January 25th

(Georiga) Wheelchair-bound Man Shoots Attacker

A homeowner who is confined to a wheelchair shot and wounded a man who confronted him on his door step, Atlanta police told 11Alive News.

The homeowner was on his way out of his house on Flat Shoals Avenue Friday morning when he ran into a man at his door. The homeowner asked the man to leave, but the man started to assault the homeowner, authorities said.

During a struggle, the homeowner grabbed a gun and shot the attacker in the arm and chest.

The suspect was taken to the hospital. His condition was not known. The homeowner was not injured.

January 22nd

(Alabama) Suspect, Victim Shot in Apparent Home Invasion

Witnesses say three men kicked down the door to a Montgomery man's home and only two made it out without being shot.

Montgomery police responded to the shooting in the 2700 block of Cherry Street around 6:30 Monday evening and found 22-year-old Tavaris Trammer lying on the floor with gunshot wounds to the neck and leg. The resident was also shot in the arm.

According to MPD spokesman Captain Huey Thornton witnesses reported that three men kicked in the door, attempted to rob the resident and then shot him in the arm. The resident then used a 9mm handgun and shot Mr. Trammer in the neck and leg.

The other two suspects fled the scene, one ran out the front door and the other jumped out a window.

Trammer was taken to Jackson Hospital where he is in serious but stable condition. Doctors say he may be paralyzed from the neck down.The resident was also treated for his wounds.

Meanwhile, a Robbery 1st Degree warrant has been issued against Trammer.

January 22nd

(Colorado) Teen Says He Didn't Hesitate To Shoot Armed Robbers

A Fountain teenager who woke up to the sounds of robbers in his home said that he didn't hesitate to shoot the men before they took off with his flat screen television.

Fountain police spokesman Sgt. Jess Freeman said the suspects are currently hospitalized for treatment of gunshot wounds. Their names have not been released.

Cody Buckler, 19, said he was asleep at about 11 p.m. Sunday when he heard unfamiliar voices in the living room. He told authorities he overheard someone tell a child in the house that they were a police officer, so Buckler crept down the hall and saw two men who were wearing masks, hats and gloves.

Buckler then went back to his bedroom, grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and shot one of the men as the man carried out Buckler's flat-screen TV. He then shot the second man as the man came up the stairs toward him.

Both men escaped but were apprehended at a nearby hospital by police. They both had semiautomatic handguns, according to police.

Buckler's girlfriend, her young daughter and two other children live in the home.

Police said they don't plan to file charges against Buckler at this point because the shooting appears to be covered by Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows a homeowner to use deadly force if they believe lives are in danger.

January 22nd

(Missouri) Unwelcome visitor: Bentleys briefly host invading coyote

Authorities on the subject say that coyotes avoid human contact. On their Web site, Missouri Department of Conservation says, "Typically shy, elusive animals, coyotes don't normally pose a threat to humans. Most people who live in areas of high coyote populations rarely see one." Apparently, the coyote that invaded the home of Lloyd and Rosamae Bentley in late December doesn't own a computer.

The Bentleys were enjoying a quiet evening at home when Lloyd heard a thump on the wall outside the front window. Then his two dogs started barking. One of the dogs is part husky, the other a beagle. Bentley said the beagle is "a little dog, but he barks big." When Bentley opened the front door, he spotted a coyote lurking between the bushes and the window. Accompanied by a chorus of barking and yelping from the two dogs, he went back into the house to get a broom, hoping to shoo the coyote away. By the time he got back outside, the dogs had cornered the animal on the porch. Realizing the broom wouldn't be of much use, Bentley went back inside the house to get his shotgun.

When he opened the door again, the by-now panicked coyote quickly slipped past him into the living room, and, spotting the fireplace, tried to take cover inside it. Unfortunately for the coyote, the fireplace is screened.

After that, the situation rapidly deteriorated into chaos. As his wife blocked the coyote's access to the rest of the house, Bentley went after it, opening the living room door in the vain hope the intruder would run for safety, but that didn't work, either. "He wouldn't have none of that," Bentley said.

