Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Gunman Shot to Death During Home Invasion

A home invasion turns deadly after one of the robbers is shot by the homeowner.

It happened on Moss Landing Drive in Antioch around 1:00 a.m.

Dennis Nicholson told detectives that he was confronted by 22 year old Elijah Minnard (pictured left) at the home.

Nicholson says Minnard had a shotgun, and 17 year old Jeremie Thomas (pictured right), had a pistol.

Police say the men forced Nicholson inside, and Minnard held Nicholson and 25 year old Lincoya Stephens at gunpoint upstairs while Thomas searched the downstairs area of the home.

Police say Stephens grabbed the shotgun to try and disarm Minnard, but Stephens was hit in the leg by a shotgun blast.

Police say Stephens and Nicholson still managed to get the gun away from Minnard.

Officers say Stephens then pulled a pistol that was concealed in his waistband and shot and killed Minnard.

Thomas, hearing the gunfire, went to check on Minnard.

Stephens opened fire on Thomas, and he fled the house.

At 2:15 a.m., police say Thomas, with gun in hand, jumped in front of a driver on Hamilton Church Road and yelled for her to stop.

The driver accelerated as she and her four passengers ducked.

Thomas was caught by officers a short time later.

Detectives say Thomas told them he and Minnard went to the home to commit a drug-related robbery.

No drugs were found in the residence.

Stephens is hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg and has not yet been interviewed by detectives.

The investigation is continuing.

Thomas is charged at Juvenile Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of unlawful weapon possession, attempted criminal homicide, four counts of aggravated assault, and attempted aggravated robbery.

Thomas is being held in juvenile detention pending a hearing.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, minor offender, residence robbery, TN

Oakland Man Fatally Shoots Intruder

An Oakland, Tennessee man fatally shot an intruder trying to climb in his window early Monday morning.

The incident occurred on the 400-block of Bell Grove Road. The homeowner heard what sounded like a knock on his window around 12:30am. When the noise grew, the homeowner found a neighbor, 32-year old Anthony Webb, breaking through his window with a rake.

The homeowner tells FOX13 that he told the man repeatedly to stop, but Webb's reply was "What are you going to do?"

The intruder was shot three times, and was declared dead upon arrival by local police.

The homeowner also tells FOX13 that the intruder's father was a high school classmate of his.

Labels: home invasion, TN

KNOXVILLE -- A Corryton man who was shot during a Saturday night robbery at his home is in “very critical condition” at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, a Knox County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said today.

Billy Graves, 42, was shot in the abdomen during an exchange of gunfire with two masked robbers who burst into the home he shares with his wife at 9920 Washington Pike just after 9 p.m., said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley. His wife, 47-year-old Vickie Graves, wasn’t injured.

Authorities don’t know if either of the robbers was hit, and authorities don’t have detailed descriptions of either male suspect because they wore bandanas over their faces, she said.

A safe that was stolen during the robbery was later found near the couple’s home with the contents missing, she said.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, TN

Man shot in self-defense, police say

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was called to 1211 Lakeside Drive at about 9 p.m. Saturday on reports of a shooting, spokeswoman Janice Atkinson said.

On arrival deputies found the victim, Kevin Bailiff, 22, lying on the ground at the edge of the driveway to the residence, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left lower leg, Ms. Atkinson said.

Deputies secured the scene and detained the father of the victim, Richard Bailiff, 66, Ms. Atkinson said.

Detective Ed Merritt advised that father and son became involved in a verbal argument that escalated to the shooting and at this time appears to be self-defense, Ms. Atkinson said.

The victim was transported to Erlanger hospital by Hamilton County EMS.

The investigation is continuing, Ms. Atkinson said.

Labels: mental illness, TN

Brainerd Man Shoots 2 Dogs Attacking Neighbor's Dogs

A Brainerd man shot and killed two pit bull dogs attacking a neighbor's pit bull in an incident on Sunday.

The case was turned over by Chattanooga Police to the McKamey Animal Trust.

McKamey officials have charged the owner of the two dogs, Walter Pitmon, for letting his dogs run at large.

Police Officer Brian Blumenberg said he responded to 108 S. Howell Ave. and spoke with Stephen Hooper, who said two pit bulls attacked his pit bull who was chained in the back yard.

He said while the attack was going on, his neighbor, James Klassen, came out of his house at 106 S. Howell Ave. with his pistol and shot the attacking dogs an unknown amount of times.

Mr. Hooper said after the dogs were shot, they ran off. The dogs were later taken by McKamey officers to an animal clinic on Amnicola Highway. They were later put down.

Officer Blumenberg said Mr. Pitmon arrived at the scene and identified himself as the owner of the two dogs. He said he was trying to feed the dogs at his residence at 113 Spring Creek Road when they got out. He said that was about an hour before the attack.

He said he went looking for them, then saw a number of officers at the house on South Howell and suspected that it involved the two dogs.

A neighbor, Matthew Overby, said he was playing with his four-year-old cousin less than 100 feet from where he heard six or seven shots.

He said he put the cousin inside and went looking in his truck to find who was firing shots in the neighborhood.

He said he found a pit bull with a bullet wound that severed its spine. He said he then saw the second dog that had also been shot.

Mr. Overby said he waited on Conner Street "with several more Good Samaritans who had stopped to help these two dying, bleeding dogs."

He said the owner eventually showed up "and was initially upset with them for getting out in the first place. His anger quickly turned to tears as he just held his dogs."

Labels: animal, TN

A Kingsport man used his concealed handgun to protect himself during an alleged road rage incident on Sunday.

According to Kingsport Police, the incident occurred about 1:58 a.m. on Harris Avenue.

Michael Salyer told police he was headed home when a yellow Ford Probe in front of him started weaving from left to right.

The driver, later identified as Jonathan Lee Adams, 28, 1630 Spruce St., stopped in the middle of the road, jumped out and started screaming at him, Salyer said.

When Adams tried to get in his car, Salyer said, that's when he pulled out his handgun and ordered him to stop.

Adams' passenger, later identified by police as his girlfriend Laura Kathleen Cain, 42, same address, then yelled at Adams, and he ran back toward the Probe and the pair drove off, Salyer said.

Police later found the Probe at the couple's home.

The pair initially denied having the car out, saying they'd been home since 7 p.m.

Adams eventually admitted being involved in an argument with Salyer on Harris Avenue.

Labels: concealed carry permit, road rage, TN

Police Say Dad Shot Son in Fight

Metro Police believe a father shot his 32-year old son, but he may not face charges. Investigators think the gunshots were the result of a fight.

Investigators said, late Saturday afternoon in North Nashville, a father and son were fighting when the shooting happened.

Police do not anticipate charges against the father because they say he was acting in self defense. The son is in critical, but stable condition.

Labels: domestic dispute, TN

Trucker kills intruder in Knoxville, TN

Authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who allegedly tried to enter a parked tractor-trailer rig in West Knox County.

Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said the incident occurred about 2:30 a.m. at a warehouse parking lot at 10720 Lexington Drive, which runs off of Lovell Road.

Killed was James Edward Hodges Jr., 34, of Loudon, according to Dooley.

He was trying to break into a tractor-trailer while the driver was asleep in the truck's sleeper cabin, Dooley said.

Hodges had approached the truck earlier and tried to open its door, Dooley said. He returned a short time later and broke out a window with a rock.

He left again after breaking out the window.

"The suspect returned and was attempting to climb into the truck when the truck driver shot him," Dooley said. Hodges was dead at the scene.

The truck driver, 68, was taken to Baptist Hospital West with chest pains and is expected to be admitted, Dooley said.

He lives out of state and his name is being withheld until his family can be reached.

Detectives will be meeting with the Knox County District Attorney General's Office later today to discuss if there will be any charges. A female family member was riding with Hodges during the incident.

Hodges has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1992 for burglary, numerous thefts, driving under the influence, drug charges, aggravated assault, numerous failures to appear, unlawful possession of a weapon, driving while privilege revoked, criminal trespassing, violation of probation, possession of burglary tools.

He also is wanted in other counties for theft and other charges.

Labels: TN, tractor-trailer robbery

Robbery suspect tangles with Elvis

The lesson here is, don’t mess with The King.

Or at least don’t mess with Elvis Smith.

Around 5:30 p.m. today, Smith, 49, and his two brothers were cleaning up a lot in North Memphis when a man approached them with a gun.

“He tried to rob them and one of the gentlemen had a handgun on him,” Memphis police Lt. Jerry Gwyn said. “He exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect lost the gun battle.”

The suspect was hit in the chest and leg but is expected to live. An investigation is under way, but Gwyn said it’s unlikely Smith will face any charges.

Labels: street robbery, TN

A 22-year-old uniformed security guard who was buying gasoline at a Murfreesboro Pike station on Sunday shot and killed a robbery suspect carrying an air gun.

Metro detectives are ruling the death of Jamie L. Sullivan, 37, a justifiable homicide.

Wearing a mask and carrying what appeared to be a pistol, Sullivan entered the Mapco market at 2101 Murfreesboro Pike at 1:45 a.m.

Eric Gordon, 22, was also in the market. Sullivan pointed his pistol at Gordon's head and threatened to kill him. Sullivan told Gordon to surrender his holstered gun and a struggle ensued. Gordon drew his 9-millimeter weapon and shot Sullivan once in the face. Sullivan died at the scene.

Shortly after, detectives discovered that Sullivan's gun was a BB pistol that looked like a real gun.

Metro police had charged Sullivan with 146 offenses since June 1989. His last arrest was for trespassing Nov. 20.

Labels: business robbery, TN

69-Year-Old Shoots Home Intruder

Metro police said the victim of a home invasion turned the tides on his intruder.

Rather than running, the homeowner shot the burglar.

John Lewis is sick and tired of being the victim. He said burglars have broken into his home four times this year.

Lewis said it was about time the suspect got the raw end of the deal.

"You got to be able to protect yourself," he said.

To a thief, Lewis may look like an easy target. On Sunday, the 69-year-old Air Force veteran shot a hole through that reputation.

"I mean I'm not going to sit here and let somebody rob me over and over and over again," he said.

Around 10:30 p.m., he heard a crash.

"So he started kicking on the door. He made more noise than anybody I've ever dreamed of trying to break into a house," he said.

What he saw was a man holding a flashlight and a pickax.

Lewis was packing a 357 pistol.

"And the pistol went off. I had it cocked. It had a hair trigger and I touched it and it went off," he said.

The bullet hit suspect Jerry Watson in the leg.

Police said Watson, who has a lengthy criminal history, limped to the home next door and lost consciousness.

"What's there to think about? I mean he was going to hurt me or I was going to hurt him. One of the two," he said.

And rather than getting angry, neighbors are celebrating the story.

"I think it's wonderful. Yeah rah for Mr. Lewis. Yeah Rah! You got my vote. Maybe they'll stay away now," said Sarah Pannell.

As the suspect recovers at a local hospital, John wonders if the intruder learned his lesson.

"I don't know. Maybe he did with me. I hope so. Like I said if he didn't I'll teach him again," he said.

No matter the outcome, this pistol packing homeowner has no regrets.

This is the second time Lewis has shot an intruder. He said the first incident was 11 or 12 years ago.

During that break-in he came home and found a man inside his house. Lewis shot the intruder.

That suspect also lived and was later arrested.

Police said Watson has 26 criminal convictions ranging from burglary to drug offenses.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Police report: Homeowner kills break-in suspect

A 58-year-old homeowner shot a robbery suspect to death early Tuesday after a struggle at a home in Raleigh.

The man caught the 20-year-old intruder trying to come inside his home at 3161 Scenic Highway through a patio door at 12:25 a.m, police said.

He fought the man and is believed to have been struck several times with a pistol before he shot the intruder, who died at the scene.

The resident was treated for injuries he suffered during the struggle. He has been released from the hospital.

No charges have been filed pending a full investigation.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Riverview Homeowner Holds Shotgun On Thief

Police said a Riverview homeowner found a thief in his car in his carport and held him at bay with a shotgun.

Lewis Card of Edgewood Circle said he heard his driveway alarm going off. He said he grabbed his shotgun and hurried outside.

Mr. Card said he spotted a black male inside his vehicle.

He said he held the shotgun on the intruder and ordered him outside the car. Then he directed him to lie down.

The homeowner said the man told him he was just after some change. Then he patted his pocket, causing the change to jingle.

He asked Mr. Card not to call police, saying he "didn't want to go back to jail."

With the shotgun still trained on him, he handed over his Tennessee ID card. Mr. Card said it appeared to be his correct card.

The man ran off after asking again that police not be called.

Mr. Card turned over the man's ID card to officers.

A warrant was taken out charging Corey Cortez Abernathy with theft under $500.

Labels: street property theft, TN

Armed Homeowner Confronts Trailer Thieves

Sheriff’s detectives say a Rosemark man held two thieves at gunpoint who tried to steal a utility trailer from his front yard yesterday. Detectives believe the suspects may also be responsible for stealing other utility trailers.

