10/24/09
Columbus, Ohio
From the Columbus Dispatch of October 22, 2009
Great-grandmother who shot robber says 'God was with me'
When an armed robber barged into a North Side motel room Wednesday night and ordered the six people there to the floor, he put a 70-year-old woman closer to her handgun.
The great-grandmother knelt between the beds, reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out her .357 Magnum pistol.
She fired one shot at the robber, who staggered from the room, collapsed in the parking lot and died.
"It's a wonder she didn't shoot us all," said her 51-year-old son, who was preparing to hand over his cash when he heard the gunshot. "She's the worst shot in the world.
"She said to me, 'God was with me tonight. You know I couldn't have done that myself.'"
None of the family members, who live in Ironton, wanted to be identified, fearing retaliation; and the woman didn't want to be interviewed. They have moved to a different room in the motel.
"She's torn all to pieces," her son said. "Who would ever want to shoot someone?"
Wayne Winston, 25, died of a single gunshot wound in the chest, Franklin County Coroner Jan Gorniak said yesterday. Police listed his address as "streets of Columbus."
The woman has a permit to carry a concealed gun, her son said, and carries the gun she inherited from her late husband.
Asked to describe his mother, he said, "Religious. She's always been my hero."
The family was staying in a first-floor room at the Continent Inn, near I-71 and Rt. 161, while attending the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. The son said he was in the room with his mother, his wife, his daughter and son-in-law and a family friend.
The door was partially open so the adults could stay within earshot of two girls, ages 12 and 17, in the room next door.
The son said the door flew open shortly after 9 p.m. and they found themselves confronted by a man who pointed a black handgun at them and said, "Everybody here knows what the game is." He told them to get on the floor and began demanding money from the son and his son-in-law, who were closest to the door. The gunman seemed angry that the son-in-law had only $14.
"I was going into my pocket for money" when a shot rang out and the gunman ran from the room, the son said. "I thought I was shot. I didn't realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos."
He still wasn't sure what had happened when he went outside and saw the intruder's body in the parking lot. Then he heard a second shot. His mother, the gun at her side, had tensed up and "squeezed off another shot into the floor," he said.
Columbus police don't expect to file charges against the woman but said the case probably will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury as a routine procedure. The son said the officers who met with his family were "extremely supportive."
He has a horse farm and is attending the Quarter Horse Congress to watch his 21-year-old daughter compete and to support others who train at his farm.
Word of the shooting spread quickly yesterday among those attending the event, which is in its third and final week at the Ohio Expo Center.
"That's a hell of a woman," said George Wyeth, 63, of Claysville, Pa. "I don't blame her a bit. You pull a gun on someone, you ought to get shot."
"I give her a lot of credit," said Beverly Hicks, 77, of Perrysburg in northwestern Ohio, who doesn't know many people her age who carry guns. "I'd be afraid to carry a gun."
Police Sgt. Ken Tischler, a community liaison officer, said armed robberies of motel guests near the Continent are rare, but he had warned people attending the Congress about a rash of vehicle break-ins at motels in the I-71 and Rt. 161 area - 102 thefts from autos between mid-August and late September.
Labels: concealed carry permit, female, OH, senior
10/17/09
Methuan, Massachusetts
From the Eagle Tribune of October 17, 2009
Dog bites man, man shoots dog
Matthew Reppucci was walking into his Linton Avenue yard when his neighbor's pit bull named Diesel jumped on him a few times and then bit him in the forearm.
So Reppucci pulled out his Colt .380 and shot the dog.
"The dog ran off," said patrol commander Capt. Randy Haggar. "It looks like the dog is going to live."
Haggar said Reppucci was licensed to possess the weapon.
He said that Reppucci agreed to turn over his pistol and a rifle and his gun license during the course of the investigation.
"That is standard procedure," Haggar said.
The owner of the dog, David Guzman, of 9 Linton Ave. second floor, rushed Diesel to Salem Animal Hospital where he was treated for a single gunshot wound to the right side of his chest.
At the scene, Josh Guzman, 33, brother of Diesel's owner called the incident with the dog a "fluke. He's a puppy. He's not even 2 years old."
"I was on the Internet and my cousin was making breakfast. I heard a shot but I didn't think anything of it. The next thing I knew the dog was coming upstairs bleeding," Josh Guzman said.
He said his sister and her children live on the first floor and they have had dogs for about 2 1/2 years.
"We've got kids," Josh Guzman said. "We don't put nobody in danger."
He said their dogs were well-trained and cared for, and that such an incident would not happen again.
"I am surprised it happened now," Josh Guzman said.
Haggar said Reppucci likely would not face any charges in connection with the incident.
"I don't believe at this time there will be any charges," Haggar said. "But we are going to review the case in its entirety before we make a final decision."
Reppucci did not respond to a knock on his door after the incident.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, MA
9/27/09
Detroit, Michigan
From the September 25, 2009 Lansing (Michigan) State-Journal:
DETROIT - A 43-year-old woman shot and killed a suspected purse snatcher who confronted her at a northwest Detroit gas station this morning, according to police.Two men approached the Detroit woman at about 5:30 a.m. at the Schoolcraft and Southfield Mobil station, Detroit Police spokesman John Roach said. The woman is licensed to legally carry a gun for self-defense, he said.
"They didn't realize she has a CCW (license), so she had a weapon of her own," Roach said. "She fired several rounds at the suspects and they fled."
The pair made off with the woman's purse. But about a half-hour later, a man with several gunshot wounds went to Sinai-Grace Hospital for treatment and died later this morning.
"At this point, we believe this is one of the individuals in the robbery," Roach said about the man who was shot.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MI, street robbery
9/21/09
Dayton, Ohio
From the Dayton Daily News of September 19, 2009
Elderly victim shoots would-be robber, 24, police say
A 24-year-old man who allegedly got out of his car and tried to rob an elderly man at gunpoint was shot by the would-be victim, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and fired to defend himself, police said.
The younger man was shot twice on Saturday, Sept. 19, and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was under guard, Dayton police Sgt. Damon Castor said. The gunshot injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Castor said.
“Apparently he was trying to rob the older gentleman of something,” Castor said of the younger man. “He picked on the wrong person.”
The would-be victim, in his 70s, was not injured, Castor said. The confrontation took place at West Third Street and Brooklyn Avenue in west Dayton, police said.
It was not clear whether the alleged attacker was trying to steal the older man’s car or money, Castor said.
No charges had been filed Saturday. Police are investigating.
Labels: concealed carry permit, OH, senior, street robbery
9/3/09
Vancouver, Washington
From the August 31, 2009 Seattle Times:
Police say a man who shot and killed a pit bull in Vancouver had a permit to carry a gun and acted in self defense.
The 73-year-old man was threatened Saturday by two vicious dogs as he was walking near his home. Before he could get to safety, the man determined he had to shoot one of the dogs to keep from being injured.
The Vancouver Columbian reports the second dog was captured by the Clark County Animal Control. It's conducting an investigation to identify the owner and determine how the dogs got loose.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, WA
Independence, Missouri
From August 31, 2009 Fox News channel 4 (Kansas City):
INDEPENDENCE, MO. - Did an Independence man go too far in shooting a suspected shoplifter? The store manager of a Sun Fresh grocery store in Independence was trying to stop a suspected female shoplifter when a bystander intervened and shot her.UPDATE: From September 2, 2009 KMBC channel 9:
You won't hear Bill Miller apologizing. The 37-year-old is on crutches because of a broken foot, but he still sprang to action when he saw the store manager at Sun Fresh chase a female shoplifter into the parking lot.
"The customer service girl coming out screaming, 'Help, help, my manager's on the hood,'" Miller said.
Armed with a 9 millimeter and a conceal carry permit, Miller left his crutches behind and hopped on one foot toward the suspected shoplifter's car.
"I had it pointed downward on her, I told her stop, she looked at me smiled, turned the wheel at me, acted like she was going to run me over," MIller said. "I fired one round, I thought she was going to kill me and the manager."
Miller hit the suspect in the arm and fired another round at her tire.
"Well I don't think he should've shot her, but I agree it's a good idea to try and stop her," customer George Fleming said.
"I don't know, I still think that's vigilante, I just don't go for it," customer Vicki Sims said. "I think it's a little too vigilante."
"No it's not, these criminals got to be stopped," Miller said.
"He was legal to carry it, he was protecting somebody's life or livelihood and he did the right thing," customer Leslie Reid said.
Miller said that police said they would not charge him and that what he did was justifiable.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- The man who shot a suspected shoplifter in Independence won't face any charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.
...
With the car turned on, police said Carroll lunged the vehicle forward, striking the manager on the legs, leaving her clinging to the hood of the car.
William Miller was in the parking lot and saw it happen. He used his truck to block an exit and pulled out his handgun, repeatedly telling the driver to stop and get out, police said.
Police said Miller feared for his life and for the manager, and he fired a shot into the driver-side window. It hit Carroll in the shoulder and neck.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, MO
9/2/09
Detroit, Michigan
From the Detroit News of August 25, 2009
Teen tries to rob Detroiter, ends up shot by victi
A 17-year-old would-be armed robber had the tables turned on him this morning when his intended victim pulled out his own gun and shot the teen, police said.
Now, instead of the money he allegedly sought to steal, the teen will get a lengthy hospital stay -- and, if he recovers and is convicted, a lengthy prison sentence.
The incident happened about 5 a.m. this morning behind an apartment building at 1670 Oakman, Detroit Police spokesman John Roach said.
"The 17-year-old came up behind a 32-year-old man behind the apartment building and tried to rob him at gunpoint," Roach said. "But the 32-year-old had a CCW (a license to carry a concealed weapon), and had his own sidearm with him. He pulled his weapon and they exchanged gunfire."
When the shooting was over, the 32-year-old had only suffered a minor injury to the head, while the alleged bandit was seriously wounded. He was taken to an area hospital, where he remains in critical condition, Roach said.
"If he recovers, he'll likely be charged with armed robbery, and probably attempted murder," Roach said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender, street robbery
8/15/09
Houston, Texas
From July 31, 2009 KTRK channel 13:
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A vendor says three teens approached him and attacked while he was working. That's when he says he pulled out a gun and fired, killing one of the suspects.
The confrontation started about 11pm on MLK near Reed Road. Authorities tell us the vendor was parked at a gas station as he was delivering snack products to the store. Police say he was inside the store and when he walked back out, he was approached by three teenage boys who demanded the snack products.
When the vendor refused, authorities say the teens, all three of them, began to assault the vendor by punching, kicking and hitting him. During the assault, the vendor was able to defend himself.
"The individual is a concealed handgun license carrier, was armed at the time, retrieved a weapon and subsequently shot and killed an individual here on the scene," said Officer Brian Evans with the Houston Police Department.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, street robbery, TX
7/29/09
Detroit, Michigan
From July 23, 2009 channel 4:
DETROIT -- The victim of an armed robbery shot and killed his robber Thursday morning, police said.Police said an armed man attempted to rob a cab driver at the Citgo Gas Station on McNichols Street around 5 a.m.From the comments:
The cab driver pulled out a gun and fired several rounds, striking the thief three times, said police.
The man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he died.
Police said the 38-year-old shooter called police to report the shooting. He is now in custody and being questioned.
Police said the cab driver had a legitimate license to carry a concealed weapon.
i helped his aunt write his obituary, and it saddened me to realize that the handful of pictures and the short paragraphs in the obituary summed up his brief life. that's it. he was only 17. i wish he had listened to his family who tried to set him straight, but in his case -- as is often the case for young, misunderstood black boys -- the streets and his "friends" were louder. we'll never know what or who freddrick could have been.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender
Orange County, Florida
From WFTV of July 25, 2009
Would-Be Robber Shot and Killed
Orange County Sheriff's deputies say a robbery victim turned the tables on two robbery suspects.
“I was in my bedroom sleeping and all of a sudden I heard a pow, pow, pow,” said eyewitness Barry Quintin.
Deputies say Miguel Jimenez was walking into his apartment at Villa Tuscany near Ocoee when 18-year-old Andri Benjamin ran up, put a gun in his face and tried to rob him.
But Jimenez was carrying a loaded revolver and a concealed weapons permit to go along with it.
He pulled his gun out and shot Benjamin several times, killing him.
Neighbor Barry Quintin says his roommate opened their front door moments after the shooting.
“We saw the person laying down on the ground and I was like shut the damn door, and he's like, he's bleeding, and I'm like shut the door and call 911,” said Quintin.
Deputies rushed to the scene while Jimenez was holding the second suspect at gunpoint.
Now there are questions about the safety at the apartment complex.
“Villa Tuscany has to beef up their security because we don't have any security here. The only security we have is the gates up front and obviously that's not good enough, said resident Harvey Vives.
Quintin says he understands his neighbor was just protecting himself.
But he wishes it didn't have to come to such a violent and deadly ending.
“It's just a little too much.”
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
7/18/09
Boise, Idaho
From July 18, 2009 KIVI channel 6:
Boise Police received a call of a man with a gun this afternoon at approximately 1:18 p.m. in the area of Americana and River Streets. As multiple Boise Police units arrived on the scene, they located two men with handguns and de-escalated the situation.
According to BPD spokesman Charles McClure, "Witnesses tell police that the original suspect, later identified as John Dickey, had stolen personal property from the victim at a nearby homeless shelter. The suspect fled on foot traveling Eastbound on River Street. As the victim chased the suspect on foot, a third man intevened in the chase by producing a handgun and ordering the suspect to stop. The suspect was on the ground and held at gunpoint when the third citizen -- who was also a concealed weapons permit holder and only saw a man with a gun pointing it at someone, intervened and demanded that the other man drop his gun. Officers then arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody."
At this time, the original theft suspect -- John W. Dickey, 46 -- has been taken into custody and charged with misdemeanor petit theft. Dickey has no known address.
Labels: civilian arrest, concealed carry permit, ID, street property theft
Lafayette, Indiana
From the July 17, 2009 Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier:
Investigators here plan to contact authorities in northwest Indiana to help locate three suspects in a Craigs-list exchange that turned into an armed robbery earlier this month.
Eugene A. Hall, 49, of Gary; Edward D. Mercer, 27, of Hammond; and Jarrod E. Rodriguez, 26, of Gary were each charged Thursday with six felony counts.Warrants were issued out of Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 for their rearrest.
The criminal allegations stem from a shooting July 1 outside a Subway restaurant at 3990 Indiana 38 E. in Lafayette. No one was injured after at least six rounds were fired.
Here's what took place, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with the charges:
Hall, Mercer and Rodriguez had arranged to meet in the Subway parking lot to purchase tires and rims listed on Craigslist by two Indianapolis men.
But after agreeing upon a purchase price of $3,100 and handing over the cash, two of the buyers pulled handguns and demanded the money back.
Guns were held to both victims' heads. One of them, Kyle Delord Bostic, also was armed.
Shots were then fired by both parties.
The La-fayette Police Department stopped a van that Hall, Mercer and Rodriguez were in shortly after on Indiana 38 East. Tires and rims allegedly taken during the exchange were in the back seat.
Officers found a revolver and ammunition near the road that a witness said the three men had discarded there.
Detective Mark Pinkard said Thursday criminal charges will not be pursued against Bostic or the other Indianapolis man, Courtney Robinson, because their shots were fired in self-defense.
Bostic also was properly licensed for his firearm.
"We deemed it as a life-preserving measure on their part," Pinkard said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, IN, street robbery
7/15/09
Allentown, Pennsylvania
From the June 28, 2009 Allentown Morning Call:
An Allentown man and a 17-year-old juvenile got more than they bargained for when they attempted to rob city resident Michael Dawes early Saturday morning, according to police.
Dawes, 38, of N. 13th Street, was smoking a cigarette near 13th and Union streets about 3:45 a.m. when the juvenile approached and asked for a dollar, said police Capt. Daryl Hendricks. Dawes said he didn't have a dollar and the youth moved away.
Moments later, Albert Torres Jr., 24, of 841 Tilghman St. approached Dawes and asked for marijuana, getting the same reply, Hendricks said. At that point, the two attacked Dawes, who pulled a registered handgun and started firing.
Dawes got off two shots, but the assailants, who quickly fled, were not hit, Hendricks said. When police arrived, Dawes spotted a car he'd seen lurking in the area before the incident. Police stopped the car, and Dawes identified the two people inside as those who tried to attack him.
Torres was charged with robbery, conspiracy, attempted theft and simple assault, Hendricks said. The youth was sent to a juvenile detention facility.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, PA, street robbery
6/25/09
Saginaw, Michigan
From the Saginaw News of June 25, 2009
Neighborhood watch president shoots, kills dog; its owner disputes the need
Tensions are high on a Saginaw street where the neighborhood watch president shot and killed his neighbor's dog.
Jose Barajas, Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association president, told police he shot Onyx, a 50-plus-pound pit bull and shar-pei mix, with a 40-caliber Glock after the dog broke its chain and charged him at 1223 Maple on June 18.
Barajas said he was working outside the house next door when he heard a resident crying for help. Diana M. Fick, 52, said she was mowing her backyard about 7:30 p.m. when neighbor Samantha A. Griffus' dog lunged at her. Fick said Onyx perched atop the tailgate shell and jumped off toward her, breaking his chain. She said she screamed for the owner and used the lawnmower as a buffer to keep the dog at bay.
