Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Orlando, Florida

From the Orlando Sentinel of May 31, 2005
Widow uses gun, instincts to fend off burgler (sic)

Judith Kuntz, 64, hunkered down in her darkened bedroom late Sunday evening, arming herself with a revolver.

A burglar had just broken into her Indialantic home and, fearing for her life, she said she let her instincts take over.

When the burglar, who had a flashlight, entered the room, Kuntz fired one round from her .38-caliber handgun.

Hit squarely in the chest, the unidentified intruder ran outside, where he collapsed and died.

On Monday, Kuntz was still shaken, but she briefly recalled her ordeal.

"I'm doing fine under the circumstances," she said. "I don't take any joy in somebody being dead. My self-preservation instinct took over."

She would not discuss the incident further.

"I don't feel real safe," said Kuntz, who has lived alone since her husband died nearly five years ago. "This has been a horrifying experience."

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said she was justified in defending herself and will not face charges. The revolver was hers, inherited through her family, investigators said.
From May 31, 2005 Florida Today:
Jason Lewis Preston was having marital and financial trouble in Eaton Rapids, Mich., when he arrived in Indialantic last week to spend time with a cousin, according to police.

Now, Brevard County sheriff's investigators want to know why the 33-year-old unemployed maintenance worker decided Sunday to burglarize the home of a 64-year-old widow.

The nighttime break-in ended with a startled Judith Kuntz pulling out her .38 caliber handgun and shooting Preston to death.

"He came down to stay with some family and said he was just going to make a little money, maybe do some odd jobs," said Brevard County Sheriff's Agent Lou Heyn.

Heyn doesn't yet have a clear motive for the burglary. Investigators said the shooting death appears justifiable.

Preston has a criminal record that includes assault and breaking and entering (see story at right).
More detail from May 31, 2005 WFTV.com:
INDIALANTIC, Fla. -- A 64-year-old woman fatally shot an intruder who broke into her home.

Judith Kuntz was awakened by the sound of breaking glass late Sunday. She fired her revolver from about a distance of about 10 feet as the intruder entered her bedroom.

...

"I'm doing fine under the circumstances," Kuntz said Monday. "I don't take any joy in somebody being dead. My self-preservation instinct took over."

The case was being treated as a lawful shooting, said Agent Lou Heyn of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

Monday, May 30, 2005

Fort Myers, Florida

From the Fort Myers News-Press of May 30, 2005
Man takes shots at fleeing suspect

Customer charged with attempted shoplifting

A customer fired shots at a shoplifting suspect's car on Sunday as he tried to flee a Publix in Fort Myers.

Donald Biggs, 69, of Fort Myers, who sometimes works in security, said he wasn't aiming at the suspect.

He was worried that the suspect could have run over people as he fled, Biggs said.

"They were getting in his way, and he was trying to get away," Donald Biggs, 69, of Fort Myers. He fired two shots at the tires.

Matthew Depalma, 38, allegedly tried to steal merchandise at about 5:30 p.m. at the store on 3255 Cleveland Ave.

The store manager confronted him as he tried to leave, and he dropped the merchandise, police said. The manager tried to detain him, but the suspect struggled with the manager and a security officer.

The confrontation continued into the parking lot as Depalma got into his vehicle. Biggs ran to his car and retrieved his gun. As Depalma tried to drive away, Biggs fired shots at the tires of the car, but didn't stop the suspect from fleeing.

Depalma was taken into custody after witnesses provided a tag number and the Lee County Sheriff's Office located his car at his home in Cape Coral.

Depalma was charged with attempted retail theft, three counts of resisting a merchant, and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and personal injury. He was held at the Lee County Jail.

Biggs said he has a license to carry a gun. He has not been charged.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

San Diego, California

From the San Diego Union-Tribune of May 28, 2005
Pharmacy employee shoots, kills robber

Worker says he was threatened

An employee of a North Park pharmacy said he shot and killed a man who tried to rob the business and then threatened him with a weapon, police said.

