened.

Labels: carjacking, defender shot, LA

Man Robs Cab, Tries To Break Into House, Shot By Homeowner

Early Tuesday morning, a home owner shot an intruder in the leg. The intruder was trying to get away from police after he held-up a cab driver.

According to Lafayette Police, Quintin Sam, 26, showed a cab driver a knife at the corner of Moss and Willow Streets around 1:30a.m. Tuesday. He took off, as police were chasing him, he tried to force his way into a home.

That's when the home-owner shot Sam in the leg. Sam is in the hospital, Police said when he gets out, he'll be charged with armed robbery and aggravated burglary.

Further links:
Homeowner shoots suspect

Labels: home invasion, LA

Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims

A would-be robber was shot to death in Avondale, and authorities say he apparently died at the hands of his intended victims: a man and a boy who wrestled away his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 7:40 p.m. Monday and found a man lying dead in the middle of an Avondale street, area residents and Col. Robert Garner of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Detectives believe the dead man had tried to rob the two other people just outside or inside a nearby house. He was shot at least once and staggered into the street.

It was not immediately known whether the dead man broke into the home, what he demanded or took, or whether he was shot just inside or outside the home. Garner said he didn't know whether the man and boy were residents of the home.

Further links:
Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, LA

Police: Shooter Apparently Justified In Fatal Shooting Of 14-Year-Old Boy

Baton Rouge Police say a man they have yet to locate was apparently justified in the Wednesday morning fatal shooting of 14-year-old Da'Vonte Reed.

The teenager was shot when he allegedly attempted to rob the victim near the intersection of Charles and Mission.

His body was later dumped onto North Sherwood Drive by the driver of the car, 17-year-old Demarcus Alexander, who was wounded by the gunfire.

Sergeant Don Kelly says police have charged Alexander with first-degree murder, quote, "because he was involved in the commission of an armed robbery where someone died." He says the actual shooter is believed to have fired his weapon in self-defense and will not face any criminal charges.

Labels: LA, street robbery

Woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver

A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish.

Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release.

West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest.

Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged.

Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA

Guard shoots robbery suspect

An armed man exchanged gunfire with a shopping center security guard Tuesday after a robbery at a store near the Southdowns neighborhood.

The man, with two lookouts, had held up the Gameware store, 3151 College Drive, near Perkins Road, about 8:35 p.m., police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

While leaving the store, the robber spotted a private security guard and fired one shot at him but missed, police said.

The guard returned fire, hitting the robber multiple times.

The robber, whose name was not reported, was taken to the hospital by EMS with life-threatening injuries, McKneely said.

His two accomplices fled in a green, older-model Pontiac, and police were still looking for them late Tuesday.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Two Injured, One Charged in Early Morning Shooting

Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, Shreveport police officers responded to the 2900 block of Penick in reference to two males who had been shot. A Yellow Checker Cab advised they went to the Cajun Inn Hotel and picked up Luther Mcduffy, along with two black females and they requested to be driven to a vacant house directly across from 2921 Penick. The cab driver stated Mcduffy and one of the black females got out of the cab and walked up to the vacant residence where several subjects were standing around. That's when the cab driver said he heard gunfire and saw muzzle flashes. The cab driver thought two subjects were shooting. The crowd near the vacant house quickly scattered, leaving both Mcduffy and Randy Bennett shot in the yard. Both were transported to LSUMC with multiple gunshot wounds. Mcduffy advised investigators that he went to this location with the two black females but did not give a reason why. Upon approaching the house he stated that the subject he shot, Bennett, attempted to rob him and they exchanged gunfire. Two different caliber shell casings were recovered at the scene along with cash. Bennett told investigators he was walking down the street when some guys started shooting and he got shot. Bennett was taken into surgery but both he and Mcduffy wounds are considered non life threatening. Bennett faces one count of Attempted 1st Degree Homicide.

Labels: defender shot, LA, street robbery

Shoot Out At A Vinton Casino

It's something you would usually hear about in a movie, but Wednesday it happened.

What started as an armed robbery in Calcasieu Parish Louisiana led to a group of men in a shoot out with a security guard at a casino.

The men didn't get far.

“Mr. Budwine has been a constant nuisance to Vinton for a long time,” said Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John Degrosier.

Investigators say Kenyon Budwine from Vinton and three men from Orange began a crime spree in Calcasieu Parish early Wednesday morning.

The four men were armed with handguns and a shot gun. Authorities say they took what they could grab from an EZ Mart.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Mancuso said, “Took money from the cash register and some cigarettes. A handful of them from behind the counter.”

This was only the beginning of their trip. Down the road, three of the men attempted to rob the Cash Majic Truckstop casino about an hour later.

“We got another call of a robbery in progress,” said Mancuso.

But a quick thinking security guard kept them out. They exchanged gunfire and bullets struck Budwine.

In an attempt to get away, the men drove across the Texas border where Orange County Deputies stopped them.

“Getting ready to put him out of business, where he's going he won't bother anyone for a long time,” said Degrosier.

This isn't the first offense for Budwine. Vinton police say in the past he robbed a truck stop and got away with more than $1,000.

“Likes to rub in the nose of authorities, he called Vinton PD and asked why we were dragging his name through the mud,” said Chief Rick Fox.

Now his name is once again in the jail computer for a crime that cut across two states.

Budwine was treated at Memorial Herman Baptist in Orange and released to authorities.

All four of the men are being held under one million dollar bonds in the Orange County jail, but they'll be headed back to Louisiana soon.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Two Men Arrested for Attempted Murder

Nestled in the woods of central Moss Bluff, Tanglewood Drive is by all accounts a quiet neighborhood. But it was here around 1 a.m. Wednesday that Calcasieu sheriff's detectives say 18-year-old Robert Willis and 25-year-old Jesse Graham began a crime spree. The sheriff's office says both men have a long criminal record and knew the game well. They say one of them knocks on the door, asking to speak with someone, while the other hides nearby.

"They asked the homeowner to speak with someone, he said nobody lives here by that name... And then one stepped around the corner with a shotgun. At that point, the homeowner who had a gun, pointed the gun at them and they fled," said Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso.

(More)

Labels: LA, residence robbery, trespassing

A man with a history of mental problems started a shootout with another man in North Shreveport Wednesday morning that left the instigator critically wounded, authorities and neighbors said.

Donald Richardson, 35, faces attempted murder charges upon his release from the hospital.

A neighbor, Diane Howard, took out a protective order against Richardson back in January.

Police Chief Henry Whitehorn said Richardson hadn't violated the protective order, but had been harrassing others.

Labels: altercation, defender shot, LA

Luling Woman Kills Intruder, Deputies Say

St. Charles Parish deputies said a 22-year-old woman shot back at two men who barged into her home early Wednesday morning, killing one and wounding the other.

Jason Jammal Todd and Chris Avila approached Nathaniel Evans as he was leaving for work at about 4 a.m., officials said.

At gunpoint, they forced Evans back inside and then approached his girlfriend.

Avila forced her to lie on the floor, deputies said, and one of them shot Evans.

The woman got a gun from her bedroom and fired at the two intruders, deputies said.

Todd was pronounced dead at the scene. Avila was hit in the lower torso and was found in a nearby field. He's listed in guarded but stable condition.

Evans, meanwhile, is in an intensive care unit in guarded but stable condition.

Deputies said both Todd and Avila had previous arrest records.

An investigation into the case is ongoing.

Labels: assault, home invasion, LA

…

Police also are investigating a shooting that occurred around 5:45 a.m. Saturday at a residence at 4652 Byron Ave.

