Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Columbus, Georgia



From the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer of November 30, 2004
Masked man flees when store owner pulls own gun



An armed robber was scared off Monday afternoon when the business owner pulled out a gun.



Columbus Police Lt. Mark Starling said the robber was wearing a hockey mask about 1:30 p.m. Monday when he walked into Yong's Grocery, 848 25th St. The man ran out of the store when the owner pulled out his on weapon, Starling said.



The robber matched the description of a man who robbed a Spectrum convenience store on 12th Avenue on Sunday afternoon, Starling said.




Monday, November 29, 2004

Omaha, Nebraska



From the Omaha World-Herald of November 29, 2004
Omaha man shoots back at intruders



A 54-year-old Omaha man exchanged gunfire Sunday with intruders at his home.



Police said they responded to a break-in at the home of Rene J. Cantu, 2925 Martha St., about 7 p.m.



Cantu told police that three people forced open a door and began shooting at him. He said he fired back and may have hit one or more of the intruders.



Cantu was shot in the right hand and was treated at the Nebraska Medical Center and released, a spokesman said.




Wilmington, North Carolina



From Wilmington‘s WECT.com of November 29, 2004
Store employee kills robber



An attempted robbery has turned deadly in Lake Waccamaw.



Authorities tell News 6, an employee at Hills Supermarket on Old Highway 74/76 shot and killed a man trying to rob the store.



Police say the 911 call came in around 9:45 Sunday night, just before closing time at 10:00pm. No customers were inside the store at the time.



According to Chief Scott Hyatt, the would-be robber was rounding up three employees into the office area when one of the employees shot the man. He died at the scene.



As of early Monday morning, police were still trying to identify the robber. They say he is a black man in his late 20's or early 30's. His body has been taken to the Columbus County hospital.



Police are still investigating whether there were possible accomplices to the robbery, perhaps waiting nearby with a get-away vehicle.



At this time, no information is being released about the employee that shot the robber.




Decatur, Georgia



From the Augusta Chronicle of November 28, 2004
Woman killed, suspect shot at DeKalb motel



DECATUR, Ga. - A woman was stabbed to death and her alleged attacker was killed by a security guard at a DeKalb County motel.



Earnest Marshall, the night manager at the Super Inn Motel, said a man ran into his office around 1:30 a.m. Saturday and told him that his girlfriend was being attacked in her room. Marshall called 911, and someone also notified an armed security guard who was patrolling an apartment complex next door.



When they got to the woman's room, witnesses said the suspect came out covered in blood and lunged at the security guard with a knife.



"It was a horrific scene," Marshall said. "It was just like he wanted the man to shoot him... he wanted to die. The man just kept coming."



The guard fatally shot the man, saying he was forced to do it in self-defense. Inside the room, the woman was found stabbed to death.



"They (the police) told me pretty much I was a hero," the guard told WSB-TV in Atlanta. "I was just wishing I could have gotten here a little bit earlier."



DeKalb County police have not released any names or a possible motive for the stabbing.



The investigation is ongoing, and police have not charged the security guard with a crime.




Sunday, November 28, 2004

Charlotte, North Carolina



From Charlotte’s WSOCtv.com of November 24, 2004
Man Shoots Home Intruder



Jamie Harris woke up Tuesday morning in his southwest Charlotte apartment and realized an intruder was inside his home. He grabbed his gun and shot the intruder.



"My girl was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden I hear two booms. After the second boom, I got up and the dude was already in the house," said Harris.



Not knowing if the intruder was armed, Harris grabbed his gun, but quickly lost control of it.



"He had it to my head, but somehow I reversed it," He said.



Harris then shot the intruder in the leg. He said he had no choice. Knowing his fiancé and baby were inside the apartment, Harris said, "That's what gave me the intention to shoot."



Officials say the intruder wasn't armed. According to police statistics from January through August, there were 408 home break-ins in the area of southwest Charlotte.