The attempted robbery of the Fed RX Pharmacy on 30th Street at Lincoln Avenue was reported to police at 11:36 a.m., said San Diego police Lt. Kevin Rooney.

Patrol officers arrived at the scene six minutes later and found the body of David S. Robuck, 32, slumped inside the front door. Three hours later, the weapon that he had reportedly tried to grab just before the shooting was still tucked into his waistband, Rooney said.

Police later determined the weapon was a plastic replica revolver.


The intruder was wearing sunglasses, dark clothing and latex gloves, Rooney said. Before he was shot, he demanded prescription drugs and reached for the weapon in his waistband, Rooney said.

The employee told police he recognized the man as someone who had robbed the business of prescription drugs on April 11.

Rooney said he was not sure whether the victim had been involved in the April robbery.
You’ve got to love California--the robber is the “victim”.

Friday, May 27, 2005

Detroit, Michigan

From Detroit‘s ClickOnDetroit.com of May 27, 2005
Local Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder

Police Say No Charges Expected In Case

A local homeowner shot and killed an intruder who entered his home overnight, Local 4 reported.

The 70-year-old Detroit resident fired four shots at a man who apparently broke into the home on the 3200 block of Fullerton.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 4 a.m. on Friday, the station reported.

Neighbors said the homeowner had a right to protect himself against the suspected robber.

"That's his house. He had to protect himself," said Jay Miller, a neighbor.

Curly Humphry, an 86-year-old neighbor who lives on his own, said he also keeps guns in his home to protect himself, the station reported.

"I've got a .38 rifle (and) a shotgun," Humphry said.

Police continue to investigate the shooting, but no charges are expected in the case.
Wichita Falls, Texas

From Wichita Falls’ KFDX.com of May 26, 2005
LIQUOR STORE ROBBERY

A Wichita Falls man is out of the hospital and now faces a charge after police say he was shot trying to rob a liquor store. 21 year old Ervin Flint is charged with robbery. Police say, about seven last night, Flint entered Mike`s Cut Rate Liquor on Kemp, and threatened the assistant manager with a bottle. Authorities say that`s when the worker chased Flint from the store and shot him with a 38 caliber pistol in the back of the leg. Police say the manager will not be charged.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Cloverdale, Georgia

From the Savannah Morning News of May 25, 2005
Shooting victim was harrassing ex-girlfriend

Carey Heyward was shot and killed after stalking the mother of his child, a police report says.

A 26-year-old woman called Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police twice Monday night and early Tuesday to complain about Heyward's harassment, according to a police report.

She made the second call after her friend, Darryl Kent, shot and killed Heyward as he tried to break into the woman's Cloverdale home.

When police arrived at 1434 Chevy Chase Road around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, they found Heyward, 35, lying in the backyard with a gunshot wound to the bottom of his face, the report says.

He was dead at the scene, emergency workers told police.

Heyward and the Cloverdale woman used to live together, but separated about three months ago. They had a 10-month-old daughter, the woman told police.

But according to the police report, the woman had previous problems with Heyward and had even taken out a restraining order against him prohibiting any further contact.

Heyward ignored the order this week when he showed up at his ex-girlfriend's home.

The first time, he rang the door bell and yelled for the woman to answer the door. After she refused, he broke a front window and tried to climb in, the report says.

The woman called police.

Heyward finally left when he saw Kent inside the home, according to the report.

Kent, who was over to watch television, decided to stay the night in case Heyward returned, the woman told police.
And that's what happened.

Around 3 a.m., the couple awoke to tapping on the window and the sound of Heyward calling the woman's name, the report says.

She shouted for him to go away and said she was calling police.

As she was about to dial 911, she heard glass break and then a gunshot, the report says.

Then she ran outside and called 911. No one inside the house was hurt, police said.

Police arrived to find Heyward dead. A .380-caliber semi-automatic weapon lay on the sofa, next to the front door, according to the report.

Police declined to say if Heyward had a weapon.

