Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Clerk shoots at robber on West Side

A gas station clerk shot at a man who robbed the Liberty station at 7 a.m. at Clark Avenue and West 52nd Street.

The suspect ran off and was last seen in the 3000 block of West 51st Street, where patrolmen found a dollar bill on the ground.

The black suspect had a brown scarf wrapped around his face. He was wearing a red shirt and blue jeans, witnesses told police.

A police dog is trying to pick up the man's trail.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Suspected Burglar Shot By Home Owner

Police Dayton said a suspected home burglar was shot overnight by the homeowner.

The burglary happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday in the 1900 block of Emerson Avenue.

Sgt. Scott Lawson said, “At this time, it looks like an aggravated burglary and that the homeowner defended his home. But it is still being investigated.”

Officers said the suspect was hit in the neck by a bullet. He was taken to a local hospital and rushed into surgery.

At this time, the name and condition of the suspected burglary has not been released.

Labels: OH, residence burglary

Tenant kills would-be robber, police say

A gunman who police say kicked in the door to an East Side apartment was shot to death by one of the tenants early today.

Jermaine A. McCrary, 19, of Ashville died of a single gunshot wound to the head after breaking into an apartment at 2936 E. Fifth Ave. at 1:47 a.m.

Sgt. Dana Norman of the homicide squad said McCrary intended to rob the occupants, a man and woman who told police that they didn't know him.

McCrary pistol-whipped the man before he was shot by one of the tenants.

Terrified, the residents ran out of the apartment and several blocks west before finding someone to call police.

Norman wouldn't say which tenant fired the shot, and he would not release their names.

He said the case will be presented to a grand jury but appeared to one of self-defense. Neither tenant has been charged with a crime.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Dad fatally shot as he tried to 'jump on' son, ex-wife told 911

A South Side man fatally shot his father Monday after the father "went to jump on" him during a fight in the family home, according to a 911 call to police.

In a weary, subdued voice, Janice Carson detailed in the tape-recorded call the moments that led up to the killing of Steven J. Carson about 3:40 p.m. inside her home at 1348 Oakwood Ave.

Steven Carson, 51, no longer lived there, Janice Carson said, but she didn't explain why he was in the house.

"My ex-husband came in and went to jump on my son, and my son has shot his father," she told the call-taker.

Steven Carson was shot once, according to police. In an inventory of items police said they took during a search of the home were a .45-caliber Ruger handgun, a shell casing and a pillowcase.

Homicide detectives have not charged the son, identified in various police and court documents as Derick W. Carson, 23. They said the younger Carson might have acted in self-defense, and the case will be presented to a grand jury.

A woman who answered the front door of the home yesterday politely declined to comment, calling the shooting a devastating family tragedy.

In 2000, Steven Carson was charged with aggravated menacing and domestic violence, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records. Arrest documents accused him of threatening to kill Janice Carson, and he ultimately was given a 180-day suspended jail sentence and placed on probation for two years.

During Monday's 911 call, the Carson home was quiet except for Janice Carson's voice. She said she thought Steven Carson was dead and that her son had dropped the gun after the shooting and was seated on the stairs.

"He's in shock," she said.

She told the call-taker that her son wasn't injured.

"He ran from his father," she said.

Later in the call, Janice Carson could be heard saying, "Here, Derick, give me the gun. Sit down."

She then told the call-taker that she was holding her son, and quiet sobbing is heard.

"It'll be all right, Derick," she said. "It'll be all right."

Moments later, police officers are heard at the door.

Labels: domestic dispute, OH

85-year-old opens fire on thugs

Raleigh Hensley's trip to "town" Tuesday ended with men taking his wallet with $5,500 and roughing him up, but the 85-year-old didn't give up his money without a fight and even shot at the fleeing car.

Butler County Sheriff's detectives announced today, March 27, they have the culprits, both of Hamilton, behind bars who allegedly robbed Hensley. They are Timothy Alfred, 44, of Millville Ave., charged with robbery and Mark Collins, 45, of Sunset Drive, charged with complicity to robbery.

Hensley, who has lived on Darrtown Road more than 50 years, said he went to Hamilton Tuesday afternoon, March 26, and stopped by a west side liquor store to purchase a "jug of wine."

"There were three or four guys around there," Hensley said. "They saw me pay with the money in my billfold. I tripped on the way out and one of them helped me up and asked if he could take me home."

Hensley laughed and told them he wasn't drinking and didn't need any help.

But the men apparently wanted to help themselves to his cash — all $5,500 of it.

"I didn't notice them following me home," Hensley said. "When I got out to get the mail, the red car sort of blocked me and they shoved me, trying to get my billfold. I told them, 'you ain't going to get it.'"

Eventually, the men were able to swipe the wallet and jumped back in the car speeding away toward McGonigle, Hensley said

"I got my gun and shot a couple times at the tires," Hensley said. He added he has been told him today he may have hit his mark. Butler County Detective Jason Rosser said a car believed to have been driven by the culprits has been located and is being processed. Hensley also tried to follow the getaway car, but lost them.

"I've never had any type of problem out here," Hensley said. "Still don't. They followed me home."

He added he usually does not carry thousands in cash, but had plans for the money they stole.

Labels: OH, street robbery

Grocer killed with own gun

Lorain grocer Jose Gonzalez was fatally shot with his own gun during a struggle with the suspect in a ''botched robbery'' at Gonzalez's store last Friday, police said.

Gonzales had bought the gun to protect himself and his store following a previous holdup, according to neighbors.

Police said a man armed with a weapon that was not a gun walked into the Gonzalez Grocery at 2522 Lexington Ave. at about 10 a.m. on Jan. 25. A fight ensued between the man and Gonzalez, and Gonzalez's gun somehow got into the hands of the intruder, according to police.

Lorain police Chief Cel Rivera would not specify what weapon police believe suspect Decio Rodrigues, 24, of Lorain, brought to the store, but said it was not a gun. The chief said he does not believe Rodrigues entered the store with the intent to kill Gonzalez.

As the suspect ran from the store with cash in his hand, he was spotted by an Allied Waste worker.

Police released a composite sketch of the suspect shortly after the killing and tips started rolling in.

Lorain detectives worked around the clock with the U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Task Force to capture Rodrigues. He was taken into custody Saturday night and was charged with aggravated murder.

At an arraignment Monday morning, Rodrigues appeared on live video from the Lorain County Jail. Rodrigues kept his head down for most of the proceeding, but when he did look into the camera, he had a black eye and scratches on his face.

Rivera said the injuries were from the struggle that had taken place at the grocery store when Gonzalez was fighting for his life.

Tuesday night, the community gathered with Gonzalez's family to honor his legacy and to protest violence. His son vowed to reopen the store.

Labels: defender killed, OH

Double Shooting In Miami Township Kills 1

A double shooting in Miami Township Friday night killed one person and injuried another.

The shooting happened a litte before midnight on Soldier’s Home Road west of Miamisburg.

The homeowner shot and killed an intruder who shot a woman inside the home, police said.

A woman was taken by care flight with a gunshot wound, police said.

The names have not been released of those who were involved.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Campbell cops call homicide justified

Police do not plan to charge Nicholas Galanses in the Wednesday night shooting death of Ronald G. Harrison II.

"I discussed it with Law Director Mark Kolmacic, and unless something new comes up, we're looking at it as a justifiable homicide," Detective Sgt. Gus Nicolaou said Friday.

Kolmacic said a person may defend himself if he believes he is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm. The duty to retreat does not apply if a person is in his home, he said.

"We're taking a close look" at the results of a breath test that showed Galanses had a blood alcohol level of .156. That is above the legal limit of .08 to drive a vehicle, but there is no law against drinking in one's own home, Kolmacic said.

Further, the law director said, there is nothing in the police reports to indicate his alcohol level caused any reckless behavior.

