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
10/19/09
Forest Grove, Oregon
From October 16, 2009 KATU channel 2:
FOREST GROVE, Ore. - Police have arrested a man after a woman was sexually assaulted in her own home in Forest Grove, just west of the Portland suburb of Hillsboro.
Floyd Dale Elliott faces rape and burglary charges after being accused of entering the victim's home in the middle of the night last month. Police said he then tried to rape her.
The woman reportedly grabbed a gun, hidden near her bed, and started firing.
10/17/09
Goochland, Virginia
From the Goochland Courier of October 15, 2009
Late night antics lead to charges
Werewolves aren't the only things to be wary of during a full moon.
After a month of little crime, the Goochland Sheriff's Office received a call from a Whitehall Rd. resident during the early hours of Oct. 3.
According the Sheriff Jim Agnew, the woman was home alone and reported to deputies that someone had attempted to break into her house by entering through the front door.
The woman called a second time, telling deputies that there was another attempt to enter her home, upon which the woman exercised her Second Amendment rights and drew a pistol on the man.
"She did the right thing," Agnew told the board of supervisors on October 6. "She said, 'Leave, or I'm gonna kill ya.'"
Deputies quickly apprehended Timothy Justin Tirado, 25, of Goochland, who is charged with burglary. At that time, Agnew said deputies had not yet found a passenger who was seen in Tirado's car.
Deputies remained in the area, looking for Tirado's partner.
"Around sunrise, we got a call from another resident off Forest Grove Rd.," Agnew said, "who said somebody was in the basement."
Tirado's partner, Valerie Lee Oliver, 32, of Chesterfield, had emerged from the basement, greeting the homeowner who had just poured herself a cup of coffee to start her morning.
Oliver is charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a misdemeanor and petit larceny.
"They were both very intoxicated," Agnew alleged.
A sheriff's report stated that Oliver was wanted for a probation violation from Dinwiddie, and Agnew said both have prior histories.
"Hopefully they'll be going away for a while and won't be bothering us anymore," Agnew said.
Tirado and Oliver were eligible to be released on $5,000 secured bonds. Both are scheduled to appear in Goochland County General District Court on November 23.
Labels: female, intoxication, VA
9/24/09
Mount Juliet, Tennessee
From WSMV of September 24, 2009
Woman In Shower Shoots At Intruder
A woman in Mount Juliet got a scare this week when a man broke into her home while she was in the shower.
The intruder quickly ran out, but the woman grabbed her gun and shot at his car.
Police arrested Franklin Fish a short time later. The woman identified him as the burglar.
Detectives believe Fish is wanted for several other home break-ins.
9/21/09
Knoxville, Tennessee
From WBIR of September 18, 2009
Burglary/assault suspect shot by victim's mother
A burglary suspect is recovering from a gunshot wound near his groin--a wound 75-year-old Ruth Robbins gave him after he fought with her son and then got in a scuffle with her.
Jesse Williams, 28, sits in the Morgan County jail, charged with burglary, aggravated assault, and simple assault, as he nurses a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken there after being treated and released at UT Medical Center.
According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, Williams broke into David Brandenburg's Petros home Thursday night. Brandenburg, 43, and Williams fought, eventually making their way out into the yard.
Ruth Robbins came over from her home next door and tried to intervene to help Brandenburg, who is her son. At that point, authorities say Williams turned his attack on her--so she shot him.
The shooting happened at 9:03 Thursday night.
Brandenburg was injured in the fight but declined treatment. No charges have been filed against Robbins.
Labels: assault, female, senior, TN
9/16/09
Titusville, Florida
From the Central Florida News of September 16, 2009
Burglars Held Up By Homeowners
Two burglars attempting to steal a car from a Brevard County home were held at gunpoint by the homeowners.
Matthew Clark, 20, and Justin Sheppard, 19, are facing several charges including burglary and grand theft.
Authorities say the pair was burglarizing a home near Titusville on Karen Drive when the homeowners confronted them with a 12-gauge shotgun.
The woman and her son held the two until police arrived.
Clark and Sheppard are now being held on $5,000 bonds.
Labels: female, FL, street property theft
Mobile, Alabama
From Local 15 of September 10, 2009
Pregnant woman holds intruder at gun point
The lesson here is never threaten an expecting mother, especially if she's armed with a shotgun.
"I was angry," Randi Fairley says. "I was really mad that he was in my house."
At around 4 A.M. Sunday, Fairley was wide awake, because her unborn daughter was kicking. That is when she heard a noise; it sounded like someone touching a potato-chip bag downstairs.
"I came and looked over the stairs," Fairley says. "I saw this kid, down at the bottom of the stairs. He was about to grab my computer."
Fairley is six and a half months pregnant. So, she says she yelled down at Justin Delhomme, he walked out of the house and she grabbed a shotgun. In the street, Fairley confronted the 18 year old. "He pulled a gun on me, and I told him, 'You know, you need to put that away before I shoot you because mine's bigger,' and he put it back in his pocket."
Fairley saysshe held Delhomme until the cops came with a little help from her husband and mother. "He seemed really sorry and scared, you know, he started saying he was sorry and had a baby he had to take care of."
As for her own baby, Fairley says crime fighting seemed to stir something in her. "I couldn't get her to be still. For hours after that she was just kicking away, excited. We're probably just gonna laugh about it and tell her mom caught a burglar."
Fairley also has a 4-year-old son who got a kick out of all of this. Police say they believe Delhomme is responsible for at least 13 home and vehicle break-ins over the Labor Day weekend in the Regency and Pinehurst neighborhoods of Mobile. Investigators say in all but about one case, Delhomme got in through unlocked doors.
Police say they recovered several stolen items from Delhomme, including $5,000 in cash, electronics and marijuana. Court records show Delhomme was arrested earlier this year on similar charges.
Labels: AL, female, residence burglary
9/8/09
Kansas City, Missouri
From KMBC of September 7, 2009
Intruder Shot At Northland Apartment
olice said an intruder was shot during an attempted break-in at a Northland apartment complex early Monday morning.
Officers were called to the Wild Oaks complex at Highway 152 and Flintlock Road shortly before 3 a.m.
Police said a man was trying to break into an apartment when the woman inside grabbed her gun and fired at the intruder through the door.
The man pulled out his own gun and fired back.
The intruder was hit twice and was taken to a hospital. He is expected to recover.
The woman was not injured.
Labels: female, home invasion, MO
9/3/09
Bedford Township, Michigan
From the Battle Creek Enquirer of August 22, 2009
Woman: Shooting man was self-defense
A 70-year-old Bedford Township woman said Friday she had no choice but to shoot a man coming at her with a shovel.
"I didn't want to hurt him but I didn't want him to hurt me," Virginia Hawes said in an interview at her home in Bedford Hills Mobile Village. "I didn't want to kill him. I just wanted to stop him. If he would have stopped, no one would have gotten hurt."
Battle Creek police said Hawes shot Nicholas Beltz, 24, in the leg in her yard about 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
"He kept coming at me. I pointed the gun at his head, but I didn't want to shoot him in the head. I wimped out," she said.
Hawes said Beltz threatened her after she called police because his girlfriend, Emily Bannister, 18, said she was being assaulted.
Hawes said Bannister came to sit on her porch until police came. When Beltz began walking toward them, Hawes said she warned him to stay off her property.
"She was sitting on the porch and she got up but I told her to stay," Hawes said. "He said he just wanted to talk to her and he wanted to tell her he loved her and he kept coming. I thought he was going to hurt her."
Hawes' grandson, Bryan Hawes, 23, was outside with his grandmother and picked up a shovel, held it out horizontally in an attempt to block Beltz. But Beltz pushed Bryan Hawes aside and took the shovel.
Virginia Hawes said that is when she went inside her home, put five bullets in her .38-caliber revolver and walked back outside, holding the gun to her side.
She bought the handgun in March as protection from a former family member, registered it and had taken classes and practiced at South Side Sportsman Club in Battle Creek.
"I told him to get back and he kept walking toward me. I put the gun up and told him to get back or I will shoot. He called me an old bitch and he kept coming at me and holding the shovel."
Hawes said he told Beltz a half-dozen times to stop and leave her property.
When they were about four feet apart, she said he dropped the shovel but continued forward.
"He said, 'Shoot me in the head old bitch and I will take the gun away from you,' and I thought, 'If I shoot him in the head, how can he take the gun away?'"
Hawes said she believed that Beltz had been drinking and taking drugs and she decided she had to shoot.
She pointed the gun at his foot and pulled the trigger but said he stepped into the bullet and it hit him above the right knee.
"I figured I had to stop him. He was too drunk or high to understand," she said. "He went down like a tree."
After the shooting, Hawes went back inside the trailer, put the gun away and told her grandson to call police. When officers arrived, Beltz was on the ground moaning and she was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car after officers went inside to retrieve the gun.
Hawes, her grandson and witnesses were taken to the police station and questioned and she was released.
"I was prepared to spend a night in jail, but I didn't want to."
She doesn't regret the shooting.
"He was on our property and we were in danger. I didn't want to shoot in the air. I probably could have reached out and conked him with the gun.
"I have nothing to say to him. I really don't want to see him anymore."
Detective Sgt. Carter Bright of the Battle Creek Police Department said a report about the shooting will be sent to the prosecutor's office "but it appears to be self defense."
Bright said warrants have been issued charging domestic violence against Beltz and his girlfriend and assault and battery against Beltz, with Bryan Hawes as the victim.
Beltz's mother, Denise, said Friday afternoon her son remains in the hospital with significant pain.
"I am very upset by this. It was wrong that she had a gun and shot him. Nick is very upset and doesn't know why she did it."
Denise Beltz insisted her son would not hurt anyone and that her understanding was that he had turned to walk away when he was shot in the back of the leg; Bright said that theory does not appear to be true.
"It doesn't give her a right to have a gun when Nick didn't have a gun," Denise Beltz said.
Labels: assault, female, MI, senior
9/2/09
Gardnerville, Nevada
From the Record Courier of August 26, 2009
Armed homeowner fends off possible home invasion
A Gardnerville woman fended off someone who was trying to break into her house early Thursday morning.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the Pin Oak Drive resident was awakened by her dog, who was barking insistently inside her home at 3:20 a.m. The woman said she looked out of the windows, and when she didn't see anything, she armed herself and let the dog out into the backyard.
She said a man approached her quickly in her backyard, but then she pointed her handgun at him and shoved him backward before retreating into her home. She locked the door and called 911. When she returned to the back door, the man began knocking on her rear window.
She yelled that she'd called the Sheriff's Office, and the man ran to the far side of the yard and jumped over the fence.
The man was described as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall, thin with blonde hair. She estimated he was in his late teens or early 20s, wearing black earrings, a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark shorts with yellow writing down the side.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they searched the neighborhood, but did not find the man.
They did find a window screen had been removed from the home's rear window and a fingerprint on the glass.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, Sgt Jim Halsey, at 782-9931.
Halsey said it's important that residents checking suspicious activity be careful.
“This incident brings to light the importance of safety and vigilance by residents when checking suspicious activity or noises around a residence at any time of the day or night,” he said. “If you have any reservations or misgivings, call 911 and request the sheriff's office respond.”
Labels: female, NV, trespassing
8/25/09
Tuscumbia, Alabama
From the August 19, 2009 Times-Daily:
TUSCUMBIA - A man is in the Colbert County jail after he was accused of breaking into a home where the owner fired a shot at him.John Allen Elom, 34, 4125 Woodmont Drive, Tuscumbia, is charged with second-degree burglary, Sheriff Ronnie May said.
May said Elom is accused of breaking into a residence only a few doors down from his house on Woodmont Drive early Monday.
During the break-in, May said the 32-year-old homeowner tried to protect herself and shot at Elom. The incident occurred around 1:20 a.m.
"The victim said she was awakened by dogs barking," May said. "She said she got out of bed, picked up her pistol (a 9 mm) and walked down the hallway."
May said the woman told authorities that when she got near the kitchen, she saw the suspect and fired the gun.
"She only had one bullet and she missed," May said.
At that point, Elom charged her and they struggled for a few minutes, the woman said.
"He was wearing a dark-colored hoodie, and during the struggle, she was able to see his face enough to recognize him," the sheriff said.
May said the suspect broke free and called the woman a derogatory name as he ran out the door.
"The victim ran out the back door and called 911," the sheriff said.
May said the woman gave authorities a description of the suspect and a name.
"Our investigators put together a lineup and she picked him out and he was arrested (Tuesday)," May said.
He said the back door was forced open. Investigators believe that's when the woman's dogs started barking.
Labels: AL, female, residence burglary
8/14/09
Charleston, South Carolina
From the SC Now of August 14, 2009
Husband, wife hold off robber until police arrive
An Horry County husband and wife fight off would-be robber inside their business.
According to a press release, a man tried to rob Ron’s Busy Corner, 5709 Juniper Bay Rd, Conway, Thursday afternoon when he placed a knife to the back of the store’s owner.
Police said Roger Lee Green, 34, of Galivants Ferry came into the store and pointed a knife to the back of the store owner while he was sitting at a table.
The owner stood up, struggled with Green, along with a customer, and took the knife away.
The owner’s wife was then able to get a pistol and hold the man there until police arrived.
Green is currently in J. Ruben Long Detention Center charged with Armed Robbery.
Labels: assault, business robbery, female, SC
8/13/09
Las Vegas, Nevada
From the Las Vegas Sun of July 29, 2009
Woman, intruder shot during home invasion attempt
An attempted home invasion late Tuesday in North Las Vegas resulted in an exchange of gunfire and a woman and an intruder being shot.
Police said someone tried to enter a home shortly before midnight in the 4100 block of Karma Drive, between West Craig and Alexander roads, when the homeowner opened fire. The intruder fired back and injured the woman, authorities said.