Police questioned Kent, 38, and released him without charges, police spokesman Bucky Burnsed said.

The police interview will be forwarded to the Chatham County District Attorney's Office and may be presented to the grand jury, police said.

Georgia law says a person can threaten or use force against another to defend himself against force that is likely to cause death or great injury, or when it is to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

Georgia corrections department records show that Heyward has been in and out of jail since 1989 on various charges, including aggravated assault, possession of cocaine and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Greenbrier, Tennessee

From Nashville’s WSMV.com of May 23, 2005
Clerks shoots suspected robber

Greenbrier police are investigating a robbery that led to a shooting at a gun store on Monday. Authorities say a man walked into an indoor gun range and store on Highway 41 and stole several guns.

"He came in and he was threatening to the employee and did try to take several weapons and he tried to leave with them," say police.

The suspect, Courtney Hall II, walked into "Guns and Leather Indoor Gun Range" pretending to be a customer and stole several weapons. But when he kept returning, the clerk knew something wasn't right.

When the employee saw Hall make a run to the door of the business, he noticed the suspect was trying to take more weapons from the store.

The clerk shot Hall twice in the lower waist and shoulder. He was taken by Life Flight to Vanderbilt Medical Hospital in critical condition.

The owner of the business says his worker feared for his life since Hall had several weapons in his waistband and he did not wan (sic) to take any chances.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

From ChannelOklahoma.com of May 18, 2005
Alleged Intruder Shot By Homeowner

Suspect In Serious Condition; Police Say Case Still Under Investigation

An intruder got more than he bargained for Tuesday night when he allegedly tried to break into a home in northwest Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City police said a woman shot Ervin Donaldson twice in the chest while he tried to break into her home at 1221 N. Woodward St. near Northwest 12th Street and Grand Avenue. Officers said Donaldson knocked on the back door of the house just after 10:30 p.m Tuesday, asked to use the phone, then tried to force his way into the home.

A man who also lives in the house apparently confronted Donaldson and started fighting him. Lt. Don Holland said that's when the man's wife pulled out the gun and opened fire.

"The information we got ... he came to the back door, knocked on the door, (then the) homeowner came to the back door, (and) an altercation occurred at the back door," Holland said.

Donaldson was in serious condition Wednesday at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Police said the man who confronted him was also shot once in the hand, but added that his injuries aren't considered serious.

Police were continuing their investigation Wednesday evening. Officers said it would be up to the district attorney to decide whether the shooting was justified.

According to state prison records, Donaldson spent time in prison for seven burglaries committed over two days in 1997. He also served time on drug and trespassing charges in 1996.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of May 17, 2005
Intruder shot at North Side food bank

A food bank supervisor on the North Side shot and wounded an intruder who apparently brandished a screwdriver when confronted in the freezer area.

Kenneth Mathews, 45, of Sedgwick Street in Manchester was arraigned at Allegheny General Hospital on charges of burglary, robbery, possession of instruments of crime and fictitious reports to law enforcement.

Police said Mathews lied to police by telling an officer he was shot during a drive-by.

In fact, police said, Mathews had broken into the Love Food Bank, a subsidiary of Bethel Assembly of Pittsburgh, in the 2400 block of California Avenue.

In an affidavit, police said William Zapf encountered Mathews about 10 p.m. Mathews was armed with the screwdriver he had used to break into the food bank. Mathews shoved Zapf "nearly to the ground," police said.

"Zapf was in fear for his safety. Zapf shot Mathews in apparent self-defense," the affidavit said.
Police said Mathews was shot in the calf.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Rev. Gregory Hammond of the Bethel Assembly of God church said Zapf was a hunter and sportsman and carried a registered handgun.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Caldwell, Idaho

From the May 17, 2005 [Boise] Idaho Statesman:
CALDWELL — Retired mechanic Warren Harlow was asleep at 9:30 p.m. Sunday when his wife woke him because she heard a racket in the basement of their Denver Street home.