The intruder was caught not far from where he was shot. Police say he was taken to the hospital and that his gunshot wound to the leg was not life threatening.



Officials say they will be filing felony breaking and entering charges against the intruder.


Saturday, November 27, 2004

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania



From the Philadelphia Inquirer of November 26, 2004
Security guard shoots, kills shoplifter in N. Phila. store



A security guard at a Walgreens Drug Store in North Philadelphia shot and killed a would-be shoplifter who pointed what appeared to be a gun at him Wednesday night, police said.



Police said the shooting occurred about 9:20 p.m. outside the store at Broad Street and Hunting Park Avenue. The man, whose name was not released, had removed some items from a shelf and was trying to leave the store without paying when the security guard confronted him.



The two men struggled, and the man pointed a replica of a handgun at the guard, according to police. The guard's name was not released. No charges have been filed and the investigation is continuing.


Indianapolis, Indiana



From the Indianapolis Star of November 23, 2004
Mars Hill home robbed during slumber party



Retaliation may have been the motive behind a home invasion early Sunday during a teenage girl's slumber party, authorities said Monday.



Three Indianapolis men are accused of breaking into a home in the 2800 block of South Roena Street in Mars Hill and robbing the residents. The teens were not injured. The robbery suspects were arrested; one had been shot several times by a bystander.



The incident started about 5 a.m. Witnesses said the three men entered the residence as the teens and adults slept. They struck some of the adults or pushed them to the floor and robbed them, then fled.



The robbery was retaliation for a prior incident, police said, but details were unclear.



Arrested on preliminary robbery charges were Franklin Thomas, 27; Ismael Ortiz, 23; and Chad Buster, 30.



Reports say Michael D. Thompkins, 23, told detectives he was walking up to the house as three men fled. He said one chased him and struck him, so he drew his 9 mm pistol and fired several times, striking the man.



All three got away, but authorities were called later after Ortiz and Buster took Thomas to Methodist Hospital, reports say. His wounds were not life-threatening.


Friday, November 26, 2004

Midvale, Utah



From the Salt Lake City Deseret News of November 21, 2004


Homeowner with gun holds 2 burglars at bay



Police say two men who attempted to burglarize a Midvale home Friday were met by the homeowner — and his shotgun.



According to Midvale police, the men broke into the home, located near 200 East and 6900 South, just before 11:30 p.m. Friday. They were then confronted by the home's owner, who held them at bay with a shotgun until police arrived, said Sgt. Ken Jarvis. No shots were fired.



Jarvis said the men began resisting orders while standing on the home's front porch, prompting police to unleash their police dog. One man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, while the other was taken to a local hospital for treatment of dog bites.



The men, ages 24 and 29, are being investigated for residential burglary,


Thursday, November 25, 2004

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania



From Jersey City’s NJ.com of November 9, 2004
City man suffers 3 stab wounds



He scared off attackers by firing gun, police say.



A 29-year-old city man was stabbed in the back outside a city nightclub Sunday morning, but he was able to escape his attackers and scare them off by firing a gun, police said.



Arturo Robles Jr., of the 1000 block of Livingston Street, told police he was jumped by at least three men at 40 West on Broad Street. The men followed him to a friend's car and then stabbed him three times near his left shoulder blade, police said.



Robles was treated at St. Luke's Hospital Sunday morning, police said.



Robles, his wife, Candy, and two friends were at 40 West when the Robles got into an argument, according to witness statements.



Arturo Robles and his friend, Abimael Cruz, went outside the club to talk. Robles told police he bumped into a heavyset man, who then misunderstood something Robles said, according to police reports.



The men started punching and kicking Robles, who was able to get away. Cruz and Robles got to Cruz's car, parked at Broad and Guetter streets, reports say.



One of the men who followed them yelled, "Stab him," and one of other men did, police said.



Robles had two handguns under the passenger seat of Cruz's car; he was able to get one and fired three shots in the air, police said.



The three men fled toward Main Street, police said.