About 11:30 yesterday morning, Steven Rutter, 57, who lives in the 8700 block of Rosemark Road in north Shelby County, heard a vehicle slow down in front of his house. Rutter saw a gray Dodge Ram pickup truck back into his front yard.

Two men then began hooking up Rutter’s utility trailer to the pickup truck. Detectives say Rutter got his pistol and confronted the two men. Initially, Jessie Brown, 51, of Munford and Kelvin Nathaniel, 45, of Drummonds, told Rutter a neighbor said they could use the trailer to move some hay.

Rutter didn’t believe their story and called for Deputies. Moments later, Brown and Nathaniel were taken into custody. Both were charged with Theft of Property.

Detectives say the investigation is continuing and the suspects may be responsible for other utility trailer thefts in Shelby and neighboring counties.

Labels: street property theft, TN, trespassing

Homeowner Shoots And Kills 19-Year-Old In Self-Defense

Police said a homeowner shot in self-defense when armed suspects tried to rob him overnight.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Monday, 67-year-old Douglas Dabbs pulled into his driveway on Tobylynn Drive and was getting out of his pickup truck when two armed men came up to him and tried to rob him. The two men were identified as Nibeyu Demissew Yosef and Jermichael Jerome Burgy.

Armed with BB guns the two men demanded money from Dabbs. Dabbs said he reached into the console of his truck, retrieved a handgun that fires .410 shotgun rounds and opened fire on the two robbers.

Yosef, 19, was wounded and transported by ambulance to Southern Hills Medical Center where he died shortly after arriving.

Burgy, 23, took off after the shooting, but police later tracked him down at Southern Hills where he was recovering from a non-critical gunshot wound to the head. Police said that Burgy admitted to being with Yosef during the robbery attempt, so police charged him with attempted aggravated robbery.

Police also said that Dabbs does not have a handgun carrying permit, but no charges against the homeowner were anticipated.

Burgy has been lodged in lieu of $80,000 bond. A convicted felon, Burgy had previously been found guilty of aggravated assault in 2006 and has been on probation for that offense. Burgy also has convictions for unlawful gun possession and driving without a license.

Yosef had been issued a total of four state misdemeanor citations in 2007 and 2008 for driving without a valid license.

Police said they were looking into whether this overnight robbery may have been linked to other robberies in the area, or whether this robbery was a random or targeted attack.s

Labels: street robbery, TN

JONESVILLE — A Lee County man who was found guilty Friday of violating a protective order for the third time and sentenced to a year in jail was indicted on his fourth alleged violation by a grand jury on Monday.

Donald Robert Tomlinson, 29, Route 1, Box 171-D, was charged in June with the most recent violation after he allegedly waited at his estranged wife’s residence for her to return from an outing with other members of her family. Authorities have said once she arrived Tomlinson confronted his wife, and after seeing Tomlinson attack the woman, knock her to the ground and begin choking her, her brother shot him in the leg.

The brother was not charged, but Tomlinson was charged with violating the protective order as well as assault and battery of a family member. The grand jury returned true bills on both charges Monday.

Labels: domestic dispute, TN

West Precinct detectives continue to investigating Sunday morning’s shooting death of Michael Antwan Wilson inside a home on Mercomatic Drive as a likely justifiable homicide.

The investigation to this point shows that Wilson, 24, who was armed with a pistol, kicked in the front door of the residence in what detectives believe was part of a robbery plan. Homeowner Jeffrey Ham, 42, retrieved a gun and exchanged shots with Wilson. Wilson was fatally wounded and died at the scene.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TN

87 Year-Old Shoots Man Climbing Through His Window

Police say an 87 year-old man shot another man who he claims was climbing through a window in the back of his North Memphis house.

The shooting happened around 5:45 a.m., Tuesday August 19, 2008, in the 3400 block of Warford.

Police say the man was shot in the upper torso and was rushed to the Med in extremely critical condition.

Two other people that live in the house with the 87 year-old, say they woke up to the sound of two gunshots.

The 87 year-old man and two eyewitnesses are being questioned by police.

Felony Response is taking over the investigation.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Store Clerk Shoots Teen During Robbery in Memphis

Police say a Memphis store clerk shot a 17 year-old boy during a robbery.

According investigators, it happened around 8:50 p.m., Monday, July 14, 2008, at the Margarita Market in the 6000 block of Knight Arnold Road.

Police say the teen and three other men were shoplifting at the store when the clerk confronted them. The four suspects, ages 17, 19, 20, and 28, attacked the clerk during the confrontation, according to investigators. Police say that is when the clerk shot the 17 year-old in the leg.

Police say the teen was taken to the hospital in non-critical condition. The store clerk was treated for minor injuries to his face, neck, and arms said police.

Detectives say all four suspects are in custody, but no charges have been filed at this time.

Labels: assault, business robbery, minor offender, TN

Nashville robbery ends when restaurant manager shoots suspect

Two men tried to rob an Nashville Sonic restaurant, but an assistant manager pulled out a gun and fired shots, causing the suspects to flee. Police believe that one or both of the suspects was wounded.

Metro police Capt. Michele Donegan said that at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, went inside the Sonic at 1410 Robinson Road, in Old Hickory. Several employees were at the restaurant, and numerous customers were at the tables outside and at the drive-ups. The armed suspect showed the gun. The assistant manager then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, Donegan said. The two men fled out the door without firing. Police are still looking for them.

After police arrived on the scene, they followed a blood trail leading across the parking and ending at a car wash. Police think that there was probably a third person with a car that they fled in. Police searched the wooded area behind the car wash using the canine and helicopter units to be sure.

No employees or customers were hurt.

The assistant manager has a carry permit, according to police.

Police are following up on some leads in the incident, which happened in the Hermitage Precinct.

Detailed descriptions of the suspects were not available early Friday morning. "It happened very quickly ... It was extremely fast," Donegan said.

Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TN

Three nabbed after manhunt

Three people are in custody after an all-day manhunt after an attempted home burglary on Sherrilltown Road in the Norene Community, south-southeast of Lebanon, on Thursday.

Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe said the incident began around 7 a.m. yesterday when a home on Sherrilltown Road was allegedly broken into. Alan Ricketts, brother of the man who owns the home, and their father, heard the break-in and ran and confronted the three suspects as they were leaving the residence. Ricketts and their father reside nearby.

Ashe said the three suspects tried to run over Ricketts and his father in their truck. Ricketts and his father then began shooting at the three. The gunshots damaged the truck which ended up in a ditch. The three suspects escaped on foot.

The three suspects have been identified as Timmy Dewayne Tomlinson Jr., 22, of Holloway Circle, Lebanon; Jeffery Craddock, 26, of Trousdale Ferry Pike, Lebanon; and Shanna Seibers, 29, of 441 Grant Highway, Gordonsville.

Tomlinson was found and arrested after about three hours, and Craddock was arrested about one hour later, he said.

By coincidence, officers with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department were in the area assisting in Operation Falcon, a joint group including the U.S. Marshal’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies that works together to find fugitives from justice.

The U.S. Marshal’s Office and THP officers assisted the Sheriff’s Department in searing for the three people. Ashe noted also that Officer Derrick Way with the Mt. Juliet Police Department and his dog assisted in the search, as well.

THP used its helicopter and reportedly located the three suspects in different locations as officers on the ground worked to get to them and place them under arrest.

“(They) opened fire on them,” Ashe said of Ricketts and his father, adding neither one of them broke any laws.

“I believe in the Second Amendment,” Ashe said, adding he believes homeowners have a right to defend their lives and homes.

The sheriff praised the actions of Ricketts and his father, noting they fired their weapons only to disable the truck the suspects were in and not to hurt them.

“We’re formulating charges," Ashe said, against the three suspects, adding “there will be multiple charges.”

There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident, although one of the suspects was complaining of a sore wrist which Ashe said would be looked at by medical personnel.

Labels: assault, residence burglary, TN

Burglary Suspect Shot by Memphis Homeowner Charged

Memphis Police say a man broke into another man's home and was shot. The accused burglar is charged with aggravated burglary.

Police say Nakia Bohannon broke into a home in the 2000 block of Rile on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Investigators say the homeowner confronted Bohannon and shot him; Bohannon ran from the home, but was quickly picked up by police nearby. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police believe Bohannon is also responsible for a burglary at a home in the 200 block of First Avenue. Police say WIC voucher checks, shoes, food, and hygiene products were taken from the house.

Bohannon was also charged with possession of burglary tools and drug paraphernalia.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Mount Vernon man shoots and kills would-be burglar

A Mount Vernon man shot and killed a would-be burglar when two men allegedly broke into his 517 Old State Road home about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Madisonville Detective Jennifer Bledsoe said.

Mark Fryer called 911 to say he had shot a burglar. When Monroe County sheriff's deputies arrived, they found 19-year-old Bristin Self dead from a 9 mm gunshot wound, according to Detective Travis Jones, who investigated the shooting.

Jones said Self was unarmed.

Bledsoe said Self and another man apparently borrowed a van from a friend and loaded a washer into the van before going back into the Fryer home.

Fryer gave authorities a description of a second alleged burglar, and officers began canvassing the area with a police dog.

They captured James Cheek, 31, who was charged with aggravated burglary. Bledsoe said Cheek admitted being involved in the burglary.

Fryer has been interviewed by Monroe County detectives and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent David Guy, and interviews of others connected with the case were ongoing Thursday night.

Bledsoe said any evidence and information gathered will be turned over to the district attorney's office.

Records indicate that, in 2005, Fryer held at bay with a pistol two men who were burglarizing his home.

Bledsoe said Fryer also filed a burglary report May 21 concerning items taken from the residence.

Labels: residence burglary, TN

Homeowner Shoots and Kills Intruder

A weekend home invasion has the TBI investigating the dramatic chain of events that led to the shooting of a would-be burglar.

The incident happened in the Hamptons Crossroads area in White County.

Police said would-be burglar, 32-year-old Brian Cook from Crossville, was interrupted by the homeowner.

The homeowner said he received a phone call from his daughter about a strange man in the neighborhood banging on windows.

The homeowner returned to find Cook coming out of his house. When the homeowner confronted Cook, the intruder reached for his gun, but the homeowner shot first - killing Cook.

The White County Sheriff said the homeowner did have a permit to carry a gun and was within his right to protect himself.

No word yet on whether charges will be filed.

Crossville man killed during burglary

A Crossville man was shot and killed by a homeowner last Thursday morning during an apparent burglary, The Expositor newspaper reported.

According to White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe, Bryan Keith Cook, 32, of Crossville, was leaving from a home he had reportedly broken into when he came into contact with the homeowner, Keith Girdley, on the front porch.

The shooting occurred around 9:59 a.m. May 15.

"The guy was on the front porch coming out of the house with some stolen stuff, and Mr. Girdley was on the bottom step," said Shoupe.

The sheriff said Cook asked Girdley, “Can I help you?” and Girdley told him, "this is my house."

When confronted about what he was doing, Cook allegedly pulled a weapon from the back waistband of his pants. Girdley, who was legally armed with a Beretta 9mm handgun, reportedly told Cook several times, "Don’t do it."

According to Shoupe, when the homeowner saw the gun he fired, striking Cook multiple times.

The weapon Cook reportedly had possession of was a 38-caliber pistol, which had allegedly been stolen from the residence. Shoupe said Cook did not fire the stolen weapon, but it was loaded. Reportedly, Girdley fired approximately seven rounds toward the victim.

The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) was called in to assist in the investigation.

Chief White County Deputy Tommy Simmons, detectives Chris Isom, John Ford and Ruben Hormilla, as well as Sgt. David Ward and Blaylock, gathered evidence and processed the scene. TBI agents on the scene were identified as Billy Miller and Dan Friel.

Shoupe said Cook had already piled several items on a chair near the front door when he was confronted by Girdley. Reportedly, Cook had also attempted to break into a neighbor’s house a short time before the shooting.

"There were actually two crime scenes we investigated," said Shoupe. "One was the attempted burglary, and the other was the burglary and shooting location."

Evidence gathered from Cook’s vehicle included a loaded pistol, an unloaded shotgun and several additional items that were reportedly stolen.

Shoupe said officers also found drugs, including marijuana and two spoons with drug residue, possibly meth or coke, and a sleeping bag in the truck.

Cook reportedly had several prior convictions of burglary and aggravated burglary in Cumberland County and he was under investigation in several other counties for burglary, said Shoupe.

Shoupe said at this time, no charges are pending against Girdley.

"He had a permit and was on his own property," said Shoupe. "He is an upstanding citizen of White County, and this has been very hard on him."

Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, residence burglary, TN

Memphis Car Burglar Shot by Vehicle’s Owner and Held at Gunpoint

Memphis Police say a man caught stealing from a car was shot by the owner of the vehicle and held at gunpoint until police arrived.

Police say the incident happened around 3:00 a.m., Friday, May 9, 2008, on Parakeet Drive in the Westwood area of Memphis.

