Friday, August 31, 2007

Grantsville, Maryland

From the Cumberland Times-News of August 31, 2007
Man shoots bear in self-defense

Maryland Natural Resources Police said Friday they will not charge an Amish Road man who shot a bear after it charged him and his wife and then attempted to come through a window after the couple sought refuge inside their home Wednesday evening.

“They had every right to do what they did,” said Clarissa Harris, a biologist with the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service. “It is appropriate to defend yourself or your family or your livestock.”

NRP Sgt. Ken Turner said Friday that the husband and wife heard commotion outside their house and then saw a bear trying to get at two penned goats.

“The man said he shouted at the bear and the bear turned and ran toward the couple. He told the investigating officer that he was glad nobody was seated on the porch because the bear moved so quickly that they would not have had time to get into the house,” Turner said.

The bear then attempted to pull an air conditioning unit out of the window frame as the wife held onto the unit from inside.

The husband grabbed a shotgun, loaded it with No. 4 pellets and shot through the window at the bear, according to Turner.

The couple called Maryland State Police at 7:30 p.m. and at 8 p.m. a NRP officer arrived to find the bear struck in the head and neck area and lying, still alive, in the yard. Turner said the officer then put the bear down.

“We were not dealing with a typical black bear, it seems,” Turner said, referring to the aggressive actions of the animal.

Harris said there is evidence that the bear, a 134-pound lactating female, may have been previously injured by an automobile. “There was a rash, lost hair and scrapes,” Harris said. “We have also sent the head away to be tested for rabies.” Harris said there was no evidence of cubs being nearby.

The location of the incident is described as Amish Road not far south of Intestate 68. Because it has brought no charges in the matter, the NRP would not release the family’s name.

Harris said the family did the correct thing by calling the agency right away. “There is a new law in effect that requires people to report that they have shot a bear,” she said.
From the Cumberland Times-News of September 4, 2007
Bear tests positive for rabies

The aggressive bear that was killed a week ago by an Amish Road homeowner after the animal charged and then attempted to pull out a window air conditioner has tested positive for rabies, a Garrett County health official said Tuesday.

“We sent the head to our health and mental hygiene lab in Baltimore on Thursday and got the results Friday,” said Steve Sherrard, director of environmental health for the county’s health department.

At 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, the homeowners had heard a commotion outside and saw a bear attempting to get at two penned goats. When the husband hollered at the bear, it wheeled and charged the man and his wife, who retreated into their house. At that point, the bear attempted to pull out the air conditioner while the wife held onto it from inside.

The husband then shot the bear through the window, striking it with No. 4 shotgun pellets in the head and neck. The bear was eventually put down by a Natural Resources Police officer.

“After consulting medical personnel at Sacred Heart (Hospital), the family, including two children, will be getting the post-exposure rabies shots,” Sherrard said. “Apparently the exposure to blood came when they were cleaning up the house where the bear had made contact.”

Harry Spiker, who heads the bear management program for the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service, said that neither the police officer nor a wildlife employee who responded will receive shots.

“Our wildlife staff all have the pre-exposure vaccine,” he said.

NRP said the homeowners were acting in self defense and will not be charged for shooting the bear. They have not been identified.
Wayne County, North Carolina

From Raleigh’s NBC17.com of August 31, 2007
Victim In Home Invasion Shoots, Kills Intruder

One of three men accused of breaking into a home and holding the residents at gunpoint was shot and killed early Friday morning by one of the residents.

Wayne County Sheriff's Department officials said three black males broke into a home in the Dudley community at about 12:30 a.m.

There were two adults and four small children -- ages 4, 5,5 and 8 -- at the home at 2546 Old Mount Olive Highway at the time.

According to officials, the three men broke through a front door, ransacked the home and held the people inside at gunpoint. Apparently at one point one of the intruders fired at someone in the home at which point the man who lived there was able to find his own firearm and shot back. That intruder was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other two men escaped the home in a dark-colored vehicle. Investigators with the sheriff's department and the Mount Olive Police Department are both investigating.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Memphis, Tennessee

From MyFoxMemphis of August 30, 2007
Victim and Suspect Show Up at The Med, Suspect Arrested

Memphis Police have arrested a man who showed up for treatment at the same emergency room as the man he's accused of shooting.

It happened Monday at the Regional Medical Center.

Police records show Samuel Anderson was shot several times by a man who came into his house and fired when Anderson tried to run. Anderson was hit in both thighs, his right calf and his right hand.

The report says the intruder ran when Anderson got to his bedroom, picked up a pistol and fired one shot. The report says the man broke out a window to escape, cutting himself.

At the hospital, Anderson recognized a man awaiting treatment, noting his crooked teeth. He told a nurse and police arrested 19-year-old Richard Terrell Blackburn.

After Blackburn was bandaged, police questioned him and say Blackburn admitted the shooting and told detectives where to find the gun, stashed in a lawn mower bag.
Houston, Texas

From Houston’s KTRK.com of August 30, 2007
Store owner fights back against would-be robber

A store owner at a metal scrap business tried to turn the tables on a young man who held him at gunpoint overnight. But as the victim fought back, he was shot.

Police say it happened around 7:30pm last night on Frick near Woodington when the teen walked into the business and demanded money from the owner.

"(The owner) said a black male came over the fence who was brandishing a shotgun and he was in the office, and the black male came into the office and demanded money. Apparently, he was acting like he was getting the money and he went for a weapon," said Sgt. Scott Ashmore with the Harris County Sheriff's Department. "The suspect saw him, shot the complainant in the arm, possibly severing the complainants arm and they apparently got into a gun battle, there were some shell casings out here at the scene. "

The suspect got into a dark colored SUV and fled the scene. There is not much of a description of the suspect. If you have any information on this case, you're asked to call the Harris County sheriff's department.

The owner of the recycling business is in stable condition. But there is some concern that he may end up losing his arm.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville, Florida of August 29, 2007
Jury acquits murder suspect; man killed in self-defense

A Jacksonville man facing a life sentence in prison was found innocent Wednesday of murdering a man during a struggle outside his girlfriend's apartment.

Shedrick Cosby, 34, was arrested in December after the shooting death of Shelly Banks. Police charged that Cosby shot in a jealous rage after seeing two men leaving his girlfriend's apartment on Old Kings Road South in the Southside.

Cosby, whose face and neck were severely cut with a knife, testified he shot in self-defense after someone jumped him from behind and held him in a headlock. Cosby was a security guard at Forrest High School and had a permit to carry a concealed firearm, said Assistant Public Defender Debra Billard.

Billard said Cosby fired two shots blindly, and that evidence showed one bullet passed through a door before hitting Banks. The other bullet struck the apartment building's second story, she said.

She said the fact that just two bullets and two casings were recovered also contradicted testimony by prosecution witnesses, who described a larger number of shots being fired.

The six-person jury deliberated about three hours.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Stockton, California

From Sacramento’s News10.net of August 26, 2007
Store Guard Shoots, Kills Teen Robber

A teen robber was shot and killed by a grocery store security guard after an attempted robbery turned into a gunfight Saturday, Stockton police said.

The 19-year-old gunman was pronounced dead just outside the Super Mercado La Amapola, 1901 S. El Dorado Street in Stockton around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Stockton police Sgt. Ken Praegitzer said. Investigators determined the teen allegedly entered the store, pulled a loaded handgun on employees and attempted to rob the store, Praegitzer said.

An armed security guard working in the store confronted the robber, triggering an exchange of gunfire. The teen suffered multiple gunshot wounds. The guard was not injured.

Praegitzer said investigators would forward their findings to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office to review whether the guard acted appropriately.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Wichita, Kansas

From the Wichita Eagle of August 25, 2007
Police: Clerk shoots, kills would-be robber

A man in his 40s died today after he was shot by an employee while he was trying to rob a Wichita pharmacy, police said.

The man walked into Salyer Pharmacy at 102 E. 21st St. about 10:45 a.m. Saturday. He had a handkerchief over his face and a gun in his hand, Wichita Police Lt. Sam Hanley said.

He demanded money from at least two clerks, Hanley said, and "at some point, they produced their own weapon" and shot the man. The man died about 20 minutes later at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus, Hanley said.
From Wichita’s KAKE.com of August 27, 2007
Dead Robber Identified in Self-Defense Case

Police have identified the armed robber who was shot and killed by a store employee Saturday morning.

