Durham, North Carolina



From AP via Raleigh's WNCN (nbc17.com) of February 27, 2004:

Defendant Invokes Defense Of Habitation Statute



A man who says he shot a man while defending his apartment against intruders has been found not guilty of murder.



Officials say the case has brought the little-known "defense of habitation" statute into play for perhaps the first time in Durham.



Kennis Thaxton shot 18-year-old Abdullah Ali Helms twice in the back in June 2002, killing the teenager. He says Helms and another man barged into his apartment and that he thought Helms was going for a gun.



The defense of habitation statute says homeowners may use any degree of force to prevent an illegal intrusion into their residences or to oust an intruder. But homeowners have to fear for their physical well-being or believe the intruder will commit a felony.



The statute differs from the self-defense law. That one allows people to use "reasonable," but not excessive, force to protect themselves.

Chattanooga, Tennessee



From the Chattanoogan of February 26, 2004:

Home Invasion Leads To Gunfire



A home invasion on Dorris Street led to gunfire when the homeowner came out of a bedroom with a handgun.



Police said Willie Hall was in a bedroom asleep with his girlfriend, Jillian Phillips, when they heard a loud noise at the kitchen door. He grabbed his gun and went toward the kitchen, when he came face to face with two black males. One was holding two black revolvers.



When the pair saw the homeowner's gun, they ran out the kitchen door they had just kicked in.



Police said Mr. Hall followed them outside and gunfire was exchanged before they got away. A third person was seen running away with them.

Jacksonville, Florida



From the Jacksonville Times-Union of December 8, 2003:

(Scroll down)

Employees foil robbery



Two gunmen trying to rob an East Jacksonville tire shop were scared off by a 16-year-old store employee pointing a shotgun, according to a police report.



The failed holdup at Toliver Tires, 2313 Phoenix Ave., was reported to police about 7:40 p.m. Saturday. Two store employees said they spotted the robbers walking up to the business wearing black masks and carrying handguns.



The robbers pointed their pistols and demanded the shop's money, but one of the employees already had grabbed a shotgun from the shop's office. After a standoff that lasted about 30 seconds, the robbers left empty-handed, the police report said. No arrests have been made.

Hendersonville, North Carolina



From the Hendersonville Times-News of December 28, 2003

Domestic dispute turns violent



A 34-year-old man was shot in the leg Saturday morning after he broke into his ex-wife's house and hit her in the face, Henderson County Sheriff's Department officials said..



The man, who has not been identified, broke into the house at 181 Willow Bend at about 11 a.m. after making harassing phone calls to the residence, said Lt. Tim Gordon. The man entered the two-story Beechwood Lakes home, uninvited, through an unlocked front door, he said.



As the man's ex-wife was dialing 911, the man hit her in the face and knocked the phone from her hand, Gordon said. Another man living at the home shot the ex-husband in the left leg, above the knee, with a 30-30 rifle, he said.



The injured man was transported by helicopter to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he later underwent surgery, Gordon said. When emergency workers arrived at the scene, the man was conscious and alert, but bleeding profusely, he said.



The injury was "very serious," Gordon said. No other serious injuries were reported, he said.



The shooting was "clear cut self-defense," Gordon said. The man and his ex-wife had a history of domestic problems, he said.



Sheriff's deputies had responded to the home numerous time prior to the shooting and had provided extra security there several times, Gordon said. A court order was filed in May that prohibited the man from being at the house or having any contact with its residents, he said.

Followup, January 14, 2004

A Henderson County man who was shot in the leg last month during a domestic dispute was arrested Tuesday in connection with the incident.



Thomas Hamilton Lindsey, 34, of 1225 Cane Creek Road, faces one felony and seven misdemeanor charges after he was shot Dec. 27 in the home of his ex-wife in the Beechwood Lakes subdivision off Brookside Camp Road.

Middletown, Pennsylvania



From the Bucks County Courier Times of February 25, 2004:

(Scroll down)

Senior citizen pulls gun on knife-wielding robber



A senior citizen using the men's room yesterday at a popular Middletown eatery was approached by a would-be robber waving a knife. The potential victim responded by pulling out his own weapon - a handgun.



