9/27/09
Houston, Texas
From the September 18, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
A teenage burglary suspect remains hospitalized after he was shot Friday morning while breaking into a home in southeast Houston, authorities said.
The owner of the home in the 8100 block of Gladstone was alone about 10:15 a.m. when he heard noises coming from the side of the house.
After hearing the sound of breaking glass, the homeowner, 42, grabbed his pistol and went to investigate. He pulled back a bedroom curtain and was confronted by the suspect, who was removing shards of the broken glass from the window, police said.
The homeowner was startled and fired a single shot. The suspect was struck but fled along with two other people. All three were taken into custody a short time later, police said.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, TX
9/22/09
Indianola, Illinois
From the Chicago Tribune of September 22, 2009
Ill. homeowner kills armed robbers
Police say an eastern Illinois man shot two people to death after they forced their way into his home and tried to rob him.
Vermilion County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn says the two masked men held the homeowner on the floor at gunpoint Monday night and choked him while demanding money. The sheriff says the alleged robbers were 22 and 17 but didn't identify them or the homeowner.
Hartshorn says the men let the homeowner go when his wife said she had expensive jewelry upstairs. While the men focused on a jewelry box, the homeowner grabbed a handgun and shot them.
Hartshorn says another 17-year-old waited in a pickup outside. He drove away but was arrested a short time later.
Indianola is about 10 miles southwest of Danville.
Labels: home invasion, IL, minor offender
9/21/09
Knoxville, Tennessee
From WBIR of September 19, 2009
Homeowner shoots teenager in his driveway
Investigators are trying to piece together the series of events that led to a teenager being shot by a homeowner in South Knox county.
Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting at 837 Lester Road, shortly before 11 p.m. Friday night.
Jonathan and Kara Stevens told investigators they were at home when they heard their pit bulls barking.
They armed themselves with a pistol and flashlight as they went outside to investigate.
The couple told detectives a teenager jumped out from behind a car in their driveway and pointed gun a 12 gauge shotgun at them.
Jonathan Stevens said he shot the 15 year old twice and believes the teenager shot at them twice before they ran back into their home.
Neighbors say the suspect collapsed in their driveway after the shooting.
Deputies found the teenager laying in the road with two gun shot wounds in his upper torso.
Rural Metro took the suspect to UT Medical Center.
The homeowners were not hurt.
Deputies said three other juveniles got away in a car. One has been questioned, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed
Detectives say Stevens and the teenager knew each other and they believe the motive was robbery.
They are not releasing the name or condition of the teenager.
Labels: assault, minor offender, TN
9/9/09
Decatur, Alabama
From the Decatur Daily of September 9, 2009
Teen burglary suspect killed
On Tuesday morning, 14-year-old Ta’veon Tashawn Mason should have been at his desk at Austin High School, but he and two friends skipped school.
Police said the ninth-grader died in a Southwest Decatur backyard from a single gunshot wound. A press release said a resident shot him inside the house during a burglary at about 10:30 a.m.
Noel Mclean at 1432 Fifth Ave. S.W. said he shot Mason. He said he was awakened by the intruders and he shot out of fear.
Lt. Jonathan Green, public information officer, said Mason was one of three teen boys suspected in the break-in.
Police said the trio broke a window at the back of the house and entered.
“The homeowner was asleep inside and was awakened by the intruders,” said Sgt. Rick Archer, supervisor of the Violent Crimes Unit. “He retrieved a handgun and confronted them.”
Archer said the man fired one shot, striking Mason, and the two other teens fled the house. Outside the home, a white sheet covered Mason’s body as it lay in the grass near the window where police said the break-in occurred.
Officer David Shutt caught a 16-year-old male soon after the shooting, and detectives found the third teen, 14, at his home later Tuesday afternoon, Archer said. The 14 and 16-year-olds are Austin High School students, but the 16-year-old is in the alternative school program, sources told The Daily.
Police charged both teens with second-degree burglary, booked them into Decatur City Jail and later transferred them to the Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Center in Tuscumbia. They will soon face a detention hearing, Archer said.
The Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville will perform an autopsy on Mason’s body, police said. Sharpley Funeral Home in Decatur will handle arrangements.
Detectives questioned the homeowner about the shooting, but Archer said police did not file any charges in connection with Mason’s death.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
Labels: AL, home invasion, minor offender
9/4/09
San Marcos, Texas
From the Houston Chronicle of September 4, 2009
2 teens killed trying to break into home
A man shot and killed two teenagers and wounded another when they tried breaking into his home early Friday, police said.
A fourth teenager was arrested and is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery.
Three of the four male teenagers who tried breaking into the home were armed, one with a handgun and two with pellet guns that looked like more powerful weapons, San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said.
One of the three college-aged people who lived in the rental home opened fire on the teens with a .40-caliber Glock pistol, killing two 16-year-olds and wounding another suspect. A 17-year-old suspect fled the scene but was captured and arrested after returning to the scene to check on his friends, police said. He's expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Williams said.
The wounded suspect was taken to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin with non-life threatening injuries, Williams said. Officials say the wounded suspect is also expected to be charged.
Police did not identify the suspects or those who lived in the home. None of the residents were injured. One was a Texas State University student.
Williams said the shooter appeared to be acting in self-defense and "there doesn't appear to be a crime" related to the shooting.
The suspects are from Luling, about 20 miles southeast of San Marcos, Williams said. It does not appear they know those living at the home, he said.
The shooting happened shortly before 2 a.m. Friday. Police responded to a 911 call about a home invasion and shots fired.
"If you feel threatened, you certainly have a right to defend yourself," said Williams.
San Marcos is about 30 miles south of Austin.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, TX
9/3/09
Chandler, Arizona
From the Arizona Republic of September 2, 2009
Armed homeowner holds youth suspected of burglary try
A Chandler homeowner, armed with a gun, took one of two juveniles into custody after they broke into his home.
The homeowner's 13-year-old son was the only person at the house, in the 800 block of West Elgin Street, when two juveniles knocked on his front door on Monday.
The boy did not open the front door. The juveniles forced their way through the back door, police said. The boy ran to a neighbor's home, and his neighbors called police.
The boy's father got home before authorities arrived, grabbed his gun and took one of the juveniles into custody.
Police apprehended the second juvenile when he jumped from the second story and attempted to flee from the home.
Both juveniles, who are Chandler residents, were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, police said.
Their names and pictures are being withheld by police.
Labels: AZ, civilian arrest, minor offender, residence burglary
9/2/09
Detroit, Michigan
From the Detroit News of August 25, 2009
Teen tries to rob Detroiter, ends up shot by victi
A 17-year-old would-be armed robber had the tables turned on him this morning when his intended victim pulled out his own gun and shot the teen, police said.
Now, instead of the money he allegedly sought to steal, the teen will get a lengthy hospital stay -- and, if he recovers and is convicted, a lengthy prison sentence.
The incident happened about 5 a.m. this morning behind an apartment building at 1670 Oakman, Detroit Police spokesman John Roach said.
"The 17-year-old came up behind a 32-year-old man behind the apartment building and tried to rob him at gunpoint," Roach said. "But the 32-year-old had a CCW (a license to carry a concealed weapon), and had his own sidearm with him. He pulled his weapon and they exchanged gunfire."
When the shooting was over, the 32-year-old had only suffered a minor injury to the head, while the alleged bandit was seriously wounded. He was taken to an area hospital, where he remains in critical condition, Roach said.
"If he recovers, he'll likely be charged with armed robbery, and probably attempted murder," Roach said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender, street robbery
Charlotte, North Carolina
From WRAL of August 26, 2009
NC man, 76, shoots youth, 15, after home invasion
Police are unraveling a home invasion and burglary that began at an elderly couple's home and ended with a 15-year-old suspect shot to death on a nearby street.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said robbery and homicide investigative units are working to sort out the Saturday incident that began when four young men pushed into the upscale brick home that C.L. McClure, 76, shares with his wife in northeast Charlotte's Newell community.
"I'm not in any condition to talk" about the incident, McClure, a retired building fireproofer, told The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday.
Police said four teens entered McClure's home Saturday. McClure was bound with duct tape and his wife held at gunpoint. The robbers left with some jewelry and a wallet.
McClure's son, Larry, who lives next door, said his father broke free and after checking that his wife was OK guessed at the robbers' route out of his neighborhood. C.L. McClure grabbed a pistol, got into his dark green van and pursued the crooks, Larry McClure said.
"He thought they might have been driving, and he wanted to get a tag number," Larry McClure said.
Larry McClure said his father told him he was in his van when he saw one of the suspected robbers and thought he was armed. C.L. McClure fired his pistol when the teen turned toward him, his son said.
Marcus Fluker, 15, died later at Carolinas Medical Center. Police said they didn't recover a gun from near his body.
Officers took C.L. McClure to headquarters for questioning but released him without charges.
Police charged the other three teens with robbery and burglary. Police identified them as Joseph Graves, 17, Matthew Everett Morgan, 17, and Tahjaue Wiley, 18.
Police said they want to prevent any possible retribution against McClure and have assigned an officer to keep an eye on the residence.
"I think there's a concern. They just want to be extra careful. It's extra upsetting to have a 15-year-old shot and killed," said Capt. Mike Smathers, who command's the department's robbery unit. "I don't care who you are; that's terrible. They're just trying to make sure peace is maintained."
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, NC, residence robbery, senior
8/15/09
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
From the August 14, 2009 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
A 17-year-old killed Thursday by a man he was trying to rob had been ordered to stay out of trouble in March after he pleaded guilty to taking a woman’s car on a joy ride.
Kevin Ollie, also known as Devin, was supposed to participate in a substance abuse treatment program, stay in school or hold down a job and perform 20 hours of community service, according to a deferred prosecution agreement he signed March 23.
Less than a month later, Ollie tested positive for THC, according to a July 11 letter from a juvenile justice program that was monitoring him.
On Friday, the Milwaukee Police Department Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer identified Ollie as the teen killed early Thursday as he and a 19-year-old associate tried to rob a man in the 2600 block of N. 1st St.
The deceased teen shot his accomplice during the robbery attempt, according to police.
The district attorney’s office is reviewing the shooting to determine whether charges will be brought against the target of the robbery, Police Department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.
When the suspects confronted a 22-year-old man on the street he pulled out his own gun and shot the younger teen, Stanmeyer said. Somehow, the older teen was shot and suffered a non-life threatening injury, Stanmeyer said.
Labels: minor offender, street robbery, WI
Houston, Texas
From July 31, 2009 KTRK channel 13:
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A vendor says three teens approached him and attacked while he was working. That's when he says he pulled out a gun and fired, killing one of the suspects.
The confrontation started about 11pm on MLK near Reed Road. Authorities tell us the vendor was parked at a gas station as he was delivering snack products to the store. Police say he was inside the store and when he walked back out, he was approached by three teenage boys who demanded the snack products.
When the vendor refused, authorities say the teens, all three of them, began to assault the vendor by punching, kicking and hitting him. During the assault, the vendor was able to defend himself.
"The individual is a concealed handgun license carrier, was armed at the time, retrieved a weapon and subsequently shot and killed an individual here on the scene," said Officer Brian Evans with the Houston Police Department.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, street robbery, TX
8/13/09
Knoxville, Tennessee
From WHNT of August 11, 2009
Teen surrenders, man arrested in Knox fatal home invasion
A juvenile has surrendered to Knoxville police in a home invasion that left another youth dead.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported 17-year-old Don Christopher Ealey turned himself in Monday after negotiations with the District Attorney General's Office. He will face only juvenile charges.
Police also arrested 20-year-old Thomas Eugene Mays, who was held in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Investigators said Ealey and 17-year-old Antonio Wooten went to a home in the southern part of the city around dawn on Aug. 5 and knocked on the door. When the homeowner answered the knock, police said Ealey and Wooten tried to push their way in, but were repelled by gunfire.
Wooten's body was found in a gully beside the driveway leading to the home.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, TN
7/29/09
Detroit, Michigan
From July 23, 2009 channel 4:
DETROIT -- The victim of an armed robbery shot and killed his robber Thursday morning, police said.Police said an armed man attempted to rob a cab driver at the Citgo Gas Station on McNichols Street around 5 a.m.From the comments:
The cab driver pulled out a gun and fired several rounds, striking the thief three times, said police.
The man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he died.
Police said the 38-year-old shooter called police to report the shooting. He is now in custody and being questioned.
Police said the cab driver had a legitimate license to carry a concealed weapon.
i helped his aunt write his obituary, and it saddened me to realize that the handful of pictures and the short paragraphs in the obituary summed up his brief life. that's it. he was only 17. i wish he had listened to his family who tried to set him straight, but in his case -- as is often the case for young, misunderstood black boys -- the streets and his "friends" were louder. we'll never know what or who freddrick could have been.
Labels: business robbery, concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender
7/15/09
Allentown, Pennsylvania
From the June 28, 2009 Allentown Morning Call:
An Allentown man and a 17-year-old juvenile got more than they bargained for when they attempted to rob city resident Michael Dawes early Saturday morning, according to police.
Dawes, 38, of N. 13th Street, was smoking a cigarette near 13th and Union streets about 3:45 a.m. when the juvenile approached and asked for a dollar, said police Capt. Daryl Hendricks. Dawes said he didn't have a dollar and the youth moved away.
Moments later, Albert Torres Jr., 24, of 841 Tilghman St. approached Dawes and asked for marijuana, getting the same reply, Hendricks said. At that point, the two attacked Dawes, who pulled a registered handgun and started firing.
Dawes got off two shots, but the assailants, who quickly fled, were not hit, Hendricks said. When police arrived, Dawes spotted a car he'd seen lurking in the area before the incident. Police stopped the car, and Dawes identified the two people inside as those who tried to attack him.
Torres was charged with robbery, conspiracy, attempted theft and simple assault, Hendricks said. The youth was sent to a juvenile detention facility.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, PA, street robbery
7/14/09
Lexington, South Carolina
From The State of July 14, 2009
Again, a pizza, a robbery, a gunshot
A Papa John’s pizza delivery man shot and wounded a 17-year-old who called in a pizza order and then robbed him at a vacant house with a fake handgun, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.
The incident occurred July 5, but deputies delayed announcing it until Monday — a day after the teen was charged with robbery, and eight days after the shooting.
It was the second time in recent months that a pizza delivery man in Lexington County has shot someone trying to rob him.
The other incident was March 7, when a Pizza Hut delivery man shot and killed a 17-year-old assailant who was beating him. Deputies have arrested three other teens in that Irmo-area incident.
But neither pizza delivery man is facing charges, since authorities have ruled both shootings were in self-defense. The two delivery men carried concealed-weapon permits, deputies said.
In the most recent shooting, Sheriff James Metts is withholding the name of the pizza delivery man. He said Monday through a spokesman that deputies feared for the man’s safety — but would not give details of any threats.
The suspect, Raymond Antonio Metze, 17, of 212 Crestridge Drive, Lexington, was booked Sunday at the Lexington County Detention Center on charges of armed robbery and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He is in jail under $100,000 bond.
A black BB pistol that resembled a semiautomatic handgun was used in the robbery, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.
Metze was at Palmetto Health Richland for more than a week, though details of his treatment were not released. He got out of the hospital Sunday night.
The July 5 shooting occurred in the Red Bank area of Lexington County, about a mile west of White Knoll High School.
According to warrants and reports from deputies, shortly before midnight, the 29-year-old delivery man — from Papa John’s on 3937 Platt Springs Road — brought pizza to 236 Crestridge Drive. The home was vacant.
After the delivery man knocked on the front door, a man came from the side of the house with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash.
The pizza delivery man gave him a little more than $200.
As the pizza delivery man left, the suspect kept pointing his fake pistol at him. Not knowing it was fake and only fired BBs, the pizza man pulled his handgun. It was real, a 9mm semiautomatic.
He fired one shot, wounding the suspect in his chest.
The suspect fled and the pizza delivery man called 911. Acting on a neighbor’s tip, deputies found the suspect within minutes, lying on a porch of a nearby house.
The suspect was airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland.
Metts said the unidentified pizza delivery man was not charged because he acted in self-defense. Deputies and the 11th Circuit solicitor’s office made the determination.
In the March shooting, pizza delivery man Christopher Miller, 43, from an Irmo-area Pizza Hut, voluntarily agreed to have his name released to the public, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The Papa John’s pizza man, a spokesman added, wants confidentiality.
Labels: minor offender, pizza delivery driver, SC
7/12/09
Palm Desert, California
From the Desert Sun of July 11, 2009
A Palm Desert man stops attempted burglary
Palm Desert homeowner helped stop an attempted burglary of his home early Saturday morning.
At 3:40 a.m., the homeowner awoke to sounds of a window breaking toward the front of his home in the 43-600 block of Louisiana Street, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department officials.
The man saw two people standing in front of his home. He then armed himself with a pistol and chased the suspects as they fled north toward a golf course.
The man fired one shot, which caused the suspects to surrender until Palm Desert police officers arrived.
Steven Flores, 18, of Palm Desert, and a 16-year-old male teenager from Rancho Mirage were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary. Flores is in the county jail in Indio and the male teenager is at a juvenile detention facility in Indio.
The name of the juvenile is not being released because of his age, officers said.
Labels: CA, minor offender, trespassing
6/25/09
Antioch, Tennessee
From WZTV of June 24, 2009
Gunman Shot to Death During Home Invasion
A home invasion turns deadly after one of the robbers is shot by the homeowner.
It happened on Moss Landing Drive in Antioch around 1:00 a.m.
Dennis Nicholson told detectives that he was confronted by 22 year old Elijah Minnard (pictured left) at the home.