Officers say 27-year-old Alexander Mies entered Salyer's Pharmacy at 10:47am with a bandage over part of his face, exposing just one eye. He asked to pick up a prescription under an alias name. Mies then pulled out a handgun and pointed at the clerk.

At that point, a 58-year-old employee shot Mies once in head with a shotgun.

No customers were inside at the time - just three employees. A delivery worker arrived in the middle of the holdup.

Mies pronounced dead at 11:15 am. Police say the shooting appears to be a simple case of self-defense.
From Kansas.com of August 28, 2007
WOULD-BE ROBBER KILLED

When the man pulled out a handgun in Salyer Pharmacy and demanded drugs Saturday, pharmacist Tom Lundberg bolted for a back room.

He didn't go there to hide.

He went to grab his shotgun.

"I didn't know what was going to happen," Lundberg said Monday.

When the intruder pointed his gun at Lundberg and his pharmacy co-owner, Lundberg didn't hesitate.

He fired the shotgun once, hitting the man in the head and killing him. Police identified the man Monday as Alexander R. Mies, 27.

Here's what police and Lundberg say happened:

About 10:45 a.m. Saturday, a man walked into Salyer's, 102 E. 21st St., with a bandage wrapped around his head, leaving one eye exposed.

He approached the counter and told an employee he was there to pick up a prescription, but he used an alias, police said.

At that point, the man pulled out his gun while yelling and demanding Lortabs and narcotics, Lundberg said.

That's when Lundberg ran to grab a shotgun he has kept at the pharmacy since a 1993 robbery attempt.

When Lundberg came out of the back room, he saw the intruder pointing the handgun at co-owner Fred Karban, Lundberg said.

At one point, the man ducked behind the counter and Lundberg thought he was going to leave.

"Then, he came right back up and pointed it at Fred," Lundberg said.

"And then, he pointed it back at me, and then I shot him. That's pretty much the end of it."

Lundberg, 58, has been a pharmacist in Wichita for 35 years, the past 20 at Salyer's.

After the police interviews, he finished out his work day, including delivering medicine to nursing homes. He was back at work Monday at the pharmacy.

Wichita police said they could present information about the case to the Sedgwick County district attorney's office today for review.

Lundberg said he doesn't expect the office to find he did anything wrong. He said that a police detective told him: "Obviously, if it was a problem, I wouldn't be talking with you here," at the pharmacy.

He said he had received several calls of support, and some customers who hadn't seen him in a while stopped by.

"It's kind of a sad deal," he said.

"I feel kind of sorry more for his family. I just wish he hadn't put me in that situation, is what I wish."
From Wichita’s KAKE.com of September 12, 2007
Pharmacist Cleared in Self-Defense Shooting

A pharmacist who shot and killed a robber last month has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday morning, District Attorney Nola Foulston's office released a report detailing what happened.


Investigators say Alexander Mies pulled a gun on a worker at Salyer Pharmacy at 21st and Broadway on Saturday, August 25. Mies entered the store with a bandage over part of his face, exposing just one eye. He asked to pick up a prescription under an alias name. Mies then pulled out a handgun and pointed at a pharmacist.

Another pharmacist, Tom Lundberg, reached for a shotgun behind the counter. Police say he ordered Mies to drop the gun, but when Mies didn't, Lundberg fired once, hitting the robber in the head.

No customers were inside at the time - just three employees. A delivery worker arrived in the middle of the holdup.

Investigators ruled the shooting as a simple case of self-defense.
Orange County, Florida

From the Orlando Sentinel of August 25, 2007
Orange homeowner shoots burglary suspect

A 65-year-old Orange County homeowner shot a man late Friday as he was breaking into his home in the 2200 block of W. Pine St.

Harvey Lee Williams, 22, was shot in the right arm and taken to a hospital for treatment.

The homeowner, who fired from inside his house, does not face charges, Orange County Sheriff's Cmdr. Bruce McMullen said. Williams has not been charged, but the investigation is not complete.

From WFTV of August 25, 2007
Elderly Man Shoots Suspected Burglar

Orange County deputies responding to a report of a burglary found a man with a gunshot wound to his right arm just after midnight Saturday morning.

Their investigation discovered that the shooting victim had been burglarizing a home on West Pine Street and had been shot by the homeowner, a 65 year old man.

Fire rescue transported Harvey Lee Williams to Orlando Regional Medical Center,

The wound to Williams was considered non life threatening.

He was charged with burglary, and later booked into the Orange County Jail.

The elderly homeowner was not charged.
Lehman Township, Pennsylvania

From the Scranton Times-Tribune of August 25, 2007
Suspect sought in fatal Pike shootout

State police in Blooming Grove are investigating the death of a 46-year-old township man who was shot early Friday in Pike County.

Barry James Rose, of 3182 Bexhill Court, Saw Creek Estates, was shot around 2 a.m. Friday after someone entered his home, police reported.

Police said Mr. Rose and an intruder exchanged gunfire, and Mr. Rose died.

An autopsy was performed at Lehigh Valley Medical Center, and results are pending, according to police.

Saw Creek Estates resident Kristi Wertz, 25, used to keep her car doors unlocked, but not anymore.

“Lately there has been a lot of crime in this area,” she said. “For the past seven to eight months, we’ve seen the state police here quite frequently.”

There was a major drug bust in the community on Aug. 7.

Ms. Wertz, who also works at the nearby Country Squire Deli along Winona Falls Road, has lived in the private, gated community on and off for the past 10 years and said she did not always feel so uneasy. She heard about the shooting Friday morning while at work.

“A lot of people, I think, really aren’t so surprised,” she said, referring to the recent crime activity in the community.

The investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 226-5718.
Fort Myers, Florida

From the Naples Daily News of August 25, 2007
Woman shoots at suspects in South Fort Myers home invasion

A woman shot back after three suspects broke into her South Fort Myers home late Friday night.

The Lee County Sheriff’s office responded to the home invasion at 6770 Briarcliff Road at 11:43 p.m.

The unnamed woman was home alone when the three suspects broke into the home, according to authorities. She grabbed a gun and fired off an undetermined number of shots scaring off the robbers.

The woman suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital.

The suspects did make off with valuables from the home, according to authorities.

From the Naples Daily News of August 25, 2007
Woman shoots at suspects in South Fort Myers home invasion

When a woman saw three men break into her bedroom window late Friday night, she took out a gun and fired several times.

It didn't stop the men, though. They came in through the window of her South Fort Myers home, and after a struggle, they tied her hands then took off with money and jewelry.

It all happened sometime before 11:40 p.m. Friday, and detectives were still looking for the suspects Saturday.

The woman, who is in her 20s, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

She shares the home at 6770 Briarcliff Road with her boyfriend, but she was alone at the time of the break-in.

Det. Michael Hollow said it isn't clear why the woman's home was targeted, and he also said this was the first incident of the kind he has heard of in South Fort Myers this year.

"Home invasions don't happen that often," he said.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

From the Pine Bluff Commercial of August 24, 2007
TEEN SHOT DURING HOME INVASION

A teen-ager was shot while allegedly trying to break into a home in the Dollarway area Thursday night, police said.

The boy, about 14 or 15 years old, allegedly tried to kick in a door of a residence near the intersection of School and Malcomb streets. He was almost inside when the homeowner shot him, said Sgt. Greg Holland, assistant public relations officer with the Pine Bluff Police Department.

The juvenile reportedly was shot in his lower body and was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. His condition was not known at the time, Holland said.

An investigation is continuing, he said.
From Little Rock’s KATV.com of September 19, 2007
No Charges Filed in Pine Bluff Home Invasion Shooting

A homeowner who fatally shot a Pine Bluff teenager during a botched home invasion won't face criminal charges.


Authorities say Jimmy Shaw shot and killed 14-year-old Winston Walls Junior after the teen broke into Shaw's home on August 23rd.

Prosecutor Steve Dalrymple has ruled the shooting was justified.

Dalrymple wrote in a memo to Pine Bluff Police Chief John Howell that the law allows deadly force as an appropriate means of self-defense. The memo says Shaw's actions were tragic but unavoidable.