A thin, white male between 25 and 30 years old tried to rob the 68-year-old Langhorne man about 9:30 a.m. at the Great American Diner and Pub, 1201 E. Lincoln Highway, Middletown Sgt. Ken Mellus said.



The Langhorne man is licensed to carry the gun, police said. No shots were fired and the suspect fled.

Houston, Texas



From the Houston Chronicle of February 24, 2004:

Homeowner shoots intruder who flees, then dies



Police say a southeast Houston homeowner shot an armed intruder who'd broken into his house overnight, but no realized the suspect died until a neighbor found the body a block away this morning.



The incident happened in the Sagemont Park subdivision, off Fuqua and Sabo, a subdivision with neatly trimmed lawns and many homes with alarm system signs.



Around 10:15 p.m., three intruders barged into the home in the 10400 Kirklane and tried to rob the homeowner of his car.



The homeowner started shooting and the intruders scattered, police said.



Police searched the neighborhood, but the intruders were believed to have gotten away. Around 8:15 a.m., however, a resident one block away in the 10400 Kirkshire found what is believed to be one of the gunmen's body on a walkway next to his home, shot three times in the chest. A ski mask was next to his body, Houston Police Homicide Sgt. Jim Binford said.



Outside the home that the intruders tried to rob, police recovered an AK-47 covered with blood that one of the gunmen is believed to have dropped.



The slain gunman has not been identified. His friends fled in a turquoise Dodge Durango, police said.

Knoxville, Tennessee



From the Knoxville News Sentinel of February 24, 2004:

An armed robbery went awry this morning when a store manager shot the suspect in the back and buttocks.



Around 6:02 a.m., Christopher Pulley, 31, of Powell, entered the Rite Stop Mart, 441 Dutch Valley Rd., and approached the clerk at the counter, said Knoxville police spokesman Darrell DeBusk.



Pulley asked for cigarettes and then demanded money from the clerk. He had what appeared to be a gun in his front pocket and pointed it at the clerk, DeBusk said.



The store manager, Sam Braswell Jr., 51, approached Pulley from the back of the store with a .25-caliber handgun. The suspect ran from the store and Braswell followed, firing several shots. Braswell hit Pulley twice in the back and buttocks.



Twenty minutes after police arrived, they saw Pulley walking along Bruhin Road and Pulley asked them for help. The officers discovered a stick in Pulley's pocket that he used to simulate a weapon.



Pulley was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. He has been charged with one count of attempted robbery, DeBusk said. The district attorney is reviewing the case to see if there are any additional charges that may apply to Pulley.

Seattle, Washington



From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of February 21, 2004:

Business owner shoots, injures would-be robber



A would-be robber attempting to hold up Western Jewelry and Coin in West Seattle yesterday was confronted with the owner's own handgun and fled the store, shot in the chest.



Gilbert Dorland, 42, had seen shoplifters swipe his antique watches and custom jewelry before, but he had never confronted armed robbers. At 4:19 p.m., two men wearing bandanas over their mouths walked into the store in the 4200 block of Southwest Alaska Street, guns drawn.



"Nobody move," they said before Dorland drew his own handgun and fired, said Matt Tomlinson, a friend who had left the store only minutes before and spoke with the shaken store owner afterward.



"He was definitely broken up," Tomlinson said. "He called me and said he'd just shot somebody. He was being robbed and he shot. He was scared to death."



Police interviewed Dorland and said no charges would be filed.



"It appears to be a completely legitimate use of force," police spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said.

Austin, Texas



From Austin's KXAN.com of February 19, 2004:

Jewelry Courier Robbed In North Austin



A mid-day jewelry heist lead to a shoot out and Austin Police SWAT team storming a hotel. It all happened in North Austin just after 12 p.m. Thursday.



Police say an early afternoon ambush outside an Americus Diamond store erupted in gunfire between a jewelry dealer and three men he says were trying to steal his jewels. He asked News 36 not to use his name for his own protection.



Police say no one was hit.



"We think the courier was targeted on this. We think he was definitely the person that they were looking for. They had information on him," APD spokesman Kevin Buchman said.



The lunch crowd next to the jewelry store was looking for cover when the shots rang out. Witnesses heard a half-dozen shots.