A woman at the home told police she shot her boyfriend in self-defense after he hit her several times. The man was taken to a hospital with nonlife-threatening wounds and the woman was questioned and released, police said.

Labels: domestic dispute, LA

Mid-City car owner exchanges gunfire with suspected car thief

Police are investigating a series of car break-ins in a Mid-City neighborhood after a suspect exchanged gunfire with the owner of a car he attempted to steal Thursday night.

The percussion of gunshots woke residents near the corner of Palmyra and S. Gayoso. No one was hit, however.

Nevertheless, several cars sustained damage when the vehicles were broken into.

New Orleans Police have a suspect in custody they believe is responsible for the burglaries, but are still searching the area for a weapon and evidence. Few other details have been released.

"I woke up and came outside," Patsy Fluker said. "I noticed my car was broken into. There was a lot of blood everywhere on all the seats."

One neighborhood resident moved back following Hurricane Katrina to show his support for the city he loves. Having to be anxious about possible car break-ins isn't something he wants to do.

"For me to come back to worry about somebody breaking into my car, that's just something I don't want to do," Tyrus Morris said.

Labels: LA, street property theft

Intruders surprised; shootout ensues

No one is hurt in Metairie incident

Dermott Murphy said he had a gut feeling something wasn't right.

The uneasiness hit him as he pulled into the driveway of his Metairie home in the 1200 block of Brockenbraugh Court Wednesday at 5 a.m. after an early breakfast with a friend at the International House of Pancakes. He was anxious because someone had tried to break into his rented double through a back window just three days earlier.

As he pulled his Pontiac Grand Prix into his tiny backyard, he spotted two men attempting to pry the plywood off that same back window.

Murphy told a Jefferson Parish deputy sheriff that one of the men pulled a gun and opened fire, so he did the same.

"You got no choice but to defend yourself," said Murphy, who used his .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

The intruders scrambled over a backyard fence and got away unharmed. But not before sending a bullet through Murphy's passenger-side door and a too-close-for-comfort shot that ripped through the driver's-side headrest, missing Murphy by inches.

As Murphy stood in his driveway watching a technician replace the automobile window glass, he said he survived by the grace of God.

"That I'm standing here is a blessing to me," he said.

Murphy will not be charged with any offense, said Col. Robert Garner, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. There are no suspects in the case.
…

Murphy, himself a father, acknowledged that he was indeed lucky this time. But authorities confirmed to him that he was well within the law, protecting his property and his life.

"They told me I have a right to defend myself," he said.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

Kenner robbery victim gets gun, fights back

Police seek gunman, who could be injured

A Kenner pawnbroker fought back when an armed robber confronted him Tuesday, chasing the bandit out of the store on busy Williams Boulevard and firing gunshots at his getaway car.

The robber, possibly wounded, sped off on 33rd Street in a white Nissan or Ford Escort with a commercial license plate that includes the characters A260, police said.

The incident unfolded shortly after noon when a man entered Kenner Pawnshop in a strip mall at 3226 Williams Blvd. and threatened the owner with a large-caliber semiautomatic pistol, said Police Department spokesman James Gallagher. The robber forced the owner into the adjoining Massis Jewelers, where the two men began fighting.

"At one point the victim saw an opportunity and started struggling with him over the gun," Gallagher said.

The robber broke free, then ran to his car in a nearby parking lot of a vacant building, Gallagher said. The pawn shop owner followed with his own pistol, shooting the car's rear passenger window and the side-view mirror.

"He believes he might have hit the guy," Gallagher said.

Police did not release the shop owner's name, and the store was closed later in the afternoon.

Gallagher didn't know what valuables the robber took but said he was in search of jewelry.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Homeowner kills suspected burglar

A homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar this morning after finding him breaking into a car and a storage shed in his townhouse development.

Police said the homeowner tried to hold the burglar at bay until officers arrived, but the burglar tried to attack him.

The 49-year-old homeowner was questioned by police and released with no charges filed. The case will be sent to the district attorney for a decision on whether charges should be filed.

The shooting happened about 2:30 a.m. on Carlsbad Drive in far southeast Shreveport.

Killed was Jonathan Sternitzky, 19, who lived on nearby Monet Drive in the same development.

The homeowner said he saw the break-ins in progress, got a gun and went outside. He told police he tried to hold Sternitzky until officers got there but Sternitzky tried to attack him.

Police said the homeowner fired one shot, hitting Sternitzky in the chest.

Police said the mortally wounded man ran around the corner of the building before he collapsed and died.

Authorities did not release the name of the homeowner.

Clay Carroll backed his neighbor's action.

"Let people know that this ain't gonna be an area where it's tolerated," Carroll said. "We need to keep the crime out."

D.A. says shooting of burglar by homeowner was justified

A homeowner acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man after catching him breaking into a car in his Shreveport townhouse development, Caddo District Attorney Paul Carmouche said today.

Prosecutors reviewed the findings of a police investigation and autopsy results before concluding the homeowner -- who was trying to hold the burglar at bay until police arrived -- was being attacked by the burglar when he fired, Carmouche said.

Carmouche said the 49-year-old homeowner was sitting on his Carlsbad Drive patio about 3 a.m. on June 26 when he heard someone breaking into a car. The homeowner got a gun from his house and confronted the burglar.

The burglar tried to convince the homeowner to let him go, then told him he had previous arrests and "nothing to lose" and charged the homeowner, Carmouche said. The homeowner fell back and fired one shot, hitting the other man in the chest.

Mortally wounded Jonathan Sternitzky, 19, ran around the corner of the building before he collapsed and died.

Sternitzky lived on nearby Monet Drive in the same development. Autopsy results showed Sternitzky had multiple drugs in his system, Carmouche said.

"Based on the autopsy report, the homeowner's statements and the facts, it is a justifiable homicide," Carmouche said.

Labels: LA, street property theft, trespassing

Burglar shot in Crowley

A morning robbery turned into a shooting in Crowley. Police say it happened at about 9:30 Friday morning when someone tried to rob a house on the 300 block of Ross Avenue.

Cops say when the homeowners realized the house was being robbed; they tried to fight off the burglar. When that didn't work he shot him.

Police say they've turned over their report to the district attorney, but don't think the homeowner will face charges.

Labels: home invasion, LA

Teen turns tables, shoots robber after taking away gun

A 44-year-old man who was trying to rob a teenager and his mother in a fast food drive thru was shot several times after the teen grabbed the gun from him and fired back, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee.

The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. at the Arby’s drive-thru located at 3845 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie.

According to Lee, the victims were in their car waiting to place an order when 44-year-old Carl Chestnut of Kenner walked up to the vehicle and pointed a gun at them.

Lee said Chestnut tried to get into the car and was attempting to pull out the 53-year-old mother when the teen fought with him over the weapon, grabbed it away and then fired several times, striking Chestnut.

Chestnut was hit in the head and torso, but the injuries aren’t believed to be fatal.

Police: Carjacker wounded by teen an accused murderer

A suspected carjacker who was shot while allegedly trying to rob a mother and son at a fast food restaurant is an accused murderer, Kenner Police said Tuesday.

Police said 44-year-old Carl Chestnut is one of two men suspected in the murder of 60-year-old Odrey Bordelon. Bordelon, the manager of a Kenner trailer park, was found strangled June 5.