With the coyote now cowering behind a chair in the living room, Bentley grabbed a fireplace poker and took a mighty whack at the animal, but, he said, "He didn't go down." Wielding a larger poker, Bentley finally connected, but still, "He wouldn't go down." It took another blow or two, resulting in a bent poker, to finally stun the coyote to the point where Bentley could handle it.

He was eventually able to drag the mangy-looking animal outside, where he shot it.

January 21st

(Florida) 'Sweetest, kindest gentleman' shoots suspect

A white-haired 85-year-old man, rushing to his son's defense, shot and wounded a would-be car thief Monday morning in Little Havana, Miami police said.

The suspect, Norberto Fernandez, 29, had been trying to steal Jorge Jauregui's white Honda Accord in front of his house, 1368 SW 14th St.Jorge Jauregui, 50, armed with a handgun, ordered Fernandez out of the car, police said. ''I don't care,'' responded the alleged thief, according to Miami police spokesman William Moreno. The two engaged in a ''vicious fight,'' Moreno said.

Then his father, Florentino Jauregui, also armed, rushed out of the house and ''fearing his grandson was being overpowered,'' shot and wounded Fernandez, Moreno said.

The shooting could be ruled justified under Florida's self-defense law.''He was not protecting property but was protecting bodily injury to his own grandson. The investigation is preliminary but it appears he might be covered under that law,'' Moreno said.

Fernandez, a felon with a long criminal history, was charged later Monday with burglary to a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and battery, police said. He was also fingered as the man who robbed a woman of her purse a few blocks away earlier in the morning, police said. In that case, he was charged with strong-armed robbery. Investigators believe he had escaped in a stolen white Toyota, which was later found nearby with a nail in the tire. He may have been trying to steal another car when confronted by the Jauregui family.

Fernandez was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition, Moreno said.A neighbor, Laura George, called grandfather Florentino Jauregui ``the sweetest, kindest gentleman in the neighborhood.''

The shooting happened about 9 a.m. in the 1300 block of Southwest 14th Street, only blocks from where another elderly resident, former 1930s Cuban track star Marta Suarez, helped police nab a purse snatcher in September. Wearing designer sneakers, the 85-year-old Suarez chased the man into the path of a police cruiser. She got her purse back. He went to jail. Suarez, still wearing the same Coach sneakers, wandered by the crime scene Monday after the latest confrontation between age and youth.

January 18th

(Florida) Orlando victim turns gun on 4 robbers

An armed citizen surprised four men who robbed him at gunpoint last week.

After being ordered to his knees, Russel Olofson warned the men that "they should think about it," according to an Orlando police report released this week. A private investigator with military training, Olofson, 24, told police the robbers snatched his cell phone and a wallet containing his concealed-weapon permit shortly before 10 p.m. Friday outside Ridge Club Apartments.

After the robbers took his items, Olofson stood up, drew his Springfield XD sub-compact 9 mm handgun "and fired two rounds toward male #1 with the silver handgun, possibly striking him," the report states. "Males #2, #3, and #4 then ran southeast . . . and male #1 ran northeast . . ."A search by police quickly turned up a pistol likely used in the holdup, the report said. The .45-caliber Ruger pistol and clothing believed to have been worn by male 1 were found in the backyard of a home on Alrix Drive, reports state.

The serial numbers on the pistol had been scratched off, a common sign the weapon may have been stolen.The cell phone and wallet were not recovered. The wallet contained an Iraq Embassy badge, an Army contractor's ID card, Olofson's drivers license and a credit card. Anyone who finds the wallet or knows the identities of the robbers is asked to call Crimeline at 407-423-8477.Olofson, who had been conducting an investigation for Briggs Corp. Solutions, was not injured.

A check by police of area hospitals did not find any reports of patients treated for gunshot wounds.