Authorities say the teenager had a handgun when he broke into Shaw's home along with two other teens.
Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville.com of August 24, 2007
(Scroll down)
Man says he shot someone who threatened him

A Jacksonville man told police he shot someone Wednesday night after the man approached him on Ring Lane off Emerson Street and pointed a gun at him.

Gregory L. Christopher, 47, of Welford Road said he pulled out a gun himself and shot Larry S. White, 56, of San Diego Road, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. White was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Police aren't releasing further details as the investigation continues.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, White has an extensive criminal history, including weapons, burglary and robbery charges. Christopher has had a clean record in Florida over the last 20 years.
Chatham County, Georgia

From the Savannah Morning News of August 24, 2007
Convenience store owner foils armed robbers

The owner of a west Chatham County convenience store derailed the plans of two armed men who tried to rob him Thursday morning, using a gun of his own to send them packing.

The would-be robbers, with guns drawn, entered Mike's Mini Mart at 2101 Lewis Mills Blvd. shortly after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police.

When the owner saw the barrels of the assailants' guns, he pulled out his own weapon and immediately opened fire as they entered. Seconds later, the two assailants turned and fled from the business.

No customers were in the store, and no injuries were reported.

The men fired two shots at the business before fleeing, blowing out their own rear window in the process, according to a police report.

Police are asking the public's help to find a small blue or black car with the rear windshield shot out.

The car was last seen traveling toward ACL Boulevard with an orange hand truck or a lawn mower protruding from its trunk.

The assailants are described as two black males, one wearing a white T-shirt, dark shorts and white tennis shoes. He is 6 feet tall, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, with long dreadlocks. His accomplice stands about 5 feet, 9 inches, weighing 160 pounds. He was wearing a gray or green ball cap, a black hooded sweatshirt and yellow jogging pants with two stripes down the sides.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

North Shreveport, Louisiana

From August 22, 2007 KTBS channel 3:

A man with a history of mental problems started a shootout with another man in North Shreveport Wednesday morning that left the instigator critically wounded, authorities and neighbors said.

Donald Richardson, 35, faces attempted murder charges upon his release from the hospital.

A neighbor, Diane Howard, took out a protective order against Richardson back in January.

Police Chief Henry Whitehorn said Richardson hadn't violated the protective order, but had been harrassing others.

McAlester, Oklahoma

From the Durant Daily Democrat of August 23, 2007
Jury acquits Pittsburg County man in killing

A Pittsburg County jury on Wednesday acquitted a man of first-degree murder in the death of a former employee.

Jurors deliberated a little more than an hour before finding Mike Krebbs not guilty of murder in the Aug. 3, 2006, death of Ty Mordecai outside Krebbs' home near Blocker. The panel also acquitted Krebbs, 34, of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter in the heat of passion.

As the jury foreman read the verdict, Krebbs, who had been leaning forward with his eyes closed, slowly exhaled. Mordecai's mother, Kathy Mordecai, who had gathered signatures on a petition for a grand jury investigation of her son's death, sat in silence.

Mordecai had once worked for Krebbs' construction company and the two men had been friends.

Krebbs testified on Wednesday that he shot Mordecai, but did so after he was assaulted. Witnesses also said that Mordecai had threatened Krebbs previously.

On the stand, Krebbs said Mordecai had called him earlier that night wanting to fight him and had threatened to burn his house down if he didn't come home. When Krebbs returned to his residence around 1:30 or 2 a.m., he saw a strange car parked outside his driveway and another one pulling out from his home, according to his testimony.

He said he put a clip in a handgun he had in his truck, and when he pulled up close to his house, he saw Mordecai waiting for him.

Krebbs told the jury that Mordecai attacked him as he sat inside his truck.

“He was coming in through the window,” Krebbs told the jury. “I shot, not to kill him, just to get him away from me.”

Krebbs also said he fired several more shots because he didn't know if Mordecai had a weapon. None of the other bullets struck Mordecai, according to testimony.

Emily Redman, the district attorney for Bryan, Atoka and Coal counties who was appointed to try the case, told jurors that Krebbs ran after Mordecai and shot at him with a pistol at least five times.

Redman was assigned to the case after the recusal of Pittsburg County District Attorney Jim Miller, who knew Krebbs.

When Miller declined to file charges in the weeks after the shooting, Kathy Mordecai gathered signatures to urge authorities to take action in the case.
Griffin, Georgia

From MyFoxAtlanta.com of August 23, 2007
Convenience Store Owner Fires Back at Armed Robbers

A frightening night for customers and the store owner at a convenience store in Griffin.

The robbery happened at Tony's One Stop just before midnight Wednesday on U.S. 41.

A customer, Chris Albright, says he had taken a short cut through the woods to the store where he says two robbers, wearing orange ski masks, jumped him and told him to get on the ground and put a gun to his head. He says they also told him to stand against a wall.

Spalding County deputies say the two later confronted customers behind the store and robbed them.

Deputies say the robbers shot the store owner in the face; he fired back, wounding at least one of the suspects.

Officers later arrested two 17-year-old suspects when they showed up for treatment at a hospital in Clayton County. They also arrested a 17-year-old girl from Henry County who they believe was driving the getaway car, which they also recovered.

The store owner remains in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
From Atlanta‘s 11Alive.com of August 23, 2007
Wounded Store Owner to be Released

The Spalding County convenience store owner who was shot and wounded in a shootout with some teen robbers late Wednesday night was scheduled for release from Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon, according to his father.

"It's a miracle that saved his life," Parish Harvil's father, Ron Harvil, told 11Alive News. Harvil said that as one of the gunmen shot at Parish, Parish instinctively raised his hand in front of his face.

"That deflected the bullet and caused it to tumble" and lose velocity, Harvil said. It embedded in Parish Harvil's skin, in his head, and did not cause a serious wound.

"It took the tip of his middle finger off" on his left hand, Ron said. He said doctors have reattached it.

Parish Harvil was still able to wound one of the robbers in his hand, and that's what led police to arrest the three suspects who are now in custody. Now, Sheriff James Stewart said one of the suspects is cooperating with investigators. Stewart has scheduled an afternoon news conference to update the public on the on-going investigation.

(More)
Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville.com of August 23, 2007
A cloud of violence grew until it overshadowed love

A domestic violence victim tells of the events that ended in a shooting.

Mark Nobles' work boots were still on the front porch, his model cars were still on his dresser and his Bible books were still by the bed they shared.

As Tonya Mathenia cradled herself in his fleece blanket, the 38-year-old Jacksonville woman cried as she talked about missing the man she loved like a husband for more than three years.

The man she killed with a 9mm pistol Sunday night after snatching the weapon she said he put to her forehead, threatening to end her life in their Westside bungalow.
Instead, she took his.

Mathenia told The Times-Union she shot once as her 44-year-old companion loped toward her as she cowered at their dead-bolted front door. Police released her after questioning but said Wednesday the investigation was continuing.

Mathenia said Nobles came home after using drugs and began lashing out like she was someone from an abusive past. She said the ironworker beat her in nearly every room of their Sappho Avenue rental home. The attack left her with a split lip needing stitches, a blackened eye and other lumps, and bruises and scratches, many on her neck and head.

The woman said she called 911 as the abuse began and screamed so someone at the other end could hear her before she hung up as her attacker approached. At 8:54 p.m., according to her phone's memory bank, she got a call back from the Sheriff's Office. After secretly pressing the speaker phone button, she hollered some more, hoping help would be on the way.

It didn't come in time. Police said they answered a call about a shooting about 9:15 p.m.

In the minutes before, as her companion started closing in, Mathenia said instinct overrode loyalty and love. Fear rising from her gut radiated to a finger poised on the gun's trigger.

"I remember barely putting my finger on it and it went off. I didn't know if I hit him at first," she said. "He grabbed himself but I didn't know if he was faking it. He just looked at me like being high and all that had left him. And he looked at me like, 'How could all that happen?' "

Three days later, as grief mixed with guilt, Mathenia said Wednesday the only thing she understood as the battery escalated was that her loved one wasn't leaving her any choice but to fight for her life.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Miami, Florida

From Miami’s NBC6.com of August 23, 2007
Homeowner Fights Back Against Would-Be Burglar

A man said he went into his home and found a burglar armed with a knife Wednesday. The homeowner took out his gun and fired two shots in the air.

