(Pennsylvania) Armed homeowner foils invasion
Eugene Johnson reacted in a flash when his wife heard someone kick in the back door of their Carlisle home at 2:30 a.m. Friday.
Johnson, 75, a retired Army sergeant first class who fought in the Korean War, grabbed his pistol. He was ready when a silhouette of a man appeared in the darkened doorway of his bedroom." He said, 'Don't move, I have a gun,'" Johnson recalled. "I said, 'Buddy, I've got a gun, too, and it's [aimed] right on you. "Things got quiet then," he said. They got quiet because the would-be home invader had high-tailed it out of there, police said.
Johnson would have been legally justified in pulling the trigger, Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said. "The homeowner acted appropriately," Freed said. "Criminals who break into occupied homes assume the risk of being shot by the homeowners."
Johnson, a 20-year Army veteran who spent nearly three years as a prisoner of war in North Korea, said Friday's incident occurred two weeks after another burglary at his home in the 1200 block of North West Street.
He and his wife, Bernadine, 71, were away during the May 16 break-in. "They trashed the place and stole money," Johnson said.
The back door that was damaged in the earlier burglary had not yet been repaired when the invader or invaders kicked it in Friday. Once inside, the culprit or culprits turned off the home's electricity, he said. "My wife heard the back door being smashed. All at once the lights went out, and she told me, 'Get your gun,'" Johnson said.
He said he isn't sure how many people were involved in the break-in, but he saw only one man and heard one male voice.
Lt. Michael Dzezinski said police don't know if the May 16 burglary and Friday's home invasion are connected. The man who threatened the Johnsons might have been trying to detain them while accomplices rifled through the house, he said.
Police don't have a description of the burglar who confronted the couple, and no suspects were found during a search of the area immediately after the invasion, Dzezinski said.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Story Of The Month May 31st
May 30th
(Idaho) Man shoots, kills agressive pit bull
Police say a Boise man shot a pit bull with a shotgun after the man says the animal was being threatening towards him.
It happened on the 2700 block of Westland Place in Boise near Ustick and Cole. Officers say Dave Davies called police just before 8:00 p.m., saying his neighbor’s pit bull was being aggressive toward him. Two minutes later – Davies called back and said he shot the dog.
Davies said he was outside working on his motorcycle when the dog jumped a fence and came toward him in an “aggressive” manner. When Davies was inside calling police, he grabbed his shotgun. Police say he went back outside and shot the animal. Boise Police Lt. Ron Winegar said the man may have a warranted defense. "We would never advocate it happening within the city limits in this kind of a neighborhood can be very dangerous,” Winegar said. “At the same time, depending on the circumstances, we always have the right to defend ourselves."
Davies says he has reported the pit bull in the past – and said he was told he has the right to defend himself on his property if an animal is being aggressive.
Other neighbors said they have not had problems with the animal.
The dog’s owner was not at home at the time of the incident.
May 25th
(South Carolina) 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.
May 29th
(Montana) Montana hunter shoots wolf in self defense
A man hunting black bear shot and killed a wolf near Olney, northwest of Whitefish.
Zachary Harms of Kalispell was driving his truck up a forest road Tuesday when he saw movement. He walked along the road with his rifle, thinking he may have seen a black bear. Two wolves then ran out from the side of the road. One ran across the road and up the hillside. The other ran down the road towards Harms. The wolf closed to approximately 10 feet and Harms fired, hitting the female wolf in the front of the head.
The hunter contacted the sheriff's office later that day and reported he had killed a wolf. Two state game wardens investigated, and determined the shooting was in self-defense and was allowed under state law.
May 29th
(Pennsylvania) Suspect Shot During Burglary Attempt Faces Charges
A man is in the hospital and facing multiple charges today after police say he and another man broke into a South Side home in a burglary attempt.Police say Dale Boehm, 19, is facing charges of burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal conspiracy.
According to police, the owner of the Josephine Street home was watching television when he heard breaking glass and his back door being kicked in around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Authorities say that's when the homeowner retrieved his weapon and then found two men in his kitchen. Officials report that the men fired at one another.Authorities say one of the suspects fled the scene after the gunfire. He has not been found, but police say they recovered a baseball bat and firearm while searching in the woods.
Police report that Boehm suffered a gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.He is listed in critical condition, officials say.
Police say they have questioned the resident. Meanwhile, Boehm will be taken to the Allegheny County Jail when he is released from the hospital.
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 9th
(Nevada) New Details in Deadly Home Burglary
Police are investigating a shooting at a Las Vegas home that left two people dead Thursday night. Police say a man told them that he and his wife came home and were met by a burglar in their house. According to officers, the burglar shot and killed the woman and the husband then shot and killed the burglar.
Some neighbors were crying as they learned of their neighbor's tragic death. As of Friday morning, the streets were still littered with bits of crime scene tape. Neighbors were blocked out of their homes, and the neighborhood was on lock down for hours."We waited for about an hour before we could bring the car here," said Mort Arditti, a neighbor.
Police say the couple returned to their home on Friday night around 9 p.m. and surprised a burglar. Police say the burglar was someone the couple knew and had hired in the past to do work at the home.The female victim, Sharon Randolph, had lived in the neighborhood for 12 years. "I just saw her three days ago. Real nice lady. Said how nice the yard looked," said neighbor Robert Donat. Donat says she asked why he does all his yard work himself. He said he didn't want strangers at his house, but he says Sharon was different. "They bring a lot of strangers over there to do odd jobs for them. You are just asking for trouble. You don't know the people you are bringing into your house," he said.
According to police, a handyman the couple had hired broke into the house and was burglarizing it when they came home. Police say the suspect shot and killed the Randolph. "Now she's gone overnight, just like that. And we were all home last night and we heard the helicopter and they were kicking people out of their houses around them. Just amazing," said Donat.
But neighbors say there might be more too it. Sharon's husband had died a few years back and she met a new man on the Internet who wasn't too popular with neighbors. "A lot of fighting going on, her and her new husband. I guess she found him on the Internet and a lot of U-Haul trucks. She is always taking him back, so not a good thing," said Donat.
Police say that new husband struggled with the burglar and ended up shooting the man to death in the garage.
May 9th
Memphis Police say a man caught stealing from a car was shot by the owner of the vehicle and held at gunpoint until police arrived. Police say the incident happened around 3:00 a.m., Friday, May 9, 2008, on Parakeet Drive in the Westwood area of Memphis.
The owner of the burglarized SUV says he and his wife woke up to the sound of a big crash and his dogs barking. The man went outside to find out what was going on, and discovered a crook dangling from his SUV trying to steal items from inside.
According to the vehicle’s owner, he repeatedly told the accused car burglar to get out of the SUV. He says he was not able to see the burglar’s hands and did not know if the suspect had a weapon, so he shot the crook in the buttocks.