January 16th

(New York) Deli Owner Shoots Alleged Robber

Thirty year old Shaun Ford allegedly went into the West Side Market on Carolina Street in Buffalo with a shotgun and a mask. His get away car with license plate partially covered was waiting outside. Police say he pointed a gun at the owner and got more than he bargained for. The owner had a gun too. "He relaxed like he was going to cooperate and then when the guy raised the gun again at him, he believed it's time to shoot, otherwise he was going to be shot at." said Buffalo Police Lt. David Stabler.

"I never felt uncomfortable in there before. Now, I don't know if I want to go back in there." said Kristy Taylor. She lives right next door and visit that store daily. She describes the owner as a kind person. "He's a sweet heart. He's very personable. I'm just glad that nothing happened to him." she said.

"Verbal testimony can be skewed. Things can be forgotten. The video is going to tell us everything." said Lt. Stabler. Charges are not being filed against the owner, but police are thoroughly investigating the shooting.

The owner was unharmed. As for the alleged robber, he left, not in his get away car, but in an ambulance after being hit at least once in the leg. He was transported to ECMC, and is expected to survive. "I think anybody has a right to self defense. Of course, we don't encourage vigilantism, but these store owners or anybody else has the right be safe." said Lt. Stabler.

January 15th

(New York) Pizzeria owner on Clinton fires shot, thwarting two robbers

The 78-year-old owner of a Clinton Street pizzeria averted a robbery Monday night when he fired a single warning shot, prompting two robbers to run away, police reported.

The attempted robbery took place inside Bocce Club Pizzeria, 630 Clinton, at about 7:40 p.m. when two men entered his business and one pointed a handgun at the owner, according to Ferry-Fillmore District Police. The owner retaliated by pulling out his own gun and firing a single shot through the pizzeria's plexiglass, which scared off the thieves, police said.

This is the second time this month that robbers have targeted this pizzeria. On Jan. 2, the owner was confronted at about 7 p.m. by two men who entered his business and one of the men pulled out a black semiautomatic pistol and demanded money from the cash register. During that incident, the men fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

January 10th

(Florida) Man kills attacking pit bull

A Tamarac man shot and killed a pit bull named Trouble after the dog escaped from its nearby home and attacked him on Thursday.

Here is what happened, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office: Around 5:20 p.m. Trouble broke through a screen on the rear patio at a home on the 4500 block of Northwest 16th Way. Children playing nearby screamed, ``Trouble is out.'' Hearing the commotion, Paulo Jean, 35, stepped outside his home next door. Trouble attacked him, biting his buttocks and both arms. Jean pulled a .380 semiautomatic handgun from his pants pocket and fired three shots.Trouble died at the scene.

Jean was taken to Broward General Medical Center with serious injuries.

Broward County Animal Care and Regulation removed the dead dog and took another dog that also got loose from the same residence. The dogs' owner was not at home when the attack occurred. Jean had a valid concealed weapons permit.

January 10th

(Indiana) 911 Tape Captures Horror Before Fatal Shooting

Police in Northwest Indiana have released the audio tape of an emergency call for help.

A woman was reportedly watching TV when she heard a window breaking in her home and called 911. She then hid in a closet, armed with a gun.

The tape captures the woman struggling with a man, repeatedly saying, "Stop it. Stop it."T he woman eventually shot and killed the intruder.

Police said she will not face charges, because she acted in self defense.

Click here to listen to all of the chilling 911 call

January 9th

(North Carolina) Pizza man shoots robbery suspect

CHARLOTTE -- A pizza delivery man fought back after an attempted robbery late Tuesday night in east Charlotte.Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say the man was delivering pizza around 9 p.m. to an address at the Greenbrier apartments off Sharon Amity Road, near Eastland Mall.
When the customer tried to rob him, police say the delivery man fired shots then reported the incident. The victim was lying on the grass when police and paramedics arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

This marks the fourth homicide in Charlotte through the first eight days of the year. “Only eight days into the year and already this is our fourth homicide," said CMPD Officer Bob Fey. "It’s troubling and it’s definitely a concern."

Police have not said if the delivery man will face charges. They have not released the name of the person killed at this time.

