9/21/09
Knoxville, Tennessee
From WBIR of September 19, 2009
Homeowner shoots teenager in his driveway
Investigators are trying to piece together the series of events that led to a teenager being shot by a homeowner in South Knox county.
Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting at 837 Lester Road, shortly before 11 p.m. Friday night.
Jonathan and Kara Stevens told investigators they were at home when they heard their pit bulls barking.
They armed themselves with a pistol and flashlight as they went outside to investigate.
The couple told detectives a teenager jumped out from behind a car in their driveway and pointed gun a 12 gauge shotgun at them.
Jonathan Stevens said he shot the 15 year old twice and believes the teenager shot at them twice before they ran back into their home.
Neighbors say the suspect collapsed in their driveway after the shooting.
Deputies found the teenager laying in the road with two gun shot wounds in his upper torso.
Rural Metro took the suspect to UT Medical Center.
The homeowners were not hurt.
Deputies said three other juveniles got away in a car. One has been questioned, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed
Detectives say Stevens and the teenager knew each other and they believe the motive was robbery.
They are not releasing the name or condition of the teenager.
Labels: assault, minor offender, TN
Knoxville, Tennessee
From WBIR of September 18, 2009
Burglary/assault suspect shot by victim's mother
A burglary suspect is recovering from a gunshot wound near his groin--a wound 75-year-old Ruth Robbins gave him after he fought with her son and then got in a scuffle with her.
Jesse Williams, 28, sits in the Morgan County jail, charged with burglary, aggravated assault, and simple assault, as he nurses a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken there after being treated and released at UT Medical Center.
According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, Williams broke into David Brandenburg's Petros home Thursday night. Brandenburg, 43, and Williams fought, eventually making their way out into the yard.
Ruth Robbins came over from her home next door and tried to intervene to help Brandenburg, who is her son. At that point, authorities say Williams turned his attack on her--so she shot him.
The shooting happened at 9:03 Thursday night.
Brandenburg was injured in the fight but declined treatment. No charges have been filed against Robbins.
Labels: assault, female, senior, TN
9/16/09
Klammoth Falls, Oregon
From KPTV of September 9, 2009
Man Shoots Intruder Armed With Bat
Police say a man shot an intruder who was armed with a baseball bat Tuesday night.
Mark Farrell, 24, of Beatty, entered Jim Westman's house armed with a wooden baseball bat, said Klamath Falls Sheriff Timothy Evinger in a news release.
Farrell attempted to assault Westman with the bat and Westman fired one round from a .22-caliber rifle, which hit Farrell in the right forearm. Farrell continued to assault Westman after he was shot, Evinger said.
Roxann Klobucar, Westman's mother, was able to wrestle the bat from Farrell. Klobucar hit Farrell several times in the head until he was subdued, Evinger said.
Prior to entering the house, Farrell damaged Westman's vehicle with the bat, Evinger said.
Evinger said the motive appears related to a theft from Farrell about a month ago.
Farrell was transported to a nearby hospital. He is expected to face charges of burglary, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.
Detectives are continuing to investigate.
Labels: assault, home invasion, OR
Lithonia, Florida
From CBS Atlanta of September 10, 2009
Lithonia Burglar Shot In Buttocks
A burglar who broke into a Lithonia home was shot in the buttocks by the homeowner, police said.
The burglary happened at about 11:30 a.m. at the home on Gadwell Circle.
The intruder was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, police said. The intruder’s name was not released.
Investigators said no charges are expected to be filed against the homeowner, who was not identified by police.
Lewes, Delaware
From the Delaware Online of September 11, 2009
Intruders shot, cut by 74-year-old man, police say
State police say a 74-year-old man shot one intruder and cut another at his home west of Lewes. The intruders fled but were later arrested by police.
The incident happened about 6:20 p.m. Thursday in the 19000 block of Bee Jay Lane, off Beaver Dam Road.
Sgt. Walter Newton said the homeowner arrived back at the house and found an empty SUV in his driveway and a side door that had been locked was open. He then found the front door had been kicked in.
Two men -- later identified by police as Paul L. Spencer, 43, and Gregory B. Stewart, 49, both of Lincoln -- approached the homeowner at the side door and said they were “looking to purchase a dump truck,” Newton said.
The homeowner told them to leave, but they continued toward him. Spencer crossed the threshold and grabbed a landscaping tool and threatened the homeowner, Newton said. The homeowner took a machete from next to the door and swung it at Spencer, striking him several times in his right forearm and hand.
“Both suspects continued toward the homeowner, which caused him to fire two .25 caliber rounds from a handgun. One of the bullets struck Stewart in his abdomen,” Newton said.
Both Lincoln men then fled, but Stewart was arrested at Milford Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment of a gunshot wound, Newton said.
Police later located Spencer at his home and charged him with burglary, conspiracy, menacing and criminal mischief. He was treated for cuts to his right arm and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution. Bail information was not immediately available.
Warrants were on file charging Stewart with the same offenses, Newton said. He was reported in stable condition at the hospital.
The homeowner was not injured.
9/3/09
Bedford Township, Michigan
From the Battle Creek Enquirer of August 22, 2009
Woman: Shooting man was self-defense
A 70-year-old Bedford Township woman said Friday she had no choice but to shoot a man coming at her with a shovel.
"I didn't want to hurt him but I didn't want him to hurt me," Virginia Hawes said in an interview at her home in Bedford Hills Mobile Village. "I didn't want to kill him. I just wanted to stop him. If he would have stopped, no one would have gotten hurt."
Battle Creek police said Hawes shot Nicholas Beltz, 24, in the leg in her yard about 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
"He kept coming at me. I pointed the gun at his head, but I didn't want to shoot him in the head. I wimped out," she said.
Hawes said Beltz threatened her after she called police because his girlfriend, Emily Bannister, 18, said she was being assaulted.
Hawes said Bannister came to sit on her porch until police came. When Beltz began walking toward them, Hawes said she warned him to stay off her property.
"She was sitting on the porch and she got up but I told her to stay," Hawes said. "He said he just wanted to talk to her and he wanted to tell her he loved her and he kept coming. I thought he was going to hurt her."
Hawes' grandson, Bryan Hawes, 23, was outside with his grandmother and picked up a shovel, held it out horizontally in an attempt to block Beltz. But Beltz pushed Bryan Hawes aside and took the shovel.
Virginia Hawes said that is when she went inside her home, put five bullets in her .38-caliber revolver and walked back outside, holding the gun to her side.
She bought the handgun in March as protection from a former family member, registered it and had taken classes and practiced at South Side Sportsman Club in Battle Creek.
"I told him to get back and he kept walking toward me. I put the gun up and told him to get back or I will shoot. He called me an old bitch and he kept coming at me and holding the shovel."
Hawes said he told Beltz a half-dozen times to stop and leave her property.
When they were about four feet apart, she said he dropped the shovel but continued forward.
"He said, 'Shoot me in the head old bitch and I will take the gun away from you,' and I thought, 'If I shoot him in the head, how can he take the gun away?'"
Hawes said she believed that Beltz had been drinking and taking drugs and she decided she had to shoot.
She pointed the gun at his foot and pulled the trigger but said he stepped into the bullet and it hit him above the right knee.
"I figured I had to stop him. He was too drunk or high to understand," she said. "He went down like a tree."
After the shooting, Hawes went back inside the trailer, put the gun away and told her grandson to call police. When officers arrived, Beltz was on the ground moaning and she was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car after officers went inside to retrieve the gun.
Hawes, her grandson and witnesses were taken to the police station and questioned and she was released.
"I was prepared to spend a night in jail, but I didn't want to."
She doesn't regret the shooting.
"He was on our property and we were in danger. I didn't want to shoot in the air. I probably could have reached out and conked him with the gun.
"I have nothing to say to him. I really don't want to see him anymore."
Detective Sgt. Carter Bright of the Battle Creek Police Department said a report about the shooting will be sent to the prosecutor's office "but it appears to be self defense."
Bright said warrants have been issued charging domestic violence against Beltz and his girlfriend and assault and battery against Beltz, with Bryan Hawes as the victim.
Beltz's mother, Denise, said Friday afternoon her son remains in the hospital with significant pain.
"I am very upset by this. It was wrong that she had a gun and shot him. Nick is very upset and doesn't know why she did it."
Denise Beltz insisted her son would not hurt anyone and that her understanding was that he had turned to walk away when he was shot in the back of the leg; Bright said that theory does not appear to be true.
"It doesn't give her a right to have a gun when Nick didn't have a gun," Denise Beltz said.
Labels: assault, female, MI, senior
Memphis, Tennessee
From My Fox Memphis of September 2, 2009
Clerk Shoots Would-Be Robber
No charges have been filed yet in a deadly Wednesday morning shooting in Northeast Memphis. Witnesses said a store clerk had to protect himself from a would-be robber, who was armed with a taser. Tonight, the man police say was trying to rob the store is dead.
Before crime scene tape and squad cars covered Lana's parking lot Wednesday morning, a strange looking man caught Gary Belcher's attention.
"He had the most coldest look on his face," Belcher said.
Belcher said he was picking-up trash when a man passed him and walked inside Lana's Market on Macon Road. Then, he said, he heard two gun shots. He ran into the store where he saw his friend, the store clerk, standing behind the counter.
"He had a gun in his hand and he was saying, 'help me Gary, help me.' I couldn't see the guy. At about that time, I [saw] a hand come up behind the counter, he was behind the counter and trying to grab for the gun," Belcher recalled.
Belcher said the would-be robber used a taser on the clerk before he was shot, "He tasered [him] all over his head and his back nowl"
Memphis Police said the robber later died at the hospital. Riyad Ghosheh said he's the clerk's cousin and a store owner himself. He said store owners in Memphis have no choice but to arm themselves at work. Ghosheh thinks current deterrents are not working, "If they do heavy, heavy punishment on the robbery, nothing will happen. But if he [robs] somebody the next day, a 100-dollar bond, he's out of jail. That's the problem, the punishment is not heavy."
Business is back to normal at Lana's. Belcher said he'll have no problem coming back to work. He'll just keep a look-out.
Police officers say they are still investigating this case.
Labels: assault, business robbery, TN
9/2/09
Sacramento, California
From the Mercury News of August 31, 2009
Authorities say shooting of three was self-defense
Authorities say a man who shot and killed two men and wounded another in a Sacramento apartment early Monday was acting in self-defense.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran says authorities declined to arrest the 26-year-old man after witnesses reported that the three men confronted the man outside his apartment, then broke in and continued the attack after he had retreated inside.
Investigators say during the attack, the man retrieved a handgun and shot all three attackers.
Two of the attackers died at the scene. The third, a 23-year-old, was taken to a hospital. He is expected to survive.
Curran says the district attorney's office will make a final decision on whether to file charges against the resident of the apartment.
Logan County, West Virginia
From WSAZ of August 17, 2009
Man Charged in Logan County Murder, Stabbing
One man is dead and his twin brother is in the hospital after a man came into their home and stabbed them. It happened late Saturday night at home in Man.
West Virginia State Police say Billy Johnston came to the house that twin brothers Mac and Jerry Belcher shared. Johnston knocked on the door, and when Mac opened it, Johnston stabbed him multiple times. Then, police say Johnston went to the bedroom where Jerry was still sleeping and stabbed him multiple times as well, killing him.
Despite his injuries, Mac managed to grab a gun and shoot at Billy Johnston, according to State Police. None of Mac's shots hit his attacker, but it did scare him away.
Troopers later arrested Johnston and took him to the Southwestern Regional Jail. He was brought in by West Virginia State Police just before 6 Sunday morning, but it's little consolation to neighbors who say they've lost a good friend.
"It's just totally devastated everybody," Roger Perry, a friend of the twins, said. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. I just don't understand how somebody could come in with a knife and stab somebody to death."
"I've had grown men come here today and cry," neighbor Alice Mitchell said. "My phone has rung off the hook from everyone calling. It's just a great, painful tragedy that this has happened."
Mac Belcher is at Charleston General Hospital, and doctors say his wounds don’t appear to be life threatening.
Neighbors say this wasn't the first time that the 68-year-old twin brothers had been in an altercation with Johnston. They believe the argument started over some tools that Johnston sold to the Belcher brothers.
8/14/09
Charleston, South Carolina
From the SC Now of August 14, 2009
Husband, wife hold off robber until police arrive
An Horry County husband and wife fight off would-be robber inside their business.
According to a press release, a man tried to rob Ron’s Busy Corner, 5709 Juniper Bay Rd, Conway, Thursday afternoon when he placed a knife to the back of the store’s owner.
Police said Roger Lee Green, 34, of Galivants Ferry came into the store and pointed a knife to the back of the store owner while he was sitting at a table.
The owner stood up, struggled with Green, along with a customer, and took the knife away.
The owner’s wife was then able to get a pistol and hold the man there until police arrived.
Green is currently in J. Ruben Long Detention Center charged with Armed Robbery.
Labels: assault, business robbery, female, SC
8/13/09
Billings, Montana
From the Billings Gazette of August 11, 2009
‘Castle doctrine’ law forces shooter’s release, prosecutor says
A man who police said shot his Wal-Mart co-worker in a dispute over the length of a work break has been released from custody because his actions may be protected by Montana's recently enacted "castle doctrine" law.
The shooting, which took place Monday evening, is under investigation by the Billings Police Department and could still result in charges. But Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos said language in the "castle doctrine" bill passed during the last session of the Montana Legislature required him to release the shooter until more information becomes available.
The law asserts, among other things, that a person has a "natural right" to use firearms for self-defense and is not required to summon law enforcement assistance before using "justifiable" force to ward off an attack.
"The play of (House Bill) 228 with the current law causes us some pause to do a much more thorough investigation to determine if we can charge anyone," Paxinos said.
When police arrived at the Wal-Mart on King Avenue West at about 9:15 p.m. Monday, they found Daniel Lira, 32, inside the store's loading dock area with a gunshot wound.
Billings Police Sgt. Jay Berry said that Lira hit co-worker Craig Schmidt, 49, in the face. Schmidt fell backward, then pulled out a .25-caliber semiautomatic Beretta handgun and shot Lira, police said. The single shot was fired at a range of 10 to 15 feet.
Lira, 32, was taken to St. Vincent Healthcare and later released. Police Sgt. Kevin Iffland said the bullet grazed the side of his head from front to back.
Paxinos said that prior to passage of House Bill 228 authorities would have had probable cause to arrest Schmidt for assault with a weapon.
Now, he said, they need more details about whether there was a history of aggression between the two men, what they may have said to each other when the incident occurred and other information that will shape whether it was reasonable for Schmidt to believe his life was threatened. Other details such as the size of the two men - Schmidt weighs 150 pounds and Lira weighs 300 pounds - could also affect whether a self-defense claim is reasonable, Paxinos said.
"I'll have to do the investigation while the guy is free to move around," said Paxinos, who along with other county attorneys opposed House Bill 228 during the legislative session.
The "castle doctrine" bill, which was sponsored by Republican Rep. Krayton Kerns of Laurel and supported by the National Rifle Association, sparked passionate debate about self-defense rights before passing the Legislature.
"Once somebody punches you, and you're down and incapacitated, that person has already demonstrated an intent for violence and you can't tactically assume that they're only going to hit you once," said Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, who crafted the bill.
But those opposing the "castle doctrine" legislation argued that existing law already protects those acting in self-defense, and that the new code would only create unnecessary burdens for prosecutors and police officers.
"There's just such a disconnect between words on paper and what happens on the streets of Montana, and I think legislators had to be more sensitive to what's happening on the street," said Jim Smith, spokesman for the Montana County Attorneys Association.
Aside from potential legal charges, it was unclear if Schmidt or Lira will face disciplinary action from Wal-Mart. Schmidt has a permit to carry the concealed weapon, but a spokesman for the company said it would be inappropriate to discuss whether Wal-Mart has a policy about employees carrying guns.
"We are still gathering details at this time, and we're now most concerned about the well-being of the people involved," Kelly Cheeseman said.
Labels: altercation, assault, MT
Whiteland, Indiana
From WISH of August 13, 2009
Armed homeowner stops enraged man
A Columbus resident is accused of trying to break into a rural Whiteland home.