Griffus didn't hear her, but Barajas did. When the dog turned on him, he said he shot it two times.
Barajas "didn't have an option," Fick said "He popped him."
Griffus, 19, said the dog was on a 10-foot chain attached to a tailgate shell on the lawn. She said Barajas had no right to shoot her dog because it hadn't left her property.
Splatters of the dog's blood are still on the tailgate shell, Griffus said. She said she thinks Onyx was chained when Barajas shot him and broke the chain afterward. A few weeks ago, Barajas had threatened to "shoot the dog if it pooped in his yard again," Griffus said.
Barajas has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and often patrols his neighborhood as part of its watch group.
Saginaw police investigated and cleared Barajas.
"If I wouldn't have been there, that neighbor would have likely gone to the hospital," he said.
Griffus went onto her porch overlooking the area where Onyx was chained after hearing the gunshots and her dog "yarp." Onyx had run off; Barajas was standing in her yard, his cell phone to his ear, with his gun visible in its holster, she said.
Barajas is "the greatest guy you ever want to meet," Fick said. "It's not like he just goes around the neighborhood shooting dogs."
Wounded in the face and abdomen, Onyx ran toward the front of the home, approached the front door -- where blood stains remain on the concrete steps of the porch -- and ran across the street. Griffus found him in a neighbor's kennel with the chain still clipped to his collar, Griffus said.
She took it to Great Lakes Pet Emergencies in Carrollton Township but returned with the dog because she couldn't afford the $1,275 bill to treat it or $289 to euthanize it. Onyx died at 11:30 p.m.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, MI
6/18/09
Machias, Maine
From the Bangor Daily News of June 16, 2009
Princeton woman, 77, escorts armed intruder from home at gunpoint
A 77-year-old Princeton woman faced down a man armed with a sawed-off shotgun and sent him running after she pointed her own gun at him, according to court documents.
Doris Gatchell’s daughter, Eileen Newman, said Monday that family members had since nicknamed their mother “Annie Oakley.”
Suspect Dean T. Moore, who was arrested shortly after the Friday, June 12, incident, made his first appearance Monday in Washington County Superior Court. He faces up to 30 years in jail and fines of up to $50,000 on each of the two most serious charges of burglary with a firearm and robbery. He also has been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, theft and criminal restraint. On Monday night, Moore remained in Washington County Jail unable to come up with the $15,000 bail set after his arrest.
Doris Gatchell’s daughter, Vanessa Gatchell, 50, was home watching television on South Princeton Road when she heard footsteps in the hallway at about 4:30 p.m., according to court documents made available Monday. Doris Gatchell had just left the house and Vanessa Gatchell thought her mother had returned because she had forgotten something. “She called out, but there was no answer,” according to the affidavit on file with the court.
Vanessa Gatchell went into the hallway and found Moore armed with a gun and a knife just standing there, the affidavit said.
The woman asked Moore not to hurt her and offered him money, according to the court documents. He refused to leave and demanded liquor, the affidavit said. “Ms. Gatchell opened two bottles of wine for [Moore], and he directed her to the front room where they both sat,” the affidavit said.
They talked about 30 minutes during which “he told her he was not afraid to hurt someone and he had used guns and knives before,” the court documents said. At some point during the conversation, Moore discarded the knife, but kept the shotgun, according to the documents.
The woman asked him to leave and said no one would have to know he had been there, but Moore declined to leave, the affidavit said.
Eventually Doris Gatchell returned home. Moore hid the firearm from view as Doris Gatchell entered the front room, the affidavit said. The two women then went into the kitchen, and Vanessa Gatchell told her mother that Moore had a gun and she “thought he was going to shoot them both,” the affidavit said.
Doris Gatchell retrieved her own gun and, according to the court documents, went into the front room and stood behind Moore’s chair.
Eileen Newman told the BDN on Monday that her mother, Doris, had a concealed weapons permit and had a gun “stashed” somewhere in the house. She said her parents at one time owned a sporting goods store that sold firearms. Her father, Ken, is deceased.
Doris Gatchell told Moore she had a gun and ordered him to leave, the affidavit said. “Mrs. Gatchell escorted the defendant out the door. Once on the porch [Moore] dropped his gun and then picked it up again. It was only at that point that Mrs. Gatchell saw the gun,” the court documents said.
The Gatchells then called the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Deputy Michael St. Louis said Monday that when police arrived they at first were not sure whether Moore had run into the woods near the house or had gone back to his home about a quarter of a mile from the Gatchell residence.
Police surrounded Moore’s house and tried to contact him, according to St. Louis, but there was no response. After about 90 minutes, however, Moore stepped out onto his front porch to smoke a cigarette and that was when police arrested him and took him to jail, St. Louis said. Officers found the firearm in Moore’s garage and later recovered the knife from the Gatchell residence, the chief deputy said.
The Maine State Police, the Baileyville and Calais police departments, the Maine Warden Service and the U.S. Border Patrol assisted on Friday night, he said. In court on Monday, Attorney Jeffrey Davidson of East Machias was appointed to represent Moore.
Deputy District Attorney Carletta Bassano said Monday that Moore is expected to appear for a hearing to reassess his bail on June 22 in Washington County Superior Court.
According to the affidavit, Moore has a long criminal history including a prior conviction for robbery and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. In 1998, Moore fled across the U.S.-Canadian border after he robbed a Calais convenience store clerk at knifepoint and stole more than $800. He quickly was apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, returned to the U.S. and later sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Labels: concealed carry permit, female, home invasion, ME, senior
6/12/09
Houston, Texas
From the June 6, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
An alleged carjacker was shot and killed in north Houston Saturday morning, police said.
At about 6:15 a.m., witnesses pulled Darryl Milton Franklin Jr., 37, out of a car that he was reportedly breaking into in the 1100 block of Langwick Drive.
As they waited for police to arrive, witnesses saw him attempt to break into other vehicles and even try to commit a carjacking, authorities said.
Franklin attacked a man who approached him. The man, who was carrying a permitted concealed weapon, shot Franklin, said Houston Police spokesman Victor Senties.
The shooting is being investigated by the District Attorney’s Office and will likely be referred to a grand jury, Senties said.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, TX
6/11/09
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the The Oklahoman of May 27, 2009
Intruder shot dead at southside Oklahoma City house
An Oklahoma City homeowner on Tuesday shot and killed an intruder he found inside his house during his lunch break, police said.
Scott Henson saw a blue pickup in his driveway at 2200 SW 57 when he made his daily trip home for lunch, said his wife, Delores Henson.
"Apparently, there was someone inside the house,” Delores Henson said. "So he (Scott) shot and killed him. ... I don’t know if he had to defend himself or what.”
Scott Henson pulled out a handgun and shot the intruder about 11:30 a.m., police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said. Knight and Delores Henson said they didn’t know if the intruder, whose identity was not released, had a weapon.
Delores Henson said her husband has a license to carry a concealed weapon. She was at work when Scott Henson called.
"He just called and said he had shot somebody, that was it,” she said.
A neighbor, Daryl Kindrick, said he has lived in the neighborhood 20 years and there have been a number of home burglaries over the years.
"I’ve been robbed twice,” Kindrick said. "It doesn’t surprise me. It’s a shame someone got hurt.”
Labels: concealed carry permit, OK, residence burglary
6/9/09
Galveston County, Texas
From the June 3, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
Also covered by the June 2, 2009 Galveston County Daily News:A 77-year-old man was within his rights when he shot a robber during a holdup of a game room in unincorporated Galveston County, Texas City police officials said Tuesday.
“He is truly a victim whose back was against the wall,” said Texas City police Capt. Brian Goetschius, referring to Robert Hays.
Hays was among about a dozen patrons inside Players Paradise about 12:45 a.m. Monday when a pair of armed men stormed the club at 4801 State Highway 146, officials said.
Hays said he was "peacefully minding my own business'' when the armed robbers forced their way inside.
"The next thing I knew, I was essentially flying through the air backwards and slammed down on the floor,'' said Hays, a Korean War veteran.
Hays, now lying on the floor, handed the robber his wallet. "He looked through it and threw it back down on me," he said.
He watched as the robbers worked their way through the game room, taking the wallets and purses from their other victims.
A snub-nose .38 caliber revolver in his hands, Hays was ready in case the robbers came at him.
"There were only two ways he could get at me,'' Hays said. "I positioned myself on the floor where I could see him if he came either way.''
Hays pulled the revolver from under his shirt and fired a single shot, striking one of the masked robbers, Goetschius said.
"It's not an easy thing to pull a trigger on a human being,'' Hays said. "But, when that man stood over me and said, 'Give me all your money,' my blood just boiled."
The robber fell to the ground and dropped his gun, Goetschius said. “One of his shoes came off and he ran out the back door with the other suspect.”
Hays said he shot the man to protect himself and the other patrons at the game room, especially Sharon, his wife of 39 years.
"When that first man dropped his pistol and went down, she got up and grabbed (it) and was ready to back me up,'' Hays said.
TEXAS CITY — A 77-year-old Korean War veteran fired one round Monday, wounding one of two masked men suspected in the robbery of a game room on the outskirts of the city, authorities said.
There were about 12 patrons inside Players Paradise, 4801 state Highway 146 Suite B, when a frequent guest knocked on the door, Capt. Brian Goetschius of Texas City police said.
The game room, which was robbed at 12:44 a.m., was open only to members, Goetschius said.
“They looked through the monitors and recognized him as being there before,” Goetschius said. “They ordered everyone to the ground, went through several wallets and got the apron from the attendant.”
The veteran, Robert Hays of Texas City, was thrown to the ground, and then a suspect went through his wallet, Goetschius said.
“The 77-year-old concealed gun permit carrier drew his .38-caliber revolver and shot one of the crooks,” Goetschius said. “The crook immediately fell to the floor, and he dropped his gun and he lost a shoe.”
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, senior, TX
5/27/09
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the May 27, 2009 Oklahoma City Oklahoman:
Police identified a man fatally shot Tuesday inside an Oklahoma City man’s home as Ronald Penn, 29.
Penn and another person had broken into the house of Scott Henson, 41, in the 2200 block of SW 57 when Henson came home for his lunch break about 11:30 a.m., police said. Henson, whose wife said has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out a handgun and shot Penn to death.
The second person inside the home ran away, police said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, OK, residence burglary
5/16/09
Tampa, Florida
From May 15, 2009 Tampa ABC affiliate:
TAMPA, FL -- A Tampa woman refused to be a carjacking victim when she was approached by an armed man who jumped into her car on Thursday.
The woman, who only wants to be identified as Adrianna, pulled out her own gun. "I just leaned forward and punched him in the forehead with my gun," she said. The man "screamed like a girl and almost dropped his gun" as he ran away, she added.
Tampa Police have arrested one suspect so far in what they see as a pattern of carjackings. A-Keem Carr was arrested on related charges, but two others are believed to be preying on motorists in the Westshore area.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, female, FL
5/14/09
Azle, Texas
From the Azle News Online of May 9, 2009
Armed citizen takes out tires as shoplifters flee
A citizen with a “concealed-carry” handgun license shot out a tire on a car full of fleeing shoplifters, then followed them in his own vehicle Wednesday morning, helping Azle police apprehend four people who were subsequently charged with robbery.
Police officers from at least three agencies caught up with everyone in a neighborhood behind Allsup’s convenience store off Highway 199 west of Azle.
Four accused shoplifters had been spotted by employees of Albertsons grocery store and were attempting a getaway with less than $50 worth of miscellaneous items when they were spotted by a citizen in the parking lot. The citizen was carrying a properly licensed concealed weapon, Azle police chief Steve Myers said Wednesday afternoon.
The fleeing driver seemed to be headed straight for the citizen, who fired at the vehicle, striking a front tire.
Another citizen called 911 and reported “an undercover officer shooting at someone who tried to run him down,” Myers said.
That “undercover officer”, it was later discovered, was the armed citizen, Myers said. Both the caller and the “shooter” remained unidentified by police in the interest of their safety.
However, the man with the handgun got in a pickup and followed the suspect vehicle, which could no longer be driven by the time it arrived in the neighborhood, Myers said.
“I guess they thought they could turn off the highway and get lost out in the county,” he said.
However, that area is made up of just a few interconnected streets, with no other way out besides the highway, he said.
Arrested were Michael Reiser, 38, of San Angelo; Kyle Scott, 21 of Fort Worth; Jennifer Jeffrey, 35, of San Angelo; and Tami Mickey, 32, of Fort Worth.
Three of the four were apprehended at the vehicle by Azle police in the 400 block of Oakwood Street. Reiser, the driver, was caught by Azle officer Chris Negrete and a DPS trooper about 30 minutes later in the 1600 block of Willowwood Drive.
Both are off of Pearson Lane, north of the highway.
The four reportedly discarded the shoplifted items as they drove from the scene.
They will be charged with robbery, a felony, instead of shoplifting, a misdemeanor, because the car was used as a deadly weapon in their escape, Myers said.
Albertson’s is in Tarrant County, so charges will be filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office even though the suspects were caught in Parker County. Azle police, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies and at least two Department of Public Safety troopers helped in the chase, Myers said.
The chief has mixed feelings about the help officers received from an armed citizen.
“Our concern in a situation like that is the number of people in the immediate vicinity of an individual who don’t have a way to know who or what he is,” Myers said.
“A uniformed officer is easily identifiable. But the public doesn’t know who (a citizen with a handgun) is, or how to help.”
On the other hand, this particular citizen did choose the most restrained use of his weapon, firing only at the tires of the vehicle and ultimately helping catch a car full of suspects.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TX
Lubbock, Texas
From KCBD of May 13, 2009
Local man reacts to an almost home invasion
A local man wants your help finding two men who tried to break into his house, and he caught the almost home invasion on his web cam.
Many people would be frightened if they were at home and someone tried to break in, but Andy Hartman says he stayed calm because he had a weapon, and he knew the rules on when and how to use it. "I heard somebody knock on the door, and rang the doorbell. I thought it was just a salesman so I kind of ignored it," Hartman said.
Every day when he gets home from work Hartman puts his wallet, keys, phone and gun on the kitchen counter. He carries his gun with him where ever he goes, and last Wednesday, he almost had to use it in the comfort of his own home.
Hartman's home web cam taped someone kicking his back door repeatedly. In the video, you can see the shutters shake each time the person kicks. Hartman grabbed his phone, his gun and called 911. "I'm in my bedroom with a gun. They're breaking in my house," he said in the 911 call.
While waiting for police, Hartman stayed in a back room and listened as the intruder kicked his door more than 20 times. "The officers will want you to put the gun up once they're there, but it's okay obviously for you to have it while they're still breaking in," the 911 operator told him.
Hartman says he was able to stay calm because he knew exactly what to do. He took a concealed handgun class in January. "You know when you can and cannot use the gun, and when it's time to use it you know how to use it," he said.
The woman who led the class Andy took, Gay Lynn Stone, says, "The rules of deadly force for the state of Texas, it just simply says if your life is threatened or the life of another person is threatened then y ou have the right to protect you or that person."
Stone says because Texas' handgun laws are written loosely, he probably could legally shoot the intruder even before they entered the house, but she thinks Hartman made the right decision in waiting for the police. "He did exactly what he was supposed to do, and he treated it as if the use of deadly force would be the last resort," she said.
Police arrived in less than three minutes, but the suspects got away. Probably better for him than if he had made his way into the house. When asked if he would have shot the intruder Hartman said, "Absolutely. No question in my mind."
The police still have not caught the suspects, but Hartman believes two Hispanic males in their early 20s driving a gray Dodge Neon were involved.
Labels: concealed carry permit, trespassing, TX
4/24/09
Tucson, Arizona
From the April 24, 2009 Arizona Daily Star:
A woman who tried to carjack a man at gunpoint outside a North Side Walgreens early Thursday was shot and wounded by the man, police said.The man called police around 12:30 a.m. to report he had just shot one of two women who tried to take his car as he waited in the pharmacy drive-through near East Grant and North Swan roads, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.Pacheco gave this account:The 26-year-old man, whose name was not released, had just left Tucson Medical Center and went to fill a prescription.When he drove back to the drugstore to check on his prescription, two women came up to his car. One was armed with a gun.The woman tried to shoot the man, but he pulled his own gun while she was trying to pull the trigger. Her gun didn't fire for an unknown reason.The man fired his gun twice. One shot grazed her head, and the other struck her in the shoulder.The woman fell to the ground, and the man took her gun away.
Labels: AZ, concealed carry permit, street robbery
4/20/09
**Note from the Owners**
Ladies and gentlemen, Clayton Cramer and David Burnett are proud to present the 4,000th documented story of self-defense with a firearm. On a simple average, that is a little more than two defensive gun uses per day in the United States, but research tells us this number is far higher. We want to thank all of our loyal readers, and especially our advertisers and donors. There are greater goals with this website than money, but we are greatly encouraged whenever a reader sees fit to reward us for our work to promote education on gun rights, and it provides an extra incentive to continue providing the best, most updated, most comprehensive armed citizen archive on the internet. Please take a second to share these 4000 stories with your friends, both pro-gun and anti-gun, and keep coming back for more!