Nicholson says Minnard had a shotgun, and 17 year old Jeremie Thomas (pictured right), had a pistol.
Police say the men forced Nicholson inside, and Minnard held Nicholson and 25 year old Lincoya Stephens at gunpoint upstairs while Thomas searched the downstairs area of the home.
Police say Stephens grabbed the shotgun to try and disarm Minnard, but Stephens was hit in the leg by a shotgun blast.
Police say Stephens and Nicholson still managed to get the gun away from Minnard.
Officers say Stephens then pulled a pistol that was concealed in his waistband and shot and killed Minnard.
Thomas, hearing the gunfire, went to check on Minnard.
Stephens opened fire on Thomas, and he fled the house.
At 2:15 a.m., police say Thomas, with gun in hand, jumped in front of a driver on Hamilton Church Road and yelled for her to stop.
The driver accelerated as she and her four passengers ducked.
Thomas was caught by officers a short time later.
Detectives say Thomas told them he and Minnard went to the home to commit a drug-related robbery.
No drugs were found in the residence.
Stephens is hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg and has not yet been interviewed by detectives.
The investigation is continuing.
Thomas is charged at Juvenile Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of unlawful weapon possession, attempted criminal homicide, four counts of aggravated assault, and attempted aggravated robbery.
Thomas is being held in juvenile detention pending a hearing.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, home invasion, minor offender, residence robbery, TN
6/21/09
Moorhead, Minnesota
From KFYR of June 21, 2009
Would-be Burglar Shot to Death
An apartment break-in ended in a shooting, with the tenant killing the intruder. It happened to our east in Moorhead, Minnesota around midnight Saturday.
The burglar died after being shot in the chest at close range with a shotgun.
It`s been an emotional night for Sara Graham. "I thought he was drunk and trying to rob me; I did not know he was," says Graham. She begins to cry and can`t finish her sentence.
She was sleeping in her apartment when a man walked in in the middle of the night. She yelled at him to leave, and he did.
"No clue who he is," notes Graham.
But the intruder came back, this time entering another apartment. The tenant told police the man refused to leave and tried to pick a fight with him. The apartment owner grabbed his shotgun, and when the intruder attacked again, the tenant fired. It was a fatal shot.
Moorhead police Lt. Tory Jacobson says, "The entire circumstance has to be closely examined and specifically saying X and Y equal this result, you know, have to have variables that come into play, and no one would wish to be in that situation of having to choose between life or death."
Jacobson says everyone has a right to protect himself. That`s what David Allen says his brother, the apartment tenant, did.
"I know my brother isn`t that kind of person, he`d be the first to call the cops. I`m kind of confused by the situation," explains Allen.
The injured man fled back to Graham`s apartment, holing himself up in her daughter`s bedroom.
Neighbor Nelly Peralez says she hoped the deadly scene was only a nightmare. "It`s just shocking, I mean this morning when I woke up I just kept thinking saying please don`t let it be true because I live here," she says.
But as Sara Graham surveys her blood stained carpet, she says her nightmare is just beginning. "He was screaming. He was crying. I`ll never forget it. I`d rather see it again than hear it all over again," she says.
Moorhead police say they will not charge the shooter, apartment tenant Vernon Allen. Police say the dead burglar was a 17-year-old Moorhead boy.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, MN
6/18/09
Harris County, Texas
From the Houston Chronicle of June 18, 2009
Harris man fatally shoots teen at home
A homeowner who had twice ordered a teenager to leave the property — once while holding a rifle — shot the teen dead after the boy refused to leave and walked toward him, authorities said.
“He feared for his life,” said Harris County sheriff’s Lt. Rolf Nelson.
Dwayne Austgen, 69, was inside his north Harris County home in the 5500 block of Susanna around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when he noticed a teenager in his front yard, officials said. The man went outside, confronted 17-year-old Vidal Herrera, and told him to leave, authorities said.
After the teen left the property, Austgen noticed Herrera had left a crack cocaine pipe, officials said. Austgen then went back inside his home, taking the pipe with him, officials said.
A short while later, Herrera returned to the home, confronted Austgen about the pipe, and the pair argued, officials said. Austgen, this time holding a rifle, again ordered the teen to leave, officials said.
Herrera began to walk away but then approached the homeowner, who fired the .22-caliber rifle, striking the teen in the abdomen, officials said. Herrera was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died.
The case will be referred to a Harris County grand jury without charges.
Austgen could not be reached for comment.
(More)
Labels: minor offender, trespassing, TX
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
Detroit, Michigan
From WDIV of June 11, 2009
Gun Turned On Would-Be Robber
A 16-year-old was shot and wounded with his own gun Thursday morning during an attempted robbery on Detroit's west side, police said.
Two teenagers, one carrying a rifle and the other a handgun, approached a man at the BPS Gas Station on Plymouth Road and the northbound Southfield Service Drive around 6:40 a.m.
The robbery victim grabbed a gun out of the teen's hand and shot him with it.
The wounded teen jumped into a vehicle and attempted to drive away, but crashed into several cars on Forrer Street.
He was transported to Sinai Grace Hospital and is in stable condition.
The other robber fled the area. There are unconfirmed police reports that the second robbery suspect was arrested in downtown Detroit.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, MI, minor offender, street robbery
Sarasota, Florida
From June 11, 2009 WWSB channel 7:
SARASOTA, FL. - A juvenile attempting to rob a Sarasota man by gunpoint ends up being shot by the victim.
According to the Sarasota Police Department, officers responded to the 3900 block of N. Rilma Avenue early Thursday in reference to an armed robbery.
Once on scene it was determined that the victim, 54-year-old Elliot Firby, had been followed home from the area of University and U.S. 301 by a black full-sized pickup truck.
While Firby was attempting to unlock the fence surrounding his residence the pickup truck pulled in front of his driveway. As the pickup truck came to a stop a single black male exited the vehicle's passenger door armed with a shotgun. The black male ordered the victim to the ground.
As Firby was kneeling down with his hands over his head the suspect began fumbling with the shotgun. At this point Firby reached into his pocket retrieved his personal firearm and shot at the suspect twice. Firby has a valid concealed weapons permit.
According to Firby, the suspect was struck once in the abdomen. The suspect dropped the shotgun and a t-shirt in the victim's yard, jumped into the passenger side of the pickup truck and fled the area.
A short time later a juvenile was dropped off by a black full sized pickup truck at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital with a single bullet wound to his abdomen. The pickup truck and it's driver did not remain at the hospital. The truck was later located at the suspect's residence, it was towed for processing to the Sarasota Police Department.
Labels: FL, minor offender, street robbery
5/23/09
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the May 22, 2009 Oklahoma City Oklahoman:
Jerome Ersland was back at work Thursday filling prescriptions and hoping that by taking the life of a 16-year-old boy two days earlier, he had saved others.UPDATE: From the May 27, 2009 Oklahoma City Oklahoman:Rubbing an oversized bandage on his left forearm, where he said he was grazed by a robber’s bullet, Ersland related details of what he said was a highly organized hit on the Reliable Discount Pharmacy.
"I just regret anybody would get killed,” Ersland said. "But if I wouldn’t have been here, there would have been three people killed — the other pharmacist and the two techs.”
...
After the pharmacy near SW 59 and Pennsylvania was robbed two years ago, the owner installed new security measures to try to make sure his employees would never again be forced to a back room and pistol-whipped."We have a very good security system,” Ersland said, motioning to the magnetic door locks that won’t let anyone in or out of the store without permission. "The door locks, and they (robbers) knew that. They had cased it because they knew exactly what time to hit us when we’d have all of our narcotics out and our money out.”
About 10 minutes before 6 p.m., Ersland said, two robbers wearing ski masks waited for someone to leave the pharmacy and then grabbed the open door and threw down a board to stop the door from closing.
The robbers went in cursing and yelling, ordering employees to give them money and drugs, Ersland said.
Two women who were working behind the counter ran for a back room where they would be safe, but Ersland said he couldn’t run. Ersland said he’s a veteran with disabilities from wounds he received in Operation Desert Storm, wears a cumbersome back brace and just had his latest back surgery six weeks ago.
"All of a sudden, they started shooting,” he said. "They were attempting to kill me, but they didn’t know I had a gun. They said, ‘You’re gonna die.’ That’s when one of them shot at me, and that’s when he got my hand.”
Ersland said he was thrown against a wall, but managed to go for the semiautomatic in his pocket.
"And that’s when I started defending myself,” he said. "The first shot got him in the head, and that slowed him down so I could get my other gun.”
But as one robber hit the floor, Ersland said, a bullet from the other robber whizzed past his ear.
The pharmacist said he then got his second gun from a nearby drawer, a Taurus "Judge.”
After he had the big gun, Ersland said, the second robber ran.
But as he started to chase after the second robber, Ersland said, he looked back to see the 16-year-old he had shot in the head getting up again. Ersland said he then emptied the Kel-Tec .380 into the boy’s chest as he kept going after the second robber.
"I went after the other guy, but he was real fast and I’m crippled,” Ersland said.
Outside the pharmacy, he said he saw what he thought was a third black male in a car with the engine running and reaching for what appeared to be a shotgun.
"I pulled out my ‘Judge’ and pointed it right between his eyes and he floored it,” Ersland said.
The charge alleges Ersland shot Antwun Parker, 16, while he was incapacitated and lying on his back. Ersland’s account of the incident doesn’t match the video or the evidence collected at the scene, according to the affidavit written by Oklahoma City Police Detective David Jacobson.The surveillance video does seem to confirm that while the first shot was in self-defense, subsequent shots were not even close to being in self-defense. Nonetheless, the initial use was lawful self-defense.
Parker was shot once in the head and five times in the stomach area. The autopsy found Parker was still alive after the head shot and died from the stomach wounds.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, OK
2/11/09
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From the February 10, 2009 Tulsa World:
Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 600 block of East 53rd Street North. They found Terrance L. Johnson, 16, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police at the scene said the shooting might have resulted from a botched robbery attempt. On Monday, however, detectives were still investigating what led to the shooting, Ashley said.
Preliminary information indicates that Johnson had gained entry into the home and that a resident of the home saw him with a handgun. The resident retrieved a gun and shot Johnson, Ashley said.
The man who shot Johnson was interviewed by police and released. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for a determination on whether charges should be filed.
Labels: minor offender, OK, residence burglary
2/8/09
Bradenton, Florida
From the Publication of February 3, 2009
Local prep athletes face murder charges
Two high school football players have been arrested on charges they killed a 55-year-old woman during a botched home invasion robbery. One of the teenagers is paralyzed after one of the robbery victims shot back, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
Detectives arrested Palmetto High School students Ta Heem Blake, 17, a former running back for the school, and Marquis Sanders, 18, who transferred from Bayshore High School. They face charges in the shooting death of Maria Lerma early Sunday, Bradenton Police Deputy Chief William Tokajer said.
Blake and Sanders are accused of barging into Lerma’s home in the 900 block of 25th Street East just before 6 a.m. Sunday in a robbery attempt.
The teens found Lerma and two men in the home when they entered, and Blake opened fire with an SKS rifle, according to Tokajer. Detectives say he killed Lerma, and shot one of the men in the house in the arm.
Sanders had a pistol in his hand but did not fire, according to Tokajer.
The teens did not count on one of the men in the home pulling his own gun, firing and hitting Blake. Police officers and emergency personnel found Blake shot in the driveway.
Sanders escaped but Blake’s injuries left him paralyzed with a severed spine. Tokajer said detectives have obtained an arrest warrant for Blake on a murder charge, and Pinellas County deputies were expected to serve Blake at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg on Monday night.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office would not confirm Monday night if Blake had been served because he is a minor.
(More)
Labels: FL, home invasion, minor offender
1/28/09
Hillview, Kentucky
From the Louisville Courier-Journal of January 22, 2009
Hillview man charged in break-in at bait shop
A Hillview man been charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into a Louisville bait-and-tackle business and being shot at by the owner Saturday.
Eric Lee Wade, 24, is accused of breaking a window and entering Pepper Tackle Shop on Dixie Highway in Valley Station about 11:30 p.m., said Lt. Jim Mueller with the Louisville Metro Police robbery unit.
A 16-year-old Jefferson County juvenile was involved, according to Mueller, but it was uncertain last night if he has been charged in the Pepper break-in.
Norman Pepper, the owner of the store and an unsuccessful candidate for the Metro Council District 14 seat, said in an interview yesterday that when two people entered his business after hours, he fired a shot at one of the men and a second shot to scare them off.
The two crawled back out the window and got into a car, said Pepper, who is 67. He managed to fire three shots into the car before the occupants fled.
The vehicle was later found abandoned on the Gene Snyder Freeway near Dixie Highway.
"They didn't have time to do anything. I was on them," Pepper said. "There was no time to be scared."
He then called the police. While his shop has been burglarized before, this is the first time he has shot at an intruder, he said.
Both Wade and the juvenile have been charged with robbery in three other cases -- hold-ups earlier Saturday at Circle K, 9111 Blue Lick Road; on Jan. 13 at First America Cash Advance, 6661 Dixie Highway; and on Jan. 10 at Cash Tyme, 11340 Preston Highway, Mueller said.
Two people would enter the businesses wearing masks, brandish a sawed-off shotgun or a pistol and demand money, Mueller said. No one was injured in any of the robberies.
Wade was arrested Monday, and the juvenile was arrested Tuesday, he said.
The juvenile has been charged with three counts of first-degree robbery, Mueller said.
Wade has been charged with three counts of first-degree robbery, one count of second-degree burglary and one count of having a vehicle that is a nuisance, according to Metro Corrections. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Labels: business robbery, KY, minor offender
1/12/09
Hammond, Indiana
From the Northwest Indiana Times of January 12, 2009
Police: Man shoots, kills suspect in Hammond robbery attemptFrom the Northwest Indiana Times of January 12, 2009
An attempted robbery early Sunday morning turned fatal for one of the suspects, police said.
A 38-year-old man and his girlfriend were exiting their sport-utility vehicle in the parking lot of McTavern's bar in the 7400 block of Indianapolis Boulevard when two people attempted to rob the couple, according to a Hammond police news release.
Another person is believed to have been an accomplice in the attempted robbery, Police Chief Brian Miller said.
The owner of the vehicle took a handgun from the SUV and shot one of the suspects in the chest, the release states. The shooting victim died at the scene before Hammond Fire Department personnel could provide further treatment and he could get to a hospital.
Kenneth Denson, 17, of the 600 block of East 131st Street in Chicago, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:30 a.m., a Lake County coroner's office spokeswoman said Sunday.
The second robbery suspect and an accomplice fled from the scene in a vehicle and traveled north on Indianapolis Boulevard into East Chicago, where they crashed and police apprehended them. Miller said an illegal narcotic drug was found in the vehicle.
Police said the investigation continues. The man who shot Denson has cooperated with police and has turned over his handgun.
Charges could be filed today against the other two suspects in custody, Miller said.
In September, a 40-year-old Gary man, Eric Lowe, was shot and killed outside of McTavern's following a dispute. Lowe was a security worker for the bar.
Police: Statements support self defense claim in fatal shooting
Hammond police believe a man who shot and killed a would-be robber outside of a bar there early Sunday legitimately acted in self defense.
Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said the 38-year-old Gary man was released after providing a statement to police about the incident.
"We do believe that his version of the story is true and credible," Miller said, adding that the man had a valid license to carry the weapon and purchased it legally.
Statements from witnesses to the attempted robbery and shooting assisted as well, he said.
"We had some outstanding participation by witnesses," Miller said.
(More)
Labels: concealed carry permit, IN, minor offender, street robbery
12/25/08
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From the Tulsa World of December 24, 2008
Intruder killed in burglary attempt
A Tulsa homeowner shot and killed a teenager who was breaking into his house early Tuesday, police said.
Shortly before 3 a.m., three people broke into a home in the 1300 block of North Irvington Avenue, Tulsa Police Cpl. Mark Shelton said.
Many of the 15 to 20 occupants were awake, including the home- owner, who heard the break-in and got his gun.
Two of the suspected burglars, including one who was armed, were moving through the house when they encountered the homeowner, Shelton said.
Gunfire was exchanged. The homeowner shot one of the intruders twice in the chest, and the homeowner's wife was shot in the abdomen.
The wounded intruder, Cody Ray Payne, 15, left the house but died in the front yard, police said.
The homeowner's wife was hospitalized but is expected to recover.
The other two suspected burglars ran from the house and were not found, Shelton said. They were described as black, in their late teens and wearing hooded sweatshirts and dark baggy pants.
The victims, a Hispanic family, did not want their names released, said Capt. Ryan Perkins.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, OK
12/18/08
Terrel, Texas
From the MyFoxDFW of December 18, 2008
Dog Walker Kills Armed Teen Robber, Police Say
A man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday fatally shot an armed 17-year-old robber, police said.
The incident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Ben Gill Park in the 100 block of Lions Club Lane where, police said, a group of teen robbers surrounded the man.
According to investigators, Markee Lamar Johnson pulled out a gun and the 47-year-old man, a licensed concealed handgun owner, fired shots.
The 17-year-old Terrell High School student was struck in the head and died at Parkland Hospital. His weapon was recovered at the scene and later determined to be stolen during a separate offense in Terrell, according to police.
Police said they would not likely file charges against the man.
"I think in this particular situation, it would be a clear example of someone exercising their rights to protect themselves under the law," Capt. A.D. Sanson said.
Three other teen suspects fled the scene in a vehicle that was recovered in the 300 block of S. Park Street, police said.