Investigators say the man then walked the accused burglar to the front porch of the house and held him there at gunpoint until police and an ambulance arrived. The accused burglar was taken to the Med in non-critical condition. Police say the SUV owner will not be charged.
May 9th
(Georgia) 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.
May 8th
(Arizona) Man shoots, kills robbery suspect in truck
A Phoenix man shot and killed a suspected robber Thursday, claiming it was a case of self-defense, police said.
The man heard his truck start up in his driveway on the 3000 block of West Flynn Lane at around 12:45 a.m. When he went outside with a gun to investigate, he saw his truck had just been stolen and a man was driving away in it, police said.
The suspect then made a U-turn and drove toward the man who was standing on the sidewalk, police said. He fired several shots at the suspect in the truck, hitting him fatally, police said. The suspect lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Phoenix police detectives are investigating the death and working with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. The man has not been arrested in the shooting, police said.
May 8th
(Utah) Kearns Shooting Victim Bashes Gunman During TV Interview
A man wounded by a burglar during a home invasion Thursday morning talked to 2News about the incident -- in which he was shot with his own gun.
Chad Morley said he found the burglar inside of his home at approximately 9:00 a.m. Thursday after noticing some of his property stacked up by a side door. Morley decided to go inside the house, located near 6000 West Eaton Way, and retrieve his handgun to fend off the intruder. Moments later, the two men started wrestling for control and Morley was eventually shot in the arm. "We both fought over the gun and he hit me in the head," Morley said. "My hands were just completely covered in blood." (Video) "We both had a hold of the gun and (he) turned it toward me... and it was so slippery from blood, I couldn't hang on to it," he continued. "Then I saw his finger go to the trigger and... that's when it hit me and knocked me over a loveseat."
Morley said he was over at his father's house nearby when the burglar must have entered. Upon returning, and seeing the items stacked near the door, he said it was clear something was wrong. "I knew something was going on. I catch shoplifters for a living, so there's a lot of people that would probably like to know a lot about me," Morley said. "So I always carry my gun with me... constantly, it's right by me." "I didn't waste any time. I just grabbed my gun... I half-cocked it and made sure there was a bullet in the chamber. I was prepared to shoot him," he added.
After the struggle, the burglar managed to get away from the home and flee into the neighborhood. He has not yet been captured. "In a situation like that, it's either you or them. And people like that don't have a care for anything and would rather steal people's merchandise that they worked their tail off for," Morley said. "They would rather be lazy... and sell it and make their living that way."
Morley received a gunshot wound to the arm and a laceration to his forehead. When asked if he would have handled the situation differently in a do-over, Morley said he probably would have shot first -- and asked questions later. "Honestly... probably shoot him before he had a chance to take my weapon away and then putting me in 10-times more danger," he said. "It's not something you want to get in front of a news camera and say, 'oh I should have shot him'... but it could've been a lot worse for me," Morley added.
The burglar is described as a Hispanic man, about 6'0" tall and weighing between 165-175 pounds. Morley said the suspect wore a baseball cap and a blue bandana around the lower part of his face.
**Note**Anti-gun advocates are constantly claiming that a defensive weapon is far more likely to be taken away and used against you. However, this story (the 3,459th story posted on the Civilian Gun Defense Blog to date) may possibly make the third or fourth such story, while we have documented 147 incidents of a criminal's gun being used against him (also to date). Since our news searching methods are unbiased (that is, they will turn up shootings both by citizens and by criminals), the real world stories are clearly in contrast to this claim.
May 8th
(Florida) Robber fatally shot in Boca Raton jewelry heist
After Leon Rozio got robbed, he vowed never to let it happen again. Three or four years ago, the 64-year-old owner of Miami-based H&L Wholesale Jewelry Inc. lost some $300,000 in gold and jewelry in a holdup, said his half-brother, Fernando Mirabal. Soon after, Rozio started bringing a gun on his sales runs, which took him and his priceless jewelry to shops across South Florida.
About 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, not long after Rozio parked his red Ford Explorer outside St. Moritz Jewelers on Boca Raton's west side, four men screamed up behind him in a silver car, boxing him in. They surrounded the Explorer, smashing out all four windows to get at the jewelry inside, witnesses said. ''He opened up like I have never seen,'' said Greg Sanderson, manager of a nearby Omaha Steaks shop, who watched the shooting through the store's plate-glass windows. ``I couldn't believe it. It sounded like the Wild West out there. ''One of the men staggered from the car and ran west through the parking lot toward St. Andrew's Boulevard, Winter said.
Paramedics found the wounded robber bleeding in the car, said Fire Rescue spokesman Frank Correggio. The man was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died soon after, officials said.
The three other men escaped in a silver van, triggering a manhunt. It wasn't clear whether any of them were wounded, or whether they made off with any gold or jewels, police said.
Investigators still were quizzing Rozio at the police station until about 7 p.m. Rozio's attorney, Bill Mathewman, said his client will not face charges.
May 7th
(Illinois) Armed resident foils burglary
Knox County Sheriff’s Department deputies are investigating a residential burglary in which the homeowner apprehended a suspect after chasing him with a gun.
Police were called to a burglary in progress at 7:43 p.m. Monday to 1350 Knox Road 600E. According to police, the resident was in his basement when he heard a knock at the door. When he got to the main floor, he saw two unidentified men on the rear deck. The resident returned to the basement and retrieved a handgun.
The resident went upstairs and found the two men standing inside his home. The suspects fled and the resident followed, eventually firing a warning shot into the ground. One of the suspects stopped while the second suspect continued running.
Tyrone L. Thompson, 20, Peoria, was detained by the homeowner until police arrived. Thompson was charged with residential burglary. The second suspect is described as a male with a small build and was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
Police found a kitchen window screen had been cut, allowing entry into the residence. The investigation is ongoing.
May 6th
(Colorado) Would-be robber shot in Aurora
A man shot by a security guard while allegedly attempting to rob a Check into Cash store in Aurora this morning was in grave condition, according to Aurora Detective Bob Friel.
As of 3 p.m., the suspect was still alive and being treated by doctors at a local hospital, the spokesman said.Friel said Aurora police dispatchers received an alarm from the Check Into Cash shortly after 10 a.m., and officers — who were nearby — arrived at the store within a minute.
Friel said the security guard told officers he had spotted the man in the store holding a handgun and believed there was a robbery in progress. Friel said the suspect was shot at least once in the body by the security guard. "We are not sure if the security guard was employed by the business or the shopping center," said Friel. "The security guard has been cooperative" and is currently being interviewed by police at police headquarters.
At the time of the incident, there was a clerk in the store. She was not injured, said the police spokesman. The store is at 15270 E. Sixth Ave., which is at the intersection of East Sixth Avenue and Chambers Road.