Officers were dispatched to the home at 11:52 p.m. and upon arrival found a 31-year-old North Las Vegas resident with gunshot wounds to her leg. The injured woman said she had exchanged gunfire with unidentified men who had entered her home and threatened to shoot her 14-year-old son.
The boy wasn’t injured.
Police found a blood trail that left the residence and ended in the street in front of the house.
Sgt. Tim Bedwell of the North Las Vegas Police Department said he isn't sure who fired first.
He said the woman suffered a minor non-life threatening gunshot wound and was transported to University Medical Center. At the hospital, officers were notified a male gunshot victim had recently arrived to be treated who matched the description of one of the suspects.
His injuries are described as serious but non-life threatening.
Authorities said they do not know if the woman knew the intruder. Bedwell said an arrest hasn’t been made in the case.
Labels: defender shot, female, home invasion, NV
7/27/09
Cottonwood, Idaho
From KTVB of July 27, 2009
Prison escapees meet their match in Idaho mom with gun
The Idaho County Sheriff's Office had honored a Cottonwood woman with a certificate of achievement saying she showed true courage in the face of danger for fending off two prison escapees who tried to break into her home.
Cassidy Lockett was home with her young children late last month when she says two men tried to break into her home. She hid the children behind the couch, grabbed a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol and aimed it at a man who was already halfway through a window, climbing into her home.
Lockett says she pointed the gun at him and told him to get out or she'd shoot. She says he complied, and left along with another man who was trying to get through the locked front door.
The sheriff's department says the two were Richard Nieves and Ben Westley Perez, who are both facing escape, burglary and other charges.
Labels: escaped prisoner, female, home invasion, ID
6/29/09
Summerfield, Florida
From the Ocala Star-Banner of June 26, 2009
Jewelry store manager fires shot at fleeing thief
Afer her father's store, Bob's Coins & Jewelry, was burglarized twice, and after hearing about jewelry stores being robbed recently in Ocala, Vickie Buxton decided to take precautions.
Buxton, general manager at the store, took concealed weapons classes and armed herself with guns she keeps at the business in case she encounters an intruder.
She did not have to wait long.
While working at the store, at 17860 S.E. 109th Ave., Suite 621, on Thursday, Buxton shot at a thief after the man entered the building with a hammer, broke a glass case and escaped with an official Vatican Treasury gold medallion worth $20,000.
"I hit the back of the truck," Buxton said, describing a bluish-purple sports utility vehicle she said the robber got into.
She said before the robber entered the store, "The vehicle sat in front for several minutes, and then it drove around the parking lot some more."
Then, she said, the suspect approached the business and pulled a bandana up to his face.
"I yell, 'Gun!,' meaning my employees know I'm going for the gun," she said.
As the robber entered the store, Buxton said she told him, "I'm going to shoot."
The man ignored her and smashed a display glass that contained coins.
Buxton tried to fire a .380-caliber handgun, but the weapon misfired.
The robber grabbed the medallion and as he was heading out the door, Buxton again tried to fire the gun, but it misfired a second time.
Buxton successfully fired a third shot, which struck the back of the SUV.
"He dropped the medallion on the ground. He then picked it up, and got in the truck," she said.
Capt. Tommy Bibb said detectives are looking for the suspect, described as a white male approximately 6-foot tall, of medium build, who was wearing a white jacket or long-sleeved shirt and camouflage short pants.
Bibb said he also wants jewelry store owners to be aware of their surroundings and be mindful of anyone who appears to be suspicious. He said the vehicle in Thursday's robbery did not have a tag.
Labels: business robbery, female, FL
6/25/09
Prince George's County, Maryland
From the Washington Post of June 25, 2009
Woman Kills Husband in Apparent Self-Defense
A Prince George's County woman fatally shot her husband in an apparent act of self-defense Saturday after he attacked her at the Capitol Heights duplex where the pair lived in separate units, according to police and neighbors.
Just after 8 a.m., authorities said, police were called to the home in the 700 block of Capitol Heights Boulevard on a report of a domestic dispute. In front of the house, they found Richard Marcellous Wilson, 30, with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Police said Wilson's wife fired the fatal shot.
The circumstances of the incident are unclear, but police think that the shooting "appears to have been in self-defense," said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's police department. Wilson, police said, had violated an active protective order when he attacked his wife.
Rodriguez declined to name the shooter because she is a victim in the case and has not been charged.
(More)
Labels: domestic dispute, female, MD
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
6/15/09
Spring, Texas
From June 15, 2009 DPRC channel 2:
SPRING, Texas -- A woman opened fire when two robbery suspects broke into her Spring home on Sunday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables said the 34-year-old was alone inside the home in the Timberlane subdivision on Briarcreek Boulevard near Cades Cove Drive at about 6 a.m.Investigators said the woman opened fire when the attackers burst through her bedroom door.
"She's in her bedroom, locked in her bedroom. And she could hear them rustling through the rooms about the house. She grabbed her weapon and you know, held up inside her bedroom. It wasn't until they forced their way into her bedroom, they kicked the bedroom door in. She fired several shots at the suspects," said Lt. Jeff Stauber with the Harris County Sheriff's Department.
Investigators said Gerson Jonathon Linares and Shalom Mendoza, both 17, were wounded.
Detectives said the teenagers, who live in the neighborhood, ran out of the home and called for help, claiming to be the victims of a shooting.
"Through our investigation, we were able to tie them back to this incident on Briarcreek," Stauber said.
Investigators said the pair has admitted that they were involved in the crime.
Labels: female, home invasion, minor offender, TX
6/11/09
Richmond, Indiana
From the Palladium Item of May 30, 2009
Gunshot scares off intruder
A Richmond woman thwarted a break-in early Friday by firing a warning shot from a gun.
"She confronted him at the door," Richmond Police Chief Kris Wolski said Friday. "She fired one shot to scare the person off."
Wolski doesn't think the incident is linked to a series of home invasions and sexual assaults of women that have plagued Richmond for about two years.
The 41-year-old female resident in the 200 block of North 21st Street heard a noise and rushed to get the semiautomatic gun, he said. Wolski said her possession and use of the gun was lawful.
Police were called to the scene at 1 a.m. The suspect was wearing a baseball cap under a hoodie, but that's about all the victim could see, Wolski said.
"Hopefully the neighbors saw something," he said. "We're doing more scene processing and getting statements."
At least eight attacks have been attributed to a man who stands about 5 feet 5 inches and strikes in the early morning hours while wearing a mask and dark hoodie.
Four more attacks are possibly linked. His female victims have ranged from a teen-ager to an 81-year-old woman.
Wolski acknowledged that the attacks are on the minds of residents, including Friday's victim.
"She was aware of the other incidents," he said. "Everyone is at a heightened level of awareness."
The police department is getting numerous calls each day with tips about potential suspects in the attacks.
"I think we are making headway," Wolski said.
Labels: female, IN, trespassing
6/10/09
Hardin County, Illinois
From WSIL of June 10, 2009
Burglar Shot During Home Invasion
A home invasion late Tuesday night ended with an alleged burglar in the hospital, according to Hardin County Sheriff Tom Seiner.
The sheriff reported in a press release that the woman in the home shot the intruder.
The home on Tower Rock Road outside Elizabethtown belongs to Marty Impastato and her husband Bruce, who was not home.
Impastato's daughter tells News Three that the man entered the home through an unlocked window. Shawna Stevens says the man is a friend of the family who visits the home regularly. She says she's not sure why he broke in.
According to Stevens, Impastato grabbed her gun when she heard the man make his way across the house. Stevens reports that when the man entered the bedroom and rustled through the safe where the family keeps jewelry and prescription drugs, Impastato shot him.
Illinois statute makes it legal for the victim of a home invasion to shoot someone in their home if they believe they can prevent violence to themselves or others in the dwelling or they reasonably believe that force is necessary to prevent a felony.
The sheriff's department is not releasing the name of the alleged burglar. He is described only as a white male in his twenties. Wednesday night he was in the intensive care unit at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. He has not been charged.
Labels: female, home invasion, IL, residence robbery
5/30/09
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From May 19, 2009 KFOR channel 4:
OKLAHOMA CITY -- One burglar may be considering a different profession after nearly losing his life during a break-in, last Wednesday.
Heather Fitzgerald says she was checking e-mail in her garage with the garage partially open. Shortly before 3:00 a.m., however, an intruder crawled in.
Heather immediately worried for her children, who were sleeping inside the home. She grabbed her 9-milimeter pistol and fired two shots at the man.
Police do not believe he was hit because they found no blood at the scene. As he was running away, she says she lined up the gun's laser sight on his back, but did not pull the trigger again, most likely sparing his life.
"I just, I couldn't do it," Fitzgerald says. "And it took everything that I had, not to. Seems like you should be able to be in your own garage at night when it's dark and not have to worry about that kind of stuff."
Labels: female, 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
Detroit, Michigan
From the Detroit Free Press of May 13, 2009
Detroit woman fires shots through window at would-be intruders
A homeowner on the Detroit's east side thwarted three robbers by firing out of her bedroom as the men made their way up the steps inside her home, according to police.
A neighbor at 5 a.m. today noticed the three men breaking in the kitchen window of the home in the 900 block of Algonquin, according to Detroit Police.
He called the cell phone of the man who lives there, who was on his way home from work. The homeowner then called his wife, woke her and told her to get their gun.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, she fired a number of shots, missing the thieves. The husband arrived home just as the men were climbing back out of the window, and they escaped.
Labels: female, home invasion, MI
4/22/09
Springfield, Oregon
From KTMR of April 22, 2009
Springfield police say fatal shooting was self-defense
Police say a fatal shooting in Springfield was an act of self-defense.
The shooting happened Monday night at a home on the 2300 block of E Street. Investigators say Rodolfo Baldenegro, 47, went to the home looking for his estranged girlfriend. Investigators say the woman had filed a restraining order against him.
Police say Baldenegro forced his way into the residence and got into a fight with the woman and another man. Police say the other man shot Baldenegro in self-defense. Baldenegro died at the hospital.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, OR
4/19/09
Denham Springs, Louisiana
From WXVT of April 19, 2009
Authorities say fatal shooting was self defense
Authorities say they believe a 49-year-old woman shot and killed her 26-year-old boyfriend in self defense Sunday morning in Denham Springs.
Mark Lockwood was dead at his girlfriend's home when deputies arrived and a spokesman for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office says Suzanne White told them Lockwood had put a knife to her throat and demanded that she tell him the location of the gun used in the shooting.
She told authorities she convinced him to remove the knife from her throat, but he was still holding it when she reached the gun and shot him.
Investigators believe White shot Lockwood in self defense and Jason Ard, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said no charges have been filed.
4/17/09
Palm City, Florida
From WPBF of April 16, 2009
Palm City Woman Shot In Home Shoots Suspect
A Palm City woman was shot Thursday morning during a home invasion, but she was also able to shoot the suspect, who fled and was apprehended a short time later, neighbors and authorities said.
The incident occurred at a home in the 1500 block of Southwest Crossings Circle shortly before 9 a.m.
Neighbors said they heard a loud noise and came outside to find Linda Schultz, who turned 47 earlier this month, bleeding from a gunshot wound. She was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center, but her condition was not immediately available.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Christopher Reber was arrested in connection with the crime. Deputies located him in a room at the Suburban Lodge in Stuart after one of his family members told them where he was shortly after 10 a.m.
Reber, 23, suffered a gunshot wound and was also airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center.
Neighbors said Schultz came running out of her home carrying the suspect's gun.
"She was trying to describe to the police what had happened and what the gentleman looked like, what he was driving and that she had shot him," neighbor Linda Smyth told WPBF News 25. "She knew she shot him."
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, defender shot, female, FL, home invasion
4/16/09
Winter Haven, Florida
From the News Chief of April 14, 2009
Wife shoots husband in self-defense, Winter Haven police say
A local woman's act of self-defense might have saved her life and the lives of four family members, the Winter Haven Police Department reported.
According to police, a Winter Haven man who threatened early Tuesday to shoot and kill members of his family instead was shot by his wife.
The man, 34-year-old Troy A. Christoff, was treated for multiple gunshot wounds at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, according to a police report. He was charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and, after being released from the hospital under police custody, was booked without bond into the Polk County Jail in Bartow.
According to the report, Winter Haven police responded around 4 a.m. Tuesday to a reported shooting at 1121 Seventh St., S.W., the home of Troy and Dawn Christoff. When they arrived, police discovered that Troy Christoff had been shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun. The shooter was identified as his wife, 35-year-old Dawn Christoff.
Witness statements and an examination of physical evidence indicate that Troy Christoff intended to shoot several members of his family who lived with him, according to the police report. Prior to the shooting, he had armed himself with a handgun and begun to load the weapon, stating which member of his family each bullet was intended for.
When the handgun was loaded, Troy Christoff raised the weapon and pointed it at his wife, according to the report. The wife, who had armed herself with another handgun to protect herself and other family members, fired multiple shots at her husband, striking him several times.
Troy Christoff was airlifted to the Lakeland hospital to be treated for his gunshot wounds.
According to Polk County Jail records, Troy Christoff has been arrested on four previous occasions going back to July 2004. Past charges included battery, disorderly intoxication, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, driving under the influence and violation of parole.
Police considered the shooting to be an act of self-defense, but detectives are still investigating, according to the report. Anyone with information to add is asked to call Detective Steve Rusich at 863-291-5304.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, FL
Dallas, Texas
From April 15, 2009 WFAA channel 8:
DALLAS — A 26-year-old woman fatally shot a man who lived in her Red Bird apartment complex and broke into her unit Tuesday night, Dallas police said.
Two women were inside their apartment in the 8000 block of Leigh Ann Drive, which is just north of Danieldale Park and Interstate 20, when the 55-year-old man knocked on the door about 11 p.m, police said.
One of the women called police as the man tried to get inside, and the other woman shot him as he entered, causing him to stumble out the door and collapse in the grass, police said.