January 8th

(California) El Dorado DA identifies dead suspect; hails gun-wielding neighbor

The El Dorado County District Attorney's Office has identified the 33-year-old man who the DA said was responsible for Sunday's stabbing rampage which left one man dead and one man wounded as Behnam Pazoki.Pazoki, who family members described as mentally ill, was visiting relatives in El Dorado Hills on Sunday when he grabbed a kitchen knife and chased terrified relatives into the street.

During the rampage, which occurred on the 1000 block of Venezia Drive, Pazoki stabbed Vahid Seyedin, 47, the owner of the home he was staying at, and killed his uncle Ahmad Pazeky, 58, according the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

Pazoki was ultimately shot by a neighbor, Shahin Kohan, 47, who witnessed the attack and came to the family's aid armed with a handgun, sheriffs said. In a press release issued today, the district attorney's office said that after Kohan warned Pazoki to stop, Pazoki turned his attention to him and other neighbors that had gathered around watching the horror unfold.

"Mr. Kohan's actions directly prevented other people and himself from being seriously injured or killed," the release said.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson called Kohan's actions heroic in the release.""All too often the term hero is applied to situations where it is inappropriate...," Pierson said in the release. "Mr. Kohan was a bystander whose quick action, done at great risk to him, likely saved lives and certainly prevented additional injuries. Mr. Kohan, by any definition, is in fact a hero."

Sheriff's Deputies briefly detained Kohan on murder charges following the incident, but quickly released him after the facts of the case were reviewed.

January 8th

(South Dakota) 80-year-old woman shoots mountain lion in her yard

Eighty-year-old Martha Smith admits she was a little nervous when she walked out of her house to shoot a mountain lion snarling at her in her ranch house yard.

It was about 4:30 p.m. last Thursday and the light was already fading when she heard her dog barking outside her house south of Fairburn. Smith looked outside and saw a mountain lion in her garden. Worried about the dog’s safety, she grabbed her .22 rifle, walked outside and took a shot at the lion but missed.

She went back inside and called 911 but the dispatcher had trouble finding someone from Game, Fish & Parks.So Smith, who learned to shoot as a girl on the family ranch, grabbed the rifle again, went back outside and walked to within about 20 feet of the mountain lion. She said she was a little nervous. “I didn’t know whether I had a small one or a big one,” Smith said. All I could see was three feet of tail and it was snarling and spitting at me.”

Smith aimed for the cat’s chest where she figured its heart would be and fired. The cat jumped up, ran a short distance and dropped dead.

A GF&P staffer showed up a few hours later and measured the cat, a 90-pound male. Smith said she was worried whether the young lion’s mother was around. But the young cat had been fitted with a collar, so GF&P was able to track its mother, which had been shot by a hunter.

“Thank God he was little because I don’t think my .22 would have killed the big one, Smith said. She says she always keeps her .22 rifle loaded. “What good’s a gun if it’s not loaded?”

January 6th

(Texas) Video captures home invasion attempt

GLENN HEIGHTS - An attempted break-in early Sunday morning led to a terrifying and unexpected wake up call for a woman in Glenn Heights.

While four men failed to break into Carrie Shannon's home on Brentwood Street, their attempt was captured on surveillance video.

Shannon was home alone when the men tried to kick in her door around 4:35 a.m.
"I immediately jumped up," she said of when she heard the loud kicking.
After hearing the men, Shannon said she got out of bed and called police on her cell phone.
"I grabbed my handgun and I proceeded right to the back, because as soon as I saw a shadow, I was going to go ahead and start shooting," she said.

After several kicks, the men gave up and took off.

"I just want to be safe here in my own home," Shannon said. "That's it. That's all I want."

Signs of the attempted home invasion were everywhere in the form of broken glass, damage to the door and a broken lock.
Shannon's home security camera didn't miss a beat either. It even caught one of the men cutting the phone line. The video was turned over to police.