Harlow, 77, grabbed his antique .22 pistol and headed downstairs to find an intruder halfway in a sink below a broken out window.

Harlow told the man to leave but the man came at him, police said.

"I batted him on the head with the pistol. That didn't get no attention. He turned on me. I put a bullet in the cement wall," Harlow said.

The man ran to the furnace room, turned and the two men struggled again, Harlow said.

"I told him I was going to shoot him if he didn't stop," Harlow said. "I protected my family and I protected myself."

Caldwell police officers arrived about that time to take the man into custody.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Athens, Georgia

From the Athens Banner-Herald of May 16, 2005
(Requires free registration)
Man shot in neighborhood gunbattle

One man was hospitalized after being shot in the chest while trying to break into an apartment in The Hill Top Apartment Complex, located on the corner of Carr Street and Appleby Drive Sunday evening, according to Athens-Clarke County police.

Around 6 p.m. Sunday a late-model black Acura with several passengers pulled up in front of one of the complex's buildings facing Appleby Drive, police said. One of the passengers then ran up to a second floor apartment and kicked in the door, according to Athens-Clarke Police Lt. Melodi Bennett. He was brandishing a pistol, Bennett added.

The man inside the apartment also had a pistol and shot the man in the chest as he came through the door, she said.

A gunfight ensued as the suspect who had kicked in the door ran down the front porch of the apartment building and down Appleby Drive toward Carr Street, she said. He then collapsed and passed out in the Town View Apartment complex, across Carr Street from the Hill Top complex, and was taken away in police custody in an ambulance, said Bennett.

Meanwhile, as the man who had been shot fled, at least one other passenger in the black Acura opened fire on the apartment building with a shotgun, according to police. Police recovered several shotgun shell casings from the area, and their investigation is ongoing.

"The suspect who was shot said this started with an argument at the Ramsey Center earlier today," Bennett said. "But we just don't know yet. We are still investigating."

(More)

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Scottdale, Pennsylvania

From PittsburghLive.com of May 14, 2005
Everson robbery attempt foiled

A pair of suspected burglars got a rude surprise while allegedly breaking into a Scottdale-area home Friday. A gun-toting relative backed up by state police descended on them so quickly that the alleged burglars couldn't return to their waiting car and fled on foot.

The troopers happened to be in Scottdale, where 12 people accused in an unrelated burglary ring were being arraigned.

The incident occurred near the border of Fayette and Westmoreland counties.

The alleged burglars appeared to have scouted homes in Upper Tyrone Township as well. Neighbors complained about two hour-long response times by police after their homes were ransacked.

But not yesterday.

"I got here, and police were all over the place. They brought the one (suspect) back here, and he was bold. He looked right at me," said Ted Huffman, where the break-in attempt occurred. "I'm just thankful for my neighbors who were watching."

The Huffmans were not at home, but a suspicious neighbor, wary after two prior daytime burglaries, called police and Huffman when an unknown car with two black men inside was seen cruising through the neighborhood.

A relative of the Huffmans arrived, confronted the men with a pistol and ordered them to the ground. When they ran, the relative fired several warning shots. Police arrived moments later.

In the manhunt that followed in and around the borough of Everson, police took three people into custody -- one of the suspects and two women from Wilkinsburg who said they had been called to give the alleged burglars a ride.

(More)

Friday, May 13, 2005

Columbus, Ohio

From Columbus’ NBC4.com of March 30, 2005
Guard Shoots Two At Local Apartment Complex

Shooter Says He Acted In Self-Defense

Police are investigating a shooting Wednesday evening by an apartment complex security guard that left two people hospitalized, NBC 4's Teresa Garcia reported.

The shooting happened at about 6 p.m. at the Rustic Ridge apartment complex on Vineshire Drive on the city's east side.

The guard, Cornell McCleary, said the men were causing problems, refused to leave and then became violent, and that he acted in self-defense, Garcia reported. McCleary is a local radio talk-show host and community activist.