Detectives were at the scene investigating the shooting. Check Into Cash outlets offer "payday advance services."
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 18th
(California) Oakland liquor store worker shoots robbery suspect
An employee of an Oakland liquor store shot and wounded a would-robber, police said today. The incident happened about 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wah Fay liquor store near the corner of East 21st Street and Eighth Avenue in the city's San Antonio neighborhood, police Sgt. Larry Krupp said.
The employee opened fire after two men entered the store and demanded money, police said. The injured suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was taken to a local hospital. The wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, authorities said. It was not immediately known what happened to the other suspect.
The shooting comes at a time of heightened concern over robberies in the East Bay. Police in Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley are investigating a series of eight takeover robberies at restaurants over the past month. Oakland police are also trying to identify a man they have dubbed the "Chicken Hawk" because of his tendency to rob fast-food restaurants that serve chicken.
The liquor-store shooting also underscores the measures some store employees are taking. In April 2007, the owner of a pizzeria at 89th Avenue and International Boulevard in East Oakland shot and killed a would-be robber armed with an assault rifle. A month later, a clerk at a liquor store on 28th Avenue in Oakland shot and killed a 17-year-old who had fired first.
April 16th
(Arizona) Homeowner Shoots Burglar
An early-morning break-in turned fatal when the homeowner shot the intruder, Mesa police said.
The homeowner, his wife and another person woke to the sound of someone breaking into their home shortly after 2:15 a.m., police said.
The wife ran to a closet to call 911 while her husband confronted the armed intruder.
Police said the husband struggled with the intruder and shot the burglar with his own gun.
Rescue crews pronounced the burglar dead at the scene.
Police said a second would-be intruder was waiting outside the home and was arrested.
Investigators said the incident may be drug-related.
April 14th
(Alabama) Would-be Scottsboro robber gets shot in stomach, hospitalized
A would-be thief was shot in the stomach as he tried to rob a man over the weekend and is recovering in Tennessee, where he fled after the incident in Scottsboro, police said Monday.
Scottsboro Police Chief Ralph Dawe said the suspect, whose name has not been released, tried to rob a man near Highlands Medical Center around 2 a.m. Saturday.
He said the robbery target pulled a gun and shot the suspect in the abdomen. The suspect then fled to Chattanooga, Tenn., where he is being treated at Erlanger Hospital.
Dave said there were outstanding arrest warrants for the man on first-degree robbery charges for a similar incident at a local Wal-Mart and he will be extradited back to Alabama when his medical condition improves.
He said the information compiled so far provides no reason to charge the person who shot the robbery suspect. Dave said Tennessee authorities contacted their Alabama counterparts after the man gave differnt versions of how he ended up with the gunshot wound. "He gave several stories, but all accounts of what happened involved Scottsboro, so they called us," Dawe said.
Monday, April 7, 2008
April 2nd
(Louisiana) Attempted carjacking victim accidentally shoots self
A man accidentally shot himself last night after an attempted carjacking. Police were called to the 4400 block of Pines Road around midnight. The victim was sitting in his car at a gas station when he was approached by two black males wearing all black clothing and black bandanas over their faces. They produced a silver revolver and demanded the car. The victim refused and produced his own handgun.
He accidentally shot himself in the leg, and the suspects fled the scene. The victim then went inside the gas station and told the clerk what happened.
April 3rd
(Texas) Homeowner Shoots Suspect After 2 Break-Ins
A southeast Houston homeowner shot a burglary suspect Thursday afternoon after he was victimized twice in a week, officials told KPRC Local 2. Thomas Williamson lives in the 6000 block of Bois D'arc. He said he stayed home from work on Thursday after a burglar hit his home twice in a few days.
Williamson said he looked out his window at about 1 p.m. and saw a man walk across his back yard. The man went into Williamson's garage and tried to steal an air compressor, worth about $400, he said.
When the burglary suspect walked out of the garage with bolt cutters, Williamson said he grabbed his shotgun. "He came to the door and I went, 'Get on the ground. Get on the ground.' He got on the ground and I told him, 'Do not move,'" he said. "I was shaking. I had him on the ground with my shotgun and I told him, 'Do not move.' I was even yelling. I fired one shot in the ground just to show him I meant business."
Williamson said he shot the man when he tried to run. The burglary suspect was taken to Ben Taub Hospital with a gunshot wound. His condition was not released.
The District Attorney's Office said charges would probably not be filed because Williamson was protecting his property.
April 4th
(Indiana) Clerk Wrestles Gun From Would-Be Robber
Click on the link to watch the video.
A gas station attendant was back on the job Thursday night, days after he wrestled a shotgun away from a would-be robber.
Dramatic surveillance video of the incident at the Shell station at 38th Street and Capitol Avenue was released Thursday, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.
Clerk Deme Momar found himself in a fight for his life soon after the would-be robber came into the store. "The clerk recognized him from coming in and out and being around the neighborhood," said Indianapolis Metro police Detective Leon Benjamin.
The man waited for a customer to leave the store, then convinced Momar that he needed help with the ATM machine. "His plan was to lure the clerk from behind the secure area where the cash register was located," Benjamin said.Momar made an exception to store policy and went to help the man, after which he was greeted with a sawed-off shotgun. "It's not easy if someone pulls out a gun on you and you are between life and death," Momar said. "He ... pulled out a shotgun on me and we fight and I take the gun out of his hand."
The struggle continued for several minutes, until Momar was able to get the gun away from the man. "I let him go because I didn't know what ... to do. I couldn't shoot him, and he was begging me to let him go," Momar said. "Even if I go back there and give him the money, he will shoot me, too."
When Momar got the gun, the would-be robber's demeanor changed from attack mode to defenseless. "He thought I was trying to shoot him, so he said to me, 'Please, I'm begging you, don't shoot me. Let me go. Let me go,'" Momar said.
Police and Momar both said they think the man lives in the neighborhood."He stay around here, not so far, and he used to drive a green (Ford) Explorer, two-door," Momar said. "That day, he was walking."
Momar said he decided not to let the robbery attempt keep him from returning to work.
April 3rd
(Michigan) Suspects caught in April Fool twist
Three suspects received an April Fool's Day surprise as they attempted to break into a home on Range Line Road.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, a home owner called 911, saying the back door of her residence was kicked in, according to the Michigan State Police Niles Post. Apparently a female suspect had knocked on the door and when no one answered, two male suspects allegedly attempted a home invasion.
Three suspects from Indiana were arrested and are suspected in several other home invasions in Southeast Berrien County.
The 36-year-old female homeowner had armed herself with a shotgun for protection, when she heard the suspects prepare to enter her residence. "The tables were turned on these thieves when they were surprised by the armed homeowner," said Tpr. Mike McCarthy of the Niles Post.