Patrick F. Ianni, 33, 4440 Post-horn Court, Columbus, was arrested on charges of residential entry and public intoxication.
At about 1:40 a.m. Thursday, Ianni kicked the door of a rural Whiteland home and broke the door jam but walked away after the owner threatened to shoot him if he entered the home, according to a police report.
"The only smart decision he made was not to enter that home," Johnson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Doug Cox said. "He's alive today because he didn't enter that house."
Ianni had visited a comedy club in Indianapolis with his girlfriend earlier that night and they got into a fight, according to a police report. He demanded to be let out of the vehicle and she let him out near the Whiteland Road interchange of Interstate 65.
He woke two rural Whiteland residents by pounding on their door. He claimed he was a police officer who wanted to ask them a question.
The homeowner warned Ianni that he had a gun and would shoot him if he entered the house and Ianni responded that he had a knife and would stab the homeowner.
A sheriff's deputy found Ianni staggering down the road with a bloody nose and he asked the officer if he could give him a ride.
Ianni yelled at officers, threat-ened to beat them up and told them he was a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who just wanted to ask the homeowners a question, according to the police report. The sheriff's office checked with the FBI, who confirmed that Ianni isn't an agent.
He's being held at the Johnson County jail on $4,000 bond.
Labels: assault, IN, trespassing
Palm Bay, Florida
From Florida Today of August 7, 2009
Palm Bay homeowner fights off two would-be robbers
Police continue their search for two armed men who they say pretended to have car trouble before being rebuffed by a resident in an apparent robbery attempt.
The botched hold-up happened late Tuesday night along the 500 block of Windswept Avenue. Police said the two men pulled up to the home and told the resident that they were having car trouble, said Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department.
“They told him their car overheated. He went inside to get a bucket of water and that’s when they pulled a gun on him,” Martinez said.
The resident dropped the bucket then grabbed for the gun, struggling with the men in the front yard for several moments, officials said. Police said the resident overwhelmed the two men, tossed the weapon back at them and ran inside to get his own shotgun.
The two men ran back to their car and drove off in an unknown direction, police said.
“Nothing was stolen,” Martinez said.
It was not immediately known if the two armed men targeted the resident or acted randomly.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 952-3456.
7/19/09
Louisville, Kentucky
From WAVE of July 16, 2009
Homeowner subdues intruder until police arrive
Police in Oldham County are investigating another apparent home invasion attempt. This time the homeowner subdued the alleged intruder until police could arrive.
According to a press release from the Oldham County Police Department, officers were sent to the 1000 block of Goshen Lane about 1:30 a.m. Friday on a report of a home invasion burglary.
When police arrived on scene, they found the home owner, Wes Johnson, and a houseguest, Richard Rackleffe, restraining 34-year-old Sherman Ellis from Louisville.
Johnson told us it was about 1 a.m. Friday when Wes Johnson, his wife and their two out-of-town guests went to bed. About a half-hour later, Johnson says they heard something strange: the garage door opening and closing.
"We got out there and the garage was closed and we couldn't really figure out what was going on," Johnson said.
They didn't know it then, but Ellis had cut open the top of the Johnson's convertible and used the garage door opener to get inside their home. "When I walked back inside, I asked my wife to go up and call 911 and notify them that something was wrong," Johnson said.
That's when he noticed something in the basement. "I saw a closet door in our basement close. When I approached the door and kicked it open the guy came out and started to assault me," Johnson said.
Johnson says he and Ellis continued to struggle. "When somebody's coming at you in the darkness in the night and somebody comes at you with something in their hand to hit you, it helps you realize real quick that something's not right."
Johnson says he yelled for his wife to bring him a pistol he had in the house. In the meantime, Johnson's guests - both former FBI agents - came running downstairs.
"The guy was fighting all he could," said Johnson's guest, Richard Rackleffe. I used to work with defense tactics and all I did was take the arm and put it in a twist, where he quit fighting and he just succumbed or submitted at that point."
They held Ellis at gunpoint until police arrived and even then Johnson said Ellis fought officers, slightly injuring one before being handcuffed.
Even though Johnson managed to get the upper hand, the experience has left him shaken. "It definitely takes all the peace and comfort you have of going home and closing the door and knowing that you are in a safe place."
Police say Ellis lives in Portland, and told Johnson he was in Oldham County for a party. When he got left behind he said he planned to steal a car to get home.
But Johnson says that doesn't explain why Ellis decided to enter his home.
Ellis has a long criminal past, including multiple rape charges. And he's listed on the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry for raping a 15-year-old girl.
Ellis is charged with burglary, robbery, assault, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and possession of burglary tools. He is being held in the Oldham County Jail on a $10,000 full security bond.
Labels: assault, home invasion, KY
7/15/09
New Haven, West Virginia
From the Charleston Daily Mail of July 12, 2009
Mason County man fatally shoots his son
State Police say a Mason County man is claiming self defense after fatally shooting his son during a dispute in his New Haven home.
Troopers said Lyman Greenlee fired a single shot at his son Charles Scott Greenlee, 35, of Point Pleasant. The incident happened about 10 p.m. Friday, said Trooper A.D. Wooton, the investigating officer.
Charles Greenlee died of his injuries.
Charles Greenlee had gone to the Seventh Street home of his father and stepmother earlier Friday evening and the three of them got into an argument, troopers said.
State Police spokesman Michael Baylous said Charles Greenlee assaulted his father and then began assaulting his stepmother, whose name has not been released. At that time, Lyman Greenlee retrieved a small- to medium-sized handgun and ordered his son to stop, Baylous said.
Troopers said Lyman Greenlee then fired one shot, which struck his son.
State Police said alcohol might have been a factor in the incident.
Troopers said Lyman Greenlee was questioned Friday night and that the man has cooperated fully with the investigation. He told officers he shot his son in self-defense, Baylous said.
Lyman Greenlee was not arrested, nor has he been charged, police said.
Baylous said the case will be handed over to the Mason County prosecutor's office and taken to a grand jury, which will decide if the evidence merits an indictment.
State Police still are investigating.
Labels: assault, domestic dispute, WV
Lehi, Utah
From KSL of July 14, 2009
Lehi man shoots at intruder, chases him away
Tense moments in Lehi Tuesday after police set up a perimeter looking for a suspect in a home-invasion robbery.
The all clear has been given, but there are a lot of worried neighbors. They saw dozens of police cars in the street and officers with weapons and K-9s looking for a man who tried to stab someone inside his home.
Around 2 p.m. a 23-year-old man reported to police that someone broke inside his home near 2400 North and 800 West. He said the man tried to stab him, so he grabbed a gun and fired a shot at the intruder and chased him away through the back door.
Police from Lehi, American Fork and Saratoga Springs, as well as Utah County sheriff's deputies, searched for the suspect for nearly an hour.
The victim's sister, Annie, told KSL, "What happened, what we've been told, is that someone tried to stop my brother. I guess my brother shot at him and missed and scared the guy off, and he ran away."
Greg Neer, with the Lehi Police Department, said, "We do not have a suspect in custody. We have a description of him. He's wearing ... he's described as wearing a black tank top with cammo shorts, some Nike running shoes and his hair was light brown, has a little bit spiky in the front."
Neighbors were obviously alarmed to be told by police to stay inside their homes, especially after hearing the suspect could be armed with a knife.
In the end, no suspect was found, and right now detectives are interviewing the victim at the police station to try and find out more information.
Police are still unsure if the suspect was hit, and at this point aren't giving any more information about what happened.
Labels: assault, home invasion, UT
7/7/09
Kansas City, Missouri
From the Kansas City Star of July 7, 2009
Two injured in early-morning shootings in KC
A homeowner shot a man outside his home with a shotgun early today. Police were investigating whether the gunman was responsible for a shooting that occurred one block away moments earlier.
The incident began about 4:30 a.m. when a caller told police someone was firing a shotgun into an apartment in the 500 block of Gillis Street. The apartment was occupied, but no one was hit.
Officers responding to the call encountered a man in a truck who had suffered a minor wound, possibly from a shotgun pellet.
Moments later, police received another call from a man who heard a commotion outside his home in the 500 block of Troost Avenue. The homeowner saw a man running with a shotgun and told him to drop the weapon. The man with the shotgun allegedly threatened the homeowner and the homeowner shot him.
The shotgun-wielding man suffered serious injuries, police said.
Police were investigating both shootings.
6/29/09
Lumberton, North Carolina
From the Fayetteville Observer of June 29, 2009
Business owner shoots intruder
A store owner shot and wounded a man who broke into his business on West Fifth Street Monday morning, police said.
The names of the men involved were not available.
The shooting was reported between 3 and 4 a.m. at The Auction House, said Lt. Johnny Barnes of the Lumberton Police Department.
The man who broke in threatened the store owner with a tire iron, Barnes said. The owner then shot the man in the leg, Barnes said.
The wounded man was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Barnes said.
The wounded man will be charged with breaking and entering, Barnes said.
The district attorney will decide if any charges should be filed against the business owner, Barnes said.
6/25/09
Wagram, North Carolina
From the Laurinburg Exchange of June 20, 2009
One dead after botched home invasion
Deputies say at least one gunman was killed in an early-morning home invasion near Wagram.
Anthony Martin, of Kale Street in Wagram, was shot to death in the failed robbery attempt while two others masked men fled, according to Shep Jones. The sheriff's department did not have Martin's age.
Investigators say one of the robbers was 40-year old William Anthony Strickland, according to Jones. The last-known address for Strickland is 9539 Springview Road in Charlotte. Jones would not say how Strickland was identified as a suspect.
Warrants were obtained for Stricklands arrest on charges of robbery, burglary and felony assault.
Investigators have not released information on the third suspect.
Jones said the trio entered the home of 62-year Edmond Cooper at 23296 Wagram Street at about 12:30 a.m. through the back door, which had been left unlocked.
Debbie Cooper, Edmond's wife, was still up and a suspect knocked her out by striking her over the head. The men then entered the room of the Coopers' 15-year old son. The suspects used ziploc ties to restrain the juvenile. The three men then entered the hallway of the residence, according to Jones.
"Edmond Cooper came out of the bedroom with a gun," Jones said. "He fired several shots, hitting one of the suspects."
He said the two suspects left standing returned fire, while fleeing from the residence.
"Mr. Cooper was shot in the hand," Jones said.
Martin was dead when emergency personnel arrived on the scene, according to Jones. Edmond Cooper was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.
Jones said the two suspects may have fled with $1,000 from the residence.
"It shows the times we're living in when families are at home, where they are supposed to be safe, and they are violated," Jones said.
Wagram police have assisted the sheriff's department in this case.
If you know the whereabouts of William Anthony Strickland or have information on the third suspect, contact the Scotland County Sheriff's Department at 276-3385 or anonymously report your tip to Scotland Crime Stoppers at 291-3333.
Labels: assault, home invasion, NC
6/18/09
Wichita Falls, Texas
From the Times Record News of June 10, 2009
Police: Suspect treated for gunshot wound then jailed
A man was treated for a gunshot wound to his leg then taken to the Wichita County Jail on assault charges in connection with an incident Monday, said Officer Harold McClure, public information officer with the Wichita Falls Police Department.
Perrion Lavell Warrior, 46, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault family violence in connection with the incident. His bond was set at $60,000 and he was being held Tuesday in the Wichita County Jail.
According to reports:
Police were called to the 500 block of Marconi to check on reports of shots fired about 10 p.m.
Officers talked to a 44-year-old woman who said she was threatened by her live-in boyfriend. She said he was intoxicated and they were arguing in the bedroom.
Her 24-year-old daughter lives next door and came over when she heard the commotion. At about the same time, the victim’s 22-year-old son showed up.
The woman’s children arrived and found the suspect holding a knife to the woman’s throat.
Both children asked the suspect to put the knife down and tried to get him to leave. He threatened them, and said they would all be dead before he left.
The son left the room, came back with a handgun, and shot Warrior once in the left leg.
The suspect was taken to the emergency room in a private vehicle, where police took him into custody and then to jail. His injury was not considered life threatening.
The assault victim’s son does not face any charges for the incident because the shooting was considered self-defense.
Labels: assault, domestic dispute, intoxication, TX
Roswell, Georgia
From Fox News of June 17, 2009
Cell Phone Protects Clerk From Knife Attack in Robbery
A Georgia liquor store clerk credits his police officer son with giving him two life-saving gifts — a cell phone and a gun.
Joseph Wescott says the phone he slipped into his shirt pocket stopped a knife to his chest when a robbery suspect attacked him at the store in a northern Atlanta suburb. He then reached under the counter for the .40-caliber handgun and shot the man.
"The knife that he had looked like it was about 10-foot long," the 67-year-old Wescott exclaimed.
When the suspect lunged at Wescott, he fell back and the knife struck the battery area of the phone, the clerk said. He then fired one shot at the man Monday night.
"That was the first time I had ever fired that gun," he said.
Police said Carlos JeanPeirre, 34, is recovering from non-life threatening wounds and faces multiple charges including aggravated assault and attempted robbery.
Wescott's son, Jason, said he gave both gifts to his father to keep him safe.
"Something like that can happen in a split second and it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it," Jason Wescott said.
After the attack, Joseph Wescot said he used his cell phone to call 911.
Labels: assault, business robbery, GA, senior
5/5/09
Weatherford, Texas
From the Weatherford Democrat of April 29, 2009
Grand jury: city homicide justifiable
The Weatherford home owner who shot and killed an intruder in March will not face criminal charges, a Parker County Grand Jury recently determined.
After hearing a full offense report, which included witness statements and evidence, jurors declined to indict the elderly shooter.
Weatherford police presented the case April 16. The homicide, which occurred in the 500 block of South Rusk Street, occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on March 4.
On the morning of the incident, Robert Earl Bardwell, 57, of Weatherford, was shot multiple times after police say he forced entry into a residence and started assaulting the elderly owner’s 34-year-old son.
The home owner, identified as a 66-year-old white male, reportedly attempted to warn Bardwell by firing one shot from an automatic pistol into the ceiling. However, when the assailant failed to heed the warning and continued to assault his son, police say the father shot the intruder several times, fatally wounding him.
According to police, Bardwell was estranged from a relationship with a female subject in the home at the time of the incident.
Following the incident, police declined to identify the shooter and his son because neither man was arrested.
Labels: assault, home invasion, senior, TX
4/28/09
Polk County, Florida
From the Central Florida News of April 28, 2009
Robbery Suspect Dies After Being Shot By Property Owner
A Polk County man shot at two robbery suspects Tuesday morning when he thought they were going to run him down.
One of the suspects was hit in the head and died, and the other is still at large.
The incident happened near a citrus grove on Rifle Range Road in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven.
Property owner Jamie Jones heard a commotion outside while working inside his shed just before dawn.
Jones told detectives a man and woman were driving away in his Land Rover. He said after they saw him, they tried to run him over.
Fearing for his life, Jones pulled the trigger.
One of the bullets hit 21-year-old Nikki McCormick in the head. While she lay bleeding in the passenger seat, the male suspect fled on foot.
McCormick was rushed to the hospital where she later died.
Detectives aren't sure if the male suspect was hit. The property owner last saw him limping down a nearby street.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office searched for him by air and ground for hours but did not locate him. The sheriff's office hasn't been able to identify him.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says Jones likely won't face charges, and he offers a warning to other would-be robbers.
"The word to the criminal is first -- quit being a criminal, quit stealing," Judd said. "But if you're breaking into someone's house, the homeowner is very likely to shoot you."
Labels: assault, FL, trespassing
4/22/09
Spartanburg, South Carolina
From the Spartanburg Herald-Journal of April 22, 2009
Shootings found to be self-defense**Note**
Spartanburg County deputies determined that a man who shot two people Monday night outside his residence was acting in self-defense and charged the two men on Tuesday.
Daniel Scott Byrd, 22, of 115 Keith Street, Greer and Josh Duncan, 24, of 207 Church St., Wellford were each charged with one count of assault and battery.
Byrd's stomach was grazed by a bullet and Duncan was struck in the buttocks during a fight Monday night outside a Keith Street residence.