Police said the incident started as an exchange of words but quickly turned into a shooting.

A woman said her nephew had just returned home from work when he allegedly was approached by a group of young men. She said he was approached because he was wearing a red shirt.

"It's a damn shame that you can't wear what you want to wear," she said. "The guy approached my nephew thinking he was in a gang."

That's when police said McCleary got involved.

"By this time it escalated to about 10 to 12 guys," McCleary said. "They were threatening the guy to kill him."

Columbus Police Detective Jim Day said McCleary told the group of men to leave, but they didn't.

McCleary said one of the men punched him in the face.

"For no reason one of them hit me and stunned me real bad," McCleary said. "I spinned around and they were moving in. I turned my head around and they hit me again and others were moving in. So I fired. I engaged them and fired."

McCleary said he shot two men he said were attacking him.

The men, Mark Harmon, 20, and Kevin Gullick, 36, were transported to Grant Medical Center. Harmon, who was shot in the foot, was treated and released. Gullick was shot several times and remains in serious condition.

McCleary was interviewed at police headquarters. No charges were immediately filed. An investigation will continue.

According to McCleary's bio on the WTVN-AM Web site, he has been a private investigator for 20 years and is certified by the state as an expert and instructor in the patrol of private property and in self-defense.

McCleary said that if he wasn't at the apartment complex, someone would have died.

"They were giving the gang signs," McCleary said. "They stood there for about five minutes threatening to kill that resident. They were working themselves into a frenzy. There was no doubt in my mind that had I not been there, they probably would have killed someone."
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Abilene, Texas

From the Abilene Reporter-News of May 5, 2005
Boy, 14, sentenced to juvenile facility

A juvenile who was shot by a pizza delivery driver after attempting to rob him in March was sent this week to a state juvenile facility.

The 14-year-old boy was placed in a facility overseen by the Texas Youth Commission, the state's juvenile correction agency, said Harriett Haag, Taylor County's juvenile prosecutor. The placement of the boy stems from a March 17 incident in which Abilene police said two armed juveniles were shot by a Pizza Hut delivery driver after they attempted to rob him. A third boy also was involved.

The minimum stay in the facility is generally two years, Haag said. After the boy is released from the facility, the state will continue to supervise him until he turns 21, she said.

Cases involving two other juveniles connected with the shooting are pending in the district attorney's office, Haag said.

Police originally investigated the incident in the 1300 block of Westmoreland Street as a drive-by shooting. During the investigation, the 35-year-old pizza delivery driver called police and told them he had just shot two juveniles who tried to rob him, according to police.

A 16-year-old boy was shot in the head and was treated and released.

The 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest. He was released from Hendrick Medical Center and detained by police in April.

A third boy, also 16, who police suspected to be involved turned himself in, said Sgt. Kim Vickers.

The pizza delivery driver did not have a permit to carry a gun. Taylor County District Attorney James Eidson said Abilene police have not sent his office a case about the driver.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Sacramento, California

From Sacramento’s KCRAchannel.com of March 30, 2005
Police: Chainsaw, Shotgun Involved In Weekend Shooting

1 Dead After Altercation On South Sacramento Street

Sacramento police are searching at least one person involved in a shooting that happened Sunday afternoon.

Investigators said the incident happened on Scarborough way in south Sacramento, and involved a man armed with a chainsaw and another armed with a shotgun.

Police said they believe a car with three people inside randomly stopped on the street near Mack Road and Highway 99 and an altercation with the victim followed.

"The victim retrieved (the chainsaw) from the trunk and was swinging it at one of the occupants of the car, who in turn fired back at the victim," Sacramento Police Department Sgt. Bob McCloskey said.

The man with the chainsaw, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The people in the car fled the scene. Police said it's believed they live in the area.

News of the shooting shocked nearby residents.

