Saturday, May 03, 2008
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
From the Star-Tribune of May 2, 2008
Suspect killed in Inver Grove Heights liquor store robbery
Fearing he would be shot if he let the liquor store robber tie him up, Matt Huerta made a grab for the gun.
As the two men struggled for control of the weapon at Trail Liquors in Inver Grove Heights Thursday morning, it fired several times. The suspect was hit in the chest and died several hours later. Huerta was able to call 911 for help and is recovering at a St. Paul hospital.
Minutes before the scuffle, the suspect had walked into the store and demanded money from the cash register.
The suspect then walked Huerta, the store manager, to a back room and demanded he open the safe.
Huerta, the only employee in the store at about 10:30 a.m., told the man he didn't know the combination.
"The robber wanted to tie Matt up, and Matt thought if he was tied up, he could be shot,'' said Kathleen Schneider, the store's co-owner. When the man put the gun in the top of his pants, Huerta went to grab it, she said. That's when the scuffle began. The gun apparently discharged several times, she said.
Shots hit the suspect in the chest and the manager in the leg, according to investigators.
The manager then called 911 to report an armed robbery, said Lt. Jerry Salmey, a spokesman for the Inver Grove Heights police.
Huerta, 57, of Rosemount, was listed in good condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul on Thursday. He declined requests for interviews.
The suspect's name won't be released until family members are notified, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's office said Thursday night.
Huerta is in "disbelief" over what happened, Schneider said. "He said it probably all happened in 15 minutes, but it felt like 15 hours."
"You just never think something like this is going to happen,'' Schneider said. "It's so tragic to think that someone would try to do this for a couple hundred dollars."
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MN
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Cleveland, Tennessee
From the April 21, 2008 Cleveland [Tennessee] Daily Banner:
One person was shot today during an alleged kidnapping and robbery which unfolded at an Oak Street address. The victim of the kidnapping and robbery was apparently the person who struggled with one of the alleged offenders and caused a gun to go off.
Police were called to 383 Oak St. SW after being alerted of the incident.
Luis Velasquez was found bleeding from his head and face, according to reports. Josh Dunn, 20, has been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and especially aggravated robbery.
A second suspect has not been charged; however, warrants are pending against Josh Snyder, 19.
Snyder was reportedly shot when Velasquez began to try to wrestle the gun away from Snyder.
According to reports, the suspects went to Velasquez' door and asked him to help them jump start a vehicle.
One of the suspects pulled a gun, then forced Velasquez back into his home.
At that point, Dunn and Snyder allegedly demanded money from Velasquez.
Reports indicated the suspects began to beat Velasquez after he stated he had only a small amount of cash.
During the alleged beating, Snyder apparently cut his hand and had placed the gun under his arm while attempting to clean blood from his hand.
Velasquez then went for the gun and it discharged, according to reports.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN
Queens, New York
From the New York Daily News of April 23, 2008
Robbery victim kills intruder
The victim of a robbery in Queens fatally shot one of the three intruders early Tuesday morning with a gun they left behind, police said.
A man and his girlfriend were returning to their Middle Village apartment about 4:50 a.m. when they were confronted by three men, police said.
According to the victim, the men forced the couple into the apartment, where they tied them up with plans to rob the place, cops said.
Somehow, the victim was able to get loose and grab a gun one of the suspects had left unattended, he told police. He shot one of his attackers in the head, killing him.
The other two fled.
No arrests had been made last night.
Police continued to question the victim, who neighbors said kept odd hours and was unfriendly.
"We didn't think they belonged in a neighborhood like this," said one neighbor in the family friendly area. "No one ever said hello or goodbye to them, and we preferred it that way."
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, NY, residence robbery
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Mesa, Arizona
From KPHO of April 16, 2008
Homeowner Shoots Burglar
An early-morning break-in turned fatal when the homeowner shot the intruder, Mesa police said.
The homeowner, his wife and another person woke to the sound of someone breaking into their home shortly after 2:15 a.m., police said.
The wife ran to a closet to call 911 while her husband confronted the armed intruder.
Police said the husband struggled with the intruder and shot the burglar with his own gun.
Rescue crews pronounced the burglar dead at the scene.
Police said a second would-be intruder was waiting outside the home and was arrested.
Investigators said the incident may be drug-related.
Labels: AZ, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion
Friday, April 04, 2008
Indianapolis, Indiana
From the Indy Channel of April 4, 2008
Clerk Wrestles Gun From Would-Be Robber
A gas station attendant was back on the job Thursday night, days after he wrestled a shotgun away from a would-be robber.
Dramatic surveillance video of the incident at the Shell station at 38th Street and Capitol Avenue was released Thursday, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.
Clerk Deme Momar found himself in a fight for his life soon after the would-be robber came into the store.
"The clerk recognized him from coming in and out and being around the neighborhood," said Indianapolis Metro police Detective Leon Benjamin.
The man waited for a customer to leave the store, then convinced Momar that he needed help with the ATM machine.
"His plan was to lure the clerk from behind the secure area where the cash register was located," Benjamin said.
Momar made an exception to store policy and went to help the man, after which he was greeted with a sawed-off shotgun.
"It's not easy if someone pulls out a gun on you and you are between life and death," Momar said. "He ... pulled out a shotgun on me and we fight and I take the gun out of his hand."
The struggle continued for several minutes, until Momar was able to get the gun away from the man.
"I let him go because I didn't know what ... to do. I couldn't shoot him, and he was begging me to let him go," Momar said. "Even if I go back there and give him the money, he will shoot me, too."
When Momar got the gun, the would-be robber's demeanor changed from attack mode to defenseless.
"He thought I was trying to shoot him, so he said to me, 'Please, I'm begging you, don't shoot me. Let me go. Let me go,'" Momar said.
Police and Momar both said they think the man lives in the neighborhood.
"He stay around here, not so far, and he used to drive a green (Ford) Explorer, two-door," Momar said. "That day, he was walking."
Momar said he decided not to let the robbery attempt keep him from returning to work.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, IN
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Clairemont, California
From the San Diego Union Tribune of March 30, 2008
Cigar-store clerk foils robbers by taking away gun
A cigar store clerk foiled an armed robbery attempt by two men and a woman Saturday, San Diego police said.
The three entered a cigar store on Balboa Avenue near Genesee Avenue in Clairemont about 1 p.m., and the woman pulled out a gun and demanded money, police said.
The clerk managed to take the gun away, and the three left empty-handed.
The woman was described as white, 30 to 35 years old, heavy-set with long blond hair. She wore a blue jacket and blue jeans.
The men were described as white, 30 to 35 years old, with medium builds and average height. They wore blue shirts and blue jeans.
Labels: business robbery, CA, criminal's gun taken away and used against him
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Carmel, New York
From Midhudson Most Wanted of March 26, 2008
Druggist wrestles shotgun away from would be robbery
A gunman who tried to rob a Carmel pharmacy Tuesday afternoon was subdued by the pharmacist after a violent struggle.
The robber, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, attempted to rob the store of narcotics.
The incident unfolded at about 12:35 p.m. at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in the ShopRite Plaza on Route 52 in Carmel.
The suspect, identified as David Both, 49, of Kent, allegedly walked up to the pharmacy counter, pulled the shotgun and demanded narcotics from the pharmacy staff.