Larry James Pruitt Jr., 41, told deputies that a group of people were causing "a bad ruckus" outside his home and he asked them to keep it down. Pruitt said Byrd and Duncan then came into his yard and began choking and assaulting him.
Pruitt said he pulled a revolver from his pocket and fired several times, then ran into his home, reloaded his gun and waited for deputies.
Multiple people who said they witnessed the incident told deputies Pruitt was truthful about what happened.
When the deputy arrived, Duncan and Byrd were still on the ground outside of Pruitt's home.
Potential criminals beware, this is the third incident of self-defense in Spartanburg, SC in the past month alone.
4/19/09
Denham Springs, Louisiana
From WXVT of April 19, 2009
Authorities say fatal shooting was self defense
Authorities say they believe a 49-year-old woman shot and killed her 26-year-old boyfriend in self defense Sunday morning in Denham Springs.
Mark Lockwood was dead at his girlfriend's home when deputies arrived and a spokesman for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office says Suzanne White told them Lockwood had put a knife to her throat and demanded that she tell him the location of the gun used in the shooting.
She told authorities she convinced him to remove the knife from her throat, but he was still holding it when she reached the gun and shot him.
Investigators believe White shot Lockwood in self defense and Jason Ard, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said no charges have been filed.
4/1/09
Grand Rapids, Michigan
From Grand Rapids News of March 31, 2009
Man who assisted wounded store owner says he knows the suspect in Leonard Short Stop robbery
When Amos Bell spotted the owner of the Leonard Short Stop chasing a masked gunman Tuesday morning, he didn't hesitate to help.
He got out of the car he was riding in, and gave chase.
"(The owner) was running up the street with a gun," said Bell, 18. "I knew it wasn't going to be nothing good."
Bell and the owner, who had been shot in the leg in the 10:40 a.m. holdup, lost sight of the robber, but police caught the suspect a half-hour later hiding in some bushes. Police brought Bell and the hobbled owner, whose name wasn't released, to the scene of the capture to identify the robber.
Once there, it got a little more complicated for Bell: Not only was he a friend to the store owner, stopping to chat every day, but he knew the alleged robber, too.
"It was one of my buddies, that's the bad thing about it," Bell said. "A guy I'm cool with."
Still, he said, he could not defend the robbery, particularly hitting the store, at 1038 Leonard St. NW, that serves the neighborhood and seems to sell virtually everything.
"He's a nice guy," Bell said of the store's owner. "This is the corner store. He's just trying to help us out."
Police caught up to the suspect just after 11 a.m., and found a handgun, too. Officers were responding to a call that a store owner, armed with a long gun, was chasing a man who had just shot him.
The owner told Bell that he was shot in the leg when he refused the robber's demand for cash. Police recovered the $800 reported stolen.
The owner returned to his store after Tuesday's shooting, walking with a limp and the sides of his denims slit for examination by paramedics. Awaiting ambulances soon left after the man said he didn't need to go to the hospital, Bell said.
The store remained closed after Tuesday's shooting.
Labels: assault, business robbery, defender shot, MI
3/26/09
Spartanburg, South Carolina
From WYFF of March 26, 2009
Couple Shoots, Stabs Intruder
Deputies said a man who attempted to rob a Spartanburg couple ended up shot, stabbed and arrested.
Spartanburg County deputies responded to a call of an attempted robbery at a home on West Croft Circle.
Travis Morrow, who lives in the house, and his girlfriend, Aiyetoro Ross, told deputies two men tried to rob them.
Morrow said as he struggled to disarm one of the men, the gun discharged, and hit the suspect. Ross grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the suspect. Both of the robbery suspects then ran from the house.
Deputies were later called to Mary Black Hospital where man had come into the Emergency Room suffering from a gunshot injury and a stab wound.
The injured man was identified as 20-year-old Ronald Deshawn Rice, of Spartanburg. Rice is charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill.
The second suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Ryan Dwight Ross of Pacolet, SC. He is also charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill.
Labels: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, SC
3/24/09
Little Rock, Arkansas
From Today's THV of March 24, 2009
LR Man Defends Wife, Wounds Would-Be Robber
A trip to Wal-Mart on Cantrell Road ended in a violent struggle for a Little Rock couple.
It happened around 11:20 p.m. Monday night in a Wal-Mart parking lot off Cantrell Rd and Chenal Parkway.
Police say the couple tried to get away from the man, but when it didn't work, they took action.
Monday night, Jamie Bitely left the store and walked into what police say was a couple turning the tables on a would-be robber.
"The first thing I heard was the first gun shot and that's when I turned to see what was going on," says Bitely.
"That's when I saw the man who was apparently the victim and I seen him fire the his fire arm [SIC] a couple more times at that time that's when I laid down on the ground until the shots stop," says Bitely.
According to the police report, a husband and wife were unloading groceries into their Jeep when a man wearing a wig and cap allegedly confronted them, pointing a gun. At that point, the report says the suspect said "'This is a robbery'" and went after the woman's purse.
Police say the suspect allegedly hit the woman and ripped the bag from the woman's arm. Police say that's when her husband took action.
Sgt. Cassandra Davis says the husband fired at Jonathan Terry, hitting him in the rear end.
"The husband than retrieved his own personal weapon. He did ask the suspect to release his wife and the purse. The suspect refused," says Sgt. Davis.
Police say Terry jumped into a waiting car and his friends, Sherry Battle and Tequila Rice drove him to UAMS. "They were at the hospital and our officers took those individuals into custody also," explains Sgt. Davis.
All three are facing Aggravated Robbery Charges. This news put some witnesses like David Rollins only slightly at ease. "I'm a little bit more scared going to Wal-Mart late at night," says Rollins.
Police say Battles and Rice fought with officers and are also facing battery charges.
Today's THV has the couple's names, but since they haven't been charged with a crime, we've decided not to mention them to protect their privacy.
Labels: AR, assault, concealed carry permit, street robbery
3/16/09
Woodbridge, Virginia
From Inside NoVA of March 16, 2009
One burglar shot, another stabbed in Woodbridge
Police say one burglar was shot and another stabbed breaking into a Woodbridge home Sunday night.
James Baumann Jr., 28, and Jason Lewis Presley, 32, are accused in a burglary in the 15100 block of Georgia Road about 11:30 p.m. Police say one of them was armed with a knife.
The 41-year-old resident of the house heard the burglars and went to investigate, said Erika Hernandez, Prince William police spokeswoman.
When the victim saw the two men, a fight ensued. Police said the resident grabbed a knife from one of the burglars and stabbed him.
Baumann suffered stab wounds and the victim had cuts on various parts of his body, Hernandez said.
After fighting one burglar, the victim grabbed his shotgun and shot the second burglar as he attempted to run.
All three men were all taken to the hospital.
Presley and the resident were treated for their injuries. The resident was released.
Baumann remained hospitalized Monday suffering life-threatening injuries.
Presley, of 14205 Chesterfield Road in Woodbridge, was charged with burglary while armed with the intent to commit larceny.
He was held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April, 29.
Warrants were obtained for Baumann, of 1302 Oregon Avenue in Woodbridge, charging him with malicious wounding and burglary while armed with the intent to commit larceny.
Hernandez said an investigation is ongoing.
Labels: assault, home invasion, VA
3/7/09
Ville Platte, Louisiana
From the Times-Picayune of March 6, 2009
Woman kills home invader; 2 men booked
Two men have been booked on charges stemming from a home invasion that ended when a Ville Platte homeowner shot and killed a 19-year-old man she said had pulled a gun on her boyfriend, police said Friday.
Gavin Herbert, 18, and Charles Grace, 34, both of Ville Platte, were held on $500,000 bond each in connection with the home invasion late Tuesday that left 19-year-old Antonio Thompson dead, said police Lt. Craig Nicholas.
Herbert is accused of participating in the holdup and home invasion while Grace was suspected of planning it, Nicholas added.
He said Herbert was booked on seven counts of aggravated kidnapping, and one each of armed robbery and aggravated burglary, and Grace on 10 counts of conspiracy: seven of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, two to commit aggravated burglary and one to commit armed robbery.
According to police, Herbert and Thompson broke into one house Tuesday, waited for residents to return, robbed homeowner Kaninsky Larnette and then took him at gunpoint to the home of Nedra Gallow, his girlfriend.
Gallow, 24, said in a publish account that she answered a knock and found Thompson holding a gun to Larnette.
"He ordered us to get on the floor. He hit me with his gun," Gallow told The Advertiser. "My mama started screaming. He pushed her down, and I ran to get the gun to protect myself and my family."
She and Thompson pointed their guns at each other, she said, and she ordered him to leave.
She said Larnette then grabbed Thompson. While they wrestled on the floor, she shot Thompson once in the leg, according to the report. She also said Larnette grabbed the other man's gun, but she was afraid Thompson had another.
"He kept digging in his pocket like he was going for another gun, and I shot him again," Gallow told The Advertiser. "I was not trying to kill anyone. I hated to do it. But I had to."
Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA, residence robbery
Weatherford, Texas
From the Weatherford Democrat of March 4, 2009
Alleged intruder shot, killed in Rusk Street home
The victim of an early morning shooting had reportedly broken into a house on South Rusk Street and was assaulting a 34-year-old male in the home, when a resident shot and killed the alleged assailant. Robert Earl Bardwell was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Weatherford Police report officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South Rusk Street at approximately 1:13 a.m. in regards to the shooting. The initial investigation showed Bardwell went into the house without consent of the resident and assaulted his 34-year-old son. The resident, identified as a 66-year-old white male, attempted to warn the assailant by firing one shot from an automatic pistol into the ceiling. However, when Bardwell reportedly failed to heed the warning and continued to assault his son; the resident shot the intruder, fatally wounding him. Police say the 66-year-old has not been arrested. Whether the shooting was self-defense or a criminal offense will be determined by the Grand Jury.
Labels: assault, home invasion, senior, TX
2/19/09
Ferris, Texas
From the February 7, 2009 Waxahachie (Tex.) Daily Light:
FERRIS – The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting incident that occurred before noon in the 200 block of Newton Road near Ferris.
Sheriff Johnny Brown said the homeowners were in the process of moving when they returned to the residence to pick up another load of belongings. En route, they observed two male suspects coming out of the residence.
As the two suspects went to drive away in an SUV later identified by authorities as stolen, the male homeowner exited his pickup to ask them what they were doing.
The suspect vehicle then struck the homeowner’s pickup and the homeowner, who suffered slight injuries.
“The homeowner opened fire on them at that point,” Brown said.
The suspect vehicle then struck another vehicle that the homeowner’s wife had exited before going out into a field and coming to a stop.
“The passenger got out and ran. The driver-suspect was transported by air ambulance with gunshot wounds,” Brown said.
Labels: assault, residence burglary, TX
1/28/09
Sacramento, California
From MSNBC of January 27, 2009
Resident Spots Intruder, Fires Shot
A Sacramento resident confronted an alleged burglar in a back yard and fired a gunshot, but the intruder fled and it was not clear if anyone was hurt, police said.
A police report said a resident of 2600 block of Ensenada Way saw someone with a flashlight in the home's yard shortly after 1 a.m. Friday.
The resident told police he believed someone was trying to break into a shed behind the residence.
Authorities said the resident grabbed a handgun and went outside to confront the intruder.
The intruder cut the resident in the face with an unknown weapon and the resident responded by firing one shot in self-defense.
The intruder left. Police said it was not known if the intruder was injured, adding that no blood trail was found.
Labels: assault, CA, trespassing
Wilmington, North Carolina
From the Star News of January 19, 2009
Store clerk pistol whips would-be robber
A 51-year-old man who police say was pistol-whipped by a convenience store owner Monday night is in the New Hanover County jail, officials said Tuesday. Donald Leroy Frazier of Wilmington is charged with assault with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from Officer Crystal Williamson of the Wilmington Police Department. Officers responded to the Chestnut Food Market at 10:50 p.m. and found Frazier lying on his back in front of the business, bleeding from his face. The store clerk told officers Frazier pulled a knife and pointed it close to the clerk’s chest, according to the police statement. The clerk pulled a pistol and fired a shot but missed. When Frazier refused to leave, the clerk hit him in the face with the handgun, according to the police statement. After the incident, Monday night, Shadie Abdallah, part-owner of the store, said when he was closing for the night, a man who he recognized came in and tried to stab him. The man did not demand money. At the time, police said the suspect was taken to an area hospital. E.B. Davis, who lives near the store, watched as police examined the crime scene and spoke with witnesses. Davis said he has lived in the neighborhood 30 years and he has seen wrecks and shootings in the vicinity of the store. He described it as a corner hangout. Children going to a nearby school pass by the corner and Davis said that concerns him. He said police should do something to clean up the corner. Frazier is being held on a $500 bond.
1/7/09
Pell City, Alabama
From the Cullman Times of January 5, 2009
Man shoots alleged attacker
A Pell City man is in the hospital with a gunshot wound after he allegedly broke into a Hanceville residence and attacked the owner Saturday.
According to Hanceville police reports, the gunshot victim was 32-year-old Charles Kendrick.
“He was shot once in the stomach with a 25-caliber automatic,” said Lt. Jimmy Rodgers of the Hanceville Police Department. “Further investigation has ruled it was a self-defense shooting.”
Rodgers said the shooting took place at approximately 7:20 p.m. at a residence on Commercial Street.
“The owner of the residence was at home when this guy (Kendrick) jumped on him and began to fight him,” Rodgers said. “The owner went inside and locked the door and retrieved a handgun.”
Rodgers said Kendrick allegedly then began smashing the back windows of the residence and tried to enter.
“The owner pointed the gun at him to prevent him from entering,” Rodgers said. “The gun was unloaded at this point.”
Undeterred, Kendrick allegedly continued to break the window and then entered the home, Rodgers said. The homeowner then went into his bedroom and locked the door.
“The perpetrator kicked in the door, at which point he was shot by the resident,” Rodgers said.
Paramedics treated Kendrick at the scene and then transported him to UAB Hospital.
An investigation revealed the attack was a type of domestic violence situation, Rodgers said.
“The homeowner’s girlfriend has kids by the perpetrator, and apparently he was upset about the kids and took it out on the boyfriend,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers noted Kendrick could face criminal charges once he is released from the hospital, including a charge of burglary.
Labels: AL, assault, domestic dispute
1/6/09
Ocoee, Florida
From WFTV of January 6, 2009
Customer Describes Fatal Shooting Of Robbery Suspect
An eyewitness saw a robber brutally beating a store clerk in Ocoee, so he pulled a gun out of his car at the Kangaroo gas station on Franklin Street and fatally shot the robber.
That witness talked to Eyewitness News about his decision to pull the trigger and said he'd shoot that robber again if he had to.
He's a regular at the store and said he was coming to buy some cigarettes when he heard the clerk screaming. He told Eyewitness News he not only grabbed his cell phone to call 911, but also pulled a loaded handgun out of his car.
"I opened up, popped that out," Chris told Eyewitness News on Tuesday, about 12 hours after the incident.
Eyewitness News agreed to only use his first name, because he's afraid of retaliation, but he showed exactly what he did when he heard the clerk at the Ocoee store being attacked Monday around 11:00pm.
"I pull up like this and said, 'Stop,' and, as he came up, I came straight up, fired, 'Pop, pop,' two shots," Chris said.
Those shots hit and killed 40-year-old Freddie Carson. Public records show he has a rap sheet going back to 1987, including charges like battery and burglary.
"I'm upset. I mean, trust me. I'm not happy about taking a man's life," Chris said.
Police said they're still investigating whether Chris will face any charges by coming to the rescue with a gun. Eyewitness News learned he was been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2005 and was re-arrested in 2007 for a probation violation.
"I don't do that no more," Chris told Eyewitness News. "You learn your lesson."
This time, the 26-year-old says he was within his rights when he took his gun out of his car to stop a robbery in progress.
"I was not going to sit there and watch a friend get beat to death. Would I do it again? I'm upset, but, yes, I would do it again," he said.
The store clerk was transported to Health Central Hospital with head injuries, but details on her condition were not released.
Investigators are also looking into whether or not there may have been a second robbery suspect who fled the scene.