The north Berrien County 911 center broadcast the call and description of the suspects' vehicle, which was intercepted on Old 31 by deputies and troopers. Stolen property was found in the vehicle which was linked to previous home invasions.
Arrested for felony home invasion were Daniel L. Sizemore, 28; Phillip J. Chappell, 29 and Andrea L. Bachleda, 27, all of South Bend, Ind.
They were lodged at the Niles City Jail and arraigned in the 5th District Court and their bond was set at $50,000.The Berrien County Sheriff's Department assisted with the investigation. Other area home invasions are expected to be cleared with the arrests of these suspects.
April 3rd
(Ohio) Tenant kills would-be robber, police say
A gunman who police say kicked in the door to an East Side apartment was shot to death by one of the tenants early today.
Jermaine A. McCrary, 19, of Ashville died of a single gunshot wound to the head after breaking into an apartment at 2936 E. Fifth Ave. at 1:47 a.m.
Sgt. Dana Norman of the homicide squad said McCrary intended to rob the occupants, a man and woman who told police that they didn't know him. McCrary pistol-whipped the man before he was shot by one of the tenants.
Terrified, the residents ran out of the apartment and several blocks west before finding someone to call police.
Norman wouldn't say which tenant fired the shot, and he would not release their names. He said the case will be presented to a grand jury but appeared to one of self-defense. Neither tenant has been charged with a crime.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Quote by GG&G Reader Miss C.
A Good Guys and Guns reader sent this to me this week and I really enjoyed reading it so I thought I would pass it on. Thanks Miss C. for getting this quote!
David
"In 1896, while serving as New York City Police Commissioner, Roosevelt arranged for the first standard issue handgun for that agency, the .32 Colt New Police revolver. Serial #1 of the initial factory order was presented to him. Even during his presidency he felt it prudent to go armed. He was descending the steps from the second floor of the White House one day, enroute to a political affair, when he stopped suddenly, patted his chest, turned and went back to his room, exclaming as he did so that he'd forgotten his gun. It would be interesting to know how many other presidents were not willing to rely solely upon the Secret Service for their personal protetction. He seems also to have had some disdain for gun control laws. On one occasion he was in Massachusetts to deliver a speech at Harvard. While leaving his room to go to the event, he tucked a revolver into the breast pocket of his jacket. With him was the university president, who commented that carrying a concealed weapon was illegal there. Roosevelt was unimpressed and went armed, anyway."
From: The Guns of the Gunfighters by Doc O'Meara
March 27th
(California) Neighbor apprehends burglar after pursuit
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man yesterday afternoon after neighbors in Blue Lake allegedly caught him during a home burglary, a news release stated.
At about 2:45 p.m. a woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office that she saw a man enter her next-door neighbor’s residence on the 400 block of Chartin Way. The woman told the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatchers that her son, Steven Wilson, 49, armed with a handgun, had attempted to apprehend the suspect inside the residence and was now chasing him toward Rancheria Road.
Deputies arrived a few minutes later and found Wilson detaining Ryan Bush, 21 of Eureka. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly forcibly entered the locked residence on Chartin Way and removed several items. There was also significant vandalism inside the residence, including broken doors, light fixtures, furniture, and scratched wood floors.
When Wilson confronted him, the suspect fled from the house. Wilson fired a single “warning shot” and told the suspect to freeze, but he continued to run.
The suspect ran through backyards and private driveways until Wilson was able to catch and detain him near Rancheria Road.
Bush was treated at a local hospital for a laceration he sustained either during the burglary or the pursuit. He also had a previous injury that required medical attention.
Bush was then transported to the Humboldt County jail and booked for burglary. His bail was set at $50,000 and he is expected to be arraigned Friday.
March 27th
(Michigan) No Charges For Gas Station Shooter
Kent Co. prosecutors have announced that there will be no charges for the man who shot and killed another man in Grand Rapids. It all happened last month at the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Kalamazoo Ave. and Boston Street.
Gabriel Rodriguez was filling up his car when he got into an argument with a man named Glenn Tett, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Surveillance video shows Rodriguez picking up a trash can lid seemingly to hit Tett, when Tett takes out a gun and shoots Rodriguez, killing him.
Tett told police that the reason he fired his gun was because he feared for his life, and after watching the surveillance video and investigating the case, Kent Co. Prosecutors agreed that Rodriguez' actions could have been interpreted as life-threatening. "As you're watching (the surveillance video), this happens in an instant," said Kent Co. Prosecutor Bill Forsyth. "We could sit here and Monday-morning-quarterback this, and say well, 'He could have closed the door to his truck and gotten in and driven away. (Tett) could have stepped back, he could have waited to see what it was he was swinging at him, it might have changed things,' but that's not the way the law is written."
March 27th
March 27th
(Texas) Woman Shoots Robber, Husband During Home Invasion
A woman shot and killed an intruder and accidentally wounded her husband in a northeast Harris County home invasion, investigators told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.
According to deputies, a couple found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun in their apartment in the Northshore Meadows complex in the 300 block of Audrey Lane shortly before midnight.
A man had just broken into their apartment and was making demands. According to investigators, he wanted cash and drugs, and made the couple remove all their clothing.
Then, gunshots rang out. However, the would-be robber wasn't the one squeezing the trigger, officials said. "The husband got into a physical altercation with the suspect," Harris County Deputy A.J. Kelly said. "The wife was able to retrieve a handgun that they had up in the room and she fired shots, striking and killing the suspect."
The husband was also shot. Deputies said he was hit in the arm. They believe he may have been hit by friendly fire from his wife. The couple told investigators that they did not know the man or why they were the targets of a home invasion. "Seems like, at this point, they did what they had to do," Kelly said. "They were in fear that this individual who broke into their house was going to harm them."
Deputies said they believe the intruder may not have been alone. "We have a female detained that was in the parking lot at the time of the incident and we're questioning her know," Kelly said. "She's definitely a person of interest. We think she was with him." According to Kelly, the woman was downstairs in the parking lot waiting in what appeared to be the getaway car.
Investigators said that the husband suffered from an exit wound to the arm. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.
March 26th
(New York) Druggist wrestles shotgun away from would be robbery
A gunman who tried to rob a Carmel pharmacy Tuesday afternoon was subdued by the pharmacist after a violent struggle. The robber, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, attempted to rob the store of narcotics.
The incident unfolded at about 12:35 p.m. at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in the ShopRite Plaza on Route 52 in Carmel.
The suspect, identified as David Both, 49, of Kent, allegedly walked up to the pharmacy counter, pulled the shotgun and demanded narcotics from the pharmacy staff. Both then walked around behind the counter as the pharmacist, Mark Gallagher, complied with his demands by placing drugs into a bag.