Galanses, 40, shot Harrison three times shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday in his (Galanses') garage, which is attached to his home in the 300 Block of Porter Ave.

Harrison, 19, of Bright Avenue, was hit in the stomach, the right arm between his wrist and elbow, and in the back just below his left shoulder blade, but at an angle indicating he was turning when the bullet struck, Nicolaou said.

Nicolaou said Harrison, whom Galanses said was raising a pistol at him, was shot at a distance of 5 to 10 feet, judging from where Harrison's weapon, which turned out to be a Daisy air pellet gun, was found.

Harrison, who was found lying in the street in front of 332 Porter, was wearing a nylon stocking cap over his head and face, according to the police report.

"It's definite he went to rob. He had stolen the pellet gun from a friend's house about an hour earlier," Nicolaou said of Harrison.

The Mahoning County Coroner's report on the shooting contained no new details, and said the circumstances surrounding the homicide are pending investigation. Harrison's body was sent to Cleveland to be autopsied.

The night of the shooting, Galanses told police he went to the garage door after the front door bell rang and asked, "Who's out there?"

On his way to the garage door, Galanses, who said he never answers his front door, picked up his .357 magnum revolver from his dining room hutch.

When he opened the door to the attached garage, he saw a man run into the garage from the front porch side of the driveway, raise a black handgun toward him and yell, "Give me the money ...!"

Galanses, standing halfway inside the dining room and halfway in the garage, said he feared he was going to be shot. He raised the .357 magnum and fired several shots at the intruder.

If the shooting is ruled a justifiable homicide, it will be the first in the area since October 2005, when Walter Swita used a German Luger 9 mm pistol to shoot an intruder in the head and chest in the living room of Swita's home on South Avenue.

Labels: OH, residence robbery

Burglar comes face-to-face with gun-toting homeowner

A Plain Township man, who broke into a Canton home, was cornered by an armed homeowner and then chased away, Stark County Jail records said.

Louis Perez, 50, of 4901 Middlebranch Ave. NE, was scheduled to appear in Canton Municipal Court this morning on a burglary charge, jail records said.

Canton Police said he forced open the rear door to a home in the 1300 block of 22nd Street NE early Wednesday morning and was cornered by the homeowner. The homeowner, who had a gun, chased him out of the house.

Police found him at 4:07 a.m. Wednesday in the 1600 block of 22nd Street NE, jail records said.

Stark County Court records said Perez was arrested and then released on his own recognizance later Wednesday.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Man arrested after home invasion

A Newark man was arrested in a home invasion shortly after midnight Saturday during which a gun was pulled on the intruder.

Josef L. Franklin, 25, last known address 551 Seneca Drive, was charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.

A man stormed into a home on the 200 block of Day Avenue at about 12:30 a.m. and confronted a couple in their bedroom, according to a Newark police report.

While the intruder was throwing punches at her boyfriend, the 19-year-old female victim told police she pulled an unloaded handgun on the intruder.

The intruder then charged her and tried to wrestle the weapon away before the 23-year-old boyfriend pulled him off, the report said.

The intruder, who was joined by two women, then left, threatening to come back and harm both victims, witness statements claim.

He returned about five minutes later, trying to kick down the door, which was locked. He was unsuccessful.

The two victims and their infant child left their home. When they returned, the door was broken open and several electronic items and a safe were missing, the police report states.

Franklin was arrested on misdemeanor criminal damaging and felony burglary charges less than three hours after the report was filed.

He is incarcerated at the Licking County Justice Center, and Licking County Municipal Court Judge David Branstool set his bond at $25,000 Monday.

Labels: female, home invasion, OH

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- Springfield Police said a man was arrested Thursday and charged with breaking into a duplex on Thrasher Street for the second time in two weeks.

19-year old James Paul Russell is charged with two counts of burglary.

Police said someone who lives in the duplex saw Russell and another man leaving his home and fired a shot at them. No one was hurt.

Labels: OH, residence burglary

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield police continue to investigate a burglary that occurred on Thrasher Street Wednesday night in which a homeowner fired shots at two intruders.

A resident of a home in the 900 block of Thrasher Street said he came home at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and saw intruders moving around inside his home, according to a police report.

The man took a gun out of his truck and ran toward the house when one of the burglars ran out the front door and toward the back yard, according to the report.

Another intruder appeared in the back yard, and that's when the man said he fired two shots.

One of the burglars fell after the shots were fired, but then got up and ran. Both of the intruders jumped a fence and fled the scene, according to the report.

Springfield Police Division Captain Mike Hill said investigators "have not established" whether the intruder was shot or injured, and no arrests have been made.

Labels: OH, residence burglary

Middletown Man Found Not Guilty In Girlfriend's Death

A jury has acquitted a Middletown man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend.

Sixty-year-old Charles Frost was charged with murder in the May 11 death of 47-year-old Deborah Dockery.

Frost told a jury he and Dockery had been drinking and arguing when she came at him with a knife in their Helton Drive home.

Frost said he shot her twice in self defense, and the jury believed him and returned not guilty verdicts on all counts after nine hours of deliberation.

Further links:
Jury acquits man in fatal shooting of girlfriend

Labels: domestic dispute, OH

Home invasion suspect lands in hospital

Toledo police are investigating an attempted home invasion that ended with two people shot.

This all happened around 1:45 a.m Friday in the 100 block of Spencer near Western Ave. in south Toledo. Police tell us two men came to the back door of the house and allegedly told the man living inside -- who works as a "repo-man" -- that they wanted to talk about a tow.

The man told police they then tried to force their way inside. The homeowner was shot once in the arm. He said he fired back on the suspects, hitting one four times.

The suspects took off, and a short time later, the injured suspect was dropped off at University of Toledo Medical Center. His condition is not being released.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, OH

After several restless nights, Manfreda and his partner's patience was rewarded.

''Six-eighteen. That's when we heard the glass breaking at the rear door and John said: 'It's happening','' Manfreda said.

Manfreda said he was amazed at how swiftly Polen made it from the broken rear door to within steps of the office.

''If I had been alone, I don't know what I would have done,'' Manfreda said.

As it was his partner pulled a gun on the intruder and yelled; ''Freeze APD,'' Manfreda said.

This immediately got Polen's attention, Manfreda said. The homeless man dropped to the ground.

Manfreda said Polen had come equipped with a crowbar, a large wrench, a hammer and a razor.

Manfreda said he was surprised when Polen, with a gun pointed at him, grabbed the crowbar and got to his feet.

''I thought he was going to run, but he didn't. He just said ''shoot me'' and start coming at us. It was like he didn't care about life.

''We had to hit him with the hammer just enough to make him drop the crowbar. We could have shot him,'' he said, ''but nobody wants to kill anybody.''

A relieved Manfreda called police. Within two minutes police arrived to take Polen off their hands.

Edwards said Polen was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

''At this time, Kevin Polen is charged with breaking and entering and possession of criminal tools,'' Edwards said.

Labels: business burglary, OH

Apartment dweller shoots burglary suspect running away

A man accused of trying to burglarize an apartment building at 11:30 Monday night in Cleveland got a bullet in the left leg. A resident shot him as he tried to run away.

Lawrence D. Cooke, 53, shot the suspect at 11:45 p.m. at East 133rd Street and Woodworth Road.

Police said Daryle R. Mitchell, 41, of Soika Avenue, was treated at Huron Hospital and arrested. Mitchell is charged with aggravated burglary.

An incident report says that the suspect tried to break down a rear door. Cooke heard pounding and went outside to check on it, while his wife called 911. Cooke found the suspect and told him to "stay put."

The suspect heard sirens approaching and "started reaching into his pockets and running in the field. As I got about twenty feet from him, I told him to stop reaching around. I then shot my gun near his feet to scare him, and I ended up shooting him in the leg."