"I didn't know what was going on. All I saw was a gun, heard the gunshots and I just tried to get down," witness Katrina Hutchins said.



Police say the three suspects, all Hispanic males, got away with an undisclosed amount of jewels, fleeing to a nearby motel.

Plainview, Texas



From Lubbock's LubbockOnline.com of February 19, 2004:

Shotgun blast deters burglar



An unidentified intruder was greeted with a blast from a shotgun following a foiled burglary attempt at 2 a.m. in the 1500 block of West Seventh Street.



According to a police report, the home was occupied by a woman and her two sons. The residents were awakened by a loud noise. A 13-year-old resident grabbed his father's shotgun and entered the room. He fired a shot at the intruder who took off running from the scene.



Police did not discover any blood trails leading from the residence or any reports of gunshot injuries at the local hospital.



The home sustained a broken window.

Yakima, Washington



From Yakima's KIMA.com of February 16, 2004:

Yakima Man Confronts Burglar



Jose Esparza says he first noticed a strange man trying to pull down the fence in his back yard, but, he says he disappeared after he confronted him. Esparza says he was walking down the hallway when the same man came out of his daughters bedroom holding a toy gun and threatening him.



Esparza says it was a frightening experience not only for him, but also his five year old daughter. He says was hoping the man would cooperate...and he did once Esparza pulled out a real hand gun.



28-year-old Roy Corbray was arrested for the break-in. Police say he was on drugs at the time. Corbray is expected in court tomorrow where he'll face burglary and malicious mischief charges.

Lauderdale Lakes, Florida



From Miami's WPLG (local10.com) of February 18, 2004:

Woman Fires Shot, Fends Off Robbers



Police released a surveillance video Wednesday showing a store owner firing her gun at would-be robbers.



Last week, three robbers went into J-and-L Liquors on Northwest 19th Street in Lauderdale Lakes. The men reportedly ordered everyone in the store to get down on the floor, but the owner grabbed her gun and fired one shot.



The bullet missed the robbers and shattered the front door. The robbers got away. Police are still looking for them.

Wichita, Kansas



From the Wichita Eagle of February 18, 2004:

Intruder critically injured near Central and I-135



A man was critically wounded Tuesday night after he was shot during an attempted burglary, Wichita police said.



Just after 10 p.m., police were called to the 400 block of North Kansas, near I-135 and Central. A man told police that an intruder entered the back bedroom area of his trailer, said police Lt. Sam Hanley. The man told police he shot the intruder in the leg after telling him not to move. The intruder was taken to Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus in critical condition.



No arrests have been made.

Hazel Dell, Washington



From the Vancouver Columbian of February 13, 2004:

Deputies respond to shots-fired call



Sheriff's deputies rushed to a shots-fired call in Hazel Dell early Thursday, but the person who fired the shot turned out to be a bail bondsman.



About 1:25 a.m. Thursday, officers were sent to the Windsor Estates Apartments, 7912 N.E. 18th Ave. They learned that agents from A Affordable Bail Bonds had fought with and detained a wanted felon who was armed with a gun. In the process, an agent fired a shot into the ground.



The wanted man, Daniel Gene Hoffman, was taken to the Clark County Jail on suspicion of an earlier first-degree assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a sheriff's bulletin.



His girlfriend, Misty Iverson, was arrested for a previously issued warrant.



Sheriff's Cmdr. Tony Barnes said he was aware of no plans to charge the bail bondsman with a crime for discharging a gun in a restricted area.



"We'd prefer they didn't fire guns, even if into the ground, but there's no controlling legislation over bail bondsmen," Barnes said.

Jacksonville, Florida



From Jacksonville's Fox30online.com of February 16, 2004:

Man Holds Prowler at Gunpoint



Riverside has become one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods on the First Coast.



Over the weekend, one homeowner decided enough was enough, and after spotting a prowler, he pulled his gun and held the suspect until police arrived.



John Blanton came home Sunday afternoon and found a man with a crowbar laying in his backyard and one of his neighbors holding him at gunpoint.



The neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, said he was tired of people on his street being burglarized. So, when he noticed the suspect prying at the lock of his shed, he grabbed his rifle and was prepared to use it. "Especially since he had the weapon in his hand. If he had come at me, I would have taken the necessary measures."