Sincerely,
Clayton Cramer and David Burnett
Civilian Gun Defense
Kingsport, Tennessee
From the April 13, 2009 Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News:
A Kingsport man used his concealed handgun to protect himself during an alleged road rage incident on Sunday.
According to Kingsport Police, the incident occurred about 1:58 a.m. on Harris Avenue.
Michael Salyer told police he was headed home when a yellow Ford Probe in front of him started weaving from left to right.
The driver, later identified as Jonathan Lee Adams, 28, 1630 Spruce St., stopped in the middle of the road, jumped out and started screaming at him, Salyer said.
When Adams tried to get in his car, Salyer said, that's when he pulled out his handgun and ordered him to stop.
Adams' passenger, later identified by police as his girlfriend Laura Kathleen Cain, 42, same address, then yelled at Adams, and he ran back toward the Probe and the pair drove off, Salyer said.
Police later found the Probe at the couple's home.
The pair initially denied having the car out, saying they'd been home since 7 p.m.
Adams eventually admitted being involved in an argument with Salyer on Harris Avenue.
Labels: concealed carry permit, road rage, TN
4/13/09
Columbia, South Carolina:
From WECT of April 11, 2009
Man shot, killed while trying to rob Five Pts. AA meeting
One man is dead after a shooting in Columbia's Five Points. Police say it happened when the man tried to rob people in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Blue lights and sirens are common in Columbia's Five Points on a Saturday night, but it's not usually because someone was killed.
"This is a very nice area, you know it's mostly college kids and all that, you never see that kind of trouble so yeah that was different," said a witness who does not want to be identified. "Yeah because I go there for meetings and from what I heard the guy went in there to rob somebody."
Police say just before 11pm Saturday 18-year-old Kayson Helms, of Edison, N.J., walked into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the ACOA Club, pulled out a handgun and demanded money.
That's when an AA member pulled out a gun of his own and shot first.
The witness we talked to was standing right outside, and saw Helms run out of the building.
"But he only made it like a hundred feet up and collapsed," the man said.
Helms died at the hospital. He had been shot in the neck, abdomen and chest. The whole incident is alarming to those that live nearby.
"There are times where I tell myself, no, I'm not going to walk down there with my child at this point in time," says resident Andrea Richardson.
The shooting happened right in the Richardsons' backyard.
"Listening to the TV and I heard three pops in rapid succession," says Christopher Richardson.
But some people in Five Points had no idea.
"A little nervous I guess that it happened right around the corner from where we were last night, and I had no idea about it, so I didn't know that kind of threat was around this area," says Aleksas Juskys.
It's a threat people that those that go to the ACOA Club never thought they would have to deal with.
"It's the most pleasant place you can go if you're in recovery," says the witness.
Police say the person who shot Kayson Helms is not facing any charges. They say he has a valid concealed weapons permit.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, SC
4/1/09
Akron, Ohio
From the Akron Beacon Journal of April 1, 2009
Pizza shop owner describes robbery, shooting
John Hayes wants only to sell pizzas, not shoot robbers.
But the day after his West Akron pizza parlor was held up and he shot and killed the shotgun-armed robber, Hayes remains concerned about his business, his life and the health of his six workers.
He wants the public to know why he opened fire: He didn't want to be killed, like other robbery victims around the city. He wants only to sell pizzas.
''I'm devastated,'' he said inside Your Pizza Shop, the West Exchange Street parlor he purchased two months ago. ''It's an unbelievable situation I've been put into because of some person's carelessness and thoughtlessness.
''I'm in fear of my life, my employees' lives and the lives of everybody I know.''
Hayes, 37, was behind the counter Tuesday night when 20-year-old Patrick Finney, wearing an orange ski mask, walked in and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at his head just before 8 p.m.
A customer, an older woman from the neighborhood, was seated at the counter watching the Cavaliers game while waiting for a stromboli.
''He said, 'Give me the [expletive] money. This is an [expletive] robbery,'' Hayes said.
Hayes cooperated, giving the robber a stack of $10 bills. The robber wanted more and pointed the shotgun within inches of Hayes' head, he said.
''As soon as I gave him the money, I pulled my gun out from my hip, pointed it and fired four shots,'' Hayes said.
Finney fell to the floor, then stood back up. Hayes fired three more shots from his Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Finney staggered outside and collapsed across the street. The cash he sought was dropped outside.
Hayes then called 911.
''I just got robbed at my pizza shop, 1077 West Exchange Street,'' Hayes says on the recording released by Akron police.
''OK, what kind. . . .does he have a weapon?'' a dispatcher asks.
''He had a weapon, a gun. I shot him. He's across the street laying down right now,'' Hayes says.
''You shot him?'' the dispatcher replies in a startled voice.
''I shot him right in front of me while he was holding a gun on me,'' Hayes replies.
Finney was taken to Akron General Medical Center. He died within the hour. An autopsy on Wednesday showed he was shot multiple times in the torso. The death has been ruled a homicide.
Akron police are investigating the shooting, but there is no indication that Hayes, who has been questioned by investigators, acted unlawfully. It was the fourth robbery at the shop since 2007.
Police Lt. Rick Edwards said Finney had no felony convictions, but he had been arrested in 2008 and charged with marijuana drug abuse. Finney failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Finney's mother, Patricia, lives six blocks south of Buchtel High School on Winton Avenue, but a neighbor said that Patrick Finney had lived with his grandmother until she died a few years ago. Efforts to reach other family members for comment were unsuccessful.
An acquaintance of Finney, Kenneth Amos, 20, of Akron, was arrested after the shooting and charged with tampering with evidence. He had items that belonged to Finney, Edwards said. Police would not say whether the items were connected to the robbery.
Hayes said the neighborhood reaction to the shooting has been troubling. A woman stood outside his shop taking pictures, for no apparent reason. Others have called and hung up. Business was slow Wednesday afternoon.
His delivery drivers are concerned about retaliation. He said he carries a weapon, with a concealed carry permit and regular shooting practice, to avoid being a victim. He cited the recent case of the North Hill man shot in a carjacking as reason for his fear of being shot during a robbery.
(More)
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, OH
3/24/09
Mt. Auburn, Ohio
From WCPO of March 24, 2009
Would-Be Robber Ends Up As Shooting Victim
A would-be thief ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound after a failed robbery attempt in Mt. Auburn overnight.
Police say the would-be robber, 20-year-old Anthony Walker of Corryville, approached two men at a home in the 120 block of Malvern Place and threatened them with a gun.
One of the men, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, reportedly shot Walker during the altercation.
Both of the intended victims then drove to the Cincinnati Police District One station and reported the incident.
Rescue crews transported Walker to University Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the chest. He is now facing charges of aggravated robbery.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, OH
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
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of March 24, 2009
1 dead, one injured in Miami Burger King shooting
One man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shootout inside a Miami Burger King on Tuesday, officials said.
Police said a man wearing a ski mask walked into the store at Biscayne Boulevard and 54th Street and demanded money from a clerk.
A customer, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled a gun, said Officer Jeff Giordano, a Miami police spokesman.
The customer and robber exchanged fire.
The robber was shot dead at the scene.
The customer, who had several gunshot wounds, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in serious but stable condition, said Lt. Ignatius Carroll, a Miami Fire Rescue spokesman.
At about 4 p.m., officials got several 911 calls reporting people shot inside the Burger King.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, defender shot, FL
3/16/09
Bristol Township, Pennsylvania
From the Times of Trenton of March 13, 2009
Clerk shoots robbery suspect
A knife-wielding robber who entered the Windsor Pharmacy on Wednesday night was taken down by a store clerk using a handgun, police said.
Matthew Perry, a 21-year-old Middletown Township resident, allegedly went into the pharmacy just after 8:30 p.m., displayed a knife, and demanded the pill oxycontin. Police said he began to struggle with a store clerk who resisted him.
A second store clerk, who had a valid permit to carry a weapon, pulled out a handgun and fired one shot at Perry, hitting him in the arm and chest, according to police. Police said Perry fell to the floor, and was taken to a local hospital by the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad.
Perry is being guarded by Bristol Township Police, and will be charged pending a review by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office after his release.
**Account originally posted under "New Jersey" due to the source, but it has since been pointed out that Bristol Township is in Pennsylvania.**
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, PA
3/12/09
Irmo, South Carolina
From March 8, 2009 WSPA channel 7:
Also in the March 8, 2009 South Carolina State:Irmo - A suspected robber is dead after officials say a pizza man shot him in during the robbery.
Lexington County Sheriff James Metts says Saturday night, four men ordered pizza to a house on Avery Place Lane with the intent of robbing whomever delivered it. None of the four lived there and officials say the homeowner did not realize his home was being used for a robbery.
Pizza Hut delivery man, 43-year-old Christopher Miller, says he showed up at the home at 10:30 p.m. and 17-year-old Paul Sturgill was standing on the sidewalk waiting for him. Officials say soon after Miller got out of the car, two other men ran at him from the woods.
When Miller started running away, that’s when authorities say Sturgill continually tried beating him in the face. Miller, who has a concealed weapons permit, says he pulled out .45 caliber handgun that he had in his fanny pack and shot Sturgill in his chest.
Sturgill was taken to the hospital where he later died.
The three other suspects ran and officials are still looking for one of the men.
He’s 18-year-old Justin Roundtree. Metts says he’s wanted for robbery and criminal conspiracy. Roundtree is a member of a criminal gang and is 5-foot-5 and weighs 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
An Irmo pizza delivery man ambushed by a group of young men shot and killed one of his assailants, an Irmo High School senior, late Saturday, causing the others to flee, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said this afternoon.Alleged robber Paul Andrew Sturgill Jr., 17, of Kenna Drive near Irmo, was pronounced dead of at least one gunshot wound later at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Sheriff James Metts said. An autopsy will be performed Monday.
Relatives and neighbors expressed shock over the death of Sturgill, whom they said had been an honor student and musician. His family said he planned to join the Army, with a goal of becoming an airborne ranger, after graduating from Irmo High School this year.
The family showed photos of a tall, slender, clean-cut young man.
The pizza delivery man, Christopher Steven Miller, 43, had a concealed weapons permit and was trying to retreat from the suspects while being beaten by one attacker, Metts said.
At this point, Metts said, it appears that Miller acted within the law and will not face any charges. However, police have made no final decisions and will discuss the incident with prosecutors, he said.
One of the suspected robbers, Justin Towan Roundtree, 18, of Emery Lane near Irmo, left the scene but turned himself in around 9:15 p.m. tonight, the sheriff's department said. He is charged with robbery and criminal conspiracy. Roundtree is suspected of having a connection to a gang, Metts said. Metts did not have details.
The dead youth, Sturgill, supposedly had a good reputation and people whom detectives are interviewing are surprised that he might have been involved in a robbery, Metts said.
Metts said the incident happened about 10:30 p.m. on Avery Place Lane near Irmo, near Irmo High School off St. Andrews Road. An order had been called in to Pizza Hut on Irmo Drive for two large, thin-crust pizzas with extra cheese for delivery to a house on Avery Lane. However, when Miller showed up with the pizzas, he was met by a young man outside the house to whom he was delivering the pizza, Miller told detectives.
In fact, Metts said, the suspects had called the order in on a cell phone. The people who lived in the house had no knowledge of the pizza request, Metts said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, pizza delivery driver, SC
2/19/09
Yakima, Washington
From the January 22, 2009 Tri-City Herald:
YAKIMA -- A robbery suspect was shot dead by an armed civilian late Monday, the first incident of justifiable homicide city police said they could recall in recent memory.
Franklin McWain, 33, died at a hospital from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. An autopsy was performed Tuesday.
A police news release said the shooting occurred in the 800 block of North Second Street about 11 p.m. Monday.
According to the release, a 27-year-old Yakima man told officers he was waiting outside a residence for a friend when he was approached by McWain.
The man, identified as Michael Valadez, 27, said McWain struck him on the head with a stick and demanded money. Valadez told police he was struck several more times before firing two shots at McWain. Valadez had a valid concealed weapons permit.
Valadez ran from the area and flagged down a passing police officer. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of a head wound and a broken left arm.
The release said police found evidence at the scene that backed up the man's story.
He has not been charged with a crime. The case is being referred to the Yakima County prosecutor.
McWain was a longtime Yakima resident whose criminal history included six felonies, police said.
Court records show he was found guilty of charges related to eluding, theft and drugs, among other offenses.
Labels: concealed carry permit, street robbery, WA
Wellington, Florida
From the February 16, 2009 South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
WELLINGTON - One man is dead and a couple is left shaken after a home-invasion robbery turned deadly early Monday.
The intruder wound up dead after he was shot by Heath Miller, 34, a popular music teacher at Howell L. Watkins MIddle School. The dead man is identified as Robert Rishard Tomlin, 22.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesman Pete Palenzuela, Tomlin entered the home Miller was renting through a back sliding-glass door at about at approximately 1:50 a.m. Miller told authorities he saw the silhouette of an individual with a handgun coming through the bedroom door and fired.
Miller and his wife Mirelle were quite shaken and were staying with his parents, said his mother Harma Miller, a former Belle Glade mayor who served for 14 years as a city commissioner.
...
Miller had concealed weapons permits from 1999 to 2003, according to records, which are no longer public.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, residence burglary
1/24/09
Dallas, Texas
From January 21, 2009 Fox News channel 4:
DALLAS -- A 17-year-old burglary suspect ended up shot to death late Wednesday morning when he confronted a man with a gun in an east Oak Cliff home
Dallas police say Gabriel Flores allegedly kicked in the door of a home in the 300 block of Hobson St. He was still inside when the 51-year-old son of the elderly homeowners came by to drop off a newspaper.
The son, who has a concealed handgun license and was carrying his weapon, confronted Flores. Police say Flores drew his own weapon and fired at the son as he fled the house. The son returned fire and struck Flores once.
Flores died later at the hospital. The case will be referred to a grand jury. The homeowners were not at home during the shooting, and no one else was hurt.
Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TX
Houston, Texas
From the January 20, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
A woman accused of shooting a man with a bow and arrow at her father's workplace before being shot by two civilians and a Houston police officer has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Julie Parker, 33, was listed in fair condition at Ben Taub General Hospital today with several gunshot wounds suffered in the Monday afternoon incident.
Police and witnesses said that Parker shot Armando Silva in the chest with a hunting bow and arrow after she entered the offices of Texas Components Corp. in northwest Houston.
Silva, 49, was reported in good condition at Ben Taub today.
Police are still trying to determine the motive for the incident. Officers said the violence erupted after Parker came into the office in the 1600 block of West Sam Houston Parkway with a hunting bow and arrows and what appeared to be a handgun about 3 p.m. Monday.
Her father works there and was in the building at the time, police said, but it was not clear whether she was looking for him.
After walking into the company's micro-electronics division, Parker shot Silva with an arrow and then pointed the apparent gun at two other employees, police said.
Those employees, who are licensed to carry concealed handguns, fired "numerous" shots at Parker, hitting her several times, investigators said.
Parker dropped her pistol, which later was found not to be a real gun, and retreated to an office with the bow and arrow, officers said. Workers at nearby businesses took cover and called police.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, TX
1/12/09
Hammond, Indiana
From the Northwest Indiana Times of January 12, 2009
Police: Man shoots, kills suspect in Hammond robbery attemptFrom the Northwest Indiana Times of January 12, 2009
An attempted robbery early Sunday morning turned fatal for one of the suspects, police said.
A 38-year-old man and his girlfriend were exiting their sport-utility vehicle in the parking lot of McTavern's bar in the 7400 block of Indianapolis Boulevard when two people attempted to rob the couple, according to a Hammond police news release.
Another person is believed to have been an accomplice in the attempted robbery, Police Chief Brian Miller said.
The owner of the vehicle took a handgun from the SUV and shot one of the suspects in the chest, the release states. The shooting victim died at the scene before Hammond Fire Department personnel could provide further treatment and he could get to a hospital.
Kenneth Denson, 17, of the 600 block of East 131st Street in Chicago, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:30 a.m., a Lake County coroner's office spokeswoman said Sunday.
The second robbery suspect and an accomplice fled from the scene in a vehicle and traveled north on Indianapolis Boulevard into East Chicago, where they crashed and police apprehended them. Miller said an illegal narcotic drug was found in the vehicle.
Police said the investigation continues. The man who shot Denson has cooperated with police and has turned over his handgun.
Charges could be filed today against the other two suspects in custody, Miller said.
In September, a 40-year-old Gary man, Eric Lowe, was shot and killed outside of McTavern's following a dispute. Lowe was a security worker for the bar.
Police: Statements support self defense claim in fatal shooting
Hammond police believe a man who shot and killed a would-be robber outside of a bar there early Sunday legitimately acted in self defense.
Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said the 38-year-old Gary man was released after providing a statement to police about the incident.
"We do believe that his version of the story is true and credible," Miller said, adding that the man had a valid license to carry the weapon and purchased it legally.
Statements from witnesses to the attempted robbery and shooting assisted as well, he said.
"We had some outstanding participation by witnesses," Miller said.
(More)
Labels: concealed carry permit, IN, minor offender, street robbery
1/10/09
Orlando, Florida
From WESH of January 9, 2009
Police: Man Shoots, Kills Armed Robber At Car Wash
A car wash customer in Orange County shot and killed a man he said was trying to rob him on Friday.