Both then walked around behind the counter as the pharmacist, Mark Gallagher, complied with his demands by placing drugs into a bag.
When the suspect pointed the shotgun toward two female employees, Gallagher, who later told police he feared the suspect was going to shoot the women, grabbed the weapon. After a struggle, the pharmacist was able to wrest control of the gun from Both and fought him off.
Someone in the store called 911 and patrols from the Putnam, Sheriff’s Office, Carmel and Ken Police and the State Police rushed to the store. Both was taken into custody.
As a deputy was unloading the shotgun, police said it accidentally discharged and fired a slug into a rear wall of the store. No one was injured. Police think the gun may have gone off because it was damaged during the struggle.
Gallagher was not injured in the altercation.
Another store employee, a 64-year-old woman, later experienced chest pains while be interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Both was charged with attempted robbery in the first degree.
**Note** To clear up confusion, the reported perpetrator is named "Both".
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NY
Friday, March 21, 2008
Braddock, Pennsylvania
From the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune of March 21, 2008
Braddock store owner pins would-be robber
Al Handza did a small favor Thursday afternoon for a young man in Braddock, a few minutes before the man put a gun to his head and tried to rob him.
Handza, owner of Al's Market on Braddock Avenue, refused to be bullied and grabbed the robber's hands, wrestling him to the ground.
During the struggle, the gun discharged twice and the wounded thief tried to run, only to be stopped by Handza and detained for police.
The robber, whose identity and age are not known because he gave a phony name to police, was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland with gunshot wounds in the arm and back, said Braddock police Sgt. Frank Barreiro. The extent of the injuries is not known.
Handza, 61, who had cataract surgery on Tuesday, said he didn't have time to think about how scared he was.
"What are you going to do?" Handza said with a shrug 90 minutes after the incident.
"He came behind the counter with a gun, put it to my head and we started tussling."
Handza, who has operated the small market near the Rankin Bridge for 26 years, said the young man often comes into the store and was there twice yesterday before the holdup.
"The second time, he bought two bags of chips but was short 18 cents," Handza said. "I said, 'You're always in here. I'll get it tomorrow.'"
A minute later -- shortly before 5 p.m. -- the man returned, trying to hide his face with a hooded sweatshirt and bandana.
"He said, 'This is a stickup!' I thought he was joking because he'd just left."
The .22-caliber handgun the robber was pointing at Handza's head was no laughing matter, and the store owner acted to defend himself.
"I threw him and we went down together," said Handza, who was alone at the time.
As the two wrestled, the gun discharged twice and the robber said, "I'm shot!"
The thief got up without the gun, ran out the door and around the corner between two buildings, where he was stopped by a 12-foot fence.
Handza grabbed the gun off the floor, called 911 and ran outside after the robber.
"He couldn't get over the fence. I held his own gun on him and told him to hit the ground, face first. He laid there, and the cops were here in less than a minute."
Barreiro said the investigation has been turned over to Allegheny County Police detectives. He said he believes they will charge the man with robbery and weapons violations.
(More)
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, PA
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Gaston, North Carolina
From the Daily Herald of March 1, 2008
Wounded man shoots intruder
A Gaston man shot and killed one of two intruders he discovered in his house Thursday night, Northampton County Sheriff Wardie Vincent said this morning.
Sheriff's office investigators are still looking into the shooting, in which 20-year-old Walter Daniels of Gaston died.
Vincent declined to discuss whether investigators are looking into the possibility of self-defense on the part of Monte Arrington, 21, who fired the shot during a struggle with Daniels.
Vincent said the fatal shooting occurred around 10 p.m., at Arrington's residence at 544 N.C. Highway 48, which is just inside the town limits of Gaston.
Arrington and his girlfriend were returning to the residence and were confronted by two men as they went in the home.
The best information investigators have thus far is that Daniels was armed and drew the weapon. That's when a struggle between Arrington and Daniels began. During the struggle, Arrington was stabbed but managed to grab the gun and shoot Daniels in the upper chest. It is believed Daniels died immediately, the sheriff said.
Arrington was transported to Halifax Regional Medical Center in Roanoke Rapids and then airlifted to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville. His condition was not known.
Vincent said authorities continue to look for the other man in the house, who fled. The sheriff declined to disclose the man's name.
“The best we can understand is they broke in to burglarize the residence,” he said.
The State Bureau of Investigation was called in for assistance and the Gaston and Garysburg police departments helped with processing the crime scene.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NC, residence burglary
Monday, February 04, 2008
Kansas City, Missouri
From KCTV5 of January 31, 2008
Burglar Shot In Struggle With Resident
A man who lives at a house on East 79th Street came home and saw three men in his home stealing his belongings, Kansas City police said.
He grabbed one of them, who had a gun, and during the struggle, shots were fired.
All three of the men ran away, but one of them was hit.
He got as far as a nearby corner, where he ran into a restaurant and asked for help.
Adrian Gardner, an employee, called 911 and then the shot man passed out on the floor.
Medics and police arrived, and the man was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
Police were still looking for the other two men.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence burglary, VA
Las Vegas, Nevada
From the Las Vegas Eyewitness News of February 1, 2008
Victims Fight Back in Home Invasion
One robbery suspect is on the loose and another is in the hospital after four victims fought back.
Police say the four victims were barbecuing when two men with guns entered the home. One of the victims said he made a near-fatal mistake by leaving the garage door partially open. The victims, who do not want to be identified for safety reasons, say they ended up fighting for their lives and thought they might die.
"The look in their eyes, especially when they started beating us in the back of the heads with the guns. It was kind of like someone would torture a little animal and then joking about how they were going to love killing us," said one victim.
The men were pinned to the floor with shotguns. "It got ugly when they went back downstairs and decided to tell the women to undress their clothes," the victim added, "The girls were really crying and you could just tell that they were incredibly upset."
The victim told Eyewitness News that one of the suspects who was preparing to sexually assault the women turned his attention away from the guns and let down his guard.
The two male victims saw their opportunity.
"I grabbed him, threw him down on the ground, grabbed a weight from the weight set and smashed him in the head."
The women also joined in the fight, hitting the suspects with a frying pan.
"One of the girls completely nude managed to grab a gun and shoot the guy in the chest area and in the leg."
"She did what she had to do and I have to be thankful that she was able to do what she did and if she didn't I might not be able to give you this story right now."
The suspect who was shot has serious injuries and is in the hospital. The second suspect is on the run and as for the victims, they have minor injuries.
The police are very cautious not to make this seem like a heroic act. They say fighting back can sometimes end with the victims being more seriously hurt.
Labels: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, NV, rape
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
San Antonio, Texas
From January 29, 2008 My San Antonio:
A North Side mother fought off an armed intruder inside her apartment early Tuesday morning."I was telling him, 'Please do not kill me in front of my baby,' " said the 24-year-old victim, who does not want to be identified.
According to police, a masked man broke in through a downstairs window in an apartment complex in the 8000 block of Bentley. Then, he made his way through the victim's home.
"I thought I heard somebody trying to open up my door," the victim said. "I jumped up, looked in my hallway, and I didn't see anybody."
A short time later, the armed intruder started kicking in the woman's bedroom door. The woman tried to knock out her bedroom window to scream for help and call 9-1-1 at the same time. But the man made it into the room with her and her 2-year-old son.