Blanton's neighbor held the suspect at gunpoint for 20 minutes before police arrived. All along, the neighbor was nervous--not knowing what the man had concealed inside his jacket.



Police arrested 48-year-old Robert White ... on charges of possessing burglary tools and prowling.



Blanton adds, "We saw on the news how Riverside is the number one area for crime in Jacksonville. I think the reason for that is there just aren't enough police patrolling this area."

Las Vegas, Nevada



From Reno's KRNV.com of February 17, 2004:

Homeowner, car vandals trade shots outside North Vegas home



A Las Vegas homeowner traded gunfire with vandals stealing the tires and rims from his sport utility vehicle Tuesday morning.



No one was hurt, but authorities say the man's SUV, his home and at least one neighboring home were hit by bullets during the shooting on Grey Knoll Circle.



Courtney Hunt says he was awakened by his dog barking, and confronted the vandals, who shot at him before he shot back. Hunt shot again at the vandals as they drove away with three of his four expensive rims.



Police are looking for the vandals, and investigating whether Hunt should face criminal charges for discharging his gun in the street outside his home.

Blanco County, Texas



From the Austin American-Statesman of February 14, 2004:

Man shoots and kills intruder



A man shot and killed an intruder in his Blanco County home early Friday morning, Blanco County sheriff's deputies said.



Deputy Steve Frederick, who investigated the shooting, said Steven Ray Foster, 42, drove a full-size Ford pickup through the gate of Perry Tatsch's residence near Hye in western Blanco County about 2 a.m. Foster kicked in the front door, entered the home and assaulted Tatsch, 40, who was asleep in bed with his wife, Frederick said.



Tatsch's wife pushed Foster into the kitchen while Tatsch escaped to the bathroom, but Foster kicked open the bathroom door and resumed beating on Tatsch, the deputy said.



After his wife pushed Foster into the kitchen a second time, Tatsch grabbed a handgun, Frederick said. Tatsch ordered Foster to leave the home; a struggle ensued, and Tatsch shot Foster once in the upper chest, Frederick said.



When deputies arrived, they found Foster lying at the front door, Frederick said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.



Tatsch was taken to Hill Country Memorial Hospital and treated for head injuries sustained during the assault.



Frederick said Tatsch had been separated from his wife and that Foster was interested in dating her.



In a statement given by Tatsch's wife, Frederick said, she gave no indication that the interest was reciprocated and described their relationship as a friendship. He said Foster had been drinking, but deputies are waiting on an autopsy report to find out whether Foster was intoxicated at the time of the shooting.



Frederick said the investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed, but the case will be referred to a Blanco County grand jury.

Utica, New York



From the Utica Observer-Dispatch of February 16, 2004:

Attempted home invasion followed by scuffle, police say



Two Utica men were charged Sunday morning in connection with an attempted home invasion on Cosby Manor Road, state police at East Herkimer said.



A man who was asleep at his home at the time was also charged after police said he woke up, found a gun and fired it at the intruder, police said.



The two Utica men accused of attempted burglary are Antonio S. Hallam, 21, of Mary Street, and Joshua I. Brooks, 18, of Elm Street.



A motive has not been determined, Investigator Michael Dolly said.



Hallam was charged with first-degree attempted burglary, a felony, and second-degree criminal use of a firearm, a felony. He was sent to the Herkimer County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, Dolly said.



Brooks was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, police said. He was sent to county jail in lieu of $10,000 bail, Dolly said.



Matthew Roman, 22, of Cosby Manor Road, Utica, was sleeping when the two men tried to enter his residence. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor, police said. He was released and will appear in Schuyler court, Dolly said.



Roman awoke as Hallam, who had a loaded handgun, tried to enter the home, police said. Roman found a handgun and fired it at Hallam, who tried to flee, police said. Hallam was not hit.



Roman followed Hallam outside, police said. Brooks, a passenger in Hallam's vehicle, left the car with a handgun and gave it to Hallam, police said. Roman and Hallam then began to fight. Roman gained control of the handgun and struck Hallam with it, police said.