Labels: female, home invasion, TX
Seabrook, New Hampshire
From April 15, 2009 Seacoast Online:
PORTSMOUTH — When Christopher Duhan kicked open the back door of a Seabrook residence to commit a Monday afternoon burglary, he was met by the lady of the house who chased him off with her handgun, according to police.
Duhan, 28, of 147 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, was arraigned Tuesday in Portsmouth District Court on a felony count of burglary. According to an affidavit by officer Scott Mendes, Seabrook patrol officers were dispatched to a B Street residence at 12:30 p.m. Monday, for an "active" daytime burglary. The homeowner told police she was about to take a shower when she heard "loud crashing," so she grabbed her pistol and came face-to-face with the intruder, who she recognized as Duhan, a drug-dependent friend of a family member, according to court documents.
Gun in hand, the homeowner told Duhan she was calling the police before he fled across Route 1, police allege. Based on a clothing and vehicle description, Seabrook police arrested Duhan at a Hampton hotel where he has been residing, according to the affidavit.
Labels: female, NH, residence burglary
4/1/09
Catskill, New York
From WCAX of April 1, 2009
Man jailed with a gunshot wound after harassing ex-wife
A 47-year-old man is in the Greene County jail with a gunshot wound after State Police say he showed up drunk at his estranged wife's home and harassed her and her sister.
Troopers got a call around 5:30 Monday evening from a 49-year-old woman who said she had just shot her sister's ex-husband.
Police say Geraldine Finelli armed herself with a 20-gauge shotgun after Donald Case Jr. showed up making threats. When Case refused to leave, she fired one round toward the ground, striking Case in the lower leg.
He took off, but was stopped by Catskill village police and taken to the hospital for treatment of the wound. When he was released, State Police charged him with second-degree burglary.
He was arraigned and jailed on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, NY
3/16/09
Killeen, Texas
From KWTX of March 16, 2009
Fort Hood Soldier Arrested After Killeen Woman Shoots Would-Be Burglar
Fort Hood soldier Jamar Mcnair Jones, 18, was in the Bell County Jail charged with burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit theft Monday after a Killeen woman shot a man who tried to force his way into her home.
The woman called 911 early Friday morning after the would-be burglar fled.
She told officers she was awakened by the doorbell around 4 a.m. Friday.
The front door of the woman’s home had a viewer, but she told officers she was unable to see who was ringing the bell so she opened the door slightly.
When she did, the man attempted to force his way in.
That’s when she fired.
While officers were interviewing the woman, other officers at Metroplex Hospital advised them that a man matching the description of the would-be burglar had just arrived at the emergency room for treatment of a gunshot wound.
The man was transferred to Scott & White Hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet, police said.
Jones was arrested after he was released from Scott & White Monday evening, police said.
His bond was set at $500,000.
Labels: female, home invasion, TX
3/7/09
Ville Platte, Louisiana
From the Times-Picayune of March 6, 2009
Woman kills home invader; 2 men booked
Two men have been booked on charges stemming from a home invasion that ended when a Ville Platte homeowner shot and killed a 19-year-old man she said had pulled a gun on her boyfriend, police said Friday.
Gavin Herbert, 18, and Charles Grace, 34, both of Ville Platte, were held on $500,000 bond each in connection with the home invasion late Tuesday that left 19-year-old Antonio Thompson dead, said police Lt. Craig Nicholas.
Herbert is accused of participating in the holdup and home invasion while Grace was suspected of planning it, Nicholas added.
He said Herbert was booked on seven counts of aggravated kidnapping, and one each of armed robbery and aggravated burglary, and Grace on 10 counts of conspiracy: seven of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, two to commit aggravated burglary and one to commit armed robbery.
According to police, Herbert and Thompson broke into one house Tuesday, waited for residents to return, robbed homeowner Kaninsky Larnette and then took him at gunpoint to the home of Nedra Gallow, his girlfriend.
Gallow, 24, said in a publish account that she answered a knock and found Thompson holding a gun to Larnette.
"He ordered us to get on the floor. He hit me with his gun," Gallow told The Advertiser. "My mama started screaming. He pushed her down, and I ran to get the gun to protect myself and my family."
She and Thompson pointed their guns at each other, she said, and she ordered him to leave.
She said Larnette then grabbed Thompson. While they wrestled on the floor, she shot Thompson once in the leg, according to the report. She also said Larnette grabbed the other man's gun, but she was afraid Thompson had another.
"He kept digging in his pocket like he was going for another gun, and I shot him again," Gallow told The Advertiser. "I was not trying to kill anyone. I hated to do it. But I had to."
Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA, residence robbery
2/23/09
Barstow, California
From the Desert Dispatch of February 17, 2009
Woman fends off suspected burglar with gunshot
A woman fended off an alleged burglar by shooting at him after he tried breaking into her Octillo Drive home on Tuesday morning, according to Barstow Police. The suspect was later arrested in a nearby backyard.
The 49-year-old resident fired one shot and missed the suspect, Eric Charles Anderson of Barstow, who allegedly tried to break into her home through several entryways.
Police believe Anderson, 27, first tried to open at least one door to the home, according to a Barstow Police report. Anderson then removed a screen to a bedroom window and forced the window open.
As Anderson started coming into the window, the armed resident threatened to shoot him from inside the home if he came nearer, according to police. He left toward the front of the home where he tried to break in again.
The woman then shot at Anderson and he fled. Barstow Police officers responded to the incident at about 8:10 a.m. and found Anderson hiding in a nearby backyard, according to the report.
No injuries were reported. Police could not release information on the victim or the type of gun involved in the incident, according to Sgt. Mark Franey.
Police found that the bullet fired by the resident missed Anderson and struck a wall across from the home. The woman reported to police that she did not know the suspect.
Anderson was taken into custody and booked into jail at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Barstow station on a charge of burglary. His bail is set at $10,000.
Anyone with further information regarding this incident is asked to contact Officer Andrew Reyes at the Barstow Police Department at 760-256-2211.
Labels: CA, female, home invasion
Naples, Florida
From the Naples News of February 18, 2009
Estates homeowner fires gun at attempted robbery suspects
Collier County sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for three men in a light blue minivan who they say attempted a home invasion Wednesday night in Golden Gate Estates, but fled when the homeowner shot at them.
Around 8:51 p.m. the three men attempted to enter a home in the 3600 block of 36th Avenue Southeast off Everglades Boulevard, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karie Partington said.
The homeowner saw a light blue minivan pull up in the back yard.
"She gets a shotgun and fires two rounds of birdshot at the van," Partington said.
It is unclear if any of the three men, who were described as Hispanic, were shot, authorities said. Deputies, dogs and a Sheriff’s Office helicopter were all searching for a minivan with damage.
Labels: female, FL, trespassing
2/19/09
Indianapolis, Indiana
From January 26, 2009 WHTR-TV:
Indianapolis - A restraining order didn't keep a woman's ex-boyfriend from breaking into her home this morning, where she shot him.
Wounded and in handcuffs, 32-year-old Jeffery Seats was taken first to Wishard Hospital, then to jail."She's got a right to protect herself and her children and he forced his way in there, so she shot him," said IMPD Lt. Jeff Duhammel.
Around 11:30 Sunday morning, police say Seats kicked in his ex-girlfriend's door at the Cold Springs Manor apartment complex. He grabbed her and hit her with a chair, all in the presence of their two young children.
"She gets away from him, goes upstairs, grabs a gun and then, either he was pursuing her upstairs but she fired a shot, just graze wounds on his head. That's when he takes off," Lt. Duhammel said.
Police found Seats' pick-up truck at an apartment complex at 59th and Georgetown Road. They found Seats upstairs in one of the apartments at a friend's home.
"They observe the truck here, they see blood inside the truck, he comes to the door and he is wounded to the head," Lt. Duhammel said.
Police say the couple has a history of domestic violence and that the woman had a restraining order against Seats.
Labels: domestic abuse, female, IN
1/15/09
Dumphries, Virginia
From WJLA of January 14, 2009
2 Arrested, 1 Still Sought in Would-be Robbery
An armed woman who stayed home sick from work Wednesday turned out to be a would-be robber's worst nightmare.
Police say an alarm went off Wednesday in broad daylight in the 3300 block of Dondis Creek Drive in Dumfries, prompting the home's owner to her basement door where she found three men trying to get inside.
"When she confronts them, the men take off and one of them returned," said Officer Erika Hernandez, Prince William County.
That is when the woman opened fire, striking the would-be robber in the upper body. Police caught him and he was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police later caught the second suspect, but are still looking for the third.
"That was an experience with the cop cars and the helicopters, I was wondering what was going on," said Joshua Washington, a neighbor.
Police say it appears the homeowner was within her rights to shoot the suspect, however, police are still investigating.
Labels: female, trespassing, VA
South Bend, Indiana
From the South Bend Tribune of January 10, 2009
National media seek out South Bend woman
Sandra Hochstedler, the 70-year-old woman who held an intruder at gunpoint earlier this week, is out of the hospital and making the media rounds.
On Friday afternoon, a production crew with the news magazine Inside Edition visited Hochstedler's home to re-create the harrowing standoff for a segment to air on the show.
"It was quite a production. It was really interesting," Hochstedler said early Friday evening, shortly after the crew and host Les Trent had left her Portage Road home in northern St. Joseph County. "I really had to act. It was almost like I was in a studio."
"I'm hoping it will be inspiring to others," she said of the reason she agreed to film the segment, "to let them know that they can do this, that they can protect their homes. And if it comes to it, they can take extreme action."
On Sunday evening, as Hochstedler was hauling firewood from her garage into her home, a man reportedly came running at her from the street and chased her inside.
She grabbed her gun and dialed 911, she said, and after the man burst through her living room window she held him at gunpoint until police arrived, threatening to shoot him dead if he moved.
The story was immediately picked up by local media outlets, and soon, the national media came calling as well.
Besides Inside Edition, Hochstedler said she has been contacted by ABC News, Good Morning America, and the Fox News morning show Fox and Friends.
Although flattered, Hochstedler said she is still a bit baffled by all of the attention.
"It takes my breath away," she said her newfound celebrity, "because I'm like, 'What? How did it get national attention? What is the big deal about? Doesn't everyone try to protect their home?'æ"
Hochstedler said she has been slow in responding to some requests for interviews because she was only released from the hospital on Thursday. She was taken there Sunday evening after complaining of chest pains.
"By the time I was done being a tough woman and yelling at (the intruder) like I wasn't afraid, I sat down at the dining room table and it just all came out of me," she recalled.
At the hospital, Hochstedler said, doctors informed her she had actually suffered a heart attack and needed to have a cardiac catheter inserted to check for arterial blockage.
"I was resisting having it," she said of the procedure, explaining that she doesn't normally require a lot of "doctoring," "but they told me this was life threatening, that part of my heart had already died."
"It was due to shock," she continued. "It happens to people sometimes. That's what they call being scared to death."
Now that she's feeling better, Hochstedler said she wants to help others. As vice president of the German Township Neighborhood Association, she said she'd like to organize seminars to educate her neighbors on how to better secure their homes and protect themselves and their families.
Labels: female, home invasion, IN, senior
1/12/09
Batesville, Arkansas
From the Batesville Daily Guard of January 12, 2009
87-year-old scares man
Altha Rider usually keeps a .38 pistol by her bedside. Thursday night, the 87-year-old woman was ready to use it.
It wasn’t long after Rider went to bed Thursday night that someone tried to kick in the front door of her home at 65 Brushy Road, she told an officer, whom she met at the carport door with pistol in hand.
In a phone interview this morning, Rider told the Guard she is still a little shaken by the incident.
Rider said she had gone to bed around 9 p.m. with a light on in her den, and was awakened by the sound of her front door being kicked in around 10.
“When I heard the racket I screamed and then got up to see what happened,” Rider said. “I couldn’t see anyone, so I got up and went lookin’.”
Rider went looking with the .38 pistol that she keeps by her bedside for protection. She said she also has a .410 shotgun, but realized that would only give her one shot before she would have to reload.
According to Rider, the intruder had tried unsuccessfully to gain entry through a back door before going to the front of her home. The bottom half of the door was broken and splintered from the dead bolt down.
“He unlocked my storm door to get to the wood door,” Rider said. “But he didn’t get the door open — the door lock held.”
After not seeing anyone around her house, Rider said she called a family member, who then called police.
“They (police) were here right away and looked around, but they couldn’t find anybody,” Rider said.
The following day, an arrest was made and a missing person case was closed.
Police say Keith Eugene White, 31, of Batesville, reported missing since Nov. 25, 2008, was reportedly caught on McHue Road Friday morning.
This burglary occurred, police say, following the break-in attempt at Rider’s home.
According to Lt. Brenda Bittle, White was caught when deputies responded to a break-in on McHue Road.
“A key holder went to check on the house and found a door kicked in,” Bittle said. “When deputies arrived they searched the house and found White inside,” Bittle said.
“He had in his possession several items taken from other homes in the area Thursday night,” Bittle said.
White was arrested without incident and taken to jail, where he confessed to several burglaries and is a suspect in several more, Bittle said.
“He was out of prison on parole for burglary,” she said.
White is being held on a “no bond” parole hold pending formal charges.
Labels: AR, female, home invasion, senior
1/7/09
Pasadena, California
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune of January 6, 2009
Woman shoots large raccoon attacking dog
A woman shot and killed a raccoon that was fighting with her pit bull terrier, police said.
Pasadena police Lt. Randell Taylor said neighbors called authorities to report a shot fired in the 600 block of Las Robles Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
When police arrived, they learned a large raccoon had attacked a resident's dog.
"She got a shovel and hit the raccoon about 15 times," Taylor said. "She shot it in the mid-section and it was still getting the best of the dog."
Taylor said the woman retrieved the shovel and again hit the raccoon several times before it let go of her dog.
