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.

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.

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

(Ohio) 85-year-old opens fire on thugs

Raleigh Hensley's trip to "town" Tuesday ended with men taking his wallet with $5,500 and roughing him up, but the 85-year-old didn't give up his money without a fight and even shot at the fleeing car.

Butler County Sheriff's detectives announced today, March 27, they have the culprits, both of Hamilton, behind bars who allegedly robbed Hensley. They are Timothy Alfred, 44, of Millville Ave., charged with robbery and Mark Collins, 45, of Sunset Drive, charged with complicity to robbery.

Hensley, who has lived on Darrtown Road more than 50 years, said he went to Hamilton Tuesday afternoon, March 26, and stopped by a west side liquor store to purchase a "jug of wine." "There were three or four guys around there," Hensley said. "They saw me pay with the money in my billfold. I tripped on the way out and one of them helped me up and asked if he could take me home." Hensley laughed and told them he wasn't drinking and didn't need any help. But the men apparently wanted to help themselves to his cash — all $5,500 of it.

"I didn't notice them following me home," Hensley said. "When I got out to get the mail, the red car sort of blocked me and they shoved me, trying to get my billfold. I told them, 'you ain't going to get it.'"

Eventually, the men were able to swipe the wallet and jumped back in the car speeding away toward McGonigle, Hensley said "I got my gun and shot a couple times at the tires," Hensley said. He added he has been told him today he may have hit his mark. Butler County Detective Jason Rosser said a car believed to have been driven by the culprits has been located and is being processed.

Hensley also tried to follow the getaway car, but lost them."I've never had any type of problem out here," Hensley said. "Still don't. They followed me home."

He added he usually does not carry thousands in cash, but had plans for the money they stole.

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.

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."