He said he didn't want to kill the burglar, he only wanted to scare him.

Miami police swarmed the Northwest Miami neighborhood.

"I got on the radio and I requested police assistance for an emergency," Capt. Pete Gomez of Miami Fire Rescue said. "I told the gentleman to put the weapon down and put his hands up in the air."

Gomez said he saw the homeowner with a gun in the middle of the street.

"I was stopped there in the traffic," he said. "I noticed two guys. One guy was jumping the fence, the gate here, and the other gentleman was approaching with a weapon in his hand, with a gun in his hand. The next thing I know, he starts firing rounds. It looks like they had a few words. The gentleman that was jumping the fence kind of like, stumbled a little bit, turned and started to run."

Miami police's K-9 units, along with other K-9 units from different agencies, were able to locate the burglary suspect hiding out in the same neighborhood.

"He was captured by police," Delrish Moss with the Miami Police Department said. "But that wasn't a good capture either because, at the end of the day, a Miami Beach police officer with a dog ended up apprehending him and he was also bitten by the dog. This wasn't his lucky day."

There were many agencies with K-9 units in the area because Coral Gables and Miami Beach police K-9 units were trained with Miami police. Once they got the 911 call, they swarmed the area with an army of dogs.
From Miami’s CBS4.com of August 22, 2007
Miami Homeowner Shoots At Home Invasion Suspect

A homeowner might have taken the law into his own hands when a man allegedly broke into his home in Miami, shooting at the suspect.

Wednesday afternoon the City of Miami Fire chief was in the area of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 18th Street when he allegedly witnessed the shooting, calling polic [sic] for help. Once they arrived, police surrounded a perimeter in the neighborhood, looking for the suspect, who might be hurt.

They found him hiding in some bushes in a nearby apartment complex. A police dog spotted the suspect, who was all bloodied from injuries suffered during the alleged break-in.
Clovis, California

From Fresno’s KFSN of August 22, 2007
Clovis Police Are Looking into Whether a Would-Be Burglar Was Stopped by a Bullet

Police say a tenant at the Villa Park apartments at Peach and Santa Ana fired a gun shot when someone tried to break into his home.

Moments later the suspect ran away but it's not known if the suspect was hit.

Police have not identified the suspect or the resident.
Luling, Louisiana

From New Orleans’ WDSU.com of August 22, 2007
Luling Woman Kills Intruder, Deputies Say

St. Charles Parish deputies said a 22-year-old woman shot back at two men who barged into her home early Wednesday morning, killing one and wounding the other.

Jason Jammal Todd and Chris Avila approached Nathaniel Evans as he was leaving for work at about 4 a.m., officials said.

At gunpoint, they forced Evans back inside and then approached his girlfriend.

Avila forced her to lie on the floor, deputies said, and one of them shot Evans.

The woman got a gun from her bedroom and fired at the two intruders, deputies said.

Todd was pronounced dead at the scene. Avila was hit in the lower torso and was found in a nearby field. He's listed in guarded but stable condition.

Evans, meanwhile, is in an intensive care unit in guarded but stable condition.

Deputies said both Todd and Avila had previous arrest records.

An investigation into the case is ongoing.
Columbus, Georgia

From Columbus’ WRBL.com of August 22, 2007
Homeowner Shoots Burglar

According to police, a morning shooting in Columbus was a case of self defense.

Around 9:30 Wednesday morning police say a man armed with a gun entered a home on Patch drive.

Authorities say the homeowner pulled his own gun to defend himself. Sergeant Harvey Hatcher with the Columbus Police Department tells News Three this was a clear case of self defense. Hatcher says "right now the preliminary investigation shows the homeowner who lives here was confronted by a subject with a gun. The homeowner was able to retrieve his own weapon and fired shots at the suspect". Hatcher says the attacker was shot in the arm and was taken to The hospital. After the shooting the culprit ran one block away to Eddy street where he was taken into custody.

The case is being handled as an attempted burglary. The homeowner was not charged.
Gig Harbor, Washington

From Macon’s (GA) 13WMAZ.com of August 22, 2007
Pit Bulls Come Into Home, Maul Woman

A home invasion, of sorts, in Washington state has left a woman badly injured, but her attackers weren't human, they were dogs.

Police in Pierce County says two pit bull terriers broke into the victim's home through a pet door and attacked the woman who was in her bed.

She managed to grab a gun and tried to shoot the dogs, enabling her to get away and lock herself in her car. From there, she was able to call 911.

The woman is hospitalized in serious condition.

Police say the pit bulls also killed a neighbor's Jack Russell terrier, which apparently heard the noises coming from the home and went inside.

Police used pepper spray and fought the dogs to get them under control. It's expected the animals will be destroyed.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Toledo, Washington

From the Longview Daily News of August 21, 2007
Suspected burglar can't escape Toledo homeowner

Hal Durrett of Toledo was getting ready to take a shower Friday afternoon when he glanced outside and saw a strange man hanging around his vehicles. A white van with a septic maintenance logo was parked in his driveway.

Fuming from the loss of heirlooms when his Toledo rental home was burglarized last year, Durrett, 24, got his 40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and went downstairs just as the stranger pushed open the screen door.

The man's story about running out of gas seemed rehearsed. Durrett ordered him to lie on the floor and kept the gun trained on him as he dialed 911.

"That's when he got gutsy," Durrett said by phone Monday afternoon.

The stranger hurled himself on Durrett and tried to wrestle the gun away as they rolled. With Durrett, an ironworker, weighing 255 pounds to the stranger's estimated 160, the match was no contest, but the guy managed to get outside. He jumped into his van and backed out onto State Route 505.

Durrett fired three shots at the tires, flattening one of them, he said.

Lewis County sheriff's deputies found the van about a quarter-mile down the road and arrested Joel Anthony Anderson, 44, of Puyallup, Wash., without incident. "There was plenty of gas," Durrett said.

Anderson was booked in lieu of $50,000 bail on suspicion of first-degree burglary. He also had two warrants from outside Lewis County.

Durrett said he often imagined what it would be like to confront a burglar, but reality was nothing like he pictured.

"The guy didn't have a hood on and a mask," he said. "He just came walking in like he knew me, like we were old pals or something."

The incident had a different outcome than the 2002 fatal shooting of burglary suspect David Cline by Oliver Hooker of Centralia, who had been burglarized 10 times before the shooting. Hooker was tried for first-degree manslaughter. Although a jury found him innocent, Hooker said the ordeal left him bitter and broken.

Durrett said he wouldn't have shot the unarmed suspect at his house Friday, although people told him he would have been within his legal rights to defend himself once the man touched him.

"He wasn't going to kill me," Durrett said. "He was just wanting to steal stuff. I'm not one of those hang 'em high type of people. But on the other hard, I don't think a guy defending his own property should be put on trial."

Durrett said the suspect is lucky his girlfriend, Tiffani Alexander, wasn't home. "Tiffani has her own shotguns," he said. "And she's got more temper."
Dayton, Ohio

From the Dayton Daily News of August 21, 2007
Two dead, two arrested in Dayton store shooting

Airman nabs suspect minutes after shooting

Two people were shot to death and two people were arrested in a convenience store robbery Tuesday afternoon, Dayton police said. The owner of the Covault Market and Coin Laundry, 3705 Wayne Ave., was killed inside his store along with an employee, according to Maj. Michael Brown.

The robbery and shooting happened about 1:30 p.m.

Brown said two suspects were in custody.

An Air National Guard airman apprehended a masked gunman who was fleeing from the scene, according to the man's mother.

Robert Bragg, 24, who works as a military police officer at the Springfield Air National Guard base, was sitting on his porch about 1:30 p.m. when he noticed two suspicious young men walking down Coventry Road off Wayne Avenue, said Barbi Byrd, Bragg's mother.

Shortly after that, Byrd said she heard popping sounds and screaming. In the next instant, she said her son saw the same two men running down Coventry. Each was wearing a ski mask and armed with a handgun.

Bragg retrieved his 9mm pistol, pointed it the men and ordered them to stop and drop their weapons, Byrd said.

"I was freaking out. I thought one of them would shoot him," Byrd said.

One man dropped his gun and threw up his hands, as Bragg ordered, while the other took off running through a neighbor's yard.