"I was crying just telling him not to kill me, that I would do anything he wanted me to do," the woman recounts.
The mother says she hit him with a lamp, bit his hand, and even tried to shoot him with his own gun, but the weapon would not go off. The suspect ran out the room, giving her a chance to call the police after she barricaded herself in with a dresser.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, TX
Monday, January 28, 2008
Dover, Delaware
From the News Journal of January 28, 2008
Teen bandits flee after store clerk takes gun
A store clerk turned the tables on a pair of armed robbers during an attempted holdup at a convenience store, Dover police said today.
Two teens walked into the Little Grocer convenience store on East Division Street about 9 p.m. Sunday and demanded money, Lt. James Hosfelt said.
When one of the bandits brandished a sawed-off shotgun in the direction of the clerk behind the counter, the gunman and clerk got into a physical confrontation, Hosfelt said.
The clerk refused to hand over any money from the register and then grabbed the shotgun out of the hand of the would-be robber.
After the clerk established control of the situation, the two bandits went running from the store, Hosfelt said.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, DE
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tallassee, Alabama
From Al.com of December 27, 2007
Tallassee home invasion turns deadly
A man apparently was fatally wounded by shots from his own firearm when it was taken away from him during a Christmas morning home invasion in Tallassee, authorities said.
Investigators said two men had forced their way into the residence shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday while the occupants were asleep. Once inside, one of the intruders held an occupant at gunpoint, but at some point had the handgun wrestled away and several rounds were fired at him.
Both suspects fled the scene, and Tallapoosa County sheriff's officers said Lee Antion Donaldson, 29, of Montgomery was admitted to Baptist South in Montgomery at 5 a.m. Wednesday with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett told The Alexander City Outlook his department is working with the Montgomery Police Department to determine if Donaldson was at the scene of the Tallassee home invasion.
The sheriff said Thursday that Donaldson's possible connection to the home invasion was still under investigation.
Labels: AL, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Phoenix, Arizona
From AZCentral of December 17, 2007
Man turns tables on thief, wrestles gun away
A man turned the tables on a gunman Saturday by wrestling a rifle from him, turning it around and firing.
Police said the pistol-grip shotgun either misfired or was empty, and the robber and an accomplice ran off.
The incident began about 5 p.m. Saturday on the side of the Ross clothing store building near Power Road and Southern Avenue. The victim was seated in his car when two men in their late teens or early 20s pulled their car alongside and parked. They approached the victim on foot, showed the gun and demanded money. The victim struggled with the man and was able to get the gun from him and fire it. The second thief helped get the gun back and they took some items from the vehicle before fleeing.
The robbers' vehicle was described as a dirty white four-door sedan, possibly a Crown Victoria or a Mercury.
Labels: AZ, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, street robbery
Friday, December 14, 2007
West Valley City, Utah
From the Salt Lake Tribune of December 14, 2007
WVC man shoots and kills one of two home invaders
Police say a West Valley City man put a deadly end to a home invasion robbery last night.
Police are now looking for the second invader, who fled the scene, and a woman who had knocked on the resident's door shortly before the men broke in about 10:21 p.m. Thursday.
KUTV reports today that the men forced the man's wife to sit in a chair while they searched for valuables. One gunman allegedly took the husband into another room, and that's when the resident wrestled the gun away from the invader and opened fire.
KUTV says that neither the resident, his wife nor their child were injured.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, UT
Monday, December 03, 2007
Eden, North Carolina
From the December 1, 2007 Greensboro News-Record:
EDEN — Murder charges have been dismissed against a man accused of killing his girlfriend's son in a domestic dispute.
The first-degree murder charge against Emmett Jasper "Bo" Kennon Jr., 42, was dismissed Nov. 21, according to court documents.
Kennon was arrested in late October and charged in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Travis Clark of 183 Brightwood Road in Eden.
Travis Clark was the son of Kennon's girlfriend at the time, Lynette Clark.
Rockingham County District Attorney Phil Berger Jr. said Friday that the case proved to be one of self-defense rather than murder.
"We're deeply sorry for the loss that the Clark family suffered," Berger said. "It was a tragic situation."
Deputies were called to the Brightwood Road home about 11 p.m. Oct. 30 about a shooting. A sheriff's office news release described Kennon as being "irate and uncooperative." Travis Clark was found in the house with a gunshot wound.
Lynette Clark and Kennon had been arguing, sheriff's spokesman Dean Venable said in October, and Travis Clark got involved in the altercation.
Berger said information from three witnesses provided evidence that Kennon shot Travis Clark in self-defense.
Berger, citing information that witnesses gave, said Travis Clark put a gun to Kennon's head.
Labels: altercation, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NC
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Avondale, Louisiana
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette of November 27, 2007
Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims
A would-be robber was shot to death in Avondale, and authorities say he apparently died at the hands of his intended victims: a man and a boy who wrestled away his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun.
Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 7:40 p.m. Monday and found a man lying dead in the middle of an Avondale street, area residents and Col. Robert Garner of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Detectives believe the dead man had tried to rob the two other people just outside or inside a nearby house. He was shot at least once and staggered into the street.
It was not immediately known whether the dead man broke into the home, what he demanded or took, or whether he was shot just inside or outside the home. Garner said he didn't know whether the man and boy were residents of the home.
Further links:
Robber shot in Jefferson may have been killed by intended victims
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, LA
Monday, November 19, 2007
Augusta, Georgia
From Augusta’s WRDW.com of November 19, 2007
Homeowner sends burglars to hospital
Investigators say two armed burglars invaded a home Friday night around 8:30pm on the 3000-block of Tate Rd.
A struggle occurred between the homeowner and one of the men. The homeowner was shot in the arm, but was able to get the gun away from the burglars to shoot back.
The two burglars drove themselves to the hospital where they were arrested.
The two men have been identified as Montrelle Teasley and Marcus Turner. Both will be charged with armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime.
Teasley is a juvenile, but will be charged as an adult.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, GA, home invasion, residence robbery
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Havertown, Pennsylvania
From Philadelphia’s NBC10.com of November 15, 2007
Mother Turns Tables On Carjackers
Police Investigate Carjacking On Suburban Road
Police said Wednesday a mother wrestled away a gun from a carjacker who tried to take her car with her 7-year-old daughter inside.
Chopper 10 was over the scene at Bellfield Avenue and Route 1, where police were using metal detectors and a search dog.
Bellfield Avenue was shut down for the investigation. Firefighters arrived with lights so police could continue the investigation.
Police said the 37-year-old woman was leaving work at the Sunny Days Early Child Development Services facility on Township Line when she said she was approached by two men who got out of a black Jeep. After a brief conversation, one pointed a gun at her and demanded her SUV.
Police said the woman pleaded with the gunmen to allow her to retrieve her 7-year-old daughter out of the backseat. As she helped the child out, she grabbed the gun from the carjacker's lap. The woman then began to back away, with the gunmen following in an attempt to retrieve the gun.
Police said the gun went off in the struggle.
While neither the mother nor daughter were injured, it was unknown if their attackers were hurt. The gunmen got the weapon back, and one jumped into the victim's SUV and drove up Belfield Avenue, while the other was picked up around the corner on Township Line in the black Jeep they had pulled up in, NBC 10 News reported.