The shooting happened at Mr. Big's Super Car Wash off Orange Blossom Trail.
"During this attempted robbery, the victim, who holds a concealed weapons permit, pulled out his weapon and fired shots into the bad guy," said Orange County Sheriff's Office Commander Paul Hopkins.
The alleged robber was shot in a car wash stall. He ran about 50 feet and fell near some orange cones.
Hopkins said the shooter was washing his car when two men approached him. He said one had a sawed-off shotgun.
Hopkins said that modus operandi fits a series of recent holdups.
"We've responded to about five robberies in the last week where these have been similar types of events, the sawed-off shotguns," Hopkins said.
Hopkins said the most recent shooting at the car wash appears to be similar to an incident in Ocoee, where a man shot a robber who was beating a store clerk.
"For the bad guys out there, you never know who you're dealing with," Hopkins said. "When you go out to commit this crime, you might be the one who's lying dead in the parking lot."
Investigators said there were two suspects. One died in the parking lot and the other is still on the run.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
12/19/08
Fort Smith, Arkansas
From December 17, 2008 KFSM channel 5:
FORT SMITH - She's a woman who knows how to protect herself as two men who tried to rob her found out. What they didn't know was the woman is licensed to carry a concealed weapon...and yes, she was packing heat.
"A lady was flagged over Sunday evening about 6 p.m. on the interstate between Kelley Highway and the Arkansas river bridge." Lt. Steve Coppinger with State Police says that two men in a car signaled that the woman was getting a flat tire.
"When she pulled over to check her tires one of those person in that other car got out and attempted to rob her at knife point."
But what the thief didn't expect happened next. Coppinger says the female driver pulled out her handgun.
"She pointed that at her attacker and he backed away, got in the car and they fled."
Investigators say the would-have-been victim was able to turn the tables because she had a concealed carry permit. State police are keeping some details of the investigation close to their vest so they will know when they get the right guys. Right now, officials are saying they believe this to be an isolated incident.
Additional commentary at Weathering the Broken Links.
Labels: AR, concealed carry permit, female, street robbery
12/11/08
Worcester, Massachusetts
From the Boston Globe of December 11, 2008
Clerk shoots, kills masked man during Worcester holdup
A liquor store clerk shot and killed an alleged armed robber in Worcester last night, firing at a masked man several times when he pulled a handgun during a holdup, police said.
The alleged robber -- Evan Louis Rivera, 40 -- was pronounced dead at a hospital 45 minutes after the shooting. When the clerk opened fire, Rivera's accomplice ran and remains at large, police said. The clerk who shot the robber was interviewed by police and has not been charged.
The two masked men entered Big Bob's Liquors on Richmond Avenue at 9:59 p.m., police said in a statement describing the shooting. One of the men pulled a handgun and pointed it "directly at one of the two store clerks then on duty," the statement says.
One of the store clerks pulled his own gun and shot the alleged robber several times, police said. The clerk's name was not released because he has not been charged with a crime. Police said he was cooperative and is properly licensed to possess and carry firearms.
After the shooting, police launched a "large-scale area search" for the second robbery suspect that included State Police dogs. Detectives believe that the two masked men may have been responsible for a string of similar robberies in the region, according to Sergeant Kerry F. Hazelhurst.
From the Boston Channel of February 6, 2009
Storeowner Who Killed Robber Not Charged
The owner of Big Bob’s Liquors will not be charged in the death of a man who was shot while attempting to rob the store at gunpoint in December, according to Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
“A thorough review of the investigation and evidence has revealed that the storeowner acted in self-defense and in the defense of another,” Early said. “He and his brother were put in fear for their lives.”
Two men entered Big Bob’s store at 4 Richmond Ave. at about 10 p.m. on Dec. 10. At least one of the men pointed a handgun directly at a store clerk behind the counter. The storeowner, who was nearby, pulled out his own gun and shot one of the would-be robbers several times. The other man fled the store and remains at large.
Evan L. Rivera, 40, was pronounced dead later that night at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MA
11/25/08
New Bedford, Massachusetts
From the South Coast Today of November 25, 2008
Clerk with handgun turns tide on would-be robber
Police said Tyrone Lamb, 26, of New Bedford was armed with a knife when he tried to rob a clerk at a North End convenience store last weekend.
Big mistake.
Around 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Mr. Lamb allegedly walked into the Petro Mart at 171 Coggeshall St.
The suspect wore a gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head. He asked for a pack of cigarettes but did not take out cash. He kept his hands in his pockets and skulked around the store.
The clerk, Antoine Khalife, knew something was going to happen.
"I had a bad feeling," said Mr. Khalife, a Petro Mart employee for seven years. "He was really suspicious."
The suspect walked to the counter and pulled a switchblade from his pocket. He held it to Mr. Khalife's face and demanded money, according to police reports.
Unfazed, the clerk stepped back from the counter.
"I was waiting for him," he said.
Instead of opening his register, Mr. Khalife drew a .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun from a holster hidden in his coat. The tables had turned as the clerk ordered the man to drop his knife.
"I don't think he was expecting that," Mr. Khalife said. "His face lit up like a Christmas tree. His eyes were about three times their size."
The suspect backed off and said, "I'm sorry." He turned around and ran out of the store.
Mr. Khalife said he followed the suspect outside and yelled at the man as he entered his getaway car.
Meanwhile, a man scratching lottery tickets inside a nearby parked car looked outside his window and saw Mr. Khalife walking outside the store, holding a handgun, court records said.
Mr. Khalife saw the suspect leaving in a green Mercury Sable. He noted the vehicle's license plate number and called police. Later, he reflected on the suspect's brazenness.
"The thing that threw me off was that this happened in broad daylight," he said. "People were on the street and pumping their gas. But he didn't care."
Police tracked the suspect's license plate to a Roswell Street residence. Relatives there told police that Mr. Lamb drove the vehicle, according to police reports.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Lamb after Mr. Khalife identified him from a photo array as the robbery suspect, court records said.
Mr. Khalife has a valid license to possess the handgun, police said.
"You can't confuse vigilance with vigilantism," New Bedford police spokesman Lt. Jeffrey P. Silva said.
"This was a lawful gun owner who, when confronted with deadly force, responded to save his life and, in the end, helped us to solve a crime."
Mr. Lamb turned himself in to police Sunday. He told detectives he did not rob the convenience store. He later asked police to explain the legal differences between attempted and actual armed robbery, and if he would serve more time in jail, court records said.
Mr. Lamb has a prior robbery conviction, police said. He was arraigned Monday on charges of armed assault with intent to rob, attempt to commit a crime and assault by a dangerous weapon.
He was held on $7,500 cash bail and ordered to return to court Dec. 22 for a probable cause hearing.
[Emphasis added]
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MA
11/15/08
Edinberg, Texas
From The Monitor of November 10, 2008
Attempted carjacker gets shot
The clerk warned Alejandro Salinas about the suspicious men who had been hanging out in front of the convenience store for the past hour.
He told Salinas to be careful as he went back out to his Chevrolet Z-71 pickup truck, that he had just filled at the Aziz Convenience Store about 11 a.m. Saturday.
Salinas walked out to his truck and hopped in.
But before he could close the door, 18-year-old Hector Severo Ramos was holding a .25-caliber pistol at Salinas' neck, said Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño.
"He says ‘Get out of the truck. I'm going to take it and I'm going to kill you," Treviño said of Ramos.
Salinas told the gunman to calm down; they could work things out.
Then he pushed Ramos' pistol away, pulled out his own pistol and fired two 9 mm bullets into Ramos' chest.
Ramos fired once into the air and his arms fell onto Salinas.
The two men tumbled to the pavement as blood spilled from Ramos' chest.
Three men who were with Ramos took off from the convenience store at Texas Highway 107 and Alamo Road in a brown Chevrolet Impala, deputies said.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and emergency crews rushed Ramos to McAllen Medical Center, where he died upon arrival.
Salinas had a license to carry a concealed firearm and a clean criminal record, Treviño said.
Ramos, a U.S. citizen who lived in South Alamo, had been arrested for giving a false report to a police officer, aggravated robbery, theft and engaging in organized criminal activity, Treviño said.
Ramos may have been involved with a local gang or attempting to start a new one, Treviño said.
Deputies continue to look for the three men who were with Ramos before he was shot. They could face murder and aggravated robbery charges, Treviño said.
"If they fled knowing (Ramos) was dying at the scene and they were all responsible for the commission of this felony, then they could be held liable for that," Treviño said.
Meanwhile, the sheriff said he would likely not pursue criminal charges against Salinas, who told deputies he killed Ramos in self-defense.
"This is not a murder," Treviño said. "This is a justifiable homicide."
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, TX
10/31/08
Plantation, Florida
From the Miami Herald of November 1, 2008
Dog bites man; man shoots at dog
A Labrador mix had its tail nicked by a bullet after the dog attacked a man in a Plantation neighborhood on Wednesday, according to Plantation police.
The man had a concealed weapons permit, said police spokesman Detective Robert Rettig.
The confrontation happened shortly after 3 p.m. in the 10100 block of Southwest Third Street.
The man was walking down a driveway to the street when the dog attacked him, Rettig said.
So the man fired a shot at the dog, nicking its tail.
The man suffered a minor dog bite. The dog had an injured tail. Both are expected to recover.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, FL
Topeka, Kansas
From WIBW of October 29, 2008
Liquor Store Clerk Holds Shoplifter at Gunpoint
A store clerk is earning praise from some in the community for holding a would-be shoplifter at gunpoint until police arrived.
CJ said she became suspicious when two men in their 20's came into the store shortly before 7p.m. Tuesday, and headed straight for a corner of the store and talked about not having much money.
"They realized I was watching them the entire time they were in here," said CJ, who did not want to give her last name. "They went and picked up a half gallon of Kentucky Deluxe."
CJ said the two brought the bottle up to the counter and she rang it up. One of the men took off his shoe, looking for money. "His buddy was standing by him and grabbed the bottle and bolted out the door," CJ said.
CJ said she had another customer in line lock the door. She grabbed the phone and her gun and called police. CJ said the man seemed surprised when she held him at gunpoint. "He looked dumbfounded. I don't think he realized I would be carrying a gun."
CJ said the two men had a vehicle on the west side of the store, which is where the first ran after taking the bottle. She said the man she held inside the store was cooperative with police.
"One got away; I wasn't gonna let the other get away. He went to jail instead."
Officials say CJ did nothing illegal. "The supervisor that worked the scene out there felt that she was justified and within the confines of the law," said Capt. Jerry Stanley, Topeka Police Department.
Stanley said it's important for people with conceal and carry permits like CJ, know when to expose the weapon.
"In this case we're looking at under $20 worth of merchandise and a loaded firearm pointed at a person," said Stanley. "Want to make sure they're properly trained and have proper judgment."
CJ said a gun may not be for everyone, but people with jobs like her's should take precautions to protect themselves. "Take self-defense classes. Go through the training. Go through conceal and carry classes if you choose to carry a gun. Learn how to use it. Learn when to use it," CJ advises. "Just be safe."
CJ received her conceal and carry license in July 2007 and says she carries it with her at all times. "We have to protect what's ours and not let them walk all over the top of us. Next time they might not be so lucky to walk out."
Police and CJ agree the situation had a positive outcome. "This situation definitely worked its way out and came to a positive conclusion," said Capt. Stanley.
"If it happens again, hopefully, it turns out like it did last night and the guy goes to jail instead of going to the morgue," said CJ. "The police officers can't be everywhere at the same time and it's up to the community to help them do their job, and that's putting the bad guys in jail."
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, female, KS
10/23/08
Lufkin, Texas
From Fox News of October 23, 2008
Pizza Delivery Man Shoots, Fends Off Would-Be Robbers
A pizza delivery man who was taking an order to a house in East Texas pulled out a gun and opened fire on two would-be robbers, police said.
One of the alleged robbers was hospitalized after getting shot in the back, Lufkin police said. The Papa John's pizza delivery man, who's licensed to carry a handgun, wasn't hurt.
The shooting was Tuesday night, after the delivery man walked up to a house and rang a doorbell, Lufkin police said. It turned out the house was vacant and two armed men approached him from the side of the house, The Lufkin Daily News reported Thursday. The delivery man drew a .22 caliber Derringer and fired two shots, and the assailants ran away, police said.
It appears unlikely the delivery man will face any charges since he "was defending himself at the time of the shooting," Lufkin Police Lt. David Young said.
A call placed to the restaurant and a call to the chain's corporate headquarters in Louisville, Ky., weren't immediately returned Thursday.
Police said Johnx R. Greer, 18, was arrested at a hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the back. He's been charged with aggravated robbery and was being held in the Angelina County Jail on a $100,000 bond. His attorney, John Tunnell, did not return a call Thursday.
Labels: concealed carry permit, pizza delivery driver, TX
10/16/08
Oildale, California
From Bakersfield Now of October 9, 2008
Man shoots dog while under attack
A man who shot a dog Thursday in Oildale was under attack at the time, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
Elmer Walker, 72, was walking on the 700 block of the north alley of Woodrow Avenue when two pit bulls pushed open a gate where they lived and attacked the man, sheriff's officials said.
Walker hit one of the dogs with a stick and shot the other dog with a .22 revolver he's permitted to carry, causing the dogs the retreat to their home.
Walker wasn't hurt, and the condition of the dog who was shot in the jaw was unknown.
The dog's owner, Arnold Coon II, said he feels the dog's were provoked, and he said the dogs don't have a history of violent behavior.
Kern County Animal Control Services Department took custody of the dogs and is conducting an investigation.
Labels: animal, CA, concealed carry permit, senior
10/11/08
Buffalo, New York
From the October 11, 2008 Buffalo News:
A pizza deliveryman fought off three robbers at gunpoint and shot one of them in the back Thursday night, police say.
The deliveryman, who works for Tomatoes Pizza on Kensington Avenue, walked up to the house in the 400 block of Dartmouth Avenue and was confronted by the three would-be robbers, police said. At least one of the bandits had a gun.
The deliveryman, whose name has not been released, works for the same pizza shop where another deliveryman was fatally wounded during a robbery on New Years Eve 16 years ago.
No charges have been filed in the overnight shooting and attempted robbery, as detectives continue to investigate.
Buffalo police say the deliveryman was not injured.
"He has a permit for the gun, and he apparently used it lawfully to defend himself," Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said at mid-morning.
Police also have not identified the 15-year-old male who was shot once in the back during Thursday night's robbery attempt.
Following the shooting, which occurred at about 9:45 p.m., the three attempted robbers fled to nearby Shirley Avenue, where at least one of them apparently lives. The wounded teen was taken from there to Erie County Medical Center, where police said he's in stable condition.
Labels: concealed carry permit, NY, pizza delivery driver, street robbery
9/24/08
Kansas City, Missouri
From KCTV of September 24, 2008
Police: Would-Be Robber Shot
A clerk at a 7-Eleven stood up to a robber, police said, and shot him dead.
An 18-year-old man was attempting to rob the convenience store near East 27th Street and Van Brunt Boulevard at gunpoint when one of the two clerks in the store pulled out his own gun and shot the man, police said.
When officers arrived at the store, which is across the street from a police station, they found the teen dead behind the counter, shot once in the neck.
"It is fairly unusual for us to have problems here, but convenience stores are one of those targets of opportunity, especially late at night. There were two clerks working at the time. One had on a uniform, one did not. The one that actually ended up doing the shooting was the one who was not in a uniform, but it is rather ironic to have something like this happen in such proximity to a police station," said Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department.
The man who was shot was carrying a gun, police said. And they said the clerk who had a gun had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MO
9/5/08
Lufkin, Texas
From August 20, 2008 KTRE channel 9:
At 10:36 Sunday night, restaurant manager Katie Jeffreys left Catfish King with the night deposit after closing up.
Her boyfriend, Keith Labrozzi, had come to pick her up and their next stop was the bank. But they never made it. A robber surprised them with gunfire in the parking lot.
"Mr. Labrozzi had a concealed handgun permit and he was armed. He exchanged gunfire with the suspect. Mr. Labrozzi had several gunshot wounds and died a short time later at the hospital," says LT. David Young with the Lufkin Police.
Young says Labrozzi fired at the suspect, 19-year-old Brian Martin Womack of Hudson, hitting him in the stomach.
Katie Jeffreys was shot in the foot, but managed to crawl under her SUV and call 911 before trying to give her boyfriend CPR.
Labels: concealed carry permit, defender killed, street robbery, TX
8/28/08
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
From the Pocono Record of August 28, 2008
Alleged teen robber shot by Wal-Mart shopper
It's a night time shopper's nightmare. You buy groceries, go to your car, and someone tries to rob you at gunpoint.
Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when Reneau Jean Jacques, 17, of 77 Symphony Circle, East Stroudsburg, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money.
Eastman looked around for help or someone to yell to. The alleged robber continued to demand money. Eastman replied that he did not have any money - that he used a debit card to pay for his purchases.
Jacques became more threatening, pointing the gun and using a more menacing tone of voice.
Eastman then took out his wallet and pushed the door of his truck more open to put it between himself and the suspect. Jacques pointed his gun at Eastman's face.
Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the car window to cut his face.
Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon.
Eastman shot Jacques in the lower leg and foot. Then Eastman ran back toward the store as the teen fled towards Friendly's restaurant.