When the suspect pointed the shotgun toward two female employees, Gallagher, who later told police he feared the suspect was going to shoot the women, grabbed the weapon. After a struggle, the pharmacist was able to wrest control of the gun from Both and fought him off.
Someone in the store called 911 and patrols from the Putnam, Sheriff’s Office, Carmel and Ken Police and the State Police rushed to the store. Both was taken into custody.
As a deputy was unloading the shotgun, police said it accidentally discharged and fired a slug into a rear wall of the store. No one was injured. Police think the gun may have gone off because it was damaged during the struggle.
Gallagher was not injured in the altercation. Another store employee, a 64-year-old woman, later experienced chest pains while be interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Both was charged with attempted robbery in the first degree.
**Note** To clear up confusion, the reported perpetrator is named "Both".
March 25th
(Alabama) Man Shoots, Kills Cousin Stealing Gas
Authorities in Russell County have not filed charges against a homeowner who said today he shot and killed a man who was siphoning gasoline from his truck in the middle of the night, only to discover the victim was a cousin.
Robert Lee Warren of Hatchechubee said the man identified by the coroner as 40-year-old Henry Moses made a threatening move toward him after being confronted, so he pulled the trigger in self-defense.
Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr. said Moses died of a single gunshot to the chest about 2 a.m. CDT on Easter Sunday. The body was found near a blue pickup truck under an awning that Warren used as a carport. He said its unclear how much, if any, gasoline was taken.
Prosecutor Buster Landreau said it was too early to say whether an indictment could result when a grand jury considers the case. Alabama law allows residents to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger.
With the average price for regular, self-serve gasoline hitting $3.26 a gallon in the United States, gasoline thefts are being reported across the country.
March 25th
(Alabama) Man Shoots, Kills Cousin Stealing Gas
Authorities in Russell County have not filed charges against a homeowner who said today he shot and killed a man who was siphoning gasoline from his truck in the middle of the night, only to discover the victim was a cousin.
Robert Lee Warren of Hatchechubee said the man identified by the coroner as 40-year-old Henry Moses made a threatening move toward him after being confronted, so he pulled the trigger in self-defense.
Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr. said Moses died of a single gunshot to the chest about 2 a.m. CDT on Easter Sunday. The body was found near a blue pickup truck under an awning that Warren used as a carport. He said its unclear how much, if any, gasoline was taken.
Prosecutor Buster Landreau said it was too early to say whether an indictment could result when a grand jury considers the case. Alabama law allows residents to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger.
With the average price for regular, self-serve gasoline hitting $3.26 a gallon in the United States, gasoline thefts are being reported across the country.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March 21st
(Pennsylvania) Braddock store owner pins would-be robber
Al Handza did a small favor Thursday afternoon for a young man in Braddock, a few minutes before the man put a gun to his head and tried to rob him.
Handza, owner of Al's Market on Braddock Avenue, refused to be bullied and grabbed the robber's hands, wrestling him to the ground.
During the struggle, the gun discharged twice and the wounded thief tried to run, only to be stopped by Handza and detained for police. The robber, whose identity and age are not known because he gave a phony name to police, was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland with gunshot wounds in the arm and back, said Braddock police Sgt. Frank Barreiro. The extent of the injuries is not known. Handza, 61, who had cataract surgery on Tuesday, said he didn't have time to think about how scared he was."What are you going to do?" Handza said with a shrug 90 minutes after the incident."
He came behind the counter with a gun, put it to my head and we started tussling." Handza, who has operated the small market near the Rankin Bridge for 26 years, said the young man often comes into the store and was there twice yesterday before the holdup. "The second time, he bought two bags of chips but was short 18 cents," Handza said. "I said, 'You're always in here. I'll get it tomorrow.'"
A minute later -- shortly before 5 p.m. -- the man returned, trying to hide his face with a hooded sweatshirt and bandana." He said, 'This is a stickup!' I thought he was joking because he'd just left."
The .22-caliber handgun the robber was pointing at Handza's head was no laughing matter, and the store owner acted to defend himself. "I threw him and we went down together," said Handza, who was alone at the time.
As the two wrestled, the gun discharged twice and the robber said, "I'm shot!"The thief got up without the gun, ran out the door and around the corner between two buildings, where he was stopped by a 12-foot fence.
Handza grabbed the gun off the floor, called 911 and ran outside after the robber. "He couldn't get over the fence. I held his own gun on him and told him to hit the ground, face first. He laid there, and the cops were here in less than a minute."
Barreiro said the investigation has been turned over to Allegheny County Police detectives. He said he believes they will charge the man with robbery and weapons violations.
March 19th
(Virginia) Landscaper shoots rabid fox after attacks
A rabid fox was shot Friday in the Pine Mill Subdivision off of Pinetta Road, making it the second confirmed animal with rabies in the county this year.
The fox was seen acting strangely in the neighborhood last Thursday, prompting residents to call Gloucester Animal Control, said M.B. Sheppard, the county's Environmental Health Supervisor. But deputies were unable to find the fox and advised residents that if the fox was spotted again and acting similarly to shoot it.
On Friday, the fox first attacked two adult dogs that were penned up and then two puppies playing in a ditch and exposed the two puppies to rabies, Sheppard said. A landscaper working in the subdivision saw the fox and borrowed a homeowner's shotgun before killing the animal.
Tests later confirmed the fox was rabid.
A 9-year-old girl who came in contact with the puppies is undergoing post-exposure rabies treatment, Sheppard said.
March 18th
(Arizona) Stunt man turned salon owner shoots robber
A would-be robber, “picked the wrong business and the wrong cowboy to mess with,” when he entered a Phoenix storefront and pulled out a gun. That’s because Rodd Wolff leads a double life. He is a movie stuntman. In training for roles in films like “Rambo III”, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Miracle at Sage Creek”, Wolff had to be able to shoot a gun while riding a horse. He got a chance to put those cowboy skills to use in the unlikely setting of the business he owns, a hair salon.
Wolff, his wife and three clients were inside Hair Productions at 25 Street and Indian School Road about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon when the suspect walked in wearing a wig and dark sunglasses. Because of previous crimes at nearby businesses, Wolff had established a code word his employees would use in the event of a robbery. He was in a back room when he heard his wife utter the code word three times.
As the robber moved further into the salon, Wolff removed a gun that had been wrapped in a towel and ordered the man to drop his gun. When he did not comply, Wolff fired three shots, striking the suspect.
The robber dropped his wig and sunglasses and managed to get a green SUV outside the store. Wolff followed and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived.
The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.Phoenix Police Lt. Robert Sparks was impressed at Wolff’s use of the code word. “It’s good for business owners to be prepared and have a plan,” Sparks said.