Police said they were looking for at least three men, their black Jeep, and the victim's 2007 White Over Black Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Labels: carjacking, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, PA
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
From the Tuscaloosa News of November 14, 2007
Three arrests made in botched burglary attempt
Three men were arrested by police Monday night shortly after a botched burglary attempt.
According to a Tuscaloosa Police Department news release, Aaron Phelps, 23, Rhett Phelps, 19, and Jeremy Porter, 20, were arrested on first- degree burglary charges. Police say they tried to burglarize a residence in the 3400 block of Second Street Northeast about 8:15 p.m. Monday.
Police said the resident was watching TV when he heard a knock at his front door. When he opened the door to see if anyone was outside, he saw a man armed with a shotgun and wearing a Confederate flag bandana over his face.
The resident slammed the door and ran into the kitchen, police said. But he was caught by the man with the shotgun, who had forced his way in through the front door, and another man.
Police said the burglars held a shotgun to the resident's head and demanded money, but the resident pushed the shotgun aside and began fighting with the burglars.
At some point during the fight, the resident grabbed the barrel of the shotgun while the intruder was still holding the other end, stepped outside his home and yelled for help.
While wrestling over the shotgun outside, the assailant pulled the trigger, but the shot missed the resident.
The resident managed to pull the shotgun from the assailant's hands and both intruders fled into the woods nearby. Police said a third person joined the pair as they fled. The investigation led officials to the three, who were taken into custody and confessed, police said. Bail was set at $25,000 each. The resident suffered minor injuries.
Labels: AL, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Indianapolis, Indiana
From TheIndyChannel.com of November 11, 2007
Employees, Customer Tangle With Armed Robber
AutoZone Employees Wrestle Armed Man In Struggle
An armed robber was hospitalized after three would-be victims decided to fight back, Indianapolis Metro police said.
Investigators said while they would not recommend what two employees and one customer of an Indianapolis AutoZone store did, they called the actions very brave, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.
Police said the employees who were working Sunday morning got suspicious as soon as Michael Jones, 41, walked in to the store, in the 6100 block of East 46th Street, on the city's northeast side.
"He was wearing a black hat and a hoodie, so the employees got kind of suspicious when he walked in dressed the way he was," said IMPD Detective Leon Benjamin.
Police said Jones pretended to shop, waiting for all customers to leave, then went to the counter and asked how much brake pads would cost for an older-model Cadillac.
"The clerk … turned around to check the pricing on the computer. When he turned back around, the suspect had a gun pointed directly at his head," Benjamin said.
The clerk then made a split-second, what some would call crazy decision, grabbing the gun and wrestling with the attacker.
A second employee jumped in to help, fighting the attacker out the door of the business and to the ground.
"When they fell to the ground, the gun was knocked loose from the suspect," Benjamin said.
The only customer in the store at the time grabbed the gun and called police, and the two employees held the man down until police arrived.
Police said the second employee only has one arm.
"His other arm is actually a hook, and he was able to use that hook … as a weapon in subduing the suspect," Benjamin said.
Police normally suggest victims do what a robber said. In this case, the clerk's reaction paid off.
Police said Jones had previously been incarcerated twice in robbery cases, and that he told a detective that he owed some money and needed quick cash.
Jones and the first employee during the struggle were taken to hospitals to be treated for cuts and abrasions but neither was seriously hurt.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, IN
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Jacksonville, Florida
From News4Jax.com of October 31, 2007
Police: Woman Shoots Suspect With His Gun
A woman confronted by two home invasion suspects in Westside apartment on Wednesday morning wrestled a gun away from one of them and shot him, police said.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's office, two suspects posing as maintenance men entered the woman's apartment in the 4400 block of Confederate Park Road.
When one of the men pulled a gun, the woman got it away from him and shot him. The man was rushed to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center in serious condition. His name has not been released.
The other suspect ran away and is being sought by police.
The woman was not hurt.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, FL, home invasion, residence robbery
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Salt Lake City, Utah
From the Salt Lake Tribune of October 30, 2007
Clerk rifle-whips bandit - with bandit's gun
A would-be bandit carrying a rifle tried to rob a Salt Lake City convenience store Monday, only to be beaten with his own gun when the clerk fought back.
The 38-year-old man entered the EZ Mart near 600 North and 200 West around 2:15 p.m. and demanded money.
The clerk and the man began fighting, knocking money and store items across the counter, police reported.
The clerk then grabbed the rifle and began beating the would-be robber. Police arrived and arrested the 38-year-old man.
The clerk suffered chest pains and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, UT
Monday, October 29, 2007
Jacksonville, Florida
From the Jacksonville Times-Union of October 29, 2007
Restaurant employees 'Wok N Roll' on robber
Employees at a Jacksonville Wok N Roll restaurant not only disarmed a robber Saturday night but also got his sweatshirt.
Police responded to the robbery call about 10:40 p.m. at the 8011 Merrill Road restaurant where employees said they had left the front door propped open because of the heat. That's when a gunman walked in and pointed his weapon at two of the employees behind the counter, the Sheriff's Office report said.
One of the employees opened the register and handed the cash to the gunman. As the man grabbed the money, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound employee grabbed the handgun and he and his co-worker chased the robber out the store. The victim threw the gun at the assailant's head but missed, according to the Sheriff's Office report.
The other employee grabbed the robber's hooded sweatshirt and pulled it off, the report said. But the man ran through the parking lot into the Paddock Club Apartments and jumped a wooden fence into the Sandy Beach Lane neighborhood. He got away with about $480, the report said.
The victims gave police the sweatshirt and gun, which turned out to be a BB gun.
The robber was described as a black man with a goatee, about 35 years old, 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and red shoes.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, FL
Friday, October 26, 2007
Dallas, Texas
From the October 26, 2007 Houston Chronicle:
DALLAS — Dallas police say a man in a wheelchair disarmed and fatally shot a home intruder with the intruder's own gun.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Friday at the man's apartment in the Village Oaks Apartments in the Fruitdale neighborhood, south of downtown Dallas.
Investigators say the man was able to wrestle the gun away from the intruder and shoot him. The suspected burglar died a short time later at Baylor University Medical Center.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, TX
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Jackson, Mississippi
From Jackson’s WAPT.com of October 14, 2007
Police Say Would-Be Robber Shot, HospitalizedFrom the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of October 15, 2007
A would-be robber was hospitalized early Sunday morning after his alleged victim shot him multiple times, Jackson police said.
Jerriod Peters knocked on the door of a home on McKee Street at about 5:30 a.m., officers said. But when the homeowner answered, he apparently took the handgun from the [sic] Peters and shot him.
Peters is listed in critical condition at University Medical Center.
The homeowner hasn't been charged in the shooting.
man shot in alleged robbery dies
The latest in a spate of suspected criminals to encounter an armed Jackson resident died Monday morning.
Jerriod Peters, 21, was the second man to die in just over two weeks after being shot during an apparent botched robbery.
Police haven't released the name of the man who shot Peters. They've said the man reported Peters knocked on his door, in the 300 block of McKee Street, about 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
Peters and the homeowner had guns, and they exchanged fire. Peters was hit multiple times and died shortly after midnight at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said autopsy results are pending.
No one in the neighborhood would talk about the incident on Monday. Several men outside the duplex where it happened said they knew nothing about the shooting.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MS, residence robbery
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
From Milwaukee’s WISN.com of October 11, 2007
Victim And Alleged Attacker Come Face-To-Face In E.R.