January 1st

(Massachusetts) Alleged bank robber didn't notice police

A man passed a note to a bank teller yesterday in a Dorchester bank, demanding large bills and no "funny money," police said.

Little did he know, Officer Kamau Pritchard was standing right behind him, in uniform, about to pull out his service weapon and place the man under arrest.

"He doesn't realize I'm behind him," said Pritchard, 30, who has worked two years for the Boston Police Department. "He's focused on actually getting the money."

Adam Grennan, 39, of Hull, is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Dorchester District Court on a charge of unarmed bank robbery.

Grennan drew immediate suspicion when he entered Mt. Washington Bank at 489 Gallivan Blvd. at about 10:44 a.m., wearing large white gloves, an oversized hooded parka, and a scarf that covered his face, Pritchard said.

Pritchard, who was working a paid security detail at the bank, had stepped away from the lobby to drink a cup of tea in a back office. But he could see Grennan walk in through surveillance monitors in the office.

At the same time, an assistant manager started banging on the office door, warning Pritchard that a suspicious character looked like he was about to attempt a robbery. Eight bank employees became nervous, Pritchard said.

By the time Pritchard came back to the lobby, Grennan had allegedly passed the note. The teller stalled, before handing over a stack of bills, Pritchard said. "Then [the teller] starts saying, 'He's trying to rob me.' "

As Grennan turned around, Pritchard had his gun drawn and arrested him. The bank was closed for several hours as officers flooded the scene. Grennan was searched but was unarmed, according to the police report.

The incident was among three attempted bank robberies around Boston yesterday, police said. Suspects fled before police could arrest them in the two other cases, police said.

January 6th

(Michigan) Elderly Man Shoots Home Intruder

An 82-year-old man on Detroit's northwest side shot and severely wounded an intruder who walked into his Collingwood Street home Sunday afternoon.

Police said that the intruder, a 44-year-old man from Redford, was visiting friends in the neighborhood when he entered the home of Thomas Jackson, 82, and his wife. Jackson grabbed his gun and shot the intruder.

Police are investigating why the man had entered the home, but a friend told Local 4 that the intruder has a history of mental illness "What he does, he's been known to go into people's houses and just sit down," said friend Charles Smith."He don't know where he is. He'll go into people's cars and sit down, you know, follow strangers down the street."

The intruder was listed in critical condition at Henry Ford Hospital Sunday evening.

January 5th

(Pennsylvania) Robber, store manager trade gunshots

Gunfire rang out during a Friday night robbery at the Mangat Mini Market on West Orange Street, but nobody was struck or injured, according to city police and the store's manager.

The manager, David Mangat, and a fleeing robber fired a shot each with their handguns after the robber grabbed some cash. The two were only about 10 feet apart, but neither man was hit. "He started shooting, and I started shooting at him," said Mangat, who has a concealed weapons permit.

Mangat, 23, of Lancaster, said he was behind the counter of the market at 629 W. Orange St. when a man wearing a long dark coat entered the store at about 11:45 p.m. "He reached under his coat and came out with a handgun. Then he told me to put the money in the bag," said Mangat." I started talking to him. I wanted to create a diversion so I could get to my gun," said Mangat. "I asked him if he wanted more money. He said 'yes,"' That gave Mangat the chance to reach into the area where he kept his weapon. The manager came up holding his own handgun instead of more bills. When the robber saw the gun, he turned and started running toward the door. But before leaving the store, he turned and fired one round that struck a wall inside the store, Mangat and police said.

Mangat said he fired one shot at the robber, but missed. Mangat said he did not know which direction the robber fled nor how much money was stolen.

A report of a "robbery with shots fired" sent police rushing to the store, which is where Marietta Avenue splits off from West Orange Street.

January 2nd

(Indiana) Armed customer thwarts grocery robbery

A 51-year-old man stopped a masked man from robbing a Southside grocery store and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.

Charlie Merrell was in checkout line at Bucks IGA Supermarket, 3015 S. Meridian St., when a masked man jumped a nearby counter and held a gun on a store employee at 5:17 p.m. Monday, according to a police report made public today.