The owner of the burglarized SUV says he and his wife woke up to the sound of a big crash and his dogs barking. The man went outside to find out what was going on, and discovered a crook dangling from his SUV trying to steal items from inside.

According to the vehicle’s owner, he repeatedly told the accused car burglar to get out of the SUV. He says he was not able to see the burglar’s hands and did not know if the suspect had a weapon, so he shot the crook in the buttocks.

Investigators say the man then walked the accused burglar to the front porch of the house and held him there at gunpoint until police and an ambulance arrived.

The accused burglar was taken to the Med in non-critical condition.

Police say the SUV owner will not be charged.

Labels: street property theft, TN

Would-be robber shot and killed in liquor store

A would-be robber at an Inglewood liquor store was shot and killed Saturday night after a customer opened fire, Metro police said.

Two men entered Sinkers Wine & Spirits on Gallatin Pike around 10 p.m. and attempted to rob the store with handguns, Capt. David Imhof said. During the robbery, a customer took out a handgun of his own and began a shootout, Imhof said.

One of the robbery suspects ran away, but the other collapsed outside the store, Imhof said. He was taken to Skyline Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The remaining suspect was still on the loose Sunday night, police said.

The customer who fired on the robbery suspects had a permit to carry a weapon, Imhof said.

"A citizen, like a police officer, has the right to utilize deadly force if there is a threat of serious bodily injury or harm," Imhof said.

The customer, described as in his early 20s, was interviewed and released by police. He has not been charged.

The case is under investigation, Imhof said.

Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TN

One person was shot today during an alleged kidnapping and robbery which unfolded at an Oak Street address. The victim of the kidnapping and robbery was apparently the person who struggled with one of the alleged offenders and caused a gun to go off.

Police were called to 383 Oak St. SW after being alerted of the incident.

Luis Velasquez was found bleeding from his head and face, according to reports. Josh Dunn, 20, has been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and especially aggravated robbery.

A second suspect has not been charged; however, warrants are pending against Josh Snyder, 19.

Snyder was reportedly shot when Velasquez began to try to wrestle the gun away from Snyder.

According to reports, the suspects went to Velasquez' door and asked him to help them jump start a vehicle.

One of the suspects pulled a gun, then forced Velasquez back into his home.

At that point, Dunn and Snyder allegedly demanded money from Velasquez.

Reports indicated the suspects began to beat Velasquez after he stated he had only a small amount of cash.

During the alleged beating, Snyder apparently cut his hand and had placed the gun under his arm while attempting to clean blood from his hand.

Velasquez then went for the gun and it discharged, according to reports.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN

Man acted in self defense in fatal Lexington shooting, police preliminary report says

Lexington police have released the man they had held for questioning in connection with Saturday's fatal shooting at the BP Major Market parking lot.

The man had been held since Saturday night.

Police said the preliminary investigation shows that the man acted in self defense in the shooting that killed 32-year-old Tommy Ray Dill, Jr.

Labels: altercation, TN

Homeowner Kills Intruder During Hickory Hill Home Invasion

A car thief and home invasion robber is dead after a shootout with a homeowner in Hickory Hill.

Memphis police are investigating the homicide in the 3700 block of Hyacinth, near Winchester and Mendenhall.

Investigators say a man who had been breaking into cars on Hyacinth forced his way into a home around 2:30 a.m. Friday, March 28, 2008.

Once inside, the crook got into a gunfight with the homeowner. The intruder was killed and the homeowner was rushed to The Med with a gun shot wound. He is in non-critical condition and preparing to give police a statement.

Police did not know what motive the car thief had for breaking into the home.

The area has been a hot spot for car and home burglaries lately and officers have been focusing on the problem as part of the Blue Crush crime initiative, according to police.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, TN

Man Shoots, Wounds Home Intruder

A husband took matters into his own hands when his wife and newborn child were held up during a home invasion.

The woman said she was able to grab her phone and call her husband after three men kicked in her door late Thursday. The home is located in Glencliff Court in south Nashville.

The husband said he rushed home after getting the call from his wife, but was stopped by police and accused of speeding on the way. After explaining to the officer what was happening at his home, the man continued home with the officer following.

The man said he parked in the back yard and saw the intruders come running out the back of his house with guns drawn, so he grabbed his gun, and the two sides exchanged shots.

“They fired shots at the citizen, and the citizen returned fire at the suspects. One of the suspects is struck and flees on foot,” said Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson.

One intruder who was shot by the man was found later on a nearby street. The other two were able to evade capture, police said.

The woman, baby and man were not hurt. Police said the intruders did not take anything from the house.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Clerk Defends Self Against Would-Be Burglars

A convenience store employee shot into the parking lot to prevent two men from breaking into the business.

It happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday at the Almaville Market. It is off Interstate 24 in an unincorporated area of Rutherford County known as the Almaville community.

The incident was recorded by the store's surveillance system.

After the men smashed a large rock through a window, a cook picked up a gun and started shooting.

The men thought no one was inside the business.

"I was scared, but I think anger took over," said Donna Blanks.

Blanks is a cook and arrives early to prepare meals for customers.

She said she started to shout and shoot.

"I scared them like they scared me. No quite as much. They got gone," she said.

No one was hurt.

Sheriff's deputies told the woman she acted within her rights to shoot at the suspects as long as she was inside the store.

If anyone has any information about this crime, they should call Rutherford County Crime Stoppers at 893-STOP (7867).

Labels: business burglary, TN

Police identify teenager slain in home-invasion shootout

Authorities this morning said a 16-year-old Knoxville boy was killed during a weekend home break-in that prompted a gun battle inside the residence.

Jamodd Mack died in the 2:24 a.m. Saturday break-in at 1304 Iredell Ave., said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.

Mack and another person allegedly forced their way into the home through a back door, DeBusk said. Inside the home, Mack, who was armed with a handgun, was fired upon by a man who was visiting the woman who lives in the house, DeBusk.

After the gun battle between the two people armed with handguns, Mack died in the house of multiple bullet wounds, DeBusk said. No one else in the home was injured during the gunfight, he said.

The second male fled and has not been identified, DeBusk said.

No charges have been filed in connection with the slaying. DeBusk said police planned to take their probe to the Knox County District Attorney General's office for a decision on bringing any charges.

Labels: home invasion, minor offender, TN

An armed security guard at the AutoZone Store at 1363 Getwell shot a man attempting to rob the store tonight, Memphis police said.

The robbery suspect came into the store at 7:30 p.m., police said. He was taken in critical condition to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

Labels: business robbery, private security, TN

Brighton neighbor runs to women's aid, shoots and kills attacker

A Brighton man shot and killed a 44-year-old registered sex offender who attacked two women in their home early this morning, officials said.

According to Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant, David Fleming charged into the home of two women at about 3 a.m.

Fleming bound the women but one escaped and ran to a nearby home. Dunavant said Fleming, who lived in Munford, intended to rape the women.

The woman who escaped went to the nearby home of Keith Ingram for help, Dunavant said.

Ingram, carrying a .40-caliber handgun, ran to the house and found Fleming attacking the other woman, officials said.

When Fleming tried to attack Ingram, Dunavant said Ingram shot Fleming once.

Tipton County Sheriff’s deputies and Brighton Police officers found Fleming dead on the front porch of the home.

Fleming had been convicted of attempted rape in Tipton County. He’s listed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s sex-offender registry.

Dunavant said Ingram has no criminal record and has a permit to carry the handgun.

The women who were attacked were treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton.

TBI officials are assisting with the case. The Shelby County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy. Investigators took statements from several witnesses today. The shooting is still under investigation.

Labels: concealed carry permit, rape, TN

Two Accused Burglars Shot; One Dead

Memphis Police say two burglars were shot in two separate robbery attempts and one of the crooks is dead.

The first robbery attempt happened on East Peebles in South Memphis just before Midnight, Wednesday, January 23, 2008. Investigators say two burglars rammed a car through the Hall Feed and Supply Store. The business owner was in the store at the time and shot one of the crooks, police say.

According to investigators, the wounded robber checked himself into the hospital and is in critical condition at the Med. Police say the other crook may have gotten away.

...

No charges have been filed against [the man]. Police say they will turn the evidence over to the Attorney General and he will decide if charges should be filed. Investigators say that usually there are no charges filed and they are taken on a case by case basis.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Homeowner Shoots and Kills Burglar

A burglar, caught redhanded breaking into man's garage, was shot and killed Thursday, January 24, 2008.

The incident happened around 2:00 a.m. in the 800 block of Avalon, near Henry Street. Police say the homeowner heard a noise in his garage, and when he confronted the intruder, the man tried to attack. Police say the burglar went after the homeowner with a weedwacker, and the homeowner shot him.

Neighbors in the area say they have no sympathy for the burglar.

"You don't go around stealing and robbing from people that have worked hard for their belongings. You just don't do it," said Marilynn Bridgeforth, a neighbor of the homeowner.

Bridgeforth says she is not surprised to hear about the intrusion. She says she was robbed in her driveway in December.

"I was held at gunpoint in my driveway and my house has been broken into twice."

Police say at this point, the homeowner is not facing any charges because it appears he shot the burglar in self defense. Eyewitness News Everywhere tried to talk to the homeowner, but he did not want to talk about the incident.

Eyewitness News Everywhere crimetracked the area around the 800 block of Avalon and found there have been 18 home burglaries reported to police in the past month. There have also been 55 assaults, 24 car burglaries, and 12 robberies in that 38107 zip code.

Further links:
Citizens Shoot Back When Confronted by Robbers

Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TN

Home Invasions Keep Police Busy Overnight

Home invasions plagued North and South Nashville homes overnight.

The first home invasion happened at a home off McKinnie Avenue where police said four men entered through the opened front door and ransacked the house.

The victim was able to grab his hand gun and fire several shots before the suspects fled.

Police thought some of the men drove off in a car, while others may have made their getaway on foot.

A K-9 unit on the scene did pick up a scent but was not able to track the suspects.

The victim was not able to give police a good description of any of the suspects.

Labels: home invasion, TN

A shooting at a South Memphis nightclub has been ruled justified. Officers were called to the J.T. Lounge around 2:00 a.m. Thursday, where they found 51 year old Robert Thomas suffering from a fatal gunshot wound..

Investigators say the club owner and Thomas had been involved in an altercation which continued after the club closed.

Based on the information, the District Attorney General’s office has ruled the shooting as justifiable homicide pending the final autopsy and crime lab reports.

Labels: altercation, TN

Charges unlikely after shooting of would-be robber

Jackson police and the district attorney general say at this time they do not expect to charge a Jackson woman who fatally shot a man after he tried to rob her boyfriend inside her home last week.

Justin Cheatham, 24, was shot multiple times by Jennifer Owens around 8 p.m. Wednesday at 51 B Leland Lane, according to a police press release.

Police have said Cheatham and two other men - Antonio Long and Christopher Smith - went to the duplex to buy marijuana from Kenneth Bond. Bond is Owen's boyfriend and also lives at the residence.
According to an account of the incident in an affidavit of complaint, Bond left the three men in the living room and went into the kitchen. He then heard a voice behind him say, "You might as well drop it off."

"He turned around to find Cheatham armed with a handgun," the affidavit states. "Bond grabbed at the gun and a struggle ensued. At that point, Antonio Long came into the kitchen and pointed a long gun at Bond."

Bond told the two men they could take whatever they wanted, but he refused to release the hold he had on Cheatham's gun, "out of fear of being shot," the affidavit states.

Owens heard the struggle from her bedroom and went into the kitchen to find out what was happening. Long momentarily diverted his attention away from Bond and pointed his gun at Owens, telling her to move over to where Bond and Cheatham were, the affidavit states.

Owens told then told Cheatham and Long that her 5-year-old child was in the residence and that they needed to leave.

Police said that another struggle occurred and Owens grabbed a handgun and fired, striking Cheatham several times.

Cheatham collapsed outside the home and was pronounced dead at the scene. Long and Smith also ran out of the home, police have said.

Long, 22, was arrested and has been arraigned on charges of attempted aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. He remains in jail on a $100,000 bond and is also being held on parole violation. He is scheduled to appear in court next at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 17.

Owens and Bond are not facing any charges. Smith, who police have said was in another room when the attempted robbery took place, also has not been charged.

Lt. Mike Holt of the Jackson Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit said Tuesday that it appears that Owens shot Cheatham as he was leaving and just outside the house, in the area around the front door.

"At this time we do not anticipate filing any additional charges with respect to Ms. Jennifer Owens in this case," he said.

Holt said that police met with District Attorney General Jerry Woodall and explained the circumstances of the case as they relate to Owens, "as we now know them."

"He did not feel that it would be appropriate to charge her based with the information we have at this point and we don't disagree with him," Holt said. "Any additional charges in this case will be made at the grand jury after completion of the investigation when all of the facts can be presented in their entirety to the District Attorney's Office for review."

Labels: residence robbery, TN

Sullivan County homeowner holds burglar at gunpoint

According to a press release from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, a resident of Ambrosia Drive was awakened about 4 a.m. Tuesday by his dog's barking.