"It's a quiet neighborhood, everybody is pretty respectable, nothing like that ever happens around here," resident Jim Devissher said.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Monday, May 9, 2005

Miami, Florida

From Miami’s NBC6.com of April 30, 2005
Police: Suspect Shot In Attempted Robbery

A couple who police said was being robbed turned the tables on the would-be robber, hitting and shooting the man, NBC 6 reported.

The alleged attempted robbery took place outside the pair's home in the 10000 block of Southwest 40th Street.

The husband and wife fought back against the alleged robber. The wife hit the alleged robber with a sharp object and the husband pulled out a gun and shot the man, who hasn't been identified.

The alleged robber then took off.

A short time later, authorities received reports of a man who had been shot about a half mile from the scene of the attack, NBC 6 reported.

Authorities suspect the two incidents are related, but haven't confirmed it.
Stillwell, Oklahoma

From Oklahoma City’s NewsOK.com of May 8, 2005
Officials rule shooting was act of self defense

No charges will be filed against an Adair County man for the February shooting death of his neighbor, prosecutors say.

Ryan Wingert, 34, died Feb. 21 after being shot in the chest with a rifle at the residence of Christopher Gist, 34.

Richard Gray, district attorney for Adair, Cherokee, Wagoner and Sequoyah counties, said he made the decision not to file charges after reviewing a report from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Gist allegedly shot Wingert after Wingert approached him with a club. The men lived about 200 yards from each other eight miles south of Stilwell in Adair County.

Police said the men had been arguing over Wingert's dog chasing Gist's cattle. When Wingert came at Gist armed with a club, Gist shot him in the chest, police said.

Saturday, May 7, 2005

Clinton, Tennessee

From the Knoxville News-Sentinel of May 7, 2005
Grand jury refuses to indict woman in husband's slaying

The detective said it was murder.

The district attorney general reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter.

The grand jury cut her loose.

An Anderson County grand jury has refused to indict Tamara Johnson of Heiskell in connection with the shooting death of her husband, Tim Johnson, 46, also of Heiskell.

Grand jurors met Tuesday and considered the case. Their decision not to indict was released Friday.

Tim Johnson died of a single gunshot wound to his lower abdomen following an early-morning shooting April 9 at the Sundown Tavern, a bar the couple operated on Clinton Highway.

When a deputy arrived, Tamara Johnson stepped out of the tavern with gun in hand.

She admitted to the deputy she shot her husband after he hit her several times in the face, according to law enforcement reports.

Detective Danny Bowie's charge of criminal homicide against Tamara Johnson was waived to the grand jury.

But prosecutors asked grand jurors to instead consider a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.

That charge alleged Tamara Johnson acted in a "state of passion produced by adequate provocation sufficient to lead a reasonable person to act in an irrational manner.''

Grand jurors thought otherwise. They dismissed the reduced charge.

Tamara Johnson had already been freed on a reduced bond of $25,000.

Court documents filed in connection with the couple's stormy relationship over the years depicted Tamara Johnson as the victim of ongoing physical abuse.

Tim Johnson knew where to hit her where the injuries wouldn't show, Tamara Johnson said in an order of protection she took out against her husband last August.

Tamara Johnson said her husband had boasted he learned how to hit her from tips he received during an anger management course he was sentenced to take.

That sentence stemmed from a 2002 domestic assault conviction Tim Johnson netted for an earlier beating of his wife.

Tamara Johnson then had described to deputies a long history of physical abuse at Tim Johnson's hands that she said dated back several years.

She said she had lost several jobs over the years because she was too embarrassed to go to work with the blackened eyes and bruises she received at Tim Johnson's hands.

Friday, May 6, 2005

Boston, Massachusetts

From the Boston Herald of May 6, 2005
Druggist blasts away at pistol-packin’ thief

A gun-toting pharmacist - beloved by paying customers for his friendly banter - opened fire on an armed OxyContin robber as the two swapped lead instead of cheery hellos yesterday afternoon.

No one, including two workers and a customer who were in the store at the time, was injured.