While the suspect was demanding cash from the workers, the police report states that Merrell pulled his own handgun, pointed it at the robber and ordered him to put down his weapon. When the suspect hesitated, Merrell racked the slide on his gun to load a round in the chamber, Officer Jason Bockting wrote in the report. The suspect placed his gun and a bag of cash on the counter, dropping some of the money, police said. The suspect removed his mask and lay on the floor.

Merrell held the suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived and took him away in handcuffs. Merrell had a valid permit to carry the handgun, police said.

Police recovered an unloaded .380-caliber handgun from the suspect and $779 in cash, according to the report.

Dwain Smith, 19, was arrested on initial charges of robbery, criminal confinement, pointing a firearm, battery and carrying a handgun without a license. Smith remained held this morning in the Marion County Jail with bond set at $30,000, records show.

January 2nd

(Tennessee) Sullivan County homeowner holds burglar at gunpoint

According to a press release from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, a resident of Ambrosia Drive was awakened about 4 a.m. Tuesday by his dog's barking. When the homeowner went to investigate, armed with a gun, he found a man going through items in his utility room. He held the burglar at gunpoint until officers arrived.

Jacob D. Brehm, 25, 314 Sonnett Court, is charged with aggravated burglary, held at the Sullivan County Correctional Facility. Police say Brehm entered the Ambrosia Drive home through a dog-door.

January 2nd

(Texas) San Antonio road rage killing deemed self-defense

In an apparent case of road rage, a motorist shot a driver to death who threatened him with a baseball bat. Police said that the shooting just after midnight on New Year's Day appeared to be in self-defense, so they didn't plan to charge 24-year-old Brian Correa.

"It was apparent to us that he was defending himself," said police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino, who added that the shooter had a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Correa shot the 24-year-old driver three times with a handgun, a police report said. The Bexar County medical examiner's office identified the deceased driver as Tomas Garza.

Correa and several witnesses quoted in the report said that Garza had maneuvered his Mitsubishi Lancer behind Correa's Chevrolet Camaro around 1 a.m. Tuesday and began driving aggressively, trying to hit the Camaro. When the cars came to a stop at a traffic light, Garza got out and hit the Camaro several times with the bat, according to the police report. Correa told Garza to stop, but Garza began toward him so Correa fired at him, according to the report.

Witnesses corroborated Correa's account with police."I'm still really shaken up. I don't really want to talk about it at all," Correa told a reporter with the San Antonio Express-News when contacted at his home.

January 1st

(Mississippi) Teen kills intruder in county's 1st homicide of the year

A teen shot and killed a home intruder Sunday night, stopping a theft in progress and sending the intruder's accomplices scurrying, said Sheriff Martin Pace.

Found dead in front of a mobile home in South Warren County was Jonathan Bruce, 21, 3341 Sunnybrook Drive in Jackson, said Coroner Doug Huskey. Bruce had been shot once with a .410 shotgun and had stumbled out of the mobile home, Pace said. The teen, who was not identified, was not arrested or charged.

Pace said details of the investigation will be presented to the district attorney, but it appeared the shooting -- Warren County's first homicide of the year -- will be deemed justifiable. Pace said the adults who lived in the home where Bruce was shot made a living as street vendors.

He said Bruce and two other men had forced their way into the mobile home at 25 Red Oak Drive about 7 p.m. after inquiring about purchasing shoes. The teen and several other juveniles were alone when the trio entered. Pace said after the men got inside, they started "loading up merchandise" until the teen got a shotgun and fired it at Bruce, who had a handgun in his pocket. After being shot, Bruce turned and walked out onto the lawn, where he was found when deputies arrived. The other men fled in a sedan.

Pace said Warren County officers were working with counterparts in the Jackson Police Department to identify Bruce's companions, said to have been in a white sedan without a tag.

The City of Vicksburg recorded 10 homicides in 2007. Until the next-to-the-last night of the year, Warren County outside Vicksburg had recorded none.