"The dog was OK, other than some nasty cuts and bruises," Taylor said.
The Humane Society of the San Gabriel Valley recommended the woman take her dog to a 24-hour emergency veterinarian to check for rabies, Taylor said.
Rosinton, Alabama
From AL.com of December 31, 2008
Police: Wounded wife grabbed gun, killed husband
Neighbors on a rural road in Baldwin County didn't pay much attention to the Cowan residence until gunfire erupted there two days before Christmas, revealing a deadly case of domestic violence.
Investigators said an enraged James Cowan Jr., 39, shot 42-year-old Pamela Cowan in the chest about 5:30 a.m., following a stretch of abuse that started the night before.
He had poured gasoline throughout their small home, dousing his wife and the bed in which she lay.
Then he stacked cushions from furniture on and near his wife and blocked the door with furniture as officers arrived.
But his wife managed to pick up the .357-caliber handgun he had put down briefly and shot him in the head, sheriff's spokesman Maj. Anthony Lowery said.
James Cowan was airlifted to a Mobile hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pamela Cowan was treated at a Pensacola, Fla., hospital and was expected to recover.
A county grand jury later will review the evidence, but Lowery said no charges were filed.
"There's no reason to believe she didn't act in self-defense," Lowery told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday in his Bay Minette office.
During the 13-year marriage, Pamela Cowan had obtained two protective orders against her husband, citing his violent moods, then tried to revoke both, including one about two weeks before the shooting. She told a judge in a letter that her husband needed "one more chance" to change his life. She wrote she had seen a therapist and hoped to save her marriage.
There was no indication the protection order was revoked. The judge in her case did not immediately return a phone message Wednesday.
...
As the investigation continued Wednesday, it was not immediately clear what set off last week's shooting. Lowery was among the officers on the shooting scene.
"She was fairly coherent when we were in there," he said, adding that details at the scene matched her account. The gasoline fumes made it "tough to stay in there," he said.
Pamela Cowan's father, Charlie Wilson of Loxley, told the Press-Register, "At times she is all right; at times she is down." Wilson could not be reached for further comment.
A public fundraising effort has been set up to pay her medical bills.
A funeral director in Robertsdale said Wednesday services for Cowan were incomplete.
Labels: AL, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, domestic abuse, female
1/6/09
Ventura County, California
From the Ventura County Star of December 31, 2008
Burglar flees after resident fires shot
Sheriff’s deputies were looking Tuesday for a burglar who was shot at by an armed homeowner in the 13000 block of Telegraph Road, authorities said.
The homeowner was alerted by a barking, growling family dog about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Department reported. The homeowner, armed with a handgun, walked down her hallway and found a man who had apparently forced his way into the house, deputies said.
Deputies said the burglar “brazenly and antagonistically challenged the homeowner.”
“Threatened by the aggressive behavior and fearing for her life,” the homeowner “fired in self-defense at the confrontational suspect,” the sheriff’s report said.
The burglar fled without taking any property. Authorities did not know Tuesday if the man was injured.
The intruder was last seen running through an orchard with a male accomplice toward nearby Todd Road Jail, sheriff’s Capt. Patti Salas said.
Neither the owner nor a toddler at home was injured.
Authorities used dogs, helicopters, heat-seeking detectors and 15 deputies to look for the two men but were unsuccessful. Deputies suspected the pair fled in a vehicle.
Anyone with information on the burglary should contact the Sheriff’s Department at 524-2233.
Labels: CA, female, home invasion
Milam County, Texas
From KXXV of December 29, 2008
Milam County home invasion
New details are emerging in the Milam County home invasion that left the resident's ex-husband dead.
Milam County Sheriff's deputies report that 34-year-old Eddie Sexton, III, was shot and killed when he apparently tried to force his way into his ex-wife's house.
Deputies also say Sexton was shot only once, and that his ex-wife called 911 and attempted to give first aid to her ex-husband.
Deputies say the gunman is 28-year-old Toby Broussard; it's not clear yet as to his relation is to Sexton's ex-wife.
No charges have been filed in the shooting.
Secton's body will be sent for an autopsy.
Milam County Sheriff's deputies responded to a home invasion call around 2:00 Sunday morning on Milam County Road 218 just outside of the Cameron city limits.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, TX
12/27/08
Columbia, South Carolina
From December 15, 2008 WIS channel 10:
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Richland County Sheriff's Department is investigating a shooting on Shakespeare Road Wednesday in Columbia.
"I hope he don't die and if he comes back and look around, don't touch nothing else," says Sam Banks, talking candidly about the man he says tried to steal from his store. "I didn't go into business to lose money. We aren't making that much now, but I'm not about that losing."
The retired veteran wasn't at the store he co-owns with his wife Wednesday afternoon.
Deputies says around 3:00pm a man came in, tried to walk out with some liquor and got shot."I think they should respect the store owners property and their rights," says Banks.
Banks' wife, too shaken to talk on camera, said she was knitting a blanket when a young man walked into the S&H ABC Package Store on Shakespeare Road.
She says the man asked the price of a bottle of liquor. When she told him, he backed away from the counter and started to look around.
She says the man then crossed the employees-only chain, grabbed two bottles and headed toward her.
That's when she grabbed her .38 and fired two shots.
At least one person agrees with how she handled it.
"We have too many robbers in this neighborhood, all over the place. They're robbing for money, so the lady protected herself. She did the right thing," says Barbra Simmons.
The store has been around 10 years, and Banks says this is not the first time someone has tried to steal from him.
He has some advice for other would-be robbers: "The good book says thou shall not steal. Don't do that," he says.
Deputies say 28-year-old Oxvaria Ingram will be charged with strong-arm robbery.
As for the store owner, investigators haven't determined if she will face any charges.
Labels: business robbery, female, SC
Adair County, Oklahoma
From the December 19, 2008 Muskogee [Oklahoma] Phoenix:
A Westville man remained in critical condition in a Tulsa hospital Thursday from a gunshot wound to the head, Adair County Sheriff’s Investigator Jack Smithson said.Darrel Fouse, 39, was shot after he violated a protective order and entered his rural home and allegedly began assaulting his wife, Smithson said.
Fouse’s wife, Marilyn Fouse, 39, told law enforcement her estranged husband entered the home about 2 p.m. Tuesday, hit her in the head, grabbed her arm and was assaulting her when a gun fell out of his fanny pack.
“She grabbed it and shot him,” Smithson said.
“She put a blanket over him, got her two girls (ages 11 and 14) out of their bedroom, and they ran across a field to a great-grandmother’s house.”
No charges have been filed. The shooting remains under investigation, Smithson said. An employee in the Adair County District Court Clerk’s Office said a protective order was filed Oct. 10 and that records show it was served on Darrel Fouse.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, domestic abuse, female, OK
12/25/08
Federal Way, Washington
From the Federal Way Mirror of December 14, 2008
Federal Way man dies after wife shoots in self-defense
At about 3:55 a.m. Dec. 13, Federal Way police responded to a shooting at the Mariposa Apartment Complex, 28120 18 Ave. S, Federal Way.
A 24-year-old white female called 911 to report she had shot her 40-year-old white male husband. Both are residents of Federal Way.
Upon arrival police contacted both subjects inside the apartment. The unresponsive male was on the bedroom floor with multiple gunshot wounds. South King County Fire and Rescue responded along with paramedics from King County Medic One in an attempt to revive the male, but pronounced him dead at approximately 4:43 a.m. The King County Medical Examiner later responded and took control of the body.
Upon initial interview of the female, she stated she had been separated from her husband for several weeks and that they each had a protection order against the other. The female was later transported to St. Francis Hospital by ambulance for minor head injuries and related pain. After treatment, the female was transported to the Federal Way Police Department for interviewing and is cooperating with the investigation.
Preliminary investigation indicates the shooting was in self-defense. The scene was processed by the Federal Way Police Department with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Team.
Federal Way police are currently following leads from witnesses and other involved parties in an attempt to further investigate this incident.
The department encourages anyone who has any information regarding this incident to call 911.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, WA
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
12/18/08
Franklin County, Arkansas
From the Fort Smith Times Record of December 16, 2008
Mother Shoots, Kills Son In Self-Defense, Police Say
A Franklin County man was killed by his mother Sunday, likely in self-defense, after he reportedly pistol-whipped her and his stepfather, authorities said.
Cameron Utsler, 22, was shot to death at the Prairie Street residence he shared with his mother and stepfather, north of Charleston, according to Lt. Steve Coppinger of the Arkansas State Police.
“Right now it looks like a justified shooting,” David Gibbons, Franklin County’s district attorney, said on Monday.
Troopers were dispatched to the residence at around 1:20 a.m. Sunday. Utsler was found dead at the scene, Coppinger said.
Utsler’s mother and stepfather, whose names were not revealed by either Coppinger or Gibbons, told investigators that Utsler became violent toward them after they had returned home from a Christmas party, according to Coppinger.
“He was upset that he was excluded from a family Christmas get-together,” Coppinger said.
Utsler reportedly brandished a handgun and at one point struck both his mother and stepfather on the head with the pistol, according to Coppinger. How many times Utsler struck them with the gun was not revealed.
“I don’t believe he discharged the weapon, he just physically beat them,” Coppinger said. “One of the parents, out of a defensive posture, had to get a firearm and shoot him.”
Coppinger described both the mother and stepfather as “very small in stature” and “slenderly built.” Utsler, however, was described as more than 6 feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds.
“He’s a big guy with a violent history,” Coppinger said.
The mother and stepfather told investigators that Utsler had physically abused them in the past.
Because the shooting is believed to be self-defense, an arrest was not made.
“For this to occur right at the Christmas holiday must be very traumatic for the mother,” Coppinger said.
Both the mother and stepfather were treated and released from a local hospital, according to Coppinger
It is not known if Utsler had a history of mental instability, Coppinger said.
Gibbons said that until the State Police investigation is complete, he cannot officially clear the shooting as an act of self-defense.
Utsler’s body was transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock, where an autopsy will be conducted.
Labels: AR, domestic dispute, female
Sacramento, California
From the Sacramento Bee of December 4, 2008
Woman shoots thief, Sacramento police say
A 34-year-old homeowner shot a man who was trying to steal from her property in East Sacramento Wednesday morning, police said.
The incident happened about 7 a.m. in the 4500 block of 13th Avenue, Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.
The suspect, who sustained facial injuries, is in a hospital and expected to survive, Leong said. The man, whose has not been released yet, is a parolee-at-large.
Investigators are reviewing the case to determine if the woman acted in self-defense. She has not been charged, Leong said.
Labels: CA, female, trespassing
12/8/08
Lynn Haven, Florida
From the Northwest Florida Daily News of December 5, 2008
Woman shoots home invader through abdomen
Lynn Haven police were looking Friday for two suspects in a home invasion and attempted robbery.
Melissa Galarza, of 817 Bradford Circle, answered a knock on her door Thursday evening, and two white males charged into the home and demanded "the money," a Lynn Haven officer wrote in an incident report.
One of the men punched Galarza in the face twice and knocked her to the floor. The men covered her mouth to keep her from screaming and kept demanding the money, reports said.
While on the floor, Galarza remembered she had a gun within reach on the bottom shelf of her coffee table. She drew the weapon, and the two men backed off before charging at her again. Galarza said she fired in self-defense, and the men fled her home together, report said.
Galarza suffered minor injuries in the incident, officials said.
Galarza's bullet went through the abdomen of one of the suspects, 26-year-old Matthew Andrews, officials said.
Andrews went to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. While at the hospital, Andrews was met by the Panama City Police Department and an investigator questioned him about the wound, said Capt. Mark Aviles.
Andrews told the investigator he was the victim of a robbery on 15th Street but that he did not want to file a police report and did not want to speak with officers further, Aviles said.
(More)
Labels: female, FL, home invasion
11/3/08
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
From the Dubuque Telegraph Herald of November 2, 2008
Shooting victim faces charges
A man shot by his neighbor while he allegedly was vandalizing her home is charged with criminal damage to property -- and the neighbor isn't expected to face any charges.
The criminal complaint filed in Crawford County Circuit Court said 53-year-old Harvey Townsend used a metal fence post to smash 16 windows and a storm door of the neighbor's house in Steuben Oct. 20.
According to Sheriff Jerry Moran, the neighbor, a 54-year-old woman, said she fired warning rounds from a pistol but didn't intend to hit Townsend, who fled and was located by a police dog in a nearby woods with a wound to the abdomen.
The woman has since filed for a temporary restraining order against Townsend. A hearing on that action is scheduled Monday -- the same day Townsend is due for his preliminary hearing.
Labels: female, trespassing, WI
11/2/08
Pennsylvania, Alabama
From the WTVY of November 2, 2008
Granny Shoots Intruder
An investigation is underway in Pennsylvania after police say a 75-year-old
granny shot a man who allegedly broke into her home.
The woman was sleeping upstairs, when an intoxicated man entered her home. She first asked him politely to leave, but when he proceeded up the stairs she grabbed her 38 caliber revolver and shot the man in the groin.
Turns out the man lives nearby and accidentally walked into the wrong house.
Police are investigating the case, but so far no charges have been filed.
Labels: AL, female, home invasion, intoxication, senior
10/31/08
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
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
From the Southeast Missourian of October 31, 2008
Cape Girardeau woman shoots, kills would-be rapist at her home
A Cape Girardeau woman shot and fatally wounded Ronnie W. Preyer, 47, a registered sex offender who had broken into her home early this morning with the intention of raping her a second time, Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said today.
Swingle said he will not be charging the victim, an older woman who positively identified Preyer this morning as the man who raped her on Saturday.
"It is clear that under Missouri's self-defense law the woman was justified in using deadly force upon the intruder in her home because he was in the process of burglarizing her home when she shot him," Swingle wrote in a letter to police chief Carl Kinnison.