**Addendum**
Chris did not have a concealed weapons permit, but he was protected by two other laws that allow drivers to carry guns in their cars and allow gun owners to start shooting if they witness a violent felony.
(More)
Labels: assault, business robbery, FL
12/9/08
Catawba, North Carolina
From WSOC of December 6, 2008
Store Owner Shoots Suspected Robbers
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said a business owner shot and killed a suspected robber, and hurt another one.
Deputies said it happened at 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Randy Willis, owner of Willis Packaging on Highway 10, went to his store because the alarm was going off. When Willis got there, deputies said he saw a man coming out of his store with a shotgun.
Willis and the robber struggled, and deputies said Willis pulled out a pistol and shot the robber, killing him.
Deputies said another robber, 52-year-old Arnold Ray Jr., had broken into the store. Ray jumped Willis, and Willis shot him as well, this time in the shoulder.
Deputies said the two men had broken into the store through the front window. They also said a woman, Jean Holman, dropped the two men off. Holman is charged with breaking and entering and larceny.
The sheriff’s office said Ray was taken to the hospital. Authorities have not released the deceased man’s name. Authorities said Willis hurt several ribs during the altercations, but did not go to the hospital.
Ray is charged with breaking and entering, larceny, robbery and kidnapping.
Willis was not charged. Deputies said the case will be handed over to the district attorney.
Labels: assault, business burglary, NC
12/8/08
Chester, Vermont
From WXAX of November 26, 2008
Murder Charges Dropped, Shooting Was Self-Defense
Murder charges have been dropped in a fatal shooting in Windsor County.
Kyle Bolaski, 24, of Springfield, was charged with second-degree murder, for killing Vincent Tamburello, 32, of Springfield, in August during a fight at a park in Chester. Bolaski claims Tamburello was chasing him with an ax, so he shot him twice.
A grand jury agreed the shooting was self-defense.
Bolaski will face aggravated assault charges for allegedly hitting Tamburello with the gun after the shooting.
10/31/08
San Antonio, Texas
From WOAI of October 31, 2008
Sledge Hammer Wielding Man Shot in Northwest Side Bar
A scary guy with a sledge hammer sounds like a Halloween prop, but it was the real deal this morning for a northwest side bar employee, 1200 WOAI's Michael Main reports.
A maintenance man at the I Don't Know Yet lounge in the 100 block of Babcock stationed himself in a back room at the bar, following a series of bar break-ins in the area around Babcock and Hillcrest.
About four this morning, the maintenance man heard glass breaking and a smashing sound. He emerged to find a man pounding the juke box with a sledge hammer.
When the maintenance man told the intruder to stop, he instead turned toward the maintenance man with the sledge hammer.
The maintenance man responded by firing four shots, and at least two of them struck the intruder, who stumbled to a waiting car and sped off. About fifteen minutes later, a man was dumped in the parking lot oft he emergency room of Northeast Baptist Hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. The car that delivered him sped away. The guy was airlifted to BAMC with life threatening wounds.
Police say they don't expect to file charges against the maintenance man.
The suspect is a suspect in at last four similar bar burglaries in which cash was taken from jukeboxes, including one earlier this morning.
10/9/08
Cecilia, Kentucky
From WLKY of September 30, 2008
Woman Shoots, Kills Ex-Boyfriend, Claims Self-Defense
A Hardin County woman shot and killed her ex-boyfriend Monday, but no charges have been filed because the shooter is claiming self-defense.
Kentucky State Police say there's still the possibility an arrest will come.
"She called and reported that this shooting had occurred and she was protecting herself, and we went down there," said Kentucky State Trooper Steve Pavey.
Pavey said it happened at a home where Angie Ricketts, the alleged shooter, lives with her husband and children.
Pavey said Ricketts called police right after she pulled the trigger, killing her ex-boyfriend, 37-year-old Eric West.
"He showed up unwanted yesterday and that he allegedly assaulted her and that's what led to all this," Pavey said.
West, of Magnolia, Ky., was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives said Ricketts claims this isn't the first time her ex has caused problems.
"She is telling investigators that he is the father of a couple of her children and that he has made threats towards her and her family in the past," Pavey said.
Police said they are still trying to determine exactly what unfolded inside the home, and Ricketts' fate will likely be decided by a grand jury.
"We just want to do a thorough investigation from both sides and just present just the facts," Pavey said.
Pavey said Ricketts will remain out of jail for now, because she insists she exercised a right all Kentuckians have.
"You have the right as a property owner to protect yourself, and under the new law that was passed by the legislature about two years ago, it gives even a little more, with protecting yourself and family and property with deadly force," he said.
Pavey said it could take several months before the case is handed over to the commonwealth's attorney's office and then presented to a grand jury.
Labels: assault, domestic dispute, KY
8/7/08
Hayward, California
From the San Francisco Chronicle of August 5, 2008
Guard wounds teen after 3 shot at Hayward bar
An armed security guard at a Hayward restaurant and karaoke bar shot a teenager early Sunday after the teen shot three people in the parking lot outside the bar, police said.
Oakland resident Adrian Dantoc, 18, and two other teenage suspects - John Catolos, 19, and Julian Logan, 19, both of Oakland - fled the scene but were caught by police and arrested on four counts of attempted murder, Hayward police said. All three are in custody at the Santa Rita Jail.
The incident happened at about 1:29 a.m. Sunday, when Dantoc and the two other teenagers allegedly confronted the three shooting victims, who were riding bikes through the parking lot of Manila Garden Restaurant on Hesperian Boulevard, police said.
When a fight started, Dantoc allegedly grabbed a gun from a nearby car and shot the three victims multiple times, police said. A security guard who works in the restaurant on weekends went outside when he heard gunshots and allegedly saw Dantoc firing the gun, police said. The guard told Dantoc to drop the gun and Dantoc allegedly fired at him; the guard then shot him in the leg, police said.
Dantoc and the two other suspects then drove to a home on Lester Avenue in Oakland, allegedly throwing away the gun along the way, police said. Residents at the home called 911 to get medical help for Dantoc's injury, and the three suspects were arrested when police arrived. Dantoc was treated at a local hospital.
The victims - ages 41, 23 and 17 - are all expected to survive. The eldest victim was shot in the torso and was admitted to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where he is in stable condition, police said. The 17-year-old was shot three times - in the face, hip and hand - but none of the wounds were life-threatening, and he was treated and released from a local hospital.
The 23-year-old victim, who was shot in the arm, was also treated and released.
An investigation found that the security guard, a 45-year-old Hayward man who police did not identify, was justified in shooting Dantoc to protect his own life, police said.
"The round that was fired at the security officer went into the building just 2 feet above his head," said Hayward police Lt. Christine Orrey. "He was certainly justified shooting back."
Labels: assault, CA, private security
7/29/08
Midwest City, Oklahoma
From KOCO of July 17, 2008
Homeowner Guns Down MWC Burglary Suspect
Authorities said a homeowner shot and killed a burglary suspect after a confrontation in a rural Midwest City neighborhood.
Oklahoma County Sheriff's spokesman Mark Myers said the resident told deputies he spotted a man breaking into a large shed on his property and confronted him about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. When the suspect got into his car and tried to flee, the homeowner said he stepped in front of the vehicle to prevent the man from leaving.
The homeowner said he fired one shot from a shotgun as the suspected burglar lunged toward him in his car.
Myers said the man died at the scene. The names of the victim and the shooter were not immediately released.
Labels: assault, OK, trespassing
7/15/08
Memphis, Tennessee
From MyEyewitnessNews of July 15, 2008
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
7/10/08
Ocala, Florida
From Ocalca.com of July 10, 2008
Woman, .357 blazing, chases intruders from home
Firing a .357-caliber handgun until it was empty, an Ocala woman chased two intruders from her home in the 3800 block of Southeast 68th Street on Wednesday morning.
Later Wednesday, Marion County sheriff's detectives had one home invasion suspect in custody and were looking for the second. Aaron Scott Beardsley, 25, was charged with armed home invasion robbery. Deputies were still looking for a heavy-set Hispanic male, about 6-foot-1 or 6-feet-2, who was wearing black shorts at the time, a dark T-shirt and a bandana.
Sheriff's Detective Art King, in his report, gave the following account of the crime:
Shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, 29-year-old Jennifer Ann Hunley; her 27-year-old boyfriend, Michael Joseph Nash; and Hunley's 11-year-old daughter were inside their home when two men entered through the garage door. Nash, who was coming out of a bathroom at the time, saw one of the intruders holding a nail gun near the television set in the living room.
The man demanded money. At the same time Nash saw that the second suspect, armed with a handgun, was also in the living room. The one with the nail gun hit Nash on the head, and when he fell down both men began beating him.
Hunley came into the living room, saw what was happening, returned to her bedroom for a .357-caliber handgun and fired a warning shot into the ceiling.
The intruder with the nail gun ran outside, while the other one ran into a nearby bedroom. He then pointed his weapon, believed to be a small-caliber handgun, and fired at least one shot at Hunley.
Then Hunley, who is 5-foot-3, emptied her handgun, firing four shots at the intruder. The gunman ran out the front door. Neither Hunley nor her daughter were hurt during the exchange of gunfire.
Afterward, sheriff's deputies received calls indicating that the wife of one of the suspects may have driven the getaway vehicle.
And Nash told Detective King that his sister believed Beardsley was responsible for the home invasion because she had had a conversation with him the day before about previous drug activity at her brother's home
King reported that Nash pulled up a picture of Beardsley on the Internet and recognized him as one of the the intruders.
Deputies later found Beardsley and his wife, who is pregnant, and brought them in for an interview. Beardsley said he was innocent, but his wife reportedly told a different story.
She told King that she dropped her husband off close to the Southeast 68th Street address and waited about 20 minutes for him, according to King's report. She said her husband was sweating when he returned to the vehicle. The woman said she didn't ask any questions about what he did or where he went.
Beardsley was then arrested and charged with armed home invasion. He refused an interview request from the Star-Banner.
Labels: assault, female, FL, home invasion
7/7/08
El Dorado, Arkansas
From MyEyewitnessNews of July 7, 2008
Woman Shoots and Kills Husband in Self-Defense in Arkansas
A woman shot and killed her husband at their home outside of El Dorado, and the Union County sheriff says the slaying was in self-defense.
Sheriff Ken Jones said the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, when deputies found 47 year-old Roger Gates dead inside the home. Jones says 37 year-old Kimberly Gates told him that her husband had attacked her and that she was afraid for her life and her baby's. Officials say she was able to get away from her husband, get a gun from the bathroom, and shoot him.
Jones said the case is still under investigation and that the results will be given to a prosecutor, who will determine if charges should be filed.
Labels: AR, assault, domestic abuse, female
Mesa, Arizona
From the East Valley Tribune of July 7, 2008
Man shot to death in Mesa driveway
Peggy Abel knew something "really bad" was happening Sunday night in her usually quiet Mesa neighborhood.
The mother of seven heard screams and someone saying "stop hitting me," so she sent her teenage son out to their backyard to investigate.
"He came back in and said, 'We gotta call 911!' " Abel said.
Then, she heard the gunshots.
"Pop, pop, pop," Abel said. "There was a man standing in the middle of the street and a lady screaming 'You blanking killed him.' "
Police arrived in the 3900 block of East Hampton Circle, near Val Vista Drive and U.S. 60, about 11 p.m., just as the shooting occurred. Officers found that the 29-year-old boyfriend of a neighborhood woman had been shot and killed by a 49-year-old homeowner who lives nearby.
The homeowner had come outside after hearing the man and his girlfriend yelling at each other in the front yard.
Although police have stopped short of using the term self-defense, they said the homeowner shot and killed the man because he was "going crazy" with a billiards stick and charged at the homeowner.
The man was found dead on the homeowner's driveway.
"As far as coming out with a gun, he was well within his rights," said Detective Chris Arvayo, Mesa police spokesman. "He was in his yard. He never left his property. He came out with a gun, which is his constitutional right."
Mesa police haven't released the name of the man who was killed, pending notification of his family. Police also wouldn't release the name of the shooter. No charges have been recommended against the shooter, Arvayo said, but the case will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
"He's not in custody right now," Arvayo said.
Police also said that they learned after the shooting that the man had been hitting things inside his girlfriend's house before he went outside and caused a disturbance.
Abel said she used the incident as an opportunity to talk with her children about anger management.
"That's very tragic," Abel said. "It's senseless."
Labels: assault, AZ, domestic dispute
St. Louis, Missouri
From St. Louis Today of July 3, 2008
Homeowner kills man in apparent self defense
A Baden neighborhood homeowner shot and killed a man who struck him in the head with a pipe after the homeowner confronted the man early this morning, police said.
Police would only identify the dead man by his age: 43.
The homeowner, who also is not being identified by police, said that he heard a noise outside of his home in the 9000 block of Edna Avenue early this morning. When he went outside, he found the man, who the homeowner knew, police said.
The man then struck the homeowner in the head with a metal pipe and the homeowner ran back inside his house, police said. The man, still carrying the metal pipe, followed the homeowner into the house.
The homeowner then shot the man several times. The man ran out of the house and collapsed in the street in the 1000 block of Melvin Avenue, police said. The man died.
When police got to the man -- about 4:50 a.m. -- they found a metal bar lying next to his body, police said.
The homeowner was taken to a hospital where he was being treated for a head injury.
Homicide detectives are still investigating.
The dead man's relatives had not been located or notified by 10:30 a.m., so police said they could not release his name.
7/3/08
Greene County, Indiana
From the WTWO of June 3, 2008
Gallagher Will Not Be Charged
No charges will be filed in the shooting death of a Greene County man.
County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw says after a review of the case no criminal charges will be filed against Michael Gallagher II. Gallagher shot Jarrett Nicholson last weekend during an argument and fight inside Gallagher’s home.
Holtsclaw said that Gallagher’s use of force was justified.
Nicholson was on top of Gallagher punching him in the head when the fatal gunshot was fired. Nicholson had broken into Gallagher’s home and threatened to kill him before the confrontation began.
Labels: altercation, assault, home invasion
6/23/08
Norene Community, Tennessee
From the Wilson Post of June 19, 2008
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
6/22/08
McCreary County, Kentucky
From the Lexington Herald-Leader of June 22, 2008
McCreary man shoots intruder, police say
Kentucky State Police are investigating a shooting in McCreary County that happened after a 19-year-old Pine Knot man awoke to being assaulted.
Charles Murphy told police that about 6 a.m. Sunday he woke up to an attack by Rusty L. Hayes, 20, who had entered Murphy's home on Ky. 1651.
Murphy retrieved a handgun and shot at Hayes, hitting him twice, police said. Hayes was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for treatment.
No charges have been filed pending completion of the investigation.
Labels: assault, home invasion, KY
6/11/08
Truman, Minnesota
From KEYC of June 11, 2008
Breaking News: Home Invasion
Two people are assaulted in their home, and the intruder suffers a gunshot wound.
The Martin County Sheriff's Office says it happened last night just before midnight.
They say an intruder apparently entered the home of Elmer and Marcella Sauck at 2488 200th Street in rural Martin County.
Mrs. Sauck was physically assaulted, was able to escape and go to the nearby home of her son, Mark. Mark then went to his parents' house and found his father being assaulted by the intruder. Authorities say Mark then ordered the intruder to stop several times as he approached him, but he didn't.
The intruder suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital.
Mrs. Sauck was also airlifted to Rochester, and Elmer Sauck was transported to Immanuel St. Joseph's Hospital.
Authorities say they're not releasing the intruder's identity because no criminal charges have been filed in the case.
They say the investigation is ongoing.
Labels: assault, home invasion, MN
6/9/08
Kansas City, Kansas
From the Witchita Eagle of June 6, 2008
Bar owner shoots at fleeing suspects
Police are looking for two suspects linked to a clash Thursday night that prompted a bar owner o fire several shots at the men as they fled.
The owner of Stix Bar, 2785 S. Meridian, asked two men to leave the bar shortly before 10 p.m., police said. One of the men reportedly told the owner, "I can do what I want, because I have a gun and you don't."