Houston, Texas



From the Houston Chronicle of February 16, 2004:

Estranged husband killed while entering wife's home



A Spring man was shot and killed by his estranged wife's boyfriend when he tried to enter the woman's apartment in southwest Houston late Saturday, police said.



Police said Mark Anthony Henry, 26, of the 6200 block of Forestgate, was shot once in the face with a shotgun when he broke a window and tried to force his way into the home at the Treehouse Apartments in the 9000 block of Bissonnet.



Henry's wife told police her husband had called earlier Saturday to say he was coming to see her, although she had asked him to stay away. She said they were going through a divorce.



Henry climbed over a patio fence and tried to enter his wife's apartment through a sliding glass door when he was shot, police said.



Henry was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.



Houston Police Homicide Detective T. Ruland said Henry and his wife had separated but he did not know if she had obtained a restraining order to keep him away.



Investigators, however, said the woman had reported that Henry had harassed her in the past.



The woman's boyfriend, whose name was unavailable, was questioned by police. The incident will go before a grand jury, police said.

Detroit, Michigan



Yes, they are armored car guards, but they are still civilians. From News4 in Detroit, February 13, 2004:

DETROIT -- Three armored-car employees reportedly fought back when two men tried to rob them Thursday night.



The gunmen pulled up to the automated teller machine at the Comerica Bank located on West Chicago and Schaefer just before 10 p.m., Local 4 reported. They started shooting at the Guardian Armored employees who were loading the machine with money, according to the report.



Police said the Guardian crew fired back as the driver of the armored truck struggled to get his crew out of the line of fire.



"They did basically try to defend themselves against what was taking place," Detroit police Cmdr. John Mlynarczyk said.



The gunfire exchange killed one of the attempted robbers, and his accomplice fled on foot, the station reported.

Waterbury, Connecticut



From Hartford's WVIT (nbc30.com) of February 12, 2004:

Jury Rejects Wounded Burglar's Request For Damages



A Waterbury jury has rejected a burglar's bid for damages for being shot when he broke into a house five years ago.



Clarence Wiggins had sued Louis Steponaitis Jr. for shooting him in arm on Dec. 16, 1998.



Wiggins claimed he broke into a house on Pine Street looking for a place to sleep. Steponaitis, who purchases, renovates and rents buildings in distressed neighborhoods in the city, was sleeping upstairs to prevent burglaries. He awoke to sounds of someone entering the building.



Steponaitis said he warned Wiggins to stop and only fired the shotgun when Wiggins continued to come toward him.



The jury took about one hour Wednesday to reject Wiggins' claim.



Wiggins served time for third-degree burglary related to the break-in. He later violated probation for that crime and served time for a failure to appear charge.

Oxford, Alabama



Bizarre, and a little old, from February 7, 2004, WKMG in Alabama:

OXFORD, Ala. -- A convicted burglar sentenced in Calhoun County to 20 years in prison this week as a repeat offender had an unusual run-in with his victim.



The victim, Richard Bussey, says he drove up to his father's rural residence last summer and found a man loading furniture and other items into a pickup truck.



Bussey held a gun on the would-be thief and ordered him to return the furniture. Bussey didn't have a telephone, so he made 45-year-old Roy Andrew Gendron mow the lawn with a push mower until he could think of a plan to alert authorities.

Houston, Texas



From the Houston Chronicle of February 9, 2004:

Suspected burglar killed by shop owner



A business owner fatally shot a suspected burglar during a break-in at a machine shop in northeast Houston, police said.



The shooting occurred about 6:15 a.m. Sunday at Rose Machine and Fab., 9031 Ley. The owner told Houston police he began living above the shop after previous burglary attempts.



After an alarm sounded Sunday, the owner went downstairs armed with a shotgun. He confronted a man in the shop and fired once as the intruder came toward him, police said. The intruder was hit in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.



Investigators didn't know the name of the suspected burglar late Sunday. The shooting will be referred to the Harris County Grand Jury without charges, police said.

Rolla, Missouri



From the Springfield News-Leader of February 8, 2004

Intruder shoots pair, is killed



A Rolla man shot and killed another man who had broken into his home and shot him and his wife, authorities said.



David W. Brown, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene Friday night. The couple, James Butler, 48, and Suzanne Butler, 44, each suffered single gunshot wounds and were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.



