Dallas, Texas

From Dallas’ WFAA.com of May 8, 2006

61-year-old vigilante speaks out

Police released the mug shots of four suspects after authorities said they attempted an armed robbery on a 61-year-old man who turned vigilante.

Three of the suspects in jail and the fourth was hospitalized with a gunshot wound he received after Ken said he fought back.

Ken, who didn't want to disclose his full name, said he thought one of the robbers knew his teenaged son and may have witnessed him give his son cash for a graduation present.

Two men pounded on his door while Ken said he was inside his Mission Spring Creek apartment.

"They were knocking pretty hard and I thought well, who is that?" he said. "Whoever it is, I'll tell them 'Don't come beating on my door like that.'"

Ken said he opened the door, but not before grabbing his pistol. However, he said he wasn't the only one with a gun. The suspects allegedly were armed with a 20-gauge shotgun.

"And I hit it and knocked the barrel up and it went off," Ken said.

A chunk out of his ceiling and a hole was ripped in his door.

Ken fired his gun three times. The first shot hit a wall and the second hit the robber.

"I'm not going to give up," he said he thought through the incident. "I'm not going to let them take what I work for. I work hard for what little I have, and it's mine."

After the exchange of gunfire, Ken said the suspects ran to their car. However, they didn't get far. Police caught the suspects at the crime scene in a matter of minutes at Beltline and Shiloh Roads.

While Ken said he didn't take shooting his gun lightly, he said he would do it again if he had to.

"...They don't want to come back," he said. "I got a bigger gun. [I] bought me a 45. They come back, they're not going to walk."