Police identified the the other suspects and arrested one of them. Ryan Scott Patterson, 17, is charged with aggravated robbery.
The robbery victim, who did not want to be identified, was not injured.
Labels: minor offender, street robbery, TX
12/8/08
Birmingham, Alabama
From the Birmingham News of December 5, 2008
Birmingham teen murder suspect in wrong place, mother says
The adoptive mother of a teen charged with capital murder of an acquaintance who was killed while the two were robbing someone Sunday said her son was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Malik Hameed, 17, is remorseful over his involvement in a weekend robbery that left his accomplice, a family friend, dead, said his mother, Hamidah Hameed, 56.
"All he's been doing is crying and asking me to come get him," Hamidah Hameed said. "He keeps saying, `Mama, I'm sorry.' I told him he had a chance to think and make a different choice, but he didn't think. He just asked me to hug him and hold him."
Police say Malik Hameed and Patrick Cortez Levert, 26, were shot Sunday in the 100 block of Cotton Avenue Southwest while trying to rob a 39-year-old man at gunpoint.
The man pulled a gun and shot both, police said.
Levert, found on the sidewalk, was taken to UAB Hospital, where he died. Someone drove Hameed to Princeton Baptist Medical Center, where he was treated and later taken into police custody.
Though Hameed didn't shoot Levert, he is charged with capital murder because he was a conspirator in a crime that resulted in death, police said.
Hamidah Hameed said witnesses have told family members her son wasn't armed.
"We haven't been able to verify whether he was or wasn't armed," said Birmingham homicide Sgt. Scott Thurmond. "But from talking to him, he knew what was going on prior to getting there. He knew the deal."
(More)
Labels: AL, minor offender, street robbery
11/25/08
Green Pond, South Carolina
From the Post and Courier of November 26, 2008
Intruder shot while entering house
A man who was at home when someone tried to break into his residence on Monday apparently shot the burglar as he was coming through a bedroom window, authorities said.
Colleton County deputies arrived about 9:30 a.m. at the home on Turkey Hill Lane and learned that the homeowner had fired his gun at someone coming in the window but found no suspects on the property. They later got a call from a woman nearby who said her 15-year-old grandson had been shot, Sheriff George Malone said.
The boy was taken to Colleton County Regional Medical Center, treated and taken to jail, Malone said. He and a 16-year-old boy and an adult were all charged with second-degree burglary, the sheriff said.
Malone identified the adult as as Larry Speaks, 20, of Green Pond.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, SC
11/8/08
Mobile, Alabama
From the Press-Register of November 4, 2008
Shot teens attended Vigor, police say
Two teens shot during a robbery attempt Friday apparently followed their victim to his home after seeing him withdraw money from an ATM miles away, police said.
Seventeen-year-old Antonio Austin was killed in the confrontation. Nineteen-year-old Robert Howez was shot in the back and taken to the University of South Alabama Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition Monday.
Howez will face a charge of first-degree robbery upon his release, authorities said.
Both teens were listed as students at Vigor High School, said Deputy Chief James Barber.
Barber declined to identify the 60-year-old man who was the alleged robbery target, saying the man does not currently face criminal charges in the shooting, which has been characterized by Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. as a case of self-defense.
Police have also questioned two other teens investigators believe were in a car just down the street from the attempted robbery, Barber said.
The car left the area when the shooting started, according to police.
Investigators were still trying to determine what role the people in the car might have had in the robbery, Barber said.
"We don't have probable cause to charge them at this point," he said. He declined to release the names of those two teens or what schools they attend because they haven't been charged.
The attempted robbery, according to police accounts, occurred like this:
The man was returning to his home on West Belvedere Circle, near Hank Aaron Stadium, shortly after 6 p.m. Friday when, as he was getting out of his car, he was accosted by two teenagers, one armed with a revolver.
The armed teen demanded that the man hand over the money from the ATM. Instead, he drew his own pistol and opened fire.
Howez could face a murder charge in Austin's death even though he didn't fire the shot that killed him, Barber said, as Alabama law allows criminals to be held liable for the death of an accomplice killed in the commission of a violent felony.
"That will be a question for the district attorney," Barber said.
Labels: AL, minor offender, street robbery
10/7/08
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
From WPVI of September 28, 2008
Two shot in home invasion
Philadelphia police are investigating a home invasion that ended with a double shooting.
Police sources tell Action News the two shot were the teenagers committing the home invasion.
Those sources say it all happened around 4:30 a.m. when a 19 year old man and a 15 year old boy broke into the front door of a home in the 1700 block of Pierce Street.
Police say a resident inside the home pulled out a gun and began firing at the two teenagers, striking them both.
The 19 year old male was shot in the abdomen and is in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
The 15 year old male teenager is in stable condition at HUP.
No word yet on any charges as police investigate.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, PA
10/3/08
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
From the Philadelphia Inquirer of September 29, 2008
Phila. police: Shooting was self-defense
City police are still investigating a weekend homicide in South Philadelphia and also have concluded their probe of a fatal shooting in a Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood that they found was in self-defense.
In the Southwest Philadelphia killing, a man in his 20s was fatally shot twice in the chest shortly after 1 a.m. yesterday in the 5100 block of Warrington Street near South 52d Street. Police spokeswoman Christine O'Brien said the man and a 17-year-old male accomplice were trying to rob two other men on the street, who shot them, O'Brien said.
The teen was shot twice in the left arm and was in custody in stable condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania last night.
Police did not release the identities of the two would-be robbers or of the pair they were trying to rob.
O'Brien called the shooting "a justifiable homicide" and said no charges would be filed.
Labels: minor offender, PA, street robbery
8/28/08
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
From the Pocono Record of August 28, 2008
Alleged teen robber shot by Wal-Mart shopper
It's a night time shopper's nightmare. You buy groceries, go to your car, and someone tries to rob you at gunpoint.
Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when Reneau Jean Jacques, 17, of 77 Symphony Circle, East Stroudsburg, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money.
Eastman looked around for help or someone to yell to. The alleged robber continued to demand money. Eastman replied that he did not have any money - that he used a debit card to pay for his purchases.
Jacques became more threatening, pointing the gun and using a more menacing tone of voice.
Eastman then took out his wallet and pushed the door of his truck more open to put it between himself and the suspect. Jacques pointed his gun at Eastman's face.
Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the car window to cut his face.
Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon.
Eastman shot Jacques in the lower leg and foot. Then Eastman ran back toward the store as the teen fled towards Friendly's restaurant.
Jacques fled into a landscaped island of bushes and trees in the parking lot. Stroud Area Regional Police were on the scene almost immediately and found him hiding and trying to bury a handgun in the mulch. He originally claimed to be a victim before police determined he was likely the one who started the trouble.
"It appears to be an armed robbery that went badly for the suspect because he picked an armed customer," said Sgt. James Wielgus.
On Thursday afternoon, Jacques, using crutches and wearing a long hospital gown over hospital pants, sat with a numb look on his face during his preliminary arraignment in East Stroudsburg Magisterial District Judge Michael Muth’s courtroom. Jacques, a Shawnee Academy student with a prior juvenile record, spoke in a subdued tone when addressed by the judge.
Jacques is charged as an adult with attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, crimes committed with guns and illegal possession of a gun, all felonies, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. He hung his head and sighed after the judge told him he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, attempted murder.
Jacques was taken to Pocono Medical Center for treatment. Police detained two other youths for questioning. They were in a car, trying to flee the scene, according to witnesses and police.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, PA, street robbery
8/18/08
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
8/9/08
Union City, Georgia
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of August 8, 2008
Teen shot breaking into Union City home, cops say
A would-be burglar got a painful surprise Friday when he tried to break into a Union City man's home, police said.
Around 4:30 p.m., the 75-year-old homeowner on Ravenwood Loop heard some noise coming from the rear of his house, Union City police spokesman George Louthe said.
"He saw his window getting wedged open," Louthe said. "He challenged the intruder, but (the intruder) kept coming through the window."
The man went for his 9 mm Glock handgun and returned to see a 17-year-old's leg straddling the window.
"He shot three times," Louthe said. "But the suspect ran."
The homeowner called 911 to report the home invasion, police said. Police did not release the name of the homeowner or the teen who was shot.
Just moments after his call, a neighbor on Ravenwood Circle — just behind the crime scene — called police to report a man shot in their back yard.
"He apparently climbed over the back fence," Louthe said of the wounded suspect.
The teen had been hit at least once, with an injury that seemed to reflect a bullet entering his leg and traveling to his groin, police said.
The suspect was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital, and was listed in serious but stable condition.
Charges against the teen are pending.
The Fulton County District Attorney's office will decide whether to charge the homeowner, Louthe said.
Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender, senior
7/15/08
Memphis, Tennessee
From MyEyewitnessNews of July 15, 2008
Store Clerk Shoots Teen During Robbery in Memphis
Police say a Memphis store clerk shot a 17 year-old boy during a robbery.
According investigators, it happened around 8:50 p.m., Monday, July 14, 2008, at the Margarita Market in the 6000 block of Knight Arnold Road.
Police say the teen and three other men were shoplifting at the store when the clerk confronted them. The four suspects, ages 17, 19, 20, and 28, attacked the clerk during the confrontation, according to investigators. Police say that is when the clerk shot the 17 year-old in the leg.
Police say the teen was taken to the hospital in non-critical condition. The store clerk was treated for minor injuries to his face, neck, and arms said police.
Detectives say all four suspects are in custody, but no charges have been filed at this time.
Labels: assault, business robbery, minor offender, TN
Newport News, Virginia
From the Daily Press of July 10, 2008
Potential victims turned tables on robbery suspects
An armed-robbery suspect was shot by his potential victim Tuesday, the second time in a week where the tables were quickly turned, police said.
Just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, a 16-year-old was shot in his upper right leg as he attempted to rob a man at gunpoint in the backyard of a 25th Street home, police spokesman Harold Eley said.
The teenager, whose name wasn't released by police because he's a juvenile, survived his injury and was released from a local hospital into police custody.
...
Eley said the juvenile shot at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday was attempting to rob a 31-year-old Virginia Beach man, who pulled out his own gun. The 16-year-old fled after being shot but was picked up by police on 25th Street.
After his release from the hospital, the teen was charged with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Police also charged him with the July 6 robbery and carjacking of an 18-year-old Newport News man on Aqua Vista Drive. He's being held in the city's juvenile detention center.
"It is extremely dangerous for juveniles, or anyone else, to take part in armed robberies," Eley said. "There is always the possibility that the person being robbed is armed, and that was the case in this instance. Juveniles should not have weapons in the first place."
Eley said the man who shot the teen didn't have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The gun was seized, but no charges were filed. Eley said the commonwealth's attorney would decide whether to prosecute the man on any firearms charges.
Labels: minor offender, street robbery, VA
6/22/08
Fulton County, Georgia
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution of June 22, 2008
Homeowner wounds would-be burglar
Fulton County police said they will consult with the district attorneys office before deciding on whether to charge a homeowner who shot and wounded a teenager charged with breaking into his townhouse Saturday evening.
"We're still looking into the homeowner," Fulton County police spokesman Scott McBride said Sunday. "We don't know if charges will be filed. [Investigators] have to talk with the [Fulton County] district attorney's office about that."
The homeowner, identified as Desonte Lindsey, 28, shot and wounded a teen breaking into his townhouse in the 6200 block of Flat Trace, near Union City, police said.
"The guy hears the front doorbell ring" just before 6 p.m., McBride said. "When he goes down to answer it, a 16-year-old kicks in his back door."
The man got a gun and fired twice at the teen, hitting him once in the arm, McBride said. The youth ran, and the man chased him into a nearby wooded area and lost him. Lindsey told police it was the second time this month his home had been broken into.
The teen was arrested after calling 911 to report he'd been shot, McBride said. He is charged with burglary and criminal trespass, McBride said. The teen underwent surgery at Southern Regional Medical Center on Saturday to remove a bullet from his arm.
Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender
6/19/08
Greenville, North Carolina
From June 17, 2008 WITN channel 7:
A pizza delivery driver fought back at a group of suspects who tried to rob him, pulling out a gun and wounding one of them.
Greenville Police say the incident happened early Monday morning at 1105 A Masters Lane when the Chanellos Pizza driver said three suspects began hitting him as he was delivering the pizzas. Police say the delivery driver then pulled out a gun and began to fire. One of the three robbery suspects was struck. Elvis Deans Junior, a 17 year-old student at South Central High School, is listed in stable but critical condition. He'll be charged with Common Law Robbery and Assault Inflicting Serious Injury.
Police also arrested 18 year-old Thomas James, 18 year-old Sunil Persaud, and 17 year old Kevin Haynie all of Greenville. They are charged with common law robbery. Police also say they charged a 14 year old who they say planned the crime.
The pizza delivery driver was taken to the hospital and was treated and released.
Labels: minor offender, NC, pizza delivery driver, street robbery
6/9/08
Lawrence, Kansas
From the Witchita Eagle of June 9, 2008
Attempted robbery led to Lawrence shooting deaths, police say
Police say an attempted robbery led to Saturday’s double homicide, and a 16-year-old boy arrested in the crime is likely to have his first court appearance today.
Police also identified one of the deceased as Gage Hauk, 18, of nearby McLouth in Jefferson County. Police said Hauk and the 16-year-old suspect attempted to rob the residence just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday when the 20-year-old resident shot Hauk with a shotgun.
The 16-year-old, who has not been identified, then allegedly shot the resident before fleeing on foot, said Lawrence Police Sgt. Paul Fellers. A firearm believed to have been used in the incident was found a block away.
The resident has not yet been identified, Fellers said, pending identification by the coroner.
The two would-be robbers were acquainted with the resident, Fellers said.
The teen was arrested Sunday on suspicion of felony murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery, Fellers said. He is being held at the county’s juvenile detention center.
Douglas County Deputy District Attorney David Melton said it’s possible the suspect could be charged as an adult. Charges are expected to be filed in a preliminary hearing at 4 p.m. today.
Police responded to the home where the incident occurred after several neighbors reported gunshots. One of the bodies was found inside the residence, in the 1300 block of Delaware Street. The other man was found outside.
Labels: defender killed, KS, minor offender, residence robbery
5/29/08
Sumpter County, South Carolina
From WLTX of May 25, 2008
Store Owner Shoots Robbery Suspects
After a weekend full of robberies in Sumter County, deputies are investigating another incident that they don't believe are related to the other four.
Deputies say that early Saturday morning, two teenagers broke in to Dixon's Grocery on Highway 261 in Rembert.
Authorities say that the owner of the store arrived and was able to shoot two of the suspects with bird shots, who were attempting to steal alcohol. When Sumter County deputies arrived at Dixon's, the suspects had taken off.
An incident report says that Sumter dispatch received a call from 17-year-old Philip Steinle, who said he was on his way to the hospital with two people who had been shot in a neighborhood behind Wal-Mart on Broad Street.
Steinle was pulled over by a city police officer, who discovered that the two passengers had apparently been shot by a shotgun with a bird shot. The city officer was then notified by a Sumter County deputy of the incident at Dixon's Grocery.
One of the teens, a 16-year-old from Hopkins, is at Sumter's Tuomey Hospital in fair condition, while the other, 17-year-old Dontrell Jenkins, was airlifted to Palmetto Richland.
Steinle admitted to authorities that he waited in a car while Jenkins and the 16-year-old attempted to break in to Dixon's. Steinle said that both teens ran back to the car, injured.
Steinle was taken to the Sumter County jail, where he is being charged with burglary and larceny.
Labels: business burglary, minor offender, SC
Fort Worth, Texas
From NBC5i of May 28, 2008
14-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Teenage Neighbor
Police said a 14-year-old boy who was stabbed by a visiting teen in his south Fort Worth home shot and killed the boy on Wednesday.
Investigators said the 14-year-old told police Danny Allen, 13, was visiting his house on Buffalo Springs Drive near Interstate 35 when he began stabbing him at about 5:30 p.m.
According to police, the two teenagers struggled before the 14-year-old grabbed his father's gun and shot Allen.
Neighbor Charles McDonald found the 14-year-old outside his house covered in blood.
"Blake come running out the door and run across the street, and I got him stopped," McDonald said. "He was bleeding all over; (his) head and shoulders were completely saturated in blood."
McDonald said he tried to keep the teenager calm.
The 14-year-old was taken to the hospital. His family told NBC 5 the boy was out of surgery and in stable condition on Wednesday night.
When asked if he thought his 14-year-old neighbor did the right thing, McDonald said the boy "probably" did.
"I don't know the circumstances. Probably. I would say so. He's not the kind to go around beating people up," McDonald said.
Police said they do not expect to file charges in the case.
Labels: assault, minor defender, minor offender, TX
Akron, Ohio
From the Beacon Journal of May 15, 2008
Second Akron store worker fires on robbers
For the second straight night, an Akron convenience store clerk opened fire on would-be robbers.
The latest shooting occured Wednesday night at the Delia Market where police say a clerk wounded one of the three armed robbers.
Gerald Arnold, 17, of Akron was arrested by police at Akron General Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg about 10 minutes after the robbery.
Arnold was charged as a juvenile with robbery.
Also arrested in connection with the Delia robbery is 18-year-old William Oldham of Alkron. A third suspect is being sought by Akron police detectives.
Police Lt. Rick Edwards said three men entered the Delia Market at about 8 p.m. All were armed with handguns. One robber put his weapon to the head of a clerk and demaded money.
Another clerk appeared and fired several shots. The clerk told police he believed he shot one of the suspects before the trio fled without any money.
Police received a call from hospital workers a short time later.