According to the Phelps County Sheriff's Office, Brown broke into the Butlers' home around 11 p.m. armed with a handgun, rifle, ammunition and gloves.



He shot Suzanne Butler in the arm and James Butler in the neck. James Butler then retrieved a handgun he had in the house and shot Brown several times, killing him.



James Butler said the couple had hired Brown, a neighbor, to do odd jobs around the house a few years ago. About a year ago, they noticed him peeking in windows. That escalated to threats, unwanted calls, and break-ins, Butler told the Rolla Daily News. On Christmas Eve, Butler said his wife was assaulted by Brown after she came home and found him in the house.

And here's another news account from the February 8, 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatchof the same incident (thanks to Kim Du Toit for the pointer):

James and Suzanne Butler had retired for the night Friday when a man who they say had been harassing them for a year kicked in their back door and rushed into their bedroom, armed with a rifle and a handgun.



"He was shooting with the rifle as soon as he came into the bedroom," Butler said in a telephone interview Sunday from his home outside Rolla, Mo. "My wife grabbed the barrel and she got shot, but it allowed me the time to get my gun" from a nightstand drawer.



Butler fired several shots, killing David W. Brown, 45.



"We're very, very lucky," said Butler, 48, who was grazed on the neck. "My wife saved my life by giving me the time to get my gun."



Suzanne Butler, 44, was shot through the hand and upper forearm. Both Butlers were treated and released from the hospital.



"It's certainly a bizarre case," said Sgt. Mark Williams of the Phelps County sheriff's office. "It's like something out of the movies."

Or something off this blog. [Clayton]

Rancho Cordova, California



From the February 7, 2004 Sacramento Bee:

Woman opens fire on intruder



A man is wounded as she defends her home with two handguns.



Firing nine rounds from two handguns, a 53-year-old Rancho Cordova woman fended off an intruder Thursday night after he crashed through her sliding glass door.

William Kriske, a 47-year-old parolee, was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm, then taken to jail and arrested on suspicion of burglary and resisting arrest, according to Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Lou Fatur.



"It was one of those nights. I have a few holes in my glass out front," Carolyn Lisle said Friday.







"That's OK, I don't think he'll be back," said Lisle, who emptied one .357 revolver at the intruder before she retrieved a second one and he crashed through another window to flee.



"I was trying to miss my furniture. Priorities, right?" Lisle said.



Lisle, shaken but spirited, recounted her night that started as a quiet evening of TV with three friends and two dogs in her living room.



At about 9 p.m., a noise at the sliding door prompted a male visitor to get up to investigate, but Lisle dashed to a back room to get one of her guns.



"I knew it couldn't be good," Lisle said.



When the intruder shattered the glass, Lisle's three guests fled from the house. Lisle stood her ground and opened fire.



"He was like a mosquito hitting the window. Every time he turned around, poweee," she said.



Lisle wasn't sure the intruder was alone so she nervously watched her back as she squeezed off rounds.



When she emptied one gun, she still hadn't hit him. And he wasn't gone.



"He was still in the garage, flitting around," she said.



She went to get another gun -- "I like to be prepared," she said -- and waited to see his next move. After tearing up the garage, he finally broke out through a garage window, but he veered toward Lisle's front door. She fired again, hitting him at least once.



The bleeding intruder ran across the street and tried to hot-wire a motorcycle, but its owners, already armed to come to Lisle's aid, chased off the would-be thief, she said.



She said one of the men yelled after the retreating burglar: "And that's just our womenfolk."



A California Highway Patrol officer stopped the suspect a short distance away and sheriff's deputies arrested Kriske.



Lisle is still puzzled why someone would break into a well-lit living room with four people and two dogs.

Terminally stupid, perhaps?

Amarillo, Texas



From the Amarillo Globe-News of February 7, 2004:

Man confronts, shoots suspect in shop burglary



A suspected burglar apparently thought using a dog door to sneak into a business was a good idea.



But where there's a dog door, there may be dogs, as the would-be burglar learned.



The canines created a racket about 5:35 a.m. Friday and woke owner Donald Lee Carr. His house is connected to his business, Carr Automotive, 4445 Canyon Drive.