When the homeowner went to investigate, armed with a gun, he found a man going through items in his utility room. He held the burglar at gunpoint until officers arrived.

Jacob D. Brehm, 25, 314 Sonnett Court, is charged with aggravated burglary, held at the Sullivan County Correctional Facility. Police say Brehm entered the Ambrosia Drive home through a dog-door.

Labels: residence burglary, TN

Police are looking for two men and a woman they believe are responsible for 5 burglaries in Antioch. Police were close to capturing the three after they burglarized a house, and the burglars were scared off from another house after the homeowner shot at them.

"I heard a big bam, a big pow, and I opened the blinds and saw the van plow through the fence," said Kris Kopp.

Labels: residence burglary, TN

Man Shoots And Kills Burglary Suspect

"It's so bad around here and i'm just afraid for my safety," says one woman we spoke to as she stepped outside of her apartment and saw crime scene investigators. Police were combing her neighbor's apartment following an alleged burglary attempt that ended in gunfire. Rhonda, who didn't want to give us her last name or show her face on camera, says crime at the Camelot Apartments has driven her to leave.

"I was already in the process of making preparations to move, but this has done it. This has given me the right to make the decision to just leave here," Rhonda says. A little before 5:00 this morning, a woman returned home and caught who she thought to be a burglar in the act.

Lt. Tony Armstrong, a homicide detective with the Memphis Police Department, says, "The victim called her boyfriend. Her boyfriend came over and investigated, found him inside the house and shot him multiple times."

Medics took the suspect to the hospital where he later died. Police spent several hours later combing the apartment for more evidence. We're told the man who shot the suspect did have a state gun carry permit. It's likely the man who shot the intruder will not face any charges. Neighbors like Rhonda agree with that decision.

"People work too hard to make a living for someone to just come in and take things, your personal items or to invade your apartment like that. I think it was justifiable," she adds

Southeast Memphis Shooting: Woman Charged

On Sunday, December 30, 2007, we have new information on a deadly shooting at the Camelot Manor apartments in Southeast Memphis.

Memphis police have charged a woman who lived at the apartment in connection with the shooting.

22 year-old Asa Marmon was shot and killed in Antionita Clay's apartment by her boyfriend after she told her boyfriend Marmon was a burglar.

Memphis police say Antionita Clay knew it was Marmon inside her apartment before she called her boyfriend and police about a burglar.

Police say that Clay and Marmon had a prior relationship and she wanted to end it.

Clay is charged with false reporting and reckless homicide.

Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TN

Man shoots and kills fleeing burglar

A Powell man coming to his grandson's rescue shot and killed a fleeing burglar Saturday, authorities said.

Tilvis Coffey, 42, of Knoxville died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said. His record shows an "extensive" criminal history, including arrests for theft, aggravated burglary and probation violation, she said.

Officers haven't filed any charges against Harry Smith, 58. Smith, who has a gun permit, shot Coffey once in the head with a revolver as Coffey ran from the house at 103 Copeland Road, Dooley said.

Coffey didn't have a weapon at the time, she said.

Coffey showed up at the house just after noon while Smith's 14-year-old grandson was there alone, Dooley said.

"A man came to the door he didn't know," she said. "He called his mother, who told him to hide in the closet."

Coffey kicked in two doors and made his way inside, Dooley said. The boy called 911 from the closet. Meanwhile, his mother called Smith, her father. Smith, who lives nearby, headed to the house and confronted Coffey inside, Dooley said.

Coffey ran out just as the boy's grandmother stepped out of her car, Dooley said.

"Smith told the man to stop or he'd shoot," Dooley said.

She said she didn't know how far away Coffey was when Smith fired.

The boy and his grandmother weren't hurt, Dooley said. Their names weren't available Saturday night, and Smith couldn't be reached.

Further links:
Knox Co. man kills intruder at daughter’s home

Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, residence robbery, TN

Police say a man who was dropped off at the Med with a critical gunshot wound may be the same man who was shot while robbing a convenience store in North Memphis.

According to investigators, a man and woman busted into the store in the 2000 block of North Chelsea armed with guns and robbed the place.

Store surveillance video obtained by Eyewitness News Everywhere shows the robbers wearing masks or bandannas to cover their faces as they point the guns at an unarmed clerk behind the counter.

The store owner says the robbers were surprised by another employee who was outside locking up a laundromat on the other side of the building. That employee happened to be carrying a gun in his coat pocket to protect himself while working outside at night.

Police said the employee and at least one of the robbers traded gunfire. It was unclear who shot first, but investigators believe the man involved in the robbery was hit. The woman got away.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Store Video Shows Bold Robbers In Action

A violent robbery caught on tape. Cops say the bad guys were bold and were ready to shoot and kill to get what they wanted. But a store worker was able to turn the tables on the thugs. And the clerks were saved by sheer luck.

It happened at the Fast Check Convenience Store off Winchester Thursday around 9:30pm. Two robbers busted in, one got away with cash, the other took a few bullets after one clerk chased the robbers out of his store.

"One of the victims inside the store heard click click," says Lt. Darren Goods with the Memphis Police Department.

The click was the gun... jamming. Both clerks know are lucky to be alive. It lasted just a few seconds -- a few seconds that could have ended someone's life.

Lt. Goods calls them robbers with a sinister motive, "Their purpose was to take-over style robbery. Lets take any and everything we can, lets get as much money as we can. Both armed with guns. And lets get out of here as fast as we can."

What's worse say police, several customers - including young teenagers - were inside the whole time. One lady walked into the middle of it.

Police say somebody has to know these brazen robbers. The one robber hasn't been charged yet. He's still critical but stable at The MED.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Memphis Police: Store Owner Shoots Accused Crook

Wednesday evening, November 21, 2007, a convenience store robbery in Southeast Memphis ended in a shooting. Police say the shooting victim had just tried to rob a clerk at the store.

It happened just after 9 p.m. at the "Fast Check" on Winchester near Knight. That's just east of the airport.

Police say when two crooks tried to rob a clerk at the store, the store owner shot one of the robbers. They say the other robber is on the run.

The shooting victim was taken to The Med in critical condition.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Robbery suspect shot, killed at car wash

A robbery suspect was shot and killed in South Memphis tonight.

According to Memphis police, multiple suspects attempted to rob the After Hours car wash at 770 Polk near Crump just before 7 p.m.

A person inside the store had a gun. He fired, hitting one of the suspects and killing him, police said.

Police were still investigating the incident late tonight, and were uncertain if any charges would be filed against the shooter.

The victim’s identity had not been established.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Knox Co. homeowner fights back, shoots would-be burglar

A homeowner in south Knox County stopped a home invasion robbery by shooting a would-be burglar.

Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office say just before midnight Sunday, a pair of men kicked in the door of an elderly couple's home on Chestnut Street.

The homeowner opened fire, wounding one of the robbers. The pair then fled without taking anything from the home.

The wounded suspect turned up a few minutes later outside UT Medical Center. The other suspect apparently dropped off their partner and then fled.

Deputies are still searching for the second suspect. The sheriff's office has yet to release a description of that suspect.

It isn't clear if the homeowner was injured in the incident.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TN

Tennessee Man Shot By Two Women

A deadly shooting in Camden, Tennessee on Thursday.

29-year-old Jason Robinson of Holladay suffered a shotgun wound to the chest and died about an hour after being shot yesterday afternoon.

The police chief says an argument started when Robinson told his girlfriend Sonja Moore that he had an affair with her friend Benita Murphy.

All three were at Moore's home at the time. The women told police Robinson was beating them. Officers say both women show signs of abuse.

The women said Murphy got the shotgun to defend herself and shot Robinson when he kept attacking them. No charges have been filed at this point.

Self-defense possible factor in fatal shooting

Self-defense may have been a contributing factor in the shooting death of a Holladay resident, Jason D. Robinson, 29, Thursday afternoon. The shooter, Benita G. Murphy, 21, was taken into custody on the scene, but was later released pending the District Attorney’s decision on whether or not to file charges.

“All of the evidence gathered at the scene has been sent to the crime lab or turned over to the D.A.,” said Camden Police Chief George Smith. “It is up to them whether or not we charge her.”

According to District Attorney Hansel McCadams, his office will likely meet with TBI agents next week to make the decision. If charges are filed, the case will most likely go to the grand jury.

Benton County Central Dispatch received the call at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday that there was a woman standing in the front yard of 312 Wren Avenue, a residence well known to local law enforcement for domestic situations, holding a gun, which had been fired, and that a man was lying on the ground.

Upon arriving on the scene, officers from the Camden Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Department discovered Robinson laying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest, but still alive. He was transported to the Camden Elk’s Lodge to be airlifted, but passed away before take off. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene

According to Chief Smith, Murphy was still on the scene when officers arrived, along with Robinson’s girlfriend Sonya Moore, who lived at the residence and witnessed the shooting. The 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting was laying on the ground in the front yard.

Smith said that Murphy surrendered peacefully to the officers and cooperated with the investigation. Both women told investigators that Robinson had been beating up on both of them, prompting Murphy to grab the gun and fire. Smith confirmed that both women did show signs of abuse.

“This case is still under investigation by both the TBI and the Camden Police Department,” said Smith.

Labels: domestic abuse, female, TN

Memphis police early today were waiting for a suspect to be released from the hospital so they could charge him in a string of events in East Memphis that involved a crash, an attempted break-in, a shooting and smashed windows.

At about 3:30 the suspect crashed his vehicle into a pole on the 6500 block of Poplar Pike, then went to the nearby residence of an elderly couple.

He started banging on the door, demanding to be let in. When the 83-year-old man inside refused, the suspect kicked in a window.

The elderly man fired a shot at the suspect, which set him off running, police said. He was not struck.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Nearly Nude Man Shoots Carjacking Suspect

With no time to think, not even enough time to grab clothes, a son took-off after his mother's alleged carjacker and shot him. Police say the carjacking started in Olive Branch in the 9100 block of Hickory Drive around 1:30 Monday afternoon. It ended in Memphis at Riverdale and Stateline Road, that's where the victim's son shot the suspect. Now, he's recovering at the Med.

The carjacking suspect is under a watchful eye at the Med. He's officially in Shelby County's custody. He's in critical but stable condition after he was shot twice by a man who didn't think twice about protecting his mother.

Keith Gray stood inside crime scene tape on Stateline Road. His first request after chasing down and shooting his mother's alleged carjacker was for some clothes.

"We got a call from my brother requesting some shoes because he ran out," said Lance Gray. "I think the only thing he had on was some underwear."

Lance Gray said his brother acted on instinct when he heard their 71-year-old mother scream.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in her Olive Branch driveway when 18-year-old David Andre Bates put a shotgun to her head and demanded the keys to her 2004 Mercury Marquis.

"My brother was on the couch, heard the commotion and went and got his gun and chased him down," said Lance.

The chase was about three miles down Stateline Road and into Shelby County. Keith Gray was in his 2002 Nissan Maxima with his pistol. In his mother's car, officers say Bates was armed with a shotgun.

"That's when the son fired several times at the suspect's vehicle," said Steve Shular, of the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.

Bates was hit in the left hip. Officers say he ran, leaving the Mercury Marquis, and eventually fell to the ground.

"The suspect kept getting up," said Shular. That's when the son fired one time, hitting the suspect in the leg."

Officers say Bates wasn't holding his weapon when he was shot. But Lance Gray doesn't question his brother's quick reaction which didn't even leave him time to put on clothes.

"He was legally okay to carry the gun and things like that and he was protecting my mother as anyone else would in the same circumstance," he said.

Olive Branch officers say Bates will be charged with aggravated carjacking. As for Keith Gray, Shelby County deputies don't know what, if any, charges he will face. His mother is at home and doing well.

Labels: carjacking, TN

Man Shoots Burglar; Then Taken Into Custody

Police say a man shot a burglar trying to break into his house.

This shooting happened in the 1400 block of Stevenson in South Memphis around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night, October 25.

The accused burglar was hit with buck-shot. He's at The Med in critical condition.

We are told that the homeowner was taken into custody, Not because of this shooting, but because of an outstanding warrant.

Labels: residence burglary, TN

Sevier officers arrest two men after attempted home invasion

Sevier County sheriff’s officers charged two men who allegedly impersonated police officers and wore camouflage clothing during a home invasion attempt that prompted a gun battle with a homeowner, according to authorities.

Robert Joel Hawkins, 21, and Isaiah Ray Kemp, 22, both of Sevierville, were charged with attempted aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and six counts each of reckless endangerment, according to a release from Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals.

The pair are accused of attempting to enter the home at 429 King Branch Road. Authorities were alerted at 11:13 p.m. Tuesday of the incident, Seals said in the release.

The homeowner told officers that two men dressed in camouflage clothing with stockings over their faces knocked on the door and claimed to be police officers. When the men couldn’t provide police identification, the homeowner refused to open the door, Seals said in the release.