Lawrence Maida Sr.'s pharmacy is just one of dozens hit in recent years by armed robbers looking for so-called ``hillbilly heroin.'' Cops say Maida's store has been robbed several times before, and this is not the first time the second-generation druggist has used a gun to run off bandits.

Maida is licensed to have the gun, and will not face charges for the shooting, police said.

``What do you want me to charge him with, being a victim?'' asked one cop.

``These people nowadays will kill you,'' said Rosemary Maida, who said she can't recall how many times her husband has shot at robbers. ``I try not to think about it. It's better than having someone kill your husband.''

Police said just before 3 p.m. yesterday a robber wearing a ski mask, ball cap and a hoodie, walked into the Massachusetts Avenue shop with a gun drawn.

``He came in ready to rob the store,'' Lt. John Serson said. ``He announced that it was a robbery. The owner drew his gun and between three and four shots were exchanged. The robber left, without the OxyContin.'' He is believed to have bolted in a black Cadillac.
Gee, a shred of sanity in a blue state.

Thursday, May 5, 2005

Dolton, Illinois

From the April 27, 2005 Chicago Tribune:
A pregnant woman who was shot twice in the abdomen before her husband fatally shot the gunman at a Dolton store was treated in an Olympia Fields hospital and her fetus is fine, police said Tuesday.

The 28-year-old woman, who police declined to identify, was shot just before 9 p.m. Monday in the Family Dollar, a discount store in Dolton, police said.

A spokeswoman for St. James Hospital and Health Centers said the woman was released Tuesday afternoon.

Details of the shooting remain unclear, but police believe a man who has not been identified entered the store with a .38-caliber pistol and had a confrontation with the employee.

Her husband, waiting outside to pick her up at the end of her workday, heard gunshots and ran into the store.

The husband struggled with the assailant for the pistol, wrangled it away and shot the gunman twice.
Columbus, Ohio

From Columbus’ NBC4i.com of May 5, 2005
Sheriff: Homeowner Shoots Intruder

Burglar Found Nearby

A homeowner shot a burglary suspect early Thursday morning at his own home on the city's west side, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

The homeowner said two people kicked in the door and entered the living room of his Volney Avenue home at about 12:40 a.m. The resident said he feared for his safety and shot at the burglars twice, striking one of them in the upper torso.

The unidentified suspect was found a short distance from the home and was transported to Mount Carmel West Hospital. The suspect was listed in stable condition.

The other suspected burglar was not found.

The incident remains under investigation.

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

Brooklyn, New York

From Brooklyn’s Canarsie Courier of March 24, 2005
Suspect Wounded in Robbery Shootout

In what some police officers described as a shootout that “looked like it was a movie,” a suspected gunman who allegedly took part in an attempted home invasion robbery last Monday was shot four times by his intended victim, police from the 69th Precinct said. The victim’s name was not re-leased.

The suspect, Negus Martin, 21, of Brooklyn Avenue, and another man, had apparently followed the victim as he entered his home on Flatlands Avenue near Rockaway Parkway at about 7:45 p.m. on March 21 and, wielding handguns, forced their way inside, also menacing his wife.

As they forced the man and his wife to go to the basement, the victim’s wife distracted Martin, police said, giving the victim a chance to swing around, grab the gun from Martin’s hand and force both suspects back to the front door.

As the second man aimed his weapon in his direction, the victim drew his own licensed 9mm handgun and fired, wounding Martin, who fell to the outside steps of the house. The second suspect aimed his gun at the victim again while helping Martin to his feet and the victim fired “several more shots” at the two suspects, who fled in a waiting car, according to police. Neither the victim nor his wife was wounded in the shootout.

Less than an hour later, Martin walked into Kings County Hospital with four gunshot wounds to his chest and arms.

Hospital authorities immediately called police and local detectives interrogated the suspect. He was later positively identified by the victim, police said. They are still searching for the second suspect and ask that anyone with information call the local detective squad at (718) 257-6215.

According to local authorities, there were no charges filed against the victim who shot Martin.