A Milwaukee pizza delivery driver managed to fight off two would-be robbers, but was surprised when he ran into one of his alleged attackers at the hospital.
Police said a gunman tried to hold up the Pizza Hut driver while he was out on a delivery near 23rd Street and Verona Court just after 7 o'clock Wednesday night.
While the driver was fighting with the suspect, a second man attacked him.
That's when police said the pizza man grabbed the gun and began pistol whipping the first attacker.
The pizza driver went to St. Francis Hospital to get treatment and saw the first suspect sitting in the emergency room.
The victim called police, and the suspect was arrested.
Officers are still looking for the second suspect.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, pizza delivery driver, street robbery, WI
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Marianna, Pennsylvania
From the ThePittsburgChannel.com of October 10, 2007
76-Year-Old Woman Takes Gun From Girl, Thwarts Robbery
A 76-year-old storeowner in Washington County said she was having a bad day when a young woman tried to rob her on Monday.
Police said Virginia Hart was behind the counter of the Lone Pine Market in Marianna when a young girl came in and demanded money.
Police said when Hart refused, the woman pulled a gun and again demanded money.
Once again, police said, Hart refused and then grabbed the gun, picked up a stool and chased the woman out the door.
The girl is described as blond, in her 20s and was wearing a blue sweatshirt.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, PA
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Newburgh, New York
From Middletown’s MidHudsonNews.com of October 6, 2007
Deli clerk thwarts robbery
A deli clerk is credited with averting a robbery in the City of Newburgh.
City Police said on Friday morning, October 5 at about 6:15 a.m., a man walked into the Star Grocery at 111 William Street, walked behind the counter and pointed a shotgun at the clerk.
The clerk grabbed the weapon, struggled with the would-be robber and pulled the shotgun away from him.
The suspect fled with another employee chasing after him. The robber got away and the employees called the police.
Police said that despite the heroism of the employees, they do not recommend that store clerks wrestle shotguns away from anyone committing a robbery. “This could have very easily been another homicide had the gun been loaded and gone off,” said Lt. Charles Broe, Sr.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NY
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Frayser, Tennessee
From Memphis’ MyEyewitnessNews.com of October 2, 2007
Frayser Home Invasion: Man Fights Back
A man fights back three robbers after being forced inside his Frayser home at gunpoint.
It happened just after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at a home in the 700 block of Frayser Drive.
Family members say 31 year-old Kevin Hill was approached by a guy with a gun while getting out of his SUV after running some morning errands.
That's when two other guys came up and forced Hill inside his home and up into the attic to rob him.
Police say Hill struggled with his attackers and managed to take away one of their guns and fire.
Police say no one was hit but several shots were fired inside of the home.
The robbers ran from the home, jumped in Hill's SUV and sped off. Police later found the SUV after the trio crashed it on Syndey Street in North Memphis.
Officers were able to take all three robbers into custody.
The Robbery Division is investigating. So far no charges have been filed.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, residence robbery, TN
Shaftsbury, Vermont
From WCAX of October 2, 2007
Man Fights Off Attackers, Accidentally Shoots Self
Police are investigating a bizarre shooting in southern Vermont.
It happened on the East Road in Shaftsbury. Police say a 49-year-old man went to check on his neighbor's home after he saw a suspicious car pull into the driveway. When he got to the home, the victim claims either two or three masked men jumped him and pointed a gun to his head.
A scuffle ensued, and the victim was able to grab the gun. He then accidentally shot himself in the hand.
The suspects fled.
The victim was treated at the hospital.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, VT
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Clare County, Michigan
From Cadillac’s 9and10News.com of September 25, 2007
Clare Couple Fights Off Armed Attacker
The quick thinking of a Clare County couple helped them fight off a man who broke into their home and held them at gunpoint.
It happened just before 4 a.m. on Monday on Edgewood drive in Hayes Township of Clare County.
Helen Barker and Jeff Haley were sitting in the living room of Barker's home when a 24 year-old Travis Howell broke through the window, pointed a gun to Haley's head and demanded money and pills.
Haley was able to wrestle the gun away from Howell while Barker called the police.
Howell ran from the home, but was arrested shortly after by police.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MI, residence robbery
Friday, September 21, 2007
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
From Philadelphia’s 6ABC.com of September 21, 2007
Robbery Victim Turns Tables on Bandit
Philadelphia police had no trouble identifying a robbery suspect. He's the one with the bullet wound in his leg.
One of his victims grabbed the bandit's gun and turned the tables on him.
"I don't know what came over me. I just grabbed the gun from under his arm. I just started shooting," said Lillian Bailey.
She can't believe what happened at her Germantown hair salon as she worked past midnight.
When a client left the popular stylists business, a gunman lurking outside rushed in demanding money.
Her three clients gave him their purses and ran for cover in two back rooms. Lillian was shaken as she shared her frightening story exclusively with Action News.
"He went to reach for my pockets, but he put his gun under his arm with the pocketbooks. In that split second, I just grabbed the gun and started shooting," said Bailey.
The young mother thought about making it home to her children as she aimed at the robber and emptied his .38 revolver.
"After there were no more bullets, I just started bashing him on his head as he was trying to escape the salon," she said.
He got away. Lillian didn't realize he was shot until police found him unconscious in some bushes on nearby Johnson Street. He had a bullet wound in his leg.
The 19-year-old suspect, whose identity hasn't been released, remained in police custody at Einstein Medical Center.
Lillian said he came to the salon the night before asking about prices, but wasn't let in. When he slipped inside with a gun, she knew she had to do something to save herself because he looked high and out of control.
The tenderhearted 27-year-old still feels bad.
"It's like a double edge sword because I feel like I wanted to stop him from taking my hard earned money, taking these people's belongings. But then I didn't want to hurt anybody," she said.
She has not been charged with any crime. Police are trying to determine if the 19-year-old suspect was involved in a street robbery earlier that night where a robbery victim's dog was shot.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, PA
Minneapolis, Minnesota
From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune of September 21, 2007
Oops -- robber leaves gun behind
A bumbling robber attempting to hold up a north Minneapolis convenience store left a crucial piece of evidence behind: his gun.
The suspect walked into the E & L Market at 2211 Lowry Av. N. Thursday night and demanded money.
The robber covered his face with something in one hand so he could not be identified. But then he made a critical error.
"He set his gun down on the counter to pick up the cash," said Sgt. Tammy Diedrich, a Minneapolis Police Department spokeswoman. "The clerk grabbed the gun."
The robber dropped the cash and fled.
No one has been arrested.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MN
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Baltimore, Maryland
From September 18, 2007 Baltimore Sun:
A 21-year-old man was shot multiple times about 9:30 p.m. Sunday when he attempted to rob another man in the 100 block of N. Howard St. Police said a gunman was in the process of robbing another man when the intended victim, 22, grabbed the handgun, turned it toward the gunman and shot him before dropping the gun to the ground. Police said when the robber charged at the victim, the victim retrieved the gun from the ground and shot the other man two more times. The intended robbery victim fled and was being sought. Police said Calvin Ray was shot in the right side of the chest, a hip and lower back and was in serious condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Charges against Ray were pending.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MD, street robbery
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Memphis, Tennessee
From Memphis’ WREG.com of September 12, 2007
Two men shot during botched robbery
Police have cleared crime scene tape, but the investigation is far from over. Dried blood on a neighbor's front stoop is a reminder of the struggle that happened on Edith in south Memphis early Wednesday morning. Two people were shot during an apparent home invasion robbery. One victim was one of the men held at gunpoint. The other was the gunman.