Officers found a green flashlight in the field near Mitchell. The report quotes Mitchell; "I was going to buy weed at Coit and Woodworth. I didn't get any. As I cut across the field near St. Clair Avenue, I used my green flashlight to look out for skunks. Then I got shot. I didn't see who did it. I was going to catch the bus on St. Clair."

Police confiscated Cooke's .357 Magnum revolver.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Robber shot at Mexican market

A store clerk shot a robbery suspect inside a Mexican market on Glenway Avenue tonight, and police were hunting for a second suspect.

The incident happened about 8:45 p.m. when two suspects, wearing scarves over their faces, entered the Tienda y Carniceria. A woman behind the counter shouted for her husband, while trying to protect a 3-year-old child who was with her.

The male clerk scuffled with the robber and was struck in the face with a gun. Both apparently fired shots. One robber was wounded in the shoulder and was taken to University Hospital.

The second fled the store and was being hunted by police. Police said he was a heavy-set Hispanic male with a shaved head, wearing a black sweater, black jeans and white tennis shoes.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Man Tries To Break-In Home, Gets Shot

A Dayton homeowner shot a suspected burglar Saturday morning.

Police responded to the 4000 block of Pleasantview early Saturday morning.

Police said a man tried kicking in the back door of the home and that is when the homeowner shot him.

The burglar was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition

Labels: home invasion, OH, residence robbery

Store owner shoots suspect during robbery attempt

A suspect entered the Northfield Food Mart around 7:15pm Thursday evening attempting to rob the store owner.

In defense, the store owner pulled out a weapon and shot the suspect.

The injured suspect attempted to exit the store and was quickly apprehended.

Police are in early stages of their investigation.

The Food Mart crime scene has been blocked off. An area of the nearby Rite Aid parking lot has also been blocked off while police continue searching for and sorting through evidence.

There are a handful of witnesses who police are speaking with as well.

The suspect was taken to Bedford Hospital and then lifeflighted to MetroHealth Medical Center.

There is no word on his condition, however, there are reports that he may have been shot in the head.

Surveillance Video Shows Storeowner Shooting Robber

Suspect Charged With Aggravated Robbery

Surveillance video showing the struggle between a Bedford Heights store owner and an alleged robber was released on Tuesday.

Prosecutors will not charge Mushtaq Ahmed, the owner of Northfield Food Mart, for shooting a man who allegedly held him at gunpoint last week.

Police arrested 27-year-old Roddy Prophet, of Maple Heights, in connection with the robbery.

Prophet was in court Tuesday morning and was charged with aggravated robbery. His bond was set at $100,000.

Police said Prophet used a toy gun in the heist.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Market owner shoots at gunman

The owner of NM Minimart, 823 Elm St., fired at a gunman who robbed the store this morning, Cincinnati police said.

Cincinnati Police Lt. Mark Briede said a man entered the store about 11:30 a.m., implied he had a gun and robbed the store of cash.

The owner followed the man outside onto Ninth Street and fired at him.

"Officers in the area actually heard the shots,'' Briede said.

Briede said there is a school across the street from the market and lots of people were walking in the neighborhood.

"I think we are very fortunate that no one was hit that we are aware of,'' Briede said.

Police were interviewing the store owner and searching for the robbery suspect.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Ramey acquitted of murder charges

Shane Ramey was acquitted Tuesday afternoon in his capital murder trial for the shooting death of Charles Trent in March.

Ramey, 35, of Springfield, was found innocent on felony murder, attempted murder and aggravated murder charges.

He was found guilty of weapons under disability and faces up to five years in prison on that charge.

Ramey was accused of shooting Charles Trent, 68, and his grandson, Anthony Donte Trent, 29, both of 233 W. Grand Ave., on March 15.

Defense attorneys claimed Anthony Donte Trent had been threatening Ramey over a number of days and that Ramey acted in self defense.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Darnell Carter blasted the jury for the "stunning verdict."

"It amazes me that 12 people wouldn't value the life of (Charles Trent)," Carter said to the jury after the verdict was read.

John Paul Rion, Ramey's attorney, said the jury had been fair in its decision.

"No one was kept from testifiying, and the jury deliberated more than 13 hours," said Rion. "They took this seriously."

The verdict was the first acquittal on a murder charge in Clark County in more than eight years, said Carter.

Investigators alleged that an argument took place between Anthony Donte Trent and Ramey, and that Ramey opened fire on both men as they sat in a car on Liberty Street.

Anthony Donte Trent was shot in both arms and recovered. Charles Trent was hospitalized for his injuries and died April 25.

Clark County Common Pleas Judge Douglas Rastatter set Ramey's sentencing for 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Labels: altercation, OH

Deputies Search For Couple In Attempted Home Invasion

Deputies in Clark County are looking for a couple they said tried to force their way into a home near Donnelsville.

It happened Wednesday night in the 6500 block of West National Road.

Deputies said an occupant of the home grabbed a shotgun and a shot was fired into the porch area.

The couple fled and deputies said the occupant of the home was cut by flying glass.

He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The search for the couple continues.

Labels: home invasion, OH

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Police were searching for three armed men who broke into a house on the city's east side Monday morning.

Cynthia Davis said she had just gone into the basement of her home on Picard Road when she heard the back door being kicked in, 10TV News reported.

"I guess God sent me to the basement right at that moment, because I would have been sitting there when they kicked the door in," Davis said. "I had just been sitting on the couch there moments before."

Davis' husband, Frank Watson, yelled to her to stay downstairs and call 911, 10TV News reported.

Watson, 60, picked up his gun and started towards the men. When he saw the burglars, one of the men opened fire, police said.

"Nothing was taken," Davis said. "When they saw Frank with a pistol, he scared them off and they started to run."

Davis said she could not tell Watson had been shot at first.

"He said, 'They shot me,' and that's when I could see his T-shirt was soaked with blood," Davis said.

Watson (pictured, left) was taken to Grant Medical Center in serious condition.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Two dead, two arrested in Dayton store shooting

Airman nabs suspect minutes after shooting

Two people were shot to death and two people were arrested in a convenience store robbery Tuesday afternoon, Dayton police said. The owner of the Covault Market and Coin Laundry, 3705 Wayne Ave., was killed inside his store along with an employee, according to Maj. Michael Brown.

The robbery and shooting happened about 1:30 p.m.

Brown said two suspects were in custody.

An Air National Guard airman apprehended a masked gunman who was fleeing from the scene, according to the man's mother.

Robert Bragg, 24, who works as a military police officer at the Springfield Air National Guard base, was sitting on his porch about 1:30 p.m. when he noticed two suspicious young men walking down Coventry Road off Wayne Avenue, said Barbi Byrd, Bragg's mother.

Shortly after that, Byrd said she heard popping sounds and screaming. In the next instant, she said her son saw the same two men running down Coventry. Each was wearing a ski mask and armed with a handgun.

Bragg retrieved his 9mm pistol, pointed it the men and ordered them to stop and drop their weapons, Byrd said.

"I was freaking out. I thought one of them would shoot him," Byrd said.

One man dropped his gun and threw up his hands, as Bragg ordered, while the other took off running through a neighbor's yard.

While one of the men was on the ground, he told Bragg his name and begged to be released. The man said he only committed the robbery while under threat, Byrd said.

Byrd described her son as a vigilant and alert neighborhood advocate.

"He's our neighborhood watchdog, " she said.

Police took the second suspect into custody a short time later, Brown said.

The store did have security cameras.

Neighbors said the store had been robbed before.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Local Business Owner Assaulted Outside Home

The owner of an area nightclub was beaten and robbed early Monday morning on Columbus' north side.

Witnesses said the victim, owner of the International Ballroom and Nightclub, was targeted outside of his Sinclair Road home at about 2:30 a.m., NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

According to police, the incident was originally called in as a home invasion, but it turned out that someone was waiting outside the home of the victim.

Police said that when the victim arrived home two people were waiting. As he got out of his car, he was allegedly assaulted as the suspects demanded money.