The two intruders then displayed a handgun and an AR-15 rifle and pointed the weapons at people in the home, Seals said. The homeowner got his own weapon, and the two men ran. The homeowner fired at the fleeing men, and they returned fire before leaving in a dark-colored truck, Seals said in the release. No one was injured during the gunfight.

Sevier County deputies stopped a truck on Upper Middle Creek Road as it was leaving the area and found camouflage clothing, an AR-15 rifle, a handgun and a bullet-resistant vest in the vehicle, Seals said. Seals said the investigation is continuing.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Man Fights Off Home Invaders

An Eastview Drive man fought off three home invaders and traded shots with one of them on Tuesday night.

Police said 30-year-old Courtney Brown was treated for several injuries, including a shot to the calf.

Around 9:30 p.m., Chattanooga Police responded to a home invasion call with shots fired at 311 Eastview Dr.

Upon arrival, officers talked with the victim, who said he was returning home and was backing his vehicle into the garage when three black males came out of the closet and attempted to rob him.

Mr. Brown said he fought the three suspects and yelled for his daughter to call the police. One of the suspects got into the house and went upstairs to where the daughter had locked herself in the bedroom. The suspect then kicked the door in and demanded she lie on the bed and she would not be hurt. He then took her cell phone.

Mr. Brown continued to fight with the other two suspects and was able to get away from them. He managed to lock the door behind him.

Mr. Brown then encountered the suspect who was inside the house and they fought in the hallway. Mr. Brown broke free, retrieved a handgun from his bedroom and started back to the front door area. The man who was still inside then fired a shot at Mr. Brown, striking him in the calf. Mr. Brown returned fire but did not hit the suspect.

All three of the suspects fled on foot.

Mr. Brown was taken to Erlanger where he was treated for several cuts to his head and face and the gunshot wound to his calf. He was treated and released.

Chattanooga Police are looking for suspect #1 who is tall and thin wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. Suspects 2 and 3 were medium build with scarves over their faces and knit caps on their heads.

All three of the suspects were armed with chrome handguns.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, TN

New Information: Bartlett Man Shot & Killed In Home

Eyewitness News Everywhere uncovers new information about a Bartlett man shot and killed in his home Friday, October 12, 2007. Police say either Allen Lovell’s son or wife pulled the trigger. They also say the family has a history of domestic disturbances at their Scepter Cove house.

Bartlett police say Lovell’s wife, Bobbie called them at 11:57 a.m. Friday to report that she and her son Cody were being held hostage by her husband. Police say dispatchers called back a few minutes later and were told Allen Lovell had been shot in the chest. Lovell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bobbie and Cody Lovell were taken to the Bartlett Police Department. They were questioned for several hours. As of 8:20 p.m. Friday night, police say they do not know who fired the shot that killed Allen Lovell. They say prosecutors will determine if any charges will be filed on Monday, October 15th.

Eyewitness News Everywhere has learned this incident is far from the first time police have been called to the Lovell home. On April 28th, 2006, police charged Allen Lovell with domestic assault for beating up his son. The police report says Cody Lovell told police he "reached under the bed and pulled a silver colt . . . revolver. Cody then stated he pulled the trigger in self defense.” No was hurt during that incident.

On March 1st of this year, Allen Lovell was charged with aggravated assault. Police say Lovell threatened them with a gun, and then ran off. Police they had gone to Lovell’s home to check up on him after a friend told police Lovell was suicidal.

Lovell’s neighbor Rachel Edwards says he was a good neighbor. She says, “He was great. I liked him. He was just a good ol' boy.” But she also says she saw Lovell arguing with his family in their front yard several times. She says, “I knew they had problems, but not that drastic, not that bad.”

Allen Lovell was a boxing referee. He has been a referee for several fights at the New Daisy Theater for “Boxing on Beale.”

Charges against Bartlett wife dropped in shooting of husband

Criminal charges against a Bartlett woman who fatally shot her husband last month were dropped today after a review of the case pointed to self defense.

Dorothy ‘Bobbi’ Lovell, 42, was charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting her husband, Alan Lovell, 46, with a .357-caliber Magnum on Oct. 12. He was a ticket agent and well-known boxing referee.

She and her 21-year-old son, Kody, told police Lovell had held them hostage for nine hours in their home at 6954 Scepter Cove. They said Lovell had acted irrationally and had pointed a gun at them several times and would not let them leave.

Bartlett police said they had been called to the home several times in the past on complaints of Lovell’s aggressive behavior.

Asst. Dist. Atty. Gen. Thomas Henderson said late today that after reviewing the police investigation of the shooting the evidence did not support a manslaughter charge and appeared to be self defense. The case was dismissed in Bartlett City Court.

Labels: domestic dispute, TN

Gunfire Kills East Nashville Store Owner

The owner of a convenience store in east Nashville was shot and killed at her store on Cahal Avenue Monday afternoon.

Customers found the body of 70-year-old Classie Wilson inside her store, Cahal Market, at about 1 p.m. Monday.

She had been shot in the chest.

Police believe Wilson and the suspect exchanged gunfire before she was fatally wounded.

Officers said the suspect came in, asking for to purchase [sic] a single pack of cigarettes when the altercation began.

Wilson and her husband owned and operated the Cahall Market for more than 20 years.

Her son, Ronald Wilson, spoke with News 2 Monday.

He said, “She lived by example. For 28, 30 years we’ve been at the store she’s helped people when they needed it… If they didn’t have enough money or couldn’t pay, she’d help them out.”

Police are searching for a suspect Monday night.

They believe he escaped on foot and may still be in the neighborhood.

Labels: business robbery, defender killed, TN

Frayser Home Invasion: Man Fights Back

A man fights back three robbers after being forced inside his Frayser home at gunpoint.

It happened just after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at a home in the 700 block of Frayser Drive.

Family members say 31 year-old Kevin Hill was approached by a guy with a gun while getting out of his SUV after running some morning errands.

That's when two other guys came up and forced Hill inside his home and up into the attic to rob him.

Police say Hill struggled with his attackers and managed to take away one of their guns and fire.

Police say no one was hit but several shots were fired inside of the home.

The robbers ran from the home, jumped in Hill's SUV and sped off. Police later found the SUV after the trio crashed it on Syndey Street in North Memphis.

Officers were able to take all three robbers into custody.

The Robbery Division is investigating. So far no charges have been filed.

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

East Memphis homeowner shoots burglar

An East Memphis homeowner shot a burglar who had been prowling around his home Sunday morning, police said.

Memphis police responded to the call at 3:20 a.m. in the 1700 block of Danville near Perkins and Mallory.

The 24-year-old suspect was taken to The Regional Medical Center in critical condition.

Labels: TN, trespassing

Resident Fights Off Intruder

A LaVergne man pulled a gun on a would-be robber Wednesday night.

The incident happened at a home on Jean Drive, officials said.

According to police, the homeowner was lying on the couch when a man with a knife burst through the door.

Police are still searching for the intruder.

The 62-year-old victim, who asked to remain anonymous, suffers from emphysema.

The man said his fight to live became more desperate when a knife-wielding robber entered his home.

“After the initial shock wore off, I’m mad,” he said.

According to the man, the intruder walked into his house through his unlocked front door.

“His words were, ‘Money. Uh, I want your money,’” he said.

The father of two said he managed to pull a .380 semi-automatic pistol from underneath the sofa cushions.

"And I just reached back and grabbed the gun, and then I brought it up. He’s trying to get out the door and I fired,” he said.

He said the results might have been different if he hadn’t had a gun.

“He would have got what little I had, and I would have been at his mercy,” he said.

The man said he believes the intruder was waiting outside his house and had been watching him for a while to learn his routine.

Neighbors said the man is almost always propped up on the couch to breathe better with his door unlocked.

“This neighborhood has always been safe. I can never recall anything like this happening,” he said.

The man said the intruder wore a mask and spoke with an accent. He said it was too dark to be able to see well enough to give police a description.

Labels: residence robbery, TN

Two men shot during botched robbery

Police have cleared crime scene tape, but the investigation is far from over. Dried blood on a neighbor's front stoop is a reminder of the struggle that happened on Edith in south Memphis early Wednesday morning. Two people were shot during an apparent home invasion robbery. One victim was one of the men held at gunpoint. The other was the gunman.

"When someone pulls a gun on you demanding property, which is the definition of a robbery, anything can happen," say Lt. Joe Scott of the Memphis Police Department. Investigators tell us they responded to a call at 536 Edith around 2:30 Wednesday morning. Initial reports say a man knocked on the door asking to use a telephone. Someone inside answered the door and stepped away.

Lt. Scott says, "When the individual came back to the door, the suspect displayed a firearm. Another individual there began to struggle with the suspect and was shot." The man who answered the door managed to strip the gunman's weapon away and shot him. Both shooting victims were taken to the Med in critical condition.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN

Victim and Suspect Show Up at The Med, Suspect Arrested

Memphis Police have arrested a man who showed up for treatment at the same emergency room as the man he's accused of shooting.

It happened Monday at the Regional Medical Center.

Police records show Samuel Anderson was shot several times by a man who came into his house and fired when Anderson tried to run. Anderson was hit in both thighs, his right calf and his right hand.

The report says the intruder ran when Anderson got to his bedroom, picked up a pistol and fired one shot. The report says the man broke out a window to escape, cutting himself.

At the hospital, Anderson recognized a man awaiting treatment, noting his crooked teeth. He told a nurse and police arrested 19-year-old Richard Terrell Blackburn.

After Blackburn was bandaged, police questioned him and say Blackburn admitted the shooting and told detectives where to find the gun, stashed in a lawn mower bag.

Labels: defender shot, home invasion, TN

Blount Co. Home Invasion Foiled

A suspect in a Blount County home invasion got a lot more than he bargained for Sunday night.

A man who lives on West Vinegar Valley Road in Friendsville says he was asleep when he heard someone trying to break into his home with a crowbar.

The man told officers he grabbed his rifle, and as the suspect entered the house, he saw the gun and took off, getting into a car with another man.

The homeowner says he fired three shots at the car, possibly hitting a tail-light.

The two men got away in a blue, 80's model Ford Escort.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Senior Citizen Fights Back Against Burglar

Eyewitness News Everywhere uncovers a 79 year-old man who took crime-fighting into his own hands.

Just after 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2007, a burglar tried to break into Arthur Thornton's home at 332 Essex in South Memphis. Thornton is legally blind and lives alone. The guy tried to get in through the front window. He even cut out the screen. But little did he know, Mr. Thornton was waiting for him behind the door with his rifle.

He said, “I'd do it again if it happened tonight, and I would hope I wouldn't miss. I would like to be around to tell the story like I am today, cause it's going to be me or you.”

Thornton said he was in bed when he heard a noise up in the front room, “I heard this zip, zip and I thought what kind of noise is that, but I found he was cutting the screen with a knife.”

Thornton grabbed his gun and got into position. He said, “I said he'll break through there and I'll hit him across the head with this rifle, and split his head. I have the evil spirit when somebody trying to do something to me.”

But the man never came through the window. Thornton said, “So I opened the wood door and peeped out. He was at the door, and I said get away from my window. When he started across the driveway I shot down towards his feet. When he got out to the sidewalk I shot again.”

He missed, but as you heard him say, Mr. Thornton has absolutely no regrets about pulling the trigger. He said at 4 am, there is no question, it's him or me.

He said, “If a person comes up to your house at 4 in the morning and attempt to come in a window, he's prepared to do whatever he has to do to cover up his dirt, so it's best that you take care of him before he take care of you. I don't think nobody's coming to pay a visit to you at 4 o'clock in the morning, nope, that's not a friendly visit.”

Police did respond to Thornton's house. Unfortunately, because of his poor vision, he wasn't able to get a very good look at the burglar.

Labels: residence robbery, TN

Pets Help Resident Fight Back Intruder

Police said a mother and her family pets fought back a gunman who tried to rob her at her south Nashville home.

The incident happened on Martin Street, just a few blocks from the state fairgrounds around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Ronda Hill said she, her 2-year-old son and her mother were walking inside their house when a man jumped a fence, pointed a gun at them and demanded their belongings.

Hill said her dogs then went after the intruder.

"When they attacked him, he dropped the gun, and I picked it up, and I fired at him. He then took off running," said Hill.

She said she fired the gun two times and is not sure if any of the bullets struck the robber.

Police are still searching for the intruder.

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

Mid-South Convenience Store Owner Shoots Accused Robber

After two previous hold-ups 67 year-old Boonie Crawford decided enough is enough. Crawford went out and got a permit and bought a gun. On Sunday, July 15, 2007, that weapon came in handy. His store is KC's Market and Deli in the 4900 block of Austin Peay Highway just outside Raleigh.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office says Crawford used his new gun to shoot an armed robber. Police identified the guy as 24-year-old Aaron Thomas. Thomas was rushed to a local hospital with a gun wound

This is the third time this store has been robbed since last December 2006. The last time the store was robbed was on May 25, 2007.