While one of the men was on the ground, he told Bragg his name and begged to be released. The man said he only committed the robbery while under threat, Byrd said.

Byrd described her son as a vigilant and alert neighborhood advocate.

"He's our neighborhood watchdog, " she said.

Police took the second suspect into custody a short time later, Brown said.

The store did have security cameras.

Neighbors said the store had been robbed before.
Wildcat Lake, Washington

From the Central Kitsap Reporter of August 21, 2007
Woman mauled by black bear at Wildcat Lake home

What was meant to only be a scare tactic ended poorly for a Central Kitsap woman who was attacked by a black bear on her Wildcat Lake property last Wednesday.

Although the rain has washed most of the evidence of the struggle away, there was still a pool of blood left behind from where the mauling took place.

An un-welcomed visitor that ravaged the property on a regular basis, the bear had outstayed its welcome.

In an attempt to try and scare the more than 300-pound black bear after spotting it on her property last Wednesday morning, the woman, a retired Navy doctor and volunteer Search and Rescue worker who wishes to remain unnamed, shot off her .30-06-caliber rifle, hitting the bear.

After watching it run off into the heavily wooded area that sits behind the couple’s home, the woman and her husband, went in search of the bear to kill it to prevent an attack on them or hikers who frequent the area. The couple began their search by heading over the ridge in the direction where the bear took off running.

Searching together, but letting her go ahead on the trail, it wasn’t long before the couple met the bear on a more intimate level than they expected.

“The bear was taller than I was,” her husband said. “He was hiding in the brush ... then I heard movement and started walking behind her.”

Hiding in the brush, the bear then sprang out at the woman, upon which she fired again at the bear, however it took her head in its jaw with razor sharp teeth. Nicking her jugular vein and leaving deep teeth marks over her face and neck, her head was literally inside the mouth of the bear.

Not missing a beat, her husband shot five rounds into the bear with a .460 Magnum, killing the bear before it could kill his wife. The handgun had so much power, upon the recoil, he suffered a severe thumb injury, almost severing it.

“I suspect that this was his territory,” he said while pointing to the densely wooded trees and underbrush. “He was so big ... people walk back there and it was our responsibility to protect other hikers.”

He added that when he was firing the rounds into the bear, his wife said she couldn’t hear the shots being fired from inside the bear’s mouth. The couple, both with extensive medical training, then bandaged themselves up and drove to Naval Hospital Bremerton where nurses then contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The woman, who required surgery, was released Thursday night with a series of stitches and staples lining her face and neck and her husband with stitches around his thumb and hand.

“(They) live in a very heavily wooded area, the bear was a problem wandering on her property,” said Department of Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Ted Jackson. “Kitsap County has a high population of (black) bears ... her husband killed it when it was on top of her.”

(More)
Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville.com of August 21, 2007
17-year-old homicide suspect killed

Police say the shooting in a Westside apartment might have been in self defense.

Before Reco Melvin turned up dead, police were looking for him.

The 17-year-old Eureka Garden apartments resident was a suspect in a homicide at the complex on Jacksonville's Westside several weeks earlier, authorities told the Times-Union.

Investigators suspect Melvin killed his neighbor Herbert Porter in a May 13 shooting while trying to rob the 36-year-old man of money he made selling sodas and other sweets to residents at the complex.

But police said that before they could question Melvin, he died in a July 24 shooting at Eureka Garden they're investigating as a justifiable homicide. The incidents don't appear linked.

Sgt. Dan Janson said Monday that police believe Melvin tried to rob a man who came to the complex to buy drugs that July morning. During the encounter, Melvin pulled a gun, but the man defended himself by drawing his own weapon and firing, Janson said.

Melvin's uncle Ray Nolan said on the day of his nephew's death that he heard reports of a green sport utility vehicle pulling into the complex before shooting started. He said he heard his nephew was the only one of a group of 10 or 12 people who didn't run away when a gunman approached.

The slaying happened a few buildings away from the apartment where the teenager lived with his mother and sisters in a spot where a memorial of candles and silk flowers still stands. Porter's homicide happened in his apartment, which is within eyesight of the Melvin family's front door.

Assistant State Attorney John Guy said Monday that Melvin's homicide case wasn't closed yet and that a finding of justifiable homicide was a possibility. He wouldn't comment further, and authorities wouldn't name the man they believe shot Melvin.

(More)
From the News4Jax.com of August 21, 2007
Officers: Teen Shot, Killed Was Robbing Man

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released new information on Tuesday about one of the four shootings that took place in a 24-hour period and left four teens dead in July.

Officers said the Westside shooting claimed the life of 17-year-old Rico Melvin.

Jacksonville police said the victim was shot and killed while committing a crime.

The fatal shooting happened at the Eureka Garden apartments on Labelle Street, where police said the teen was killed while trying to rob a man who came to the complex to buy drugs. During that encounter, Melvin pulled a gun and the man defended himself by drawing his own weapon and firing, according to police.

Authorities said Melvin was also a person of interest in a slaying that took place at the same apartment complex in May.

The investigation into the fatal shooting is still ongoing.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Euless, Texas

From Fort Worth’s CBS11tv.com of August 20, 2007
Euless Police Investigate Fatal Shooting

A Euless man took a weapon into another man's home and was gunned down.

The shooting took place on the 200 block of East Ash Lane around 4 a.m. Monday.

Here's what police say happened: The victim, Brandon Couey, had been arguing with a woman when a neighbor asked the woman if she was okay. Couey, who was armed with a knife, then walked into that neighbor's apartment. That is when Couey was shot.

"We don't really know what happened ? we have an idea based on witness statements," said Lt. Wayne Paulik, Euless Police Department. "We're still going to conduct a thorough investigation.

According to police, Couey then made his way across the street to a fire station. He was taken to a hospital and died.

No arrests have been made.

Police say a grand jury will ultimately decide if the shooting was a case of self defense.
Killeen, Texas

From Waco’s KWTX.com of August 20, 2007
Resident Dies In Home Invasion Robbery; Intruder in Critical Condition

Anthony Jerome Hemingway Sr., 43, died early Monday morning in an exchange of gunfire with a man who kicked in the door of his apartment in Killeen.

The intruder, who was not identified, was in critical condition Monday after he was airlifted to Scott & White Hospital in Temple.

It happened around 6:30 a.m. Monday at an apartment in the 1500 block of Windward Drive.

Officers said an armed man kicked in the back door, entered the apartment and shot Hemingway, who returned fire, wounding his attacker.
Friendsville, Tennessee

From Knoxville’s VolunteerTV.com of August 20, 2007
Blount Co. Home Invasion Foiled

A suspect in a Blount County home invasion got a lot more than he bargained for Sunday night.

A man who lives on West Vinegar Valley Road in Friendsville says he was asleep when he heard someone trying to break into his home with a crowbar.

The man told officers he grabbed his rifle, and as the suspect entered the house, he saw the gun and took off, getting into a car with another man.

The homeowner says he fired three shots at the car, possibly hitting a tail-light.

The two men got away in a blue, 80's model Ford Escort.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

From the August 18, 2007 Pine Bluff Commercial:
PINE BLUFF, Ark. - The owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop shot dead a teenager he suspected to be a burglar, police said.

Taron Hopkins, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene early Friday morning, said Chad Kelley, chief deputy coroner. Hopkins suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body.

Police Lt. Bob Rawlinson said the shooting happened at Chuck Smith's Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff. The store's owner, Chuck Smith, told police he shot the teenager with a .38-caliber revolver as the teen and others tried to break into the store.

Smith was in a small living area at the back of the business when he heard people breaking in, Rawlinson said. Smith told police he fired several shots toward the group.

Several of the people fled, and a tire iron was left behind, Rawlinson said.

"We're going to gather the facts and then present them to the prosecuting attorney to determine whether the shooting was justified or if charges are warranted in this case," Rawlinson said.
From the Pine Bluff Commercial of September 13, 2007
SHOOTING OF TEENAGER RULED JUSTIFIED BY PROSECUTOR

Jefferson County’s prosecutor ruled Wednesday that the death of a 15-year-old boy who was shot by the owner of a Pine Bluff pawn shop was “justified under the law.”