The suspects went outside and were still in the parking lot when the bar owner stepped outside. He ordered them to leave again, and they got into a red two-door Saturn.
They drove toward the bar owner and struck him with their car, then struck him again as they fled the lot, police said.
The 43-year-old bar owner fired several shots at the car, police said, and three bullets hit an unoccupied house in the 2400 block of West Greenfield. Police don't know if the Saturn was hit.
Police are looking for a 22-year-old man known by name, and an unknown 18-year-old man. He is about 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, with dark hair.
The bar owner suffered only minor injuries in the incident and was treated at the scene.
Greenville, South Carolina
From WSPA of June 9, 2008
Home Invasion Ends in Shooting
Investigators want to track down two intruders following a home invasion early Monday morning. The Laurens County Sheriff's Office says three people kicked in the door of a home on Fairview Road near Fountain Inn around 12:45 am Monday.
The homeowner reports being dragged out of the bedroom and beaten. Deputies say the man went for his gun and shot at the robbers. One suspect was hit and made it to Saint Francis Hospital. He is now at Greenville Hospital System. We don't know his condition.
The homeowner went to Hillcrest Hospital in Simpsonville.
Deputies ae trying to track down the two other home invaders. If you have any information call 9-1-1.
Labels: assault, home invasion, SC
5/29/08
Fort Worth, Texas
From NBC5i of May 28, 2008
14-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Teenage Neighbor
Police said a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed by a visiting teen in his south Fort Worth home shot and killed the boy on Wednesday.
Investigators said the 14-year-old told police Danny Allen, 13, was visiting his house on Buffalo Springs Drive near Interstate 35 when he began stabbing him at about 5:30 p.m.
According to police, the two teenagers struggled before the 14-year-old grabbed his father's gun and shot Allen.
Neighbor Charles McDonald found the 14-year-old outside his house covered in blood.
"Blake come running out the door and run across the street, and I got him stopped," McDonald said. "He was bleeding all over; (his) head and shoulders were completely saturated in blood."
McDonald said he tried to keep the teenager calm.
The 14-year-old was taken to the hospital. His family told NBC 5 the boy was out of surgery and in stable condition on Wednesday night.
When asked if he thought his 14-year-old neighbor did the right thing, McDonald said the boy "probably" did.
"I don't know the circumstances. Probably. I would say so. He's not the kind to go around beating people up," McDonald said.
Police said they do not expect to file charges in the case.
Labels: assault, minor defender, minor offender, TX
5/27/08
Seffner, Florida
From ABC Action News of May 27, 2008
Would-be robber shot, killed by Seffner clerk
Investigators were called to a Hillsborough County beverage store where a man attempting to rob the store was shot and killed.
It happened shortly after 6:30 Monday evening at the CNK Beverage Pit at 12002 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Seffner.
According to witnesses an unknown suspect went into the store and tried to rob the clerk but was shot multiple times.
The suspect was transported to Brandon Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
From Tampa Bay Online of May 27, 2008
Family Back At Work After Owner Kills Apparent Robber
Just hours after a store owner shot and killed an apparent robber, the owner's wife and daughter were back at work.
Karla Vigil, 47, said her husband, Cres Vigil, 46, was at home this morning. "He's pretty shaken up," she said. "It's not something he wanted to do."
Vigil said her husband had been working alone about 6:45 p.m. Monday when he was attacked at the CNK Beverage Pit, 12002 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. She said her husband was waiting for a customer's truck to pull farther into the drive-through bay when a masked man ran in through the exit of the drive-through beverage business. The driver took off, she said.
Vigil said the would-be robber swung at her husband, striking him in the head. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the assailant was unarmed, but Vigil disagreed.
"They found two cans of green beans in a sock. They were dented. That's how hard he hit my husband," she said. Her husband has a knot on his temple and on the back of his head, Vigil said.
Vigil said her husband shot the attacker and didn't know the man had died until this morning. The sheriff's office has not released the man's name.
"My husband is a very good man," she said. "He has a heart of gold."
She said the couple have kept the gun at the business because she was held up at gunpoint a year ago. In that incident, the robber obtained no money because Vigil screamed and homeless people hanging around the retention pond behind the business chased him away.
Despite the two robbery attempts, Vigil says they don't plan to sell the business they've owned for two years. "There are a lot of good people here. We've made a lot of friends. This could happen anywhere," she said.
Labels: assault, business robbery, FL
4/23/08
Cleveland, Tennessee
From the April 21, 2008 Cleveland [Tennessee] Daily Banner:
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: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, kidnapping, residence robbery, TN
2/7/08
Houston, Texas
From KTRK of February 7, 2008
Store owner fatally shot suspected thief
The owner of an office supply business shot and killed a would-be thief.
It happened on Reveille and Bradford in southeast Houston. The owner heard someone trying to get into his business at midnight. He went outside with a gun and caught a man trying to steal a trailer parked behind his business.
The would-be thief then tried to run over the business owner with his truck and the business owner fired back through the truck's rear window.
Despite being shot, the suspect kept driving his truck for three blocks until he fell out of his truck and died on the road.
Police officers also found tires in the back of that truck, which may have been stolen.
Labels: assault, trespassing, TX
2/4/08
Las Vegas, Nevada
From the Las Vegas Eyewitness News of February 1, 2008
Victims Fight Back in Home Invasion
One robbery suspect is on the loose and another is in the hospital after four victims fought back.
Police say the four victims were barbecuing when two men with guns entered the home. One of the victims said he made a near-fatal mistake by leaving the garage door partially open. The victims, who do not want to be identified for safety reasons, say they ended up fighting for their lives and thought they might die.
"The look in their eyes, especially when they started beating us in the back of the heads with the guns. It was kind of like someone would torture a little animal and then joking about how they were going to love killing us," said one victim.
The men were pinned to the floor with shotguns. "It got ugly when they went back downstairs and decided to tell the women to undress their clothes," the victim added, "The girls were really crying and you could just tell that they were incredibly upset."
The victim told Eyewitness News that one of the suspects who was preparing to sexually assault the women turned his attention away from the guns and let down his guard.
The two male victims saw their opportunity.
"I grabbed him, threw him down on the ground, grabbed a weight from the weight set and smashed him in the head."
The women also joined in the fight, hitting the suspects with a frying pan.
"One of the girls completely nude managed to grab a gun and shoot the guy in the chest area and in the leg."
"She did what she had to do and I have to be thankful that she was able to do what she did and if she didn't I might not be able to give you this story right now."
The suspect who was shot has serious injuries and is in the hospital. The second suspect is on the run and as for the victims, they have minor injuries.
The police are very cautious not to make this seem like a heroic act. They say fighting back can sometimes end with the victims being more seriously hurt.
Labels: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, home invasion, NV, rape
1/25/08
Atlanta, Georiga
From WXIA of January 25, 2008
Wheelchair-bound Man Shoots Attacker
A homeowner who is confined to a wheelchair shot and wounded a man who confronted him on his door step, Atlanta police told 11Alive News.
The homeowner was on his way out of his house on Flat Shoals Avenue Friday morning when he ran into a man at his door. The homeowner asked the man to leave, but the man started to assault the homeowner, authorities said.
During a struggle, the homeowner grabbed a gun and shot the attacker in the arm and chest.
The suspect was taken to the hospital. His condition was not known.
The homeowner was not injured.
1/8/08
El Dorado Hills, California
From the Sacramento Bee of January 8, 2008
El Dorado DA identifies dead suspect; hails gun-wielding neighbor
The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office has identified the 33-year-old man who the DA said was responsible for Sunday's stabbing rampage which left one man dead and one man wounded as Behnam Pazoki.
Pazoki, who family members described as mentally ill, was visiting relatives in El Dorado Hills on Sunday when he grabbed a kitchen knife and chased terrified relatives into the street. During the rampage, which occurred on the 1000 block of Venezia Drive, Pazoki stabbed Vahid Seyedin, 47, the owner of the home he was staying at, and killed his uncle Ahmad Pazeky, 58, according the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
Pazoki was ultimately shot by a neighbor, Shahin Kohan, 47, who witnessed the attack and came to the family's aid armed with a handgun, sheriffs said.
In a press release issued today, the district attorney's office said that after Kohan warned Pazoki to stop, Pazoki turned his attention to him and other neighbors that had gathered around watching the horror unfold.
"Mr. Kohan's actions directly prevented other people and himself from being seriously injured or killed," the release said.
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson called Kohan's actions heroic in the release.
""All too often the term hero is applied to situations where it is inappropriate...," Pierson said in the release. "Mr. Kohan was a bystander whose quick action, done at great risk to him, likely saved lives and certainly prevented additional injuries. Mr. Kohan, by any definition, is in fact a hero."
Sheriff's Deputies briefly detained Kohan on murder charges following the incident, but quickly released him after the facts of the case were reviewed.
Further links:
Homicides in the hills: Two dead after altercation
1/3/08
Amarillo, Texas
From Amarillo.com of January 3, 2008
Two homicides may fall under new law
...
Christopher Fry, 38, was shot in the upper body at 200 S. Georgia St. Fry walked from the home and collapsed on the curb on the north side of the house in the 2700 block of West Second Avenue. The homeowner shot Fry because Fry was apparently assaulting the homeowner, who felt in fear of his life and his 2-year-old son's life. Fry appeared to have been in a physical altercation prior to knocking on the door at 200 S. Georgia. The two were arguing after Fry asked the homeowner about a dog, which the homeowner did not own. The homeowner was questioned by Special Crimes and later released pending further investigation. The case will be presented to the 47th District Attorney's office for review by a grand jury.
(More)
1/2/08
San Antonio, Texas
From the Houston Chronicle of January 2, 2008
San Antonio road rage killing deemed self-defense
In an apparent case of road rage, a motorist shot a driver to death who threatened him with a baseball bat.
Police said that the shooting just after midnight on New Year's Day appeared to be in self-defense, so they didn't plan to charge 24-year-old Brian Correa.
"It was apparent to us that he was defending himself," said police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino, who added that the shooter had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Correa shot the 24-year-old driver three times with a handgun, a police report said. The Bexar County medical examiner's office identified the deceased driver as Tomas Garza.
Correa and several witnesses quoted in the report said that Garza had maneuvered his Mitsubishi Lancer behind Correa's Chevrolet Camaro around 1 a.m. Tuesday and began driving aggressively, trying to hit the Camaro.
When the cars came to a stop at a traffic light, Garza got out and hit the Camaro several times with the bat, according to the police report.
Correa told Garza to stop, but Garza began toward him so Correa fired at him, according to the report.
Witnesses corroborated Correa's account with police.
"I'm still really shaken up. I don't really want to talk about it at all," Correa told a reporter with the San Antonio Express-News when contacted at his home.
Further links:
Man Shot, Allegedly Killed In Self-Defense
Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, road rage, TX
11/12/07
St. Francisville, Louisiana
From Lafayette’s KATC.com of November 12, 2007
Woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver
A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish.
Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release.
West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest.
Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged.
Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA
11/9/07
Orlando, Florida
From Orlando’s Local6.com of November 5, 2007
Police: Orlando Cricket Player Shoots Opponent During Match
An argument between several Indian men during a cricket match in Orlando led to an on-the-field shooting that seriously injured one of the players, according to police.
Orange County sheriff's deputies said they responded to a 911 call at 4:20 p.m. Saturday from a cricket match at Cyprus Grove Park and found Francis Singh, 36, shot in the abdomen.
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Officers said Singh apparently became involved in a fight and threatened Devan Bascom, 37, with a cricket bat.
Police said Bascom then pulled a small semi-automatic gun and fired at Singh, hitting him at least once.
"The shooter was defending himself from an attack with a cricket bat which is simlar to a baseball bat but it's flat," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Spike Hopkins said. "For this man to bring a firearm to a sporting event is odd but then again, he has the right to do so. He has a concealed weapons permit and if, in fact, he was protecting himself, he was authorized by law to do so."
Singh was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was undergoing surgery late Saturday.
There have been no arrests made in the case as the investigation continues.
Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, FL
11/4/07
Orlando, Florida
From MyFoxOrlando.com of November 4, 2007
Man shoots cricket bat-wielding attacker
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting which happened around 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Cypress Grove Park in Orlando.
The victim, Francis Singh, 36, is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center and is currently in stable condition.
Deputies say Singh and another man, identified as Devan Bascom, 37, began arguing with each other. During the argument, Singh produced a cricket bat and assaulted Bascom. Upon feeling threatened, Bascom defended himself with a small caliber semi-automatic handgun and shot Singh once in the abdomen.
No arrests have been made in the case, which has been filed with the State Attorney's Office. The investigation reveals that the shooting was in self defense.
Labels: altercation, assault, FL
10/29/07
Ider, Alabama
From Huntsville’s WHNT.com of October 29, 2007
DeKalb Co. Man Kills Intruder With Shotgun
The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department is investigating an overnight incident where a homeowner apparently shot and killed an intruder. However, the homeowner is recovering from multiple stab wounds himself.
Sheriff Jimmy Harris says deputies got a call just after 2 o'clock Monday morning that a stabbing and shooting had taken place at a home on County Road 764 near Ider.
Ider Police, Henagar Police, and the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department responded, to find Jerry Lee Miller, 41, suffering from numerous stab wounds. Police and deputies searched the home and found a second victim in another room, Joseph E. Williams, 31, of Jackson County. Williams was dead, from a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Witnesses tell investigators Williams allegedly attacked Miller in his sleep with a large kitchen knife, stabing him several times in his back and arms. A family member interrupted the attack, and Miller was able to get a shotgun, and shoot Williams in the stomach.
Investigators have collected evidence at the scene, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is performing an autopsy on Williams' body.
Sheriff Harris says there are no charges at this time.
10/18/07
Norcross, Georgia
From MyFoxAtlanta.com of October 18, 2007
Police Say Customer at Norcross Restaurant Fatally Shot Man in Self DefenseFrom the Atlanta Journal Constitution of October 18, 2007
Police say a customer, who shot and killed a man at a restaurant early Thursday morning, did so in self defense. It happened at barnacles [sic] on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Norcross.
Fatal shooting at Norcross bar marks Gwinnett homicide record
Norcross police say they're unlikely to file charges in a fatal shooting at a local bar early Thursday.
The killing — the third homicide within the city limits this year — marks the record for Gwinnett County.
Police identified the dead man as Juan Ojeda, 54, a Spanish national living near Norcross who officers said was a regular at Barnacles Restaurant on Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Another patron killed Ojeda in self defense, said Norcross Police Detective Jason Carter.
The homicide is the 41st for Gwinnett, according to the county medical examiner's office.
That surpasses last year's record of 40.
In the 1997 Gwinnett had only 17 homicides. But in since 2003, it has had more than 30 every year. Local law enforcement experts have cited the county's skyrocketing population.
Witnesses said Ojeda appeared to have been drinking when he drove up to the restaurant around midnight, Carter said. Ojeda joined a group of four other people — other regulars, but not well acquainted with the man — on the patio and became belligerent when one person asked Ojeda not to be obnoxious.
Carter said Ojeda grabbed one man's neck.
"Imagine a 54-year-old man putting a 26-year-old guy in a headlock," Carter said. Witnesses said that a moment later Ojeda feigned an apology, then lunged at another man and bit him in the neck, Carter said.
Managers and patrons ran Ojeda off, but he returned a few minutes later around 1 a.m., gun in hand, witnesses told Carter. As people on the patio scattered, one of the men he'd been sitting with ran away but drew his own gun, police said. The patron fired once, hitting Ojeda in the head as he stood in the parking lot, police said.
Police did not release the name of the patron who killed Ojeda, citing their continuing investigation. But they characterized the event as an apparent act of self defense.
The group remained at the restaurant after the shooting and gave police statements.
"They've been totally cooperative," Carter said.
Calls to relatives and co-workers of Ojeda were not returned.
"If you came in here in the afternoons, you'd recognize him," general manager Mike Ogozelec said of Ojeda, referring further questions to the restaurant's corporate office.
Chicago, Illinois
From the Chicago Tribune of October 18, 2007
No charges for man who shot drunk U. of C. student
A man who shot a threatening University of Chicago student in the chest Wednesday night acted in self defense and will not be charged, authorities said today.
