Story Of The Month May 31st

(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.

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.