Chestnut remains in the hospital following the shooting early Monday at a Metairie Arby’s. According to authorities, the victims were in their car waiting to place an order when Chestnut walked up to the vehicle and pointed a gun at them. The women’s teenage son was able to pry the gun away and shot Chestnut several times.

Chestnut’s injuries were not life-threatening, police said. He’s expected to be booked with murder once he’s released.
Chestnut’s alleged accomplice in Bordelon’s murder, Wayne Hayden, remains on the loose.

Would-be carjacker dies months after failed attack

A would-be carjacker who was shot at a Metairie fast food restaurant in June died Thursday from medical problems related to the injury, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

According to Col. John Fortunato, a sheriff’s office spokesman, 44-year-old Carl Chestnut was shot several times while attempting to rob a mother and her 17-year-old son at an Arby’s drive-through.

Fortunato said the victims were in their car waiting to place an order when Chestnut walked up to the vehicle and pointed a gun at them. The women’s teenage son was able to pry the gun away and shot Chestnut several times, wounding him in his head and torso.

Chestnut was taken to East Jefferson Hospital immediately following the shooting, but was eventually transferred to Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge on September 7 for additional medical help. Chestnut died September 13 at the hospital.

Labels: carjacking, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, LA, street robbery

Alleged attacker shot by ex-girlfriend in DeRidder

Members of the DeRidder Police Department responded to a call from a residence on Bilbo Street last week, where Paul Lee Williams had been shot in the leg.

According to the police Williams had been stalking his ex-girlfriend and earlier in the day threatened her outside of a local store.

The ex-girlfriend, whose name was not released, immediately went to the Police Department and filed a report. Because she was afraid for her life members of the police department escorted her home and secured her house.

After the police left she locked all of her windows and doors.

The police described that sometime after dark the victim felt as if she were being watched and walked out onto her porch where she noticed that the skirting around her house had been disturbed. Williams then emerged from beneath her home and ran toward her.

She immediately went back in to her home and retrieved a pistol which she had been carrying for protection.

She allegedly fired at Williams and missed. She went back into her home and picked up the phone to call the police when Williams forced open the back door and entered her house.

She shot at him two other times, hitting him once in the leg as she dialed the number for the police department.

Williams fled the scene and the police found her at the end of her driveway near the road with the gun in one hand and the phone in the other.

After searching the surrounding area the police found Williams in the garage of a nearby house.

Williams was taken to a local hospital where his wounds were treated and then booked into the DeRidder Jail.

He was charged with Simple Burglary of an Inhabited Dwelling, Stalking and other charges.

He also has a criminal record with two other stalking charges.

Labels: assault, home invasion, LA, stalking

Man shot, faces battery charges

A Shreveport shooting is being considered self defense. Police say the man who got shot now faces battery charges.

It happened in the 500 block of Kirby Street. Just after 6:00 p.m. Saturday, neighbors say a woman shot the man that she lives with. The woman says the man was beating her and she pulled out a gun and shot him in the leg.

The man was taken to LSU hospital. At newstime, there were no charges against the woman.

Labels: domestic abuse, LA

Avondale man shoots, kills intruder

A 61-year-old Avondale man shot and killed an intruder into his home Sunday evening, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Cornelius Sims said he was asleep in his home around 11 p.m. Sunday, along with his wife and young children, when he was awakened by noises that he believed were coming from his garage area, according to spokesman John Fortunato.

Fortunato said that Sims went down into his kitchen and was startled by a man standing in his kitchen. Sims told deputies that he fired several shots in the man’s direction and that the suspect then fled.

Deputies responding to the scene found the man lying near the side

Labels: LA, residence burglary

VILLE PLATTE, Louisiana: A woman and her estranged husband killed each other when he came to her house in spite of a restraining order, authorities said.

Brenda Ortego Prudhomme, 59, and her husband, Carroll Wayne Prudhomme, 61, shot each other Monday at the rental house where Brenda Prudhomme had moved a few weeks ago, Ville Platte police Sgt. Linton Fontenot said.

He said the couple divorcing and "it wasn't going well" The Daily World reported Wednesday.

"He broke into her apartment and shot at her once but missed," Fontenot said. "She ran to the utility room where he shot at her again, this time hitting her in the torso."

She had retrieved a weapon, apparently stored in the utility room. "She returned fire, hitting him in the abdomen," Fontenot said. Both died at a hospital.

Labels: domestic dispute, home invasion, LA

Men shoot each other during robbery attempt

Two men shot each other outside a Shreveport gas station early today after one got in the car with the other and tried to rob him, police said. The intended robbery victim was critically wounded.

The shooting occurred about 2 a.m. today on the parking lot of the Raceway station at 70th Street and Southern Avenue.

Shreveport police identified the wounded men as Garland Jones, 26, and Jarrett Robinson, 19, both of Shreveport. Both were shot several times, police said.

Detectives said Jones got into the car with Robinson and demanded money. Both started shooting each other as they sat in the car.

Jones faces attempted first-degree murder charges when he is released.

The men who were in a car with Jones were also arrested, police said. Donald Benard, 26, and Alfred Taylor Jr., 31, of Shreveport were booked on attempted murder charges.

Labels: defender shot, LA, street robbery

Shooting of son ruled justified

Defense notes victim arrived with a gun

A New Orleans man who shot his son five times after an argument, leaving him paralyzed and in a wheelchair, acted in self-defense, a jury decided Monday evening.

James S. Frazier, 50, who spent a lifetime in the U.S. Marines, is free from the criminal charge of attempted second-degree murder for the March 21, 2005, shooting at the eastern New Orleans apartment building where he lived.

The jury believed the elder Frazier's story that the violent incident was all in self-defense, because the son had brought a 9-mm handgun to his father's apartment that night.

James Frazier wasn't injured, and no evidence showed the son ever successfully fired his handgun. The gun jammed, and no bullet came out. Eric Frazier was left bleeding on a third-floor landing.

The defense said that James Frazier, a 29-year veteran of the Marines, feared for his life after his son pointed a gun at him, so he went into his bedroom and returned with a .45-caliber handgun, which he blasted repeatedly at his son, who is now 23 years old.

After about 1 1/2 hours of deliberating, jurors acquitted the father, finding he acted in self-defense and that the son started the conflict.

"You bring a gun, you act like that, you have to pay a price," defense attorney Martin Regan argued Monday during closing arguments. "If you want to kill him, you put a bullet through his head or his heart."

The four-day trial at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court included much testimony about the broken relationship between the son and father, complete with allegations that James Frazier was more deadbeat than dad and that he abandoned his children when they were toddlers.

Regan went after the son, depicting him as a liar who wanted his father in prison for leaving him paralyzed. The jury heard that Eric Frazier had spent time locked up in a juvenile facility as a teenager, having made threats to his mother and sister. Regan referred to Eric as "junior" and said he had "mental problems," while repeating that his own client had no previous criminal record.

"This man loves his family," Regan told the jury. "He thinks the world of them."

Labels: domestic dispute, LA

Shreveport police have arrested a man suspected of shooting at a police officer who was trying to arrest him on suspicion of attempted robbery.

Clarence Taylor III, 32, of Shreveport was caught by a police K-9 hiding under a house in the 500 block of Lawrence Street, police said.

Police said Taylor hid under the house after firing at Officer Matthew Childs, who was trying to stop him for questioning in connection with a robbery attempt at a convenience store.

That attempted robbery occurred Thursday afternoon at a Citgo station on Louisiana Avenue. A man pointed a gun at a clerk, but fled when two other clerks in the store pulled their own guns.

...