"Two individuals were waiting in the shadows for him, as he exited his vehicle he was jumped and assaulted" Detective Art Hughes, of the Columbus Division of Police said. "A struggle ensued and the business owner was able to produce a weapon. There was a shot fired and, at this time, it appears nobody was hit."

Police have not arrested any suspects involved in the case.

Labels: OH, street robbery

Judge: Shooting outside MedCentral was self defense

Kevin Teague acted in self defense when he shot a fellow Mansfield teenager in the face, according to Richland County Juvenile Court Judge Ron Spon.

The judge on Thursday acquitted the 15-year-old Teague of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault. Spon found him guilty of carrying a concealed weapon.

The decision followed a three-day trial during which the Richland County Prosecutor's Office argued Teague shot and intended to kill Jacques Sutton outside MedCentral/ Mansfield Hospital on Feb. 18.

The judge didn't agree.

Spon said the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Teague intended to kill the victim.

"The defense ... successfully argued their case that what Kevin did was in self-defense," Spon said, claiming defense attorney Ralph Bove proved three specific points:

First, Teague was not at fault in creating the altercation between himself, the victim and four other juveniles accompanying the victim.

Spon cited testimony from witnesses saying the victim and his friends antagonized and bullied Teague for a lengthy period of time. On the day in question, one of the victim's friends got Teague to let his guard down, then punched him.

Second, Teague had a "bona fide belief of immediate danger and bodily harm requiring the use of force to escape."

Testimony and evidence indicated five juveniles pursued Teague and his acquaintance for at least one city block before getting to MedCentral. From there, security video shows five juveniles attempting to surround Teague to keep him from entering the hospital.

"The video was chilling," Spon said. "It was like watching sharks circle in for the kill. Frankly, the line (Sutton) said that they were only going to the hospital because they were hungry and wanted to use the vending machines to get something to eat was a ploy."

Third, the defense proved Teague did all he could to retreat from the altercation.

"This was a long pursuit," Spon said. "He was retreating the entire distance of at least one block."

Spon said Teague had the gun in his possession during the pursuit, but had it pointed down until the moment Sutton caught up to him outside the hospital entrance.

"The prosecution has argued that (the victim) had his hands out the entire time," Spon said. "But the video showed (the victim) had his right hand in his pocket," suggesting the victim had a weapon for which he was reaching.

"In short, Kevin was being relentlessly pursued by five people with the intent to cause bodily harm," he said. "The defense proved in that moment, his only means at hand was the use of force."
…

Spon ordered Teague, who spent 158 days detained in the Juvenile Justice Center, to be released into house arrest under the supervision of his family while a pre-sentence report is filed. Spon will sentence Teague on his concealed weapon conviction within 30 days.

Labels: assault, OH

Boy shot attacking dogs to save friend

A 12-year-old Eden Township boy was in fair condition this morning after family dogs allegedly attacked him Thursday afternoon.

The attack apparently ended when the boy’s friend ran inside for a gun to scare off the dogs, including pit bulls and mixed breeds, NBC 4 reported.

“I fired four shots in the air to warn them to get off,” a child named Michael said in an interview on NBC 4. “So I shot one and killed it and I think I wounded another.”

Children's Hospital said victim Jarred Magers was listed in fair condition as of 7:45 a.m.

Mary Ann Township fire personnel responded to the call around 2:30 p.m. at 9583 Stradley Road. An emergency medical helicopter then was called to the area of Purity and Pineview roads.

A sign on the property reads “security dogs,” NBC 4 reported.

Animal control officers arriving at the scene reportedly were met with an aggressive dog which was shot and killed, NBC 4 reported.

Labels: animal, OH

Owner foils clothing store robbery

Two women and a girl from Dayton, Ohio were arrested Wednesday after they allegedly stole clothing from a store and tried to run over the owner with a car, according to Springfield Township police.

Toya Heard, 20, Raytona Glenn, 22, and a 14-year-old girl were charged with aggravated robbery.

Around 5:10 p.m., officers arrived at Casablanca, a clothing store in the 11000 block of Hamilton Avenue, and were told two females ran from the store with a large amount of clothing. away and the three females were arrested nearby.

When the owner saw them climb into a getaway car, he told them to stop but the driver tried to run him over and struck him in the leg, police said.

The owner then fired one shot from a handgun and hit the car’s front right tire. The car was found a short distance away and the three females were arrested nearby.

Business Owner Shoots At Shoplifting Suspects, Stops Car

The owner of a Springfield Township business shot at a getaway car carrying two shoplifting suspects, enabling in their arrest.

It happened at Casablanca Hip Hop Fashions, a store located on Hamilton Avenue in the Seven Hills Shopping Center.

9News obtained exclusive surveillance video from the business showing the thefts in progress.

It shows the two women with armloads of clothes.

At first, they look like any other customers, but as they quickly run towards the front doors, they go from shopper to suspect.

"We have good people, we have bad people, you know, you can't judge people," said Abdelhak Gheddara, the store's owner.

As the owner of Casablanca, Gheddara tells 9News he wasn't just going to let the suspects take off in a waiting escape car.

He pursued them into his parking lot.

But the waiting driver, thought to be a 14-year-old girl, struck him with the car as they fled, forcing Gheddara to take action.

"She pushed me with car, she cut my leg here, I had no choice, I shot tire," Gheddara said.

One shot into the car's tire was all it took.

With their car disabled, Springfield Township police found the three suspects nearby and took them into custody.
Gheddara tells 9News that despite being angry and injured, he never thought about aiming the gun at the suspects.

That would have been something he likely, legally could have done, since his life had been at risk.

"I don't want to shoot them, I can't do it. I don't want to take life, you know? I want to stop car," Gheddara said.

The three female suspects are 22, 20 and 14 years of age.

They all are from Dayton.

Gheddara says he thinks they might be part of an organized shoplifting ring from the Dayton area.

Labels: business robbery, OH

Police: Resident Fights Back, Shoots Burglary Suspects

Police are trying to determine the events that led up to an apparent home invasion and shooting on Thursday afternoon.

According to neighbors, two armed men attempted to break into a home on Koebel Road at about 12:30 p.m. A short time later, neighbors said they heard gunshots, NBC 4 reported.

Police said the resident was home alone when the alleged break-in occurred. According to police, the victim shot both suspects, striking one of them in the leg.

The men fled the scene, but were later arrested and taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition.

Neighbors said the incident was the second attempted break-in at the man's home in less than a year.

Police said the homeowner will not face charges because he was defending himself.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Shooting In Springfield Kills Man

Police were outside a home on the 2000 block of Portage Path in Springfield on Friday morning to investigate a shooting from Thursday night.

The man who was shot and killed has been identified as 32-year-old Michael Lewis Jr.

Witnesses told Springfield police that Lewis and the man who lives in the Portage Path home had been arguing.

Lewis started to leave the property in a car but stopped the vehicle and went back up to the homeowner and punched him in the face, police said.

Witnesses said that the 59-year-old homeowner shot Lewis once in the chest, police said.

Lewis died at the scene and the homeowner was taken into custody for questioning, police said.

Police said no charges have been filed and this case could be heard by the grand jury at the end of June.

Labels: altercation, assault, OH

Intruder Shot on Belden Avenue

One man is shot after an apparent home invasion on Belden Avenue.

Police say the intruder was shot by the home owner after trying to break in to the house.

The victim allegedly fled the scene.

There is no word on if police found the intruder or that person's condition.

Bloody fight in home involved ax and gun

A father credits his 13-year-old son with shooting an intruder with his own gun late Monday at a South Side home.

But the man who was shot, Dennis Pixley, 18, Woodcrest Avenue, told police he never had a gun.

Chief of Detectives Capt. Kenneth Centorame said about the only thing police know for certain is there was a violent struggle in the home.

He said police do think that the son of Forrest Adams, 38, 3411 Belden Ave., did fire the shot that wounded Pixley, but are waiting for the results of a gunshot residue test just to make sure.