Wolff says he first opened the salon in 1972. His acting career began in 1966’s “Duel At Diablo”. The Internet Movie Database credits him as a stuntman in18 films or TV shows. He is also listed as an actor in one film.
Despite his actions taking down an armed robber in a salon with five innocent people, Wolff says, “I’m no hero.”
March 19th
(Georgia) Elderly Tucker man kills intruder
If a DeKalb County home invasion suspect thought an elderly Tucker couple would make an easy target Tuesday night, he thought wrong. Now the suspect is dead, and DeKalb police say the 81-year-old homeowner will not face charges for shooting and killing the man.
DeKalb police spokesman J.T. Ware said that about 11 p.m., the unidentified suspect, who appeared to be in his 20s, broke into the home on Zemory Drive, in a neighborhood off Lawrenceville Highway. "The suspect, as he was entering the location, made enough noise to arouse the suspicions of the homeowner, and he was able to locate his weapon and load it," Ware said.The homeowner confronted the suspect, and after a brief struggle, shot and killed the man, Ware said.
He said the homeowner, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized for treatment of wounds suffered during the struggle, but is expected to be okay. The man's 78-year-old wife was not injured.
Ware said police do not plan to charge the homeowner."He defended his home, defended his wife," Ware said. "He did what everybody would hope to do in a situation like that."
Monday, March 10, 2008
February 27th
I know this story is a little late but I didn't find it until this week. I thought it was very interesting and figured my readers would enjoy it as well. Enjoy!
David
(Massachusetts) Rochester resident held purse-snatching suspect at gunpoint
ROCHESTER — Brad Correia had just returned to his home on Mattapoisett Road from a trip to the White Mountains with his wife and two children about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when they heard a knock at the front door.
Mr. Correia, 45, was tucking his 7-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter into bed. His wife went downstairs to see who was at the door and found a young man standing outside asking for help. Before opening the door, she summoned her husband.
"Before I went downstairs, I tucked my .45 into the back of my pants," Mr. Correia said.
Mr. Correia opened the door and Steven Grover, 18, of New Bedford, reported that his car had broken down on the interstate.
Since the family had just driven home from out of state, they had no way of knowing that a manhunt for three suspects in a purse-snatching was in progress.
"I could see that he was in pretty rough shape," Mr. Correia said of the unexpected visitor. "His clothes were soaked, he was bleeding and he'd lost one sneaker in the mud when he broke through the ice. I thought that if he were my son, I'd want someone to help him, so I let him in."
Mr. Correia permitted the fugitive to use the house phone while providing him with hot tea, dry clothes and hot water to soak his chilled feet.
"He made some calls, but he couldn't get anyone to come and get him," Mr. Correia said. "He wanted to call a cab, but he had no money, so I said I would pay."
By then, however, Mr. Correia had grown suspicious of his visitor because his story kept changing as it went along, he said.
"It just didn't add up, so I called 911 and asked them if they were looking for anyone."
Based on the description provided by the police, Mr. Correia realized that his guest was a wanted man.
"When it dawned on him that I was talking to the police, he jumped out of his chair. That's when I pulled my gun. I told him to sit back down, that the police were on their way, and he did."
"I've had my permit since I was 18, and that's the first time I've ever pointed a gun at another human being. I hope I never have to do it again. I tried to be a nice guy, but he had nothing to lose at that point. He knew he was going to jail."
March 7th
(Tennessee) Man Shoots, Wounds Home Intruder
A husband took matters into his own hands when his wife and newborn child were held up during a home invasion.
The woman said she was able to grab her phone and call her husband after three men kicked in her door late Thursday. The home is located in Glencliff Court in south Nashville.
The husband said he rushed home after getting the call from his wife, but was stopped by police and accused of speeding on the way. After explaining to the officer what was happening at his home, the man continued home with the officer following.
The man said he parked in the back yard and saw the intruders come running out the back of his house with guns drawn, so he grabbed his gun, and the two sides exchanged shots. “They fired shots at the citizen, and the citizen returned fire at the suspects. One of the suspects is struck and flees on foot,” said Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson.
One intruder who was shot by the man was found later on a nearby street. The other two were able to evade capture, police said.
The woman, baby and man were not hurt. Police said the intruders did not take anything from the house.
March 6th
(Colorado) Shots fired, boy scares off burglar
A boy fired a gun and chased away a burglar who tried to break into a house north of the city this afternoon, deputies said.
Ryan Dohoney was home alone when he heard a burglar inside the house, 11909 Vermillion Road, at about 12:30 p.m., Boulder County Sheriff's deputies said.
Dohoney fired a shot to scare the burglar off. The burglar fired one shot, ran out the door and ran from the property, deputies said. The burglar was dressed in black and wore a mask, deputies said.
Deputies did not say who fired the first shot, though both were fired inside the house. No one was injured.
Deputies rushed to the scene after dispatchers received calls about shots being fired. Investigators did not locate the suspect immediately.
The boy and his family were not available for comment as of 3 p.m.
March 5th
(Tennessee) Clerk Defends Self Against Would-Be Burglars
A convenience store employee shot into the parking lot to prevent two men from breaking into the business.
It happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday at the Almaville Market. It is off Interstate 24 in an unincorporated area of Rutherford County known as the Almaville community.
The incident was recorded by the store's surveillance system. After the men smashed a large rock through a window, a cook picked up a gun and started shooting.
The men thought no one was inside the business."I was scared, but I think anger took over," said Donna Blanks.
Blanks is a cook and arrives early to prepare meals for customers. She said she started to shout and shoot. "I scared them like they scared me. No quite as much. They got gone," she said.
No one was hurt. Sheriff's deputies told the woman she acted within her rights to shoot at the suspects as long as she was inside the store.
If anyone has any information about this crime, they should call Rutherford County Crime Stoppers at 893-STOP (7867).
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Columbine To Va. Tech To NIU: Gun-Free Zones Or Killing Fields?
Dear Readers,
I was not able to put together my regular posts this week. I saw this article and found that it made some very good points. Enjoy!
David
Carry always, pay attention, and be safe!
BY JOHN R. LOTT JR.
As Northern Illinois University restarts classes this week, one thing is clear: Six minutes proved too long.
It took six minutes before the police were able to enter the classroom that horrible Thursday, and in that short time five people were murdered, 16 wounded.
Six minutes is actually record-breaking speed for the police arriving at such an attack, but it was simply not fast enough. Still, the police were much faster than at the Virginia Tech attack last year.
The previous Thursday, five people were killed in the city council chambers in Kirkwood, Mo. There was even a police officer already there when the attack occurred.
But, as happens time after time in these attacks when uniformed police are there, the killers either wait for the police to leave the area or they are the first people killed. In Kirkwood, the police officer was killed immediately when the attack started. People cowered or were reduced to futilely throwing chairs at the killer.