Taylor, who suffered minor bite wounds from the police dog, was booked on charges of attempted first-degree murder, attempted robbery and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, LA

Musician acquitted of shooting rival

Jury agrees with his self-defense claim

An Orleans Parish jury on Friday acquitted a musician charged with the attempted murder of a rival jazz band member during a street brawl and shootout in 2003.

The jury accepted the self-defense claim of Lawrence Ketchens, 43, a tuba player with Doreen's Jazz New Orleans band, who shot Rebirth Brass Band drummer Derrick Tabb, 31, on a 7th Ward street during a clash that began earlier that day at a funeral.

Ketchens testified at criminal district court that he was merely protecting himself and his wife, Doreen Ketchens, whom Tabb had beat to the ground with an umbrella during the skirmish.

The fight on May 20, 2003, quickly turned into gunplay. Ketchens pulled his .25-caliber Raven handgun from his pocket while a friend of Tabb's, Walter Kimble, raced to a truck to find a .40-caliber gun -- a weapon that is standard issue for New Orleans police officers.

Kimble later told police that he blasted at Ketchens in defense of Tabb. Ketchens rolled underneath a parked pickup truck to escape the gunfire and quickly drove off in his van.

When the dust settled, both sides were bloody from injuries. Ketchens suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and Tabb had two .25-caliber wounds in his upper shoulder. But police arrested only Ketchens for attempted murder of Tabb and his mother, Vana Acker, 51, who was also caught up in the violence. Kimble was never charged.

At this week's three-day trial before Judge Darryl Derbigny, Ketchens said he feared for his wife's life as Tabb threw his large frame at her on the neutral ground.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," defense attorney Thomas Calogero said during his closing argument. "Luckily, he had a small-caliber weapon, little bitty bullets. He's not going to murder anyone with that little pea shooter. "

Calogero said Tabb was "a 6-foot-4, 250-pound man who viciously" attacked Doreen Ketchens before her husband stepped to her defense.

"He ought to thank Lawrence Ketchens for showing restraint," Calogero said of Tabb. "Sure, it got out of hand. Derrick Tabb got out of hand and beat a woman to the ground."

(More)

Labels: altercation, LA

Police: Brothers Burglarize Home; Both Shot, One Killed

A pair of brothers looking for some quick cash were shot multiple times by the people they were trying to victimize, according to Shreveport police detectives.

Shots rang out in the 500 block of Stoner avenue around 11:00 p. m. Wednesday. Police say the brothers were shot multiple times by Emmanuel Henery after breaking into his home.

One brother died at LSU Hospital, the other was in surgery as of 3:45 a. m. Thursday.

When he is released police plan to charge him with one count of armed robbery, and one count of armed robbery with a firearm.

Police are withholding the brother's names until their family can be told what happened.

Relatives of Robbery Suspects Speak Out

Wednesday night Shreveport Police responded to a shooting. "It's kind of sketchy as to what happened inside, the resident states there are two men down inside the residence," said Shreveport Detective Micheal McConnell. Twenty-four year old Leonard Ellison was killed... His brother... 20 year old Jeremy Ellison - shot six times and taken to LSU Hospital. The homeowner tells police he was being robbed. He hasn't been arrested. "At this particular time it doesn't look like that's going to happen," said Kacee Hargrave with the Shreveport Police Department. "It wasn't that crucial to take his life, true enough...he knew who they was, because he notified their voices," said cousin of Jeremy and Leonard, Denise Ellison. Family and friends say they've been denied access to him, police say that's because he's in custody. And while relatives concede the shooting of Jeremy and Leonard might have been self defense.... they say there's more to the story. "Supposedly to have told them there was a dude up there with a lot of money, and after she told them she went and told pop, two dudes at the back of the house, fixing to run up in there, so I feel like it was a set up," said Denise." Detectives look at all angles so if that's what the victim's family members are saying I'm sure that word will get back to the detectives and they'll look into whatever that allegation is," said Hargrave. The scene of the shooting was very busy, several people were in the home during the incident, and several shots were fired, so detectives will have plenty of evidence to sort out.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

DNA Backlog

Lake Charles resident Nicholas Perioux said, "I probably had about 10, maybe 15 bullets shot at me." Perioux was talking about the night he was attacked at Pat's of Henderson restaurant in Lake Charles back in December of 2004.

When two robbers opened fire, Nicholas grabed a gun in self defense and shot one of the criminals in the head. They both got away, but not before one of them left behind some DNA evidence. Lake Charles Police Chief Don Dixon said, "It was sent to a lab in Shreveport." And that is where the evidence sat trapped in a back log. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said, "You can see in this case, I want to say it almost took a year to get an answer back." While DNA testing is performed locally, area labs do not have access to the national DNA database. It is that same national database that fingered 31 year old Jerome Montrell Thomas of Baton Rouge as the man that pulled the trigger.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Resident shoots burglary suspect

He saw man leaving his FEMA trailer

A man, returning to his FEMA trailer in eastern New Orleans, shot a suspected burglar as he left the temporary home.

The burglar, who was not identified, remained hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday night.

Police said no charges would be filed against the resident.

According to police, the resident returned to his home Tuesday in the 6700 block of Deanne Street, near Babylon Street, at about 8 p.m. and found a vehicle he did not recognize parked at his FEMA trailer. Suspicious, he removed his gun from his truck, then saw a man leaving the trailer. The resident told police the man made a "threatening movement" and he shot him.

Police did not find a gun on the wounded man.

Police did not know if the resident had a permit for his gun.

Burglary suspect dies of gunshot wounds

A Metairie man who was shot leaving a FEMA trailer in eastern New Orleans that he is suspected of burglarizing died early Thursday, police and the coroner's office said.

Ryan Smythe, 20, died of multiple gunshot wounds at a local hospital about 4 a.m., said John Gagliano, chief investigator for the Orleans Parish coroner's office.

Victim's cohort held in homicide

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on a murder charge in an incident in which his alleged accomplice in an eastern New Orleans trailer break-in Tuesday night was shot to death by the trailer resident, police said.

Randy Albert, whose address was not provided by police, was arrested Wednesday night and booked with first-degree murder, police spokesman Officer Garry Flot said Friday. He is suspected of being the getaway driver in the burglary.

Police said Albert and Ryan Smythe, 20, burglarized a FEMA trailer in the 6700 block of Deanne Street Tuesday about 8 p.m. The 29-year-old resident returned as Smythe was leaving the trailer and fatally shot him. Albert fled in the getaway car, according to police, but was arrested the following night.

Smythe died of multiple gunshot wounds at a local hospital Wednesday about 4 a.m.

Police cleared the resident, whose name wasn't released, declaring his act a justifiable homicide.

Though Albert didn't fire the shot that killed Smythe of Metairie, he was booked with murder under a provision of the law that holds him culpable for the death because it happened while he was in the process of committing a felony, police said.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

Bar owner Frank Barrera acted quickly and quietly when he spotted two men pulling out pistols as they entered his newly opened Mid-City business Saturday about 2 a.m.

Pulling an armed security guard behind a wall next to the bar, Barrera waited a few moments as one of the men grabbed a patron and dragged him behind the bar, and moved toward Barrera's wife, Maria, who had been counting money near the cash register. As the bar customer wriggled free, the guard fired a shot into the robber's torso, dropping him on the spot.

"That's the best thing we had to do. I had seen the guys walking in, and that was good. So we got ready," said Barrera, who opened his La Finca Home Plate Inn at 542 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway six weeks ago. "It's very hard to explain because it was so fast and happened in maybe 30 or 40 seconds. It's very scary." He said his wife of 19 years "almost got shot in the head."