Cape Girardeau police had been keeping a close eye on the woman's home, in the southwest part of Cape Girardeau, since she reported the rape nearly a week ago.
In that instance, she'd heard the glass break in a basement window around midnight on Saturday, and decided to make a run for it through her front door, according to police reports of the incident. When she opened the door, Preyer attacked her.
He punched her in the face and forced her into the bedroom, where he raped her.
She reported the rape that night, and described her rapist.
Police were actively working the unsolved rape case, Swingle said, and had been frequently driving past the woman's home in case her attacker returned.
This morning, the woman called 911 after hearing a car door close near her residence. An officer responded, checked the doors and windows, including the one that had been broken during the first attack.
Her landlord had recently repaired the window for her, Swingle said.
Once the officer determined that no one had entered the home, he left.
About two hours later, the woman was at home watching television, when Preyer broke the same basement window and came in, getting the still-wet calking on his clothing as he did so, police reports said.
He found a main fuse panel in the basement and shut off the electricity. The victim immediately tried to call 911, but the phone would not work because there was no electric.
Having recently purchased a shotgun, she grabbed the weapon and when Preyer began banging on the basement door, she was ready for him. When he crashed through the basement door into her kitchen, she shot him once in the chest and ran, heading for a neighbor's house, where she called the police.
It only took officers 45 seconds to respond to the 911 call, Swingle said.
When they arrived, they saw Preyer stumbling away from the home, and an officer ordered him to stop. When he didn't, a female officer drew her own weapon and they forced him to the ground.
He was transported to Saint Francis Medical Center where he died several hours later.
Early Friday morning, the victim identified Preyer out of a photo line-up as both the man who raped her on Saturday and the man who broke into her house today.
Preyer's criminal history is speckled with home invasions and assaults, and he has been convicted of failing to inform the county of his change of address in compliance with registered sex offender laws. Swingle was getting ready to charge him with rape, attempted rape, burglary and attempted burglary this morning, armed with the positive eyewitness identification, when he learned around 9:30 a.m. that Preyer was dead.
Preyer was convicted in 1989 of raping and robbing a woman in New Madrid County and he served 15 years in prison on both charges.
He was also arrested last December and charged with attempted rape and second degree felony assault, but Swingle's office dismissed the charges because he did not think he could get a conviction, he said.
The victim in that case, a woman in her early 30s, allegedly went for a drive with Preyer, knowing of his sex offender status, and he attacked her while in the car.
After talking with the victim in that case, Swingle decided to dismiss the charges because the woman did not use a nearby phone to call for help, and because she went with Preyer because she was "bored," even though he was a sex offender, he said.
"We know in at least one case, he did a good job of picking his victim, this time, he didn't do such a good job," Swingle said.
10/24/08
Tampa, Florida
From Tampa Bay 10 of October 24, 2008
Hillsborough teacher shoots and kills intruder
A Hillsborough County middle school teacher shot and killed a burglar who burst into her home Friday morning.
Sheriff's deputies say 62-year-old Juanita Enzor was in her bedroom around 5 a.m. when a man kicked in the front door. Detectives say when the man confronted Enzor, she grabbed her gun and fired, shooting the man in the chest.
The bleeding, injured suspect then started attacking Enzor, but she managed to escape and run from her home.
Deputies arrived at the scene on Kirkland Drive and found the suspect dead inside.
Enzor was slightly injured in the attack. She is a 6th grade teacher at Memorial Middle School in Tampa.
The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Mark C. Johnson.
Labels: female, FL, home invasion
10/3/08
Jackson County, Alabama
From MyFoxGulfCoast of October 1, 2008
Man shot by his sister
Sheriff's deputies got a call around lunchtime Tuesday that Cathy Slade was begging for help, frightened by a man who was breaking into her home. That man was her brother.
"Upon arrival, they found Thomas Kirkwood laying in the entryway of the kitchen," said Captain Mick Sears with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
Kirkwood had been shot in the stomach. Captain Mick Sears with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the entire ordeal was caught on tape in a 911 call.
"According to Miss Slade, while she was on the phone with us, he broke out a window in the garage and made entry into the home," said Sears.
Sears says she warned her brother to stay away. When he refused, Slade shot him with a 38-caliber handgun. So, why was Slade afraid of her own brother? Sears says the two had a history of domestic problems. He says their mother just passed away, and Slade is executor of the will which is something that's been a source of contention.
"I think he wanted to circumvent the will and unfortunately made illegal entry into the home at the time and got shot for his effort," said Sears.
Kirkwood is recovering at Singing River Hospital. So far, Sears believes the shooting was self-defense. But he says the investigation is far from over. "Facts may come out later that it was her only recourse or facts may come out that something else could have been done," said Sears.
Those are charges a grand jury will have to decide.
Labels: AL, domestic dispute, female
9/28/08
Phoenix, Arizona
From the AZFamily of September 8, 2008
Man killed after armed woman with restraining order opens fire
A man is dead after trying to break into a woman's home and she opened fire on him.
According to police the woman had a restraining order against the man although their exact relationship is unclear.
Investigators say around 2:30 Sunday morning that man forced his way into the woman's house near 40th Avenue and Thunderbird and she was prepared
A police spokesperson tells 3TV, “The victim basically armed herself and when the suspect broke into the house the victim fired several rounds.”
Police said the woman will most likely not face any charges. The suspect's identity has not been released.
Labels: AZ, domestic dispute, female, home invasion
9/20/08
Muncie, Indiana
From the Star Press of September 17, 2008
Clerk’s shots miss robber
Indiana law allows Hoosiers to defend themselves, even with deadly force, and Tuesday morning a woman working behind the counter of Zipp's Deli did just that.
Police said she fired shots at a teen who jumped the counter and tried to take money from her cash register. Even though the black male suspect never showed a weapon, he and the clerk struggled before he eventually got away, said Muncie Police Department Lt. Al Williams.
Police are continuing their search for him, as well as for another young black man who was waiting across Madison Street. Witnesses said the two fled on foot to 613 E. Fifth St., an apparently abandoned home just a block away from the store.
By the time Williams and other officers arrived there, all they found was a disheveled home. The front and back doors both were knocked off their hinges and standing open, and the house was full of junk and trash. The attempted robbery suspect is described as a young black man, likely in his teens, between 5', 6" and 5', 8. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
The clerk was not injured.
Williams declined to say how many bullets were fired. And though there's a bullet hole in the front door of the convenience store, it's unknown whether the suspect was hit.
Zipp's is a frequent stop for local police. Since Oct. 10, 2000, police have been called to the store at 425 E. Willard St. 360 times. Many of those calls are for traffic problems or minor infractions, but records indicate Tuesday's attempted robbery was the third of 2008, and the eighth of the past eight years.
This isn't the first time a Zipp's clerk has fired a gun at a robber. A convicted bandit was shot by a clerk in March 2002 after he robbed the store. He was later found, injured, in a home, along with cash that had been taken from the store.
And while prosecutors are leery of making comments that could sound like an endorsement of violence, there are laws, here in Indiana and elsewhere, that allow victims of crimes to protect themselves.
When Gov. Mitch Daniels signed new legislation in 2006, it didn't bring a massive change. Instead, it clarified that a person can defend himself with a weapon and doesn't have to run away from the suspect first.
Labels: business robbery, female, IN
8/20/08
Suffolk, Virginia
From the Daily Press of August 14, 2008
Two shot in argument in Suffolk
They used to live together as boyfriend and girlfriend.
But early Wednesday morning, it appears a Suffolk man tried to force his way into his ex-girlfriend's apartment. Both ended up shot. They remain hospitalized in serious condition, city spokeswoman Debbie George said.
Police responded at 4:28 a.m. when a young girl called to say a man broke into her home and her mother had been shot.
When they arrived at the Hardy Court apartment, they found Juanita Everett, 33, lying in the roadway and suffering from two gunshot wounds. Aubrey L. McQueen, the man police say forced into the residence, was found inside with one gunshot wound.
Four children, who range in age from 10 to 15, were found unharmed inside the residence.
McQueen, 30, was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with injuries that were initially described as life-threatening. Everett was taken by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Police believe McQueen is Everett's former boyfriend. He has not lived there since last month, when police took out warrants for him in connection with a staged 7-Eleven robbery. He's wanted for two counts of embezzlement and one count of forgery and uttering. Last month, police say a 7-Eleven employee staged her own robbery with the help of McQueen.
From the Daily Press of August 18, 2008
Intruder wounded in Suffolk shooting has died
A man who was shot during a Suffolk home invasion last week has died of his injuries.
Debbie George, spokeswoman for the city of Suffolk, said Aubrey L. McQueen, 30, died Saturday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
McQueen was wounded early Wednesday morning after police say he broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, Juanita Everett. Both adults were shot, but four children in the residence were unharmed
McQeen was also wanted for his suspected role in the robbery of a 7-Eleven, in which he and a store employee allegedly staged a robbery to embezzle the cash.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, home invasion, VA
8/18/08
Lake Lynn, Pennsylvania
From WPXI of August 18, 2008
Elderly Woman Grabs Gun, Holds Would-Be Burglar At Bay
An 85-year-old great-grandmother from Lake Lynn, Fayette County kept an alleged burglar at bay using a .22-caliber pistol.
According to police, a 17-year-old suspect was attempting to burglarize Leda Smith overnight.
That's when Smith grabbed her gun and told the teen that she would shoot him if he moved, police said.
"I had the gun on him before he turned around and said, 'you've had it,' " Smith told Channel 11-News.
According to police, Smith ordered the boy to dial 911 and then gave him some advice.
"Dial 911 and don't attempt to throw the phone at me, or do anything bad or i'll just shoot you," Smith said.
When police arrived, they took the teen into custody.
Charges have been filed against the boy and an alleged accomplice.
Labels: female, home invasion, minor offender, PA, senior
8/16/08
Hemet, California
From KNBC of August 15, 2008
Police: Hemet Woman, 93, Misfires At Burglar
A 93-year-old Hemet woman shot at an intruder who entered her home, but she missed and the bullet went through a window and over a neighbor's home, Hemet police said Friday.
The woman shot at the intruder who entered her home in the 300 block of South Street shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday, Lt. Duane Wisehart said.
She called police and they surrounded the home until she came out without the weapon, Wisehart said.
The woman told police she heard someone in her home and armed herself with a pistol, then shot at the intruder as the man walked down her hall toward her.
The bullet went through a kitchen window of the small, two-bedroom home, through a shade structure and over a house next door, Wisehart said.
The intruder took some pieces of jewelry and a watch, Wisehart said.
The woman told police that two men had come to her door earlier in the day and offered her an ADT alarm system. The woman said she had an alarm but it was broken and they offered to fix it for cash, Wisehart said.
The woman said she didn't have the cash to fix it and the men left, Wisehart said.
Police said they did not know if that contact was connected to the intruder. They found a bicycle nearby, Wisehart said, and a neighbor said he had seen two men, one on a bicycle and the other on foot, running east on Acacia from the home.
The home's garage door was pulled open from the outside, but the intruder or intruders entered through an open window.
"She's been given the security talk," Wisehart said.
The woman will not be facing charges, Wisehart said.
Police Friday cautioned residents to be careful of such contacts with strangers.
Labels: CA, female, home invasion, residence robbery, senior
8/14/08
Pulaski County, Kentucky
From WTVQ of August 13, 2008
No Charges in Deadly Shooting
No charges have been filed against a Pulaski County woman who police say shot and killed her husband after the two got in a domestic confrontation.
The shooting happened early Wednesday morning on Highway 196 in the Nancy community.
Investigators with the Sheriff's Department say 48-year-old Tamara Wilson got a gun and shot her husband, 49-year-old William, after an argument escalated.
Mr. Wilson was taken to the hospital where he later died.
During its investigation, the Sheriff's Department found a history of domestic violence in this family - including a prior charge of domestic assault in 2006 and at least two prior domestic violence orders that had been issued against Mr. Wilson.
Investigators also say Mr. Wilson had made threats against his wife leading up to the shooting.
Because of this information, not charges have been filed, but the results of this investigation will be presented to the Pulaski County Grand Jury for their consideration.
Labels: domestic abuse, female, KY
7/10/08
Ocala, Florida
From Ocalca.com of July 10, 2008
Woman, .357 blazing, chases intruders from home
Firing a .357-caliber handgun until it was empty, an Ocala woman chased two intruders from her home in the 3800 block of Southeast 68th Street on Wednesday morning.
Later Wednesday, Marion County sheriff's detectives had one home invasion suspect in custody and were looking for the second. Aaron Scott Beardsley, 25, was charged with armed home invasion robbery. Deputies were still looking for a heavy-set Hispanic male, about 6-foot-1 or 6-feet-2, who was wearing black shorts at the time, a dark T-shirt and a bandana.
Sheriff's Detective Art King, in his report, gave the following account of the crime:
Shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, 29-year-old Jennifer Ann Hunley; her 27-year-old boyfriend, Michael Joseph Nash; and Hunley's 11-year-old daughter were inside their home when two men entered through the garage door. Nash, who was coming out of a bathroom at the time, saw one of the intruders holding a nail gun near the television set in the living room.
The man demanded money. At the same time Nash saw that the second suspect, armed with a handgun, was also in the living room. The one with the nail gun hit Nash on the head, and when he fell down both men began beating him.
Hunley came into the living room, saw what was happening, returned to her bedroom for a .357-caliber handgun and fired a warning shot into the ceiling.
The intruder with the nail gun ran outside, while the other one ran into a nearby bedroom. He then pointed his weapon, believed to be a small-caliber handgun, and fired at least one shot at Hunley.
Then Hunley, who is 5-foot-3, emptied her handgun, firing four shots at the intruder. The gunman ran out the front door. Neither Hunley nor her daughter were hurt during the exchange of gunfire.