"When someone pulls a gun on you demanding property, which is the definition of a robbery, anything can happen," say Lt. Joe Scott of the Memphis Police Department. Investigators tell us they responded to a call at 536 Edith around 2:30 Wednesday morning. Initial reports say a man knocked on the door asking to use a telephone. Someone inside answered the door and stepped away.
Lt. Scott says, "When the individual came back to the door, the suspect displayed a firearm. Another individual there began to struggle with the suspect and was shot." The man who answered the door managed to strip the gunman's weapon away and shot him. Both shooting victims were taken to the Med in critical condition.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery, TN
Monday, September 10, 2007
Reno, Nevada
From Reno’s KTVN.com of September 10, 2007
Police: Man Shot During Burglary; Man Kills Suspect with Gun
A man is in the hospital after being shot during a burglary Monday afternoon at his south Reno home.
The incident happened just before 1:45pm on Britney Avenue in southwest Reno behind Walmart.
Police say a resident came home from the grocery store to find a suspect burglarizing his home. Both ended up fighting over a gun.
The unidentified resident was shot. He suffered non-life threatening injuries.
But police say he then managed to get the gun away from the suspect and fatally shot him.
The resident is currently recovering at Renown Regional Medical Center.
An investigation is underway.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NV, residence burglary
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Hempstead, New York
From New York City’s WCBStv.com of September 9, 2007
Employee Foils Gunman's Donut Shop Robbery On L.I.
A gunman held up a doughnut shop, pistol-whipped an employee and forced her to open a safe but then ran away empty-handed after another employee grabbed his weapon, police said.
The gunman, Karsheam Simpkins, entered the doughnut shop just before 1 a.m. Sunday, confronted the two employees and ushered them toward an office in the back, Nassau County police said. He smacked a female employee with his gun and made her open the safe, they said.
But while he was going through the safe, a male employee snatched his gun from him, police said. He ran out a back door, they said.
Two police officers saw the robber running away and arrested him as he was entering his home a few blocks away, they said.
Simpkins, 31, was charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He was to be arraigned later Sunday. His home telephone number was unlisted.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NY
Friday, September 07, 2007
Dellona Township, Michigan
From the Oshkosh Northwestern of September 7, 2007
Bar owner chases down .44 Magnum-toting robber
Herb Ott doesn’t like to be robbed. In fact, he takes it pretty darn personally.
On Thursday around noon, a man in a camouflage mask and clothing and carrying a .44 Magnum handgun and a bag walked into Ott’s bar, Poor Nate’s Tavern, in the township of Dellona about 50 miles northwest of Madison.
The bartender, who declined to give her name, said the robber never pointed the gun at her, but went straight to the money drawer. She began screaming for Ott, who was upstairs doing the bar’s books, as the robber headed out the back door with nearly $5,000 in his bag.
The 68-year-old Ott came charging downstairs and burst out the back door after the robber, shouting at him to stop.
"I told him, ’Give me my frickin’ money back,"’ Ott said.
Ott followed the robber through the countryside behind the bar, careful to keep his distance. The robber ducked from tree to tree, looking back at him from time to time, Ott said.
He ran up a hill toward some rental cottages before Ott found him trying to hide behind a shed.
Ott began to swear at the robber - "I used the Lord’s name in vain. I think he was scared" - and the robber handed the money bag and loaded gun over to him.
"I says, ’Why did you do it?’ He said, ’I’m sorry, but I’m broke,"’ Ott said.
Ott walked the robber back to the bar and made him sit at a table until Sauk County Sheriff’s deputies arrived.
Ott said he recognized the 31-year-old robber once he had the mask off him. He had come into the bar in the past to cash checks, Ott said, which explains how the robber knew where the money was.
The man offered no explanation for the robbery or his decision to surrender, Ott said.
"He just said he was sorry after I found out who he was," Ott said.
Ott has owned Poor Nate’s Place, on State Highway 23 between Reedsburg and Wisconsin Dells, for more than 30 years. He thinks he’s been robbed at least twice before. The police always have recovered his money, he said, but this time he took matters into his own hands.
"I wasn’t going to let him just walk away with a bag of money," Ott said. "Why would a guy just let him walk away?"
Sauk County Chief Deputy Chip Meister said chasing down a man who has a .44 Magnum may not have been the wisest move, but it worked.
"Obviously, it wasn’t the safest action. However, because of his efforts the suspect was apprehended," Meister said.
Ott said he didn’t have a plan when he went out the back door.
"I just wanted to follow him and, I guess, see where he went to and see if he got in a car and get a license number or whatever. I just stayed my distance and yelled at him and finally he gave up. He just handed me the gun and the money and that was it."
Ott said he expected the robber to turn and open fire. But he knew what he would have done:
"I figured if he’s going to shoot, I’m going to duck."
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, WI
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Louisville, Kentucky
From Louisville’s WLKY.com of September 4, 2007
Burglar's Gun Taken, Pointed At Him
A burglary victim grabbed the burglar’s .40-calibre handgun and held him at gunpoint until police could arrive, according to Louisville Metro Police.
According to a police report, Douglas L. Speaker Jr. broke into a home in the 7000 block of Bronner Circle on Sunday around 8 a.m. when he was apprehended and held at gunpoint with his own gun.
Speaker has been charged with robbery, burglary and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, KY, residence burglary
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From Pittsburgh’s KDKA.com of September 2, 2007
Police Continue Investigation Into Esplen Shooting
Police continue their investigation today following a man's death in Esplen overnight after officials say he broke into a home with a loaded weapon.
The shooting happened just after 2:30am in the 500-block of Parson Street.
Authorities have identified the man who died as 32-year-old Charles Long, of McKees Rocks.
Police say it all started when Long began knocking on the door of West End resident, Terrence Triplett, 27, while he and his girlfriend were sleeping. Long then kicked in the front door and entered the home, officials report.
According to investigators, Triplett confronted Long, disarmed him and fired several shots.
Officials say when they arrived they found Long lying just inside the doorway. He was pronounced dead at the scene with gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Police say neither Triplett nor his girlfriend was injured.
Investigators say Triplett has not been charged with any crime at this time, and is free on his own recognizance. Officials report that they will consult with the District Attorney's Office to see if any charges are warranted.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, intruder, PA
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pensacola, Florida
From the Pensacola News Journal of August 17, 2007
76-year-old man wrestles gun away from robber
A 76-year-old Pensacola man wrestled a gun from a 64-year-old man trying to rob him Friday, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to reports of an armed robbery at Tall Oaks Campground about 11 a.m. and found Jay Robbins, 64, of Pensacola being held at gunpoint by Paul Ehler, 76.
According to investigators, Ehler said he was sitting in his office chair when Roberts walked in and said he was going to rob Ehler.
Ehler told investigators Roberts wanted him to sit in a chair to be bound. But when the suspect fumbled with the rope, Ehler came around the desk and attacked him, the report said.
After a brief struggle, Ehler got the gun away from the suspect and held him until deputies arrived.