The student, who was reported to be in critical condition, threatened to hit a fellow apartment-building dweller with a vodka bottle and kicked in the door of the man's Hyde Park apartment, police said.
The incident began about 7:30 p.m. as the student and shooter were riding together in an elevator of their apartment building in the 5400 block of South Cornell Avenue, Chicago Police Officer Laura Kubiak said.
The 24-year-old student, who was drunk and carrying a vodka bottle, followed the man out of the elevator and down the hall, threatening to "hit him in the head with the bottle," Kubiak said. As the man entered his apartment, the student kicked the door and pushed it open, continuing to yell threats, she said.
The apartment's resident retrieved a handgun and shot the student once in the chest as he entered the apartment, Kubiak said.
The student was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was in critical condition as of Wednesday night, Kubiak said. An update on his condition was not available this morning.
Detectives questioned the gunman, who was released without charges after prosecutors decided he had acted in self-defense, according to Kubiak.
Labels: assault, home invasion, IL, intoxication
10/16/07
Lumberton, North Carolina
From the Fayetteville Observer of October 16, 2007
Lumberton teen shot, in critical condition
A 15-year-old boy was shot Monday night after pointing a shotgun at a man’s house, according to authorities.
The incident happened about 11 p.m. near a residence on the 500 block of East 21st Street.
The 15-year-old is in critical condition at Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
Investigators say the teenager was in a vehicle with four others. The driver parked the car next door to a residence. Four people, including the teen, got out of the car. The juvenile had a shotgun in his hand, said Sgt. Howard Reaves of the Lumberton Police Department.
Jeremy Locklear, 26, told lawmen he was sitting in his car in his driveway when he heard his dogs barking. He got out of his car to see what was going on when he saw the group near a building next to his residence. They came toward the house, and the teen pointed the shotgun in Locklear’s direction, Reaves said.
Locklear had a shotgun in his vehicle. He shot at the teenager, Reaves said. The teenager was struck on the right side with buck shots, he said.
The other men with the teen ran from the scene, he said. One person who remained in the car during the shooting was questioned by lawmen.
Investigators are still trying to determine why the men came to Locklear’s residence, Reaves said.
No charges had been filed as of Tuesday.
10/11/07
Wenatchee, Washington
From Seattle’s KOMOtv.com of October 11, 2007
Man swinging bottle shot by driver at Highway 2 rest area
The Chelan County sheriff's office says a man seeking a ride was critically wounded while harassing a driver who stopped at a Highway 2 rest area.
The sheriff's office says 45-year-old Jay Kneer of Renton was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Wednesday night with a head wound.
Investigators say 66-year-old Dennis Shaw of Lynnwood and his wife had stopped at the Nason Creek rest area 14 miles west of Leavenworth where Kneer asked him for a ride.
When Shaw refused, Kneer became angry, followed Shaw to his car and struck his vehicle window with a glass bottle.
Shaw told investigators the attack continued when he pointed a handgun at Kneer. Shaw says he fired in an attempt to scare Kneer and hit him in the head.
The Shaws were not injured.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From Tulsa’s KOTV.com of October 11, 2007
Shots Fired At Apartment Complex
The sound of gunfire overnight at a Tulsa apartment complex. Tulsa Police say it happened about 1 am Thursday when a security guard at the Normandy Apartments near 36th & Sheridan fired a shotgun blast at a car.
Police officers say the driver in the car has a history of violence and had been banned from the apartment complex. The security guard told police, he fired when the man backed the car towards him. The driver ran off but has been arrested.
No one was hurt in the incident. Tulsa Police continue to investigate.
10/10/07
Broomfield, Colorado
From TheDenverChannel.com of October 10, 2007
Police: Broomfield Intruder Shot After Door Kicked In
Police are investigating an early-morning shooting involving a man armed with a pool cue and a renter trying to get some sleep.
According to police, the renter was sleeping at about 2:30 a.m. when the female owner of the house showed up with a friend and didn't have her keys. She woke the renter to be let in.
Police said the renter asked the woman's friend to leave around 4 a.m. because they were being loud and he was trying to sleep. The man left, but returned a few minutes later, and police said he was carrying a pool cue.
The renter told police the man with the pool cue kicked in the door and threatened him with the pool cue. That's when the renter shot the man. He was rushed to a local hospital for surgery after suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach, police said.
No names have been released and the investigation is continuing.
10/5/07
Bexar County, Texas
From San Antonio’s WOAI.com of October 5, 2007
Gunfight Leads To Man Getting Shot, Gunman Wanted
A man remains in critical condition after being shot by a rifle during a fight near the Bexar County / Atascosa County line.
Investigators with the Bexar County Sheriff's office say two men got into an argument, one man left, but came back with a rifle and began shooting at the house.
Deputies say that's when the other man came outside with a handgun and began shooting back. Within minutes the man with the handgun was shot two twice, once in the neck and once in the arm.
Deputies say they know who the gunman is, and are expected to make an arrest in this case pretty soon.
Labels: assault, defender shot, TX
Gainesville, Florida
From Gainesville‘s WCJB.com of October 5, 2007
Man Killed in Act of Self Defense
Investigators say a man from Gainesville was shot to death, while robbing his neighbor's home. The accused shooter says it was an act of self defense.
A Gainesville man is shot to death and deputies say his neighbor is responsible, but he isn't facing any charges.
Alachua County deputies say 33-year-old John Wilds shot 42-year-old Robert Aden in the chest while they were at Wilds home.
Wilds and a witness told deputies that Aden tried to forcefully enter Wilds home, and even broke off the front door's handle. Wilds then grabbed his 22 caliber handgun, told Aden to leave, and fired a warning shot in the air. Aden then came at Wilds with his fists clenched and shouting obscenities. Fearing for his life, Wilds shot Aden in the chest. Wilds isn't facing charges at this time, but deputies say they will talk with the State Attorney's Office about possible charges when the investigation is complete.
Labels: assault, FL, home invasion, residence robbery
9/28/07
Crawford County, Arkansas
From the Fort Smith Times Record of September 28, 2007
Prosecutor Won’t File In Killing
No charges will be filed in the July 27 shooting death of a 25-year-old Fort Smith woman, according to Crawford County Prosecutor Marc McCune.
McCune said Thursday an investigation by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office turned up no evidence to refute a claim of self-defense by Edna Higgins, 69, of Mountainburg.
Higgins said she shot Heather Dyanne Mizell with a .22-caliber rifle as Mizell threatened her with a hammer in the Mountainburg woman’s residence.
According to investigators, Mizell, who was married to but separated from Higgins’ grandson, Jimmie Mizell, was at Higgins’ house to pick up money Higgins had promised to give her to replace a tire on her vehicle.
Mizell had earlier dropped off her two daughters, Katie, 4, and Megan, 1, with her estranged husband’s parents.
Crawford County Chief Deputy Ron Brown said Higgins told him after she gave Mizell the check, she turned around and Mizell was brandishing a hammer.
Higgins grabbed the rifle and fired twice, Brown reported. Mizell was struck once in the chest. A second shot apparently grazed her.
The shooting victim was taken to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, where she died during surgery.
Mizell’s mother, Becky Sides of Fort Smith, reacted angrily to news of McCune’s decision.
“This case is not going to close,” she said. “I know it was murder and everyone else knows it was murder. If (McCune) can’t see that, I don’t know what his problem is.”
Sides said she has been told that Mizell’s fingerprints were not found on the hammer. “Without that hammer, it’s murder,” she said.
Sides said her pleas for convening a grand jury, or having a second, independent investigation of the shooting, have so far been unsuccessful.
“When you have a major medical problem, you are entitled to a second opinion. This involves a death, and we don’t get a second opinion,” she said.
She said she continues to contact “civil rights people” and organizations she hopes can help her in her quest for justice.
Sides has assembled a Web site, www.heathermizellmemorial.com, dedicated to her daughter’s memory and family. On it, she reports that Heather, a university student and rack driver for the Times Record, “had so many plans of what she was going to do. Her life was just starting to go the way she was wanting it to go.”
Heather’s husband, Jimmie, died Aug. 11. This week, custody of their daughters was awarded to Heather Mizell’s father, Ed Sanders, who lives in Texas.
“At least something has gone right,” Sides says of the children’s custody. “At least one judge had the common sense to do the right thing.”
9/26/07
San Antonio, Texas
From San Antonio’s WOAI.com of September 26, 2007
Father Attacked During Home Invasion
A man posing as a police officer forces his way into a home and terrorizes a San Antonio family. The fake police officer attacked the father inside that house, as children and wife watched.
"He hit me with a crow bar in the face threatening to kill me," said the father, who did not want to his identity revealed because he still fears for his family.
He did reveal all of his stitches and staples from the attack.
"All the blood was in my eyes," he said.
He tells News 4 WOAI that he woke up about 3:30 in the morning because someone was trying to pry open the door.
"[The attacker] was posing as a San Antonio Police Department and it was a house raid," said the father. "Two other men came around with pistols and forced their way into the house."
Police say the three men demanded money from him and his wife, while his kids stood by them.
"A three year old and an eight year old scared out of their mind," the father said. "They didn't know what he was going on."
Scared for his family, the father fought back.
"I wasn't going to lay down and let them do what they wanted in my home," said the father. "Good Lord only what they would have done if I would have cooperated they could have killed all of us."
But they didn't because this father managed to get to his gun and fired several shots scaring all three men out of his home.
"We plan on moving out of the neighborhood," said the father. "I've lived here over 30 years, and it's just not safe."
Labels: assault, home invasion, residence robbery, TX
Orange County, Florida
From Orlando’s WFTV.com of September 26, 2007
Beaten Man Says 911 Dispatcher Had Him Return To Scene
A disabled east Orange County man says a 911 operator told him to return to the scene where he was allegedly beaten by a group of thugs. When he got there, he said, he was almost beaten again by the same group until he used his gun to defend himself.
John Holloway says a group of thugs tried to rob him after he picked up some groceries at a State Road 50 Circle K. He said he was punched and the men broke the windows out of his truck before he escaped.
Holloway was then shocked to be told he needed to come back to the scene to get the address of the only Circle K in Christmas.
"Hit me three times in the head with his fist," Holloway said.
In the serene sounding town of Christmas, with one prosthetic leg and another leg paralyzed, Holloway was no match for five men surrounding to rob him.
"All the sudden they're kicking and beating on my car and hollering at me, 'We're gonna get you! 'We're coming to your house. We're gonna get you and after we kill you, we're gonna take everything you have,'" he said.
Holloway said he quickly drove away, but not before the thugs beat him and his Tahoe, even smashing his windows out. He called 911, but was shocked when the operator insisted he go back to the only Circle K in Christmas to get an address.
"I said, 'Please don't make me go back there, because they're still there,'" he said.
Holloway's account is confirmed in the incident report, which also describes what happened when he finally went back.
"I was scared for my life at that point. I was afraid to go back there. I was afraid they were gonna beat me down, if not kill me," he said.
Holloway said, when he went back, he had his pistol in his hand and, when they attacked again, he fired one shot and scared the men away.
The sheriff's office listed both Holloway and his attackers as victims and suspects. Apparently Holloway's mistake was firing his weapon to scare the men away. He said he did what he felt he had to do for his protection.
There was no word if the 911 operator will be reprimanded for sending Holloway back to the scene.
Labels: assault, FL, street robbery
9/9/07
Council Bluffs, Iowa
From the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil of September 9, 2007
Intruder holds gun to man's head, flees home
Gunshots were allegedly fired as an intruder fled a Council Bluffs residence early Saturday morning.
According to a Council Bluffs Police Department report, an unidentified suspect entered the residence of Josh Konfrst, 21, about 2 a.m. and held a handgun to his head.
When another person in the house, Justin Woodman, 21, of Glenwood, pointed a hunting gun at the intruder, the suspect ran from the residence, the report indicated.
The report indicated Konfrst, Woodman and others in the house heard two to three shots fired as the unknown suspect fled.
The report did not indicate that anything was taken from the house, located at 1104 18th St.
Labels: assault, home invasion, IA
8/29/07
Jacksonville, Florida
From Jacksonville, Florida of August 29, 2007
Jury acquits murder suspect; man killed in self-defense
A Jacksonville man facing a life sentence in prison was found innocent Wednesday of murdering a man during a struggle outside his girlfriend's apartment.
Shedrick Cosby, 34, was arrested in December after the shooting death of Shelly Banks. Police charged that Cosby shot in a jealous rage after seeing two men leaving his girlfriend's apartment on Old Kings Road South in the Southside.
Cosby, whose face and neck were severely cut with a knife, testified he shot in self-defense after someone jumped him from behind and held him in a headlock. Cosby was a security guard at Forrest High School and had a permit to carry a concealed firearm, said Assistant Public Defender Debra Billard.
Billard said Cosby fired two shots blindly, and that evidence showed one bullet passed through a door before hitting Banks. The other bullet struck the apartment building's second story, she said.
She said the fact that just two bullets and two casings were recovered also contradicted testimony by prosecution witnesses, who described a larger number of shots being fired.
The six-person jury deliberated about three hours.
Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, FL
8/24/07
Jacksonville, Florida
From Jacksonville.com of August 24, 2007
(Scroll down)
Man says he shot someone who threatened him
A Jacksonville man told police he shot someone Wednesday night after the man approached him on Ring Lane off Emerson Street and pointed a gun at him.
Gregory L. Christopher, 47, of Welford Road said he pulled out a gun himself and shot Larry S. White, 56, of San Diego Road, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. White was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police aren't releasing further details as the investigation continues.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, White has an extensive criminal history, including weapons, burglary and robbery charges. Christopher has had a clean record in Florida over the last 20 years.
8/23/07
McAlester, Oklahoma
From the Durant Daily Democrat of August 23, 2007
Jury acquits Pittsburg County man in killing
A Pittsburg County jury on Wednesday acquitted a man of first-degree murder in the death of a former employee.
Jurors deliberated a little more than an hour before finding Mike Krebbs not guilty of murder in the Aug. 3, 2006, death of Ty Mordecai outside Krebbs' home near Blocker. The panel also acquitted Krebbs, 34, of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter in the heat of passion.
As the jury foreman read the verdict, Krebbs, who had been leaning forward with his eyes closed, slowly exhaled. Mordecai's mother, Kathy Mordecai, who had gathered signatures on a petition for a grand jury investigation of her son's death, sat in silence.
Mordecai had once worked for Krebbs' construction company and the two men had been friends.
Krebbs testified on Wednesday that he shot Mordecai, but did so after he was assaulted. Witnesses also said that Mordecai had threatened Krebbs previously.
On the stand, Krebbs said Mordecai had called him earlier that night wanting to fight him and had threatened to burn his house down if he didn't come home. When Krebbs returned to his residence around 1:30 or 2 a.m., he saw a strange car parked outside his driveway and another one pulling out from his home, according to his testimony.
He said he put a clip in a handgun he had in his truck, and when he pulled up close to his house, he saw Mordecai waiting for him.
Krebbs told the jury that Mordecai attacked him as he sat inside his truck.
“He was coming in through the window,” Krebbs told the jury. “I shot, not to kill him, just to get him away from me.”
Krebbs also said he fired several more shots because he didn't know if Mordecai had a weapon. None of the other bullets struck Mordecai, according to testimony.
Emily Redman, the district attorney for Bryan, Atoka and Coal counties who was appointed to try the case, told jurors that Krebbs ran after Mordecai and shot at him with a pistol at least five times.
Redman was assigned to the case after the recusal of Pittsburg County District Attorney Jim Miller, who knew Krebbs.
When Miller declined to file charges in the weeks after the shooting, Kathy Mordecai gathered signatures to urge authorities to take action in the case.
8/22/07
Luling, Louisiana
From New Orleans’ WDSU.com of August 22, 2007
Luling Woman Kills Intruder, Deputies Say
St. Charles Parish deputies said a 22-year-old woman shot back at two men who barged into her home early Wednesday morning, killing one and wounding the other.
Jason Jammal Todd and Chris Avila approached Nathaniel Evans as he was leaving for work at about 4 a.m., officials said.
At gunpoint, they forced Evans back inside and then approached his girlfriend.