Robles, his wife and Cruz got into a car driven by Ileana Torres, who was with them at the club.



Nearby officers heard gunshots and responded to the scene. One officer stopped the car Torres was driving at New and Broad streets because the driver looked hysterical, records say.



After stopping the car, Torres told the officer Robles had been stabbed and also that he had a gun.



Robles has a Northampton County permit to carry firearms and fired in self defense, police said.


Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Chattanooga, Tennessee



From Chattanooga’s WDEF.com of November 23, 2004
Robbery Victim Kills Suspect



A robbery suspect dies from a gunshot wound after attempting to take money from a 61-year old man.



It happened last night in the 1100 block of North Hawthorne Street.



Earl McIntrye who runs a candy shop out of his home says he got jumped by four men who tried stealing his money.



That's when McIntyre reached for his handgun shooting one of the suspects, "I was there serving a boy and I got his stuff for him and went back to give it to him and he had taken it. And they said, "Get him! Get him!" So they rushed in and knocked me down."



McIntyre says the three other suspects got away.



He will not be charged with any crime.


Atlanta, Georgia



From Atlanta’s WSBtv.com of November 21, 2004

Home Invasion Deadly To Intruder



A man and woman burst into a home and shot the occupant Sunday, but he returned fire and fatally wounded one of the intruders, police said.



The resident was hospitalized in critical condition after the home invasion on Markone Street in Northwest Atlanta.



The female intruder drove the wounded robber to a gas station, asked to use the telephone, and then fled, the gas station attendant said.



"He was foaming out of the mouth as we were pulling him out," Harold Russell said. "She just said, 'My boyfriend got shot in the chest.'"



The wounded man was taken to Grady Hospital, where he died. He was identified as Jason Warner, 21.



Police were searching for the woman Sunday night.


Saturday, November 20, 2004

Vancouver, Washington



From Portland’s (Oregon) KATU.com of November 20, 2004
Police Say Homeowner Shot Suspected Burglar



Police say a deadly shooting in Vancouver early Friday morning started when a homeowner confronted a man inside his garage.



The shooting happened just before 2:00 a.m. in the 1800 block of S.E. 176th Place.



"We had a homeowner report that he heard noises in his garage," said Officer Ron Stevens with the Vancouver Police Department. "He went to investigate those noises and when he went into the garage, he was confronted by a male subject who was armed. The homeowner shot the subject and the subject died at the scene as a result of his injuries."



Police say that although the suspected burglar was armed with a handgun, the homeowner was not injured in the incident.




Friday, November 19, 2004

Shreveport, Louisiana



From Shreveport‘s KTBS.com of November 19, 2004
Deejay who says she shot husband in self defense is acquitted



A Caddo Parish jury has agreed with a former Shreveport deejay's assertion that she shot her husband in self defense.



Julia Austin was found not guilty late this afternoon of illegal use of a weapon.



She could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted.



Austin was a disc jockey at radio station 92.1 The Buzz when she shot her husband, Patrick, two years ago at their home in Shreveport.



The couple had a tempestuous marriage. Patrick Austin testified his wife shot him after he told her to move out.



Julia Austin said her husband beat her and she had to shoot him in self defense.



The Caddo District Court jury deliberated about two hours before returning its verdict.




Bel Air, Maryland



From the Baltimore Sun of November 19, 2004
Suspect arrested in attempted holdup outside Harford Mall



An attempted holdup of an armored truck ended amid gunfire yesterday afternoon outside an entrance to Harford Mall, and a suspect -- found hiding in a food court employee break room -- was arrested, Bel Air police said.



Shortly before 3 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting a gunshot near the east side food court entrance to Harford Mall. The shot had been fired by a Brinks armored carrier employee at a would-be robber outside the mall along U.S. 1, where the truck had arrived moments earlier for a pickup at a Liberty Federal Savings & Loan branch, police said.



The shot shattered an entrance door to the mall, and the fleeing suspect ran into the door and fell before recovering and running inside, police said.