Edwards said police do not believe the robber was connected to Tuesday's attempted heist at a West Market Street store where a clerk fired a pistol at two would-be robbers.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, OH
5/27/08
Harrison Township, Ohio
From the Dayton Daily News of May 27, 2008
Intruder shot during robbery is a juvenile
Montgomery County — A 17-year-old boy shot during a failed robbery attempt is in stable condition and facing possible arrest by Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies.
The juvenile allegedly entered an apartment at 5121 Northcutt Place in Northland Village Apartment Complex at about 3:10 p.m. Monday, May 26, in an attempt to rob the place, according to sheriff's Capt. Jeff PaPanek.
The apartment is undergoing renovation, and a construction worker living in the building was asleep inside when the boy entered. When the man awoke, the juvenile brandished a gun and a struggle ensued.
The construction worker wrestled the gun away from the juvenile and then shot him in the upper chest, PaPanek said.
The juvenile fled the scene but was later picked up by Dayton police and transported to Miami Valley Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Investigators are waiting until the boy recovers from his injuries enough to speak before pursuing any charges, sheriff's Chief Phil Plummer said.
The man in the apartment suffered a minor cut on his hand.
Labels: criminal's gun taken away and used against him, minor offender, OH, residence burglary
5/26/08
Dallas, Texas
From CBS11 of May 20, 2008
Dallas Homeowner Shoots Teenage Burglar
Police say a homeowner took the law into his own hands Tuesday and defended his property from a burglar. Police believe the burglar is responsible for other crimes in the area.
Investigators say 17-year-old Alexander Aguilar broke into a home on the 2300 block of Larry Drive in Dallas Tuesday afternoon.
The 64-year-old homeowner said he was awakened by a noise. Police say the suspected burglar had broken a window and was able to enter into the back door.
The homeowner confronted Aguilar, who then allegedly charged at him and threw a backpack at him. The homeowner shot him in the arm and held him until police arrived.
"The homeowner won't face any charges. You have a right to defend yourself and your home," said Dallas Police Sgt. Steven Shaw. "This burglar is actually someone who has active warrants out. We've been trying to catch him for the last two weeks."
Police say the suspect was skipping school at the time of the crime.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, TX
5/9/08
Atlanta, Georiga
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution of May 9, 2008
Teen killed breaking into home
A 24-year-old man shot and killed a teenage intruder Friday after the youth and some other juveniles tried to break into the his northwest Atlanta home, police said.
The shooting occurred around 1:15 p.m. at 1426 Hawkins St., off Chappell Road, police said.
The victim was 16 years old, said Lt. Keith Meadows, commander of the Atlanta Police Department homicide unit. His name was not made public Friday afternoon.
Meadows said several juveniles tried break in through a back door.
They had broken a glass window pane and were trying to kick in the door, said Sgt. Lisa Keyes, a police spokeswoman.
It was not clear if the suspects got the door open before the resident, who was home alone, grabbed a handgun from his back bedroom and shot fired at least eight shots, hitting the 16-year-old at least once in the face, Meadows said.
Several of the bullets struck the door, police said. The other suspects ran away.
Meadows said it appears that the man acted in self defense. His home had been burglarized two other times this week, and detectives were trying to determine if all the burglaries are linked.
Meadows also said the teenage boy who was shot might have been arrested recently by Atlanta police on an unrelated burglary charge.
The Police Department's helicopter crew and ground units were canvassing the neighborhood in search of the other youths, Keyes said.
Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender
5/5/08
Houston, Texas
From April 23, 2008 Houston Chronicle:
A robbery suspect is in critical condition at a hospital after he was shot by a pawn shop manager during an attempted hold-up, Houston police said.
The 17-year-old and two other masked men were holding pistols and rifles shortly before noon Wednesday when they forced their way into Mason's Pawn Shop on Cullen near Bellfort, police said.
"They immediately started yelling for everybody to get on the ground," said Houston Police Sgt. Brian Harris.
The teenager jumped over the counter and threatened to kill everyone inside the store, police said.
"The manager was able to pull a pistol and shoot the man," Harris said.
The teenager was struck in the neck. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital and is now facing a charge of aggravated robbery, police said.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, TX
4/4/08
Detroit, Michigan
From the Detroit Free Press of March 27, 2008
Pizza delivery driver shoots teens, police say
A pizza delivery driver shot two teens who tried to rob him east of downtown Detroit Thursday night, Detroit Police said.
The teens, 14 and 16, were taken to local hospitals; their conditions were listed as temporary serious, police said.
The delivery driver had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, police said.
The teens had ordered a pizza be delivered to a vacant lot in the 600 block of St. Aubin St. about 9:55 p.m., police said.
Labels: concealed carry permit, MI, minor offender, pizza delivery driver
3/5/08
Tulsa, Oklahoma
From the Tulsa World of March 5, 2008
Teen shot during alleged robbery attempt
A 15-year-old boy was in serious condition Tuesday night after being shot while allegedly trying to rob a restaurant, and a man was shot in the face earlier Tuesday in what a detective said could have been a parking-lot robbery attempt.
After the teenager was shot about 8:20 p.m. at Ralph's Fish & Burger, 1801 N. Lewis Ave., a second would-be robber fled, police said.
The restaurant's owner told police that he had shot someone who was trying to rob him, Sgt. Virgil Litterell said.
The youth reportedly had a gunshot wound to the lower back. EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said he was taken to St. John Medical Center.
The restaurant had just closed and an employee had stepped out the front door when two armed juveniles confronted him, Litterell said. While one pushed the employee to the ground, the other entered the restaurant, he said.
When the owner saw the armed youth enter, he drew a gun and fired twice, hitting the teen once, "before he could be fired upon," Litterell said.
The other youth ran west across Lewis, dropping his gun in the street, Litterell said.
Police used a helicopter and dogs in their search for the teen who fled. He was described as black, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a slender build and dark clothes.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, OK
3/3/08
Knoxville, Tennessee
From the News Sentinel of March 3, 2008
Police identify teenager slain in home-invasion shootout
Authorities this morning said a 16-year-old Knoxville boy was killed during a weekend home break-in that prompted a gun battle inside the residence.
Jamodd Mack died in the 2:24 a.m. Saturday break-in at 1304 Iredell Ave., said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
Mack and another person allegedly forced their way into the home through a back door, DeBusk said. Inside the home, Mack, who was armed with a handgun, was fired upon by a man who was visiting the woman who lives in the house, DeBusk.
After the gun battle between the two people armed with handguns, Mack died in the house of multiple bullet wounds, DeBusk said. No one else in the home was injured during the gunfight, he said.
The second male fled and has not been identified, DeBusk said.
No charges have been filed in connection with the slaying. DeBusk said police planned to take their probe to the Knox County District Attorney General's office for a decision on bringing any charges.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, TN
2/23/08
Altamonte Springs, Florida
From Central Florida News of February 23, 2008
Altamonte Springs Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder
Seminole County deputies said a homeowner shot and killed a teen who was trying to break into his home overnight.
Deputies said Ryan Realford, 17, approached an undercover deputy's car in the East Altamonte Springs community with an unidentified substance in his hand.
They said when the teen recognized the person in a car was a deputy, he ran into a nearby backyard and tried to break into a home.
A homeowner said Realford removed a locked screen door and was trying to enter his house through a sliding glass door.
The homeowner said he asked Realford to leave. When he would not, the homeowner told deputies he shot him.
Realford was taken to the hospital where he died.
Deputies said it's not likely that the homeowner will face charges.
Labels: FL, home invasion, minor offender
2/15/08
Macon, Georgia
From the Macon Telegraph of February 15, 2008
Would-be teen intruder shot in Macon
Macon police are investigating a shooting that happened shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday on Beech Avenue.
Macon police Capt. Jimmy Barbee said investigators believe the shooting stemmed from the sale of a stolen automobile.
An armed 14-year-old male allegedly entered a residence on Beech Avenue looking for someone.
The teenager searched the home but found no one, Barbee said. Residents were hiding in the closet.
As the teen was leaving the house, he got into a confrontation with an adult male, possibly a relative of the residents.
The teen pointed a gun at the man, according to police.
The man fired a gunshot from his own weapon, grazing the teenager in the head, police said.
The teen was taken by ambulance to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. His condition was not available late Thursday.
No charges against the man are pending. Police continue to investigate the incident.
Labels: GA, home invasion, minor offender
Wilmington, Delaware
From the February 15, 2008 Wilmington News Journal:
It took seven shots from Bernis Martin's Smith & Wesson M&P 9 mm pistol before the Wilmington merchant hit his target. And he felt vindicated afterward.
"I had one robbery attempt before, but he wasn't able to get anything," Martin said Thursday night, standing inside his BGM Liquor Store at 11th and Lombard streets. "This time I have some vengeance because he did get hit."
Martin was speaking the day after he fended off a robbery with his handgun, clipping one of four fleeing suspects and sending the others banging on doors crying for help.
Wilmington police took his weapon as evidence in the 10 p.m. shooting, but filed no charges against the store owner for wounding a 15-year-old suspect in the right thigh.
Police said the wounded youth was arrested at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., where he allegedly went for treatment. Three others charged with trying to rob Martin as he was leaving his store were arrested in the neighborhood.
Before their arrests, two of the suspects were heard banging on rear doors, shouting, "Open the door, let me in," said Wilmington Master Sgt. Steven Barnes.
Police said it was the 15-year-old who was later wounded who approached Martin as he was leaving the store and demanded money.
"I was startled when I saw him," Martin said. "He looked like he might have been startled, too. He had a hood covering his head and a white-and-black bandanna on his face. He said 'Give it up, old head,' " Martin, 53, said from behind the glass door that separates him from the customers he serves. Several loyal patrons came by to check on him Thursday night.
Martin said the only reason he was caught off guard was because he was headed to his second job as a technician for Chrysler in Newark. He wanted to rush to the store to get his wife some roses for Valentine's Day.
"I was behind these pillars, so I guess he couldn't see me. He said, 'What you doing?' I guess when I didn't answer he shot at me. That's when I shot back," Martin said. He said he has applied for a permit to carry the gun which he holsters on his hip.
Police said the youngster shot at Martin with a .22-caliber rifle, which they recovered in making the arrests after officers responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 10th and Pine streets.
As responding officers ran to the corner where the shooting happened, they saw two people running and chased them to rear yards in the 1000 block of Lombard St., where both were arrested.
Detectives later learned that the 15-year-old had turned up at the hospital, telling medics he was wounded in downtown Wilmington near Fifth and Orange streets. Detectives went to the hospital, interviewed the teen and brought him back to Wilmington to face charges.
The fourth participant, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested after officers raided a home in the 1000 block of Lombard St.
The two teens, along with Christopher Whittaker, 20, of the 300 block of Rolling Green, in New Castle, and Cory Clark, 20, also of the 1000 block of Lombard St., were charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during a felony, reckless endangering and conspiracy.
Labels: business robbery, DE, minor offender
2/10/08
Watts, California
From ABC7 of February 10, 2008
Teen robber shot by intended victim
A teenager robber was shot and killed in Watts Saturday morning.
According to a police spokesperson, 17-year-old Joe Beck was hiding behind a pole in the 1200 block of East 140th Street, waiting to hold-up his intended victim.
Moments after approaching the victim, who was in his vehicle, Beck produced a gun and demanded money.
The victim--also armed--produced a weapon and shot the suspect in the chest. Beck later died at an area hospital.
Police are still investigating details of the shooting.
The intended victim's name has not been released.
Labels: CA, minor offender, street robbery
Burien, Washington
From KOMO of February 7, 2008
Would-be teen burglars arrested in Burien
Four would-be teenage burglars had a bad day on Thursday.
First, the owner of the house they were burglarizing came home and chased them out of his house at gunpoint. Then two of the burglars were caught by police within minutes. Finally, the last two were caught after the area was flooded with King County sheriff's deputies, Burien officers and a police chopper.
The incident began when a man returned to his home in the 16400 block of Ambaum Boulevard South after walking his dog and found a burglar in his kitchen.
As the suspect ran for the front door, he was joined by his three other suspects coming from various areas of the house. The homeowner grabbed his handgun and gave chase.
A passer-by saw the fleeing suspects and pointed out the direction they fled to the homeowner and arriving deputies. Plain-clothes detectives coming into the area spotted two of the four and they were promptly arrested.
During the search for the remaining suspects, the Sheriff's Office received a call from a man in Mount Vernon who said his teenage son had just called him and breathlessly related: "The cops are looking for me ... and they've got a helicopter."
Finally, workers at a nearby townhouse spotted the last two suspects skulking along a fence line. Deputies converged and took them into custody without incident.
The suspects, ages 14, 14, 16, and 17, were from Burien, Mill Creek, and Seattle. All were booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of burglary.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, WA
2/9/08
Balen, New Mexico
From the Valencia County News Bulletin of February 9, 2008
Belen teen shot after alleged auto break in
A Belen teenager is recovering in an Albuquerque hospital after being shot early Friday morning while allegedly breaking into a vehicle.
Belen Police Detective Richard Perea said a 16-year-old Belen boy is in stable condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Perea said the teenager is suffering from wounds to the back of his right arm and leg.
"We got a report of an attempted burglary of a vehicle on La Luz at about midnight on Thursday," Perea said. "The homeowner heard something outside and looked out the window. She told the officers that she saw two individuals who ran off when they saw her looking out."
The detective said the homeowner's husband reported hearing something again at about 3:45 a.m. Perea said the man walked outside with a shotgun and discovered someone inside his Toyota pickup truck.
"He (the homeowner) walked outside and fired one shot at the direction of the suspect, who had fled once the man walked outside of his home," Perea said. "The suspect was hit on the back of his right arm and leg, by a shotgun with bird shot."
Perea said the teenager stumbled, but was able to make it to an awaiting car down the street and left. The homeowner, whose name has not been released, told police later that he wasn't sure if he hit anyone. The detective said that when police arrived, they couldn't find the suspect's vehicle or any evidence that someone had been shot.
It wasn't until a few hours later when an ambulance was called for a gunshot victim at a Belen home that police were able to make the connection, Perea said.
"The driver of the car that left after the attempted burglary, had taken (the suspect) home and then went home himself," Perea said. "A few hours later, (he) called his friend, who picked him up, and took him to his mother's house. She's the one who called 911."
Perea said the case is still under investigation and charges have not yet been filed against the two teenagers. As for the homeowner, the detective said he needs to complete the investigation and conduct a follow-up interview before submitting the case to the district attorney's office for review.
Labels: minor offender, NM, street property theft
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
1/2/08
Langeloth, Pennsylvania
From the Pittsburgh Channel of January 2, 2008
Charges Dropped Against Man Who Shot Would-Be Robber
A would-be victim who fought back during an attempted robbery at his East Third Street home in Langeloth, Washington County, is no longer charged with attempted homicide.
On Sept. 1, Eraldo Iannitelli, 48, was allegedly attacked outside his home by two teens wearing masks, carrying a baseball bat and BB gun.
Iannitelli said the two teens demanded money.
After being hit several times, Iannitelli said he reached into his car, grabbed a shotgun and fired once, hitting a 16-year-old in the back.
On Wednesday, all charges were dropped against Iannitelli.
Labels: minor offender, PA, street robbery
11/15/07
Cleburne, Texas
From the Cleburne Times-Review of November 15, 2007
Man shot Wednesday in scuffle over son
Seventeen-year-old charged with felony firearm possession
A 20-year-old Fort Worth man was shot in the chest Wednesday night while attempting to take his 15-month-old son from a residence in Burleson after a fight with another Fort Worth man, according the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Ashton Lamar Miles Brown, 17, is accused of shooting Damarcus King, who was transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital. Brown was arrested on a charge of a felon in possession of a firearm. Details on King’s condition were not available.
According to reports, King, the father of the child, had sent threatening messages to the mother. King said he would harm the mother and grandmother and then take the child from the East Renfro Street home.
Brown was inside the residence with the mother and child when King arrived at the home. When King entered the residence, a fight began between the two men. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, King is three years older, six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Brown.
During the fight, Brown fired a shot from a 9 mm handgun, which struck King in the chest. The shot entered and exited King’s chest cavity area.
Despite the wound, the fight continued while King and Brown stumbled over a love seat. King went out the front door and collapsed in the front yard, where he remained until paramedics arrived for treatment.
Both men have prior arrest records.
Although the case is under investigation, reports indicate that the new Castle Doctrine Law may apply. The law, also known as the Defense of Habitation Law, gives people the legal right to use deadly force when defending their residence from an illegal trespasser.
Labels: domestic dispute, home invasion, minor offender, TX
11/10/07
Miami, Florida
From the Miami Herald of November 10, 2007
Boy, 15, shot dead during burglary in North Miami
A 15-year-old boy died from a gunshot wound early Saturday morning after he and another suspect tried to burglarize a home in North Miami, police said.
The owner of the home, described as a business, apparently confronted the two burglary suspects after they were spotted on the property.
Details of the shooting were unclear, but police arrived to find the boy lying in front of the residence with a gunshot wound.
Police notified emergency rescue workers, who were unable to save the teen, according to a statement released by the North Miami Police Department.
The dead teen was identified as Paul-Marc Petit.
The other suspect, who was not identified by North Miami police, was apprehended and charged with felony murder, burglary and theft.
Labels: FL, minor offender, residence burglary
10/4/07
Dallas, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of October 4, 2007
2 robbers die when guard fights back
Two teens are dead following a botched robbery of a 20-year-old security guard who fought back early Thursday in southwest Dallas, police said.
The dead are Detavias Davis, 17, and Sergio Vann, 19, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.