Adams could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

About 12 hours after police responded, no one answered the door at the well-kept home, although there were several splotches of dried blood on the front porch and walk with broken pieces of a vase that also was covered in blood.

Adams told police Monday he and his son had returned to the home about 11 p.m. after an outing, and a man holding a gun came onto the front porch, demanded money and forced them inside.

He said he was able to ambush the gunman when he went into a closet to look for something. Adams grabbed for a gun, which went off while the two were struggling, police said.

Adams told police he also managed to dislodge the intruder’s bulletproof vest at some point in the struggle. Adams said the intruder fell down a flight of stairs and when he went into the kitchen, Adams grabbed the ax off a wall and the intruder grabbed a knife. Adams told officers he was stabbed in the chest, but continued swinging the ax, connecting with the intruder’s shoulder and chest, according to the police report.

The intruder grabbed a larger knife and stabbed Adams in the hand, leaving a gash, the report states.

As the two struggled over the ax, Adams said his son appeared with a pellet gun. Adams told police he was about to fall down the stairs and yelled at his son to get the intruder’s gun, which he did, firing a shot and wounding him. The pair continued struggling until the intruder ran out.

Centorame said that story differs substantially than the one Pixley gave to detectives Tuesday morning from his bed in St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Centorame said Pixley said he knows Adams and denied having a gun and a bulletproof vest.

‘‘The truth is probably somewhere in the middle,’’ Centorame said.

(More)

An ax, gun and vest, part II: Suspect lied

The suspect, Derrick Harman, is a felon paroled seven months ago.

Forrest Adams said his blood-splattered kitchen "looked like a murder scene."

He pointed to blood on the stove and floor and a bullet lodged in a kitchen drawer that wasn't discovered until Wednesday. The bullet, fired by his son, 13-year-old Galen Hobdy, tore through an intruder around 11 p.m. Monday.

Adams, 38, gave a tour of his Belden Avenue home to a Vindicator reporter and photographer, pointing to blood smears and a broken glass coffee table. Family members are helping with the cleanup. The house has a fresh lemon smell from the scouring products.

He showed the basement where the intruder's bandanna still clings to a wall. A bulletproof vest that came off during their struggle and tumble down the basement steps was taken by police.

Adams sat on the porch Wednesday afternoon to talk about the ordeal that left him with knife wounds to his left hand and upper arm. It took 32 stitches to close the gaping wounds, and surgery will be needed for his hand. The cuts came from a kitchen knife the intruder snatched after dropping his gun.

"I took the buyout from GM and was going to truck driver school, but I can't drive," Adams said, holding up his injured hand. "I had only three weeks to go. They said I've got six months to finish."

He also has cuts on his knees and shins. He managed to slice the unwanted visitor with a heavy ceremonial ax that he grabbed from the living room wall. A second decorative — but lethal — ax remains on the wall. Police took the one used to cut the intruder.

False identity

Police said the man axed by Adams and shot by Galen during the home invasion was not 18-year-old Dennis Pixley, but Derrick Harman, a violent felon paroled from prison seven months ago. Harman, 28, who listed an Eastway Drive address, remained in critical condition at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Police filed charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and two counts of felonious assault against him. He will be arraigned once released from the hospital.

Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said Harman's girlfriend identified him, police compared photos and Harman himself admitted his true identity, saying he has used Pixley's name from time to time because Pixley has never been in trouble.

After seeing news reports, Pixley's mother alerted police, telling them her son's wallet was lost or stolen a year ago and she feared someone was using his identity.

Harman offered a variety of reasons for giving a false ID when confronted at the hospital, Centorame said. "He was scared, being on parole," the captain said.

Adams said his son, who lives in Akron with his mother, had been visiting for the summer but returned home until things quiet down. "He's fine, just worried about me," the father said.

Adams said he had the intruder in a headlock and moved a bit so that Galen could shoot the man. Galen fired once and then the gun jammed. The gun was Harman's, dropped during a struggle with Adams, police said.

Early on, Centorame said the case presented many inconsistencies, with Harman (then calling himself Pixley) saying he knew the homeowner on Belden and had been invited into the house. The investigation now holds up the homeowner's version of what happened, he said.

Surprised on the porch

Adams and Galen told police that a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and a bandanna to cover his face surprised them on the porch when they arrived home around 11 p.m. Monday and forced them to open the door. The intruder screamed that he wanted all their money and threatened them with the gun.

Adams and his son were told to strip to their underwear before being marched into the dining room and ordered to lie on the floor. When Adams told the intruder he had no money, the suspect, now identified as Harman, fired one round into the floor and then yelled: "Don't [expletive] with me — I will shoot your kid!"

Harman then ordered Adams and his son upstairs and into a bedroom. While they sat on the bed, the intruder rummaged through the room, finding nothing, reports show.

In the hallway, Harman opened a closet and, while searching inside, lowered his weapon. Adams grabbed the gun and yelled for his son to go downstairs as he slammed the suspect into the wall. During the struggle, Harman fired one shot before falling down the stairs, hitting his head on the bannister and dropping the gun.

Adams said he saw the intruder run to a waiting car that left skid marks as it sped off. Police said a woman dropped Harman off at the hospital.

In October 1998, Harman pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to assault and three counts of aggravated robbery. Two of three firearm specifications were dismissed in a plea agreement, records show.

Harman was sentenced to three years in prison for the firearm specification and five years for the robbery convictions. He was incarcerated from Dec. 16, 1998, to Nov. 25, 2006, and then began five years' parole.

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

Akron man with concealed gun shoots at robbers

A man legally carrying a concealed handgun shot at an armed robber in Akron.

Four teenagers approached 24-year-old Raphael L. Owens at about 11:30 Wednesday night near the corner of Elmore Avenue and South Portage Path. One pointed a chrome-plated gun at Owens and demanded his cell phone. Owens gave up the phone.

The robber then asked, "what else do you have?"

Owens tried to run, but the robber grabbed his arm. Owens broke free, pulled out his own gun and fired one shot, missing the teens, who took off running.

They ran south on Elmore while Owens ran toward a pay phone. When he got to Grand Avenue at West Exchange Street, he saw the suspects up the street, at Grand and South Portage Path. Again, one teen leveled a gun at him. Again, Owens fired a shot and missed.

The suspects fled as Owens called police from the pay phone at West Exchange and Dodge Avenue.

Owens, who lives in a North Portage Path apartment, couldn't be reached this morning. No one answered the stolen cell phone.

Labels: concealed carry permit, OH, street robbery

Man Shoots Pit Bull When It Tries To Attack

A man was attacked by a pitbull on the city's east side Thursday morning before a gas station owner shot the dog.

The attack happened at East 55th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Gas station owner Steve Daymut said he saw two pit bulls were walking unleashed near the busy intersection and one of the dogs got hit by a car.

He wanted to help the dogs, but when the uninjured dog seized a passerby, Daymut ran back to the station and grabbed his 9 mm handgun. He shot the pit bull as it started to come toward him.

The passerby was taken to an area hospital with injuries to his arm. His condition is not known.

Labels: animal, OH

Police: Victim shoots robber

The driver of a lunch wagon shot a man who was trying to rob him this afternoon at Millsdale Street at Curzon Avenue, just west of Anthony Wayne Avenue, police said.

Cincinnati Police Lt. Chris Matzen said three young men tried to rob the driver of the lunch wagon at about 12:30 p.m.

During the incident, shots reportedly were fired by one of the three men.

Matzen said the lunch wagon driver pulled out a concealed weapon and shot and hit one of the three. The wounded man was taken to University Hospital, where he went into surgery.

A search is on for the two other men.

The lunch wagon remained in the middle of the cordoned-off intersection this afternoon. Evidence cards were being placed in the street.