Jacques fled into a landscaped island of bushes and trees in the parking lot. Stroud Area Regional Police were on the scene almost immediately and found him hiding and trying to bury a handgun in the mulch. He originally claimed to be a victim before police determined he was likely the one who started the trouble.
"It appears to be an armed robbery that went badly for the suspect because he picked an armed customer," said Sgt. James Wielgus.
On Thursday afternoon, Jacques, using crutches and wearing a long hospital gown over hospital pants, sat with a numb look on his face during his preliminary arraignment in East Stroudsburg Magisterial District Judge Michael Muth’s courtroom. Jacques, a Shawnee Academy student with a prior juvenile record, spoke in a subdued tone when addressed by the judge.
Jacques is charged as an adult with attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, crimes committed with guns and illegal possession of a gun, all felonies, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. He hung his head and sighed after the judge told him he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, attempted murder.
Jacques was taken to Pocono Medical Center for treatment. Police detained two other youths for questioning. They were in a car, trying to flee the scene, according to witnesses and police.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, PA, street robbery
8/26/08
West Hempstead, NY
From the August 26, 2008 Newsday:
Two assailants picked on the wrong guy when they confronted a man exiting his car in his driveway in West Hempstead on Monday night, police said.
The 35-year-old homeowner, who owns a check-cashing business in the city, was armed -- carrying his licensed Glock 9-mm pistol.
When one of the assailants fired at the man, he fired back. No one was hit by the gunfire on Oakford Street before the pair fled.
Labels: concealed carry permit, NY, street robbery
8/13/08
Galion, Ohio
From NBC4 of August 13, 2008
Man Fights Would-Be Robbers In Ambush
A Galion man agreed to meet someone in Lancaster to buy some construction equipment, but it was all a set-up to a robbery.
The prospective customer was told to meet the seller on an area of desolate land in Lancaster to buy a Bobcat -- a type of construction equipment, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.
Shortly after arriving, the man was walking across the field when someone approached him from the left, cursed at him and pointed a gun at him.
"There was a verbal agreement of $7,000 cash for the Bobcat and the (customer) showed up with the cash and found out it was actually a robbery -- ambush," said Sgt. Mike Peters, of Lancaster police.
But, the customer was prepared -- and had a concealed carry permit and two guns.
He unloaded one gun on the robbers and then started with the second gun.
The robbers returned fire, and it is believed that one of them was shot.
"He was in fear for his life. He felt that he was going to be shot and killed and he actually did pull his gun and shot several times at the robber," Peters said.
No arrests have been made, but a man with a gunshot wound at The Ohio State University Medical Center is a suspect.
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers told NBC 4 that taking large amounts of cash to someone unknown is never a good idea -- and customers should never go alone.
From the Lancaster Eagle Gazette of August 13, 2008
Shots fired at Lancaster quarry
Lancaster police are looking for a man who allegedly tried to rob another man during a business transaction in a quarry Tuesday.
Nathan R. Zeger, 27, of Galion, was meeting an individual to purchase a Bobcat around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday in the quarry in the 800 block of South Ewing Street, according to a Lancaster Police report.
There are no houses or businesses next to or across from the site.
As Zeger approached a white male dressed in black, another male wearing a black ski mask approached from Zeger's left and told Zeger to get down while pointing a black handgun at him.
Zeger dropped to the ground and pulled his .38 caliber handgun and shot six times at the male in the ski mask. The man in the ski mask fired three shots at Zeger in the exchange, according to the report.
Zeger has an Ohio Concealed Carry Weapon license. Zeger was not injured in the incident. The police report did not specify whether the man in the ski mask was injured in the exchange.
Zeger fled the quarry to South Ewing Street, where he was when Lancaster Police Detective E.L. Eggleston arrived at the scene. The detective's bureau did respond and the area was canvassed, according to the report.
Zeger said he saw the suspect leave the scene in a black Nissan type vehicle with an Ohio temporary tag on the rear "at a high rate of speed" heading southbound on South Ewing, according to the report. It did not detail what became of the man Zeger was meeting to purchase the Bobcat.
The Lancaster Police Detectives are working with the Hocking County Sheriff's Office, the Logan Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Identification and Investigation to locate the suspect, the vehicle and the firearm.
If anyone has information about the incident, they are asked to call the Lancaster Police Department at 740-687-6680.
Labels: concealed carry permit, OH, street robbery
8/3/08
Kansas City, Missouri
From the August 2, 2008 Kansas City Star:
A bank customer shot another man who apparently was attempting to rob him about 9 a.m. today, police said.
The alleged robber, who was wounded in the head, this afternoon is in stable condition, police said.
A man and a woman, described as an older couple, were using the ATM at the Bank of America at North Oak Trafficway and Barry Road, police said, when a man approached with a gun and robbed them.
A couple was stopped at the ATM.
The robber was walking away when the male victim got out of the car with his gun and yelled for him to stop, said Sgt. Chris Lantz of the department’s robbery unit.
The robber turned around and pointed his gun at the man, Lantz said. The robbery victim fired his gun, hitting the robber in the head, he said.
At the scene investigators earlier today investigators were collecting evidence from a dark sedan parked next to the ATM machine. An object that looked like a hand gun was lying on the pavement. Nearby were apparent blood stains.
The couple and witnesses were interviewed by police.
The man had a permit to carry a concealed gun, Lantz said. Under the circumstances, Lantz said, that would not matter, because he could legally carry the weapon in his car.
It is unusual where a robbery victim defends themselves with a fire arm.
“You don’t see that very often,” Lantz said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, KS, street robbery
7/9/08
Salt Lake City, Utah
From July 9, 2008 KSL-TV:
A bullet fired on a Salt Lake City street at lunchtime killed a man. Now we're learning the gun may have been fired in self-defense.The shooting happened during a confrontation between two men near 1400 South and West Temple. Witnesses say 47-year-old Mike James May, a transient in the area, began yelling at people who were sitting outside Mama's Southern Plantation restaurant.
The witnesses say May took a swing at the customers, threatened them and a security guard and then reached inside his jacket or backpack. That's when the security guard pulled out his concealed weapon and fired. That single shot, which hit the May in the torso, was fatal.Mark Cazares, co-owner of Mama's Southern Plantation, believes it's a case of self-defense. "For him [the security guard] to defend himself this way, he had to feel his life was in danger. He, once again, he was a Vietnam vet, so he's had to deal with weapons and things before. I'm sure this was a life-threatening situation to him," he said.
...
Police say the security guard has been very cooperative with them and, as of about a half hour ago, they have decided not to book him. They say they will meet with the district attorney very soon to discuss the case.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, private security, UT
7/5/08
Nashville, Tennessee
From WBIR of July 4, 2008
Nashville robbery ends when restaurant manager shoots suspect
Two men tried to rob an Nashville Sonic restaurant, but an assistant manager pulled out a gun and fired shots, causing the suspects to flee. Police believe that one or both of the suspects was wounded.
Metro police Capt. Michele Donegan said that at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday, two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, went inside the Sonic at 1410 Robinson Road, in Old Hickory. Several employees were at the restaurant, and numerous customers were at the tables outside and at the drive-ups. The armed suspect showed the gun. The assistant manager then pulled out a gun and fired several shots, Donegan said. The two men fled out the door without firing. Police are still looking for them.
After police arrived on the scene, they followed a blood trail leading across the parking and ending at a car wash. Police think that there was probably a third person with a car that they fled in. Police searched the wooded area behind the car wash using the canine and helicopter units to be sure.
No employees or customers were hurt.
The assistant manager has a carry permit, according to police.
Police are following up on some leads in the incident, which happened in the Hermitage Precinct.
Detailed descriptions of the suspects were not available early Friday morning. "It happened very quickly ... It was extremely fast," Donegan said.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TN
6/18/08
Jeffersonville, Indiana
From WAVE3 of June 17, 2008
Road rage shooting being called self-defense
Police are calling it a case of violent road rage after a man is shot at a Jeffersonville, Indiana intersection. WAVE 3's Scott Harvey reports on the incident that happened at the corner of Allison Lane and 10th Street around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
It is a case of road rage with a twist. Detectives working the case tell us the shooter hasn't been charged, because it appears to be a case of self defense.
It's not the sort of thing you normally see on your commute home from work.
"People were standing in the parking lot. Nobody was doing anything, but talking on cell phones, so I told my girlfriend I was going to walk over and see what was going on," said Robert Bagshaw. "As I got closer the guy was talking about he'd been shot."
Investigators say it started as an altercation between a man riding a motorcycle and a woman driving a SUV behind him.
"He said they came flying up on him when he was getting ready to turn," said Bagshaw. "So he slowed down on his turn, next thing you know they rolled up a little bit more. They had a few words. He jumped off his bike."
"She never got out of the vehicle and that is where the shooting occurred," said Det. Todd Hollis with the Jeffersonville Police Department.
Bagshaw says the man had a single gunshot to the chest. He waited with the motorcycle rider until EMS arrived. He told us the man kept talking about the argument at the car.
"Supposedly she thought he had spit at her, but he said his false teeth fell out, so she shot him," explained Bagshaw. "So, I mean, there may be a little more to it than what the other guy is saying of course."
And investigators say there is. No charges have been filed against the woman, because police say at this point it appears to be self-defense.
"Exactly what he said or what his actions were, how threatening they were, will be determined through the investigation," said Det. Hollis.
Det. Hollis told us the woman was completely cooperative. So much so she called 911 from the scene. Police say she does have a permit to carry the snub-nosed .38 caliber revolver used in the shooting.
"It does belong to her," said Det. Hollis. "We ran a check on it to make sure it's wasn't stolen. She does carry it in the car for her protection. She told us that."
Regardless, Det. Hollis says this should be a lesson on how not to deal with road rage.
"If someone cuts you off or if someone acts aggressive on the road, the best thing to do is get away from it," said Det. Hollis. "If they are acting aggressive to a point to where they are dangerous, call police."
The man was taken to University Hospital in Louisville and at last check was in surgery. His condition is unknown at this time.
Police say they will continue to investigate, but ultimately the Clark County Prosecutor's Office will have the final say if charges will be filed.
Labels: concealed carry permit, female, IN, road rage
6/17/08
Fort Wayne, Indiana
From the News Sentinel of June 16, 2008
Man shoots dog that ran out of house at him
Jose Aquila said his pit bull was just trying to protect his 2-year-old when she was shot and killed about 7:40 p.m. Monday.
Aquila said the 6-year-old pit bull, Sapphire, charged out of his house at 4445 Schmucker Drive and began barking at a man who was holding Jose Jr.'s hand to keep him from running into the street. The man, who has a permit to carry a concealed pistol, fired twice from close range, striking Sapphire in the neck and spine and grazing his own toe, according to Aquila.
“She never bit him. She was just kind of warning him to get away,” Aquila said. “She seen a stranger grabbing my son.”
Aquila said before the shooting the man came to his backyard to ask if he owned a missing pit bull roaming the neighborhood. Aquila, who said he was holding Sapphire on a leash with Jose Jr. nearby at the time, said he didn't own the dog, and the man then inquired about the approximately one-month-old puppies Sapphire had.
While Aquila put Sapphire inside the house, Jose Jr. ran in front of the house. Aquila said Sapphire then ran out the front door. Seconds later he heard two shots.
The man told Fort Wayne Police he backpedaled as the dog came charging out of the home, but he fell on his back and the dog started coming for his feet. “I knew (it was going) to bite me, so I pulled out my pistol and shot it twice,” the man said in the report.
Aquila said Sapphire had never bitten anyone and was not normally an aggressive dog. Aquila said police told him the man - whom The News-Sentinel could not reach for comment - will not be charged because he had a right to defend himself. The police report confirmed the man would not be charged.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, IN
5/27/08
Humboldt County, Nevada
From KTVN of May 25, 2008
Three Men Killed in Winnemucca Shooting on Sunday
Deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office are investigating a shooting in Winnemucca early Sunday morning that left three people dead and others injured.
The shooting happened at the Player's Bar & Grill on South Grass Valley Road.
Investigators say a feud between two local families is behind the early-morning shooting inside the bar. Three men from Winnemucca died from gunshot wounds, and two others are in critical condition at the hospital.
Deputies say about 2:25 a.m., 30-year-old Ernesto Villa Gomez walked into the bar and starting shooting. 20-year-old Jose Torres and his 19-year-old brother Margarito Torres were killed. When Villa Gomez was reloading his semi-automatic gun, a man from Reno took out a gun and shot Villa Gomez. That man has a concealed weapons permit.
The unidentified man who shot Villa Gomez is not expected to be charged in this incident; law enforcement call it a justifiable homicide.
Local police, the Sheriff's Office and the Nevada Highway Patrol are preparing for retaliation from one or both of the families, and rumors are already circulating in the small town of Winnemucca. There is a sense of sadness for losing three local men in this violent incident.
The Player's Bar & Grill was full of about 300 people, because a local biker event "Runnemucca" is going on this holiday weekend.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, NV
5/26/08
Houston, Texas
From the May 25, 2008 Houston Chronicle:
A roofer fatally shot a suspected robber Sunday, only minutes after the man shoved a pistol in his back in the parking lot of a southeast Houston town house complex.
Identified by his employer as Juan Ibarra, the roofer was hitching a trailer to his pickup about 9 a.m. when the suspected robber moved up behind him, police said.
Ibarra "was ordered to go around to the cab of the truck and give him his money," said Ramon Cervantes, a Houston police homicide detective.
The man grabbed Ibarra's wallet and cell phone, then began walking away. Police said he stopped after noticing that some cash had fallen to the pavement.
That's when Ibarra pulled out his revolver and fired at least three times, police said.
The man was struck in the left chest area and fell to the ground, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Residents watched Sunday as police placed several evidence markers around the white Ford pickup.
"If it's a robber who got popped, that's his problem," said John Andre, who lives a couple of houses away.
Police said Ibarra has a license to carry a concealed handgun.
The suspected robber, 21, lived in the area, police said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, street robbery, TX
5/19/08
Hampton Crossroads, Tennessee
From News Channel 5 of May 19, 2008
Homeowner Shoots and Kills IntruderFrom the Crossville Chronicle of May 21, 2008
A weekend home invasion has the TBI investigating the dramatic chain of events that led to the shooting of a would-be burglar.
The incident happened in the Hamptons Crossroads area in White County.
Police said would-be burglar, 32-year-old Brian Cook from Crossville, was interrupted by the homeowner.
The homeowner said he received a phone call from his daughter about a strange man in the neighborhood banging on windows.
The homeowner returned to find Cook coming out of his house. When the homeowner confronted Cook, the intruder reached for his gun, but the homeowner shot first - killing Cook.
The White County Sheriff said the homeowner did have a permit to carry a gun and was within his right to protect himself.
No word yet on whether charges will be filed.
Crossville man killed during burglary
A Crossville man was shot and killed by a homeowner last Thursday morning during an apparent burglary, The Expositor newspaper reported.
According to White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe, Bryan Keith Cook, 32, of Crossville, was leaving from a home he had reportedly broken into when he came into contact with the homeowner, Keith Girdley, on the front porch.
The shooting occurred around 9:59 a.m. May 15.
"The guy was on the front porch coming out of the house with some stolen stuff, and Mr. Girdley was on the bottom step," said Shoupe.
The sheriff said Cook asked Girdley, “Can I help you?” and Girdley told him, "this is my house."
When confronted about what he was doing, Cook allegedly pulled a weapon from the back waistband of his pants. Girdley, who was legally armed with a Beretta 9mm handgun, reportedly told Cook several times, "Don’t do it."
According to Shoupe, when the homeowner saw the gun he fired, striking Cook multiple times.
The weapon Cook reportedly had possession of was a 38-caliber pistol, which had allegedly been stolen from the residence. Shoupe said Cook did not fire the stolen weapon, but it was loaded. Reportedly, Girdley fired approximately seven rounds toward the victim.
The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) was called in to assist in the investigation.
Chief White County Deputy Tommy Simmons, detectives Chris Isom, John Ford and Ruben Hormilla, as well as Sgt. David Ward and Blaylock, gathered evidence and processed the scene. TBI agents on the scene were identified as Billy Miller and Dan Friel.
Shoupe said Cook had already piled several items on a chair near the front door when he was confronted by Girdley. Reportedly, Cook had also attempted to break into a neighbor’s house a short time before the shooting.
"There were actually two crime scenes we investigated," said Shoupe. "One was the attempted burglary, and the other was the burglary and shooting location."
Evidence gathered from Cook’s vehicle included a loaded pistol, an unloaded shotgun and several additional items that were reportedly stolen.
Shoupe said officers also found drugs, including marijuana and two spoons with drug residue, possibly meth or coke, and a sleeping bag in the truck.
Cook reportedly had several prior convictions of burglary and aggravated burglary in Cumberland County and he was under investigation in several other counties for burglary, said Shoupe.
Shoupe said at this time, no charges are pending against Girdley.
"He had a permit and was on his own property," said Shoupe. "He is an upstanding citizen of White County, and this has been very hard on him."
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, residence burglary, TN
5/14/08
Gold Beach, Oregon
From the Curry County Reporter of May 14, 2008
Brookings man draws gun in self-defense
The Brookings Police Department hasn't gotten much sleep in the past 24 hours, as a Brookings man drew a gun on multiple individuals on Monday. In a series of recent incidents, Brookings Police Officers have arrested twelve individuals in multiple cases.
