More Civilian Defensive Gun Uses



This is apparently from Licking County, Ohio, sometime in early November:

James R. Dennis Jr., also known as James L. Dennis, 33, of 1680 Lakeview Drive, Apt. F, was charged with one count of burglary, a fourth-degree felony.

In the course of responding to a burglary in progress on Saturday, Newark police found Dennis Jr. at a residence in the 100 block of West Greer Drive, according to court records. The homeowner had Dennis Jr. pinned to the floor and was holding a gun on him, records stated. Dennis Jr. allegedly gained entry through the residence through an unlocked breezeway, records stated.

This one from Greensboro, North Carolina, at first sounds a little uncertain--until you get a little deeper into the article:

GREENSBORO -- Thomas Earl Alston told police he was watching television with his girlfriend Thursday night when there was a knock on the door.



The man at the door -- 28-year-old Chester Kendale Lane -- asked Alston, 32, for a ride, then pulled a handgun, Alston told Greensboro police. The pair, who apparently didn't know each other, wound up exchanging gunfire about 9:15 p.m. outside Alston's apartment at 1008-E Rucker St., Greensboro police Sgt. Jane Allen said.



Neighbors in Brevard Park heard eight to 10 gunshots. Lane dropped to the sidewalk, with two gunshot wounds, one to the chest and another in the right thigh, said Dr. Thomas Owens of the state medical examiner's office. Lane, who has Randolph County ties but whose address is unknown, died minutes later at Moses Cone Hospital.



The investigation continues and no charges have been filed while police investigate Alston's claims of self-defense. Allen said once the investigation is completed -- she's not sure how long that will take -- the case will be presented to the district attorney, who will decide if charges should be filed.



...



Police are checking to see if Lane was involved in a breaking and entering of a nearby house minutes before the fatal shooting. Officers had been called to the Brevard Park neighborhood and heard gunfire when they were taking a report of a man who broke into a house at 3939-A McIntosh St. and shot at two female residents as they ran off to call police.

Here's a shooting that happened almost a year ago in Tift County, Georgia, and was prosecuted as four felony assault charges--but the jury just ruled that it was self-defense.

When the gunfire stopped, Matthew Bowen, Matt Tays, Jerry Young and Phuong Luong were shot, but all still alive.



Emergency workers race to the scene, not sure exactly what happened. Emergency worker: "At least three people shot. They said he just pulled out a gun and started shooting out there."



...



Then comes a call from Bobby's mother Patricia Sanderson. The 17-year- old boy with the gun went straight home. And from the beginning, to his mother, this was clearly self defense. "The boys tried jumping on my son. He said 'Mamma, five to eight guys just jumped on me.' His face was bloody and he was in shock."



But self defense is not the way the District Attorney viewed the case. Bobby Sanderson was jailed and charged with four felony assaults. Sanderson never denied the shootings, but claimed self defense.



And that's the matter a Tift County Jury was forced to decide in a criminal trial. Was it Assault or Self-Defense? The jury heard both sides of the story.



...



The shooting victims in this case say Sanderson had time to escape, but the jury agreed with Sanderson. After 90 minutes of deliberations they said it was not assault. It was self defense.



Why did the jury aquitt Sanderson on all felony counts? One juror, who wanted to remain anonymous, said it was a unanimous vote.



They felt Sanderson had the right to protect himself, he was outnumbered in the fight.

Sanderson was, however, convicted of being a minor in possession of a handgun.)



Here's a repeat self-defender from Tampa, Florida:

Late Thursday night, the 63-year-old victim of an attempted carjacking pulled a .357-caliber Magnum on his assailant and fired, critically wounding him, officials said.



The victim of the attempted carjacking, Benjamin Lee Tate, is no stranger to intruders at Engine Rebuild Specialists, 6214 E. Columbus Drive, his east Tampa business. Tate's forceful retaliation Thursday was his third in three years, Tampa police Capt. Bob Guidara said.



Tate shot two burglars - one in 2000 and another in February, Guidara said. Both suspects survived. No charges have been filed against Tate, whose business is in a high- crime area in east Tampa, Guidara said.



``He definitely hasn't had much luck, being targeted as many times as he has,'' Guidara said.



``I'm not looking for trouble,'' Tate said.



``I'm just here doing my job.''



Police said Tate was changing oil in a car at the shop about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when a man approached.



With his hand behind him as though he had a gun, the man said he would shoot Tate if he didn't hand over car keys and cash, police said. Tate shot him instead.



Michael E. Garner, a 31- year-old roofer who has a prison record for theft and drug convictions, was taken to Tampa General Hospital, police said.

Here's a case from Beaumont, Texas, at the end of October:

Thursday night around 11:30 p.m., officers were called to a home in the 4000 block of Woodlawn in reference to a home invasion robbery. The two residents of the home were not injured. The female inside the home told police she heard a knock at the back door. After several attempts to see and hear who was outside, the female cracked the door open. The door was forced open by two black male suspects who were armed with handguns. The female was forced to the floor by one of the men. He placed the gun to her head and demanded her purse. She was able to crawl down the hallway and yell for her husband. Her husband opened the bedroom door, and saw what was going on. He retrieved a 12 gauge shotgun and exited the bedroom. When the suspects saw the shotgun THEY RAN OUT THE BACK DOOR. After the husband locked the door, he thought that he saw someone back at the door through the window. Thinking that the attackers had returned, he fired one round at the window. No one was injured. The suspects were able to get away.

Just keep telling yourself: civilians very seldom use guns for self-defense!



Thanks to Dan Gifford for the links.