Avila forced her to lie on the floor, deputies said, and one of them shot Evans.
The woman got a gun from her bedroom and fired at the two intruders, deputies said.
Todd was pronounced dead at the scene. Avila was hit in the lower torso and was found in a nearby field. He's listed in guarded but stable condition.
Evans, meanwhile, is in an intensive care unit in guarded but stable condition.
Deputies said both Todd and Avila had previous arrest records.
An investigation into the case is ongoing.
Labels: assault, home invasion, LA
8/13/07
Creola, Alabama
From the Mobile Press-Register of August 13, 2007
Police: Man shot dead after kicking in door
A 20-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday after he kicked down the front door of another man's home in Creola, authorities said.
…
In Creola, the two men had been arguing over the phone before Justin Cox went to the home just off U.S. 43 and kicked the door off its hinges, said Cpl. Gary Davis of the Creola Police Department.
Ronnie Freeman, who was at home with his wife and baby, shot Cox with a rifle, Davis said. So far, Freeman does not face any criminal charges, Davis said.
Investigators believe Cox intended to hurt Freeman, Davis said.
The case remains under investigation and will be presented to a Mobile County grand jury, Davis said. The shooting took place about 1:30 a.m. on Carroll Lane, Davis said.
Labels: AL, altercation, assault
8/11/07
Connelly Springs, North Carolina
From the Charlotte Observer of August 11, 2007
3 killed in Burke Co. shooting rampage
Neighbor allegedly goes from trailer to trailer before getting shot to death; 2 others injured in attacks
It wasn't unusual to hear gunshots fired in this neck of Connelly Springs.
Mostly it was just men shooting targets, though a wayward bullet recently cut through a neighbor's occupied trailer -- straight through.
On Thursday night, the shots turned deadly, and in the space of about 10 minutes three men lay dead, including the shooter. Two others were hurt.
Burke County sheriff's Lt. Becky Brendle said it happened like this:
Just after 10:30 p.m., a man walked up to the camper home of Frank James Clark and shot him dead with a rifle.
He then walked the 150 feet across a driveway and yard to the trailer home of William and Shirley Clark, Frank's brother and mother, where William Clark was working on an ATV in the sultry heat. The man asked him where Clark's mother was.
Clark knocked the man's rifle toward the ground and ran inside the trailer before the man started firing through the front door. Clark grabbed his mother and pulled her to the floor, where the two laid as bullets passed through the home and Clark called 911.
Next, the man left the trailer, walked about 15 yards through the woods behind the Clarks' and knocked on the trailer home of William Clark's other two brothers, Edward and Wayne. He was told to come inside.
When the man walked in he started shooting the rifle. He shot Edward at least twice, killing him, shot a woman and man who were visiting, and then started shooting at Wayne, who ran to a back bedroom.
Wayne grabbed a rifle from the bedroom and waited until he heard the man's gun click. He assumed it was empty, so he stepped into the hall and saw the man there with the rifle in one hand and a handgun in the other.
Wayne, he told investigators, shot the man through the heart.
When it was over, Frank James Clark, 46, Edward Leroy Clark, 47, and 61-year-old Charlie Clinard Jackson, a neighbor of the Clark brothers, were dead, and Janet Elizabeth Lefler and Scott Elliott Campbell hurt.
Investigators say Jackson was the shooter and that nobody seems to know why he did it.
Friday, gauze pad wrappers dotted the yard where it all started. The front door of William and Shirley Clark's trailer sported several bullet holes, while more holes pocked the back of the home where at least three of the bullets exited.
Empty beer cans and junk vehicles lay about and a hand-lettered sign on the front porch read, "No Jehovahs Witnesses."
Neighbor Glennie Lail said gunshots in the area had concerned neighbors with children in the past, including herself.
She said she knew Jackson, whose brother also lives nearby. Her son would sometimes go to the brother's house to play with his dogs but would come home when Jackson showed up because he was scared of him.
(More about Jackson)
Labels: assault, home invasion, NC
Russellville, Arkansas
From the Russellville Courier of August 11, 2007
Wal-Mart shooting justified, Gibbons says
Battery charges expected against shooter’s alleged assailant
Fifth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons has declined to prosecute a man who shot an acquaintance in the leg July 18 in the Wal-Mart parking lot on East Main Street.
William Garfield Farr, 50, was arrested later that night in connection with the shooting after he fled the scene without notifying authorities of the incident, a circumstance Gibbons called “troubling” in a memo sent Wednesday to Russellville Police Department Det. Mark Frost, which was provided to The Courier.
A witness recorded Farr’s license plate number as he drove away, according to a July 20 article by Scott Perkins and Janie Ginocchio.
In a July 20 bond hearing held at the Pope County Detention Center, District Judge Don Bourne ordered Farr held on a $25,000 commercial bond. At that time, the alleged victim, Ben Lopez, was in stable condition at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, according to testimony by Frost.
Gibbons cited Arkansas Criminal Act 5-2-607 in the memo, which provides that “a person is justified in using deadly physical force upon another person if he reasonably believes that the other person is: (1) Committing or about to commit a felony involving force or violence; (2) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force; [or] (3) Imminently endangering his or her life.”
In the memo, Gibbons wrote despite Farr’s failure to call police and fleeing, “from the evidence, it is clear that Lopez was the initial aggressor and entered Farr’s vehicle while possessing a knife. Farr retreated to the passenger side of his vehicle, a point beyond which he could go no further with complete safety.”
“Although disputed by Lopez,” Gibbons continued, “the credible evidence is that Lopez struck at Farr with the knife injuring Farr’s lip. At that point, Farr shot Lopez in the leg with a handgun which he was authorized to carry under Arkansas Law.”
Frost testified July 20 officers found a knife at the scene. During that hearing, Farr appeared to have a small cut on his upper lip consistent with a superficial knife wound.
Gibbons wrote he anticipates filing battery charges against Lopez in connection with the incident.
It remains unclear how the two came to meet in the parking lot, as well as what caused the encounter to turn violent.
Labels: altercation, AR, assault, concealed carry permit
8/10/07
Tampa, Florida
From Tampa’s TBO.com of August 9, 2007
Prosecutors Decide Parking Lot Shooting Was Self-Defense
Hillsborough County prosecutors have decided not to pursue aggravated battery charges against a Pinellas County car salesman accused of shooting a man who was charging at him outside an Oldsmar bar this year.
The ordeal was captured on a 911 tape, recorded after the shooter called for help but before he fired his .45-caliber handgun.
Craig Auclair was arrested on aggravated battery charges after he shot Scott Baptista, a 40-year-old seasonal employee of Tampa Bay Downs who lived at the track. Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said the shooting occurred after a barroom squabble over cigarettes.
Assistant State Attorney Morris J. Fonte Jr. said it was a clear case of self-defense, even though Auclair started the initial fight.
The altercation began inside KD's Pub on the northeast corner of Hillsborough Avenue and Race Track Road just after midnight Feb. 26 when Auclair, 25, and Baptista fought.
Auclair, of 507 Longfellow Court, Apt. D, Safety Harbor, was kicked out of the bar, deputies said, and as he walked toward his vehicle, Baptista and a friend followed.
An independent witness told prosecutors that Baptista and his friend backed Auclair up about 90 feet before Auclair, who had retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and had called 911, fired a warning shot into the air.
Because he was so close to the county line, Auclair's 911 call was connected to Pinellas County dispatchers.
While Auclair was on the telephone, the two men continued to approach him and Baptista dared Auclair to shoot him, witnesses said.
Fonte said that although Auclair was the aggressor inside the bar, "in no way was he the aggressor outside. He gave every opportunity for the men to back off." Baptista told Fonte that he followed Auclair outside "to get his licks in."
Shots were fired; two hit Baptista, deputies said. He was treated at St. Joseph's Hospital.
Auclair's attorney argued that his client's actions were self-defense.
"We are very pleased with the decision by the state attorney's office not to pursue this matter," said defense attorney John Lauro of Tampa in a prepared statement issued Monday. "We believe that Mr. Auclair acted entirely in self-defense and within his rights under Florida's new Stand-Your-Ground Act."
Labels: altercation, assault, FL
8/8/07
Monroe, Georgia
From Monroe’s Walton Tribune of August 8, 2007
Monroe man shot with own pistol after fight
When David Brown pulled out his 9mm pistol Monday morning, he was ready to use it.
But when the gun jammed on Brown, Greg Cooper, the would-be victim, took the weapon and used the handgun to beat Brown with it. The weapon fired, hitting Brown.
Police responded to a report of shots fired just after 9 a.m. at 713-B Lacy St. When officers arrived, they could not find an assailant or a victim but followed a blood trail from where the shooting took place to the back porch of 717-A.
“It appears the two men got into an argument, one pulled a weapon out, cocked it, and it misfired,” Investigator Alicia Martin said. “It then proceeded into a physical altercation. Once the gun misfired, the victim took the gun away and proceeded to use it against his assailant.”
A 9mm shell was located in the driveway, according to reports seven to eight feet away from where the blood started.
Brown, 28, of 735 Lacy St., was later located at his house and transported by Walton EMS to Athens Regional Hospital. Reports were that he had several lacerations to his hand and was shot in the wrist of his left hand.
Monroe Police Department officials expect to issue warrants for Brown’s arrest by the end of the week.
Labels: altercation, assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, GA
8/7/07
San Antonio, Texas
From GoSanAngelo.com of August 7, 2007
ASU student shot, killed - Man mistaken as an intruderFrom MySA.com of August 10, 2007
The father of a Rowena man says his son inadvertently entered the wrong house early Saturday, then he was mistaken for a burglar and shot to death by a homeowner in San Antonio.
San Antonio police reported they found Tracy Glass, 19, dead near the home of Raymond Lemes, 48. According to a police report, Lemes told officers he was asleep when he heard a scream and realized an intruder was in his northwest San Antonio home.
The intruder ran, and Lemes chased him down the street, the report said. When he caught up with the suspect, Lemes said the man lunged at him, so he shot him, according to the report. Upon arriving at the scene, police found Glass face down, dead with gunshot wounds to the chest, neck and arm.
The police report said Lemes has a license for his .40-caliber Glock pistol.
The homeowner told police the intruder likely gained access to his home through a broken sliding door.
Burnell Glass said Monday that his son was visiting his sister at a house near Lemes’ residence. He said Tracy Glass went for a walk in the early morning and returned to what he thought was the home where he was staying.
When he heard a shout from the home, Tracy Glass turned and left, his father said. When Lemes followed him, Burnell Glass said his son turned around and was shot.
“This was a very tragic accident,” Burnell Glass said.
He said his son was a good person who simply made a mistake.
“He was not a thief,” he said. “He was not troubled or into drugs.”
Media Service Officer Joe Rios of the San Antonio Police Department said the incident is still under investigation. No charges have been filed against Lemes, Rios said.
“My son is dead, and nothing will bring him back,” Burnell Glass said.
“I have no reproach for the man. I will pray for him.”
Tracy Glass most recently worked in San Angelo at El Mejor restaurant and Dean’s Marine, his father said. He will be remembered by family and friends as a man who committed his life to God and to his family, Burnell Glass said.
Tracy Glass graduated from Miles High School in 2006 and was attending Angelo State University. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Rowena.
Rowena is about 20 miles northwest of San Angelo.
Family struggles to understand son's slaying
Carmen and Burnell Glass, two God-fearing cotton farmers from the fields of West Texas, are looking to a higher law these days in grappling with the sudden, violent death of their son.
For others, the slaying of Tracy Glass raises questions embedded firmly in the Texas Penal Code.
The case, experts said, hinges on whether a Northwest Side homeowner thought deadly force was his only option to protect himself or recover property when he chased the unarmed college student to the street and shot him to death.
Raymond Lemes, 48, found Glass inside his house early Saturday morning. Believing Glass was an intruder, Lemes grabbed his .40-caliber handgun and chased the young man outside, where he shot him in the neck, arm and chest, according to a police report.
The report does not indicate whether Glass, 19, took anything from the home. Lemes later told police he meant to detain Glass until authorities arrived, but he fired when Glass "lunged at him," the report says.
Buoyed by their Christian faith, the Glasses already have forgiven Lemes, whom they've never met. But the grieving parents also believe that the slaying of their son was a terrible mistake triggered when he mistakenly entered Lemes' house and then turned to face the homeowner.
"Tracy was not a violent person. He was not a thief," said Burnell Glass. "He was taught when you step on somebody's toes, you turn around and say, 'I'm sorry.'"
Glass, a sophomore at Angelo State University who grew up on his family's farm, had been staying at his sister's house on Autumn Evening the night he died.
That house is painted white with blue trim and is on the right side of the cul-de-sac. Lemes' house is also white with blue trim and is on the right side of another cul-de-sac, Autumn Star. One home is directly behind the other.
Living in a rural area, Glass had picked up the habit of taking late-night walks to get better reception on his cell phone, his father said. On Saturday, he sent a text message to his girlfriend and left his sister's house.
"When she called back, there was no answer," Burnell Glass said.
What happened next remains under investigation, said police spokesman Gabe Trevino.
(More, including several sidebars of interest)
Labels: assault, concealed carry permit, intruder, TX
Saraland, Alabama
From the Mobile Press-Register of August 7, 2007
Man shot in the back
A man was shot in the back with a pellet gun following an argument that broke out Monday afternoon while he and two other men were drinking and cooking on a grill in Saraland, authorities said.
Investigators believed that the three men were cooking when the homeowner asked one of the men to leave, according to a news release from the Saraland Police Department.
The man refused to leave, so the homeowner went inside his house at 223 Short St., located near Bayou Sara, said police spokesman Sgt. Leroy Smith.
The man followed the homeowner in and attempted to hit him, the release said.
The homeowner grabbed a pellet rifle and shot the man in the back, the release said.
No charges have been filed, and the case will be presented to the next available Mobile County grand jury, Smith said. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the release said.
Labels: AL, altercation, assault
8/6/07
Mandarin, Florida
From Jacksonville’s News4Jax.com of August 6, 2007
Mandarin Slaying Possibly Self Defense
Gunman Cooperating With Investigators
A 26-year-old man died Sunday night after he was shot inside a Mandarin convenience store and homicide detectives are trying to determine if the shooting was in self defense.
Police responding to a report of a gunshot at the BP gas station at the corner of Old St. Augustine and Losco roads about 9:45 p.m. found Isaiah Williams lying on the ground. He transported to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where he died a shot time later.
The store clerk told Channel 4's John Dunlap that the shooting followed a confrontation that began with Williams cursing a man in line behind them.
"He went out and he came back with a friend," BP manager Reddy Kandala said. "That time, there was a fight."
Kandala said the shooter, whose name was not released by police, told Williams and his friends he had a gun. Kandala said Williams left the store again, but when he entered for a third time, he was shot.
The gunman is cooperating with police and the entire incident was recorded by surveillance cameras. Police and the state attorneys office will review the evidence and witness statements to decide if the shooting was in self defense or if the gunman should be charged with a crime.
Seattle, Washington
From the Seattle Times of August 5, 2007
Woman fatally stabbed by her ex; he's fatally shot by a bystander
A Seattle mother of four was fatally stabbed early today despite a court protection order against her knife-wielding ex-husband.
The 33-year-old victim was stabbed nearly two dozen times while attending a birthday party about 1 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in the 9100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
The 39-year-old assailant burst into the hall, grabbed the victim and slashed her with a large knife, witnesses told police. The weapon was recovered at the scene.
A 32-year-old Kent man who was at the party pulled a hand gun and shot the suspect who later died at Harborview Medial Center.
Police spokeswoman Renee Witt said the party guest had a concealed-weapons permit. She said he likely won't face charges since he acted to prevent further harm.
Another partygoer who tried to save the victim suffered minor cuts. He drove himself to Virginia Mason Medical Center and was later released.
Although identities had not been formally released this evening, court records indicate that the victim and 39-year-old assailant obtained a court separation March 30 of this year.
Court records also show that the attacker had a previous record of violence including multiple counts of assault in April this year.