Labels: OH, street robbery

Student fires gun near campus

APD and UAPD seek help finding suspect after late-night altercation on Cross Street on Thursday

Two men fired shots at each other Thursday morning near campus. Andre Darnell Smith, a 30-year-old part-time University of Akron student, allegedly fired at 23-year-old Terrell Garr at Garr's apartment on Cross Street, according to police reports.

The incident occurred at approximately 1 a.m. after Smith approached Garr's apartment and knocked on the door asking for the location of a fraternity while allegedly brandishing a gun. Garr told Akron police he ran upstairs to retrieve his roommate's gun and when he returned, Smith was in the middle of the road and fired at him. Garr returned fire, claiming it was self-defense.

No one was hit.

Following the incident UA released a special edition Zipmail requesting students' help.

"The City of Akron Police Department and the university are requesting your help in locating a suspect involved in an off-campus incident," the Zipmail said. "If you know about the location of the suspect or have any information about him, please contact APD or UAPD."

Smith is described as black, approximately six feet tall and weighing about 250 pounds. APD and UAPD are looking for Smith, who faces charges of aggravated burglary and felonious assault. There are warrants for his arrest.

Labels: assault, home invasion, OH

Robber, 15, fatally shot by would-be victim

A 25-year-old Cleveland man shot and killed Arthur C. Buford, 15, after the boy tried to rob him, police said. Buford was shot in the chest at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, according to Cleveland police spokesman Thomas Stacho.

Buford and an accomplice reportedly robbed a man at gunpoint on the porch of his house near East 134th Street and Kinsman Road. Stacho said the robbery victim had just walked home from a nearby store. Stacho said the robbery victim, whose name was withheld, told police he pulled his own gun and shot the teenager, who staggered away and collapsed in the street. The accomplice banged on neighbors' doors for help before fleeing, Stacho said.

Man carrying concealed gun fatally shoots robbery suspect

A man pulled a gun from a shoulder holster and shot a teenage robbery suspect in one of the first fatal shootings in the state involving a concealed carry permit holder, police said.

Damon Wells, 25, was walking from a neighborhood store back to his east side home Saturday night when two youths confronted him. 'One pulled a gun and told him, 'Don't move or I'll pop you,' said police Lt. Thomas Stacho. 'He said he thought he was going to die.'

Wells put his hands up and walked to his front porch, then pulled his gun and shot 15-year-old Arthur Buford several times in the chest, Stacho said. Buford stumbled away and collapsed on a sidewalk where he died. The other suspect fled.

Police released Wells on Monday without filing charges, but city prosecutors will continue to investigate the case, Stacho said. Police were holding Wells' .40-caliber Smith and Wesson as evidence.

Wells has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for comment.

Stacho did not know of any other fatal shootings in Cleveland involving a person with a permit to carry a concealed gun.

More

NAACP Leader Calls Homicide Among Young Black Men Epidemic

The Cleveland NAACP responded Friday to criticism surrounding the shooting death of a teenage boy during a robbery.

NAACP President George Forbes and Cleveland Councilman Zach Reed said the black community failed 15-year-old Arthur Buford, NewsChannel5 reported.

They said Buford was wrong for allegedly trying to rob Damon Wells at gunpoint on Saturday.

Wells opened fire and killed Buford at East 134th Street and Kinsman. Police said Wells had a valid weapons permit and used the gun in self-defense.

"Then you have a 26-year-old young man who had every right to protect his life, protect his fiance and protect his property. But he has to life with the fact that for the rest of his lie he shot a 15-year-old boy," said Reed.

"That man had a right to do what he did. If he didn't do it, we'd be sitting here today mourning him rather than the 15-year-old," said Forbes.

They pointed out that homicide is the leading cause of death for black men 15 to 24.

Forbes said that if we saw those kind of numbers for an illness, the community would be outraged.

He said the community should also treat this as an epidemic.

Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, OH, residence robbery

Man thwarts home invasion

A home invasion abruptly ended early today when a man brandished a rifle at two suspects, a Cincinnati dispatcher said.

Police were called to a home in the 4300 block of Plainville Road about 2:16 a.m. for a report of a home invasion.

When they arrived, a man told them two men broke into the home and forced two women there onto the ground.

He said he pointed a rifle at the suspects, and they ran off.

They are described as two black men in their 20s who wore blue and white handkerchiefs, the dispatcher said.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Local jury acquits Reno man of assault

A Washington County jury decided Wednesday a Reno man was justified in clubbing his nephew and firing a gun at a vehicle outside his residence last August.

Mark W. Dunn, 54, of 65 Shady Hill Road, Reno, had faced up to 32 years in prison and $60,000 in fines after he was charged with assaulting his nephew, Jason Dunn, 20, of Marietta, and firing a gun at the man’s vehicle as it pulled from his residence.

Mark Dunn said his nephew arrived at his home drunk and with two friends around 2 a.m. Aug. 28 looking to settle a dispute. He claimed self-defense for clubbing the man and for later firing a gun.

Assistant Washington County Prosecutor Susan Vessels argued Dunn had a responsibility to walk away from the fight. She accused Mark Dunn of not fighting fair by bringing weapons to the fight.

“We can’t live in a society where we let people take the law into their own hands,” Vessels said. “We can’t live in a county where we let people take clubs and guns to a fist fight.”

Mark Dunn testified he tried to convince his belligerent nephew to peacefully leave his residence. When that failed, he said he tried to back the man away from his home with a club. He said that’s when Jason Dunn knocked him to the ground. While still on the ground, Mark Dunn said he began swinging a club at the man’s legs.

“It had no effect,” Mark Dunn said.

As he started to stand, Mark Dunn said his nephew drew his fist back to strike him. That’s when he struck him on top of the head with the club.

“He was towering over me,” Mark Dunn said. “I was going to get hurt. He’s no kid anymore. He’s a big guy.”

Dunn’s attorneys, Rolf Baumgartel and Bill Burton, said Jason Dunn was several inches taller and about 100 pounds heavier than their client at the time of the fight.

After striking Jason Dunn on the head, Mark Dunn said his nephew staggered back and fell against a car. As he went to check on him, he said two other men he hadn’t seen before came at him — one with a stick.

“I asked him what he thought he was going to do with that ... He said, ‘I’m going to defend myself.’ That’s when I said ‘to hell with this, I’m going to get my gun,” Dunn said. “It was three against one. There was two standing and one on the ground and I knew he was going to be getting up soon and that he was going to be double-mad.”

After grabbing a .22 rifle from inside his home, Mark Dunn said he came back out looking for the three men. He said he walked up behind their vehicle when he heard his nephew instruct the driver to run him down with the car.

“I thought they were going to squash me in my own driveway,” Mark Dunn said. “I tried to shoot the tires out. I wanted the car to stop. I was shooting at the tires, not the car.”

After two full days of testimony, the jury of 11 women and one man deliberated for about five hours before reaching the verdict.

Baumgartel said people have an absolute right to defend themselves.

“When you go to someone’s home at 2:15 in the morning and you get hurt — that’s just too bad,” Baumgartel said. “Jason Dunn didn’t just exercise bad judgment, he broke the law.”

Labels: assault, domestic dispute, OH

Shootout leads to car accident

A Warren man exchanged gunfire early Tuesday morning with someone who then tried to steal the man’s car, a police report shows.

Martin Bonish, 55, 1625 Youngstown Road S.E. told police a man walking by his home as he was pulling into the drive about 12:45 a.m. opened fire after a brief conversation between the two.

Bonish, licensed to carry a concealed weapon, returned fire, which is when the man jumped in Bonish’s still-running car and tried driving away, according to the report.

But the man, who was trying to back out of the drive, hit a street sign and then accelerated forward across the street, through a fence and into a junk vehicle in a nearby parking lot, the report states.

The man hopped a fence and got into a car that drove up to the crash, the report states.

Labels: assault, carjacking, concealed carry permit, OH

Man Claims To Shoot Suspect In Self-Defense

A man told Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputies that he shot someone out of self defense on Thursday night.