The 22-year-old wounded suspect died at the scene after taking a pounding from debris thrown onto him by people in the bar, while his companion disappeared on foot, according to witnesses and a bar videotape. Police haven't yet released the dead man's name, but said he is from New Orleans.

Police and business people in some New Orleans neighborhoods have struggled in recent weeks to cope with armed bar robberies. It wasn't known if suspects involved in Saturday's incident will be linked to other incidents that have terrorized patrons and bartenders.

Barrera, 54, said he had operated a nearby restaurant for 30 years before Katrina and worked for months to open the new business, but knew he would need a guard and security cameras to protect his customers in a post-Katrina climate.

According to witness and the New Orleans Police Department, the gunman behind the bar was shot once in the left torso by a former criminal sheriff's deputy working a security detail.

...

The Police Department classified the shooting as a justifiable homicide and filed no charges against the guard, but Richardson said the district attorney's office will review the incident. The department wouldn't immediately identify the guard.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Report shows shooting appears to be self-defense

A preliminary autopsy report indicates that a former Department of Public Safety employee allegedly shot and killed her stepfather in self-defense, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said Friday.

The formal report on the autopsy performed Friday on Halsel Canavier, 63, of Tickfaw won’t be completed until next week, Edwards said.

But from what his detectives have seen from the autopsy, Edwards said that Katherine Favre, 35, of Tickfaw, appeared to have shot Canavier in self-defense, as she told deputies on Thursday.

Edwards emphasized that the shooting remains under investigation.

The case will be turned over to the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges should be pressed, Edwards said.

(More)

Labels: domestic dispute, LA

Homeowner shoots burglar during break-in

A break-in burglary was thwarted this morning when the homeowner shot the intruder in the leg, according to Cpl. L’Jean McKneely Jr. of the Baton Rouge Police Department.

Dorielle Brumfield, 19, 2808 West Amite, was arrested and charged with simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, He allegedly kicked in the door of a residence, and as he entered the house, he was shot in the leg by the homeowner, McKneely said.

Brumfield ran from the scene and was later caught by authorities. He was taken to local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

He will be booked into Parish Prison upon his release from the hospital, McKneely said.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

Man dies in shooting in Faubourg Marigny

An unidentified man was shot dead Tuesday night while allegedly trying to rob a woman in Faubourg Marigny, New Orleans police said.

Police said the woman, 27, and a male companion, 28, were walking about 8:45 p.m. in the 2200 block of North Rampart Street when another man held a handgun against the woman's back and demanded money, said Garry Flot, a police public information officer.

Her companion, who has a concealed weapon permit, pulled his own handgun and shot the gunman several times, police said.

The gunman, who had no identification on him, died at the scene, between Elysian Fields Avenue and Marigny Street.

The case is under investigation, but no charges were filed Tuesday night.

Labels: concealed carry permit, LA, street robbery

Cab driver shoots would-be robber

A Shreveport teenager remains hospitalized after police say he was shot several times by a Casino Cab driver Saturday night.

"With one of them not having a mask on at all, having his face completely exposed, I felt as they were going to get my money and kill me," said the cab driver who asked not to be identified.

Detectives say the cab driver was called to the 3500 block of Ninock Street to pick up a fare. They say Arthur Joseph, 20, got into the back driver-side seat. Seconds later, another man wearing a mask over his face got into the back passanger-side seat, pointed a gun at the driver and demanded money.

The driver pulled out his handgun and opened fire. "I came up with my 9mm and started shooting. I shot him five times," he said.

The wounded would-be robber was identified as Alexander Johnson, 18. He was rushed to the hospital and is listed in good condition.

Detective Chris Yarborough says when he interviewed Johnson, the teen was awake, very coherent and very talkative. "I got a full confession from him," Yarborough said.

Police say the teens also confessed to trying to rob another cab driver earlier the same night, but that planned failed when the driver got spooked and didn't stop. An hour later, the second driver was called. "They intended on robbing someone that night. They just got into the wrong cab," the driver said.

Johnson and Joseph are both charged with armed robbery.

Labels: LA, street robbery

Business owner kills suspected burglar

A suspected burglar was shot dead shortly before midnight Wednesday at a tax business in the 4500 block of Rightway Avenue in Shreveport. And police say the owner of the business where the shooting occurred, a 74-year-old who lives next door, will not be charged.

An alarm company called the business owner to report that it had detected motion in the building located between Drexel and Woodford streets. The business owner armed himself and went to check it out, not calling authorities at that time, police spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said.

The business owner found a suspected burglar hiding in a bathroom in the back of the business and fired one shot, fatally wounding him, Hargrave said.

Police were summoned to the scene at 11:45 p.m., records show.

Authorities found hunting and fishing equipment, including guns, in a pile in the business as if they were being rounded up to be taken, Hargrave said.

The business owner "is not going to be charged. But the case will be sent to the DA's office for review, as is standard in cases of justifiable homicide," she said.

Hargrave would not identify the business owner. "We don't release names of people unless they are charged."

And all authorities know about the dead man is that he is a black male in his upper teens to early 20s, Hargrave said.

D.A.: Business Owner Justified in Shooting Burglar

Shreveport business owner was justified in shooting and killing a burglar he caught in his business last month, Caddo District Attorney Paul Carmouche said Wednesday.

The district attorney's office reviewed the shooting and determined no charges should be filed against 74-year-old Dudley Hay.

Hay went to his business in the middle of the night after a burglar alarm alerted him to trouble at the tax-service and gun-cleaning and repair shop located next door to his house on Rightway Avenue.

Hay got a gun and went to investigate on his own and found a man hiding in a bathtub, Carmouche said. Hay said 19-year-old Eric Bryant of Shreveport stood up and confronted him, so he fired one shot.

"We feel it very clearly fits under the justifiable homicide statute," Carmouche said. "The business owner was convinced it was 'him or me.'"

Hay did not call police after the alarm company call, deciding to go check on it himself. Carmouche said there had been false alarms at the business before.

"The alarm company called him and asked if they should call police. He said, 'Let me check it first,'" Carmouche said, not that is not unusual in cases of repeated false alarms.

Louisiana's shoot-the-burglar law allows property owners to defend themselves.

In the 28 years Carmouche has been district attorney, his office has never prosecuted a property owner who shot a burglar inside his home or business. The ones who were charged had shot people who were outside their home and posed no threat.

Labels: business burglary, LA

Argument over peach tree leads to shooting in Queensborough

Gunfire sends 55-year-old to hospital with 'life-threatening' wounds

An afternoon barbecue on a peaceful street in Queensborough ended in a shooting Friday after two friends argued over a rather common thing.

"They started arguing over a peach tree," Shreveport police Detective Jeff Brown said. "One of them got too close to it."

The shooting was called in just after 1 p.m. Officers were told that 55-year-old Donald Green of the 2400 block of Virginia Avenue had gotten a golf club and was swinging it at an acquaintance, Carter Mitchell, age unavailable, of Virginia Avenue, police Sgt. Jim Taliaferro said. Police were told Mitchell had a gun and fired it several times at Green.

Mitchell was detained by police for questioning but later was released since witness reports strongly suggested he acted in self-defense, Taliaferro said. However, investigation into the shooting continues.

Shreveport Fire Department spokesman Brian Crawford said Green was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport. "Paramedics gave his condition as critical -- life-threatening."