Tuesday, May 3, 2005

Marianna, Florida

From the Tallahassee Democrat of May 3, 2005
Jury acquits man in fatal shooting

A man who claimed self-defense has been acquitted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of his lover's husband who had forced his way into a mobile home where he found the pair partly undressed.

Robert Jernigan, 70, admitted killing Curtis Ryals, 52, but jurors agreed he was justified in shooting the intruder who also tried to strangle him June 21 in nearby Cypress. They cleared him after four hours of deliberation Saturday.

"If this is not self-defense, then what in the world is self-defense?" defense lawyer Walter Smith said in his closing argument.

The case was unaffected by a new law Gov. Jeb Bush signed last week to let people use deadly force to defend themselves on the streets, but the Smith's arguments echoed those made by supporters of the legislation. Existing law allows a person to use deadly force to protect themselves in their homes.

"Here we have the state prosecuting a victim for killing a criminal," Smith said.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Sims contended the shooting was neither necessary nor justified because Ryals, drunk after consuming a half bottle of whiskey, had stopped his attack before he was killed.

"It was over," Sims said. "The man was leaving."

Sims said Jernigan's house might be his castle, but "inside this man's castle was Curtis Ryals' woman."

Ryals' wife, Barbara, worked for Jernigan at his lawn ornament and statue business.

Monday, May 2, 2005

Pueblo, Colorado

From the Pueblo Chieftan of May 2, 2005
Guard shoots man after alleged threat

A man was in critical condition Sunday night after being shot by a security guard early Sunday morning.

The victim, Steven Carrillo, age unknown, was shot about 2:25 a.m. near the intersection of Lake and Joliet avenues, according to a press release issued by Pueblo Police Det. Mark Bravo.

The unidentified guard told police he saw a black Toyota truck knocking over traffic cones as it drove through a construction site on Lake. When stopped, the driver of the truck, Carrillo, allegedly got out, confronted the guard and pulled out a silver and black folding knife.

The guard said Carrillo kept walking toward him with the knife and refused to stop even though he was told to several times, according to the press release. The guard fired one shot from a handgun, hitting Carrillo in the upper chest.

Carrillo was taken to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.

The guard reportedly works for Parker Excavation, the company handling the construction project.

No charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation, according to Bravo.

Sunday, May 1, 2005

Ocala, Florida

From the Ocala Star-Banner of March 20, 2005
Police: Shooting was possibly self-defense

Officers were called to family's house before

A 38-year-old man was shot and killed late Friday after his wife reportedly shot him to protect herself.

Timothy Shane Roberts, 38, was shot once in the chest by his wife Paula Kathryn Roberts, 35, during a physical altercation, said Marion County Sheriff's Office officials. Paramedics were dispatched to the home, 22 Hemlock Terrace Drive, at 10:09 p.m.

When deputies arrived, they found the man's wife kneeling next to him.

"The argument pretty much started with the daughter," said Sue Livoti, sheriff's office public information officer. When the man's wife got involved, the physical fight turned deadly.

The physical altercation began early Friday, according to Paula Roberts' account to police.

The couple spent Friday evening with their three children at the Ocala Shrine Club Carnival just a couple of miles away from their home. After they left, Timothy Roberts began to argue with his 16-year-old daughter, Kathryn.

Once at the home, he is said to have begun hitting his daughter. After his wife got involved, he began to attack her.

"The mother went into the bedroom and told him if he hit her again she would shoot him," Livoti said. "And he supposedly told her, 'You don't have the nerve.'

"He moved as if to strike her again and she fired one time, hitting him in the chest. The children ran to a neighbor's house and called 911," Livoti said in an earlier written press release.

Paula Roberts has not been charged in the homicide.

Family members told investigators that domestic violence was prevalent in the household.


The case was investigated as a homicide, but Bibb said it looks as if the shooting was in self-defense.

An autopsy was scheduled for the husband on Saturday. The State Attorney's Office is expected to review the case this week.
No subsequent stories about this incident were found.