The incident happened 12:30 a.m. outside a Family Dollar store on Redbird Lane, south of Dallas Executive Airport, formerly Red Bird Airport.
The guard, Dedrick Howard, was using a laptop computer in his vehicle when he was approached by three young men, said Sgt. Ray Beaudreault, a homicide detective.
They ordered him out of the vehicle, and one of the robbers, later identified as Vann, had a handgun, Beaudreault said.
But Howard grabbed an semiautomatic SKS carbine and opened fire, killing Vann, Beaudreault said.
Davis, Beaudreault added, tried to flee in white car, but Howard was worried the teen might also have a gun.
"So, fearing for his life, (Howard) fired again and struck the driver,'' Beaudreault said. "(Davis) drove off, but because of his injuries, he wrecked."
Davis was taken to the hospital from the crash scene on nearby U.S. 67, also called the Marvin D. Love Freeway, but he died later, Beaudreault said.
The third robber, age 17, ran from the parking lot to the wrecked car and he tried to retrieve some personal property from the white car, but police arrested him, Beaudrealt said.
The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Beaudreault said.
Howard was not arrested, and the case will be referred to a grand jury to determine if he acted within the law, Beaudreault said.
But, the detective added, Howard "was licensed and authorized to carry that weapon."
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, street robbery, TX
9/28/07
Jackson, Mississippi
From Jackson’s WAPT.com of September 28, 2007
Jackson Homeowner Shoots At Would-Be BurglarsFrom the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of September 29, 2007
Students at McLeod Elementary School were on lockdown Friday afternoon as police searched for two men involved in an attempted home invasion.
Homeowner Fredrico Hamblin said he saw a car in his neighborhood most of the morning, passing in front of his Riverwood Drive house several times.
The two men tried to get into his home through the garage, Hamblin said, so he opened fire, shooting five or six times.
Hamblin said he thinks he hit one of the men. A stray bullet hit a neighbor's car.
"I was just trying to get them away from my home. I shot five or six times. One of them dove over the car. I think that's when I shot him," he said.
Both men ran into a wooded area; police found one of the men about a half-hour later behind the Mississippi Basketball Association Complex.
Police used a helicopter and dogs to search for the other man, and nearby McLeod Elementary was put on lockdown.
A constable arrested another person believed to be the driver for the two men nearby.
Police said Hamblin will not face charges related to this shooting because he was protecting his home.
Gunshots deter break-insFrom the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of October 8, 2007
Jackson residents fend off invaders
There were similarities in two attempted burglaries in Jackson on Friday.
The residents of both homes were watching television when the alleged suspects were caught in the act. And in both cases, the suspects were fired on.
Around 7 p.m., Patricia Parker, 53, who lives in the back of the duplex at 420 Barksdale St., said she was watching Wheel of Fortune when she heard her boyfriend calling her name from outside.
"I opened the door and this dude was laying on the porch," she said. "Otis was over him with a knife. I said, 'Otis, let that man go on.' "
Instead, her boyfriend, whom Parker would identify as Otis, went back into the duplex to retrieve a pistol to further convince the man to leave. But as her boyfriend made his way back to the porch, the man slipped past him and into Parker's home.
Otis followed the man into a back bedroom and fired shots, she said, and he continued to shoot at the man as he ran away.
Precinct 2 police found the suspect running down President Street toward Baptist Medical Center. He was wounded at least once in the right leg.
Sgt. Eric Smith said the man may have been trying to break into the back of the home to steal an air-conditioning unit.
The man, whom police have not identified, was being treated at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Neither Parker nor her boyfriend was charged, but police did take the boyfriend in for questioning.
And about 1 p.m. Friday, Fredrico Hamblin was at home at 1715 Riverwood Drive in northeast Jackson, watching SportsCenter when he heard rustling in his garage.
"It was too obvious," he said of the attempt to burglarize his home. "They stuck out like a sore thumb."
He said he chased the burglars away, firing five or six shots at them. It was unknown Friday evening if he hit hit either of them.
Within moments of the attempted burglary, which coincided with Hamblin's 28th birthday, police had two men in custody and were searching nearby woods for a third.
"The homeowner did a good job," Jackson Police Cmdr. Ron Sampson said.
(Much More)
Man who shot at burglars arrested for gun possession
A Jackson man who shot at two teenagers trying to break into his home has been arrested by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Fredrico Hamblin was not charged for defending his property, but instead was charged as a felon being in possession of a gun, Jackson Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeffery Scott said.
Jackson police did not aid in the arrest Friday.
The details of Hamblin’s previous felony conviction was not known.
During Friday’s execution of the arrest warrant, Scott said a large sum of money and narcotics were seized at the home at 1715 Riverwood Drive.
Oji Khanyyan, 17, and Christopher Ross, 18, were arrested for attempted house burglary for trying to break into Hamblin’s home two weeks ago. Neither were injured.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, MS
9/11/07
Oakland Park, Florida
From the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel of September 11, 2007
Oakland Park store owner guns down robbery suspectFrom the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel of September 17, 2007
A Hurricane Katrina refugee who relocated his family and his urban clothing store here was involved in another traumatic event Monday night. He shot and killed a would-be armed robber, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Store owner George P. Azar, 25, of Sunrise, was not injured in the attempted hold-up at O.G.'s Corner Urban Ware, 2192 W. Oakland Park Blvd., said his wife, Dana Kennedy. Officials said it was too early to tell whether Azar, who opened the business in October 2005, would be charged in the death.
There were no customers inside the store when the shooting took place, and investigators were trying to find possible witnesses who were in the area when it happened, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Leljedal.
Officials did not immediately release the name of the person who was killed but did say that he apparently had walked into the store with a teenage boy, whom deputies were still searching for late Monday. The Sheriff's Office did not release a detailed description of that teenager, who they said also was armed.
Details of the shooting were still unclear late Monday.
Deputies responding to a silent holdup alarm at the business about 7:30 p.m. reached the store in the Buglewood Plaza to find one of the suspected robbers dead on the store floor, Leljedal said.
The Sheriff's Office brought its 40-foot mobile crime lab to the scene so that investigators could immediately begin collecting and analyzing forensic evidence. The SWAT team showed up to aid in the search for the teenage suspect, and K-9s sniffed around the shopping center for clues. Meanwhile, a Sheriff's Office helicopter, with its beaming search light, circled the area.
More than a dozen people who were doing laundry at the laundromat next door to O.G.'s were forced to stick around until investigators interviewed them, officials said.
If investigators determine that Azar acted in self-defense, the shooting Monday would become the fifth such case in the county this year.
Lauderdale man charged in alleged accomplice's death
Teen died holding up a clothing store, detectives say
The Broward Sheriff's Office said detectives have arrested the accomplice of a robbery suspect shot and killed last week by a store clerk at an Oakland Park clothing store.
Michael McNeal, 19, was taken into custody Sunday outside a church in the 200 block of SW 27 Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. McNeal, of Fort Lauderdale, faces several charges, including murder, robbery, burglary and carjacking. He remains in jail without bond.
Store clerk George Azar, 25, shot and killed McNeal's friend, Hung Nguyen, 17, after they entered the Corner Urban Wear store armed with handguns, detectives said. Detectives believe McNeal fled on foot after the shooting.
Azar was not injured in the incident and has not been charged. If investigators find that Azar shot Nguyen in self-defense, the shooting would become the fifth such death in the county this year.
Labels: business robbery, FL, minor offender
8/18/07
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
From the August 18, 2007 Pine Bluff Commercial:
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - The owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop shot dead a teenager he suspected to be a burglar, police said.From the Pine Bluff Commercial of September 13, 2007
Taron Hopkins, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene early Friday morning, said Chad Kelley, chief deputy coroner. Hopkins suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body.
Police Lt. Bob Rawlinson said the shooting happened at Chuck Smith's Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff. The store's owner, Chuck Smith, told police he shot the teenager with a .38-caliber revolver as the teen and others tried to break into the store.
Smith was in a small living area at the back of the business when he heard people breaking in, Rawlinson said. Smith told police he fired several shots toward the group.
Several of the people fled, and a tire iron was left behind, Rawlinson said.
"We're going to gather the facts and then present them to the prosecuting attorney to determine whether the shooting was justified or if charges are warranted in this case," Rawlinson said.
SHOOTING OF TEENAGER RULED JUSTIFIED BY PROSECUTOR
Jefferson County’s prosecutor ruled Wednesday that the death of a 15-year-old boy who was shot by the owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop was “justified under the law.”
Taron Hopkins was shot by Chuck Smith, the owner of Chuck Smith Pawn Shop at 3621 W. Sixth Ave., on Aug. 16 after Hopkins and two other juveniles tried to break into the business at approximately 11:30 p.m.
In a memo to Police Chief John Howell, 11th Judicial District West Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple said, “The physical evidence of the event was corroborated by the statements of the two youths that accompanied Taron Hopkins in the burglary of the building. Additionally, their two statements support the account of Chuck Smith.”
Smith told police he heard a noise at the back door of the building and, when he opened the back door, saw several individuals standing in front of him, including one holding what appeared to be a tire iron.
“The law is very clear on the use of deadly force,” Dalrymple said in the memo to Howell. “The use of a firearm by Smith was justifiable when faced by an intruder armed with a potential weapon, a tire iron.”
Hopkins was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:15 a.m. of an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body.
“The results are both tragic and deadly,” Dalrymple said. “Also clearly upsetting is the fact that three young teenagers were out and about in the late hours. Taron Hopkins was 15 years of age. It does not require a keen insight to recognize that such an act is an invitation to trouble.
“Both the evidence of the burglary and the statements of the accomplices of the deceased demonstrate that these actions were far beyond a mischievous act of a youth but rather were a planned criminal act,” Dalrymple said, adding that Smith’s actions “are not the subject of criminal prosecution.”
Wednesday afternoon, Dalrymple said he has received the complete case file in the death of Winston Walls Jr., 14, who reportedly kicked in the back door of a house in the Dollarway area on Aug. 23, and was shot by the homeowner, Jimmy Shaw, who had a handgun.
Dalrymple said he is reviewing that file before making a decision on whether the shooting was justified under state law.
Labels: AR, business burglary, minor offender
8/8/07
Santa Fe, Texas
From the Galveston County Daily News of August 8, 2007
Homeowner holds suspect at gunpoint
A man who found a burglar in his home Tuesday morning held the intruder at gunpoint until sheriff’s deputies arrived.
Just after 3 a.m., a woman reportedly heard noises in her house in the 1500 block of Cemetery Road, north of the city limits. She woke her husband, who walked toward the light someone had turned on in the house.
However, the homeowner did not venture out of the bedroom empty-handed.
“He grabbed his shotgun,” said Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo, sheriff’s office spokesman.
When the man found an intruder in his house, he pointed the weapon and waited.
Sheriff’s deputies received the 911 call of the break-in at 3:16 a.m. and arrived three minutes later.
Tuttoilmondo also said anyone facing a home break-in should exercise “the utmost caution” before engaging an intruder.
“People have an absolute right to defend their property and their loved ones, but we encourage people to call 911 the instant they discover their homes are being broken into and remain in a safe place,” he said.
Santa Fe resident Karel Christopher Phillips, 17, was in jail Tuesday, under $15,000 bond. He faces a charge of burglary of a habitation, which carries a possible prison term of two to 20 years, as well as a fine of up to $10,000.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, TX
8/6/07
Rialto, California
From the Riverside Press-Enterprise of August 5, 2007
Two die in gun battle outside Rialto club
Two people were killed and a third was critically wounded after an early morning gunbattle Sunday outside a Rialto nightclub, police said.
About 1:45 a.m., a crowd had gathered outside the El Patio Nightclub at 333 E. Foothill Blvd. when a confrontation broke out and a man pulled a handgun and opened fire, police said.
The man fatally shot Adrian Alvarado, 17, of Rialto, in the head and wounded Eduardo Marin, 25, in the torso before the club's armed security fatally shot the gunman, Rialto police Sgt. Tim Lane said Sunday.
Alvarado and Marin had been standing in the parking lot when they were hit by gunfire, police said. The club's private security then confronted the gunman, whose identity has not been released, and exchanged gunshots, police said.
The gunman at the scene and the private security guard, whose name was not released, was not injured, police said.
Alvarado and the suspect died at the scene, while Marin was taken to a local hospital where he was in critical condition on Sunday, Lane said.
Police interviewed and released the private security guard, and authorities will forward the case to the San Bernardino County district attorney's office for review, police said.
Labels: altercation, assault, CA, minor offender
7/31/07
Augusta, Georgia
From the Augusta Chronicle of July 31, 2007
Store owner shoots suspect, police say
The brother of a man charged this month in a nightclub shooting was shot Monday morning by an Augusta merchant who said he caught the teen burglarizing his store.
Derrell Lamar McNair, 14, the younger brother of Darion Antonio McNair, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and burglary, according to Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Brandon Beckman.
The older Mr. McNair has been charged with murder in a July 9 shooting at Club Super C's Lounge on Tobacco Road, and remains in jail.
Police said Raheim Michael Badger, the owner of the F.A.M.E. clothing store on Wrightsboro Road, told them he was spending the night in the store because of recent burglaries.
At about 4 a.m. Monday, he said, he awoke to a crash in the front of the business and saw a figure, later identified as Mr. McNair, stealing clothes.
The burglar fired a handgun at the owner, who returned fire, Investigator Beckman said.
Mr. McNair was later found at University Hospital, where he had been dropped off for treatment of a gunshot wound, Investigator Beckmam said.
Police said they believe 23-year-old Jordash Tanksley, who has outstanding warrants for aggravated assault and carjacking in connection with a shooting this year, also was involved in the burglary.
He, too, is wanted for questioning in the Super C's shooting that left 18-year-old Stedmund Fryer dead, Investigator Beckman said.
Mr. Tanksley's father, Clarence Tanksley, 46, of the 2400 block of Madrid Drive,is also wanted for questioning.
Labels: business burglary, GA, minor offender
7/23/07
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the July 21, 2007 Oklahoman:
Five accused in invasion tryFive people are accused of attempting a home invasion robbery Thursday morning that went awry when one of the alleged robbers was shot, police said.A resident of Almonte Apartments, 5901 S May Ave., in Oklahoma City was also shot during the break-in, which occurred about 5:30 a.m.
The wound suffered by the resident, Antwaine Williams, 19, was not life threatening, Sgt. Paco Balderrama said.
One of the alleged robbers is in critical condition following surgery for a gunshot wound at Integris Southwest Medical Center, police said.
According to Balderrama:
Police think Williams shot the accused robber, Darrell Gatewood, 18, but aren't sure who shot Williams.
Minutes after police responded to the shooting, Gatewood was dropped off at the hospital, wounded, with his girlfriend, Chrise Thomas, 23.
Thomas also is accused of participating in the home invasion.
Also arrested are Christopher Hill, 18, Samuel Carolina, 17, and Randale Whitemore, 18.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, OK
7/22/07
Anna, Texas
From the McKinney Courier-Gazette of July 22, 2007
Anna man catches boy breaking into truck
Robert Trammell, of Anna, said his son woke him up Thursday morning after he saw someone breaking into his truck.
“My son come running in here and hollered at me and said, ‘Daddy, get up, get up, someone just broke in the truck,’” Trammell said. “So I jump up and he said they took off running so I didn’t know if it was an adult or who it was, so I grab my shotgun and went to chase him.”
When they finally caught up to him, Robert said he realized the guy who broke into his car was just a 13-year-old boy.
“He said, ‘I’m only 13 years old, and I was like whoa, whoa, back up,” Robert said.
The vehicle burglary happened around 1:30 a.m. Thursday in the 3600 block of County Road 421 in Anna, according to Collin County briefing reports.
Lt. John Norton, of the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, said Robert’s 18-year-old son, Zach, first witnessed someone trying to break into his father’s 1996 Ford Ranger pickup.
Robert said he wasn’t sure who was out there, so he brought along a shotgun for protection.
“We come out and got in the car and went to chase after him,” Robert said. “At that time, we came running back around the corner and my son almost run into him with the car.”
Robert said he pointed the shotgun at him and ordered him to lie on the ground.
“He kept sticking his hand in his pocket, and I didn’t know if he had a gun or not,” Robert said. “I had the operator on the phone from 911 and she said do you feel like you’re in danger? And I said, to be honest with you ma’am, I don’t know what he keeps trying to put his hand on and she said by all means you could shoot him to defend yourself if you want to.”
The suspect eventually got on the ground, Robert said.
“Finally, he lied down on the ground and the last time he stuck his hand in his pocket, I put that shotgun on the back of his back and I told him, you need to lay still or I’m going to shoot you because they just informed me that I can if you keep sticking your hand in your pocket and I don’t know what you’ve got in there,” Robert said.
He kept talking to the suspect until police arrived. He said he was shocked when he learned the guy who tried to break into his truck was only 13 years old.
“I asked him if you’re 13 years old, what are you doing out at 2 in the morning?” Robert said. “He said my mom and dad are poor, so I’m out trying to get some money. I told him do you realize you almost just lost your life over a $40 radio from Wal-Mart?”
Norton said sheriff’s deputies took the unidentified boy to Medical Center of McKinney for injuries he sustained when he ran into the car door. He was treated and released and transported to Collin County Juvenile Detention Center, where he was being held Friday.
Labels: minor offender, street property theft, TX
7/13/07
Tampa, Florida
From MyFoxTampaBay.com of July 13, 2007
Clerk shoots robberFrom the TampaBays10.com of July 13, 2007
Police say a store employee has shot a robber on East Lake Avenue.
It happened around 3 p.m. at the Yasmin Food Mart. That's at the intersection with Potter Street.