Right now police are investigating if Aaron Thomas was involved in those robberies.

Labels: business robbery, TN

One Robber Killed, Another Is In The Hospital

Two men, who tried to rob a patio party, found themselves looking down the end of the apartment owner’s gun barrel.

According to witnesses, two men walked up and asked if they were having a party. The men then left and returned with guns and tried to rob the party.

Witnesses say the apartment owner then got his gun and told the robbers to put down their guns. When the robbers didn’t, the apartment owner shot both robbers. One robber was shot in the head and killed; the other is in critical condition at the MED with a gun shot wound.

Police say they are still investigating the shooting and no charges have been filed.

Party host who killed robber will not be prosecuted

The man who shot two robbers who showed up at his party – killing one of them – will not be prosecuted, police said Thursday.

The slain robber was identified as Terry Anthony, 22. A second would-be robber, who has not yet been identified, likely will face aggravated robbery charges once he is released from the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. He is in stable condition.

About 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Anthony and the second man approached several people at a party at 6530 Birchwood Lane in the Greenbrook Apartments off Macon in East Memphis.

Anthony pulled out a handgun and the two announced a robbery. The resident of the apartment was armed and shot both robbers, killing Anthony.

The two robbers crashed the party earlier, then left. When they returned, the resident of the apartment noticed at least one of them was wearing gloves, and got his pistol.

Thursday, the District Attorney General’s office said they will not seek charges against the shooter.

Labels: altercation, TN

Victim turns tables on burglar

50-year-old man wrestles gun from teen

Sheriff's Investigator Julie Webb wishes every home invasion could have such positive results.

"It worked out awesome," said Webb, the lead investigator on the case. It was a burglary where the occupants of a River Hills Drive residence awoke to find an armed burglar in their home, only to wrestle away his weapon, chase him from their home, and later identify him for the arrest.

"We had wonderful victims that handled themselves as well as you could ask for," she said.

At about 1 a.m., a male resident awoke at his usual time, but noticed that some things were out of place, Webb said.

"He said it took him a minute to register," she said, but he quickly found a masked man with a rifle in a bedroom.

The masked man, Craig Majors, 19, who gave a 211 Al Orta Drive address, pointed the rifle at him and "told him not to look at him, turn around, or he would kill him," Webb said.

Majors then demanded money, to which the victim responded that they use debit cards and don't keep money in the house. Majors decided to take the victim to a nearby ATM to withdraw his money.

Still holding the gun at the victim's back, Majors led him to the garage where he found some bungee cord to tie him up with. As he tied him up, Majors held the gun under his arm, which turned out to be a mistake.

"(The victim) said to me he realized that was his opportunity," Webb said. "He turned around and jumped on this man, and the fight was on."

The victim, who is in his 50's, yelled as he fought Majors, and his wife awoke to find them fighting in the garage.

She then struck the burglar in the side of the head.

The male victim was able to get an upper hand in the fight, Webb said, as the gun lay on the ground. Majors then got on top of the victim, but the victim was able to kick him off and down a staircase. He then picked up the gun and attempted to fire it, but it didn't fire, so he started swinging the gun at Majors who ran, Webb said.

The couple watched Majors sped away in a dark colored, four-door car, the same vehicle deputies found abandoned no more than a mile down the road, after it struck a tree.

(More)

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN

Man in hospital after failed robbery attempt

Store clerk fired gun at intruders with rifle

A robbery suspect found himself fighting for his life while another remained at-large Saturday night after a convenience store clerk fired at the men, Metro police
said.

A white New York Yankees cap lay on the sidewalk outside the door of Tienda La Paz, 819 Main Street, as police investigated the scene where two men had entered with a rifle about 7:15 p.m., Capt. Rich Foley said.

Upon seeing the men, the store clerk, whose name was not released, fired at them with a handgun, critically wounding one man in the upper body, Foley said.

The wounded man was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was in life-threatening condition as of 8:30 p.m., Foley said.

The accomplice fled the scene in a white car and had not been found at the time of the investigation.

"The law's pretty descriptive as to what people can do to defend themselves," said Foley, who added that the clerk's pregnant wife was in the store at the time of the attempted robbery.

Police did not have further details because of a language barrier with the store clerk.

The botched robbery was the second in two days in east Nashville.

On Friday, a man planning to rob Alvin's Garage at 901 Gallatin Avenue, was shot in the leg with his own gun after two employees wrestled with him.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Neighbor Botches Attempted Robbery

Monday morning police are looking for one of the teens involved in a botched robbery. Three teenagers plotted to rob a home of a 16-year-old peer and his mother.

According to police, one of the teenagers asked to stay the night with the victims, saying that he was having problems at home. The mother and her son agreed to let the young man spend the night.

Once invited into the home the teen left the front door unlocked, and in the middle of the night two other teens barged in with guns. They were armed with a shotgun and pistol.

While demanding money, the parent sneaked away to call the police, and she also called a neighbor. The neighbor, who had his own gun, came over and held the teenagers at gun point until police arrived.

The teen staying with the victims also had gun, but did not participate in robbery. Two of the teenagers are in custody as of Monday morning, but one got away.

Labels: home invasion, TN

New Information: MPD Officer Killed in Cordova Home Invasion

A 27 year-old Memphis police officer was killed Sunday, June 3, 2007, after he kicked open a door at the home of his former girlfriend, who is also a Memphis police officer.

Deputies were called to the 1200 block of Breezy Gate Drive in East Shelby County near Cordova just after 8 a.m. They found 27 year-old Jeremy Kyle shot to death near a downstairs bedroom.

The woman who lives at the house, 27 year-old Teresita Watson, told Sheriff's Detectives the intruder was her co-worker and former boyfriend. Watson says after Kyle kicked open the backdoor of her home, he walked to the bedroom and pointed a gun at her and another man who was with her, 22 year-old Justin Davis of Memphis.

There was an exchange of gunfire. Kyle was shot in the chest. He died at the scene. Watson was also shot. The bullet grazed her stomach area. She was treated and released from the Regional Medical Center. Davis was not hurt.

Watson's three young children, ages 3, 5 and 9 years-old, were upstairs in a bedroom. They were not hurt.

Sheriff's detectives say Davis admitted shooting Kyle when he aimed the gun at him and Watson. No charges have been filed against Davis.

Sheriff's Deputies had been called to the house before. On April 20, 2007, Watson and Kyle were involved in an argument. Investigators say it was settled without anyone being arrested. Also on December 31, 2006, deputies were called to the Breezy Gate Drive address when Kyle removed some belongings from the house. No one was arrested in that incident.

Both Kyle and Watson worked at the Old Allen Station. Kyle worked for Memphis police for 3 years. Watson worked for the department for 4 years.

Labels: domestic dispute, home invasion, TN

Unicoi shooting ruled justifiable

Unicoi County authorities have just ruled a Sunday shooting death as a justifiable homicide.

Early Sunday morning, Nathan Gouge, a homeowner on Dexter Gouge Road, shot and killed 39-year-old Clarence Hyder. Gouge told authorities that Hyder had pointed a gun at his head so he shot the man in self defense, Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation assisted in this investigation.

According to Hyder’s family, the man had served in Iraq with the Tennessee National Guard last year. He recently had returned to Tennessee.

Labels: assault, TN

Man says he shot teen at motel in self-defense

South Precinct detectives believe Anthony Poole, 19, who was killed early Thursday at the Super 8 Motel on Harding Place, was shot in self-defense.

The events began when Michael Darvin, 31, went to the Hamilton Inn on Briley Parkway at Interstate 40 late Wednesday and made a crack sale, according to police.

While he was at the Hamilton Inn, he was robbed by three men. He returned to the Super 8, where he was staying. Less than an hour later, Darvin saw the three robbers in the hallway, he told police.

The three men, at least two of them with guns, demanded that he allow them in his room. He pulled his own gun and shot two of them. He told police it was in self-defense.

Poole and Steven Newsome, 26, were wounded. The third man, Kenzo Quezergue, 18, wasn't injured.

Newsome drove to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with Poole and Quezergue in the car.

Poole died at the hospital. Newsome was treated and released. Newsome and Quezergue are being charged with aggravated robbery.

Darvin waited at the motel until police arrived and told officers he shot the men. No charges have been placed against him, but the investigation is continuing, police said.

Labels: residence robbery, TN

Kingsport senior citizen shoots sister-in-law's attacker during intersection fracas

A Monday evening shooting, though still under investigation by Kingsport Police, may have been in self-defense.

Shortly before 6:15 p.m. Lawrence Jennings, 46, of Virgil Avenue, blocked the intersection of Nassau Drive and Kingston Court, not allowing his ex-girlfriend to pass. According to a press release from police, Jennings' former girlfriend was a passenger in the car of Giles Eddie Ferguson, 69, who is her brother-in-law.

Jennings began to kick the door and beat the windows of Ferguson's vehicle. He was able to get inside and attack Ferguson, at which point the senior citizen shot Jennings in the abdomen, according to police.

Jennings then drove to Valero Market on East Stone Drive, where he told the clerk he had been shot. He was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

Det. David Cole said several witnesses observed Jennings stop Ferguson's car, as well as the shooting. He said the incident is still under investigation, and would not confirm Ferguson's actions as self-defense at this time.

Det. Cole added that they were waiting to see if Jennings' condition improved so they could talk to him again about the incident.

Police clear senior citizen in Kingsport shooting

After reviewing statements and the evidence from the scene, police say a senior citizen acted in self-defense when he shot a man during a fracas in a Kingsport intersection.

The incident began last Monday at about 6:15 p.m. According to Kingsport Police, Lawrence Jennings, 46, of Virgil Avenue, blocked the intersection of Nassau Drive and Kingston Court, not allowing his ex-girlfriend to pass. Police say Jennings' former girlfriend was a passenger in the car of Giles Eddie Ferguson, 69, who is her brother-in-law.

Having stopped Ferguson and his ex-girlfriend in the roadway, Jennings allegedly began kick and hitting the car. Police say Jennings cursed the two occupants before he opened the vehicle door and began hitting Ferguson in the face.

It was at this point that Ferguson apparently pulled out a gun -- which he had a valid permit to carry -- and shot Jennings in the abdomen. Jennings then drove to Valero Market on East Stone Drive, where he told the clerk he had been shot. He was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

Det. David Cole said several witnesses observed Jennings stop Ferguson's car, as well as the shooting. On Tuesday police announced Ferguson's actions were in self-defense while Jennings had charges placed agianst him.

Jennings is charged with auto burglary, for breaking into Ferguson’s vehicle with the intent of committing an assault, and vandalism for causing damage to the vehicle. Jennings bond was set at $6,000 with arraignment scheduled for Wednesday.

Contacted at his home Tuesday afternoon, Ferguson declined to elaborate on the incident.

Labels: assault, TN

Decatur clerk pulls gun to thwart would-be robbery

A convenience store clerk scared away a would-be robber by pulling a gun, Decatur police said Monday.

The incident took place at Jet Pep, 106 Sixth Ave. N.E., shortly before 11 p.m. Friday.

Pretending to buy a drink from the cooler, the woman waited until the clerk, Gayathri Penmathsa, opened the register. The woman then told Penmathsa to give her the money from the drawer, police said.

Lt. Chris Mathews, a police spokesman, said Penmathsa pulled out a revolver kept under the counter for protection and pointed it at the woman, who ran out of the store.

The woman was described as 5-feet 3-inches tall, 180 pounds, and about 35 years of age with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans and left in a red Ford Taurus.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Senior Citizen Wrestles Thief; Foils Robbery

An armed robber tried to hold up a West Nashville store, but he messed with the wrong customer.

The attempted robbery happened Sunday night at the Stop and Shop on Indiana Avenue.The robber walked into the Stop and Shop armed with a gun. His plan was to rob the store and the customers inside.

Police said the robber held up the clerk, demanded money, and then the gunman, Anthony Lyons, 25, turned the gun on a 77 year-old customer.

Police said the elderly man is a feisty one. He started wrestling with the robber, and that's when the gun went off. In the struggle, the gunman was hit with the bullet in the leg.

He was sent to the hospital with those injuries. The 77 year-old customer who stopped the robbery is okay. He walked away from the scene, and he did not receive medical care at the hospital. He had stopped in the store for cough drops.

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

Tables turned on robbery suspect

A Jackson man who tried to rob a convenience store early Saturday found himself on the other end of his rifle after the clerk grabbed it and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, said Lt. Rick Holt.

Police have charged Ontrell James, 29, with aggravated robbery and resisting arrest. He is being held on $200,000 bond at the Criminal Justice Complex and will be arraigned at 8 a.m. Monday in City Court.

The incident happened about 4:40 a.m. at the Superway at 795 Airways Blvd., Holt said. James fought the officers as they were taking him into custody, leading to the charge of resisting arrest, Holt said.

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

Robber Killed During Home Invasion Robbery

Memphis Police are investigating a home invasion robbery in North Memphis. It happened just after midnight on Monday morning, April 23rd in the 1200 block of Clearpark Drive.