Robbins was arrested for one count of armed robbery and taken to Escambia County Jail where he is being held on $50,000 bond.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, FL, residence robbery
Monday, August 13, 2007
Des Moines, Washington
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of August 11, 2007
One hurt in Des Moines shooting
A man armed with a gun allegedly accosted a second man late Friday in Des Moines, but was the one who ended up being hurt.
Des Moines police said they were called to an apartment complex in the 2400 block of South 222nd Street at about 11:30 p.m. for the reported shooting.
When they arrived, they found a 40-year-old man who told officers he had been accosted by an armed man in the parking lot. The victim told police a struggle ensued and at least two shots were fired.
The attacker fled, driving off in a car and leaving a gun behind, which police took.
A short time later, a 21-year-old man showed up a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. Police questioned the man, but did not arrest him.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, street robbery, WA
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Monroe, Georgia
From Monroe’s Walton Tribune of August 8, 2007
Monroe man shot with own pistol after fight
When David Brown pulled out his 9mm pistol Monday morning, he was ready to use it.
But when the gun jammed on Brown, Greg Cooper, the would-be victim, took the weapon and used the handgun to beat Brown with it. The weapon fired, hitting Brown.
Police responded to a report of shots fired just after 9 a.m. at 713-B Lacy St. When officers arrived, they could not find an assailant or a victim but followed a blood trail from where the shooting took place to the back porch of 717-A.
“It appears the two men got into an argument, one pulled a weapon out, cocked it, and it misfired,” Investigator Alicia Martin said. “It then proceeded into a physical altercation. Once the gun misfired, the victim took the gun away and proceeded to use it against his assailant.”
A 9mm shell was located in the driveway, according to reports seven to eight feet away from where the blood started.
Brown, 28, of 735 Lacy St., was later located at his house and transported by Walton EMS to Athens Regional Hospital. Reports were that he had several lacerations to his hand and was shot in the wrist of his left hand.
Monroe Police Department officials expect to issue warrants for Brown’s arrest by the end of the week.
Labels: altercation, assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, GA
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Albany, New York
From Albany’s Fox23News.com of August 7, 2007
Store Robbery & Standoff
A store clerk fights back after an armed robbery in Albany. Tonight, a suspect is in custody following a stand off with police.
The robbery happened at Quail Street News around 5:20 A.M. Store clerk Hafiz Alam was behind the counter when a man walked in the door and demanded money. Alam opened the register and handed over the money, but while putting the cash away, the robber made a mistake. The man set his shotgun on the counter and while he wasn't paying attention Alam grabbed the gun.
The robber ran out the door while Alam called for help. Moments later, the robber came back in, struggled with Alam, and one shot is fired. Luckily, no one is injured and the robber made off with the gun and the money.
Outside, a city worker spotted the man's license plate number and thats how police tracked the suspect to his home at 71 Westerlo Street.
Police shut down streets and evacuated homes while attempting to get the man out of the house. When they got no answer Albany Police fired tear gas into the home. The suspect came out of the building and was taken into custody. He is behind bars tonight, police say he will face charges in the robbery.
Alam, the clerk in the robbery, says he will return to work for his next shift.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NY
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Decatur, Alabama
From the Decatur Daily of August 4, 2007
Murder jury acquits Callahan
Morgan Circuit Court panel believes 2006 shooting of Cullman man was self-defense
A Morgan County jury sent Mark Anthony Callahan home Friday to raise his five children.
The jury acquitted Callahan, 38, in Circuit Court of murder in the July 1, 2006, shooting death of Ricky Gilley, 30, of Cullman.
The jury believed the shooting was in self-defense.
"He's certainly elated and just wanted to get home with his children," Callahan's attorney, Larry Madison, said after the verdict.
Assistant District Attorney Paul Matthews scrutinized Callahan's testimony about what happened the night of the shooting.
Callahan said he feared for his and his five children's lives. He said Gilley had gotten Callahan's gun and threatened him. He said he managed to wrestle the gun away and shot Gilley.
Callahan said an argument between him, Gilley and his girlfriend preceded the shooting.
Gilley's girlfriend, who is also Callahan's first cousin, testified that Callahan rubbed her leg and that is what caused the fight.
Testimony revealed that the three had consumed one bottle of liquor and had started on another bottle before the shooting. A pathologist testified that Gilley died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He said the shooting occurred at close range, no more than 21/2 feet away.
Madison used that testimony to argue his case, saying it proved Callahan wrestled the gun from Gilley.
Matthews told the jury that Callahan could have walked away and that there was no sign of a fight inside Callahan's home at Somerville.
"Cussing someone doesn't justify killing them," Matthews argued. "You tell him today he's not justified. He's guilty of murder."
Madison told the jury that Callahan didn't have to leave his home.
"This man was in his home and his children's home," Madison said.
He asked the jury for an acquittal, and a little less than an hour later the jury returned the verdict.
Circuit Judge Steve Haddock discharged Callahan and told him he was free to go.
He left the courtroom and, on the way out of the courthouse, kissed two of his five children whom he said he is raising alone.
Callahan told the jury Thursday that his wife abandoned him and the children more than a year ago when she left with another man.
Labels: AL, assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, domestic dispute
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Leavenworth, Washington
From the Seattle Times of July 25, 2007
Would-be victim sends armed robbers running in Leavenworth
A 57-year-old Leavenworth man turned the tables on two armed robbers who invaded his home Tuesday.
Authorities say that when two masked men armed with handguns got into the man's home Tuesday night, he confronted them, grabbed one of their guns and shot one in the hand.
The two masked men then fled, said Chelan County Undersheriff Greg Meinzer.
Two men from Snohomish County were later arrested after one of them flagged down an ambulance.
The wounded man, 24, from Everett, was treated at Central Washington Hospital. The other suspect, a 24-year-old Lake Stevens man, is charged with first-degree assault and burglary. The wounded man was not immediately charged.
Meinzer did not release the homeowner's name and says he isn't sure whether the homeowner knew the masked men or if the attempted robbery was a random crime.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, residence robbery, WA
Nashville, Tennessee
From Nashville’s WSMV.com of July 25, 2007
Pets Help Resident Fight Back Intruder
Police said a mother and her family pets fought back a gunman who tried to rob her at her south Nashville home.
The incident happened on Martin Street, just a few blocks from the state fairgrounds around 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Ronda Hill said she, her 2-year-old son and her mother were walking inside their house when a man jumped a fence, pointed a gun at them and demanded their belongings.
Hill said her dogs then went after the intruder.
"When they attacked him, he dropped the gun, and I picked it up, and I fired at him. He then took off running," said Hill.
She said she fired the gun two times and is not sure if any of the bullets struck the robber.
Police are still searching for the intruder.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, residence robbery, TN
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Danville, Virginia
From Roanoke’s WSLS.com of July 24, 2007
Would-be Thief Ends Up in Hospital
An overnight robbery attempt landed a gunman not in jail but in a hospital. Shortly before midnight, according to Danville Police Lt. Tommy Merricks, a gunman approached two men on Rocklawn Drive and attempted to rob them. One of the men grabbed the gun, however, and tried to take it away. The gun went off and struck the would-be robber in the head. He fled the scene.
Shortly afterwards, the police heard of a man being taken from Glenn Street to Danville Regional Medical Center.