On 05-12-08 at about 7:25 p.m., Officers were dispatched to McDonald's restaurant, 815 Chetco Avenue in Brookings, Oregon for a report of a fight between multiple subjects. While in-route to the call, officers were notified one of the individuals involved in the fight was waving a gun.
Police officers arrived on the scene less than one minute later and found Kerry Von Pohle (9/18/1948) pointing a revolver towards Kevin Eber (10/7/1989) and Jacob Shelton (9/5/1988). Officers drew their firearms and commanded Von Pohle to put his weapon down. Von Pohle complied with these commands. An investigation revealed Von Pohle had drawn his gun in self-defense.
Kevin Eber had thrown a partially full beer can, striking Von Pohle's car. Von Pohle asked Eber why and Eber became violent, telling Von Pohle he was going to kill him. During that exchange, Shelton attacked Von Pohle, striking him with closed fists and slamming his head into a parked car.
Von Pohle attempted to fend off the attack but realized Eber was closing in on him as well. Von Pohle drew his concealed 9mm revolver (for which he had a weapon permit) and pointed it at both subjects telling them if they came any closer he would shoot. The suspects stopped their advance. Von Pohle also had called 911 to notify police.
Eber was arrested within minutes and lodged; Shelton had left the scene and was later arrested. Eber was charged with Menacing, and Disorderly Conduct, and Shelton was charged with Assault and Menacing. Both were lodged in the Curry County Jail. Von Pohle was not charged with a crime.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, OR
5/8/08
Boca Raton, Florida
From Local10 of May 8, 2008
Man Shot, Killed Would-Be RobberFrom the Miami Herald of May 8, 2008
No charges have been filed against a Boca Raton jeweler who shot and killed a would-be robber Wednesday afternoon.
Boca Raton police said four men smashed the windows of H&L Wholesale Jewelry storeowner Leon Rozio's sport utility vehicle at the Town Square Plaza. The SUV had more than $100,000 worth of jewelry in it.
Witnesses said Rozio shot and killed one of the men. The other three got away in a silver van.
Police said Rozio had a concealed weapons permit.
Anyone with information is asked to call police.
Robber fatally shot in Boca Raton jewelry heist
After Leon Rozio got robbed, he vowed never to let it happen again.
Three or four years ago, the 64-year-old owner of Miami-based H&L Wholesale Jewelry Inc. lost some $300,000 in gold and jewelry in a holdup, said his half-brother, Fernando Mirabal.
Soon after, Rozio started bringing a gun on his sales runs, which took him and his priceless jewelry to shops across South Florida.
About 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, not long after Rozio parked his red Ford Explorer outside St. Moritz Jewelers on Boca Raton's west side, four men screamed up behind him in a silver car, boxing him in. They surrounded the Explorer, smashing out all four windows to get at the jewelry inside, witnesses said.
''He opened up like I have never seen,'' said Greg Sanderson, manager of a nearby Omaha Steaks shop, who watched the shooting through the store's plate-glass windows. ``I couldn't believe it. It sounded like the Wild West out there.''
One of the men staggered from the car and ran west through the parking lot toward St. Andrew's Boulevard, Winter said.
Paramedics found the wounded robber bleeding in the car, said Fire Rescue spokesman Frank Correggio. The man was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died soon after, officials said.
The three other men escaped in a silver van, triggering a manhunt. It wasn't clear whether any of them were wounded, or whether they made off with any gold or jewels, police said.
Investigators still were quizzing Rozio at the police station until about 7 p.m. Rozio's attorney, Bill Mathewman, said his client will not face charges.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
4/28/08
Nashville, Tennessee
From the Tennessean of April 28, 2008
Would-be robber shot and killed in liquor store
A would-be robber at an Inglewood liquor store was shot and killed Saturday night after a customer opened fire, Metro police said.
Two men entered Sinkers Wine & Spirits on Gallatin Pike around 10 p.m. and attempted to rob the store with handguns, Capt. David Imhof said. During the robbery, a customer took out a handgun of his own and began a shootout, Imhof said.
One of the robbery suspects ran away, but the other collapsed outside the store, Imhof said. He was taken to Skyline Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The remaining suspect was still on the loose Sunday night, police said.
The customer who fired on the robbery suspects had a permit to carry a weapon, Imhof said.
"A citizen, like a police officer, has the right to utilize deadly force if there is a threat of serious bodily injury or harm," Imhof said.
The customer, described as in his early 20s, was interviewed and released by police. He has not been charged.
The case is under investigation, Imhof said.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, TN
4/4/08
Detroit, Michigan
From the Detroit Free Press of March 27, 2008
Pizza delivery driver shoots teens, police say
A pizza delivery driver shot two teens who tried to rob him east of downtown Detroit Thursday night, Detroit Police said.
The teens, 14 and 16, were taken to local hospitals; their conditions were listed as temporary serious, police said.
The delivery driver had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, police said.
The teens had ordered a pizza be delivered to a vacant lot in the 600 block of St. Aubin St. about 9:55 p.m., police said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender, pizza delivery driver
3/28/08
Grand Rapids, Michigan
From WWMT of March 27, 2008
No Charges For Gas Station Shooter
Kent Co. prosecutors have announced that there will be no charges for the man who shot and killed another man in Grand Rapids.
It all happened last month at the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Kalamazoo Ave. and Boston Street.
Gabriel Rodriguez was filling up his car when he got into an argument with a man named Glenn Tett, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Surveillance video shows Rodriguez picking up a trash can lid seemingly to hit Tett, when Tett takes out a gun and shoots Rodriguez, killing him.
Tett told police that the reason he fired his gun was because he feared for his life, and after watching the surveillance video and investigating the case, Kent Co. Prosecutors agreed that Rodriguez' actions could have been interpreted as life-threatening.
"As you're watching (the surveillance video), this happens in an instant," said Kent Co. Prosecutor Bill Forsyth. "We could sit here and Monday-morning-quarterback this, and say well, 'He could have closed the door to his truck and gotten in and driven away. (Tett) could have stepped back, he could have waited to see what it was he was swinging at him, it might have changed things,' but that's not the way the law is written."
(More)
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, MI
3/19/08
Anton, New York
From the Anton News of March 7, 2008
Resident Shoots at Suspects
A resident of Elmont shot at two suspects who broke into his residence in an attempted burglary.
According to police, at approximately 1:25 a.m. on Feb. 28, two male suspects kicked open the side door of a Post Avenue home and ordered the 36-year-old male resident not to move.
Police said the suspects then removed cash that was on a piece of furniture in the living room. Police said the resident was a licensed pistol permit holder and produced a handgun. The resident then chased after the suspects, firing one shot, police said. It is not known whether one of the suspects was struck.
One of the suspects is described as a black male, wearing a black, puffy jacket and a dark skullcap.
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, NY, residence robbery
3/16/08
South Salt Lake, Utah
From March 15, 2008 KUTV channel 2:
A man shot an intruder in the stomach after the suspect attacked his girlfriend in her South Salt Lake home.
The woman was sleeping in her home in Mountain Shadows Apartments on 3900 south and 700 west, when around 5:45 a.m., she was awakened by a loud bang.
A man, who police have identified as 18-year-old, Daniel Glen Larson, allegedly kicked in the apartment door and shattered the door frame.
The woman immediately alerted her boyfriend, who was also in the apartment and began calling 911.
Just as she was dialing the numbers into her phone, Larson allegedly grabbed the woman and began attacking her.
Seconds later, the woman’s boyfriend retrieved his loaded handgun and shot Larson in the abdomen.
Wounded, Larson ran to the living room where both victims attempted to restrain him until police arrived.
Larson broke free from the man and woman and jumped through a plate of glass window, dramatically exiting the apartment.
Larson then attempted to run across 3900 south, where he was almost hit by motorists.
After a minor struggle with the arriving South Salt Lake officers, Larson was taken into custody.
Police say that this was definitely not what the intruder expected.
“We had a bandit that in this case, bit off a little more than he could chew,” said Gary Keller from the South Salt Lake Police Department.
The man who shot Larson has a concealed weapon’s permit and has received training in operating of handguns.
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, UT
3/3/08
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From the Philadelphia Inquirer of March 2, 2008
Police: Taxi driver shoots passenger during attempted robbery
Police say a Pittsburgh cab driver fatally shot a passenger who allegedly tried to rob him.
Authorities say the shooting occurred Saturday night in the city's Hill District after the passenger had been picked up downtown.
During the robbery attempt, the Yellow Cab driver pulled out a gun and a struggle ensued over the weapon.
Police say the passenger was shot and killed during the struggle and the cab driver suffered an injury to his arm. The driver was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
Police did not release the name of the driver or the passenger.
The driver was licensed to carry a gun.
Labels: concealed carry permit, PA, street robbery
2/28/08
Dallas, Texas
From CBS11 of February 27, 2008
Burglary Suspect Shot Dead In East Oak Cliff
A recent rash of burglaries in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas may be over after a suspect was shot dead on Wednesday morning.
The incident started Tuesday night, when someone threw a brick through the window of a home, located in the 2200 block of Scotland Drive in the east Oak Cliff area of Dallas. The home belongs to an elderly father by the name of Otis Fagan Sr.
According to Fagan Sr., he's been burglarized six times in the last six months. His son, Otis Fagan Jr., had come over on Tuesday to help board up the window. He drove past the house again several times Tuesday night to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
While driving past the house at about 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, Fagan Jr. noticed a beam of light coming from the backyard. He stopped to check things out and discovered a man inside the backyard tool shed.
Fagan Jr. confronted 43-year-old Gerald Foley, the suspected burglar, with a gun. Police say Foley had $2,000 worth of Fagan's property. According to police, the suspect then attacked Fagan Jr., who fired off possibly four bullets.
After the encounter, the suspect fled the scene down an alleyway and fell dead into Bakari Thomas' yard, a neighbor on Locust Street.
"It's very scary," said Thomas. There's only so much you can do when you got a house, and you try to be safe in your own home."
CBS 11 News spoke with the elderly father on Wednesday afternoon. He said that he did not see anything, but heard noises outside in the moments just before the shooting. Fagan Sr. also said that he had triggered his home security alarm in hopes of scaring away the suspected burglar, but that it did not work.
According to his sister, Fagan Jr. was licensed to carry the gun. Attempts to speak with Fagan Jr. were not successful. He rushed inside the home before issuing a comment.
"He's under a lot of stress and inner pain associated with what all took place, but hopefully the Lord will see us all through," said Fagan Sr.
Both generations of Fagans were taken to police headquarters on Wednesday for questioning. Police have said that this appears to be a legal shooting, but are continuing to investigate the case. In the meantime, police have not charged anyone with a crime, but they will refer the incident to a grand jury, as is routine.
"What the individual did – he was protecting his parents property – was absolutely not a crime," said Dallas Police Lt. Craig Miller.
Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TX
2/19/08
Brighton, Tennessee
From the Commercial Appeal of February 19, 2008
Brighton neighbor runs to women's aid, shoots and kills attacker
A Brighton man shot and killed a 44-year-old registered sex offender who attacked two women in their home early this morning, officials said.
According to Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant, David Fleming charged into the home of two women at about 3 a.m.
Fleming bound the women but one escaped and ran to a nearby home. Dunavant said Fleming, who lived in Munford, intended to rape the women.
The woman who escaped went to the nearby home of Keith Ingram for help, Dunavant said.
Ingram, carrying a .40-caliber handgun, ran to the house and found Fleming attacking the other woman, officials said.
When Fleming tried to attack Ingram, Dunavant said Ingram shot Fleming once.
Tipton County Sheriff’s deputies and Brighton Police officers found Fleming dead on the front porch of the home.
Fleming had been convicted of attempted rape in Tipton County. He’s listed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s sex-offender registry.
Dunavant said Ingram has no criminal record and has a permit to carry the handgun.
The women who were attacked were treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton.
TBI officials are assisting with the case. The Shelby County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy. Investigators took statements from several witnesses today. The shooting is still under investigation.
Labels: concealed carry permit, rape, TN
2/18/08
Pittsfield Township, Michigan
From the February 14, 2008 Ann Arbor News:
Pittsfield Township police arrested three people accused of attacking a man in traffic after he earlier tried to intervene in a dispute.
The victim was outside Falsetta's Market at 2200 Pittsfield Blvd. at about 4 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a man loudly arguing with a woman and trying to push her into a van, said Detective Lt. Steve Heller.
The victim said he asked if everything was OK and told the woman she didn't have to get into the vehicle. He said the man told him to mind his own business, and they left in the van.
The victim went into a nearby store and called police before he left.
While stopped at a red light at Carpenter and Packard roads a few minutes later, the victim said the driver of the van confronted him and began yelling. He said he exited his vehicle and was punched in the face and knocked to the ground, Heller said.
Two women, including the woman he tried to help, got out of the van and began hitting and stomping the victim while he was on the ground, Heller said.
A passing motorist stopped his car, pulled a gun and demanded the trio stop beating the man, Heller said.
Police responded to several calls reporting a man holding people at gunpoint. Officers determined the man with a gun had a legitimate concealed weapons permit and was trying to help, Heller said.
Officers arrested an 18-year-old Ann Arbor man and two 19-year-old women. They were released pending charges.
The victim was not seriously injured.
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, MI
2/9/08
Largo, Florida
From Tampa Bay Online of February 9, 2008
Victim Shoots Getaway Vehicle
A man fired a gun Wednesday at the getaway vehicle of a burglar who had just broken into his home, and he managed to hit a tire, police said. Authorities say they identified and charged the burglar.
Now they are looking for the vehicle, described as a dark blue GMC Envoy, Lt. Mike Loux said.
The burglary victim and his wife arrived home in the 1500 block of North Peaceful Lane and spotted a sport utility vehicle in their driveway, Loux said.
The wife looked into the unfamiliar vehicle to see whether anyone was inside, Loux said. Nobody was.
The husband thought something was wrong and retrieved a .357-caliber firearm from his glove box, Loux said. The man is licensed to carry a concealed firearm.
The husband opened the garage door and at about the same time noticed someone coming from a side yard toward the driveway, Loux said.
The person hopped into the Envoy and began to back out of the driveway, Loux said. The couple's car was behind the Envoy, and the husband thought the Envoy was going to hit him, his wife or their car, Loux said.
The husband shot twice at the driver's side front tire as the Envoy sped away. Investigators determined the driver of the Envoy had burglarized the couple's home, Loux said.
On Thursday, Largo authorities learned of an arrest by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The man, identified by Largo police as Robert Jacobs, 48, told authorities he burglarized the home and was unaware anyone had fired at the Envoy, Loux said.
Authorities, who did not identify the couple, are still looking for the Envoy. Its Florida license plate number is X835WY.
Detectives also are trying to determine whether Jacobs committed any other burglaries, Loux said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, residence burglary
1/18/08
Orlando, Florida
From the Orlando Sentinel of January 18, 2008
Orlando victim turns gun on 4 robbers
An armed citizen surprised four men who robbed him at gunpoint last week.
After being ordered to his knees, Russel Olofson warned the men that "they should think about it," according to an Orlando police report released this week.
A private investigator with military training, Olofson, 24, told police the robbers snatched his cell phone and a wallet containing his concealed-weapon permit shortly before 10 p.m. Friday outside Ridge Club Apartments.
After the robbers took his items, Olofson stood up, drew his Springfield XD sub-compact 9 mm handgun "and fired two rounds toward male #1 with the silver handgun, possibly striking him," the report states. "Males #2, #3, and #4 then ran southeast . . . and male #1 ran northeast . . ."
A search by police quickly turned up a pistol likely used in the holdup, the report said.
The .45-caliber Ruger pistol and clothing believed to have been worn by male 1 were found in the backyard of a home on Alrix Drive, reports state. The serial numbers on the pistol had been scratched off, a common sign the weapon may have been stolen.
The cell phone and wallet were not recovered. The wallet contained an Iraq Embassy badge, an Army contractor's ID card, Olofson's drivers license and a credit card. Anyone who finds the wallet or knows the identities of the robbers is asked to call Crimeline at 407-423-8477.
Olofson, who had been conducting an investigation for Briggs Corp. Solutions, was not injured. A check by police of area hospitals did not find any reports of patients treated for gunshot wounds.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
1/11/08
Broward County, Florida
From the Miami Herald of January 10, 2008
Man kills attacking pit bull
A Tamarac man shot and killed a pit bull named Trouble after the dog escaped from its nearby home and attacked him on Thursday.
Here is what happened, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office:
Around 5:20 p.m. Trouble broke through a screen on the rear patio at a home on the 4500 block of Northwest 16th Way. Children playing nearby screamed, ``Trouble is out.''
Hearing the commotion, Paulo Jean, 35, stepped outside his home next door. Trouble attacked him, biting his buttocks and both arms. Jean pulled a .380 semiautomatic handgun from his pants pocket and fired three shots.
Trouble died at the scene.
Jean was taken to Broward General Medical Center with serious injuries.
Broward County Animal Care and Regulation removed the dead dog and took another dog that also got loose from the same residence. The dogs' owner was not at home when the attack occurred.