During a search of the food court, after officers received a description of the suspect, a 27-year-old man hiding in the break room was arrested without incident, police said.




Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Montgomery, Alabama



From the Montgomery Advertiser of October 2, 2004
Shooter allegedly feared robbery



A man was shot early Friday morning by a man who claims he thought he was about to be robbed.



Corey Lavan Guice, 20, of Montgomery was shot in the left thigh shortly after 2:30 a.m. outside an apartment building at 101 S. Burbank St., a Montgomery police report stated. The alleged shooter, Johnnie B. Shepheard Jr., 55, who lives in the building, told police he panicked when he saw Guice and two other men coming toward his vehicle.



Shepheard fired two warning shots, the report said, and then fired three times at Guice and the other men, who were not named in the report. Two bullets struck the trio's vehicle, and the third hit Guice.



Montgomery police Lt. Huey Thornton said Guice had not filed charges against Shepheard as of late Friday afternoon.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Kansas City, Missouri



From Kansas City’s TheKansasCityChannel.com of October 1, 2004
Police: Security Guard Shoots, Kills Man In Apartment Parking Lot



A security guard shot and killed a man in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 64th and Manchester late Thursday night, police said.



KMBC reported that security guards were towing illegally parked cars off the property at the time. Apparently one security guard was approached by the owner of one of the vehicles. The two argued and the car owner allegedly shot the guard in the arm.



The security guard returned fire, killing Russell D. Brown, 28.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Aurora, Colorado

From ABC 7 in Denver, November 15, 2004:
AURORA, Colo. -- Aurora police said Monday that it is still too early in the investigation to determine what charges, if any, will be filed in a fatal weekend shooting outside a video rental store.

Police said the incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday outside a Blockbuster store at Mississippi and Chambers streets when two men began to argue after one of their car doors dinged the other’s car door.

The wife of one of the men tried to break up the confrontation, and then all three parties became involved in a fight, according to witnesses. Police said Aaron P. Davis, 39, acquired a metal pipe type of object and hit Glen Eichstedt, 52, in the head. Eichstedt then allegedly pulled a handgun and shot Davis and his wife, Benita Coleman-Davis, 36, according to police reports.

...

Police are trying to determine if the shooting was done in self defense.

"We need to re-interview all the witnesses in the case and then we will turn over the findings to the District Attorney's Office," said Kathleen Walsh, Aurora police spokesman.

Eichstedt had a concealed weapons permit, according to police.
UPDATE: February 5, 2005 Rocky Mountain News reports:
ARAPAHOE COUNTY - District Attorney Carol Chambers will ask a grand jury to hear the case of a parking-lot shooting at a Blockbuster video store that killed an Aurora man and seriously injured his wife.

...

Police said they didn't have enough probable cause to arrest Eichstedt, co-owner of the Hoffbrau Tavern & Grill near downtown Denver, the night of the Nov. 13 shooting.

That decision brought allegations that Eichstedt wasn't arrested because he is white and the victims are black.

"Finally the mainstream law enforcement is listening to our community," Alvertis Simmons said Friday. Simmons is a black activist who had organized protests at the Hoffbrau.

"I am glad they're going to put it toward a grand jury," Simmons said. "They should come back with an indictment."

Larry Pozner, Eichstedt's attorney, said he believes otherwise. "This event is extremely tragic," he said. "But it doesn't change the nature. It is self-defense, vividly and unquestionably. I'm very comfortable with 12 citizens looking at the facts."

Eichstedt, who had a license to carry a concealed handgun, told police that Davis and his wife attacked him during a fight over a damaged car door.

Police said the three started fighting and Davis hit Eichstedt over the head with a pipe. Eichstedt then pulled out a gun and shot the couple, according to police reports.
UPDATE: From the June 10, 2005 Rocky Mountain News:
CENTENNIAL - An Arapahoe County grand jury will not recommend criminal charges against a man who shot a married couple, killing the husband, during an altercation outside an Aurora video store last November.