Just like attacks last year at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb., the Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City and the recent attack at the Tinley Park Mall in Illinois, or all the public school attacks, they had one thing in common: They took place in "gun-free zones," where private citizens were not allowed to carry their guns with them.
The malls in Omaha and Salt Lake City were in states that let people carry concealed handguns, but private property owners are allowed to post signs that ban guns; those malls were among the few places in their states that chose such a ban.
In the Trolley Square attack, an off-duty police officer fortunately violated the ban and stopped the attack. The attack at Virginia Tech or the other public school attacks occur in some of the few areas within their states that people are not allowed to carry concealed handguns.
It is not just recent killings that are occurring in these gun-free zones. The Columbine High School shooting left 13 murdered in 1999; Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, had 23 who were fatally shot by a deranged man in 1991; and a McDonald's in Southern California had 21 people shot dead in 1984.
Nor are these horrible incidents limited to just gun-free zones in the U.S. In 1996, Martin Bryant killed 35 people in Port Arthur, Australia. In the last half-dozen years, European countries — including France, Germany and Switzerland — have experienced multiple-victim shootings. The worst in Germany resulted in 17 deaths; in Switzerland, one attack claimed the lives of 14 regional legislators.
At some point you would think the media would notice that something is going on here, that these murderers aren't just picking their targets at random. And this pattern isn't really too surprising. Most people understand that guns deter criminals.
If a killer were stalking your family, would you feel safer putting a sign out front announcing, "This home is a gun-free zone"? But that is what all these places did.
Even when attacks occur, having civilians with permitted concealed handguns limits the damage. A major factor in determining how many people are harmed by these killers is the amount of time that elapses between when the attack starts and someone is able to arrive on the scene with a gun.
In cases from the Colorado Springs church shooting last December, in which a parishioner who was given permission by the minister to carry her concealed gun into the church quickly stopped the murder, to an attack last year in downtown Memphis to the Appalachian Law School to high schools in such places as Pearl, Miss., concealed handgun permit holders have stopped attacks well before uniformed police could possibly have arrived. Just a few weeks ago, Israeli teachers stopped a terrorist attack at a school in their country.
Indeed, despite the fears being discussed about the risks of concealed handgun permit holders, I haven't found one of these multiple-victim public shootings where a permit holder has accidentally shot a bystander.
With about 5 million Americans currently with concealed handgun permits in the U.S., and with states starting to have right-to-carry laws for as long as 80 years, we have a lot of experience with these laws and one thing is very clear: Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding. Those who lose their permits for any gun-related violation are measured in the hundredths or thousandths of a percentage point.
We also have a lot of experience with permitted concealed handguns in schools. Prior to the 1995 Safe School Zone Act, states with right-to-carry laws let teachers or others carry concealed handguns at school. There is not a single instance that I or others have found where this produced a single problem.
Though in a minority, a number of universities — from large public schools such as Colorado State and the University of Utah to small private schools such as Hamline in Minnesota — let students carry concealed handguns on school property.
Many more schools, from Dartmouth College to Boise State University, let professors carry concealed handguns. Again, with no evidence of problems.
Few know that Dylan Klebold, one of the two Columbine killers, was closely following Colorado legislation that would have let citizens carry a concealed handgun. Klebold strongly opposed the legislation and openly talked about it.
No wonder, as the bill being debated would have allowed permitted guns to be carried on school property. It is quite a coincidence that he attacked Columbine High School the very day the legislature was scheduled to vote on the bill.
With all the media coverage of the types of guns used and how the criminal obtained the gun, at some point the news media might begin to mention the one common feature of these attacks: They keep occurring in gun-free zones.
Gun-free zones are a magnet for these attacks.
Lott is the author of "Freedomnomics" and a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland.
Monday, February 25, 2008
February 23rd
(Indiana) Police: Homeowner shot man in self defense
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Metro Police say a homeowner shot a man in self-defense outside his eastside home Saturday morning. But it's not the man's first time using a gun....
Metro Police were called by a homeowner, Richard Burns, who said he had just shot a man behind his Brookville Road home.
"Apparently he heard a noise outside, went outside to see what was going on, and related to the detectives that this individual came at him with a knife, and which time he fired a shot," IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson said.
Burns told detectives the man he shot was coming out of his car, perhaps trying to steal it.
The victim was hit in the chest and taken to Wishard Hospital in serious condition. While doctors work to save the victim's life, detectives work to figure out a complex case.
Police will determine if this shooting was indeed self-defense. What they'll also look at is the fact that Mr. Burns has been involved in two other shootings, this year alone.
February 23rd
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(Florida) 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.
February 22nd
A Dardanelle man is dead after he and an unidentified accomplice apparently broke into a residence off State Highway 22 near Dardanelle late Wednesday night, authorities said Thursday.
Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey confirmed one of the home’s occupants shot and killed Mike Jensen, 44, after Jensen and another man allegedly entered the residence by kicking in the front door.
Four people were inside the home at the time of the break-in, Gilkey said. Jensen — who after entering the home made his way down a hallway and was at the point of entering a bedroom when he was shot — was armed with an SKS assault rifle investigators later learned was not loaded, Gilkey said.
The other intruder fled the scene in a vehicle authorities recovered Thursday morning, Gilkey said, adding investigators were working to process the vehicle in hopes of learning the second man’s identity.
Gilkey said authorities do not expect any charges will be filed against the homeowner — who Gilkey said used “a shotgun” to deter Jensen — in connection with the matter.
He said the intruders’ motive was uncertain.“We’re just assuming that they came in there to rob the family,” he said.
February 19th
(Tennessee) Brighton neighbor runs to women's aid, shoots and kills attacker
A Brighton man shot and killed a 44-year-old registered sex offender who attacked two women in their home early this morning, officials said.
According to Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant, David Fleming charged into the home of two women at about 3 a.m.Fleming bound the women but one escaped and ran to a nearby home. Dunavant said Fleming, who lived in Munford, intended to rape the women. The woman who escaped went to the nearby home of Keith Ingram for help, Dunavant said.
Ingram, carrying a .40-caliber handgun, ran to the house and found Fleming attacking the other woman, officials said. When Fleming tried to attack Ingram, Dunavant said Ingram shot Fleming once.
Tipton County Sheriff’s deputies and Brighton Police officers found Fleming dead on the front porch of the home.
Fleming had been convicted of attempted rape in Tipton County. He’s listed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s sex-offender registry.
Dunavant said Ingram has no criminal record and has a permit to carry the handgun.
The women who were attacked were treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton.
TBI officials are assisting with the case. The Shelby County Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy. Investigators took statements from several witnesses today. The shooting is still under investigation.