The argument and shooting took place at a neat little bungalow on the corner of a quiet, divided block of Virginia Avenue, just north of Willis-Knighton Medical Center, at Stonewall Street. Yellow crime-scene tape closed off the openings of a little wooden fence around the house.

In the bare-dirt yard, a barbecue cooker continued to pump out smoke. A jon-boat and kayak stood on end against a side fence. A woman inside the house looked through the screen door, came out briefly to tend the barbecue cooker then hurried back inside.

"They're friends," neighbor Willie Scott said of Green and Mitchell. Scott lives a few houses down. He said the street is usually quiet.

"We play dominoes around here a lot. "We barbecue, eat and have fish fries. That's what they were doing today."

Scott was the only man standing on the porch who admitted seeing any of the dispute. He said he did not see how it started but witnessed its end.

He said Green staggered to the median dividing Virginia and collapsed. Mitchell walked back to the porch of the house where the shooting occurred then left, Scott said.

"But then he came back and turned himself in," Scott added.

Labels: assault, LA

Ragley couple arrested on burglary charges

A Ragley couple was recently arrested by Beauregard Parish Sheriff deputies and charged with Simple Burglary and Theft.

At approximately 9:47 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, BPSO received a call that a homeowner had caught someone burglarizing his home. The sheriff department then received a second call advising that the homeowner has shot at the suspects pickup truck that had been detained and the caller also said that the female occupant of the vehicle was claiming to have been shot, but the caller could not confirm this. Acadian Ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival deputies learned that the homeowner had been next door and had observed a vehicle pull into the garage area of his residence. The homeowner then saw a man whom he did not recognize, get out of the vehicle and go up the steps to the back door. The homeowner then saw the man walk back to the driver's side of the truck and then go through the garage towards his shop. At this time the homeowner's brother observed the man loading a weedeater into the back of the truck. The homeowner then drove to his house and pulled up behind the suspect truck and observed the man putting a tool set and rods and reels into the back of the truck.

The suspect advised the homeowner that he had been sent to this residence to pick up these items. The homeowner advised the man to wait where he was until someone else arrived. About this time other family members showed up to watch the man and the woman who was on the passenger side of the truck.

The homeowner went to his house to call 911 and observed that his back door was standing open. At this time a family member advised the homeowner that these suspects may be armed based on a conversation that was heard between the two suspects. The homeowner got a shotgun from his shop and told the suspects that the police would be there shortly.

After a few minutes the man got into the truck and started it up and then attempted to leave. The homeowner fired a shot hitting the back light and back glass of the truck. At this time the driver then drove in the direction of the homeowner and the homeowner shot the front passenger-side tire. Then the suspect claimed that his girlfriend has been shot.

Upon arrival of the deputies and Acadian Ambulance it was determined that the woman had not been shot, that there were no injuries to either suspect.

The deputies identified the two suspects as Kevin Wayne Conner, 47, and Mary A. Hick, 42, both of Ragley.

Both Conner and Heck were arrested for Simple Burglary and Theft and they remain in the BPSO Jail pending the setting of bond. No charges have been filed against the homeowner. The report was forwarded to the District Attorney's office to determine if any charges will be accepted against the homeowner.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

Intruder wounded by State Street resident

A State Street resident shot a man Sunday night who he said tried to force his way into his home north of LSU’s campus, city police said.

The unidentified intruder, in his 20s, knocked on the resident’s door at 514 E. State St. about 9:30 p.m., asking for someone who did not live there, said Sgt. Charles Armstrong, a spokesman for the Police Department.

An altercation erupted, ending with gunfire. The intruder, shot with the resident’s weapon, was taken to Baton Rouge General Medical Center-Mid City, where he is listed in serious condition, Armstrong said.

Labels: altercation, home invasion, LA

Baton Rouge Police Department detectives are investigating an apparent justifiable homicide that occurred shortly after midnight this morning at 6245 Laca St., according to Cpl. L’Jean McKneely Jr. of the BRPD.

McKneely said that Mark Aaron Thomas, 31, 15010 Coates, Maringouin, was shot to death by his former girlfriend, Felicia Fields, 35, 6245 Laca St., after he allegedly beat her with a stick, choked and kicked her.

After the fight, Thomas very briefly left the home and then returned, McKneely said. Fields told officers she was fearful Thomas was about to harm her and her children, so she pulled a hand gun from her purse and shot him several times

Thomas was taken to the Earl K. Long Medical Center where he later died.

Fields remained at the scene and was taken in for questioning but was later released.

There is a history of domestic violence complaints field by Fields, and the BRPD had an active warrant for Thomas’ arrest for domestic abuse battery, intimidating a witness and simple kidnapping in connection with a Jan. 10 incident in which Thomas allegedly beat Fields, McKneely said.

Investigators believe the shooting was justifiable under law and no criminal charges are anticipated. The case will be forwarded to the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office for review.

Labels: domestic abuse, LA

Bystander Fired Deadly Shot, Not Officer

There were two big developments Monday in the case of a motorist who was shot and killed along Greenwell Springs Road Friday after a fight with a police officer. Investigators say an autopsy shows the deadly bullet was fired by a bystander, not the officer. Police also announced that no charges would be filed in the case, either against the police officer involved or the bystander who fired the fatal shot into the head of George Temple.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff's spokesman Greg Phares says Officer Brian Harrision was escorting a funeral procession Friday when he pulled Temple over and wrote him a ticket for breaking into the procession. According to Phares, that's when Temple attacked Harrison. Police say Perry Stevens was walking outside of the Auto Zone on Greenwell Springs Road when he heard Harrison yelling for help. Harrison was reportedly on his back with Temple on top of him. That's when Stevens went to his car and grabbed his .45 caliber pistol.

According to Col. Greg Phares, "[Mr. Stevens] orders Mr. Temple to stop and get off the officer. The verbal commands are ignored and Mr. Stevens fires four shots, all of which struck Mr. Temple."

Perry Stevens fired four shots into Temple's torso. Officer Harrison had already fired one shot into Temple's abdomen. With Temple still struggling with the officer, Perry continued to advance toward the scuffle.

"He again orders Mr. Temple to stop what he was doing and get off the officer. Those commands are ignored and he fires a fifth shot and that hits his head. The incident is over with, and as you know, Mr. Temple is dead."

Police are calling the shooting death justified. Perry Stevens has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Col. Phares would not give out any more details relating to the shooting. Both Phares and Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff stopped short of crediting Stevens with saving the officer's life. LeDuff says the entire incident is unfortunate.

"I spoke with his father at the scene briefly," said LeDuff. "I think this is a tragic situation all around."

9 News is told George Temple has a criminal record, and Officer Harrison was involved in a shooting while employed as a prison guard in East Baton Rouge Parish, where he was suspended for three days back in 1995.

Eyewitness Gives New Account of Controversial Shooting

A witness has come forward to change one key detail in that shooting involving a police officer which has caused such an uproar in Baton Rouge. Auto Zone store records place this witness in the parking lot as the fight and deadly shooting occurred. The witnesses tells a story not heard before, claiming he heard exactly what was said between the officer and shooting victim, George Temple. Out of fear of retaliation, the witness has requested his identity not be disclosed.

The witness says he was parked just a couple of spaces away from the black Mercedes George Temple was driving. At first, he didn't pay much attention to the man getting a ticket from the police officer, until he heard Temple and Officer Brian Harrison start to yell at each other. The witness says Temple called the officer a punk and said "you're just jealous of my car" not long after the officer and Temple started to struggle.