In a report released Thursday by Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers, the grand jurors said that Denver restaurateur Glenn Eichstedt acted in self-defense when he fatally shot postal worker Aaron P. Davis in a Blockbuster parking lot after a dispute over a dinged truck door.

The nine-page report says that while the death of Davis is "tragic," it "cannot be the basis of any criminal charges" against Eichstedt, who grand jurors said pulled out his legally licensed handgun after Davis hit him on the head with a metal bar.

At a news conference in her offices, Chambers said the grand jury reached a "no true bill" decision, which means that legal action in the case against Eichstedt is finished.

Chambers said that given the grand jury's ruling, her office will not reopen the case unless new evidence arises against Eichstedt, 52, co-owner of the Hoffbrau Tavern & Grill on Santa Fe Drive in Denver.

Although the case has sparked some racial tensions - Davis was black and Eichstedt is white - several Arapahoe County and Aurora officials said that race was not a factor in the Nov. 13 incident.

Assistant District Attorney Leslie Hansen said that while the grand jury heard conflicting testimony from witnesses, Benita Coleman-Davis testified that her husband struck the first blow.

Hansen said the grand jury considered the metal bar that Davis used a deadly weapon, which was a "significant factor" in their decision.

Eichstedt's attorney, Larry Pozner, said that the clearing of his client shouldn't be considered a victory because a life has been lost and the lives of others will be changed forever.

Coleman-Davis could not be reached Thursday to comment about the grand jury's decision.

In a written statement Eichstedt called the shooting an "indescribable tragedy" and said he acted in self-defense.

"The Davis' race had nothing to do with this incident," he wrote. "The only thought in my mind was saving my life."

Eichstedt also wrote that he suffered a permanent brain injury because of the blow to his head.

The report says the grand jury heard the testimony of seven witnesses, including Coleman-Davis, who was shot twice.

Davis, 39, and his 36-year-old wife were in their Toyota 4-Runner when they pulled into the store parking lot in the 15000 block of East Mississippi Avenue on Nov. 13.

Davis waited in the truck while his wife got out and entered a nearby restaurant to order takeout food.

Minutes later, Eichstedt and a companion, riding in Eichstedt's Ford Mustang, parked in a spot next to Davis' truck so they could eat at the same restaurant.

When Eichstedt got out of his car, he allegedly dinged Davis' truck with his door and Davis got out of his vehicle to confront him.

The two men started arguing and Coleman-Davis said that Eichstedt yelled, "I didn't damage your truck!" and "What do you want to do, little man?"

Eichstedt weighs about 235 pounds and is 6 feet, 1 inch tall. Davis weighed 166 pounds and was 5 feet, 9 inches tall.

The witnesses' accounts vary slightly about what happened next, with Coleman-Davis saying that Eichstedt leaned toward her and she pushed him away.

Other witnesses said that Eich-stedt reached over Coleman-Davis to hit her husband, who started to strike Eichstedt with what was later determined to be a bar that was eight to 10 inches long.

Witnesses testified that the couple began to beat Eichstedt, who fell to the ground. Eichstedt later said he thought the man was going to "bash his brains in," the grand jury report said.

Eichstedt pulled out the .38-caliber revolver that he told police he always carries because his bar/restaurant had been robbed before.

He fired the gun four times, with two bullets hitting Davis in the torso and the other two hitting his wife in the upper body.

Davis, a Jehovah's Witness who could not accept blood transfusions because of his religion, died from hemorrhaging.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Kingsport, Tennessee



From Bristol’s WCYB.com of November 15, 2004
Shooting



A Kingsport man is in the hospital tonight after police say he tried to rob a man.



The incident happened at the victim`s home on Packing-House Road.



Kingsport Detective John Blessing says 20-year old Chris Smith knocked on the man`s door around 7:00 this morning and asked to use the phone.



When the man let him in, police say Smith pulled a knife on the homeowner and demanded money and pain medication.