Afterward, sheriff's deputies received calls indicating that the wife of one of the suspects may have driven the getaway vehicle.
And Nash told Detective King that his sister believed Beardsley was responsible for the home invasion because she had had a conversation with him the day before about previous drug activity at her brother's home
King reported that Nash pulled up a picture of Beardsley on the Internet and recognized him as one of the the intruders.
Deputies later found Beardsley and his wife, who is pregnant, and brought them in for an interview. Beardsley said he was innocent, but his wife reportedly told a different story.
She told King that she dropped her husband off close to the Southeast 68th Street address and waited about 20 minutes for him, according to King's report. She said her husband was sweating when he returned to the vehicle. The woman said she didn't ask any questions about what he did or where he went.
Beardsley was then arrested and charged with armed home invasion. He refused an interview request from the Star-Banner.
Labels: assault, female, FL, home invasion
7/7/08
El Dorado, Arkansas
From MyEyewitnessNews of July 7, 2008
Woman Shoots and Kills Husband in Self-Defense in Arkansas
A woman shot and killed her husband at their home outside of El Dorado, and the Union County sheriff says the slaying was in self-defense.
Sheriff Ken Jones said the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, when deputies found 47 year-old Roger Gates dead inside the home. Jones says 37 year-old Kimberly Gates told him that her husband had attacked her and that she was afraid for her life and her baby's. Officials say she was able to get away from her husband, get a gun from the bathroom, and shoot him.
Jones said the case is still under investigation and that the results will be given to a prosecutor, who will determine if charges should be filed.
Labels: AR, assault, domestic abuse, female
7/5/08
Austin, Texas
From KXAN of July 3, 2008
Austin woman shoots attacker in the face
An Austin woman credits her handgun and her own quick thinking with saving her life after she shot a man who was trying to attack her. Leonie Burgos said the man scaled a fence outside her apartment near Barton Skyway and South Lamar.
When Burgos saw the man jump the fence, she ran inside and grabbed her .38 caliber pistol. She went back outside to see if the man had left. She said that's when he attacked her by tackling her to the ground from behind.
Bergos said she shot the man only after trying to scare him with the gun first.
"First I tried to point it up in his face so that he would see that I had a gun so he would take off running," said Burgos. "But he didn't."
Burgos said the man continued to hold her down and the two struggled. She said she pulled the trigger three times and did not know if she hit the man. He ran away before police arrived.
Thirty minutes later, a man went to the emergency room at Brackenridge Hospital with a gunshot wound to the face. Hospital personnel called police. An arrest warrant said Christopher Benavides,20, told police he intended to steal the woman's cell phone and sell it for cash before he was shot.
Benavides had two warrants out for his arrest at the time of the attack for criminal trespass and criminal mischief. He now faces a charge of robbery by assault, as well. Burgos is not facing any charges.
Labels: female, street robbery, TX
7/3/08
Capron, Virginia
From the Tidewater News of July 1, 2008
Woman shoots ex-boyfriend in self-defense
An ongoing case of domestic violence turned bloody Monday morning, when a man was shot in the shoulder by his former girlfriend after he allegedly broke in to her Capron home, police said Tuesday.
Derrick Edward “Rick” Miller, 43, formerly of Brandy Pond Road in Capron, is recovering from a gunshot wound at a hospital in Greenville, N.C.
According to Detective Cpl. Richard Morris, spokesman for the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office, Miller’s ex-girlfriend shot him with a .357 Magnum when he allegedly tried to attack her after breaking through her front door early Monday morning.
He then left the scene and went to Como, N.C. From there, he was transported to an Ahoskie, N.C., hospital and then flown to the Greenville medical facility for further treatment.
The woman called police at 1:42 a.m. to report the alleged break-in and the shooting.
Police have charged Miller with breaking and entering in the nighttime and violation of a protective order in connection with Monday’s events, though warrants have not yet been served, Morris said.
Monday’s incident was the second in as many days involving the couple.
Morris said police had been called to the scene Saturday afternoon when the woman reported that she had been assaulted. Police issued, but have not yet served, two warrants in that incident — one for domestic assault and one for unauthorized use of a vehicle.
A “history of domestic abuse” had resulted in the court issuing a protective order against Miller prior to either of the recent events, Morris said.
No charges are pending against the woman, he added.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, VA
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
6/10/08
Coral Gables, Florida
From June 10, 2008 NBC channel 6:
CORAL GABLES, Fla. --A woman said she used a gun to scare away a man who was trying to lure her teenage daughter into a truck.
The mother, who did not wish to be identified, said the man approached her 16-year-old daughter on Alhambra Circle near their home.
“She was walking her dog in the median right out in front of our house here, and a man approached her in a truck and tried to get her to come to the truck,” the woman said.
The teenager ran to nearby Coral Gables Elementary School, calling her mother and 911. The mother confronted the man and showed him her 9-mm gun.
“It’s not until I showed him that I was armed and that I meant business to protect my daughter that he backed off,” she said.
Coral Gables police arrested Ramon del Risco in connection with the incident.
The mother said her gun made the difference in the situation.
“I’m licensed. I shoot almost every week,” she said.The woman said she recommends a day at the shooting range for every parent.
Labels: female, FL, kidnapping
5/29/08
Dallas, Texas
From WFAA of May 21, 2008
Duncanville woman shoots would-be burglar
Officers covered the lawn of a Duncanville home Tuesday afternoon as they investigated the shooting of a suspected burglar.
Authorities said a woman called 911 after she heard a man breaking into her home in the 300 block of Partridge Run.
When officers arrived on the scene, they said they found the suspect shot in the abdomen on the lawn of a nearby driveway and a gun in the yard of the woman's home. Authorities said the woman shot the would-be burglar.
"I looked out the window and there were people yelling and screaming," said Wallis Young, a witness. "Then, the lady in green ran back inside, got a gun and started running down the street."
The shooting victim was taken to a nearby hospital. Neither his condition nor his identity have been released.
Labels: female, home invasion, TX
5/27/08
Mount Gilead, North Carolina
From WXII of May 23, 2008
Men Attempt Robbery, Woman Shoots One Dead, Deputies Say
A woman who was awakened Friday morning to two men trying to ram a van through the front door of her business shot and killed one of the men, Montgomery County deputies said.
Deputies said the two men had robbed a motel in Troy earlier before driving to a Mount Gilead coffee shop and attempting to rob it.
That's when deputies said Bouaphan Chanthunom, 51, opened fire with an assault rifle, instantly killing Joseph Murphy McRae, 36, of Mount Gilead.
The other suspect, Jeffery Ray Liles, 36, fled from the scene but was later arrested at his residence. He was not injured and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and injury to real property.
Deputies said Chanthunom and her family own the coffee shop and also use it as a residence.
Liles and McRae had been under investigation for other crimes in the area.
No charges will be filed against Chanthunom.
Labels: assault weapon defense, business robbery, female, NC
5/26/08
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of May 20, 2008
Widow of shooting victim shot intruderFrom United Press of May 21, 2008
The widow of a man fatally shot while playing with his baby son shot and killed an intruder Tuesday afternoon, North Miami police said.
Janepsy Cindy Mesa was moving furniture in and out of her Spanish-tiled home, 13365 NW 12th Ave., at about 3:30 pm when a man appeared in her bedroom.
She fatally shot him, then called 911. She was being interviewed by detectives. Details were sketchy surrounding Tuesday's shooting. Police said Noah, the 1-year-old, was not in the house at the time.
Janepsy Mesa's husband, Orlando Mesa, was shot and killed last month as he played with his 1-year-old son, Noah, outside the house. Noah was shot in the arm and leg but survived.
Mesa died on the sidewalk. His murder is unsolved.
More
Murder widow shoots intruder in bedroom
North Miami police declined to press charges against a woman who shot an intruder in her home a month after her husband was gunned down in the front yard.
Janepsy Cindy Mesa was in the process of moving out of the ill-fated house when she walked into a bedroom and was confronted by a man.
The man, who turned out to have been an acquaintance of her late husband, was shot several times by Mesa, who then ran screaming outside and called 911. North Miami police deemed the incident a case of self-defense.
"She was not expecting him to be there," said Police Lt. Neal Cuevas.
Mesa's husband had been shot to death outside the home on April 23 by two gunmen who were still at large. The couple's young son was wounded in the arm.
The Miami Herald said police suspected the killing was drug related.
Mrs. Mesa appeared on television three days later to appeal for the public's help in finding the suspects, the newspaper said.
Labels: female, FL, home invasion
5/6/08
Shreveport, Louisiana
From the Shreveport Times of May 5, 2008
Man remains in critical condition after weekend shooting
A Shreveport man remains in critical condition at LSU Hospital in Shreveport this morning after being shot by his estrange wife over the weekend.
Gary Young, 34, was shot at least once in the chest on Saturday after he went to the residence in the 5900 block of Candlewood Circle and attempted to drag the woman out of the bed, according to police.
The couple began arguing and Frances Young, 33, pulled out a handgun and shot her husband.
The woman was questioned by police and released. Police say the couple was separated.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, LA
4/13/08
Friendswood, Texas
From Click2Houston of April 12, 2008
Woman Shoots At, Terrifies Intruder
Police said a woman shot at an intruder, scaring him directly through a glass door.
Officers with the Friendswood Police Department said they responded to a residence in the 400 block of Regency Court after a homeowner shot at a man that had broken into her home.
The woman said that at about 11:15 a.m. on April 12, she awoke to a loud noise followed by her alarm system sounding. She then heard footsteps going up to her second floor.
The woman said she grabbed her pistol and walked into the living room where she saw a man standing in her house. She fired a shot in the man's direction, which sent him running through -- and shattering -- a glass door as he fled the scene.
The homeowner was not hurt.
The intruder was described as a dark skinned black man, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt with white lettering, dark shorts and dark colored tennis shoes. He was clean-shaven, had a short hairstyle and appeared to be well groomed.
Officers said they searched the surrounding neighborhood and businesses but were not able to find the man. They said the investigation is ongoing.
Labels: female, home invasion, TX
4/10/08
Dadeville, Missouri
From Ky3 of April 9, 2008
Woman holds burglar at gunpoint
A burglar in southern Cedar County found himself in a standoff this week -- not with police but with a 57-year-old woman armed with a pistol and training for a conceal-and-carry permit. She held the burglar at bay until police could arrive to arrest him at the rural home where whe found him in the closet.
(See video at site for more details)
Labels: female, home invasion, MO
4/3/08
Niles, Michigan
From the Niles Daily Star of April 3, 2008
Suspects caught in April Fool twist
Three suspects received an April Fool's Day surprise as they attempted to break into a home on Range Line Road.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, a home owner called 911, saying the back door of her residence was kicked in, according to the Michigan State Police Niles Post.
Apparently a female suspect had knocked on the door and when no one answered, two male suspects allegedly attempted a home invasion.
Three suspects from Indiana were arrested and are suspected in several other home invasions in Southeast Berrien County.
The 36-year-old female homeowner had armed herself with a shotgun for protection, when she heard the suspects prepare to enter her residence.
"The tables were turned on these thieves when they were surprised by the armed homeowner," said Tpr. Mike McCarthy of the Niles Post.
The north Berrien County 911 center broadcast the call and description of the suspects' vehicle, which was intercepted on Old 31 by deputies and troopers.
Stolen property was found in the vehicle which was linked to previous home invasions.
Arrested for felony home invasion were Daniel L. Sizemore, 28; Phillip J. Chappell, 29 and Andrea L. Bachleda, 27, all of South Bend, Ind.
They were lodged at the Niles City Jail and arraigned in the 5th District Court and their bond was set at $50,000.
The Berrien County Sheriff's Department assisted with the investigation. Other area home invasions are expected to be cleared with the arrests of these suspects.
Labels: female, home invasion, MI
3/27/08
Houston, Texas
From Click2Houston of March 27, 2008
Woman Shoots Robber, Husband During Home Invasion
A woman shot and killed an intruder and accidentally wounded her husband in a northeast Harris County home invasion, investigators told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.
According to deputies, a couple found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun in their apartment in the Northshore Meadows complex in the 300 block of Audrey Lane shortly before midnight.
A man had just broken into their apartment and was making demands.
According to investigators, he wanted cash and drugs, and made the couple remove all their clothing.
Then, gunshots rang out. However, the would-be robber wasn't the one squeezing the trigger, officials said.
"The husband got into a physical altercation with the suspect," Harris County Deputy A.J. Kelly said. "The wife was able to retrieve a handgun that they had up in the room and she fired shots, striking and killing the suspect."
The husband was also shot. Deputies said he was hit in the arm. They believe he may have been hit by friendly fire from his wife.
The couple told investigators that they did not know the man or why they were the targets of a home invasion.
"Seems like, at this point, they did what they had to do," Kelly said. "They were in fear that this individual who broke into their house was going to harm them."
Deputies said they believe the intruder may not have been alone.
"We have a female detained that was in the parking lot at the time of the incident and we're questioning her know," Kelly said. "She's definitely a person of interest. We think she was with him."
According to Kelly, the woman was downstairs in the parking lot waiting in what appeared to be the getaway car.
Investigators said that the husband suffered from an exit wound to the arm.
He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Labels: female, home invasion, TX
3/24/08
Scottsdale, Arizona
From the East Valley Tribune of March 24, 2008
Scottsdale woman shoots at persistent intruder
A 74-year-old woman twice shot at a man after he made repeated attempts to break into her home, extort money from her and threatened to set fire to her garage.
Hugh Turner, 52, was arrested by Scottsdale police about 2 p.m. Friday on suspicion of threatening and intimidation and other offenses at a residence in the 27800 block of North 94th Street.
Turner allegedly threatened to burn the woman’s house down after pouring gasoline in her garage about midnight on Thursday if she refused to give him money, police said.