The shooting happened on Powell Road in Westwood.

The man told police that he was attacked in a parking lot and he grabbed a gun and shot his attacker.

Sheriff's deputies searched the area for a shooting victim but their search turned up empty.

Police say that they are continuing an investigation into the claim.

Labels: assault, OH

Break-in Part II: McComas home hit Saturday

The West Sunset Drive man who set a trap to catch the person he said was stealing from him faced another burglar Saturday morning.

This time, the 78-year-old William Kenneth McComas lost the struggle for the gun and sustained muscle strains and bruises on the back, neck and head.

He was treated and released from WRH Health Systems, where he was transported by Rittman Emergency Medical Services.

A few hours after the incident, Casey Wood, 18, of Fairlawn Avenue, and Charles Mattingly, 21, of Fourth Street, were arrested, police Chief Larry Boggs said.

Wood is being held on a burglary charge with a $10,000 bond, while Mattingly faces a charge of receiving stolen property and $5,000 bond.

Saturday's incident is the second time in a week McComas faced an intruder, but police say it appears to be unrelated. On March 31, McComas waited in the dark with a handgun and a telephone for a man he suspected of stealing from his home.

Chris Lively, 26, of Front Street, was arrested in that incident. McComas held a gun on Lively until the police arrived a few minutes later.

The most recent incident began about 6:30 a.m., by McComas' recollection. He heard someone hitting the newly installed unbreakable glass on his kitchen door. He said he looked out the window to see if there was a car in his driveway, but saw none and went back to bed.

Moments later, the wood on the kitchen door gave way to a kick, and an intruder burst into McComas' bedroom door.

Later at the police station, McComas identified the man who he saw in the bedroom as Wood. He recalled performing Wood's father's wedding some years before and remembered meeting the young man, he said.

The police press release said Wood and Mattingly entered the home, but McComas said he remembers seeing only Wood.

When Wood burst in the bedroom door, he called McComas by name and shouted to give him his money and billfold, McComas said.

McComas said he pulled a firearm out from under the bedcovers, but was holding the barrel.

The intruder struggled for the gun. McComas let go because he was afraid the younger man would shoot him, McComas said. He said his body was twisted during the struggle, resulting in the bruises and muscle strains.

The man threatened to kill him and claimed to be on crack, McComas said.

The intruder left with about $500 in cash, medication and the handgun, McComas said.

McComas dialed for the police as Wood walked out the door. He recalled Wood turning around, spying the phone and calling out, "I love you, Kenny."

Four police officers arrived two minutes after getting the call at 6:38 a.m., Boggs said.

(More)

Retired preacher aiming to stop intruders

Rittman man confronts burglars twice in a week

Dr. Kenny McComas has dealt with some rather notorious criminals during his decades of prison counseling, including a face-to-face meeting with Robert Kennedy's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan.

But the retired Baptist preacher is working now at the other end of the law-enforcement spectrum -- he's catching crime suspects.

Helping to rehabilitate criminals was a choice for McComas, while catching suspects became a matter of self-defense for the 77-year-old Rittman resident who still holds a Bible in one hand but packs big-time heat in the other.

McComas used a lay-in-wait tactic with a loaded gun and a telephone in the master bedroom of his modest ranch to apprehend an intruder during an afternoon break-in March 31.

McComas wasn't quite as effective Saturday, however, when he was accosted in his bedroom at 6:30 a.m. But less than 10 hours later, Rittman police had arrested Rittman residents Casey P. Wood, 18, and Charles W. Mattingly, 21, on the strength of leads that McComas provided.

McComas said he had hired both men to perform odd jobs around his home in the 500 block of West Sunset Drive.

The two break-ins were the latest in a string of seven since July at McComas' home next door to Calvary Baptist Church.

(Lots More)

Labels: home invasion, OH, residence robbery

Cab Driver Shoots Alleged Assailant

Shooting Victim Critically Hurt

A man is critically injured and a cab driver is undergoing treatment after an early-morning shooting on Vine Street on Monday morning.

Police said the cab driver told them he was dropping off a fare across from Veterans Hospital in the 3200 block of Vine Street when the man began assaulting him.

The cab driver said the man took money from him during the assault.

The cab driver told officers that he pulled a gun and shot the man in self-defense.

The man was transported to University Hospital with life-threatening injuries. His name has not been released.

The incident is still under investigation.

Labels: assault, OH, street robbery

Intruder faces gun Rittman resident holds alleged burglar for police

A burglar allegedly found himself facing a gun during a burglary attempt on Saturday.

Chris Lively, 26, of Front Street, was charged with burglary in an incident in which the homeowner pulled out a gun and called the police, according to the Rittman Police Department.

Lively allegedly entered the West Sunset Street home of William Kenneth McComas, 77, on Saturday afternoon, said Officer Mark Waggy.

McComas was expecting Lively, said interim city manager and former police chief Larry Boggs, reading from the department's records.

Lively had done yard work for McComas over the years, and McComas suspected him of stealing various items from the home, Boggs said.

McComas noticed the thefts occurred while he was out of town, Boggs said. The man decided to set a trap to catch the thief. McComas told Lively he was going away on Saturday but hid in the house with a companion, Boggs said.

McComas locked the doors. Lively allegedly used a key, which he was not authorized to have, to enter, Boggs said.

McComas and his companion confronted Lively when Lively entered the home's office, Boggs said.

McComas pulled out some kind of handgun, Boggs said, and used it to hold Lively until the police arrived.

Rittman police got the call from McComas' house at 4:06 p.m., Waggy said. He and another officer arrived on scene at 4:12.

A Doylestown officer arrived as backup at 4:15, Waggy said.

Lively was arrested and later allegedly confessed to stealing from McComas' property previously, Boggs said. Lively intended to steal something on Saturday but never got the chance, Boggs said.

Under the law, if a person enters an occupied structure with intent to steal or commit another crime, that is a crime, he said.

There was no property damage to McComas' house, Boggs said, and Lively did not show any weapons.

Lively had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, issued in August 2004, said Capt. Doug Hunter of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

"The fact he's recently run afoul of the law has resulted in the permit being revoked" as of Thursday, Hunter said.

Under Ohio law, people cannot hold concealed carry permits if they have felony convictions or any violence-related convictions, he said.

In March, Lively pleaded not guilty to unrelated charges of forgery and illegal processing of prescription drug documents.

Lively was convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol from September 2001, Boggs said, sifting through police records.

Driving offenses would not affect the permit, Hunter said.

Labels: concealed carry permit, OH, residence burglary

A suspect attempted to rob someone.

The "victim" turned the tables, snatched the gun from the suspect and shot the suspect.

An off-duty officer came upon the scene, was able to disarm the robbery victim who had the gun. Then the off-duty commandeered a vehicle and chased down the initial robbery suspect.

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

Resident, Suspect Open Fire During Apparent Home Invasion

Two men are in the hospital Tuesday morning after a shooting at an east side apartment.

According to police, three men tried to kick-in a door at an apartment on Little Bend Circle, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.

One man inside the home apparently had a gun and opened fire at the robbery suspects, striking one of them. Then, police said, one of the robbery suspects fired back, hitting one of the residents.

Although the investigation is ongoing, detectives weren't ruling out the possibility that the two groups of men knew each other.

"Don't know for sure at this point – I'd say they probably do know each other," said Columbus police Det. Art Hughes. "Everything's still under investigation. We have other detectives down at the station questioning everybody."

According to Hughes, the resident who was shot was in critical condition, and the suspect who was wounded is in stable condition. He said both men would be interviewed when their conditions improve.

Police said the other robbery suspects were apprehended at a nearby Meijer store following the shooting.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, OH, residence robbery

Hamilton Man Kills Intruder

Police say a Hamilton man shot and killed an intruder early Friday morning.

It happened in the 900 block of Bishop Avenue around 1:30 a.m.