After lunging at the man, Blessing says the homeowner shot Smith in the stomach.



Smith is in fair condition and all charges in the case are pending.



The homeowner`s name has not been released.




Sunday, November 14, 2004

Raleigh, North Carolina



From the Raleigh News-Observer of November 14, 2004
Store owner returns fire, foils robbery



Robbers are finding out that one North Raleigh jewelry store just isn't worth targeting, unless they're willing to risk being shot at for their trouble.



Police are crediting Larry Dickerson, owner of Walls Jewelers, with foiling on Saturday yet another attempt to rob his store.



Raleigh Police Lt. Hil Miller said two men walked into Walls Jewelers at 2923-A Brentwood Road at 1:23 p.m. Dickerson said he saw them acting suspiciously, with their hands in their pockets, so he slipped a pistol into his own pocket.



One of the men pulled out a gun.



"When he wheeled around, I hit the floor," Dickerson said. "He fired three shots at me."



Dickerson, a retired Raleigh police officer who never fired a shot in more than 20 years of duty, said he returned fire. He said he wouldn't have fired if there had been customers in the store.



No one was injured in the exchange. But the two suspects ran outside, heading north on Brentwood Road, and have not been apprehended. Neighbors heard a car drive away.



"You have to have a gun," Dickerson said. "If I didn't have it, I'd be dead."



Police have only a vague description of the two men.



A similar incident happened at the store in 1991 when Dickerson stepped out of the bathroom to find a teenager holding a shotgun on his former partner and two customers. Dickerson lunged under the counter and pulled out a shotgun, causing the teen to flee.




Friday, November 12, 2004

Shawnee, Oklahoma



From Oklahoma City’s KFOR.com of September 25, 2004
Woman dead after domestic dispute



A 23-year old Shawnee woman is dead and her husband is recovering from a gunshot wound after a domestic disturbance.



Pottawatomie County Sheriff Kurt Shirey says Stephanie Ray Mosier was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the chest late Thursday night.



Her husband -- Todd Dwain Mosier -- was treated for a gunshot wound to the hand and released.



Todd Mosier told officers he returned fire after his wife shot him in the hand.



Sheriff's officials say no arrest has been made.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Thursday, November 11, 2004

Bradford County, New York



From Elmira’s WETMtv.com of November 11, 2004
Corning Man Shot During Burglary



A Corning man is in critical condition after police say he was shot while burglarizing a home in Bradford County. State Police in Towanda say the burglary took place early Wednesday morning at the home of 39 year old Howard Young of Windham Township.



Police say 25-year old Chad Patterson entered the home on the State Line Road around 2:20 a.m., took some items and was confronted by Young. Young then shot Patterson while he was still inside the house and Patterson fled the scene. It appears Patterson then went to Corning. Police, searching a house at 117 W. Second Street in Corning told 18 News they were searching the home for items that may have been taken from a burglary in Bradford County.



Elmira police say a man with a gunshot wound to the back was flown by helicopter early this morning from Corning to the Arnot Ogden Medical Center. Hospital officials say Patterson is being treated there and is in critical condition.




Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Syracuse, New York



From Syracuse‘s WIXT.com of November 10, 2004
Robbery Suspect Shot



Syracuse Police are investigating a robbery attempt and shooting at the Mobil Service Station at the corner of Velasko Road and West Onondaga Street.





It happened at the Mobil station in Western Lights around 4am Wednesday morning. Syracuse Police report that 40-year-old Elwood Powell was let into the station and after walking around he tried to attack the owner, 51-year-old Steven Brown. Police say Brown pulled out a semi-automatic shotgun and shot Powell in the leg. Brown then locked himself in the office. Powell tried to take cash from the register, but could not. When police arrived they found Powell lying next to the ice cream freezer in a pool of blood.



Powell was taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds. He has been charged with robbery. No charges were filed against Brown




Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Houston, Texas



From Houston‘s Click2Houston.com of September 20, 2004
Security Guard Shoots Man At Shopping Center



Man Shot In Stomach



A security guard shot a man outside a River Oaks-area shopping center Monday afternoon, Local 2 reported.