According to the witness, "You could here them muffled... 'Mother' this and that. 'I told you not to mess with me, I told you -- I'm a beast, I told you not to mess with me. I told you, I told you.' "

The witness says the officer took quite a beating.

Witness: "I mean, Mr. Temple was a big man."

Reporter: "What was the officer saying?"

Witness: " 'Help me, help me!' That's when he started screaming."

That's when a bystander in a neckbrace, Perry Stephens, shot and killed Temple. Even though the witness believes Stephens likely saved the officer's life, he does take issue with one part of Stephens' story. The witness says he never heard Stephens give a threat or a warning before he shot Temple.

"The man probably saved the officer's life... but he did not give out a warning," he says. "But if this would have been on a dark road, we would probably be looking for a cop killer, to be honest with you."

Stephens eventually ended the struggle between Temple and Harrison with a shot to the back of Temple's head.

"I heard [Temple] had a daughter, my heart goes out to the family. But Mr. Temple was aggressive to the officer. If [the officer] would have shot him, I probably wouldn't have even called [channel 9]."

The NAACP is upset with the officer, the investigation and the Baton Rouge Police Department's policies. The witness sees it differently. "I say the officer did everything he needed to do. If I would have been pulled over, I wouldn't have had an attitude, because the officer did everything he was supposed to do."

The witness says he doesn't want any trouble or attention. He says he just couldn't sit on the truth anymore.

Louisiana law permissive on deadly force

The bystander who killed a businessman embroiled in a brawl with a Baton Rouge police officer may be aided by one of the nation’s most permissive justifiable homicide laws, legal scholars and others say.

Louisiana allows the use of deadly force in self-defense or defense of others to “prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.” People also can shoot intruders inside a home, business or car even if there is no such threat — and need not make any effort to retreat.

That’s different from most states, which sanction physical force to prevent imminent physical danger and deadly force only when there is reasonable fear of “serious physical injury or death” — and the person in danger is otherwise unable to first safely retreat.

South Carolina, for example, limits bystanders to using deadly force only in instances where the victim “is in imminent danger of being murdered by the assailant, if the assault is malicious and unprovoked and with a deadly weapon” — and then only if there is “no other reasonable means of escape” and the victim and bystander are “without legal fault in bringing on the difficulty.”

“Louisiana has the broadest self-defense law in the country,” said Stuart Green, an LSU law professor who specializes in criminal law. “The questions raised in this case are, ‘Was the police officer in imminent danger of losing his life or suffering great bodily harm?’ and ‘Was the killing necessary to save him?’ But even if it wasn’t, the issue in this state is whether his purpose was preventing a violent forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm. And I think you can make a good argument for that.”

Perry Stephens, 56, shot 24-year-old George Temple II four times in the chest cavity and once in the head after seeing him in a struggle over a traffic violation with Officer Brian Harrison, 32, on Feb. 17 outside an Auto Zone on Greenwell Springs Road.

Investigators have said Stephens — who was wearing a neck brace and using a cane — retrieved a gun from his car after hearing Harrison yell for help. After hearing shots, he asked Temple to get off Harrison and shot him four times when Temple did not comply. Stephens again unsuccessfully ordered Temple to retreat, then fired a fatal shot into his head, investigators said.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the matter; the District Attorney’s Office ultimately will decide whether to pursue charges.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People publicly has called for an independent investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, but has not made a formal request.

(Much more)

Grand Jury Declines to Indict in George Temple Shooting

A state grand jury Thursday declined to return any indictments in the deadly shooting of Baton Rouge motorist George Temple. On February 17th, a bystander shot and killed Temple as Temple fought with a Baton Rouge police officer during a traffic stop.

Police say Officer Brian Harrison initially stopped Temple for pulling in to a funeral procession. As the officer attempted to give Temple a ticket, Temple allegedly attacked the officer and began beating him with his fists, investigators said. At that point, the bystander, Perry Stephens, fired several shots at Temple.

Temple was shot multiple times, including a wound to the abdomen, from a single shot fired by the police officer, investigators said. An autopsy later determined one of the shots fired by the bystander, which hit Temple in the head, was the shot that killed him.

The state district court grand jury interviewed 12 civilians and several officers before deciding not to indict anyone in the case.

"What we tried to do is identify every witness of which we knew professed to know anything about this and present them to the grand jury so they could have a full view of every perspective that existed from the standpoint of witness statements," said East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Doug Moureau. Moreau's officer did not charge either the officer or the bystander in the case. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Department, which was initially called in to investigate the shooting, also determined no charges should be filed.

The United States Justice Department, at the urging of several local black leaders, announced last month it would also investigate the case. State Representative Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge, is one of the leaders who called for the federal probe. Rep. Jackson said he was not surprised a state grand jury declined to return indictments in the case.
"I think that's why we asked for an independent investigation," Jackson said. "I wish that I could say that I'm surprised, but I'm not. We're going to rely 100% on the Justice Department and their investigation and wait and see what they have to say," Jackson added.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff, speaking to reporters late Thursday, said he credited Stephens with saving his officer's life. "It's time for this city to move forward," LeDuff said.

Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, LA

Officials urge calm in slaying case

A local group of black ministers is attempting to organize a boycott of all Arab-owned businesses in the wake of Sunday's fatal shooting of a black man by an Arabic store owner who claimed he was being robbed.

Meanwhile, Alexandria city leaders are asking that everyone remain calm.

The Rev. Freddie Banks of First Union Baptist Church in Alexandria said that while he could not be certain the shooting was race-related, he did feel it was unjust.

Banks appeared Thursday morning on the "Eyes Open With Tony Brown" radio show on station KAYT to promote the boycott and to say he would urge his congregation Sunday to not patronize Arab-owned stores.

Some ministers met Friday to discuss the boycott. The Rev. Floyd Kirts, who lives near the Alexandria store and is the minister at Bright Morning Star Baptist Church in Pineville, said he is one of the ministers asking people not to frequent the businesses -- but also not to resort to violence.

"We will speak with our money and not with our fists," he said.

Alexandria City Council President Charles Frederick Smith Jr. said he has asked residents not to overreact and to be calm. He said the police and the District Attorney's Office should be allowed to handle the investigation.

"Let's not destroy neighborhoods," he said.

Walter Louis Walker, 39, of 1244 Huffman St. was shot in the head by store owner Hussam Zeidan after Zeidan said Walker attempted to rob his store at 2350 Overton St., according to police records. No gun was found on Walker.

Four days before the shooting, the store had reported another robbery. In that incident, police said, two men are suspected of robbing a store employee at gunpoint.

No charges have been filed in Sunday's incident, and police are continuing to investigate. A file will be prepared for the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office, police said, and that office will decide whether to present it to a grand jury.

Alexandria Police Chief Daren Coutee said Friday that detectives are waiting on an autopsy report. In conducting their investigation, he said, investigators were relying on statements from the clerk and crime scene evidence.

Police were told the store had surveillance, but that it was broken, Coutee said. The chief said the camera also wasn't working when the store last was reported robbed.

State officials said Friday that at the time of Sunday's shooting, Walker was on probation for a charge of obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud.

(More)

Cocaine factored into convenience store shooting, DA says

A preliminary autopsy report on Walter Louis Walker who was shot to death by an Arab convenience-store owner revealed that Walker had been using cocaine, Rapides Parish District Attorney James C. Downs said at a Thursday night meeting.

About 50 people -- including Alexandria Police Chief Darren Coutee, some City Councilmen and leaders of black and Arab communities -- gathered at the Nazarene Baptist Church on Overton Street to discuss the police investigation of the shooting.