Taron Hopkins was shot by Chuck Smith, the owner of Chuck Smith Pawn Shop at 3621 W. Sixth Ave., on Aug. 16 after Hopkins and two other juveniles tried to break into the business at approximately 11:30 p.m.

In a memo to Police Chief John Howell, 11th Judicial District West Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple said, “The physical evidence of the event was corroborated by the statements of the two youths that accompanied Taron Hopkins in the burglary of the building. Additionally, their two statements support the account of Chuck Smith.”

Smith told police he heard a noise at the back door of the building and, when he opened the back door, saw several individuals standing in front of him, including one holding what appeared to be a tire iron.

“The law is very clear on the use of deadly force,” Dalrymple said in the memo to Howell. “The use of a firearm by Smith was justifiable when faced by an intruder armed with a potential weapon, a tire iron.”

Hopkins was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:15 a.m. of an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body.

“The results are both tragic and deadly,” Dalrymple said. “Also clearly upsetting is the fact that three young teenagers were out and about in the late hours. Taron Hopkins was 15 years of age. It does not require a keen insight to recognize that such an act is an invitation to trouble.

“Both the evidence of the burglary and the statements of the accomplices of the deceased demonstrate that these actions were far beyond a mischievous act of a youth but rather were a planned criminal act,” Dalrymple said, adding that Smith’s actions “are not the subject of criminal prosecution.”

Wednesday afternoon, Dalrymple said he has received the complete case file in the death of Winston Walls Jr., 14, who reportedly kicked in the back door of a house in the Dollarway area on Aug. 23, and was shot by the homeowner, Jimmy Shaw, who had a handgun.

Dalrymple said he is reviewing that file before making a decision on whether the shooting was justified under state law.
Pensacola, Florida

From the Pensacola News Journal of August 17, 2007
76-year-old man wrestles gun away from robber

A 76-year-old Pensacola man wrestled a gun from a 64-year-old man trying to rob him Friday, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to reports of an armed robbery at Tall Oaks Campground about 11 a.m. and found Jay Robbins, 64, of Pensacola being held at gunpoint by Paul Ehler, 76.

According to investigators, Ehler said he was sitting in his office chair when Roberts walked in and said he was going to rob Ehler.

Ehler told investigators Roberts wanted him to sit in a chair to be bound. But when the suspect fumbled with the rope, Ehler came around the desk and attacked him, the report said.

After a brief struggle, Ehler got the gun away from the suspect and held him until deputies arrived.

Robbins was arrested for one count of armed robbery and taken to Escambia County Jail where he is being held on $50,000 bond.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Barnstable, Massachusetts

From the Boston Globe of August 17, 2007
Grand jury declines to indict Cape Cod doctor in husband's death

Prosecutors are dropping the case against a Cape Cod doctor charged with fatally shooting her husband after a grand jury declined to indict her because of evidence he abused her.

The Barnstable County grand jury considered testimony from 27 witnesses who said Ann Gryboski, 51, was a victim of physical and psychological abuse by Patrick Lancaster, 50, her husband of more than 20 years, Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe office said in a statement Friday.

"This is a finding by the Grand Jury consistent with the evidence in this particular case," O'Keefe said.

Gryboski has been free on bail after pleading not guilty in April to a murder charge. She had appeared in court with swollen eyes and bruises around her mouth, and the district attorney said then there were "mitigating factors" in her case.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday.

But in a statement released by Robert Galibois, attorney for Gryboski's son Chris, Reddington said he and Gryboski were pleased that grand jurors recognized that she acted in defense of herself and her son, according to the Cape Cod Times.

"This has been a very trying time for the doctor and her family and we hope that this unfortunate case will now be put behind her and she can get back to work with her patients and the job she loves," Reddington said in the statement.

"Chris is immeasurably relieved that the court process is over," Galibois said on behalf of his client. "He is grateful for the overwhelming support from family and friends during this difficult time."
Reddington had said in court that the case was "pure and simple self-defense."

"The bruises speak volumes about what happened," Reddington has said. "She did what she had to do to protect herself and her children."

Gryboski told police she shot her husband, a builder and charter boat owner, in their home on Easter Sunday after she attempted to intervene in an argument between him and one of their adult sons who confronted his father about his mother's black eye and swollen face.

She told police that the night before the killing, her husband had repeatedly punched her as she drove with their 2-year-old grandson in the back seat.

When her husband came toward her on that Sunday, she fired two shots, hitting him in the torso, according to prosecutors.

"She went to him, cradled his body and said 'I didn't want it to end like this, I hope you find peace,'" O'Keefe said in his Friday statement.

O'Keefe said Friday doctors who examined Gryboski found head and facial trauma on the right side and a chipped tooth as well as a mild corneal abrasion and evidence of a previous nasal injury.

Gryboski, who specializes in internal medicine, has a Yarmouth practice, but had stopped practicing pending her case. A spokesman at Cape Cod Hospital said at the time of the slaying Gryboski had a discipline-free record.
San Pablo, California

From the August 17, 2007 Contra Costa Times:
A robber shot by a guard during a heist attempt at a San Pablo grocery store on August 10 remains on the lam, police said Thursday.

Detectives suspect that he and his compatriots may have robbed other Food Maxx stores in the East Bay this summer. They do not know whether he died, sought medical help outside the region or simply spent his week hiding and suffering.

Police ask anyone who knows where he went to call, both for his sake and theirs.

"It was a point-blank shot. It struck him in the shoulder," San Pablo Police Detective David Hoff said. "I'm sure it was extremely painful."

The unidentified man and another suspect, 41-year-old Oakland resident James Jones, walked into the San Pablo Avenue Food Maxx about 8 p.m. last Friday wearing sunglasses and caps, police said.

Surveillance camera footage shows they spent 12 to 15 minutes "shopping" before the unidentified suspect grabbed a bag of snack food and headed for a register, with Jones close behind him.

They apparently did not know that loss-prevention workers had spotted them the moment they walked through the door, Hoff said. Moments after the man leaned over the counter and grabbed a wad of cash from the register's till, the store called police, and its private security guards closed in.

...

A guard with his gun drawn met the two men as they exited into the parking lot and grabbed the man with the cash by the shoulder, Hoff said.

In response, the robber reached into his waistband. The guard saw he was about to pull out a handgun, and fired twice. One of the rounds definitely hit the robber, who threw down his weapon and cash and jumped into a waiting, dark-colored Honda or Toyota, Hoff said.

Police arrived soon after and arrested Jones, whom store security detained. The weapon thrown down by the missing robber turned out to be a realistic-looking pellet gun.

Atlanta, Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of August 16, 2007
Tattoo parlor owner shoots robber

The shotgun hangs on the wall of the Tattoo Doctor for a reason, its employees say. It's meant to convey a message to anyone walking in: Don't mess with us.

Until now, the insinuation worked fine. But when a would-be robber tried to hold up the southwest Atlanta tattoo and piercing parlor Thursday night, he learned the hard way what happens when you disobey.

The store owner shot the man at least three times, sending him scurrying out of the shop and into a nearby apartment complex — where he was promptly arrested.

"Stop trying to rob, that's not the avenue they need to take," said the owner's brother, who goes by the name "Zok" Patrick.

"But if you do," he added, "be ready for the repercussions."

About seven people, including patrons and employees, were at the shop on Campbellton Road when two men came in about 8 p.m. asking to get tattooed.

As one of them was called in for his appointment, the second man pulled out a gun, ordered everyone to get down on the ground and demanded money, Patrick said.

"He pointed to the [shotgun] and said nobody touch it," Patrick said. "We put it up there to curtail exactly this type of behavior."

As the patrons hit the ground, the store owner — whose business license lists him as Ikeno Patrick, but who goes by "Nomadic" — pulled out a different gun and fired.

"Zok" Patrick says his brother returned fire only after the would-be robber fired some shots of his own. Police had not sorted through the details of the attempted robbery by late Thursday night.

"From what I seen, [my brother] hit him on the mouth, the shoulder, the side," Patrick said.

The man ran out, firing back over his shoulder as he made his escape through the parking lot.

"The whole neighborhood must have called police. There were so many shots fired," Patrick said.

The store is in a shopping center that houses, among other businesses, a barber shop and a pizza place.

As the shots flew, the second man cowered in a corner, saying, "Please don't kill me. I didn't have nothing to do with it," Patrick recalled.