Detectives say 17-year-old Xavier Pierre Whitehead came into the store with a gun and was wearing a Spiderman mask.
"He demanded money, told them to open the till and get all the money out and that's when the struggle started, and the struggle over the gun and the shot was fired," said Tampa police spokesperson Andrea Davis.
Whitehead was taken to Tampa General Hospital. There's no word yet on his condition.
Masked robber is shot during Tampa hold-up
There was a hold up and a shooting at a Tampa convenience store Friday afternoon.
Police say a teenager wearing a Spider-Man mask walked into the Yasmin Food Mart, located at 2409 E. Lake Avenue, north of I-4 and east of I-275, and demanded cash.
The owner decided to fight back and struggled with the teen over the gun. A second employee joined the struggle. As the three wrestled for the weapon, it fired, striking the suspect in the upper body.
The robber was rushed to Tampa General Hospital as a trauma alert. He was identified as Xavier Pierre Whitehead, 17, of 2619 E 26th Ave., Tampa. Police say he was a regular at the store.
Officers are reviewing surveillance tape of the robbery.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, FL, minor offender
7/3/07
Jay, Oklahoma
From the Joplin (MO) Globe of July 3, 2007
Authorities: Teen, fatally shot in home burglary, identifiedFrom the Miami News-Record of November 2, 2007
Authorities on Monday identified a Delaware County teenager who they said was fatally shot after he allegedly broke into a home early Sunday in Colcord.
Sheriff Jay Blackfox identified the victim as David Gudde, 17, of Colcord. He was pronounced dead at the scene about 4 a.m. Sunday.
Jack Doughty, 62, of Colcord, told investigators that Gudde and another man, who has not been identified, were in his house and were opening a door to a room when he shot in the direction of the door with a revolver, said Jessica Brown, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman.
Doughty said he was trying to scare them, Brown said.
The pair ran out the door, and Doughty followed behind, firing two shots in the air to alert neighbors that there were problems, Brown said.
Brown said Doughty also sold fireworks from his home.
When authorities arrived, they found Gudde on the ground, Brown said.
The shooting remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed, she said.
Man cleared in shooting
Oklahoma's “Make My Day” law was the deciding factor in the fate of a Colcord man who fatally shot a 17-year-old this summer, according to District Attorney Eddie Wyant.
Jack Doughty, 62, stood accused of shooting David Gudde in the early morning hours of July 1.
According to police reports, Doughty operated a fireworks stand out of his Delaware County home in June and early July. Doughty told authorities that he was awakened around 4 a.m. on July 1, by what he believed to be intruders.
Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle.
Doughty told investigators that he chased the intruders as they ran outside, firing two more shots to “alert neighbors”.
When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Gudde lying on the ground outside Doughty's home.
An Oklahoma law passed in 1988, protects residents from being prosecuted for using deadly force against suspected threats to themselves in their homes and on their properties.
After investigating the incident, Wyant said he will not file charges against Doughty because is actions were in accordance to the “Make My Day” law.
“With the number of residential burglaries, I am really surprised more people don't get shot for breaking into people's houses with this law on the book,” Wyant said. “I hope people realize the risk they put themselves into when they unlawfully enter someone's house.”
Stick was charged July 30, with first-degree burglary and is currently in Delaware County Jail on a $20,000 bond.
Last year, legislators passed a law in accordance with the “Make My Day” law. The “Stand My Ground” law protects people from prosecution if they use deadly force in other locations, such as their vehicle, when they reasonably feel their life is in danger.
Labels: minor offender, OK, residence burglary
6/10/07
Fort Myers, Florida
From Fort Myers’ ABC-7.com of June 10, 2007
Supermarket gunfight ends with one deadFrom the Fort Myers News-Press of June 11, 2007
Fort Myers police officers say two men were shot by a business manager after they allegedly tried to rob the Discount Supermarket located at 2130 Ford Street.
Officials say when the two alleged robbers entered the store just before 12:30 p.m., one of them had a sawed off shotgun and the other had a handgun. They say one of the men started shooting at the manager – but the manager returned fire.
The manager shot one of the suspects in the head and one of them in the chest, according to police. They say the man shot in the head was already dead when they arrived at the scene.
"They fired one shot in the store. The store manager returned fire and shot one person in the head. He died immediately at the scene," said Shelly Flynn of the Fort Myers Police Department.
About 30 minutes after the shooting took place, police received word that a person with a gunshot wound to the chest was being transported from Lehigh Regional Medical Center to Lee Memorial Hospital.
Police say they believe that gunshot victim may be the second alleged robber. But they are still waiting to talk to him.
Store manager fights back
Teen robber killed, boy, 14, wounded
The Neighborhood Discount Supermarket is a mom-and-pop shop that’s served its Fort Myers community for years.
Customers drop by for a pack of cigarettes, a gallon of milk or a bag of chips.
“They’re real, real good people,” Bob Ward, 55, said of the owners, David R. and Nancy Hutto, and the people who help them run the store.
The store manager had the right to defend himself when two masked, gun-toting teenagers tried to rob him Sunday, Ward and others said.
One suspect, 16-year-old Damione Massey, of 5047 Centennial Blvd. in Lehigh Acres, was shot in the head and died, face down, in front of the counter.
The second suspect, 14-year-old Devon Gallagher, also of 5047 Centennial Blvd., fled, wounded.
It was not known whether the two suspects were related.
The pair had a sawed-off shotgun and a handgun when they entered the store at 2130 Ford St. shortly before 12:24 p.m. and shot at the manager, said Fort Myers police Detective Sgt. Bill Musante.
The manager fired back with a pistol, police said.
The manager, whose name wasn’t released, wasn’t hurt, police said.
(Much More)
Labels: business robbery, FL, minor offender
5/27/07
Jackson, Mississippi
From Jackson’s WJTV.com of May 27, 2007
One Dead, One Injured, Two on the Run After Convenience Store RobberyFrom the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of May 27, 2007
It happened just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning at the Super Seven gas station located at 4564 Bullard Street. According to police, the four suspects entered the store. Two were carrying shotguns and the other two were carrying pistols. Two of the suspects began tussling with the clerk. Eventually, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and began shooting at the suspects. 17-year-old Deonta Thomas was shot in the chest. He died on the scene. 16-year-old Ryaneal Campbell was shot in the leg. He is recovering at U.M.C. and will eventually be charged with armed robbery. The store clerk does not face any charges. The other two suspects fled the scene on foot. They were wearing masks to partially conceal their faces.
Store clerk kills teen, wounds another in Jackson robbery
One suspected robber was killed and another wounded during a robbery of a store early this morning, according to a Jackson Police Department news release.
Four men entered the store at 4564 Bullard St. about 1:15 a.m. Two of the suspects were carrying pistols and two were carrying shotguns. There were two clerks and no customers in the store at the time.
A tussle occurred between one of the clerks and two of the suspects. The clerk was able to take one of the pistols away from a robber and the suspects tried to flee.
One of the clerks then produced a large-caliber handgun of his own and opened fire, hitting two of the suspects, the release said.
Deonta Thomas, 17, of Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. The second wounded suspect was identified as Ryaneal Campbell, 16, of Jackson, who suffered a gunshot wound to his right leg.
The other two suspects left running on foot and are still at large.
Campbell was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He will be arrested on suspicion of armed robbery of a business when he gets released, according to JPD.
No charges are being brought against the store clerks, the release said.
Money taken in the robbery was recovered at the scene. There is security video of the incident but it has not been made public.
Labels: business robbery, criminal's gun taken away and used against him, minor offender, MS
5/23/07
Fayetteville, North Carolina
From WRAL of May 23, 2007
Homeowner Shoots Suspect in Fayetteville Home Invasion
Authorities are investigating the death of a man after a homeowner shot him after an alleged home invasion.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Fayetteville police officers responded to an unit at the Lake Shore Grand Luxury Apartments at 5508 Faith Drive in reference to a home invasion.
Investigators said three men entered the residence armed with a weapon while the occupant was home. Police said the homeowner heard the men enter the residence, armed himself and fired, shooting one of them.
Police said all three men fled the scene and drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where the wounded suspect died as a result of his injuries.
Detectives have the other two suspects in custody. Authorities have not yet released the names of the people involved.
From the Fayetteville Observer of May 24, 2007
Soldier kills home intruder
A Fort Bragg soldier shot a 16-year-old intruder to death in his apartment early Wednesday, stopping an apparent home invasion.
Buchkechio Geddie died at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Police said three accomplices took him to the hospital.
Geddie and the three others were planning a robbery at a unit in the Lakeshore Grande apartments, police said. The complex is off Campground Road, not far from Cross Creek Mall.
According to court documents, the four — Geddie, Michael Fripp, Torrian Knowles and Kwuamae Keaton — were at the apartment complex shortly after 5 a.m.
Keaton, 17, reportedly stayed in the car while Fripp, 22, stood at the side of the building. They were acting as lookouts, police said.
Geddie and Knowles, 18, went behind the apartment, court records said. Geddie kicked open the back door and went in.
The occupants of the apartment — soldier Brooks Boone and his wife — were awakened by the noise, records said. Boone reportedly grabbed a gun from a nightstand beside the bed and fired several shots. Geddie was hit in the chest.
The three who took him to the hospital have been charged with first-degree burglary and conspiracy.
(More)
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, NC
5/15/07
Oakland, California
From the San Francisco Chronicle of May 15, 2007
Teen robbery suspect killed by E. Oakland liquor-store clerk
An East Oakland liquor-store clerk fired the fatal shots that killed a 17-year-old robbery suspect, whose accomplice has now been charged in his slaying, authorities said today.Tommy Ray Spencer Jr., 17, of Sacramento was shot and killed at about 10 p.m. Friday by the clerk at the Oak Tree Market at 1601 28th Ave. Spencer is the second would-be robber in the past month to die at the hands of an Oakland store employee or owner acting in self-defense, authorities said.
Spencer and Juan Antonio Gonzalez, 23, also of Sacramento, went inside the market with the intent to rob the employees, said Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers.
After accosting the store clerk, Spencer fired two shots from a weapon, prompting the clerk to produce a gun of his own and fire at least one shot, Rogers said.
Spencer was killed, and Gonzalez fled, police said. The clerk, whose name wasn't released, won't face criminal charges because he acted in self-defense, Rogers said.
The investigation led Oakland police on Sunday to Sacramento, where Gonzalez fired shots at Officer Jason Lancaster -- narrowly missing his head -- before escaping, Rogers said. Gonzalez was arrested without incident on Monday after police tracked him down at a Sacramento motel.
Gonzalez was charged today with murder along with the special circumstance that the killing happened in the course of a robbery, making him eligible for the death penalty. Under California's "provocative act"' rule, murder charges can be brought on a codefendant if a crime leads to a homicide.
Gonzalez was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon for shooting at the Oakland officer and two counts of being an ex-felon in possession of a weapon. Gonzalez has a previous conviction for receiving stolen property, authorities said. He is also being held on probation violations.
Labels: business robbery, CA, minor offender
5/9/07
Benton Harbor, Michigan
From the South Bend (IN) Tribune of May 9, 2007
No charges in teen's shooting death in Benton Harbor
While the man who fatally shot a Benton Harbor teen during an attempted break-in will face no charges in the death, authorities say they will pursue a misdemeanor weapons charge against him.
On the morning of March 26, Jammie Parker, 31, was at his girlfriend's home in the 200 block of Hastings Avenue when Corey Napier Jr., 18, and three others reportedly attempted to enter the home, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office said.
After a review of the police investigation and physical evidence at the scene, Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter said in a written statement that "it is abundantly clear" that Napier was shot "while he was in the process of breaking into the residence."
Cotter noted in the release that Michigan law was amended last year to allow self-defense when an individual in such circumstances has "an honest and reasonable belief that there was an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm."
Parker reportedly told authorities that he went into a bedroom and saw the drawn shade of an open window moving as someone attempted to climb in, the release said. Parker said he shot three times at the window with a .40 caliber pistol and then ran outside and fired into the air to scare the remaining teens away.
In police interviews, two of the three youths involved in the attempt admitted they had gone to the home to steal money and marijuana they believed was inside, the release said.
Cotter said he found insufficient evidence that Parker shot at a fleeing youth, and noted that an uninvolved witness saw Parker fire the weapon into the air.
Because the gun was not registered, Parker will be charged with failing to register a firearm, a 90-day misdemeanor.
Two of the youths with Napier face charges stemming from the break-in attempt. Maurice Ray, 17, faces charges of conspiracy to commit a home invasion second degree, a 15-year felony, and attempted home invasion second degree. Another youth is being petitioned in juvenile court on similar charges, and Cotter's office has asked that he be waived to adult court for trial. The investigation into possible charges against the fourth youth is still under way.
A 16-year-old who lives at the home where the shooting occurred is being charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver after police reportedly found about 90 grams of the drug in his bedroom, the release said. He is a classmate of the youths who broke into his home. Cotter's office is petitioning to have his case moved to adult court, as well.
Labels: MI, minor offender, residence burglary
4/23/07
Cleveland, Ohio
From the The Plain Dealer of April 23, 2007
Robber, 15, fatally shot by would-be victim
A 25-year-old Cleveland man shot and killed Arthur C. Buford, 15, after the boy tried to rob him, police said. Buford was shot in the chest at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, according to Cleveland police spokesman Thomas Stacho.
Buford and an accomplice reportedly robbed a man at gunpoint on the porch of his house near East 134th Street and Kinsman Road. Stacho said the robbery victim had just walked home from a nearby store. Stacho said the robbery victim, whose name was withheld, told police he pulled his own gun and shot the teenager, who staggered away and collapsed in the street. The accomplice banged on neighbors' doors for help before fleeing, Stacho said.
From the Wilmington News-Journal of April 25, 2007
Man carrying concealed gun fatally shoots robbery suspect
A man pulled a gun from a shoulder holster and shot a teenage robbery suspect in one of the first fatal shootings in the state involving a concealed carry permit holder, police said.
Damon Wells, 25, was walking from a neighborhood store back to his east side home Saturday night when two youths confronted him. 'One pulled a gun and told him, 'Don't move or I'll pop you,' said police Lt. Thomas Stacho. 'He said he thought he was going to die.'
Wells put his hands up and walked to his front porch, then pulled his gun and shot 15-year-old Arthur Buford several times in the chest, Stacho said. Buford stumbled away and collapsed on a sidewalk where he died. The other suspect fled.
Police released Wells on Monday without filing charges, but city prosecutors will continue to investigate the case, Stacho said. Police were holding Wells' .40-caliber Smith and Wesson as evidence.
Wells has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for comment.
Stacho did not know of any other fatal shootings in Cleveland involving a person with a permit to carry a concealed gun.
More
From Newsnet5 of April 27, 2007
NAACP Leader Calls Homicide Among Young Black Men Epidemic
The Cleveland NAACP responded Friday to criticism surrounding the shooting death of a teenage boy during a robbery.
NAACP President George Forbes and Cleveland Councilman Zach Reed said the black community failed 15-year-old Arthur Buford, NewsChannel5 reported.
They said Buford was wrong for allegedly trying to rob Damon Wells at gunpoint on Saturday.
Wells opened fire and killed Buford at East 134th Street and Kinsman. Police said Wells had a valid weapons permit and used the gun in self-defense.
"Then you have a 26-year-old young man who had every right to protect his life, protect his fiance and protect his property. But he has to life with the fact that for the rest of his lie he shot a 15-year-old boy," said Reed.
"That man had a right to do what he did. If he didn't do it, we'd be sitting here today mourning him rather than the 15-year-old," said Forbes.
They pointed out that homicide is the leading cause of death for black men 15 to 24.
Forbes said that if we saw those kind of numbers for an illness, the community would be outraged.
He said the community should also treat this as an epidemic.
Labels: concealed carry permit, minor offender, OH, residence robbery
4/7/07
Jefferson, Oregon
From Portland’s KOIN.com of April 7, 2007
Juvenile Shot During Alleged Break-InFrom the Salem Statesman Journal of April 8, 2007
A 16-year-old Jefferson boy is recovering from a gunshot wound after he was found in another man's home.
Just before 3:30 a.m., deputies were called to a home on High Street on reports of a robbery and shots fired.
Michael Vogler, 59, told the police that he had confronted a male in his house with a gun. At some point the male suspect assaulted Vogler and tried to get the gun away from him. During that struggle, one shot was fired. The juvenile ran into the garage of the home, dove head-first through a window and ran from the area on foot. Vogler had minor injuries to his head and neck as a result of the assault.
At about 6 a.m., Albany Hospital staff contacted the sheriff's office to report that the juvenile had come to the emergency room with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and a cut on his elbow.
The juvenile was treated and released to his parents to recover from his injuries. The investigation is continuing and criminal charges for the juvenile will be forthcoming. The extent of those charges has yet to be determined.
Home intruder flees after being shotFrom the Salem Stateman Journal of April 11, 2007
16-year-old found at Albany hospital seeking treatment
The shooting occurred just before 3:30 a.m. when deputies were called to 470 High St. in Jefferson on a report of a robbery in which a gun was fired, Rau said.
The homeowner, Michael Vogler, 59, told deputies that he had confronted a male intruder in his house, Rau said. Vogler fired one shot during a struggle in which the intruder tried to get Vogler's gun.
After the shot was fired, the intruder ran into the garage of the home, dove head-first through a window and ran from the area, Rau said. Vogler suffered minor injuries to his head and neck during the struggle.
Vogler's wife, Trudy, was home at the time of the shooting but was not involved, Rau said.