Labels: assault, domestic abuse, WA
Rialto, California
From the Riverside Press-Enterprise of August 5, 2007
Two die in gun battle outside Rialto club
Two people were killed and a third was critically wounded after an early morning gunbattle Sunday outside a Rialto nightclub, police said.
About 1:45 a.m., a crowd had gathered outside the El Patio Nightclub at 333 E. Foothill Blvd. when a confrontation broke out and a man pulled a handgun and opened fire, police said.
The man fatally shot Adrian Alvarado, 17, of Rialto, in the head and wounded Eduardo Marin, 25, in the torso before the club's armed security fatally shot the gunman, Rialto police Sgt. Tim Lane said Sunday.
Alvarado and Marin had been standing in the parking lot when they were hit by gunfire, police said. The club's private security then confronted the gunman, whose identity has not been released, and exchanged gunshots, police said.
The gunman at the scene and the private security guard, whose name was not released, was not injured, police said.
Alvarado and the suspect died at the scene, while Marin was taken to a local hospital where he was in critical condition on Sunday, Lane said.
Police interviewed and released the private security guard, and authorities will forward the case to the San Bernardino County district attorney's office for review, police said.
Labels: altercation, assault, CA, minor offender
8/4/07
Decatur, Alabama
From the Decatur Daily of August 4, 2007
Murder jury acquits Callahan
Morgan Circuit Court panel believes 2006 shooting of Cullman man was self-defense
A Morgan County jury sent Mark Anthony Callahan home Friday to raise his five children.
The jury acquitted Callahan, 38, in Circuit Court of murder in the July 1, 2006, shooting death of Ricky Gilley, 30, of Cullman.
The jury believed the shooting was in self-defense.
"He's certainly elated and just wanted to get home with his children," Callahan's attorney, Larry Madison, said after the verdict.
Assistant District Attorney Paul Matthews scrutinized Callahan's testimony about what happened the night of the shooting.
Callahan said he feared for his and his five children's lives. He said Gilley had gotten Callahan's gun and threatened him. He said he managed to wrestle the gun away and shot Gilley.
Callahan said an argument between him, Gilley and his girlfriend preceded the shooting.
Gilley's girlfriend, who is also Callahan's first cousin, testified that Callahan rubbed her leg and that is what caused the fight.
Testimony revealed that the three had consumed one bottle of liquor and had started on another bottle before the shooting. A pathologist testified that Gilley died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He said the shooting occurred at close range, no more than 21/2 feet away.
Madison used that testimony to argue his case, saying it proved Callahan wrestled the gun from Gilley.
Matthews told the jury that Callahan could have walked away and that there was no sign of a fight inside Callahan's home at Somerville.
"Cussing someone doesn't justify killing them," Matthews argued. "You tell him today he's not justified. He's guilty of murder."
Madison told the jury that Callahan didn't have to leave his home.
"This man was in his home and his children's home," Madison said.
He asked the jury for an acquittal, and a little less than an hour later the jury returned the verdict.
Circuit Judge Steve Haddock discharged Callahan and told him he was free to go.
He left the courtroom and, on the way out of the courthouse, kissed two of his five children whom he said he is raising alone.
Callahan told the jury Thursday that his wife abandoned him and the children more than a year ago when she left with another man.
Labels: AL, assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, domestic dispute
8/3/07
Bridgeton, New Jersey
From the Bridgeton News of August 3, 2007
Bell acquitted in 06 [sic] shooting
A 31-year-old Bridgeton man was acquitted Thursday on charges of first-degree attempted murder in connection with a 2005 shooting incident in Gouldtown.
Leroy Bell, of Hampton Street, was also acquitted on various weapons charges, with the exception of fourth-degree possession of a firearm without a permit, for which he was convicted.
Bell was found guilty of two counts of aggravated assault as well. However, jurors found he acted in defense in connection with those charges, negating those convictions.
Because Bell was convicted of a felony, Superior Court Judge Timothy Farrell ordered him to turn over all firearms he may own.
In a 2005 statement to detectives, Bell admitted shooting at the alleged victim in the case, 20-year-old Douglas Lawson, of North Pearl Street, Bridgeton, but only after Lawson shot at him during an incident on Longview Avenue in Fairfield Township on Aug. 30, 2005.
Neither Bell nor Lawson were injured in either of the two incidents.
Detectives who testified during a one-day trial Wednesday said that they found no evidence corroberating Bell's assertion that he was acting in self-defense.
Lawson declined to testify against Bell.
Lawson is facing charges of attempted murder himself, in connection with a separate incident that also occurred on Longview Avenue on Aug. 30, 2005, in which its alleged Lawson fired a gun at Bell.
The only witnesses in the trial were two detectives who worked on the case, although several other people were said to have been at the scene of the shooting.
Bell was facing a potential prison sentence of 30 years to life in prison if convicted of attempted murder.
7/27/07
Tucson, Arizona
From the Arizona Daily Star of July 27, 2007
Skrappy's settles suit over shooting death
Insurer pays part of $250,000 to man's parents
The parents of a 27-year-old Mesa resident who was shot and killed in the parking lot of Skrappy's youth club Downtown have settled their lawsuit with the club and the man who shot him. Ray "Darrin" Pierson's parents settled the lawsuit for $250,000, said Tucson attorney James Dyer.
Skrappy's has agreed to pay Phoenix residents Jeffrey Pierson and Julie Maynard, Ray Pierson's parents, $150,000.
Jordan Asch's homeowners insurance has agreed to pay the remaining $100,000, Dyer said. Asch, who shot Pierson, was not charged in the case.
The county attorney ruled the shooting justified
Ray Pierson was shot and killed Dec. 7, 2005, outside the club at 201 E. Broadway.
Despite the settlement, what happened that night remains a hotly contested issue.
One side maintains Pierson died protecting the crowd from a Columbine-type massacre.
The other insists Pierson was a member of a national group known for provoking melees and Asch shot him in self-defense.
The group, FSU, is known in some circles as Friends Stand United. Others contend the initials stand for a vulgar expression related to creating disturbances.
In a prepared statement faxed to the Arizona Daily Star, Sue Krahe-Eggleston, executive director of Our Family Services, the nonprofit organization behind Skrappy's, expressed her relief that the lawsuit has been resolved.
"While we do not believe Skrappy's was in any way at fault for causing this unfortunate incident, we welcomed the opportunity to settle as a way to avoid the costly legal fees of continuing the case.
"We would not characterize the actions of Darrin Pierson as that of a hero. While our hearts go out to his family, we believe he and his accomplices were the initiators of an unwarranted and violent attack on a number of innocent concertgoers."
While one of five bands playing that night was performing, a large group ran into the crowd and began hitting people, according to police reports. Others began throwing microphone stands, speakers and amplifiers into the crowd.
A member of Skrappy's management turned on the lights and told everyone to leave, that the police had been called.
According to some accounts, Asch, who sometimes acted as volunteer security for the club, went to his car to get an assault rifle to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Asch's friends insisted Asch was persuaded to put the rifle back into his truck and it was while they were at his truck they were attacked by a mob carrying pool balls in socks, hammers, baseball bats and machetes.
Asch, who is now 25, told police one of the men "went to the passenger (door) and busted out my window and started climbing in after me with the hammer in his hand, so I shot him center mass."
(More)
7/26/07
Spokane, Washington
From Spokane’s KXLY.com of June 16, 2007
Man involved in Thursday's fatal shooting says it was in self-defenseNo subsequent stories about this incident can be found
The man who was involved Thursday's shooting in east Spokane that left a 24-year-old man dead spoke out for the first time on Saturday.
Allan Turnipseed carries a gun with him at all times. But he'd never had to use it until Thursday. He says his life, and the lives of his family, were in danger.
Thursday afternoon's shooting was a small incident that spiraled out of control. That is the story from Turnipseed, the man accused of shooting 24-year-old Joshua Smith.
Turnipseed has not been jailed and is currently a free man. He declined to go on camera, but spoke from his home. He says on Wednesday evening, he witnessed two young men driving down 8th Avenue, one of them tossing a beer can out the window. He confronted the pair, and as he went to call police, they left.
On Thursday, Turnipseed says he was driving down Ferrall when he saw the same Mazda, with the same men inside and Smith driving. Sensing trouble, Turnipseed says he moved his car to block the young men from coming near his home.
He then alleges Smith drove up to the car and said he wanted to take a crowbar to his face, then took a crowbar out and began making threats. Turnipseed says he pulled his .380-caliber gun and tried to make a citizen's arrest. He then stood in front of Smith's car to keep them from leaving. Seconds later, Smith allegedly tried to run Turnipseed over. Turnipseed was hit, and as he clung onto the hood, fired two shots into the car.
Turnipseed believes the men were drinking, and adds that he'll accept any charges that may come. Police say it is illegal to make a citizen's arrest in Washington. The shooting is still under investigation.
7/24/07
Colorado Springs, Colorado
From Colorado Springs’ KKTV.com of July 24, 2007
Business Owner Holds Alleged Crook At Gunpoint
A business owner takes the law into his own hands and holds a suspected crook at gunpoint until police arrive. The suspect was allegedly breaking into cars at a business complex on North Cascade.
Just after midnight, something strange was going on outside the businesses. "He had taken a transformer off of Roger's truck and was beating on a car window. That was thumping noise I heard," Kristi Lyons told 11 News.
Her husband, Mike, grabbed his gun and ran outside. They knew there was an intruder when they saw the plastic window on their car sliced open.
Kristi said the suspect was caught red-handed, hiding behind and underneath cars in the parking lot.
"Mike had him at gunpoint. He said, ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ I called police." She was on the phone for about 5 minutes while she watched Mike go after the suspect.
"Mike had the kid at gunpoint. He started advancing toward Mike with a knife and Mike fired off a shot to let him know that he wasn’t kidding."
Police arrested 24-year-old Richard Richardson.
"I wish he would've shot the guy," said Lisa Yunker who owns the business next door. She said the row of businesses has been broken into several times. “Everyone is sick of it, this whole complex. We don't know why we're targeted."
For now, everyone who works there thinks of Kristi's husband as a hero. Kristi told 11 News she’d do it all over again if another intruder came onto her property, but “With a bigger gun."
Richard Richardon is behind bars charged with criminal mischief, trespassing and assault. Police said they had been looking for him earlier in the night for allegedly attacking a kid with a baseball bat.
Labels: assault, CO, trespassing
7/22/07
Dallas, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of July 22, 2007
Man questioned in fatal Dallas shootingFrom DFW’s WFAA.cam of July 23, 2007
One person is dead and another was being questioned Sunday afternoon after a confrontation reportedly led to a shooting in north Dallas.
Dallas police say a couple was moving out of their apartment in the 9500 block of Forest Lane when the wife saw “an individual” walking down the street. She told her husband that the person had robbed her of her cell phone on Saturday, Dallas police spokesman Jamie Matthews said in a statement.
The husband told police that he confronted the alleged robber on the street and that the person reached for a gun. The husband pulled his own gun and shot the victim in the head, he told police.
The victim was pronounced dead at Medical City hospital. Police have been unable to identify the individual.
No arrests had been made as of Sunday evening.
Man killed may have robbed shooter's wife
A man who was shot and killed Sunday may have been involved in a robbery the day before in Dallas.
Police said the deceased man was in possession of a cellphone that was taken from the shooter's wife during the robbery at 7 p.m. Saturday. The couple was moving out of Snug Harbor Apartments in the 9500 block of Forest Lane about 12:19 p.m. Sunday because of the robbery.
Sunday's confrontation started as the woman's mother noticed a suspicious man walking across the street. The mother had received harassing phone calls from the stolen cellphone, police said. Her son-in-law confronted the man, who pulled out a gun. The son-in-law, who has a concealed handgun license, shot the man.
The shooting victim was taken to Medical City Dallas, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have questioned the shooter and released him, said Sgt. Gene Reyes. The case will be referred to a grand jury.
Labels: altercation, assault, concealed carry permit, TX
Orange County, Florida
From Orlando’s CFNews13.com of July 22, 2007
Early Morning Shooting Outside Puerto Rican Social Club
Investigators are calling Sunday morning's deadly shooting outside Puerto Rican social club in Orange County self-defense.
It happened a little before one a.m. in the parking lot at the Asociación Borinqueña de Florida Central on Econlockhatchee Trail near Colonial Drive.
Police believe it started when a fight broke out between two groups during a Vietnamese concert at the club.
The fight spilled into the parking lot and that is when shots were fired.
Sheriff's investigators say 31-year-old Long Pharm of Largo fired a number of shots but hit no one. Another person then shot at Pharm, killing him.
Police say that at this point they are treating it as a self-defense killing.
The case has been turned over to the State Attorney's Office. It will decide if any charges will be filed.
Labels: altercation, assault, FL
Titusville, Florida
From Melbourne’s FloridaToday.com of July 22, 2007
Titusville police: Killing looks like self-defenseFrom Melbourne’s FloridaToday.com of July 27, 2007
Titusville Police said this afternoon they’re confident William Herring shot two men with a handgun — one fatally — in self-defense after they broke into his garage and attacked him with a pipe and tire iron.
Herring was working in his garage at 908 S. Washington Avenue in downtown Titusville when he spotted two men on his property “in an area they didn’t belong,” Assistant Police Chief John Lau said. The two men attacked Herring, who grabbed a gun and fire three shots, Lau said.
Herring then called 9-1-1 to report the shooting. When officers arrived at 12:30 a.m. they found 44-year-old William Wade Hose of Mims dead.
Christopher J. Zagorski, 47, also of Mims, was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne with serious injuries.
“Both shooting victims knew the (resident), and there appears to have been some type of feud between them,” Hutchinson said in a news release.
Investigators this afternoon are still trying to establish the relationship between the three men.
A pipe and tire iron found in the garage were taken into evidence.
Herring had injuries consistent with being hit by blunt objects, Lt. Todd Hutchinson said.
The investigation is expected to take several days. Detectives have not been able to interview the surviving shooting victim, Hutchinson said.
New facts come out in Titusville shootingFrom the Hanover (PA) Evening Sun of August 4, 2007
Homeowner knew 1 intruder
A Titusville man who told police he fatally shot one intruder and wounded another in an act of self-defense grew up with one of the man in Long Island, N.Y., the man's sister said Friday.
Police said one of the intruders was carrying a gun when the shooting occurred.
The home's resident William Herring has not been charged, and authorities have said the preliminary investigation indicates self-defense. But prosecutors will review the case, Titusville Lt. Todd Hutchinson said.
"At this point the physical evidence matches the shooting suspect's version of events," he said. "However, the complete findings and facts will be shared with the state attorney's office, and together we will determine whether there are any criminal charges applicable in this case."
According to police, Herring was working in his garage at 908 S. Washington Ave. when he said he spotted two intruders on his property. He said Christopher J. Zagorski, 47, of Mims and William Hose, 44, of Mims attacked him with a pipe and a tire iron. Herring grabbed a handgun he kept in the garage and shot three times, killing Hose and seriously injuring Zagorski.
Hose, the son of the York County, Pa., Sheriff Bill Hose, was shot first in the stomach and then in the back, Hutchinson said.
Sheriff Hose declined to comment to FLORIDA TODAY.
It was the shot to the back, which hit between the shoulder blades and out the chest, that killed the younger Hose, said Rodney Belcher with the Brevard County medical examiner's office.
The medical examiner's report listed the second bullet wound as entering the front of the left thigh and came out the left buttock, Belcher said.
Titusville police said they recovered a handgun from Zagorski. Detectives are investigating what sparked the incident, including the possibility of a debt Herring may have owed the men.
"Our investigators are looking into whether the shooting suspect owed these victims money," Hutchinson said.
Shooting of sheriff's son likely in self-defense
A Titusville man who told police he fatally shot one intruder and wounded another in an act of self-defense grew up with one of the men in Long Island, N.Y., the man's sister said Friday.
Police said one of the intruders was carrying a gun when the shooting occurred.
William H. Hose, the son of York County Sheriff Bill Hose, was killed during the alleged break-in, police said.
The home's resident William Herring has not been charged, and authorities have said the preliminary investigation indicates it was self-defense. But prosecutors will review the case, Titusville Lt. Todd Hutchinson said.
Labels: assault, FL, home invasion