After the woman complied with his demands, Turner fled but later returned to the home about 4 a.m. Saturday and tried to break into an upstairs door using a ladder. The woman fired two shots from a handgun, but the man was able to get away unharmed, police said.
Officer’s from the parks and preserve unit on All-Terrain Vehicles found Turner in a desert area near the home and arrested him. Turner also was arrested on suspicion of attempted arson on an occupied structure, theft by extortion, endangerment and disorderly conduct.
Turner was treated at Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak hospital for an ankle injury he sustained after he jumped from the ladder at the woman’s home. He was booked into the Scottsdale City Jail. Police said the woman and man knew each other.
Labels: AZ, female, home invasion, senior
3/14/08
Hildalgo County, Texas
From March 12, 2008 KRGV channel 5:
HIDALGO COUNTY - Two gunmen involved in a home invasion were chased away by the victim's wife.
"I was in shock. I'm still in shock. I can't believe this happened," she tells us. We're hiding the woman's identity and will call her "Michelle."
She tells us her husband is extremely careful on who he lets on his property. But last night's incident started when the homeowner went outside to close the gate.
According to "Michelle," two masked men pulled into the driveway with guns in hand, demanding drugs and money.
She tells us, "He said, 'I don't have anything. I don't know what you're talking about. I just have children and my wife inside. Y'all need to leave.'"
The men reportedly tried to force "Michelle's" husband to open the door to his home. But the former security guard fought back.
"Michelle" says she was watching it all from inside her home.
She tells us, "I reached for the gun. It was up here. Then I got some shells from in here."
She says, "I keep telling him, 'Duck and I'll shoot! Duck and I'll shoot.' And he said, 'No, don't! Don't!' And I was debating whether to shoot or not."
"Then i just shot that way. The truck was right there."
The shots spooked the intruders and forced them to flee. A tree outside is still marked by the pellets.
"You hear about thing like this happening, but you never think it will happen to you," "Michelle" tells us.
The shotgun was taken by deputies for the investigation. But the couple says they'll be buying another gun.
"We should feel at home in our own home. We shouldn't feel frightened or afraid of anybody. This is our home," says "Michelle."
Labels: female, residence robbery, TX
3/1/08
Huntsville, Alabama
From the Huntsville Times of March 1, 2008
Bullets don't deter suspect
Shots to buttocks fail to stop two more break-ins
A six-foot fence, three dogs, 385 pounds worth of teenage boys and three gunshot wounds to the buttocks didn't stop one alleged burglar from bursting into two other homes before police detained him Thursday night.
Huntsville police were still trying to verify the suspect's identity Friday but believe he is 36-year-old Marvin Horton, police spokesman Wendell Johnson said.
Horton allegedly jumped a 6-foot chain-link fence at 2702 Ninth Ave. and dodged Brenda Glover's pit bull puppy, Rottweiler and German shepherd before forcing open her front door at about 11:15 p.m.
Glover said she went to bed early, but her two sons, 17-year-old David and 18-year-old Jerry, were up playing video games and heard the dogs bark seconds before the burglar crashed into their home.
Glover woke up and heard the man fighting with her sons, who managed to wrestle the man into a headlock. She grabbed an umbrella before entering the scuffle.
"I told him to leave, and he said, 'No I'm coming in the house,'" she said. "He still kept coming, and I told him, 'I'm going to go get my gun if you don't leave.'"
The three tried to push the man back out the front door, but he wouldn't budge, Glover said.
When the burglar didn't heed her warning, Glover retrieved her .38-caliber pistol and gave him a final chance to leave before firing a shot into his backside.
The first shot didn't register with the man, so Glover fired two more shots before he finally turned and ran back out the door. Glover's husband called police.
...
Johnson said it's unlikely any charges will be filed against any of the homeowners who struggled with Horton, including Glover.
"Usually, if there's any question regarding self defense, our investigators present it to the district attorney's office and consult with them," he said. "I don't think that will happen, though."
...
The incident wrapped up a difficult day for Glover, whose grandmother died Wednesday. But Glover said it's just another day on Ninth Avenue, where she often has had to ask homeless people to move out of her driveway when she comes home.
Glover said she bought the gun for protection, although she's never used it. Her car stereo has been stolen, and a thief snatched her husband's boots from the front porch, but she's never come face-to-face with someone determined to get in.
"I got the gun for protection when my kids were little," she said. "I always thought I would have to use it out and about, not in my own house. I never expected that."
More
Note for the Huntsville Times headline writer - when you shoot a burglar in the butt and he runs away, that's deterrence!
Labels: AL, female, home invasion
2/17/08
Longview, Texas
From the News-Journal of February 17, 2008
Clerk, robbery suspect exchange gunfire
A woman store clerk and a would-be robber exchanged gunfire late Saturday night but police report no one was injured.
The female clerk at EZ Food Mart, 1006 North Fourth St., told police she bent down behind the counter to get some cigarettes for a customer. When she stood up, a man was standing next to the customer pointing a handgun at her.
The woman told police she ducked behind the counter as the suspect fired. She grabbed a gun that was behind the counter and as the suspect was running out of the door, she fired one shot toward him but missed.
Neither the clerk nor the suspect were injured.
Police said the suspect was wearing a red bandanna over his face.
Labels: business robbery, female, TX
2/14/08
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From Newson6 of February 12, 2008
Domestic Dispute Leads To Shooting
The Tulsa Police Department is investigating whether a woman shot her ex-boyfriend in self-defense. It started as a domestic dispute and led to a shooting on Tuesday morning.
Officers were called to the scene near 1500 East 51st Place North around 8 a.m. Police say the woman said her ex-boyfriend had come by Monday night, slashed her tires, and then beat her.
Police say when he came back on Tuesday, she shot him four times with a .22-caliber handgun.
The man drove himself to the hospital and is expected to recover. Police say the woman was also taken to the hospital for her injuries.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, OK
2/4/08
Las Vegas, Nevada
From the Las Vegas Eyewitness News of February 1, 2008
Victims Fight Back in Home Invasion
One robbery suspect is on the loose and another is in the hospital after four victims fought back.
Police say the four victims were barbecuing when two men with guns entered the home. One of the victims said he made a near-fatal mistake by leaving the garage door partially open. The victims, who do not want to be identified for safety reasons, say they ended up fighting for their lives and thought they might die.
"The look in their eyes, especially when they started beating us in the back of the heads with the guns. It was kind of like someone would torture a little animal and then joking about how they were going to love killing us," said one victim.
The men were pinned to the floor with shotguns. "It got ugly when they went back downstairs and decided to tell the women to undress their clothes," the victim added, "The girls were really crying and you could just tell that they were incredibly upset."
The victim told Eyewitness News that one of the suspects who was preparing to sexually assault the women turned his attention away from the guns and let down his guard.
The two male victims saw their opportunity.
"I grabbed him, threw him down on the ground, grabbed a weight from the weight set and smashed him in the head."
The women also joined in the fight, hitting the suspects with a frying pan.
"One of the girls completely nude managed to grab a gun and shoot the guy in the chest area and in the leg."
"She did what she had to do and I have to be thankful that she was able to do what she did and if she didn't I might not be able to give you this story right now."
The suspect who was shot has serious injuries and is in the hospital. The second suspect is on the run and as for the victims, they have minor injuries.
The police are very cautious not to make this seem like a heroic act. They say fighting back can sometimes end with the victims being more seriously hurt.
Labels: assault, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, female, home invasion, NV, rape
1/29/08
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, female, home invasion, TX
1/16/08
Cross Hill, South Carolina
From the WSPA of January 15, 2008
Cross Hill Woman Comes Home, Kills Intruder
A Cross Hill woman returned home to find an intruder inside, and then shot and killed him. The incident happened about 8pm this evening on Pineland Shores Road. Laurens County Sheriff Ricky Chastain tells News Channel 7 that the woman heard someone in the home, grabbed a weapon, and saw him hiding in one of the rooms. She then shot him. It was not until after she shot him that she realized she knew him. Chastain says robbery appears to be the motive.
Investigators will now present the case to Solicitor Jerry Peace to determine if the woman will be charged. No names were released this evening.
Further links:
Laurens Co. Woman Shoots And Kills Home Invader
Labels: female, residence burglary, SC, trespassing
1/7/08
Gastonia, North Carolina
From the January 7, 2008 Charlotte [North Carolina] Observer:
A 16-year-old was arrested late Sunday night in connection with an attempted Gastonia convenience store robbery that left two clerks seriously injured.
Police say a suspect apparently engaged in a shootout with a clerk during the Saturday night incident.
Gastonia police said Brandon Carson of Gastonia has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.
A couple working together at the Gastonia store are hospitalized in Charlotte. Luke Williams, 45, and girlfriend Vickie Madsen, who is in her early 50s, were airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center late Saturday with multiple gunshot wounds, Gastonia police said. Williams is listed in critical condition this morning. Madsen is in serious condition.
The robbery occurred about 9:45 p.m. Saturday, when an armed man walked into Ken's Superette at 1528 W. May Ave. and demanded money. A gunfight ensued, police said, preventing the robber from getting anything of value.
The suspect fled the scene on foot, police said.
Faye Allen, Vickie Madsen's mother, said the Allen family has owned the store for about 25 years. Vickie Madsen has worked there much of that time as the manager.
Williams, Madsen's fiancee, had gone to the store Saturday night to help her close the place for the night, says Allen.
"My understanding is that the man intended to kill them," Allen said. She said it was her daughter who shot at the robber. "Vickie firing back at him probably saved their lives," says Allen, 77, who has often worked at the store herself.
"She takes after me. Somebody tried to rob me there one night, 10 years ago, and I grabbed his gun and my husband and youngest son jumped on him. The guy got loose and ran, and I chased him down May Street with his own gun, but I couldn't get it to fire."
Labels: business robbery, defender shot, female, minor offender, NC
12/19/07
Summergrove, Georgia
From the The Times-Herald of December 20, 2007
Charges dropped in shooting death DA says wife acted in self-defense when she killed her husband
All charges against 61-year-old Bobbi J. Dailey, the woman accused in the shooting death of her husband, Michael, at their home in SummerGrove on Feb. 6, have been dropped by the Coweta County District Attorney's office.
Dailey had been charged with two counts of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. In light of new evidence recently uncovered, the District Attorney's office has concluded that Dailey was acting in self-defense on the evening of Feb. 6 and have therefore dismissed the case against her, according to Assistant District Attorney Pat Dutcher.
Dailey, who was represented by Criminal Law Attorney Lawrence Delan, has been out of the Coweta County Jail since posting the $25,000 bond set by Coweta Superior Court Judge A. Quillian Baldwin on March 9.
According to Dutcher, the original evidence presented by the Newnan Police Department detectives indicated that Dailey may have maliciously shot and killed her husband. The investigator for the District Attorney's office recently discovered new evidence that indicated that Dailey reasonably believed she had to use deadly force to defend herself against her husband the evening of Feb. 6.
On the night of the shooting, Coweta 911 received a call at 10:10 p.m. from 507 Hunterian Place in SummerGrove from Bobbi Dailey. Police arrived on the scene to find Michael lying dead on the floor in a bedroom with a single gunshot wound to the heart.
Investigators determined that the Daileys had gotten into an argument while both were under the influence of alcohol in which one of them had retrieved a .40 caliber Sig Sauer gun. Bobbi got that gun and fired one shot, striking her husband in the chest, according to police.
"While we don't condone the act, this is no doubt a tragic situation," said Dutcher. "We believe now that we have the complete picture in the best interest of justice — that is our ethical responsibility."
Psychological testing conducted on Dailey indicated that she suffered from Battered Person Syndrome, a sub-category of post-traumatic stress disorder. The investigator with the District Attorney's office had interviewed two of Michael's former spouses and concluded that there was a history of abusive behavior, according to Dutcher.
Furthermore, Dutcher stated that evidence suggests that Michael had struck his wife the evening of the deadly altercation. Michael's right hand was swollen with abrasions, and Dailey's left eye was reportedly swollen and bruised. There was also a hole in the wall of the kitchen with traces of blood indicating that Michael may have punched his fist through it. Finally, there was a scratch mark on his neck suggesting to investigators that Dailey had tried to fight back.
"All the evidence was consistent with a domestic altercation," said Dutcher. "This was a difficult case, and the Daileys are good people. My heart goes out to the them in this tragedy. The possibility that we could reopen this case exists if any new evidence presents itself."
(More)
Labels: domestic abuse, female, GA
12/14/07
Lexington, Kentucky
From WLEX of December 14, 2007
Police Investigate Bizarre Shooting
Lexington Police are investigating a bizarre shooting on the city's North side of town. It happened just after 10 p.m. Thursday on Maddie Lane in the Masterson Station neighborhood.
Police said two women were inside their home, when they heard a noise downstairs and realized a man was trying to break through their window.
The roommates called 911, keeping dispatchers on the phone while they warned the man to leave, but when he continued to try to pry the window open anyway, that's when police say one of the women shot him.
The intruder was taken to UK hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police are questioning the man, but so far, no charges have been filed.
Investigators said the woman who shot him acted in self-defense and will not face any charges.
Labels: female, home invasion, KY
12/11/07
Newark, Ohio
From the Newark Advocate of December 11, 2007
Man arrested after home invasion
A Newark man was arrested in a home invasion shortly after midnight Saturday during which a gun was pulled on the intruder.
Josef L. Franklin, 25, last known address 551 Seneca Drive, was charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.
A man stormed into a home on the 200 block of Day Avenue at about 12:30 a.m. and confronted a couple in their bedroom, according to a Newark police report.
While the intruder was throwing punches at her boyfriend, the 19-year-old female victim told police she pulled an unloaded handgun on the intruder.
The intruder then charged her and tried to wrestle the weapon away before the 23-year-old boyfriend pulled him off, the report said.
The intruder, who was joined by two women, then left, threatening to come back and harm both victims, witness statements claim.