Walker, 39, was shot in the head by store owner Hussam Zeidan in what police said was an attempted robbery. The evidence, Downs said, doesn't support an arrest warrant for Zeidan and a grand jury will not be called.

The Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith Group hosted the meeting in an attempt to heal the rift that Walker's death has caused.

Walker's death has caused tension between black and Arab communities, including a threatened boycott of Arab-owned businesses by some black leaders and the Overton Street store where the shooting took place. The store has remained closed since the February incident.

No gun was found on Walker's body. Those who knew Walker describe him as a gentle man, leaving many in the black community to question the circumstances of his death.

Downs said his statements about Walker's drug problems were not meant to disparage a dead man, but to help explain the shooting.

"Apparently, Mr. Walker was a gentle man who was not inclined to violence. I, in no way, want to demean his character. I just want to give some facts to help shed light on what has happened," Downs said.

Downs also spoke of Walker's prior run-ins with the law, including a January 2004 incident in which he allegedly tried obtain codeine from a drug store with a forged prescription and an August 2004 incident in which he allegedly possessed a crack cocaine pipe and crack cocaine.

Downs' revelations were not well-received by some, including Walker's long-time friend, Terrell Bush, who claimed to have spoken with Walker about 10 minutes before the shooting.

"He didn't seem to be under the influence to me, and I have known him quite a while. If he would have been, then I would have noticed," Bush said Thursday night. Bush added that police never took a statement from him, even though he called them to make one.

As tempers flared, black community leaders stepped forth to remind those gathered in the church that Thursday's event was meant to bring unity and healing.

"We can't be divided whether we are black, white, rich or poor. We must be in one accord," said Alexandria Councilman Roosevelt Johnson.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Store clerk kills suspected robber

An Alexandria man was shot and killed on Sunday during what is believed to have been a failed holdup attempt, Alexandria Police Lt. Mike Rennier said.

Walter Louis Walker, 39, of 1244 Huffman St., was shot in the head at least two times by a clerk when he attempted to rob Tobacco Hut No. 2, located at 2350 Overton St., Rennier said.

According to police records, the clerk told police that Walker approached the counter at 12:07 p.m. and demanded money while holding his hands in his pockets.

Rennier said the clerk then shot Walker and called police to the scene. Walker was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police reports.

Police found no weapon on Walker, Rennier said.

"The clerk said he thought Mr. Walker had a gun in his pocket," Rennier said. "Officers were dispatched to the store and found the individual deceased. It looks like a case of an armed robbery gone bad."

Rennier said the initial investigation had turned up particular motive for the robbery attempt.

The clerk's identity was being withheld Sunday because of investigation concerns, Rennier said.

Rennier said an initial investigation indicates the shooting was an act of self-defense.

The police report refers to the clerk as the victim in the incident.

According to police records, there were no other people in the store at the time of the shooting and no potential witnesses had emerged.

No further details were available late Sunday, Rennier said. The shooting remained under investigation.

Labels: business robbery, LA

Police say suspect shot breaking into home

A man was shot in the groin early Thursday as he tried to break through the door of a South Eugene Street home with a fire extinguisher he stole from a nearby dialysis center, authorities said.

Baton Rouge Police arrested Ronald Scott Murphy, 41, Friday after he was released from Baton Rouge General Medical Center-Mid City. He is being charged with two counts of criminal damage to property, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, misdemeanor theft and simple burglary, booking records show.

A detective responding to a burglar alarm about 12:55 a.m. at the FMCNA Dialysis Center at 2661 North Blvd. noticed a white cloud inside the building, said police spokesman Sgt. Don Kelly.

“While he was waiting for uniform patrol, he noticed a commotion across the street at a home,” Kelly said. “He saw a white male trying to break through the front door using a fire extinguisher.”

Someone inside the house then shot the intruder in the groin, Kelly said. Police could not confirm the suspect stole anything from the dialysis center besides the fire extinguisher, Kelly said.

The homeowner was not charged, Kelly said.

Labels: intruder, LA

A 25-year-old Shreveport man was hurt after would-be robbers fired a shotgun at him early Saturday morning, Shreveport police said.

Quinton Geiggar was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport with a nonlife-threatening wound just above his left eye.

Geiggar stopped at a store in the 1900 block of Hollywood Avenue about 1:30 a.m. when four men in a blue Ford Crown Victoria stopped next to him, police said. One man yelled, "Give me your car," while another pointed a shotgun at him. Geiggar turned and ran for the store.

At least one robber got into Geiggar's car and started to drive off, police said. Geiggar than fired a handgun four times at the robbers. The driver of the vehicle slammed it into a telephone pole and fled with the others, but not before one of struck Geiggar with a shotgun blast.

Labels: carjacking, defender shot, LA

Homeowner shoots burglar

A homeowner who arrived to found [sic] his house burglarized apparently shot the burglar when he returned for more, Shreveport police said.

It happened in the 3900 block of Sumner Street.

Police said a couple arrived at their home about 6 a.m. today and found their home burglarized. They were in the house about two hours later when another burglary attempt occurred.

"They fired shots at this individual," Police Department spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said. "We believe the suspect was shot. We have a blood trail that's leading from the house."

Police brought in a K-9 to try to follow the man but no one had been arrested late this morning.

Labels: LA, residence burglary

A 24-year-old Shreveport man is recovering at a local hospital after he was shot in his left side after an argument with his girlfriend’s father Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Terrance Smith is in fair condition at LSU Hospital in Shreveport, a spokeswoman said today.

Jeffrey Arkansas, 46, turned himself into Shreveport police after the incident. But the ensuing investigation determined this may have been an act of self defense. The case has been handed over to the Caddo District Attorney’s office to see if any charges will be filed.

Labels: domestic dispute, LA

Grand jury decides against charges in drag strip shooting

The Harrison County grand jury today decided not to indict anyone for a shooting at a drag strip in Hallsville that left one man dead and three others wounded, two of them critically.

Grand jurors heard testimony about the shootings before deciding not to charge that four men who had been arrested in the case.

District Attorney Joe Black said the grand jury heard evidence that one of the victims pulled a weapon. The grand jury may have decided it was a case of self defense, Black said.

The shooting happened in June. The driver of an SUV, Cedric Johnson of Tyler, was killed and while three of his passengers were also shot.

Labels: assault, LA

After Katrina, stories of gun battles

After the storm came the carjackers and burglars. Then came the gun battles and the chemical explosions that shook the restored Victorians in New Orleans' Algiers Point neighborhood.

"The hurricane was a breeze compared with the crime and terror that followed," said Gregg Harris, a psychotherapist who lives in the battered area.

As life returned to this close-knit neighborhood three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, residents said they hoped their experience could convince political leaders to get serious about the violence and poor services that have long been an unfortunate hallmark of their city.

"I think now it's a wake-up call," Harris said.

After the storm, the neighborhood association had to act as law enforcement and emergency response unit as city services collapsed and the police force was unable to protect them.

Citizens organized armed patrols and checked on the elderly. They slept on their porches with loaded shotguns and bolted awake when intruders stumbled on the aluminum cans they had scattered on the sidewalk.

Gunshots rang out for days, sometimes terrifyingly close.

For Harris, the first warning sign came on Tuesday, the day after the storm, when two young men hit his partner, Vinnie Pervel, over the head and drove off with his Ford van.

(Much more)

Labels: LA, social breakdown

NEW ORLEANS -- The Algiers Point militia put