Police say there were two men in the home. The two robbers then forced their way into the home, where they met the two men who live there. A struggle ensued over a gun and one of the robbers was shot and killed. The other robber fled the scene. One of the men in the house was shot in the arm, but will be okay.

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

Police say man shot in apparent home invasion

A man was shot and injured Tuesday night in what law officers say appears to be another "home invasion" case, the second such case reported here in a week's time.

In the Tuesday night case, which occurred on Peppermint Drive, a man named Brian Woods (age and address not available) was shot in the leg, allegedly by a homeowner after two men broke into a home and tried to rob the residents.

Woods was found on the porch of a nearby house, wounded and screaming for help following the alleged break-in, law officers said. He was treated at the scene by Putnam Ambulance medics and then airlifted to a hospital in another city.

According to a report by Putnam Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. David Gibbons, the residents of one house reported that around 9 p.m. Tuesday two men entered the basement of their home and tried to rob them.

"One subject was armed with a shotgun and the other with a SKS rifle," the report says. "The homeowner took the rifle away from one of the subjects and fired, and both subjects fled the scene."

Just moments after that, a neighbor of the victims called 911 and reported that "a male subject was on their porch needing help advising he had been shot."

The injured man allegedly told the deputies he had been driven to the area by a man named Jason and that he did not know where Jason was.

A rifle was found in the area, and Woods allegedly told the deputies that Jason's vehicle was a brown Oldsmobile, but searches of the area that night were unsuccessful, deputies said.

As the case unfolded, many officers and detectives were called in to interview the three residents of the home where the invasion occurred and other witnesses.

Another apparent home-invasion occurred on Joe Martin Road late Saturday night, and it is still under investigation. Carlton Warren, 27, of Nashville, was shot and injured in that incident, and a second man who was later brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound, though investigators are uncertain whether those two shootings were related.

Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, TN

Suspect shot during home invasion

A robbery suspect is recovering at The Med after a would-be victim shot him.

The home invasion happened in Raleigh on the 4800 block of Northfield Circle around 9:30 Monday night. Memphis police say a relative of the renter opened fire after several men burst through the apartment door demanding cash.

Police say the apartment renter was pistol whipped by one of these men and that's when his brother pulled a gun and shot his assailant. Police say the other would-be robbers ran from the apartment and jumped into a car and sped off.

The robbery suspect is in The Med in critical condition with two gunshot wounds.

Labels: assault, home invasion, residence robbery, TN

Madison Man Wakes Up To Robber

While Tom Keating, of Madison, was surprised to find a stranger standing in his bedroom, his quick action helped solve a half dozen burglaries in his neighborhood.

"All I know is I'm lucky to be alive, because if I didn't have the gun I don't know what could have happened," Keating said. "For some reason I sat up in the bed and there he was standing in the bedroom door, so I just yelled ‘what are you doing here?' and tried to keep him from doing anything else while I reached for my gun."

Keating realized the man broke through a window to get in.

"I didn't hear him break in because my ears are clogged up with allergies," Keating said.

The man got away, but not before Keating called 911. A short time later police arrested Jonathon Brown. Brown told police he had committed nearly a half dozen burglaries in the same neighborhood.

Councilman Michael Craddock said Keating may have single handedly brought down the crime rate in Madison.

"Sometimes it takes proactive citizens to get things done, and Mr. Keating to me is a proactive citizen," Michael Craddock Metro Council Member

For the year overall crime in Craddock's council district is down 11 percent, but burglaries are up ten percent. Police believe Brown may have committed several of the burglaries, but they can't prove it.

Jonathon Brown agreed to plead guilty to burglary. The plea agreement with prosecutors included a six year jail term.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TN

Would-be robber makes 2 mistakes

Sometimes an apology’s just not good enough.

A would-be robber found that out the hard way today when he came back to say he was sorry after trying to rob a Northwest Knoxville store, authorities said.

"Within 10 minutes, he came back to apologize, and he was in custody," Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said.

Police said the move was the second mistake of the day for William Jones, 33. The first came when he tried to rob the R&H Market, 1601 Beaumont Ave., with a toy gun just before 1 p.m., authorities said.

The owner, Nihad Saah, pulled a real pistol, and Jones ran, police said.

"I didn’t want to hurt him," Saah said. "But I worked too hard for my money for somebody to just come in here and take it from me."

Police still were searching the neighborhood for Jones when he came back to the store. Saah and some customers kept him there until officers arrested him.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Update: Police Would-be Home Invader Killed

There's been a shooting this afternoon in Chattanooga.

Police say a 38 year old man was shot twice trying to invade a home on West 39th Street just before 3pm this afternoon.

Investigators say the man came to the door with a gun drawn. They say the home owner acted in self-defense and fired with his own weapons, fatally wounding the would-be home invader on the porch of the home.

Officers say more than likely charges will not be filed in this case. So far, names have not been released.

Man shot, killed during St. Elmo home robbery attempt, police say

Police said a man was shot and killed Friday afternoon while attempting to rob a St. Elmo residence, becoming the fourth local homicide victim in the past 10 days.

Andre Terry, 38, reportedly broke into 1715 W. 39th St. about 2:45 p.m. Friday, according to Lt. Tim Carroll, head of the Chattanooga Police Department’s major crimes division.

Resident Stacy Eubanks, 35, and his brother Kevin Walker, 39, tried to shut the door on Mr. Terry but were unsuccessful, Lt. Carroll said.

The brothers began to struggle with Mr. Terry, whose gun began to fire off rounds during the altercation, Lt. Carroll said. He said Mr. Eubanks then retrieved his own weapon for self-defense.

“(Mr. Terry) was shot in the course of that,” Lt. Carroll said, explaining that the robbery suspect was taken to Erlanger hospital for treatment but died shortly after arrival.

Neither Mr. Eubanks nor Mr. Walker will be charged in connection with the incident, according to Lt. Carroll, as the homicide will be ruled a justified act of self-defense rather than a slaying.

New Information On Deadly Home Invasion

A man who was shot and killed while allegedly trying to invade a St. Elmo home has a long rap sheet.

Police say Andre Terry was trying to break into this home with a gun. Terry struggled with one resident, both parties exchanged shots, and Terry was killed. Police say the owners will not be charged because it was self defense.

It turns out Terry had a slew of past charges including unlawful possession of a weapon, theft, possession of cocaine, assault twice, and possession of crack for resale.

And one St. Elmo resident says this home invasion has her worried.

"I don't know if I need to get a weapon. If I had one I'd probably be afraid to use it and if I used it it might not work. You just don't know what to do," Marie Jones Grace.

Police say Terry knew the home owners from childhood but they believe the home invasion was random.

Labels: home invasion, TN

The attempted robbery and shooting happened Cherry Market on Cherry Road in Southeast Memphis last night.

The robber was trying to hold up the store when the clerk shot him.

The robber wasn't seriously hurt.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Attacker strikes same place twice, but runs out of luck

A man who stopped a kidnapping and the woman he saved are telling their stories.

Their stories begin with a tale of a man who came looking for his ex-girlfriend. He threatened her life and took her money. He got away with it once.

He was not so lucky the second time around.

Sharon Hamblin worked as a caregiver for 85-year-old Louise Hardin.

Last week, Hamblin's past came back to haunt her.

"I came here to kill you but I changed my mind" were the words she remembered coming from her ex-boyfriend, Gary Stewart, who police say broke into the home through a bedroom window.

"He said give me all the money you got," she recounted.

Stewart then forced her and Hardin into the car and made them drive to West Memphis so Hamblin could cash a check for nearly $300.

Stewart took the money and let the two of them go.

"Officer first on the scene told me it's possible this man may come back," said Louise Hardin's son Kent. He came to live in the house to protect his mother and her caregiver.

Three days later, as the officer had warned, Gary Stewart was back after breaking the glass on this garage door.

"I woke up and looked out and saw the perpetrator with a knife to the caregivers throat," said Kent Hardin.

That's when Hardin grabbed his gun. Meanwhile, Hamblin was being forced to the car again.

"I was backing up and I saw Kent come out the back door," she said.

"I ran out with the gun, opened up the car door and stuck it in his face," added Kent Hardin.

"I put the car in gear and I jumped out of the car and got on the ground," said Hamblin.

Kent Hardin added, "When he looked up and saw the gun he just kind of faded, melted."

"He told Gary Stewart, get out of the car get out of the car!" said Hamblin.

"He just rolled out of the car and laid down here in the garage floor put his arms in front of him, his feet back and I held the gun on him."

Hardin says five minutes later, the police arrived.

Stewart is charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary. He also faces robbery charges in West Memphis.

On top of that, he could face federal charges as well. His court date is set for April 13th.

Sharon Hamblin says her biggest mistake was telling Stewart where she worked. Hamblin is no longer working for the Hardin family.

Labels: assault, home invasion, kidnapping, TN

Attempted home invasion probed

Sevier County sheriff's deputies searched the area around East Madison Drive Wednesday after a homeowner allegedly fired a weapon at a person who threw a flower pot through the window of the home.

Sheriff Ron Seals confirmed that deputies were summoned to the area after the homeowner called to report the incident. The intruder allegedly fled in an SUV as the homeowner approached; it wasn't clear if any shots struck the person or the vehicle.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Man Shot During Armed Robbery

A good Samaritan is in the hospital after getting shot by a robber. The Hickory Hill business owner was trying to defend a couple during a robbery and that’s when the robber shot him.

It happened just before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 23, 2007 outside the Villsenor Taqueria at Ridgeway and Winchester.

The business owner saw two men trying to rob a Hispanic couple walking out of the Immigration Services building next door. He came outside with his gun and then he got shot.

Police say a family member took the shooting victim to a hospital. The police say the two armed robbers got away in a black Ford Expedition. Police say robberies like this have happened before at this location because Hispanics without bank accounts go to that INS office to cash paychecks and are targeted by robbers in the parking lot.

Labels: street robbery, TN

Update: Bradley Domestic Dispute

Bradley County Sheriff's officers investigated a violent domestic dispute.

The call came Monday night at 314 Peachtree Circle when two 9-1-1 calls were placed from the house shortly after 8 o'clock. The first caller said a man threatened a woman with a knife while the second reported a gunshot.

Deputies found 36 year old Danny J.Catlett with a gunshot wound to his shoulder while 44 year old Gayla Catlett has knife cuts to her clothing. Investigators say the couple was arguing and Danny Catlett threatened his wife with a knife. They say she got a handgun and shot him in the shoulder.

Paramedics airlifted Danny Catlett to Erlanger Medical Center with what appears to be non life-threatening injuries. So far no charges have been filed.

Labels: domestic abuse, domestic dispute, TN

A Nashville store clerk fatally shot a shoplifter late Friday night, police said.

Police said Richard Huddleston, 22, was in the process of stealing beer and hats at the Shell Market at 197 Haywood Lane at around 11 p.m. when he was confronted by the store clerk, Jefferson Bilbrey.

During a brief struggle between the two men, Huddleston reached inside his shirt as if he had a gun, according to a police news release. He then ran outside to a car parked near the gas pumps.

Bilbrey, 45, of South Nashville, followed and fired two shots at Huddleston with a .38-caliber revolver. At least one of those shots hit Huddleston, who was not armed, in the upper torso. Huddleston was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Metro Police are investigating the shooting, and the results of that probe will be handed over to the district attorney’s office. Bilbrey hadn’t been charged in connection with the shooting Saturday afternoon.

A Davidson County grand jury will likely decide if he’ll face charges, or if the threat he perceived justified his use of deadly force, police said.

Bilbrey does have a valid permit to carry a handgun, police said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- A South Nashville store clerk who shot a man he said was shoplifting from his market has been charged with murder.

Convenience store clerk Jefferson Bilbrey, 45, was free on $80,000 bond Tuesday on a charge of second-degree murder for the March 10 shooting death of Richard Huddleston, Metro police said in a news release.

Police said Huddleston, 22, was stealing a beer and ball caps from a Shell Market on Haywood Lane when Bilbrey confronted him.

Huddleston ran outside the market and Bilbrey followed him and fired a .38-caliber revolver as Huddletson got into a car.

"Bilbrey did have a valid handgun carry permit; however, the police department's investigation, along with reviews by the District Attorney's office and the grand jury, determined that his use of deadly force was not justified under the circumstances," according to a Metro police news release.

Huddleston's victim's mother Cheryl Huddleston said he wasn't armed and that the shooting was senseless.

Bilbrey no longer works at that Shell Market. Huddleston's mother currently has a civil suit against the store owner.

"It is our understanding that they have encouraged their store clerks to go out and get licensed to carry pistols and I just believe that that's the wrong message," said Huddleston's attorney Michael Rowan.

He points to an incident only months before Huddelston's death.

Police said in September, Bilbrey fired his pistol at a driver of a tractor trailer he said drove too close to him as he took out the store trash.

Bilbrey shot at the big rig driver because the driver tried to make a U-turn in the market's parking lot.