Investigators said a man pulled into the parking lot next to the Black Eyed Pea in the River Oaks Shopping Center, 2074 W. Gray at Shepherd, at 3:50 p.m.



He then began urinating on the side of the parking lot, witnesses said. When a female security guard confronted the man, a fight ensued. Police said the man began to assault her and possibly reached for her weapon.



The guard opened fire, shooting the man once in the stomach. He is expected to survive, officials said.



The guard received minor injuries. She was treated at the scene.



Police have not yet decided if charges will be filed.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Monday, November 8, 2004

Charlotte, North Carolina



From Charlotte‘s WCNC.com of September 19, 2004
Police investigate Food Lion shooting



An investigation was under way Sunday to see if charges would be filed against a security guard involved in a shooting outside a Food Lion store.



The incident happened at the Mallard Pointe shopping center on North Tryon Friday night.



Police said a man inside the store got into a verbal and physical altercation with the security guard.



The security guard asked the man to leave the store.



Witnesses said that once outside, the argument continued between the two.



Police said the suspect was about to attack the guard, when he was shot.



That man is expected to fully recover.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Saturday, November 6, 2004

Fort Worth, Texas



From Dallas’ NBC5i.com of September 17, 2004
Police: Man Threatens Another With Fireplace Poker, Fatally Shot



Police are searching for clues in a deadly shooting late Thursday night on Fort Worth's north side.



The shooting happened after a heated argument at a car lot on Northwest 17th at Long Ave, NBC 5 reported.



A man waving a fireplace poker threatened another man, who shot him, police said.



Detectives said they believe the man shot the victim in self-defense.
.No subsequent stories about this incident were found.



Friday, November 5, 2004

Pensacola, Florida

From WKMQ TV, November 4, 2004:
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- An elderly man defending his hurricane-damaged home fatally shot an intruder as the two scuffled, Escambia County sheriff's deputies say.

Retired oil industry worker James Workman, 77, and his wife, Kathryn, have been living in a trailer outside their home since it was damaged by Hurricane Ivan on Sept. 16.

Deputies said the intruder, whose identity was being withheld Thursday pending positive identification and notification of relatives, entered the couple's yard about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday.

Workman told investigators he confronted the man and when he refused to leave tried to warn him away by firing a shot from his .38-caliber handgun into the ground.

The intruder then entered the trailer, where Workman's wife was. Workman told deputies he went in after the man who grabbed him and then he shot the intruder as they struggled.

...

The shooting in a hard-hit area just west of Pensacola occurred about 100 [yards?] from an unrelated situation Oct. 8, when a neighbor fired a .22-caliber rifle to fend off a growling, machete-wielding man later subdued by deputies with a bean bag projectile and Taser.

Thursday, November 4, 2004

Eliot, Maine



From Portland’s Press-Herald of November 4, 2004
Eliot man shoots neighbor who broke in



An Eliot man shot and seriously wounded his neighbor early Wednesday after the neighbor broke through his door and followed him into a bedroom where he kept a handgun, police said. The two men did not know each other well, and police say they don't know why the neighbor, Mark Murphy, broke into the home of David Oeser on Goodwin Road.



Less than 24 hours earlier, Murphy had been arrested and given a psychiatric evaluation after allegedly "going berserk" and attacking a man sitting at a nearby table in a Kittery diner, according to police and witnesses.



Murphy, 39, underwent surgery after being shot in the chest and was in intensive care Wednesday at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. State police were investigating the shooting, and no charges had been filed.



Oeser, 54, was the only one at home about 1:30 a.m., when the incident occurred, police said. Oeser spoke briefly to a reporter from inside his home Wednesday afternoon and said he was shaken by the incident.



"It was a home invasion, I can tell you that," Oeser said Wednesday. "Emotionally, I'm bothered by it," he said, "but physically I'm OK."