Atlanta police Officer Eric Schwartz said the would-be robber, whose name was not released, was arrested and taken to a hospital in stable condition.

"Nomadic" Patrick was taken to a police station to give his version of events. The other employees spent late Thursday night picking up glass shards and sweeping out the debris.
Bay Shore, New York

From New York City’s WNBC.com of August 17, 2007
Intruder Fatally Shot During L.I. Home Invasion

A homeowner fatally shot one intruder and another escaped after a home invasion on Long Island on Thursday night.

Police said two men broke into a home in Bay Shore around 10 p.m. and demanded cash and drugs from the homeowner.

A struggle broke out and the homeowner shot one of the men and the other suspect fled the scene on foot, according to police. The intruder died at the scene.

Police are searching for the second suspect of the home invasion, but they do not have a description. Police are also checking into the background of the homeowner.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

From WTOC of August 16, 2007
Suspect Shot After Breaking into Home

39-year-old Kenny Cantwell of Hilton Head was shot early this morning when he broke into a home he mistook as his own.

Beaufort County Sheriff's deputies proactively patrolling the area night clubs first made contact with an intoxicated Cantwell at Hilton Head Plaza just after 2:30 am this morning. While inebriated, Cantwell was not disorderly at the time. Deputies offered to assist Cantwell by securing him a taxi to transport him to his nearby home at 24 Compass Point Rd. in the Point Comfort neighborhood. Cantwell agreed to the offer and left without incident in the taxi several minutes later.

However, about 15 minutes after Cantwell's departure, deputies were called to respond to a report of a gunshot victim at the residence of 16 Compass Point Rd. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Cantwell lying at the bottom of the steps of the residence, disoriented and bleeding profusely from his left leg.

Deputies met with the complainant, 51-year old Raymond Gaudreau, who resides at 16 Compass Point Rd. Gaudreau recounted to deputies that he was asleep on the couch in the living room of his home when he was awakened by the sound of someone trying to come in the front door. Gaudreau advised seeing the door come partially open, but an engaged chain lock prevented it from being opened completely.

Gaudreau called out to the unknown individual outside the door, asking his identity. The subject outside identified himself as "Ken" and yelled that he lived there and to open the door. Gaudreau warned the subject not to come in and that he was armed with a gun, at which time the subject threatened to break the door down.

Gaudreau fled through the house to the back deck outside where he called 911. During this time, the subject did make forced entry through the front door, charging through the home where he confronted Gaudreau on the back deck. Gaudreau, who was armed with a 9mm handgun, repeatedly advised the subject that he was armed with a gun and to stay back.

The subject disregarded Gaudreau's warnings, becoming violent as he picked up the metal patio table separating the two men and threw it at Gaudreau. As the subject lunged towards Gaudreau, Gaudreau fired his gun, shooting the subject in the lower left leg.

After being shot, the subject finally retreated, crawling back through the home and out the front door, where he was found by arriving deputies. The deputies immediately recognized the subject as Kenny Cantwell, the intoxicated subject whom they had sent home from Hilton Head Plaza just minutes before.

Cantwell was transported to Hilton Head Regional Medical Center for medical treatment of the gunshot wound to his leg. His condition is undisclosed at this time. The incident remains under active investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
Newark, Delaware

From the Wilmington News Journal of August 16, 2007

New Castle County police are investigating the shooting of a man Wednesday afternoon during a break-in. Shortly before 3 p.m., police were called to the first block of Christiana Crossing Drive in Newark, where a 31-year-old male resident of Christiana Farms town houses said he had shot someone trying to break into his home, said spokesman Cpl. Trinidad Navarro. A female witness drove the intruder, a 39-year-old, to Christiana Hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper torso, Navarro said. He was reportedly in stable condition.
Arden, California

From the Sacramento Bee of August 16, 2007
Store employee shot in leg while chasing robbers

An employee of an Arden-area market was shot in the leg Thursday morning while chasing three men who had just robbed his store at gunpoint, the Sheriff's Department reported.

The three suspects -- last seen in dark clothing and black knit masks -- escaped with cash, and they remained at large in the early afternoon, said Sgt. Tim Curran, sheriff's spokesman.

The status of the wounded employee was not immediately known, but Curran said he was expected to survive. He was described as a 39-year-old relative of the family that owns Toledo's Mexican Market in the 1300 block of Fulton Avenue.

No one answered the phone at the store on Thursday afternoon.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. the store was robbed, but the crime was not reported to authorities, Curran said. In fact, deputies were first alerted to trouble minutes later when residents at a nearby apartment complex on Wittkop Way reported hearing gunshots.

Curran said a gun battle had ensued at the complex between the robbers and at least two store employees, who had armed themselves with a shotgun and a handgun.

Curran said he did not know if the two groups were wildly shooting through the area or if the exchange took place as the robbers were getting into a car, but it was during that time when the store employee was shot.
From Sacramento's Fox40.com of August 16, 2007
Robbery And Shootout At Local Store

Witnesses say it was something out of the Wild West, after a gun battle erupted in a Sacramento apartment complex.

"Six or seven shots and then it was followed by a very, very, loud bang," said Kurt Richter who lives at the Bella Vita Apartments. Sheriff's deputies scoured the complex, trying to piece together an incident that had tenants ducking for cover.

"I'm not going to take a stray bullet in the face," said Richter.

It all started next door, where three armed robbers entered Toledo's Mexican Market on Fulton Avenue.

"It was a take over robbery they held them at gunpoint while they forced one of the employees to get the money," said Sgt. Tim Curran of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. The three robbers ran out of the back of the store, and crawled through a hole in a fence leading to the apartment complex where a get away car was waiting.

What they didn't know, the store owner and an employee were hot on their heels. The owner had a handgun and a shotgun. A running gun-battle with the suspects took place around the apartments. Shell casings marked the gunmen's path. They got away in a silver four door sedan, but not before leaving some of their loot behind.

Store owner Jaime Toledo showed detectives how the suspects shot at him. The worker who was with him was hit by a bullet. "He was shot through the leg. He's ok, he's at the hospital already," said Toledo.

Toledo been at this location for seven years, but it's the first time he's been robbed. He says he wasn't scared, but then again he admits there wasn't time to think. "I don't know, when that thing happened, nobody was thinking," said Toledo.

Cops prefer victims to be good witnesses, and not take matters into their own hands. But Jaime doesn't regret his actions.
Ellenwood, Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of August 16, 2007
Burglar pursued by quick-thinking man, nipped by dog

Thief apprehended after hold-up at Ellenwood truck stop

A security guard on his way to work late Wednesday night helped capture a man police said had just robbed an Ellenwood truck stop.

Vincent Taylor, 40, noticed a man coming out of the Fuel Center on Ga. 42 carrying a gun and large amount of money, said Clayton County police Deputy Chief Tim Robinson. Taylor was on his way to work at Turner Broadcasting, police said.

"Realizing what had occurred, Taylor gave chase on foot," Robinson said.

The armed robber, later identified by police as Robert C. Flynn II, 21, of Stockbridge, turned and fired at Taylor, Robinson said. Taylor returned fire from his handgun as Flynn ran into nearby woods, police said.

Neither man was hit and Taylor stayed at the truck stop to wait for police, Robinson said.

A K-9 unit was sent into the woods and tracked Flynn down within minutes, Robinson said. Flynn struggled with the dog and was bitten, police said. He was treated at Southern Regional Medical Center before being taken to the Clayton County Jail.

Robinson said the gun Flynn used in the robbery was reported stolen in January 2006 out of DeKalb County. Police said they also recovered more than $1,200 in cash stolen from the Fuel Center.

Flynn is charged with armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and theft by receiving stolen property, police said

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Mesa, Arizona

From Phoenix’ ABC15.com of August 15, 2007
Man breaks into home, finds self held at gunpoint

A man broke into a Mesa home and found himself held at gun point.

Edward Linton walked into the home through the garage door where the resident confronted him.

The resident then threw him outside and held him at gunpoint while he waited for police to come.

Right now Linton is in police custody.

No word yet on if he'll face any charges.
New Gulf, Texas

From the Victoria Advocate of August 15, 2007
Wharton Co. homeowner helps nab burglary suspect

A burglary suspect backed out of the home he entered in the early morning after being confronted by its pistol-packing owner.