He was later transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center with a reported gunshot wound to the head that likely fractured his skull, according to the police.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, street robbery, VA
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Fairfield, California
From the Vacaville Reporter of July 15, 2007
Suspect injured in failed robbery
A robbery suspect wound up at NorthBay Medical Center Friday night, according to Fairfield police, who report that he was shot with his own gun.
The suspect was identified as 18-year-old Vedell Chew, a Fairfield resident. At approximately 6:30 p.m., the suspect reportedly approached a group of people who were gambling in the backyard of a residence in the 1800 block of Barbour Drive, according to police.
Police allege that as he attempted a robbery, one of the people in the group struggled with the suspect and grabbed his gun.
Meanwhile, several of the gamblers hit and kicked the suspect, according to police.
During the struggle, the suspect was shot in the leg with his own gun by one of his intended victims, according to police.
He was transported to NorthBay Medical Center by a waiting car.
The suspect's injuries are reportedly not life-threatening, and police intend to charge Chew with counts of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
Labels: CA, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, residence robbery
Jackson, Michigan
From the Jackson Citizen-Patriot of July 15, 2007
Police seek man who was shot during alleged robbery
A Detroit man, 21, is wanted on three felony counts in connection with an attempted robbery.
The man allegedly tried to rob a house in the 100 block of Second Street armed with a handgun about 11:39 p.m. Thursday, the Jackson Police Department said.
During a struggle, the resident and a friend took the gun away from the man and shot him, but the wound wasn't life threatening, police said.
Jackson Police are still trying to find the man, whose name is not being released. Charges of assault with intent to rob while armed, felony possession of a firearm and using a firearm to commit a felony are pending.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MI, residence robbery
Friday, July 13, 2007
Tampa, Florida
From MyFoxTampaBay.com of July 13, 2007
Clerk shoots robberFrom the TampaBays10.com of July 13, 2007
Police say a store employee has shot a robber on East Lake Avenue.
It happened around 3 p.m. at the Yasmin Food Mart. That's at the intersection with Potter Street.
Detectives say 17-year-old Xavier Pierre Whitehead came into the store with a gun and was wearing a Spiderman mask.
"He demanded money, told them to open the till and get all the money out and that's when the struggle started, and the struggle over the gun and the shot was fired," said Tampa police spokesperson Andrea Davis.
Whitehead was taken to Tampa General Hospital. There's no word yet on his condition.
Masked robber is shot during Tampa hold-up
There was a hold up and a shooting at a Tampa convenience store Friday afternoon.
Police say a teenager wearing a Spider-Man mask walked into the Yasmin Food Mart, located at 2409 E. Lake Avenue, north of I-4 and east of I-275, and demanded cash.
The owner decided to fight back and struggled with the teen over the gun. A second employee joined the struggle. As the three wrestled for the weapon, it fired, striking the suspect in the upper body.
The robber was rushed to Tampa General Hospital as a trauma alert. He was identified as Xavier Pierre Whitehead, 17, of 2619 E 26th Ave., Tampa. Police say he was a regular at the store.
Officers are reviewing surveillance tape of the robbery.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, FL, minor offender
Charlotte, North Carolina
From Charlotte’s WSOCtv.com of July 13, 2007
Police: Suspected Robber Shot With Own Gun While Attacking Limo Driver
Police said a suspected robber was shot with his own gun Friday morning during an attack on two limo drivers. It happened at about 3 a.m on South Tryon Street just south of Clanton Road in southwest Charlotte.
Officers said three men with guns attacked the drivers of two limos and threatened to kill them. But as one robber reached for a laptop computer in a limo, the driver grabbed the attacker's gun and shot him. Police said that man was later dropped off at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The other two robbers got away. The limo drivers were not hurt.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, NC, street robbery
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Tampa, Florida
From TampaBays10.com of July 3, 2007
Store owner takes law into his own hands
It was like something out of the Wild West for Deborah Beal as she watched the owner of this Kwik Stop food store chasing an armed robber up her street.
Deborah Beal, Witnessed Shooting
“I was talking to my dad on the phone and I was like that's not fireworks, he's shooting him. I was thinking this is crazy. ”Police say the two robbers had force the store owner at gunpoint to the ground and were on their way out after stealing money and ripping off the stores surveillance system, but apparently the owner didn't plan on going down without a fight.
Andrea Davis, Tampa Police
“The store clerk got up, grabbed his gun, came out of the store, and yelled at them to stop. One of the males turned around pointed the gun at the store clerk and said, 'I will shoot you.' At that point, the store clerk did shoot the bad guy. ”Bullets and evidence markers litter the area, as police try to piece it all together. They recovered two guns. The owner managed to wrestle the robbers [sic] away and hold him for police. 18-year-resident, Victoria Schmidt, couldn't believe what she was watching.
Victoria Schmidt, Witnessed Shooting
“The man who shot the other man forced him at gunpoint to get back over into the property over there and then man who was shot was screaming for an ambulance. ”Beal says the store has had many problems. This time the owner sent a strong message, one she is applauding
Deborah Beal, Witnessed Shooting
"I'm glad they got him. I'm really glad because the store has been hit, they've had a pick up truck driven through the front door, they had people come through the roof, and they've ad all the phone and electric lines cut, not long ago actually. I'm glad they finally got somebody. ”Police say it looks like this was a case of self defense and it doesn't immediately look like Saed will face charges. Investigators are looking for the second robber who fled in a maroon Ford Taurus.
From the St. Petersburg Times of July 4, 2007
Merchant shoots robbery suspect
The store owner holds the man at gunpoint until the police arrive.
A shop owner who had just been robbed chased two men down a South Tampa street Tuesday, shooting one and holding him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Police are still investigating the shooting, which injured Clifford Darden, 48, one of the men accused in the robbery.
"They were robbing him, " police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said of the shop owner's actions. "He did fear for his life."
Just before 2 p.m., two men walked into a Kwik Stop Food Store at West Shore Boulevard and Ohio Avenue.
One ordered a sandwich, then he walked behind the counter and pulled out a gun.
The robber demanded money from the shop owner, who opened two cash registers. The second robber joined the first, and both men grabbed cash, said Davis. The men also took lottery tickets and snatched surveillance equipment.
They ran outside, heading east on Ohio Avenue. The shop owner chased them, gun in hand, Davis said. One, described as a black man about 200 pounds, 5 foot 9 to 5 foot 10 inches tall, wearing a red shirt, jacket and ball cap, got into a maroon Ford Taurus with tinted windows and disappeared.
The shop owner, whose name was not released, shot at the second man. Neighbors heard between four and six shots. Police said Darden had bullet wounds in his arm and abdomen.
The shop owner told police that as he ran after the robber, the man paused, turned toward him and pointed a gun. The shop owner shot him, then tried to get the robber's gun. The two wrestled on the grass between two parked cars, and the shop owner got the gun and told the robber not to move until police arrived.
Once investigators arrived, Darden was taken to Tampa General Hospital. His condition was unavailable. He will be booked into the Hillsborough County jail once he is treated, Davis said.
Darden is a mason with a Miami address, state records show. He has been arrested eight times in Florida, beginning in 1986, when he was convicted of marijuana smuggling in Miami, records show. In 1994, he was convicted of robbery with a firearm in Marion County.
His most recent arrest was in 1994 for violating probation.
Tuesday afternoon, Fuad Salem,