Oeser repeated part of what he had told police: An agitated man he did not recognize woke him up by pounding on his door, then broke through the closed door and followed him into a bedroom. Oeser shot him with a .308 semiautomatic handgun and then called police.



Murphy, who is described as about 6 feet 2 inches tall and 330 pounds, was still conscious and verbally combative when officers arrived, despite what was clearly a life-threatening injury, police said.



(More)




Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Henderson, Nevada



From the Las Vegas Review-Journal of November 3, 2004
Man shot, killed after 911 call



A 44-year-old man was shot and killed Monday night after police received a 911 call stating he was trying to break into a home where his wife was staying.



The wife of the slain man had called police about 8 p.m. Monday, claiming her husband had battered her, according to Henderson police.



The woman and a male friend then left the Las Vegas home and went to another friend's home near Warms Springs Road and Green Valley Parkway, police said.



The woman's husband showed up at the home about 10:30 p.m., and she called 911 about the same time to report he was trying to break into the home, Rasmussen said.



The woman's male friend shot the husband when he entered the home, Rasmussen said.




Jackson, Mississippi



From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of November 3, 2004
Alleged robber shot by Jackson store clerk; no charges filed



Jackson police are investigating the Tuesday night death of a man who was shot by a clerk after he reportedly tried to rob a Raymond Road convenience store, officials said.



Roosevelt Beale, 36, of Camilla Drive in Jackson, died of gunshot wounds to the groin and leg about 9 p.m., said Jackson Police Department spokesman Robert Graham.



Beale allegedly entered the BP service station, 2010 Raymond Road, Tuesday night, displayed a knife and told the employees he was there to rob the business, Graham said.



"He tried to force a clerk to the back of the store, but a struggle ensued," Graham said.



The clerk, Christian Corley, 22, of Jackson broke free and grabbed a gun that was located behind the store's counter, Graham said.



"Another struggle ensued and they both wound up going out the front door," Graham said. "Beale reportedly still had a knife in his hand and lunged at Corley. Corley then shot him twice."



Police responded and found Beale's body lying in an adjacent parking lot, Graham said. Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said she pronounced Beale dead at Central Mississippi Medical Center at 9:21 p.m.



No charges have been filed in the case, Graham said.



"At this point, detectives are leaning toward ruling this case a justifiable homicide," Graham said. "They plan to present this case to a Hinds County grand jury, where either an indictment will be issued or it won't be issued."

Monday, November 1, 2004

Fairfax, Virginia



From Washington’s NEWS8.net of October 27, 2004
Suspect Picks Wrong Fairfax House To Rob



There's a young burglary suspect who no doubt wishes he'd picked another house. That's because Fairfax County police say the one they found him in is owned by a guy with a gun.



Investigators say shortly before 2 a.m., the homeowner heard some noises in his house in the 3900 block of Collis Oak Court, in the Fair Oaks neighborhood. The man grabbed his gun and went to take a look.



According to police, he found a 17-year-old wearing a ski mask and gloves. Turning the tables on the teen, the homeowner ordered him to call police, which he did. Officers arrived and took him into custody. The suspect was later released to his parents, and charges are pending.



No shots were fired and no one was hurt.




Houston, Texas



From the Houston Chronicle of November 1, 2004
Convenience store clerk wounds suspect in holdup



A clerk at a northwest Houston convenience store shot a suspected robber during a holdup outside the store, police said.



Houston police said two armed males confronted Tuan Minh Coa Tran, 23, about 7:45 p.m. Saturday as he was backing out of the driveway at the Wheatley Food Store, 8512 Wheatley.



One of the suspects shot out the front passenger window of the victim's car. Tran grabbed his own weapon and returned fire, hitting one of the suspects in the head.



The suspect was listed in critical condition at Ben Taub General Hospital, police said. His name was not released.



The other suspect, Cleveland Evans, 19, was taken into custody. He was charged with armed robbery and was being held Sunday on $30,000 bond.