Police say when they got to the scene, the resident said someone he had just shot someone who broke into his home.

Officers found the alleged intruder dead on the floor.

The next step is for prosecutors to announce if the resident, whose name has not been released, will be charged.

Earlier this week, a Covington man was not charged after he shot and killed a man who broke into his home along Delmar Place.

Man shoots, kills burglar during home invasion

A Hamilton man was shot five times early Friday morning after striking a resident with a sledgehammer during a home invasion in Lindenwald, according to Hamilton police.

Officers responded to a home on the 900 block of Bishop Avenue just after 1:30 a.m. Friday to the report of a shooting. On arrival, Jamie R. Buck, 33, told them a man demanding money and jewelry broke through his kitchen door with a sledgehammer, according to a Hamilton police report that chronicles an aggravated burglary, but does not mention the shooting.

Buck said he shot the man, later identified as Millard Brandenburg, in self defense.

"He's laying dead in my kitchen," Buck said on the 911 tape. "He tried to kill me."

Buck returned home just after 9 a.m. Friday from The Fort Hamilton Hospital with a bandage wrapped around his head.

"Everything's OK," he told reporters. "I'm fine."

Results of an autopsy performed Friday at the Butler County morgue indicate Brandenburg was shot once in the head, three times in the torso and once in the flank, said county Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt, who added that "(Brandenburg) was intoxicated."

An exterior door at Buck's residence was broken, Burkhardt said, and the resident was not only hit with a sledgehammer, but also with a framed picture off his wall.

"He (Brandenburg) grabbed a picture and hit him (Buck) in the head," the coroner said.

Lee North, a friend of the resident seen leaving the home Friday morning, said the intruder hit Buck in the head with the hammer and that Buck retreated back to his bedroom to get his gun.

North, who had been inside talking with the resident's relatives, said there was a trail of blood between the kitchen and the bedroom.

Buck also called for police early Monday morning during an incident at Bob's Cafe on Hooven Avenue. According to a police report, Buck said he attempted to stop an unidentified man from beating a woman and when he called for police he was attacked, forced to the ground and stomped. Buck suffered an injured eye, jaw, mouth and head, according to the report. Hamilton police did not know whether the bar fight was connected to the break-in at Buck's home.

Brandenburg has a lengthy criminal record that includes arrests for ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing, drug abuse, forgery, fleeing and eluding and assault. Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper said Brandenburg recently had been released from prison.

Piper said he was consulted about the case just hours after the shooting occurred. Detectives and prosecutors are still looking at the physical evidence, but Piper said he hasn't seen any evidence inconsistent with Buck's self-defense version of the incident.

"In a case like this, it is not unlikely that a grand jury would review it," Piper said. "But I don't see anything right now that doesn't point to self defense."

Click to listen to 911 call

Labels: OH, residence burglary

Franklinton man, 79, kills intruder, police say

A 79-year-old Franklinton man struggled with and fatally shot an armed intruder at his home last night, police say.

"The intruder kicked in the back door and struck the homeowner, knocking him down," said Columbus Police homicide detective William B. Rotthoff. "They wrestled. The homeowner grabbed the intruder’s gun, pulled out his own pistol and shot him in the chest."

The intruder, whose name was not immediately released, ran from 962 Sullivant Ave. and turned north up the alley next to the house.

A neighbor called police after hearing a gunshot at 8:44 p.m. A patrol officer arrived, finding the intruder lying in the alley. The assailant was taken to Mount Carmel West hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:21 p.m.

The two-story, wood-frame home between Avondale and Hawkes avenues belongs to Virgil R. Lovejoy Jr., a resident there since 1972.

Lovejoy’s daughter, whose name wasn’t available, said that her father had been robbed at least three times before. The family had tried to convince him to move, but he refused to leave.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Man fatally shoots intruder at his South Side home

A man defending his South Side home shot and killed an intruder last night, police said.

The shooting occurred just after 10 p.m. inside 925 Lilley Ave. just south of Livingston Avenue.

According to police, the homeowner was on the second floor.

"He heard a crash through the front-door window," said Columbus police homicide detective Bill Rotthoff. "He comes downstairs and there’s a person in the living room he doesn’t know."

Police declined to release the name of the intruder, who died at Grant Medical Center, or the homeowner.

The homeowner was being interviewed early this morning by police. It was unlikely he would be charged, Rotthoff said.

Labels: home invasion, OH

Store Clerk Fights Back Against Would-Be Robbers

For the second time in a week, a store clerk fought back against would-be robbers.

The attempted robbery occurred at the Walford Market in Clinton Township at about 8 p.m., NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

Police said 19-year-old Shandos Young and 18-year-old Justin Cockrell entered the market with bandanas over their faces and threatened the owner and another employee.

The store owner wrestled the gun away from one of the robbers and then fired the gun at them.

"I seen these guys storm in with their guns. I dropped the phone, backed away, drew my gun and fired two shots and just tried to get them out of the store," said Clive Weidle, the store clerk.

Investigators said set of footprints leading away from the store guided officers to the alleged weapon, a coat and latex gloves.

Both teenagers were captured a few blocks away and charged in connection with the robbery.

Officials said the extensive surveillance system in the market showed the incident from several angles.

The teens are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

No injuries were reported.

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

One Shot in Botched Robbery Attempt

One person was shot early Friday morning in what Toledo police are calling a botched robbery attempt.

It happened on North Hawley Street near Hamilton and Buckingham streets around 2:40 a.m.

Detectives say a 30-year-old man was getting into his vehicle after leaving Club Mirage, when he was approached by another man.

The suspect demanded money and when the other man tried to run away, he was shot in the back. Police say the wound is life threatening as the bullet entered the victim's chest cavity. The victim also had a gun, got a shot off, but missed.

The victim managed to make it down the street and that is where the police found him. He was taken to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and is in surgery.

The suspect fled the scene. He is described as a black male in his 20s, with a white leather jacket, dark pants with a printed pattern and a black skull cap.

Labels: OH, street robbery

Man’s shooting was self-defense, grand jury says

Ross County father killed his daughter’s boyfriend Dec. 24

A Ross County grand jury did not indict a man accused of killing his daughter’s boyfriend, saying he acted in self-defense when he shot the man who had threatened his family.

Acting Ross County Prosecutor Michael Ater said he will drop murder charges against Billy E. Moore, 46, who was arrested shortly after the Christmas Eve shooting.

Moore was accused of shooting Bradley Cassidy, 42, once in the chest. He was released from jail yesterday, Ater said.

At home yesterday, Moore said he was grateful that the charges were dropped but was truly sorry for what happened.

"It’s a terrible situation. I’d really like to apologize to (Cassidy’s) mom, his family and the neighbors," he said.

Authorities got a 911 call on Christmas Eve from Moore’s daughter, saying that she and Cassidy, with whom she had a relationship, had argued and that he threatened to burn down Moore’s home near Bainbridge. He also threatened to kill her and their young child, Ater said.

The woman ran to Moore’s house and called her father. But when Moore got to his house, the place was ransacked and he couldn’t find his daughter, Ater said.

Moore and his wife went to look for her. As they drove, Cassidy pulled his vehicle onto the road and blocked Moore’s path.

That’s when Cassidy told Moore that he had just killed Moore’s daughter and grandchild and had thrown their bodies into a ravine, prosecutors said.

Cassidy began lunging at Moore with a metal baseball bat, and Moore ran back to his truck and grabbed a pistol.

Moore told Cassidy to get away but Cassidy kept swinging at him. Moore then shot Cassidy once in the chest, prosecutors said. Cassidy was pronounced dead at Greenfield Area Medical Center.

Moore’s daughter and grandchild were found at a relative’s house and were not injured, Ater said.

"It was a very bad situation that I got put into, and I didn’t know what to do," Moore said. He said he was thankful that his daughter and 1-year-old grandson were not hurt but knows that difficult times lie ahead, especially f