Jean had a valid concealed weapons permit.
Further links: Man shoots, kills attacking pit bull named Trouble
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, FL
1/5/08
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
From January 5, 2008 Lancaster Online:
LANCASTER, Pa - Gunfire rang out during a Friday night robbery at the Mangat Mini Market on West Orange Street, but nobody was struck or injured, according to city police and the store's manager.
The manager, David Mangat, and a fleeing robber fired a shot each with their handguns after the robber grabbed some cash.
The two were only about 10 feet apart, but neither man was hit.
"He started shooting, and I started shooting at him," said Mangat, who has a concealed weapons permit.
Mangat, 23, of Lancaster, said he was behind the counter of the market at 629 W. Orange St. when a man wearing a long dark coat entered the store at about 11:45 p.m.
"He reached under his coat and came out with a handgun. Then he told me to put the money in the bag," said Mangat.
"I started talking to him. I wanted to create a diversion so I could get to my gun," said Mangat.
"I asked him if he wanted more money. He said 'yes,"'
That gave Mangat the chance to reach into the area where he kept his weapon.
The manager came up holding his own handgun instead of more bills.
When the robber saw the gun, he turned and started running toward the door. But before leaving the store, he turned and fired one round that struck a wall inside the store, Mangat and police said.
Mangat said he fired one shot at the robber, but missed.
Mangat said he did not know which direction the robber fled nor how much money was stolen.
A report of a "robbery with shots fired" sent police rushing to the store, which is where Marietta Avenue splits off from West Orange Street.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, PA
1/2/08
Indianapolis, Indiana
From the January 2, 2008 Indianapolis Star:
A 51-year-old man stopped a masked man from robbing a Southside grocery store and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Charlie Merrell was in checkout line at Bucks IGA Supermarket, 3015 S. Meridian St., when a masked man jumped a nearby counter and held a gun on a store employee at 5:17 p.m. Monday, according to a police report made public today.
While the suspect was demanding cash from the workers, the police report states that Merrell pulled his own handgun, pointed it at the robber and ordered him to put down his weapon.
When the suspect hesitated, Merrell racked the slide on his gun to load a round in the chamber, Officer Jason Bockting wrote in the report.
The suspect placed his gun and a bag of cash on the counter, dropping some of the money, police said. The suspect removed his mask and lay on the floor. Merrell held the suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived and took him away in handcuffs.
Merrell had a valid permit to carry the handgun, police said. Police recovered an unloaded .380-caliber handgun from the suspect and $779 in cash, according to the report.
Dwain Smith, 19, was arrested on initial charges of robbery, criminal confinement, pointing a firearm, battery and carrying a handgun without a license. Smith remained held this morning in the Marion County Jail with bond set at $30,000, records show.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, IN
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
12/31/07
Orlando, Florida
From December 27, 2007 WKMG channel 6:
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Central Florida man who collects cash for parking at a church fought off five armed men who had ambushed him and demanded cash.
The 65-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified, said he was collecting cash in the Parramore area before an Orlando Magic basketball game when someone put a gun to his head.
He noticed that that he was surrounded by four other men as well.
The man said he pretended to reach into his jacket for cash but instead pulled out his hidden gun and opened fire.
The men fled during the shooting and it was not known if any of them were hit by bullets.
The victim said he had a permit for the concealed weapon.
He said he has been a victim of crime before.
"A couple of years ago, eight teens attacked me with a pipe trying to rob me," the man said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, senior, street robbery
12/28/07
St. Louis, Missouri
From the December 28, 2007 St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
A Domino’s pizza deliveryman who shot and killed a would-be robber in Pagedale has a valid permit to carry a weapon and appears to have acted in self-defense, according to St. Louis County police.UPDATE: The January 3, 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the driver quit rather than be fired by Domino's for carrying a gun.
The driver, who works for the Domino’s franchise nearby in University City, delivered an order at 7 p.m. Thursday to a phony address in the 6500 block of Julian Avenue, where two armed men announced a robbery. The driver pulled his own pistol and fired shots, striking one of the robbers.
Brian Smith, 19, of the 600 block of Ferguson Avenue in Ferguson, was pronounced dead at the scene, said officer Tracy Panus, the department spokeswoman. The other gunman fled. Police arrested a suspect this afternoon and booked him pending application of warrants, she said.
Panus said the driver may have been fired upon, but was not wounded. She said officers found a pistol at the scene that hadn’t been fired.
The driver surrendered his own weapon and showed officers a concealed-carry permit from Florida. Panus said officers verified the permit this afternoon.
Panus said Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch’s office will review the police reports but added, "It doesn’t appear to us that (the driver) did anything wrong."
Labels: concealed carry permit, MO, pizza delivery driver, street robbery
Memphis, Tennessee
From WREG of December 28, 2007
Man Shoots And Kills Burglary SuspectFrom MyEyewitnessNews of December 30, 2007
"It's so bad around here and i'm just afraid for my safety," says one woman we spoke to as she stepped outside of her apartment and saw crime scene investigators. Police were combing her neighbor's apartment following an alleged burglary attempt that ended in gunfire. Rhonda, who didn't want to give us her last name or show her face on camera, says crime at the Camelot Apartments has driven her to leave.
"I was already in the process of making preparations to move, but this has done it. This has given me the right to make the decision to just leave here," Rhonda says. A little before 5:00 this morning, a woman returned home and caught who she thought to be a burglar in the act.
Lt. Tony Armstrong, a homicide detective with the Memphis Police Department, says, "The victim called her boyfriend. Her boyfriend came over and investigated, found him inside the house and shot him multiple times."
Medics took the suspect to the hospital where he later died. Police spent several hours later combing the apartment for more evidence. We're told the man who shot the suspect did have a state gun carry permit. It's likely the man who shot the intruder will not face any charges. Neighbors like Rhonda agree with that decision.
"People work too hard to make a living for someone to just come in and take things, your personal items or to invade your apartment like that. I think it was justifiable," she adds
Southeast Memphis Shooting: Woman Charged
On Sunday, December 30, 2007, we have new information on a deadly shooting at the Camelot Manor apartments in Southeast Memphis.
Memphis police have charged a woman who lived at the apartment in connection with the shooting.
22 year-old Asa Marmon was shot and killed in Antionita Clay's apartment by her boyfriend after she told her boyfriend Marmon was a burglar.
Memphis police say Antionita Clay knew it was Marmon inside her apartment before she called her boyfriend and police about a burglar.
Police say that Clay and Marmon had a prior relationship and she wanted to end it.
Clay is charged with false reporting and reckless homicide.
Labels: concealed carry permit, residence burglary, TN
12/26/07
Kent, Washington
From KIRO of December 24, 2007
Intruder Shot Dead By Kent Man
Police said a Kent man interrupting a burglary in progress shot and killed an intruder when he came home to his East Hill apartment complex, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
Police responding to reports of gunshots heard in the 26000 block of 106 Avenue Southeast in Kent spoke to the apartment residents who said that upon arriving home early Saturday night they found an apparent intruder inside their residence.
Authorities said there was a confrontation and multiple gunshots were fired.
The intruder died at the scene. No one else was injured.
No arrests have been made while police continue to investigate.
Further links:
Suspected intruder dies in Kent confrontation
Burglar shot dead by homeowner
Kent man who killed intruder had gun permit
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, WA
12/25/07
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From the Post-Gazette of December 25, 2007
Ingram convenience store clerk shoots would-be robber
A convenience store clerk in Ingram shot and seriously wounded a knife-carrying robber this morning.
Ingram police Chief John Doherty said the clerk may have fired at the would-be thief inside and then outside the 7-Eleven store at 10 W. Prospect Ave.
"He shot the robber several times. I'm not sure how many," Chief Doherty said this afternoon in a telephone interview.
But the gunfire began in the store about 4:30 a.m. and then apparently continued outside, Chief Doherty said.
He declined to identify either the clerk or the robber. Chief Doherty said the would-be thief is 20 years old and the clerk is in his mid-20s.
Emergency crews transported the robber to Allegheny General Hospital, where he underwent surgery, Chief Doherty said.
He said the clerk may have had a less serious injury.
"I believe the clerk was cut," Chief Doherty said.
Chief Doherty said the preliminary investigation showed that the clerk had a permit to carry a firearm. He said he knew this particular clerk because he had been robbed previously and Ingram police investigated the case.
Allegheny County police will be the lead agency in the case and file any charges, Chief Doherty said.
Further links:
Pittsburgh store clerk shoots, wounds knife-wielding robber
Ingram store clerk cleared in shooting
Ingram clerk points gun, will lose license: police (Same clerk, separate incident)
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, PA
12/19/07
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of December 19, 2007
Black driver shot 2 whites in self-defense
With one wielding a knife, two men pounded on Hygens Labidou's roofing truck and shouted racial epithets, authorities said.
''N-----, get out of the truck!'' they allegedly snarled, according to a copy of a 911 tape released Tuesday. One of the men, six feet tall and 350 pounds, tried to pull Labidou from the truck.
Moments later, Labidou, fearing for his life, pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic gun and fired, wounding the two Cooper City men -- one fatally -- in the middle of a busy Deerfield Beach intersection.
Labidou, 49, of Wellington, will not be charged because he acted in self-defense, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.
''These two men approached him with a deadly weapon in an aggressive manner,'' BSO spokesman Mike Jachles said. ``Clearly, he was inside his vehicle, and he was clearly within his right to defend himself.''
Edward Borowsky, 28, died Monday, four days after the shooting. The other man, Steven V. Lonzisero, 43, is under arrest, charged with murder during the commission of a crime. Even though he didn't pull the trigger, under Florida law, a person can be charged with murder if someone dies while the accused is committing a felony.
Lonzisero also will be charged with a hate crime, the BSO said.
Labidou has a concealed weapons permit, officials said.
The 911 tape reveals a hysterical Labidou, screaming to the dispatcher that he had been attacked.
''I shot them! I shot them!'' he yelled during the call, made just after 1 p.m. Thursday.
Labidou apologized to the dispatcher for shouting and then answered her questions.
``Both of them down, both of them are down . . . I knocked 'em both. I'm sorry, ma'am. I was trying to defend myself.''
''They said, n-----, get out of the truck. Both of them,'' Labidou said.
Asked by the dispatcher what he did, he replied: ``I shot 'em! I wanted to defend myself.''
The BSO is considering the case a hate crime because the attackers, who were white, shouted racial epithets at Labidou, who is black.
The BSO originally charged Lonzisero with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony. But just as Lonzisero was set to be released on bond, Borowsky died, escalating the charge to murder.
The incident happened in the middle of the afternoon as the vehicles were driving north on Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach. Lonzisero and Borowsky were in a white Ford pickup truck, along with Lonzisero's 15-year-old daughter. Labidou, who runs a family-owned roofing company, was driving a flatbed truck.
The BSO said Lonzisero and Borowsky were upset with Labidou's driving and began arguing with him. It's not clear where the vehicles were as the drivers were arguing.
But the BSO said the verbal sparring turned violent when Lonzisero stopped his truck at the intersection of Green Road and Powerline in front of Labidou's flatbed truck.
Lonzisero and Borowsky, who was armed with a knife, got out of the pickup, the BSO said.
Borowsky and Lonzisero pounded on Labidou's truck, yelling racial epithets at Labidou and trying to open his door, the BSO said. It's not clear whether Labidou fired from inside his vehicle, but the BSO said he fired several shots, striking both men twice.
The men fell to the pavement, and Labidou and several witnesses called 911.
One caller describes the scene to the 911 dispatcher: ``Two guys on the ground. One guy with the gun. He's on the phone. I don't know what happened. I didn't see what happened, but the guy is very calm.''
The caller pauses to yell, ``Put the gun down.''
''Stay away from him,'' the operator advises.
To which the caller replies: ``I am.''
Tuesday night, the upstairs lights were on in Lonzisero's home in Flamingo Townhomes Phase V. No one answered the door outside the townhome, which had Christmas bells on the door. Neighbors, who asked that their names not be used, said Lonzisero rented the unit and lived there with his three children and their mother, while Borowsky lived downstairs.
Lonzisero was in and out of the family's lives, they said. The few that knew the two men said they were confrontational.
Another said Lonzisero screamed obscenities at her one day when they were both trying to move their cars.
Labidou runs Impact Roofing in Riviera Beach, according to the company's website. It's been around since March 1999.
Further links:
Broward man charged with murder after road rage shooting
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, hate crime
12/15/07
Knoxville, Tennessee
From the Knoxville News Sentinel of December 16, 2007
Man shoots and kills fleeing burglar
A Powell man coming to his grandson's rescue shot and killed a fleeing burglar Saturday, authorities said.
Tilvis Coffey, 42, of Knoxville died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said. His record shows an "extensive" criminal history, including arrests for theft, aggravated burglary and probation violation, she said.
Officers haven't filed any charges against Harry Smith, 58. Smith, who has a gun permit, shot Coffey once in the head with a revolver as Coffey ran from the house at 103 Copeland Road, Dooley said.
Coffey didn't have a weapon at the time, she said.
Coffey showed up at the house just after noon while Smith's 14-year-old grandson was there alone, Dooley said.
"A man came to the door he didn't know," she said. "He called his mother, who told him to hide in the closet."
Coffey kicked in two doors and made his way inside, Dooley said. The boy called 911 from the closet. Meanwhile, his mother called Smith, her father. Smith, who lives nearby, headed to the house and confronted Coffey inside, Dooley said.
Coffey ran out just as the boy's grandmother stepped out of her car, Dooley said.
"Smith told the man to stop or he'd shoot," Dooley said.
She said she didn't know how far away Coffey was when Smith fired.
The boy and his grandmother weren't hurt, Dooley said. Their names weren't available Saturday night, and Smith couldn't be reached.
Further links:
Knox Co. man kills intruder at daughter’s home
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, residence robbery, TN
12/10/07
Denver, Colorado
From December 10, 2007 ABC news channel 7:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Jeanne Assam appeared before the news media for the first time Monday and said she "did not think for a minute to run away" when a gunman entered the New Life Church in Colorado Springs and started shooting.There was applause as Assam spoke to a small crowd saying, "God guided me and protected me."
New Life's Senior Pastor Brady Boyd called Assam "a real hero" because the gunman, Matthew Murray, "had enough ammunition on him to cause a lot of damage."When asked by a reporter if she felt like a hero, Assam said, "I wasn't just going to wait for him to do further damage.""I give credit to God," she said.
Assam described how Murray, entered the east entrance of the church firing his rifle.Click to read more about the shootings in Colorado Springs and Arvada.
"There was chaos," Assam said. "I will never forget the gunshots. They were so loud."
"I saw him coming through the doors" and took cover, Assam said. "I came out of cover and identified myself and engaged him and took him down."
"God was with me," Assam said. "I didn't think for a minute to run away."
Assam said she believes God gave her the strength to confront Murray, keeping her calm and focused even though he appeared to be twice her size and was more heavily armed.
Murray was carrying two handguns, an assault rifle and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, said Sgt. Jeff Johnson of the Colorado Springs Police Department."It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," she said.
Assam worked as a police officer in downtown Minneapolis during the 1990s and is licensed to carry a weapon. She attends one of the morning services and then volunteers as a guard during another service.
Boyd said Assam was the one who suggested the church beef up its security Sunday following the Arvada shooting, which it did. The pastor credited the security plan and the extra security for preventing further bloodshed.
Boyd said there are 15 to 20 security people at the church. All are volunteers but the only ones armed are those who are licensed to carry weapons.
Labels: CO, concealed carry permit, female, private security
12/9/07
Hialeah Gardens, Florida
From CBS4 of December 8, 2007
Man Turns On Would-Be Robbers, Kills One
Four robbers get more than they bargain for when they target an elderly Hialeah Gardens man. Police said he shot and killed one of them while he was being attacked.
Police said 74-year-old, Jorge Leonton was not aware he was being followed from the bank to his home along Northwest 91st Avenue and 119th Street.
"I feel horrible, my body is still shaking," said Margarita Leonton, who is still shaken up on Saturday, after police said 4 armed men attacked her husband. "I never thought that this could happen especially at 10:30 in the morning."
Jorge Leonton was questioned by police after they said he drove to a nearby bank, withdrew cash, and began driving back home. On Saturday night he is back at home with his wife.
Little did he know, four men were following from behind, when he arrived home, and got out of his car police said one of the thugs put him in a chokehold position and demanded money he had just withdrawn from the ATM.
"He came to me with such great force, he was so violent and started to choke me," said Jorge Leonton. He said he told the robber to let go, Leonton has a conceal weapon permit.
"I took out my gun and told him, let me go or I'm going to shoot you, because I have a heart condition," said Leonton. "I can't breath, you can't grab me by the neck, because I'll die, I told him that 3 times."
The alleged robber refused to let go and Leonton shot him in a torso. "My vision became blurry and that's when I shot him," said Leonton.
The other three crooks drove away. Jorge told CBS4's Shomari Stone he didn't want to shoot him, but he had to because his life was in jeopardy. "It's bad I didn't want to shoot a human being, he is a human being regardless."
Paramedics lifted the wounded suspect to Ryder Trauma Center where he later died.
Margarita said her husband's gun saved his life. "If he wouldn't been armed, I think he would have been killed," she said.
