Richmond, Virginia

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch of August 10, 2005

More Richmonders acting in self-defense

Prosecutors rule that two victims who shot attackers will not face any charges

Richmond is armed and dangerous. And we're not just talking about the bad guys.

Since March, there have been at least three fatal shootings of armed suspects by armed victims. In at least two of those cases, Richmond prosecutors say it was in self-defense.

The Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office has concluded that the martial-arts instructor who fatally shot former NFL cornerback Mike Brim during a confrontation last April in South Richmond acted in self-defense.

Prosecutors have also decided that a pizza deliveryman acted in self-defense in March when he fatally shot a teen who attempted to rob him in the Hillside Court neighborhood, also in South Richmond.

Officials said they are awaiting toxicology reports before reaching a conclusion about the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy. Police said the boy attempted to rob a 47-year-old man with an unloaded rifle in the East End in June.

"It does appear to us in the commonwealth's attorney's office that a lot of people are armed with weapons," said Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Learned D. Barry, the city's top homicide prosecutor.

"And because of that, situations like these are becoming more and more prevalent."

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