"Evidently he seems to be really quick with the trigger," Rowan said.

Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TN

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- Police in Memphis say a gunman firing a pistol beside a busy city street was subdued by two passers-by who were also armed.

No one was hurt during the incident that apparently began with a minor traffic accident, but one passing car was believed hit by a bullet.

Brothers William Webber and Paul Webber told police they stopped their car and pulled their own pistols when they saw a man firing a handgun yesterday.

The brothers said they ordered the man to drop his weapon and then held him at gunpoint until police arrived a few minutes later. Police say the Webbers did not fire their pistols.

Police arrested Dementrius Roberson and charged him with reckless endangerment. Police say the Webber brothers and Roberson have licenses to carry firearms.

Labels: road rage, TN

Kingsport man stabbed during home invasion, fires two shots at intruders

A Kingsport man fired two shots at men who invaded his home early today, but he was stabbed twice during the incident.

The incident happened around 5:05 a.m. at 2333 1/2 Ashwood Street, according to a police detective. (CLICK HERE for map.

KPD Det. Greg Lane said Frank Johnson, 25, reported he heard noise outside his home and someone knocking on his door.

“He went to the door with a pistol in his hand. As soon as he opened the door, an unknown black male rushed in and attacked him,” Lane said.

A second unidentified black male entered the residence and stabbed Johnson in the left side and arm, Lane said.

Johnson fired his gun and the two men ran out of the house.

He went to the door and fired another shot and the men continued to run away, Lane said.

Police don’t know what the suspects motive might have been, but at this point the case is being investigated as an aggravated assault.

Lane said Johnson was being treated at Holston Valley Medical Center for his wounds, which were non life threatening.

Labels: assault, home invasion, TN

Burglary suspect sought near Coalfield School

According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Department, deputies are looking for a burglary suspect near Coalfield School.

The suspect tried to break into a house near the school at around 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. A woman was home alone in the house with her two children. Her husband had just left for work.

The mother shot at the suspect, who fled.

The school principal says school officials are keeping a close lookout in the area surrounding the school.

A woman home alone with her two children in Morgan County's Coalfield community fired a gun three times Friday morning to protect herself and her family.

Shortly after Suzanne Carson's husband left for work, Carson said she went back to bed with her 3-year old daughter.

When she heard a noise, she got up to check on her 4-year old son, who was sleeping down the hallway.

"As I stood here, I could hear someone at the back door," Carson explained, standing in her home's hallway, at the doorway leading into the kitchen.

Carson said she saw the face of a young man trying to open her back door.

She said he appeared to be in his 20s and was wearing a dark baseball cap with a yellow logo

Carson went for a gun, with only one thought.

"The first thing actually was my kids," Carson said.

She thought, "Ok, I'm going to have to do something to protect them."

Holding the gun, Carson said she yelled for the man to stop.

"I could see his arm entering my home," she said. "That's when I fired the first shot."

The kitchen wall took a hit, but it didn't stop the intruder.

"He stepped completely into the kitchen, and that's when I fired the other two shots," Carson explained.

The shots shattered the glass storm door and ripped holes in the screen.

Carson said the man wearing a thick dark shirt or jacket fled into the woods behind her home.

"I was terrified, absolutely terrified," Carson said. "And I remember screaming the whole time it was going on.

"He didn't say anything, not one word," she added.

It scares Carson to even think about what he wanted, this time.

She believes he was also outside her home Thursday night, when she was home alone with her children again.

"They actually tried to open one of the playroom windows," she explained.

The woman whose husband taught her to shoot a gun for the first time a month ago didn't hesitate Friday morning.

"I'm so proud of her for being able to protect herself and the kids," husband B.J.. Carson said. "She's truly a hero."

"I've been wanting a new back door, so I figure this is a good chance to get one," Suzanne Carson laughed.

Carson said her daughter slept through the whole ordeal.

The Morgan County Sheriff said prison dogs lost the suspect's trail in the woods.

They're not sure if he was hit, but hospitals have been notified to be on the look-out for a gunshot victim.

Meanwhile, the Carson's home is not far from the Coalfield school.

Friday afternoon, the school principal said school officials were keeping a close lookout in the area surrounding the school.

Labels: home invasion, residence burglary, TN

Police: Shootout started as social gathering

The two men who allegedly robbed two residents of Campus Crossings South before being shot themselves were invited in by a resident of the apartment complex, police said.

Three men were shot and one died Jan. 14 in Apartment 506 of the complex on South Rutherford Boulevard in southeast Murfreesboro.

"Evidently, it was a social gathering that turned into the aggravated assault and kidnapping," Murfreesboro Police spokesman Alvin Baird said Thursday.

Baird said the two alleged perpetrators had been invited into the apartment of Mike Holt, 22, prior to the alleged kidnappings and assaults.

Initial reports had indicated that that the two, Thomas John Eckerle Jr., 29, and Alan B. Bell, 21, had forced their way into the home with handguns.

Eckerle was arrested two weeks ago on two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping for his part in the robbery of Holt and Chris Deberry, 23.

Eckerle and Deberry were both treated for multiple gunshot wounds, and Bell died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene.

Deberry, who is out of the hospital and being treated on an outpatient basis, told police he started firing at Bell and Eckerle when they put down their handguns to tie up him and Holt.

Holt, the apartment's resident, received blunt trauma to the head and was treated and released from an area hospital the same day.

A preliminary hearing in Eckerle's case has been set for Feb. 20 in General Sessions Court.

Police found a white powder believed to be drugs in the apartment and have said the incident is drug-related.

Baird said Thursday that unless other facts emerged in the course of the investigation no further charges are expected to be filed.

Labels: altercation, TN

Tri-Cities pharmacist stops armed robbery using her gun

Susong Pharmacy in Greeneville usually welcomes the sound of a person entering the store, but not lately. The pharmacy has been robbed twice in the last few months and employees have had enough.

"I hated it happened, but he asked for it in my opinion," a store employee who asked to remain anonymous said.

Police say an armed man entered the store wearing a ski-mask this afternoon, went to the front, and demanded hydrocodone. An unnamed pharmacy technician says the man confronted her.

"It was like deja vu, being that I was just robbed by what looked like the same gentleman back on December 27th," the woman said. "He thought he was going to walk in, walk back out, and he was very surprised. He got a little bit more than he asked for."

The woman says her co-worker pulled out her gun and fired a warning shot at the man. She says the first round didn't phase the robber, but the second did. She says the bullet hit the man in his chest and before the robber made it out, the employee fired one more shot.

The stores surveillance cameras caught everything on tape, but the video has since been locked up in evidence. Investigators now search for the man in that video. Capt. Terry Webb says he doesn't question the pharmacist's reaction, but he discourages anyone from taking matters into their own hands.

"We always recommend if you're put in an armed robbery situation, to go ahead and cooperate and give the person whatever they're asking for, and that way nobody gets hurt," Webb said.

That said, pharmacy employees say they're tired of being the victim. In fact, they hope two bullet holes in the wall send a message.

Police believe the suspect fled the scene in an early nineties model Dodge Dakota pick-up truck. They say the two-tone tan and possibly silver pick-up also has back bumper damage.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Suspect arrested after robbery attempt, gun battle in Madison market

A gun battle erupted inside a Madison-area convenience store last night when two men tried to rob the two clerks.

The co-owner of Discount Tobacco Store, 4610 Gallatin Pike, shot one of the two robbers in the hand when the two men entered with guns and demanded money, police said.

One of the suspects, Joshua Whitworth, 19, ran outside the store and fired several times at a man who was sitting inside a maroon Honda Accord that was parked outside, police said. He was hit by one of the bullets, police said.

Police believe Whitworth tried to kill the man in the car, "as he was now a witness to the robbery attempt,” Metro police Officer Paul Morgan Harris said in an affidavit.

Police found Whitworth two blocks away from the market with a bloody glove that had a bullet hole in it, Harris said in an affidavit.

Whitworth was arrested and charged with attempted criminal homicide and two counts of attempted aggravated robbery. He is being held in the Metro Jail in lieu of $650,000 bond, court records show.

Whitworth admitted to police that he was involved in the robbery, but said he was only a lookout, Harris said in an affidavit.

Metro police are looking for a second suspect, whose identity is not known, said Metro police Capt. David Imhof.

Labels: business robbery, TN

Man in wheelchair shoots intruder

An elderly wheelchair-bound man shot and critically wounded an intruder at his Orange Mound home Friday afternoon, Memphis police said.

Officers were called about 2 p.m. to the 2300 block of Zanone, where the unidentified homeowner "apparently heard a crash as if someone was coming in through the window and saw a male subject he did not know," said Det. Monique Martin.

The homeowner fired two shots and struck the home invasion suspect at least once. The wounded intruder was transported to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis in critical condition, Martin said.

84-year-old homeowner shoots intruder

Memphis police are investigating a home invasion that ended in a shooting.

Police say 84-year-old Willie Hancox called 911 around two Friday afternoon to say that he had shot an intruder.

Hancox says he fired two shots, hitting an intruder twice in the head.

Hancox says he is sick of the crime in his community.

"He said if they come in the door, I'm not gonna let them kill me and he meant that," says neighbor, Dorothy Dickerson.

Dickerson lives across the street and looks after Hancox.

Dickerson adds, "I say God is good, cause they had no business in there, and whoever did that got what they deserved. And, I say it in front of they face, not behind they back and I mean it."

Dickerson's sentiment is shared by most neighbors.

"He did the right thing," says neighbor, Markel Dickerson. "People that's law abiding people is getting tired of being pushed around by the thugs and thieves and dope dealers."

That's why Mr. Hancox had a gun, one his sons recently tried to take from him.

"We came over here that Saturday morning he said, hey, where's my gun, I need it back. I told him dad, you dont' really need a gun in this house." says Jake Hancox.

Jake Hancox says after speaking with his brother, the two decided to give the gun back to their father.

Now, both brothers are glad they listened. Jake Hancox says that the situation could have easily ended the other way around.

"Maybe somebody looks at the situation here and they might not do it," says Hancox.

It's a message homeowners hope criminals hear as loud and clear as a gunshot.

The intruder is listed in critical condition.

Labels: home invasion, TN

Lafollette, Campbell County (WVLT) - They didn't get quite what they were expecting, after Campbell County authorities say two men tried to rob a home in Lafollette.

Police say Paul Lee Bourff and Robert Wayne Evans were attempting to rob the home when homeowner, Charles Green, shot Bourff in the chest.

The two suspects ran to a neighbor's home where Bourff was transported to St. Mary's and then to UT Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition.

Evans was taken into custody.

Charges are pending against both men.

Labels: home invasion, residence robbery, TN

Armored car courier shoots holdup man

An armored car courier shot and seriously wounded a would-be robber this morning at a Whitehaven gas station.

The courier was leaving the Mapco at 979 Brooks at about 8:30 when a robber, possibly armed with a pistol, began spraying him with tear gas or some chemical agent, according to C.M. Sturgis, a supervisory FBI agent with the Safe Streets Task Force.

The Loomis Fargo & Co. courier drew his pistol and fired twice, striking the robber in the lower torso.

The suspect jumped into a white Ford Crown Victoria with at least one man inside.

He did not have the money bag.

Police later found the suspect lying in the street at Ridge Road and Wagon Trail Lane, south of Raines Road and west of Weaver Road.

He had been stripped of his clothing and dumped out of the car by his associates.

The suspect was taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

Labels: street robbery, TN

Intruder Shot at Bradley County Business

A Bradley County businessman encounters an intruder in his store on Dalton Pike about three this morning,

Now Bradley County deputies and the District Attorney's Office investigate the shooting death of the intruder.

It happened at Dalton Pike Motors.

Sheriff Tim Gobble says the shooting may have been in self defense.

When deputies arrived, they found the male intruder dead from a gunshot wound.

Investigators have not released the names of those involved in the shooting.

Labels: TN

Police: Lonsdale man shoots burglar

A would-be burglar got an unwelcome surprise today when a resident shot him as he tried to break in, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 1:15 p.m. at 1910 Lonsdale Pike, Knoxville Police Department Lt. Mark Pressley said.

No charges have been filed or names released yet.

The man made it to the corner of Tennessee and Western avenues, where he asked someone to call an ambulance, Pressley said. Police arrived with the ambulance, which took him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

His injuries weren't believed to be life-threatening, police said.

Labels: residence burglary, TN

Clerk pulls handgun on robber, one shot fired before suspect flees empty-handed

A would-be-robber got more than he bargained for from behind the counter of a local convenience store.

At about 2:47 Wednesday morning, Kingsport Police responded to Central Chevron and Food Mart, 220 Carolina Pottery Drive. The clerk stated a white male entered the store with a knife and demanded all the money.

But, according to police, at this point the clerk pulled a handgun from behind the counter. When he told the suspect to leave, he lunged towards the clerk. One shot was fired in to the air, spooking the robber, who then fled empty-handed.

Labels: business robbery, TN