About 6 a.m. Albany hospital staff contacted sheriff's officials to report that a juvenile had come to the emergency room with a gunshot wound and a laceration on his elbow.
This is not the first time that a homeowner has shot a teenage intruder in Marion County. Linn Stordahl of South Salem shot and killed Anthony Chance Choate, 16, in April 2003 when he found the Aumsville boy starting a fire in his garage. Choate, a suspected burglar, died from a gunshot wound to the neck.
A Marion County grand jury cleared Stordahl in the shooting.
Man recounts shooting teen intruder
Police identify male who tried to rob Jefferson home
Authorities have identified the suspect in a Saturday home invasion in Jefferson.
A homeowner shot a 16-year-old intruder early Saturday during a struggle inside the man's house, Marion County Sheriff's Sgt. David Cornforth said.
The Sheriff's Office has identified the youth, age 16, but the Statesman Journal is withholding his identity until he is indicted.
The youth is being held at Marion County's juvenile detention center on charges of first degree robbery, first degree criminal mischief, first degree burglary, second degree assault and third degree theft, Cornforth said.
It is the policy of the newspaper not to name juveniles who are arrested, even for so-called Measure 11 crimes, until they are indicted. Under Measure 11, youths younger than 18 will be treated as adults if indicted for certain crimes. First-degree burglary and robbery are two such crimes.
The suspect fled from the house after the shooting. He was located at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, where he sought treatment for a gunshot wound to his abdomen, Deputy Kevin Rau said. The suspect was taken into custody after receiving treatment.
The shooting occurred just before 3:30 a.m. when deputies were called to 470 High St. in Jefferson on a report of a robbery in which a gun was fired, Rau said.
The homeowner, Michael Vogler, 59, said his wife woke him up and told him someone was in the house. Vogler said he took his 0.357-caliber Magnum from a locked cabinet and moved quietly through the dark house.
"Being in a dark house, and you know somebody's there -- talk about being scared," Vogler said Sunday.
He said he heard noise in the laundry room between the kitchen and the garage, and crept toward the sound. Vogler said he kicked the laundry room door open and saw a shadowy figure charge him. He fired one shot during a struggle with the intruder.
"That was the first time I fired that gun in 25 years," he said.
The last time he shot the gun, he had been testing it after buying it.
After the shot was fired, the intruder ran into the garage of the home, dove head-first through a window and ran from the area, Rau said.
Vogler suffered minor injuries to his head and neck during the struggle.
About 6 a.m. Albany hospital staff contacted sheriff's officials to report that a juvenile had come to the emergency room with a gunshot wound and a laceration on his elbow.
Vogler said the incident cast a pall on his family's Easter celebration the next day. He also said he hadn't realized the intruder was so young.
"I don't feel good about it, but I didn't know if he was 11 or 90," Vogler said. "It was just a person in the shadow in the dark, and I was just trying to keep my composure and protect myself and my wife."
Labels: assault, intruder, minor offender, OR
3/2/07
Asheville, North Carolina
From the March 2, 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times:
ASHEVILLE — An attempted robbery turned into an exchange of gunfire Wednesday night, police said, ending with the would-be robber dead and the victim wounded.
Ahmad Qushawn Shivers, 17, was wanted in another shooting in August and on four other charges. Police believe he started the shooting that broke out in front of an Erskine Street apartment building that led to his death.
Frederick Martin, 20, was shot in the arm, an injury that police said wasn’t life-threatening.
No charges had been filed Thursday morning.
Labels: minor offender, NC, residence robbery
2/21/07
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the February 20, 2007 Oklahoman:
Three men remained jailed Tuesday after an Oklahoma City pawn shop owner shot and wounded two of them Monday as they demanded money from his employees at gunpoint.UPDATE: No date (but apparently early April 2007) KTEN channel 10:
The robbery attempt was at about 6 p.m., and was captured on a surveillance camera inside Joe's Pawn and Bargain Center, 1825 NE 23.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery. They are: Robert Jamel Pennington, 17, , shot in the shoulder; Kentrell Smith, 16, shot in the left elbow and left thigh, and Garrick Lee Thomas, 17, who was not shot, police said.
Pennington and Smith were treated for gunshot wounds at an Oklahoma City hospital.
Mike Wilbanks owns the pawn shop. He said he was in an office when he was alerted the robbery was unfolding. His office looks out on the sales floor through a one-way mirror; people on the store side see their own reflection, but he can see them through the glass.
Wilbanks didn't notice the robbers at first. It wasn't until an employee came bursting into the office, white-faced and breathless, that he learned what was happening.
He pulled a 9 mm Sig Sauer semi-automatic out of his desk drawer and peered through the glass. He could see his employee, Daniel Ray, standing on the far side of the counter with a gun to his head. He could see another employee pawing money out of the register. And he could see the gunman.
"I got him in my sights,” said Wilbanks, 39, "but I didn't want to endanger anyone else. At some point, he started waving the gun around at other employees, telling them to give him the cash, and my manager backed way, way up, completely out of my line of fire. As soon as that happened, I had a clean shot on him, and I just started pulling the trigger.”
Wilbanks' gun was loaded with special safety rounds designed to prevent stray bullets from penetrating walls or other hard surfaces and accidentally striking innocent victims. Wilbanks pulled the trigger four times, shattering the mirror and apparently striking the gunman, then fired four more times as the robbers fled.
Pawnshop owner won't face charges
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OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma County prosecutors decline to charge two men who shot at three would-be robbers at an Oklahoma City pawn shop.
Joe's Pawn and Bargain Center owner Michael Paul Wilbanks and employee Patrick Joseph Diorio fired about a dozen shots at three teenagers who tried to rob the store February 19th.
According to police, a robber had aimed a gun at another employee's head.
Two of the teens were injured and now all three face charges of robbery with a firearm.
Prosecutors reviewed police reports about the shooting and declined to file charges against Wilbanks or Diorio, calling their actions justified.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, OK
1/8/07
Clearwater, Florida
From TampaBays10.com of January 8, 2007
Burglar, 16, shot during burglary
A 16-year-old Clearwater youth was shot at least once after he broke into a north Clearwater home Sunday night. The teen - whose identity has not yet been established, was shot by a man who lives in the house which was being burglarized.
According to Clearwater Police Department Criminal Investigations Detectives, the juvenile and another burglar forced their way into a home at 1186 Palmetto Street at 9:30 Sunday night, and one of the burglars fired at least two shots inside the house, hitting no one.
But a resident of the home, 35-year-old Robert Cason, retrieved a handgun from inside the residence and returned fire.
The two burglars ran from the home, and a short time later, Clearwater Police Patrol Officers found a 16-year-old in the area, wounded in the abdomen.
The youth was treated at the scene by Clearwater Fire Department paramedics before being flown to Bayfront Medical Center Hospital's trauma center. His injuries are said to not be life-threatening.
Police are searching for the second burglar; the investigation continues.
Labels: FL, minor offender, residence burglary
12/28/06
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From the December 23, 2006 Oklahoman:
A suspected robber was shot and killed Friday by a resident during a break-in at a northwest Oklahoma City apartment, police said. The suspect, Robert Antonio Freeman, 20, died at the scene.
Shortly after midnight, police received a call from an apartment in the 12800 block of Stratford Drive, Capt. Steve McCool said.
People inside the apartment told police two men, identified by police as Freeman and his brother, Michael Montreal Freeman, 17, entered the unit and attempted the robbery, police said. An occupant fired, striking and killing Robert Freeman, McCool said.
It is not know whether Robert Freeman fired before he was shot, police said. Investigators still were determining Friday who shot Freeman.
Michael Freeman drove away and was captured by police a short time later in the 2100 block of NW 18, police said.
Michael Freeman was booked into the Oklahoma County jail on several complaints, including robbery with a firearm.
Labels: home invasion, minor offender, OK, residence robbery
12/24/06
Fayetteville, North Carolina
From the Fayetteville Observer of December 23, 2006
Clerk foils robbery; 1 suspect is shot
Three teenagers are charged with trying to rob a Clinton Road food store Saturday afternoon.
One of the teens was wounded when a clerk at Draughon Food Store shot him.
Mark Maurice Tarver, 17, Aaron Marquis Carmichael, 18, and Lamyer Campbell, 18, are charged with attempted armed robbery and conspiring to rob the store at 1711 Clinton Road, arrest warrants say.
This is what happened, based on arrest warrants:
Clerk Tony Draughon and two other men were in the store when Tarver and Carmichael, wearing red bandanas over their faces, walked in.
Tarver walked to the register, pointed a silver handgun at Draughon and demanded money.
Carmichael stood by the door and acted as a lookout.
While Draughon was opening the cash register, he reached for a gun under the counter and began shooting.
Tarver and Carmichael ran but not before Tarver was shot in the hip.
Drove to hospital
The two ran back to a car parked on Cardinal Circle, where Campbell was waiting for them, and they drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Police arrested them at the hospital.
Tarver was treated and released. He was wearing blue hospital pajamas as he was being processed at the county magistrate’s office Saturday night.
A blood stain was visible on the right side of the long shirt.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, NC
12/23/06
Port Arthur, Texas
From the December 21, 2006 Houston Chronicle:
PORT ARTHUR — In the middle of Joshua Bush's forehead, two inches above his eyes, lies the evidence that prosecutors say could send the teenager to prison for attempted murder: a 9 mm bullet, lodged just under the skin.
Prosecutors say it will prove that Bush, 17, tried to kill the owner of a used-car lot after a robbery in July. And they have obtained a search warrant to extract the slug.
But Bush and his lawyer are fighting the removal, in a legal and medical oddity that raises questions about patient privacy and how far the government can go to solve crimes without running afoul of the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
"It's unfortunate this arguably important piece of evidence is in a place where it can't be easily retrieved," said Seth Chandler, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center. "You have to balance our desire to convict the guilty against the government not poking around our bodies on a supposition."
Investigators say that Bush was part of a group of gang members who broke into a used car lot and tried to steal vehicles. According to police, Bush tried to shoot businessman Alan Olive, and when Olive returned fire, a bullet struck the teenager and burrowed into the soft, fatty tissue of his forehead.
Prosecutor Ramon Rodriguez said gang members who took part in the robbery identified Bush as one of those involved. When he was questioned about a week later, Bush admitted taking part in the robbery but not the shooting, police said.
"The officers noticed the guy looks like hell. One of his eyes is black and he has a big old knot on his forehead," Rodriguez said. "He tells police he got hurt playing basketball."
A few days later, Bush went to the hospital and told doctors he had been hit by a stray bullet as he sat on a couch in an apartment.
"Officers started putting events together," Rodriguez said.
A judge took the unusual step of issuing a search warrant to retrieve the bullet from Bush's head in October. But a Beaumont doctor determined that small pieces of bone were growing around the slug, and he did not have the proper tools in the emergency room to do it. The doctor said that removal would require surgery under general anesthesia and that no operating rooms were available.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, TX
12/3/06
Zion, Illinois
From the Chicago Tribune of December 2, 2006
Cops: Zion woman killed armed home invaderFrom the Chicago Sun-Times of December 7, 2006
A woman shot and killed a rifle-toting teenager who burst into her home late Friday night in Zion, police said.
The intruder was identified as Gerrell N. Davis, 16, of Zion, Police Chief Doug Malcolm said Saturday.
Clad in a black ski mask and gloves, Davis forced open the back door of a home in the 1700 block of Jethro Avenue, Malcolm said. This was shortly after the couple in the house heard a knock at the front door and asked who was there but didn't open the door.
The 55-year-old wife heard the doorjamb shatter, grabbed a 9 mm handgun from her bedroom and ran to the kitchen, Malcolm said.
She fired twice and both rounds struck Davis, who was found by police on the kitchen floor still wearing the mask, Malcolm said.
"It's a terrible situation when it involves kids like this, but these were two middle-aged people sitting in their house and someone came in with a loaded rifle," Malcolm said.
"With all the information we have right now, we don't anticipate any charges," he said.
Davis was on juvenile probation for a 2005 aggravated battery charge involving a weapon, Malcolm said.
Family threatened after killing young intruder
Police have arrested a 16-year-old youth in connection with a fatal home invasion in far north suburban Zion last Friday.
The juvenile expected to be charged in the case is being held at the Depke Juvenile Detention Center in Vernon Hills, Police Chief Doug Malcolm said Wednesday.
He would not discuss if the teen was an alleged accomplice of Gerrell Davis, who was shot and killed as he entered the home of Sharif and Saffiyya Darr in an attempt to steal shoes from the couple's eBay business.
Davis, also 16, had his face covered with a ski mask and brandished a .22-caliber rifle when he entered the Darrs' home.
Malcolm said police are continuing to investigate the case after the couple and their relatives were subjected to death threats online and through the telephone.
Hasan Hakeem, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, believes the community has been brought together during this situation.
"The police have been very supportive of the Darr family, and the community has reached out to them," Malcolm said.
CeaseFire, a violence prevention program overseen by Waukegan Township, has also been working to stop any retaliation against the couple.
Labels: home invasion, IL, minor offender
9/4/06
Kansas City, Missouri
From Kansas City’s KSHB.com of September 4, 2006
Clerk fires back at armed robbers
An alert store clerk fires back after four people hold up a metro clothing store in Kansas City.
Police said three juveniles and an adult walked into Big G's Clothing Store at 2620 Truman Road around 6 p.m. Saturday.
One of the juvenile suspects was reportedly armed with a silver revolver. He fired several shots and ordered everyone to get down on the floor, witnesses say.
The other three suspects stole several pairs of shoes.
Police said the juvenile suspect then fired about five shots at the owner as he ducked under a counter.
A store worker is said to have grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun, ran outside, and fired several shots at the suspects as they were leaving in a red Ford van.
Police later spotted the suspect vehicle on Interstate 70 and arrested six people: three juveniles and three adults.
They said the adults confessed to the crimes.
Sunday, prosecutors charged Leartis Grigsby, 19, Remus Grigsby, 17, and Romulis Grigsby, also 17, with robbery and armed criminal action.
Authorities said charges are pending for the juveniles as well.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, MO
8/19/06
Chicago, Illinois
From the August 19, 2006 Daily Southtown:
Detectives are searching for a teenage gunman after a botched robbery left his accomplice dead and a third man fighting for his life in hospital.UPDATE from the August 22, 2006 Daily Southtown:
Hazel Crest police found Javosky Holmes, 16, collapsed and bleeding in a field in the 17300 block of Mahoney Parkway on Thursday afternoon.
Police said Holmes and a second teen's attempt to rob Brian Katlik at gunpoint at his home in the same block went bad when Katlik produced a 9 mm handgun and returned fire.
Holmes, of 2815 Lexington Drive, Hazel Crest, was pronounced dead at St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields. A gunshot wound to his abdomen caused his death, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Katlik was in stable condition Friday at South Suburban Hospital, recovering from gunshot wounds. The second robber, who has not been named, is still at large, police said.
On Friday, Holmes' mother, Quying Holmes, said her son had "fallen in with a bad group of boys." He was enrolled at Country Club Hills Tech and Trade Center at the time of his death, she said.
"He was a cool kid, and he always wanted to be a doctor, but he had mental health issues and ended up in a shootout with some other boys," his mother said. "I don't know if the other kids were using him or why he got involved or what happened. It isn't clear yet. Everyone here (at the family home) is just broken up over what has happened."
She said she did not think her son knew Katlik.
An accused teenage robber faces a murder charge after his teenage uncle was shot and killed last week by the pair's intended victim.
Jacob Grant, 18, of the 5900 block of South Justice Street, Chicago, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting Thursday of his 16-year-old uncle, Javosky Holmes, in Hazel Crest.
Holmes, Grant and a 14-year-old boy planned to rob Brian Katlik as he sat in his car in the 17300 block of Mahoney Parkway, according to Cmdr. John Palcu, of the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.
He said Holmes shot and wounded Katlik, who returned fire and hit Holmes in the abdomen. Holmes staggered across a field and collapsed in a creek while Katlik ran in the opposite direction and flagged down a passer-by who took him to a hospital, Palcu said.
Holmes, of 2815 Lexington Drive, Hazel Crest, was pronounced dead at St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields soon after, but Katlik survived. He's in stable condition at St. James.
Grant was apprehended Saturday after evading arrest for more than 48 hours, Palcu said.
"Grant has been charged with the homicide because he was involved in the commission of the crime and went with Holmes," Palcu said Monday.
Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office, said Grant was "committing a robbery, which means he's responsible for whatever happens" during the course of the crime.
Labels: IL, minor offender, street robbery
8/2/06
Dallas, Texas
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of August 2, 2006
Store clerk fatally shoots masked gunman
A clerk fatally shot a masked gunman in an exchange of gunfire at an east Dallas convenience store late Tuesday, police said.
Anthony Jerome Davis, 17, died at 12:43 a.m. at Baylor Medical Center of Dallas, said Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther, a Dallas police spokeswoman.
The shooting occurred at 9:32 p.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of St. Augustine Road, Crowther said.
``Apparently, this man came into the store wearing a mask,'' Crowther said. ``The store clerks realized immediately that they were about to be robbed, so they took cover behind the counters.
``The man said, `Don't run,' and fired a shot at one of the clerks.''
The clerk got his own gun, Crowther said, and fired back at Davis, fatally wounding him.
Crowther declined to give the clerk's name because he has not been charged with a crime. She noted, however, that the case would be reviewed by a Dallas County grand jury, which is routine.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, TX
6/30/06
Mountain View, Alaska
From the Anchorage Daily News of June 30, 2006
Teen killed in driveway confrontation
Two teenagers were shot and one of them died after they approached a man in his Mountain View driveway Wednesday night in what may have been an attempted robbery, city and police officials said Thursday.