They are searching for the other 3 suspects who got away.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, senior, street robbery
12/6/07
Easton, Pennsylvania
From the December 6, 2007 Easton Daily Call:
Rob Pierce Jr.'s walk through Easton's West Ward for dinner at his fiancee's mother's house Tuesday almost cost him his life.
He was mugged by two men, one a self-proclaimed Crips gang member, the other wearing a hooded jacket and carrying a handgun, police said.
''It was like hell,'' Pierce, 27, of Easton said Wednesday night in a brief phone interview.
While being told to be quiet and cooperate, he was dragged across the street in the darkness and told he was going to be shot. But in an instant, the hunted became the hunter.
Pierce, who carries a handgun for protection, pulled out a .357 revolver and shot Maurice Cook of Easton, who had thrust a .45 handgun into Pierce's back and the side of his head.
Cook, 22, who was shot in the abdomen, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill, where he underwent surgery and was expected to survive, police said.
He and the other mugging suspect, Tyrone Wright, 22, of Newark, N.J., were charged Wednesday with robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy. Wright told a district judge he was recently freed from a New Jersey prison, where he had been held on a drug charge.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said the good guy won in a botched armed robbery. But at a news conference Wednesday, he also cautioned against a return to the vigilante days of the Wild West.
He said Pierce violated no law by protecting himself and will face no charges. ''Luckily, this time, the citizen won. I think Mr. Pierce acted responsibly.''
Morganelli said he supports laws that allow people to carry concealed weapons and hopes this latest shooting in the West Ward, the second in less than a week, sends a message to ''these young thugs'' that their victims might fight back.
Labels: concealed carry permit, PA, street robbery
11/13/07
Las Vegas, Nevada
From Las Vegas’ KVBC.com of November 13, 2007
Man shot, killed attempting to carjack security guard
A suspect is dead after messing with the wrong person Tuesday morning. North Las Vegas Police say a man tried to carjack a security guard at about 6 in the morning near Gowan and I-15.
The intended victim and the suspect got into a shootout. The security guard was taken to the hospital with a minor wound. The suspect was taken to UMC where he later died.
Police say the security guard may not face any charges, because it appears he was acting in self defense.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, NV
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.
Click here to find out more!
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
11/7/07
Orlando, Florida
From the Orlando Sentinel of November 7, 2007
Orlando victims scare off armed robbers with own guns
They draw permitted concealed weapons when suspect shoots
Two holders of concealed-weapons permits surprised armed thugs who approached them in west Orlando this week.
Both men opened fire rather than surrender their wallets. The robbers beat it.
"They left with broken egos. They didn't get nothing from us," Juan Amezaga said Tuesday. "If more people stood up for themselves, a lot of crime could be prevented. And the concealed-weapons permit, that's great."
The men say they exercised their constitutional right to own guns, carried them legally and defended themselves within the state's deadly force law.
"If it's appropriate, people have to defend themselves," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, Orlando police spokeswoman. "It's no different from us using a gun. It has to be justified, and we will, of course, investigate what happened."
The gunfight erupted at 6:10 p.m. Monday near Clear Lake, according to a police report on the incident.
Amezaga, 25, and Stephen Soto, 23, were enjoying the fall weather outside Soto's apartment on South Wilts Circle when two strangers walked by them two or three times. Thinking that was suspicious behavior, Amezaga and Soto took notice when both strangers walked up to Amezaga's parked car, where the men were standing.
"What time is it?" one of the strangers asked.
Soto looked down at his watch and said, "It is 6:10." Raising his head, Soto heard the stranger say, "Hey, run them," as the man drew a black snub-nose revolver from the pouch in his sweat shirt.
As Soto pulled a 9 mm Keltec pistol from his right front pants pocket, he heard the robber's gunfire and felt a bullet graze his left shin, breaking the skin. Still standing, Soto fired two or three times before both robbers turned and ran, the report states.
"They tried to rob me and my homeboy," Soto said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Man, put it like this: If I didn't have a concealed-weapons permit, it would have been a lot worse."
When the robbers fled, one stopped, turned and fired an unknown number of shots.
Soto shot back and fired two to three more times, and Amezaga drew his .357 Magnum Sig Sauer pistol and fired eight or nine times at the robbers. Crime-scene technicians later collected 15 shell casings ejected by both of the men's handguns, the report said.
Both men were unsure whether they hit either robber. Police did not determine where the 15 bullets fired by the men struck in the neighborhood.
(More)
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, street robbery
10/30/07
Olive Branch, Mississippi
From Memphis’ WMC.com of October 30, 2007
Police investigate carjacking, shooting near Olive Branch
Police are investigating a carjacking that lead to a chase and a shooting Monday afternoon near Olive Branch, Mississippi.
The shooting happened in an area near the intersection of State Line Road and Riverdale Road in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
Investigators said 71-year-old Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in the driveway of her south Shelby County home when a man approached her with a shotgun, demanding her car.
"He just walked up behind me as I was taking the groceries out and stuck the gun at me and demanded the keys," Gray said. "There was nothing I could do and I started screaming and I was surprised he didn't shoot me for screaming."
Gray's son Keith, who was inside her house, came outside when he heard the altercation.
Seeing the carjacker pulling out of the driveway in his mother's car, Keith jumped into his own car and followed the man. The pair traveled nearly three miles during the brief chase.
While driving, the suspect pulled a gun on Keith, who was also carrying a gun. He fired at the suspect.
The carjacker veered off into a field, with Keith in pursuit. There, both men jumped out of their vehicles.
Keith approached the carjacker with his gun drawn and ordered the man to stay still. When the carjacker moved, Keith again fired on the man.
"That's when the son confronted the suspect and said to stay put," said Shelby County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Steve Shular. "The suspect did not do that. The suspect kept getting up and that's when the son fired twice, hitting the suspect in the leg."
The victim was transported to a local hospital.
Marshall Gray, Bobbie's husband and Keith's father, warned others to be cautious.
"Pass the word on," he said. "You never know the next person you're going to carjack may have a gun bigger than yours in their car."
"What he did, I knew he would. He was trying to protect me," Bobbie Gray added.
Keith Gray is licensed to carry a gun in Mississippi, but not in Tennessee.
Officials said they were still working out who would be in charge of the investigation into the incident.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, MS
10/23/07
Largo, Florida
From Tampa Bay Online of October 23, 2007
Largo Man Shoots Dog In Self Defense
A homeowner shot and killed a dog that broke through the fence and attacked his pet on Monday night, police said.
Police said George Frank, of 334 Lake Palms Drive, was within his rights to protect himself from the dog. No charges are expected to be filed stemming from the incident that occurred at 7:30 p.m.
The dog, a chow mix, attacked Frank's dog, police said. Frank tried to separate them when the chow mix started snarling at him. Then, Frank shot two rounds into the dog, killing it instantly.
Frank has a concealed weapons permit and was armed with a 9mm handgun.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, FL
10/16/07
Joplin, Missouri
From the Joplin Globe of October 15, 2007
Would-be robber flees after man pulls handgun
A Joplin man reported thwarting a robbery attempt Saturday night in downtown Joplin with a handgun he was legally carrying.
Thomas W. Doyle, 38, 2931 N. Michigan Ave., reported at 7:28 p.m. Saturday that after he obtained some cash from an automated teller machine at Seventh Street and Virginia Avenue, he was approached by a man while parked in the 700 block of Virginia Avenue, according to Cpl. Chuck Niess of the Joplin Police Department.
Doyle told police that the man pulled out a knife and demanded his money, Niess said. But the man fled when Doyle pulled out a handgun for which he has a concealed-carry permit, Niess said.
No arrest had been made by Monday afternoon, Niess said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MO, street robbery
10/4/07
Dallas, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of October 4, 2007
2 robbers die when guard fights back
Two teens are dead following a botched robbery of a 20-year-old security guard who fought back early Thursday in southwest Dallas, police said.
The dead are Detavias Davis, 17, and Sergio Vann, 19, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.
The incident happened 12:30 a.m. outside a Family Dollar store on Redbird Lane, south of Dallas Executive Airport, formerly Red Bird Airport.
The guard, Dedrick Howard, was using a laptop computer in his vehicle when he was approached by three young men, said Sgt. Ray Beaudreault, a homicide detective.
They ordered him out of the vehicle, and one of the robbers, later identified as Vann, had a handgun, Beaudreault said.
But Howard grabbed an semiautomatic SKS carbine and opened fire, killing Vann, Beaudreault said.
Davis, Beaudreault added, tried to flee in white car, but Howard was worried the teen might also have a gun.
"So, fearing for his life, (Howard) fired again and struck the driver,'' Beaudreault said. "(Davis) drove off, but because of his injuries, he wrecked."
Davis was taken to the hospital from the crash scene on nearby U.S. 67, also called the Marvin D. Love Freeway, but he died later, Beaudreault said.
The third robber, age 17, ran from the parking lot to the wrecked car and he tried to retrieve some personal property from the white car, but police arrested him, Beaudrealt said.
The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Beaudreault said.
Howard was not arrested, and the case will be referred to a grand jury to determine if he acted within the law, Beaudreault said.
But, the detective added, Howard "was licensed and authorized to carry that weapon."
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, street robbery, TX
9/28/07
Detroit, Michigan
From the ClickOnDetroit.com of September 28, 2007
Police: Carjacker Shot Shot [sic] During Carjacking
Detroit police are investigating a carjacking outside their headquarters in downtown Detroit.
Officers said three people attempted to carjack a man around 11 p.m. Thursday.
The carjacking victim was carrying a gun and fired at the men, shooting and killing one.
Police said the shooter had a license to carry the firearm.
The two other men are in police custody.
Labels: carjacking, concealed carry permit, MI
9/25/07
Framingham, Massachusetts
From TheBostonChannel.com of September 25, 2007
Would-Be Robber Flees After Storeowner Shoots ATM
Police: Storeowner Won't Be Charged
A storeowner will not be charged after he fired his gun during an armed robbery attempt at his Framingham store, police said.
Armand Tavares, the owner of the A&J Variety Store at the corner of Kendall and Frederick streets, told police that a black man with a Luger-type pistol entered the store Monday at about 9:30 p.m.
The robber, who was wearing a hood pulled tight to cover his face, pointed the gun at Tavares and demanded money, police said.
Tavares, who is licensed to carry a gun, pulled out his .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun and fired, hitting the ATM in the store. The startled robber ran out of the store unharmed and without any cash, police said.
Framingham police said Tavares will not be charged in connection with the incident.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MI
9/19/07
West Salem, Oregon
From the Salem Statesman-Journal of September 19, 2007
Drunken man shot in thigh while attempting apartment entryFrom Portland’s OregonLive.com of September 20, 2007
West Salem family feared for safety as he pounded on door
A drunken man received a gunshot wound to the right thigh while trying to force his way into a West Salem apartment late Monday night, Salem police said.
Salem resident Christopher Cruz, 35, was shot through the door of the apartment by a resident worried for the safety of his wife and 4-day-old child, Salem police Sgt. Kevin Halvorsen said.
Police were called to the residence at 11:45 p.m. Monday as Cruz aggressively knocked on the door at Deer Creek Crossing Apartments in the 1500 block of Wallace Road NW, dispatchers said.
Cruz and the people in the apartment did not know each other, Halvorsen said. Cruz refused demands that he leave and continued to work the doorknob to get in.
Neighbors in the apartment complex said they heard loud banging that drew their attention, and others rose from a sound sleep.
"I stepped out on my balcony, thinking someone was beating on the cars in the parking lot," said Zivile Guevara, who had been working on her computer. "I heard some guy shouting, 'Why are you banging on my door?' "
Salem officers arrived on the grounds of the apartment complex at 11:52 p.m., seven minutes after the initial call, according to dispatch logs.
As officers approached the apartment on foot, they heard two loud thumps they later learned were gunshots, Halvorsen said.
The man in the apartment had fired a 9 mm handgun through the door twice, and one shot hit Cruz.
Cruz was arrested and charged with first-degree attempted burglary and a probation violation warrant for an earlier conviction of driving under the influence, Halvorsen said. No charges were filed against the man who shot Cruz.
Cruz was taken to Salem Hospital for treatment. Three and a half hours after the incident, his blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, Halvorsen said.
West Salem man describes how he gunned down intruder trying to pound down his door.
Yev Gerasimenko lives in a West Salem apartment with his wife and newborn child. On Monday, two men came to his door asking for someone who didn't live there. He closed the door and one of them returned minutes later and tried to beat the door down.
Gerasimenko told his wife to grab the baby and seek safety in the apartment. The 25-year-old has a concealed weapons permit and a handgun. He loaded it, warned the intruder to away, who ignored him. Gerasimenko then shot him.
The Statesman Journal has the full story, including reader feedback on the use of guns. Here is an excerpt.Salem police arrested the intruder, Christopher Cruz, 35, late Monday, minutes after Gerasimenko wounded him. It happened at Deer Creek Crossing Apartments, in the 1500 block of Wallace Road NW..
Cruz has been charged with first-degree attempted burglary while at Salem Hospital, police said. Three and a half hours after the incident, his blood alcohol level was 0.227 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, police said.
Gerasimenko came forward Wednesday to tell his story, stung by public criticism that he'd been irresponsible in his gun use while defending his home.
"I want to let people know I was responsible and that a gun in a good responsible citizen's hand is a blessing," said Gerasimenko, 25, a journeyman electrician.
Salem police did not file any charges against him, saying he acted in self-protection.
Labels: concealed carry permit, home invasion, OR
9/18/07
Orem, Utah
From the Daily Herald of September 18, 2007
Orem man shoots attacking pit bull
If John Erickson hadn't had his gun with him when a neighbor's pit bull attacked him, there's no telling how bad things might have been.
Erickson, 22, was walking up to his house on 400 South near 700 West in Orem on Wednesday when a neighbor's pit bull bit him from behind. As he rode his scooter to his house around 8:30 p.m., Erickson saw the dog sitting calmly while a neighborhood girl petted it. Then he parked and took three or four steps toward his house when the dog bit him.
"All of a sudden the dog grabbed my leg from behind," he said.
He swung his scooter helmet at the dog, which backed off for a moment. But when the dog charged forward, Erickson, who has a concealed weapons permit, drew his 9-millimeter pistol and fired at the dog's head. Erickson said he worries about what would have happened if he hadn't been armed.
"There's nothing I could've done. I couldn't run. There's no way I'm going to outrun it. There's nowhere I could go," said Erickson, a student at Utah Valley State College.
Even more, he said he worries about what would've happened if the dog had attacked his wife, Lynn Ann, who came home just two minutes before him, or the many children who walk down that street on their way to and from Orem Elementary School.
Erickson's mother, Lyn Erickson, who lives across the street, said she used to dislike her son's gun.
"Now I'm saying, 'I'm just so thankful he had a gun.' I'm just so thankful because what would you do?" she said.
At Erickson's request, no charges were filed against the dog's owner, said Orem police spokesman Lt. Doug Edwards. Vicious animal citations and letting dogs run free are misdemeanor offenses.
"You can't allow your dog to run at large. It doesn't matter how they get off the property, whether it's a hole (in the fence) or a broken leash. Dogs can't run loose," Edwards said.
The dog survived the shot to the top of its head. Erickson said the owner initially planned to euthanize the dog because its veterinary bills were expected to be as high as $4,000. But the owner had a change of heart and decided not to put the dog down, he said.
The owner of the dog, who Erickson said moved to the neighborhood several weeks ago, was not identified and could not be reached for comment. Orem police would not release the owner's name because no charges were filed.
Erickson said he is now concerned because the hole in his neighbor's fence has not been fixed -- a pile of branches now blocks the hole -- and the dog owner has another pit bull that he worries could get loose and hurt someone.
"Every day little kids from Orem Elementary walk right past the house. It could've been one of the little kids, it could've been my wife who got home two minutes before me," he said.
Lyn Erickson said she plans to talk to police about the hole in the neighbor's fence.
Labels: animal, concealed carry permit, student defender, UT
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
8/13/07
Dallas, Texas
From the Houston Chronicle of August 13, 2007
Motive a mystery in deadly Dallas freeway shooting
Police said they may never know why a man who wrecked his car along a downtown freeway opened fire on the people who stopped to render aid, killing two before fatally shooting himself.
A Dallas police officer responding to the incident and another passer-by who stopped to help were seriously wounded in the Sunday morning shooting, authorities said.
Police said no one heard any words from the suspected gunman, 20-year-old Nick A. Salinas, of Cedar Hill.
"We may never know," said Dallas police Sgt. Gary Kirkpatrick. "But it's something we hope to find out."
Police identified the shooting victims as Robert Daniel Langston, 22, of Duncanville, and Jesus Reyes Terrazas, Jr., 24, of Dallas.
A woman at Terrazas' home said the family was still grieving and declined to comment.
...
Witnesses told investigators they stopped to help a motorist on the side of Interstate 35 when someone inside the car shot at them. One witness left in his car after the shooter pointed a gun at him, police said.
Terrazas was part of a group of four who saw the accident scene and turned around to help. Someone in the group returned fire, Hale said. Police said they don't believe the return fire hit Salinas. The man was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
"Certainly I'm sure he was just trying to protect himself," Hale said.
(More)
Labels: altercation, concealed carry permit, TX
8/11/07
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
