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.

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

(Tennessee) Memphis Car Burglar Shot by Vehicle’s Owner and Held at Gunpoint

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."

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.

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.