James Ifopo, 17, died after a single bullet hit him in the chest, authorities and witnesses said. A 16-year-old boy was also shot after the three youths -- all of them on bicycles, according to witnesses -- rode up to the man.
The wounded teenager was treated at a local hospital and released, police said.
The name of the injured 16-year-old and the third juvenile were not released because of their ages, police said.
The name of the man who fired the gun on the juveniles was also not released. A witness said Thursday that police took the man away in handcuffs.
Police Sgt. Slawomir Markiewicz said the shooter was cooperating with police and was released from custody Thursday morning.
The Police Department and district attorney's office were evaluating the circumstances late Thursday for possible charges, they said.
"We have to go through and take our time," said District Attorney Bob Linton on Thursday afternoon. "I've (not) had a chance to know enough detail to make an intelligent decision on my own and in consultation with police. That's what I need to do."
Labels: AK, minor offender, street robbery
6/29/06
Salem, Massachusetts
From TheBostonChannel.com of June 29, 2006
Jury Acquits Iraq War Veteran Of Shooting Into Crowd
Two Injured In Shooting
A jury deliberated just two hours Thursday before finding an Iraq war veteran acted in self-defense when he fired a shotgun into a group of club-goers outside his Lawrence home, injuring two people.
The Salem Superior Court jury acquitted Marine Sgt. Daniel Cotnoir, a 34-year-old reservist named last year's "Marine of the Year," of two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the shooting last August.
Cotnoir, a married father with two young daughters, had rejected an earlier plea deal. He could have faced up to 20 years in prison. He stood stoically and showed no emotions as the verdicts were read.
Prosecutor John Dawley had urged jurors not to "give him extra points because he was in Iraq."
"He is basically a good guy," Dawley said. "But this is not a case about making someone a bad guy. Good people do bad things. Good people occasionally have monumental lapses of judgment."
Defense attorney Robert Lewin asked jurors to put themselves in Cotnoir's shoes, noting a bottle was thrown through Cotnoir's bedroom window at about 3 a.m. while his children slept upstairs.
"You really have to try to put yourself in his room that night," Lewin said. "How do you think you'd feel?"
Lewin also pointed to a prior incident during which someone fired a gun at Cotnoir's house.
"Consider not only what happened that morning, but also the history of violence in that parking lot," he said.
Cotnoir, who served eight months in Iraq in 2004, helped create a mortician's unit for the Marine Corps, for which he was credited in winning the Marine of the Year award. He and his wife, Mary Kate, accepted the award in Washington, D.C., one month before the shooting.
Cotnoir's house, which is also his family's funeral parlor, overlooks a parking lot that sits across from two nightclubs. After the clubs let out at 2 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2005, revelers cranked their music and were singing and dancing.
Cotnoir testified he felt "under attack" after a bottle was thrown through his window minutes after he called police to complain. He said he was in fear of his family's safety when he grabbed a rifle and fired a shot into what he said was a clear area.
The shell struck a curb and shattered into fragments, striking Kevin Castillo, 21, and Lissette Cumba, 15, both of Lowell.
Labels: assault, MA, minor offender
6/19/06
Longview, Texas
From the Marshall News Messenger of June 19, 2006
Police: Homeowner shoots teen during burglaryFrom the Longview News-Journal of August 11, 2006
A Longview homeowner early Monday shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who police say was one of three teenagers attempting to burglarize the man's home in the 1100 block of Camille Drive.
Longview Police responded to the residence on Camille Drive at approximately 3:30 a.m.
The homeowner told police he was sleeping and heard noises, including glass breaking, according to a media release from the Longview Police Department. The man armed himself with a firearm and entered his living room, where he saw several people standing in the room — one person holding what appeared to be a weapon. The man shot toward the person he believed was holding a weapon.
When police arrived, they arrested Gregory Allison, 17, of Longview, who was being detained at the scene by the homeowner.
A 15-year-old boy was found in the woods behind the residence with a gunshot wound, and was taken to Longview Regional Medical Center, where he later was pronounced dead.
Police also found a 14-year-old boy at a residence on Woodway Lane after they received calls the boy also was suffering from a gunshot wound. The 14-year-old boy was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center, and his condition is unknown.
Allison is being held at the Gregg County Jail on a charge of burglary of a habitation.
The case remains under investigation.
Homeowner in Parade shooting not indicted
Seventeen-year-old linked to break-in is indicted
The homeowner who fired the shot that killed a 15-year-old boy during the burglary of a Parade of Homes residence in June was not indicted; however, a burglary indictment was returned Wednesday against a 17-year-old man in connection with the break-in.
Gregory Lynn Allison II was one of four young men who police say broke into the home in the 1100 block of Camille Drive about 3:30 a.m. June 19.
Although police have not named the homeowner, James Pitre was listed as the victim in the case, and property records show that his wife, Lorrie, and a construction company own the home.
(More)
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, TX
5/24/06
Riverdale, Illinois
From CBS2Chicago.com of May 23, 2006
78-Year-Old Fends Off Teenage Burglary Suspect
14-Year-Old Hospitalized With Gunshot Wounds
A teenager who tried to rob a house is recovering after being shot by an elderly homeowner who decided to fight back.
But it's the life-and-death struggle that unfolded in south suburban Riverdale that stunned police.
The victim is a 78-year-old ex-Marine, who is also a disabled former firefighter.
The robbery suspect is 14-years-old.
Police say the teen surprised the homeowner. He took a pair of pruning shears, hit him in the head and left him for dead.
But, somehow, as the teen ransacked the house, the victim got up, got his gun and shot the suspect four times.
"This 78-year-old man today refused to be a victim. He was fighting for his life and today, he won," said Police Chief Pete Satriano.
The suspect is under arrest but still hospitalized.
That feisty homeowner has been treated and released.
Labels: assault, home invasion, IL, minor offender, residence robbery, senior
5/3/06
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
From TheMilwaukeeChannel.com of May 3, 2006
Police: Wauwatosa Business Owner Shoots Would-Be RobberFrom Milwaukee’s JSOnline.com of May 8, 2006
Two men tried to rob a tropical fish store on North Avenue in Wauwatosa Tuesday afternoon, but the store owner decided to fight back and fired a gun at the robbers.
An Aqua-Terra Aquarium employee told 12 News reporter Kai Reed that her boss was just opening up the store at noon when two men ran in and tried to rob the place.
Jessica Fohl wasn't there, but she heard the details during a phone call to her boss.
"He said, 'Somebody just came in the store and tried to rob me at gunpoint.' He said, 'Right now,' he said, 'Some guy ran, and I shot after him,' and he said. 'I have another person on the floor right now that I'm standing on and holding at gunpoint,'" Fohl said.
Fohl said the owner has kept a gun under the counter since he opened up the store 32 years ago.
Two stores across the street were held up last week. Several others have been targeted in the last year, 12 News reported.
Fohl said there would have only been $100 or less in drawer.
An 18-year-old was shot in the chest. He ran to a home nearby, where police captured him. He is in critical condition in an area hospital. The other teenager, 17, is in police custody.
(Scroll down)
Two teens charged in Tosa armed robbery
Two Milwaukee teens have been charged with armed robbery in last week's holdup of a Wauwatosa business that left one of the suspects in critical condition with a gunshot wound.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office will not be charging the 52-year-old store employee who shot the robber, saying he acted in self-defense.
Charged in the May 2 holdup of Aqua-Terra Aquariums, 6410 W. North Ave., are Derrek M. Friday, 18, of the 6600 block of N. 51st St.; and Victor Allen Boyd, 17, of the 5900 block of N. 68th St., both in Milwaukee.
Friday faces a second count in connection with the armed robbery of the All Africa Market & Beauty Supply store across the street at 6421 W. North Ave. on April 28.
The aquarium shop holdup was the fourth armed robbery at a business along that stretch of W. North Ave., known as the East Town Business District, since April 19.
Labels: business robbery, minor offender, WI
4/21/06
Durham, North Carolina
From Raleigh’s NBC17.com of April 21, 2006
Teen's Slaying Ruled Self-Defense
A Tuesday night shooting that left a Durham teen dead has been ruled a case of self-defense, police said Friday.
Jamal Tyree Anderson, 16, was found shot in a parking lot near the intersection of Holloway Street and Briggs Avenue at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
Anderson died of his injuries Thursday night at Duke University Medical Center, police said.
A 21-year-old man told investigators he was working on a vehicle in the 1600 block of Holloway Street late Tuesday when Anderson approached him and attempted to rob him, police said. The man, whose name wasn't released, told police he was pistol-whipped before he pulled out his own gun and fired several shots, striking Anderson in the head.
Investigators interviewed several witnesses who corroborated the 21-year-old's version of events, and they recovered a gun they believe was used by Anderson, police said.
No charges will be filed in the case, police said.
Labels: minor offender, NC, street robbery
4/6/06
Irving, Texas
From the Dallas Morning News of April 6, 2006
Irving shooting victim, 16, could face charges
A Dallas County grand jury will likely decide whether a 16-year-old boy shot in Irving on Wednesday should face criminal charges for attempting to rob a 45-year-old man at gunpoint.
Irving police spokesman Officer David Tull said the teenager approached the 45-year-old man in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 9400 block of E. Valley Ranch at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. Police did not release either person’s name Thursday.
The man was talking on his cell phone in a parked pick-up truck when the teen wielded a gun and demanded the phone and the man’s wallet. The man told the boy he was reaching for his wallet, but instead grabbed his gun, which was next to him. The man then pushed the boy’s arm up and simultaneously shot him, Officer Tull said.
The teen, who was struck in the chest, spun around and then fled on foot. Fearing he may return, the man in the truck drove off and then called police.
The 16-year-old was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was listed in serious condition Thursday. Police said the bullet entered his upper chest and exited out the left side of his back. When police arrived at the scene, the teen did not have a gun on him but police later recovered one about an hour later.
The man in the truck will likely not face charges, Officer Tull said.
A companion story from the Houston Star-Telegram of April 6, 2006
Shooting was justified, police say
An Irving teen-ager accused of trying to rob a man at gunpoint Wednesday night was shot by the victim in a parking lot of an apartment complex, police said Thursday.
The 16-year-old remained in intensive care in critical condition Thursday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, police said. The teen suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, police said.
The man was not injured, police said. Police declined to identify the man or the teen.
No other injuries were reported in the shooting that occurred about 9 p.m. Wednesday in the 9400 block of E. Valley Ranch Parkway.
The attempted holdup victim, a 45-year-old Irving man, told police that he was sitting in his pickup truck in the parking lot, talking on his cellphone, when the teen walked up. The teen — armed with a semi-automatic handgun — demanded the man’s cellphone and wallet, police said.
The man told the teen he would give him his wallet and acted as though he was going to get it, but instead grabbed a larger caliber revolver that was lying on the seat, police said.
As he pushed the teen’s gun away, the man shot the suspect, police said.
The teen spun around and ran away, police said. Fearing that the teen would return, the man drove away from the complex, police said.
A few minutes later, residents found the teen, without a handgun, sitting on a curb near the apartment complex office, telling them he had been shot, police said.
The teen was transported by ambulance to Parkland, police said. As the teen was headed to the hospital, the man called police to say that he had almost been robbed at the apartment complex.
The man drove back to the complex and gave police details of the attempted holdup.
Because the teen did not have a handgun when he was found, police searched the complex and discovered it a few hours later.
“At this point, we believe it was self-defense,” Irving police spokesman David Tull said.
The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Tull said. The shooting case will be turned over to a Dallas County grand jury for consideration, Tull said.
Labels: minor offender, street robbery, TX
2/7/06
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
From February 4, 2006 NewsOK.com:
"What's up, fool?" David Anderson said as he opened fire with a .45-caliber pistol.
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The startled intruder scrambled through the broken door of Anderson's northeast Oklahoma City business and hit the streets -- but not before taking a bullet.
Friday's shooting still is under investigation, but so far, police said, Anderson is thought to have acted in self-defense, firing his weapon to protect his business from at least one would-be burglar.
Shannon Johnson, 17, was struck once in the leg, police Lt. Stan Van Nort said. He was treated at a city hospital, then arrested on a complaint of second-degree burglary.
About 1:20 a.m., someone broke into the Clean As A Whistle clothing store in the 1800 block of NE 23, police Sgt. Gary Knight said. Police found a broken glass door and searched with a police dog, but didn't turn up any suspects.
Anderson, 44, said the broken door prevented him from securing his store, so he decided to spend the night inside with his "buddy," the .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
About 7:30 a.m., a pounding noise awakened him. Someone was outside.
"I'm like, 'I know these fools aren't this stupid,'" Anderson said. "But by the time I got up and got my 'buddy' and started making it to the door, the door came flying open and he came running in."
Anderson said he ducked behind a clothes rack and watched the intruder approach a pair of white-and-gold Air Jordan basketball shoes.
Labels: business burglary, minor offender, OK
1/12/06
Spokane, Washington
From Spokane’s KXLY.com of January 11, 2006
Suspect injured in burglary attempt
One burglary suspect is nursing his wounds after a South Hill homeowner caught him and two other robbers rummaging through his garage.
It happened Tuesday morning when police say a man was awakened by a noise and confronted the thieves. Police say one of the suspects, Ron Walker, 17, opened fire with his pistol and the homeowner fired back.
Walker was later found hiding in nearby bushes and when he allegedly refused to show his hands, a police dog broke his forearm and bit his face. Walker was back at the crime scene Monday, sporting a splint and 15 stitches, helping police locate the pistol he ditched.
Investigators feel the homeowner's use of deadly force was justified.
Police also arrested Phillip Chen in connection with the crime. A third suspect is still at large.
Labels: minor offender, residence burglary, WA
1/6/06
Clearwater, Florida
From the St. Petersburg Times of January 6, 2006
No charges in shooting of three neighbors
A retired USF police sergeant told officials he fired six shots through the door, fearing people were trying to break into his house.
A man who shot through his front door at about 2 a.m., wounding three neighbors carrying tiki torches on his porch, will not be charged with a crime, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Jeffrey DeVries, 44, a retired University of South Florida police sergeant, told investigators he feared people were trying to break in when they brandished torches on his porch early on Nov. 18, Assistant State Attorney Mark McGarry said.
DeVries fired six shots from a 9mm handgun through his door, hitting three of the four people outside, authorities have said. He then called 911 at 1:51 a.m. before barricading himself inside his Beverly Circle home for more than seven hours.
"I had to shoot people on Beverly," were his first words to emergency dispatchers. "I just had four persons come to my house with torches. They were trying to break into my front door. They were yelling threats at me. . . . I'm the one being attacked. I'm the victim."
The indication that DeVries genuinely feared for his safety weighed heavily in the decision not to charge him, McGarry said.
"Everybody has their different levels of fears," he said, "but I think that he felt that he was in danger."
Efforts to reach DeVries were unsuccessful Thursday. His father did not return phone messages.
Prosecutors also questioned the credibility of the people wounded because their accounts changed under questioning, McGarry said.
The three people shot - Samantha Frances Sipka, 16, Jason Thomas Biaso, 19, and Mark Eric Hoover, 46 - initially told Pinellas County sheriff's detectives that they had been walking in the street shortly before 2 a.m. carrying tiki torches when shots suddenly rang out, authorities have said.
Their accounts prompted investigators to obtain a warrant for DeVries' arrest on four counts of attempted murder.
The warrant was later withdrawn because physical evidence at the scene contradicted those accounts and indicated that they had been on DeVries' doorstep when he fired, sheriff's officials say. Investigators also learned that a fourth person had been present.
Confronted with the discrepancies, one of the four admitted being at DeVries' door at the time of the shooting, reading signs he had posted on the door warning people to stay away.
All three have since been released from the hospitals where they were treated. On Thursday, a man who answered the door at 1820 Beverly, where Sipka and Hoover live, said he would not comment on the case.
McGarry said none of the four involved would likely be charged in the incident, in part because DeVries had not cooperated with prosecutors in the investigation into their conduct.
(More detail)
Labels: arson, FL, minor offender
12/15/05
Orlando, Florida
From the Orlando Sentinel of December 15, 2005
Police: Victim surprised would-be robbers
Two teenagers remained in the Orange County Jail on Wednesday after picking the wrong victim to try to rob -- an armed Floridian with a concealed-weapon permit.
Orlando police said one of the surprised suspects told them they chose the man outside a Marriott Fairfield Inn because they thought he would be an easy target.
The 37-year-old Lake County man had just shut his car door in the motel's parking lot at 1 p.m. Tuesday when the teens approached him and said, "You know what's up," reports show.
Carrying pistols, the teens threatened to kill the man if he didn't give them money, police said. Fearing they would spot the holstered pistol in his waistband, the man started emptying his pockets until the teens relaxed and backed off, reports show.
That's when the man, a military veteran who works at Walt Disney World, drew his handgun and fired.
"The defendants then fled the scene running with no property from the victim," police wrote, describing their crossing of Major Boulevard.
Miguel Arias, 17, was stopped within minutes and admitted taking part in the attempted robbery, reports show. Dennis Pugh, 18, was arrested nearby in a Suburban Lodge, where police searched his room and seized a .25-caliber Raven pistol and a BB gun that looks like a 9 mm pistol, reports show.
The victim did not want to be named, saying he feared for the safety of his family if the teens learn his identity. No one was injured when he fired, police said.
Arias and Pugh, both of Orlando, were being held without bail in the Orange County Jail on charges of robbery with a firearm.
Labels: concealed carry permit, FL, minor offender, street robbery