"He's a smart-ass burglar," Carr said, "but he's not too smart."



Carr, 64, went to his office, where he saw someone run into a closet, according to an Amarillo Police Department news release.



"I was trying to sic the dogs on him and that didn't work," Carr said. "So I got my weapon."



He fetched a .32-caliber, semi-automatic pistol from his house and returned to the office, where he saw a man loaded up with stolen mobile phones, a video camera and chargers, Carr said.



He advised the intruder not to move, but the man attacked him, said Carr, who fired one shot into the man's lower torso. The injured man was on the floor and Carr's wife was calling 911 when "this turkey gets up and runs," Carr said.



Police caught the man outside and arrested him for burglary of a residence, the release said. The 41-year-old suspect then was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of injuries not believed to be life-threatening.



APD Cpl. Jerry Neufeld said the suspect assaulted Carr, who was defending himself.



"We do not anticipate any criminal charges at all (against Carr)," Neufeld said.

St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana



From the New Orleans Times-Picayune of February 5, 2004

Parish leader greets burglar with shotgun



St. Bernard Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez, the victim of two recent burglaries at a house he has been renovating for years near his home, decided he was going to be ready to act in case of a third break-in.



Keeping a loaded shotgun near his bed, his chance came early Saturday.



Rodriguez, awakened at 4:30 a.m. by an alarm tripped by a motion detector he'd put in the vacant house, confronted a man he recognized carrying a vacuum cleaner out of the house.



When the man threw the vacuum at Rodriguez and fled, the parish president fired one shotgun blast into the ground and another into the air, according to a police report of the incident.



...



Rodriguez, who said he flashed a light at the man as he was coming out of the house and got a good look at him, told sheriff's deputies he was Rodney Sanchez, 48, who lives near Rodriguez on Bayou Road at Verret in eastern St. Bernard Parish.



"I've known him since he was a kid," Rodriguez said.



An arrest warrant on a charge of simple burglary has been issued for Sanchez, 3762 Bayou Road, said Maj. John Doran, Sheriff's Office chief of detectives. Sanchez has a record of 14 felony arrests and six convictions, Doran said.



Doran also said Rodriguez didn't break any law when he fired the shotgun "as far as we are concerned." Doran said, "You have every right to defend yourself" during a home burglary, adding that no shots were fired at the fleeing man.

Citrus Heights, California



From Sacramento's The KRACChannel.com of February 6, 2004

Brothers Fear For Safety After Shooting



A man arrested Monday for the death of a neighbor at a Citrus Heights apartment complex learned Thursday morning he won't face charges in the killing.



Authorities said Tim Collins ... and his brother, Sean ..., got into a fight with some neighbors."



Three people of these people ran right past me and targeted him directly," Sean Collins said.



Sean Collins said he thought his brother was going to be killed, so he pulled a gun and shot a 20-year-old neighbor dead.



It was an apparent case of self-defense, police said. Sean Collins was released just two days after he was arrested on murder charges. The case was all but closed.



"Unless we turn something up that would point in the direction of a presentable, prosecutable case, then yes it would be over," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Lou Fatur.



But now, the Collins brothers and others in the apartment complex fear there will be retaliation from friends and relatives of the man that was killed.



Three police cars were sent to the complex Thursday afternoon. The Collins brothers were escorted out and taken away for their safety.

UPDATE: From the March 23, 2004 Sacramento Bee:

CITRUS HEIGHTS - No charges will be filed against a man who shot and killed a 17-year-old neighbor in a dispute at their apartment complex last month, officials said.

Prosecutors decided that a case against Sean Collins, 42, in the Feb. 2 slaying was "unprosecutable," said Lana Wyant, special assistant deputy district attorney.



...



Collins was arrested at the scene but released a short time later. Investigators said Chepelyuk lived next door with a group of young men and women who feuded with the brothers.



"In our view, it looked like a defense of others," Wyant said Monday, adding witnesses didn't adequately answer investigators' questions.

Las Vegas, Nevada



From the Las Vegas Review-Journal of February 6, 2004:

Burglary ends in shooting



Before Thursday morning, Bob Sherman's pistol sat unused in his night stand for a decade.



That changed when the 59-year-old was awakened by a noise outside his home.