He returned about five minutes later, trying to kick down the door, which was locked. He was unsuccessful.
The two victims and their infant child left their home. When they returned, the door was broken open and several electronic items and a safe were missing, the police report states.
Franklin was arrested on misdemeanor criminal damaging and felony burglary charges less than three hours after the report was filed.
He is incarcerated at the Licking County Justice Center, and Licking County Municipal Court Judge David Branstool set his bond at $25,000 Monday.
Labels: female, home invasion, OH
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
11/21/07
Douglas, Arizona
From the Douglas Daily Dispatch of November 21, 2007
Domestic violence between teens erupts into gunfire
A teenaged girl fired a handgun at her boyfriend and missed early Saturday morning after she was punched, nearly strangled and held against her will.
The girl then scooped her 1–year-old daughter and fled the boyfriend’s home, police authorities said.
Both teens are 17. Their names were not released by the Douglas Police Department.
At about 1:21 a.m. Saturday the police were dispatched to a Douglas home involving violence between the two teens.
The boyfriend arrived home from work and accused his girlfriend of cheating on him, said Marcus Gonzales, the spokesman for the Douglas Police Department.
His girlfriend attempted to leave, but the boyfriend wouldn’t let her. The boyfriend then became violent and he pushed her, causing her to fall to the floor.
He then punched her and began to strangle her.
She escaped and once again tried to leave the house. The boyfriend held her against her will and struck her on the forehead with a frying pan, Gonzales said.
The boyfriend then took out a handgun from a dresser drawer, pointed it at her, then pointed it to his own head.
She knocked the gun out of his hand, grabbed it, aimed it at him, and squeezed the trigger twice. The gun, though, did not fire.
The boyfriend ran through the hallway of the house and out the front door.
The girl, fearing that he would return, squeezed the trigger and fired off a shot that went through the screen door, Gonzales said.
The girl put the gun down, grabbed her daughter, and ran out of the house, looking for help.
She spotted a Douglas police officer on 10th Street and D Avenue and flagged him down.
Police arrested the boyfriend and charged him with aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment and three counts of endangerment.
Police also found a two-month-old baby in the house.
The boyfriend was transported to the Cochise County Jail, where he is being held on a $250,000 bond. The girl was released without charges
Labels: AZ, domestic abuse, female, minor defender
11/15/07
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
11/14/07
Hessville, Indiana
From Chicago’s NBC5.com of November 14, 2007
Police: Woman Shoots Stalker To Death After Break-In
Woman Endured Many Incidents With Stalker, Police Said
An accused stalker was shot to death Monday night by the object of his obsession after he broke into her Hessville home, police told the Northwest Indiana Times.
Hammond resident Ryan Lee Bergner, 41, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to his abdomen shortly after 10:30 p.m. at a local hospital.
According to the Times, Bergner went on a date with the 51-year-old woman last June, and his behavior became obsessive, offensive and violent then on [sic].
On Monday night, the woman was watching television in her living room when she said she heard Bergner break a bathroom window near her back door and called 911.
A friend had given the woman a pistol for protection earlier in the day.
After the 911 operator told her to lock herself in her bedroom until police could come, she ran upstairs to do so and retrieved the gun.
This was the second time in recent days that Bergner broke into her home, breaking a back window, destroying a clock radio, and stealing several of her undergarments over the weekend.
Police records show Bergner also had tried to kick in the woman's front door a week before that, and also accosted her at her job and being ejected from the business by her co-workers.
He also was suspected of slashing her Jeep's tires on at least two occasions, police records show.
"This isn't over yet," Bergner told the woman on Nov. 3, according to police reports.
Hiding in her closet on Monday night, the woman said she heard Bergner enter the bedroom, then watched as he opened the closet door.
She said she told him to stop, but he kept coming. She fired the gun three times.
She said he then proceeded to choke her violently before collapsing to the floor.
"I was shaking so bad, I didn't think I'd hit him," the woman recalled Tuesday afternoon. "He just kept coming… I didn't want it to end this way."
Bergner had not been charged over any of the half-dozen previous complaints made against him.
"We only went out on that one date," the woman told the Times on Tuesday. "I got a look at his temper, and realized I didn't want anything to do with him. But he wouldn't take no for an answer."
From NBC5 of January 10, 2008
911 Tape Captures Horror Before Fatal ShootingClick here to listen to all of the chilling 911 call
Police in Northwest Indiana have released the audio tape of an emergency call for help.
A woman was reportedly watching TV when she heard a window breaking in her home and called 911.
She then hid in a closet, armed with a gun.
The tape captures the woman struggling with a man, repeatedly saying, "Stop it. Stop it."
The woman eventually shot and killed the intruder. Police said she will not face charges, because she acted in self defense.
11/12/07
St. Francisville, Louisiana
From Lafayette’s KATC.com of November 12, 2007
Woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver
A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish.
Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release.
West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest.
Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged.
Labels: assault, female, home invasion, LA
11/9/07
Camden, Tennessee
From Paducah’s (KY)WSPDtv.com of November 9, 2007
Tennessee Man Shot By Two WomenFrom the Camden Chronicle of November 14, 2007
A deadly shooting in Camden, Tennessee on Thursday.
29-year-old Jason Robinson of Holladay suffered a shotgun wound to the chest and died about an hour after being shot yesterday afternoon.
The police chief says an argument started when Robinson told his girlfriend Sonja Moore that he had an affair with her friend Benita Murphy.
All three were at Moore's home at the time. The women told police Robinson was beating them. Officers say both women show signs of abuse.
The women said Murphy got the shotgun to defend herself and shot Robinson when he kept attacking them. No charges have been filed at this point.
Self-defense possible factor in fatal shooting
Self-defense may have been a contributing factor in the shooting death of a Holladay resident, Jason D. Robinson, 29, Thursday afternoon. The shooter, Benita G. Murphy, 21, was taken into custody on the scene, but was later released pending the District Attorney’s decision on whether or not to file charges.
“All of the evidence gathered at the scene has been sent to the crime lab or turned over to the D.A.,” said Camden Police Chief George Smith. “It is up to them whether or not we charge her.”
According to District Attorney Hansel McCadams, his office will likely meet with TBI agents next week to make the decision. If charges are filed, the case will most likely go to the grand jury.
Benton County Central Dispatch received the call at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday that there was a woman standing in the front yard of 312 Wren Avenue, a residence well known to local law enforcement for domestic situations, holding a gun, which had been fired, and that a man was lying on the ground.
Upon arriving on the scene, officers from the Camden Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Department discovered Robinson laying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest, but still alive. He was transported to the Camden Elk’s Lodge to be airlifted, but passed away before take off. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene
According to Chief Smith, Murphy was still on the scene when officers arrived, along with Robinson’s girlfriend Sonya Moore, who lived at the residence and witnessed the shooting. The 12-gauge shotgun used in the shooting was laying on the ground in the front yard.
Smith said that Murphy surrendered peacefully to the officers and cooperated with the investigation. Both women told investigators that Robinson had been beating up on both of them, prompting Murphy to grab the gun and fire. Smith confirmed that both women did show signs of abuse.
“This case is still under investigation by both the TBI and the Camden Police Department,” said Smith.
Labels: domestic abuse, female, TN
11/8/07
Mobile, Alabama
From Mobile’s WKRG.com of November 7, 2007
Newlywed Fight Ends in Gunfire
A man ends up in the hospital after his wife of 4 months shoots him in the knee.
Kim Brown told the Escambia County Sheriff's Office that her newlywed husband tried to attack her in the shower, so she shot him in the knee.
Brown kicked David Crockett out of the house a few days ago and he had been sleeping in his vehicle in the backyard. This morning, deputies say Crockett forced his way into the house and tried to sexually assault his wife. During the attack, Brown grabbed a gun and shot Crockett.
Crockett was taken to Baptist Hospital. He will be charged with Battery, False Imprisonment, Attempted Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.
Labels: AL, domestic dispute, female, rape
11/7/07
San Diego, California
From San Diego’s Fox6.com of November 7, 2007
Neighbor Shooting
Prosecutors today plan to dismiss murder and assault charges against an ex-Marine and his wife accused in the fatal shooting of a neighbor whose girlfriend sought their help at a University City condominium.
William Bennett Porter and Nicole Leanne Porter pleaded not guilty Aug. 7 in San Diego Superior Court.
William Porter was charged with murder and an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the shooting four days earlier that killed 47-year-old Larry Kermit King.
Nicole Porter was charged with assault with a semiautomatic weapon.
Deputy District Attorney Marcella McLaughlin told a judge this summer that around 2 a.m. on Aug. 3, King and his ex-girlfriend got into some sort of dispute and she went to the Porters' residence for help.
William Porter tried to arrest King, then shot him several times in the back, the prosecutor alleged.
A bullet from Nicole Porter's gun also struck the victim in the neck, McLaughlin told Superior Court Judge David Szumowski.
The prosecutor alleged that King was retreating back into his condo in the 7900 block of Avenida Navidad when he was shot.
Defense attorney Kerry Armstrong said William Porter served four years in the Marine Corps -- including three tours of duty in Iraq -- before getting out in the fall of 2006.
The defendant -- who was working as a weapons and tactics instructor in Twentynine Palms -- has no record and is a "squeaky-clean guy," the attorney said.
Armstrong said at the time that the case was a strong self-defense case.
Today, McLaughlin refused to comment further before a scheduled afternoon hearing.
Labels: altercation, CA, female
Buffalo, New York
From the Buffalo News of November 7, 2007
Fired upon in her Winspear home, woman shoots back
A gunman fired a shot Tuesday night into a Winspear Avenue house, and the occupant retaliated by firing a shot back, police reported. No injuries were reported.
The incident happened in the 400 block of Winspear in the city's University Heights neighborhood at about 6:10 p.m.
Northeast District Police said three men dressed in black hooded shirts repeatedly pounded and kicked on the door, and demanded that the woman inside open it, police said.
One of the men then fired a shotgun through the door, near the peep hole.
When the woman used her own shotgun to return fire, the three men drove away, police reported. The woman's shot struck a neighboring house at 494 Winspear.
Police believe two of the men had shotguns, while the third man had a handgun.
Labels: female, home invasion, NY
10/31/07
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
Milton, Florida
From Fort Walton Beach’s Northwest Florida News of October 31, 2007
Ex-boyfriend shot while breaking into woman's home
A man is in critical condition after he was shot while allegedly trespassing at 4225 Reinsma Road in Milton late Tuesday night.
The resident, a woman, told deputies that she shot the man, 32-year-old Matthew Scott Strickland, in the chest because he was attempting to break into her residence, according to a release from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman, whose name has not been released, told dispatchers that the intruder was her ex-boyfriend.
When deputies arrived, they found Strickland unconscious in the backyard. He was taken to West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, where he remains in critical condition.
“Investigators are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” according to the release.
Labels: domestic dispute, female, FL, home invasion
10/28/07
Chesapeake, Virginia
From HamptonRoads.com of October 28, 2007
Chesapeake teen shot trying to enter wrong houseFrom HamptonRoads.com of October 29, 2007
A Chesapeake teen received minor injuries in an early morning shooting Sunday. The 16-year-old was taken to Norfolk General Hospital.
At 3:13 a.m. Sunday, Chesapeake police responded to a home invasion call in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road in the Vintage Estates area off Johnstown Road. Police spokesman Charles Thiebaed said police heard two shots when they arrived.
Police said the teenager had been drinking and was trying to get into a house he thought was his but was actually a neighbor’s house. The neighbor fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, according to police.
They are investigating the incident.
No charges expected for Chesapeake homeowner who shot teen
Charges are not expected to be filed against a Chesapeake homeowner who shot her teenage neighbor during a mistaken home invasion.
The 16-year-old suffered minor injuries Sunday morning after he was shot once in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road, in the Vintage Estates area off Waters Road. Police said the boy had been drinking and tried to get into his neighbor's Great Bridge home, thinking it was his own house.
Chesapeake police said they will consult with the commonwealth's attorney's office to determine if the teen should be charged. The investigation is ongoing, said Christi Golden, a police spokeswoman.
The teen was banging on the neighbor's door, yelling to be let in, police said. He was at the neighbor's back porch at one point and moved to another door, police said.
As he attempted to get into the second door, he was shot, police said. No one in the home was harmed.
"They were very scared and frightened, and they weren't sure why this person was trying to get into their home," Golden said. "They were yelling for him to leave."
The homeowner called police before she fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, police said. Police responded at 3:13 a.m. Sunday. As police arrived, they heard two shots. The teen never entered the house, police said.
Police did not release the names of the teen or the homeowner. No one answered the door of the home around 6:30 p.m. Monday.
Labels: female, home invasion, VA
10/26/07
Houston, Texas
From Houston’s KTRK of October 26, 2007
Suspected burglar may have been living in couple's attic
An elderly homeowner in northeast Houston is shaken up after shooting a suspected burglar. It turns out the man had actually been living in her attic and she never knew.
Police say the suspect had been living in the attic at the home near Hardy and Lorraine, getting in and out of the house through a side window.
Police say the man saw the husband leave Friday afternoon, so he thought the house was empty. He went inside, but little did he know the man's 84-year-old wife was there. She heard the commotion and was waiting with her pistol in hand.
Police say she fired several rounds, hitting the suspect once in the neck area.
"She was in fear of her life," said Sgt. Richard Nieto with the Houston Police Department. "A stranger was inside her home. She used the force necessary to protect her personal safety."
The suspect ran down the alley behind the house, collapsing on the sidewalk in front of Shermann Elementary School. Police say the children were never in harm's way and it didn't disrupt the day.
Based on evidence found inside the attic, police think the suspect had been living there for a while. They also think he may have robbed the husband at knifepoint on Thursday.
The suspect is at Ben Taub Hospital, facing several charges. The woman who shot him is not facing charges.
Labels: female, residence burglary, senior, TX