February 19th
(Alabama) Burglary suspect shot as he flees
A 19-year-old man was shot in the back Sunday evening after he was caught rifling through an older model Chevrolet Caprice sitting in a Mobile auto body shop lot, police said. The wounded man apparently didn't find much in the car, and as he fled he lost his tennis shoes, said the business owner who shot the man. The teen was taken to the hospital, but another man with him escaped, police said.
It was the second incident over the weekend in which a man was shot while believed to be committing a crime.
On Saturday, one of two men allegedly forcing their way into a Midtown home was shot and killed by either his own gun or his partner's gun as a resident struggled to keep them out of the house, police said.
Unlike the home invader, the 19-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said.
Isaac Taylor said he was inside his business --Taylor Made Auto Shop on Halls Mill Road -- about 6:30 p.m. when he heard something outside. Taylor, 44, said he opened the door and surveyed a dark parking lot full of vehicles he had been hired to fix. He said he spotted a man sitting in the Caprice. There was another man moving around inside a black four-door Honda Civic, Taylor said Monday.
Taylor said he fired his .38-caliber pistol as the two men fled. He said he then caught and tackled the 19-year-old in the driveway that the auto shop shares with Aramark Uniform Services. "He told me his stomach was burning," Taylor said. "The way he had been running, I didn't think he had been shot." Taylor said he called 911 when he realized that the man was wounded.
Police declined to release the 19-year-old's name Monday. The man will be arrested and charged once he is released from the hospital, Gallichant said.Police will identify the man once investigators sign warrants against him, Gallichant said.
Taylor said he had seen the man he shot using his driveway as a short cut between Halls Mill and Navco roads. He said he didn't get a good look at the second man.
Usually no one is at the shop on Sundays, but Taylor said he was there trying to finish painting a Nissan Ultima. "I guess they thought no one was out here," he said. Taylor said he thought the men had rifled through several unlocked vehicles, but he didn't know if anything was taken. He is asking his customers whether anything is missing when they come to pick up their vehicles.
Taylor said he carries a gun because of previous robberies and burglaries. "I'm working hard every day," Taylor said Monday evening as he pulled tape off the door of the newly painted red Ultima.
In addition to the 19-year-old's tennis shoes, one of Taylor's employees found jumper cables lying in the parking lot Monday, he said.
"I hate to say this, but I kind of feel sorry for him," Taylor said.
Monday, February 18, 2008
February 15th
(Delaware) Liquor store owner shoots robbery suspect
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.
February 14th
(Texas) One Arrested In Home Burglary
Dallas police arrested one person in connection with a home burglary, but not at the crime location. In fact, no one was inside the home that SWAT police surrounded for hours Thursday afternoon.
It all started around 3 p.m. when a homeowner interrupted a burglary in progress in the 2800 block of W. 8th Street near Westmoreland Avenue. A neighbor had called him at work and told him three people were breaking into his house.
The armed homeowner, who says he has several other weapons and lots of ammunition at the house, arrived with his own weapon drawn and confronted the three intruders."He had a gun with him and fired a couple of rounds and he believes he struck one of them," said Sr. Cpl. Geraldo Monreal of the Dallas Police Department. "Two of the suspects fled. The third suspect ran back inside the house where he has barricaded himself inside the residence." Police threw tear gas into the home, but later discovered it to be empty.
They later found one person with gunshot wounds at Parkland Hospital and arrested him in connection with this crime. Two others are still on the run.
February 13th
(Texas) WWII vet sends armed burglar suspect to hospital
Police said one man is in the hospital after an elderly North Texas man took action into his own hands when confronted by two armed brothers inside his home Saturday night. Police said they believe the brothers went to 80-year-old James Pickett's home with the intent to rob him, and even possibly kill him. However, Pickett - a World War II veteran, former fighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee - wasn't about to let that happen.
It all began Saturday night when Pickett said he opened his door and two men barged inside."He just come through that door stabbing and beating," he said. However, Pickett said just before he went to answer the door, he had first placed a pistol into his pocket. "And he jumped and turned, and I shot him there," he said.
The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran, but didn't get far before calling an ambulance. One of the bullets just missed Paul Perry's spine. "He's my hero," said one neighbor of Pickett.
"Well, I ain't got no business being a hero, by no means," he said.
Both brothers face assault, burglary and robbery charges. Deputies assured Pickett they aren't likely to get out of jail anytime soon.
However, he didn't seem that worried anyhow."I think I'm a ten times better shot than he is," he said. "... But, they best not come back."
February 12th
(Michigan) Homeowner Shoots, Kills Invader
DETROIT -- A man was shot eight times and killed Monday night as he tried to rob a home on Detroit's east side, police said.Police said two men were trying to break into a home on the 5200 block of Kensington Avenue when the homeowner inside grabbed his pistol and fired.
One of the home invaders was killed and the other fled in a newer-model white Chevrolet Impala.The homeowner's mother was sleeping in the house at the time and was not harmed.
The homeowner is not expected to face charges.
February 12th
(South Carolina) Allsbroom man disarms would-be robber
Last Friday was an evening for break-ins in Loris, bringing victims to believe they might be related.
Bill Kaufmann, owner of The Sod Farm, was in bed like any other evening, when he heard a knock on his front door the evening of Jan. 25."They were waiting on us to shut our lights off," Kaufman said. Thinking it was his foreman, Ronnie Thompson, Kaufmann opened the door, only to find a man holding a knife and threatening to kill him.
Kaufmann, who used to train police officers, managed to get the knife away from the suspect, and get to his shotgun that he kept in his bedroom. "I could tell by the way he was holding the knife that he had never done this kind of thing before," Kaufmann said.
When the suspect saw the gun, he ran out of the house, just about the same time that three others suspects had broken a door down to get into the trailer Kaufmann uses for the Sod Farm's office. "They had to know where we kept the petty cash, because they went right for that drawer, but we had happened to move it, so they didn't get cash, just deposit slips," Kaufmann said.
The burglary took place just across U.S. 701 from another burglary that happened earlier that morning on Barrett St., where safe and other items had been stolen. Two suspects were arrested following that break-in.
While there have been no reports that the two are related, one of the suspects that was arrested for the Barrett St. burglary, is listed as a possible suspect on the police report for The Sod Farm break-in. Kaufmann believes that it was someone who worked for him previously because they knew exactly where the money was kept. "They had to know where we kept the money, we have some idea of who it could be," Kaufmann said.
As for now, Kaufmann said that they have upgraded their security system at their home and office, and hope that it will keep them safe in the future. "It was a wake up call to us, we though the deadbolts would be enough, and it wasn't," he said. "It was quite an alarming experience," He said.
Kaufmann, who said that he could have shot the suspect, but didn't, said that people in the area need to know what is happening so they can protect themselves as well.
"People need to know that these kids are going around, busting in on people, the next person might shoot them," Kaufmann said.