The former Marine grabbed his 9 mm pistol and investigated. Several tense minutes later, a confrontation with a burglar ended with Sherman firing at the burglar's car as it drove away.



"I wanted, No. 1, to send a message, 'Don't come back here,' and No. 2, I wanted to mark the car so we could identify them," Sherman said.



Las Vegas police were investigating the 5:40 a.m. shooting on Del Monte Avenue, near Oakey and Valley View boulevards, but had no suspects, Sgt. Matt McCarthy said.



Sherman could face charges for shooting at the car, but McCarthy said it was too early to know whether he will be charged.

Terre Haute, Indiana



From the Terre Haute Tribune-Star of February 5, 2004

Suspect not charged in fatal shooting



A suspect in a fatal shooting Jan. 3 will not be charged with a crime because evidence suggests he acted in self-defense, the Vigo County prosecutor said Wednesday.



Suspect Andrew Totten, 39, apparently was struck in the head with a 32-ounce beer bottle before pulling a handgun out from under a mattress before the shooting, Prosecutor Bob Wright said.



Niel Walker, 32, died in Union Hospital of a gunshot wound to the abdomen as a result of the incident in a home in the 300 block of South 13 1/2 Street. Some witnesses have suggested Walker began the fight and that he and Totten struggled over the gun before it fired, Wright said.



As a result of the fight, Totten spent at least a week in a Terre Haute hospital being treated for a head injury and broken jaw.



Totten had told police he acted in self-defense. He was never arrested or jailed.



"You've got the right to use deadly force if you're in fear for bodily harm or your life," Wright said, explaining his decision not to file charges.

Johnson City, Tennessee



From the Bristol's WCYB.tv of February 5, 2004

Johnson City Shooting



One man was shot, and another arrested during an attempted robbery last night in Johnson City.



At approximately 9:00pm, police responed to 120 E. Eleventh Avenue, after recieving a call that there had been a shooting.



Upon arrival ,the victim stated that two men he knew tried to rob him at knifepoint, at which point he retreived a handgun and shot one of the robbers in the chest.



He was taken to the Johnson City Medical Center for treatment.



The other suspect, Robert Eric Burton, was taken into custody and charged with attempted aggravated robbery.



The investigation is continuing, and more charges are pending.

Jacksonville, Florida



From the Florida Times-Union of February 5, 2004

Robbery suspect shot to death



A robbery suspect was shot dead by an employee at a Westside convenience store late Wednesday night.



Jacksonville police responded to a robbery call at the Prime Stop Food Store at 1121 South Ellis Road at 10 p.m., Sgt. Evander Collier said.



A masked man entered the store, flashed a handgun and demanded money, Collier said. "Once he got the money, the clerk began shooting at the suspect," he said. The robber, shot in the back, left the store and collapsed outside. Brett Dion Brown, 21, of 8500 block of Brazil Road was pronounced dead at Shands Jacksonville, Collier said.



The clerk, Issa Maim Aboaeid, was not charged. Collier said a preliminary investigation found the shooting appears to be justified, but the shooting will be reviewed by the State Attorney's Office.

Houston, Texas



From the Houston's KPRC (click2houston.com) of February 4, 2004

Bartender Reportedly Shoots Man Outside Her Home



A bartender reportedly shot and killed a man outside her southeast Houston home Tuesday morning.



Sam Oliva told police she shot a man in the head after she asked him to leave her home.



Oliva said the man was banging on her door and broke a window before she fired the gun.



The 58-year-old bartender said she didn't know who the man was until police arrived. She said the man was a regular customer at the bar where she works and had taken her home before.



The woman told police she had been drinking.



Houston police have not filed any charges against the woman.

Reno, Nevada



From the Reno Gazette-Journal of January 30, 2004:

Reno man pulls gun on suspected burglar



A Reno man suspected of trying to break into a Ford truck was held at gunpoint by the owner until police arrived, authorities said.



The Reno truck owner told police he saw Bernardo Torres, 28, try to break into his vehicle about 3 p.m. Friday in the 700 block of Gentry Way. He took a handgun from his house and called police.



Torres had driven to Gentry in a stolen Toyota Corolla, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted vehicle burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle and booked into Washoe County Jail.