Arrested after the reported break-in on Monday morning was Oscar Daniel Navarro Garcia, 22, of Boling. He was being held at the Wharton County Jail on Tuesday after Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Jeanette Krenek set bail at $50,000 on a charge of burglary of habitation.

The incident was called in to the sheriff's office at 4:17 a.m. from the victim's home in the 1500 block of Burning Stone Drive in the New Gulf community, located in east Wharton County.

The victim, a 57-year-old woman, told deputies she woke up when someone rang her rear doorbell. After grabbing her .38-caliber revolver, she answered the door and found a man wearing blue jeans but no shirt at the door. Later investigation showed someone had cut through two screens to gain entry to her closed-in utility room.

"He told her that someone had hit her parked car and had driven off," Sheriff's Lt. Daniel Marek said. "When she unlocked the door, he stepped in and said, 'Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.' He appeared to be intoxicated. When she threatened him with the gun, he fled."

Sheriff's deputy Joe Ray Joines and Sgt. Jimmy Woods responded to the location and the victim identified Garcia as the intruder.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Las Vegas, Nevada

From Las Vegas’ KTNV.com of August 14, 2007
2 Shot In Coral Ribbon Home Invasion

Police are investigating a home invasion shooting at a home on Coral Ribbon, near Lindell and Robindale.

Metro police tell Action News, a woman came home around 5 AM this morning and was accosted by three African American men.

Her husband came to her aid, and shots were exchanged between the husband and the suspects.

One suspect was hit and died at the scene. The woman was also shot and taken to the hospital.

There is no word yet on her condition.

Police say the other two suspects are now at large.
From LasVegasNow.com of August 14, 2007
Homeowner, Suspect Shot During Home Invasion, More Suspects Sought

A home invasion early this morning ended with a gun battle in a gated community in the southwest valley near Robindale and Lindell.

Metro says a woman was shot several times inside her home before her boyfriend killed one of the suspects. But two suspects are still at large and police say they are armed and dangerous.

Normally a quiet neighborhood, the Encantana gated community turned into a huge crime scene just before day break.

Metro spokesman Bill Cassell said, "Bullets struck several nearby residences."

Police say when the woman arrived home, she was accosted by three men.

"Her husband, who was inside the residence, came to her assistance and there was an exchange of gunfire inside the residence," Bill Cassell continued.

The woman was caught in the crossfire. She was shot and injured. One suspect was shot dead at the home. The two other suspects took off.

Police say the woman is hospitalized with multiple wounds, but is expected to survive.

Cassell said, "It's unknown at this point who fired the rounds that struck her."
City, State

From Las Vegas’ KLAS-tv.com of August 16, 2007
Identity Learned of Killed Home Invasion Suspect

The suspect shot and killed in reported home invasion this week has been identified. His name is Leland Todd Jordan.

The 28-year-old was killed during a shootout in a gated community. The homeowner reportedly told police he woke up to find his girlfriend being attacked by three armed men. He opened fire hitting one suspect.

The other two got away. The woman was also hit by gunfire in the shoulder and neck -- but her injuries were non-life threatening.
Palmer, Alaska

From KTUU of August 10, 2007
Homeowner kills charging pit bull

A homeowner in Palmer shot and wounded a pit bull after it charged at him.

Police say they went to the home last week and found two pit bulls had escaped from a nearby residence. 1 of the dogs charged a neighbor.

Police say the dog tried jumping through the neighbor's screen door last week. When it tried again, police say the homeowner shot it.

The dog's owner arrived within minutes and took the wounded dog to the North Star Animal Hospital.

Police say while discharging a firearm is against a city ordinance, the homeowner was well within his rights in trying to defend himself and his home from the dangerous dog.
Terre Haute, Indiana

From the Terre Haute Tribune Star of August 13, 2007
Suspect burglar shot inside home Sunday

Police were investigating a burglary that happened Sunday morning in which the suspect ended up in Terre Haute Regional Hospital.

An 18 year-old-man was home in the 2000 block of Washington Avenue when a man wearing black clothing and a mask entered the home around 4 a.m.

Police would not disclose how the burglary suspect got shot, but he ended up in the hospital about 50 minutes later with “buck shot” embedded in his body, police said.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Dallas, Texas

From the Houston Chronicle of August 13, 2007
Motive a mystery in deadly Dallas freeway shooting

Police said they may never know why a man who wrecked his car along a downtown freeway opened fire on the people who stopped to render aid, killing two before fatally shooting himself.

A Dallas police officer responding to the incident and another passer-by who stopped to help were seriously wounded in the Sunday morning shooting, authorities said.

Police said no one heard any words from the suspected gunman, 20-year-old Nick A. Salinas, of Cedar Hill.

"We may never know," said Dallas police Sgt. Gary Kirkpatrick. "But it's something we hope to find out."

Police identified the shooting victims as Robert Daniel Langston, 22, of Duncanville, and Jesus Reyes Terrazas, Jr., 24, of Dallas.

A woman at Terrazas' home said the family was still grieving and declined to comment.

...

Witnesses told investigators they stopped to help a motorist on the side of Interstate 35 when someone inside the car shot at them. One witness left in his car after the shooter pointed a gun at him, police said.

Terrazas was part of a group of four who saw the accident scene and turned around to help. Someone in the group returned fire, Hale said. Police said they don't believe the return fire hit Salinas. The man was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

"Certainly I'm sure he was just trying to protect himself," Hale said.

(More)
Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville’s Fox30Online.com of August 13, 2007
Suspect Killed in Shootout During Attempted Robbery

Two people are being questioned by police after a robbery escalated into a deadly shooting spree on the Westside.

It happened at Avatar Graphics on Blanding Boulevard at around 6:30 a.m. Monday morning.

Police say at least one person tried to rob the shop at gunpoint. That's when the owner, Bryan Martin, pulled out his own gun and bullets started flying.

Martin was found shot and in critical condition at the shop. The would-be robber was found a block down the road in a car with two other men. He later died from his injuries.
From Jacksonville.com of August 14, 2007
LAW & DISORDER: Shop owner shot, kills robbery suspect

He returned fire after being shot as he opened his shop, police say.

A Jacksonville shop owner shot and killed an apparent robber after taking a bullet in the stomach himself Monday morning on Blanding Boulevard, police said.

The owner of Avatar Graphics, a T-shirt design company on Blanding between San Juan Avenue and Park Street, was opening his store about 6:30 a.m. when he was shot. Police said the shop owner shot the suspect. Police confirmed the suspect later died. Police did not identify the shop owner.

Surgery was performed on the owner Monday at Shands Jacksonville hospital, Lt. Darryl Daniels said.

Two other males were with the gunman, Daniels said, and were detained for questioning. Daniels said the three, whose names were not released, were possibly teenagers.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Melissa Bujeda said no charges have been filed in the ongoing investigation.
Des Moines, Washington

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of August 11, 2007
One hurt in Des Moines shooting

A man armed with a gun allegedly accosted a second man late Friday in Des Moines, but was the one who ended up being hurt.

Des Moines police said they were called to an apartment complex in the 2400 block of South 222nd Street at about 11:30 p.m. for the reported shooting.

When they arrived, they found a 40-year-old man who told officers he had been accosted by an armed man in the parking lot. The victim told police a struggle ensued and at least two shots were fired.

The attacker fled, driving off in a car and leaving a gun behind, which police took.

A short time later, a 21-year-old man showed up a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. Police questioned the man, but did not arrest him.

The shooting remains under investigation.
Creola, Alabama

From the Mobile Press-Register of August 13, 2007
Police: Man shot dead after kicking in door

A 20-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday after he kicked down the front door of another man's home in Creola, authorities said.


In Creola, the two men had been arguing over the phone before Justin Cox went to the home just off U.S. 43 and kicked the door off its hinges, said Cpl. Gary Davis of the Creola Police Department.

Ronnie Freeman, who was at home with his wife and baby, shot Cox with a rifle, Davis said. So far, Freeman does not face any criminal charges, Davis said.

Investigators believe Cox intended to hurt Freeman, Davis said.

The case remains under investigation and will be presented to a Mobile County grand jury, Davis said. The shooting took place about 1:30 a.m. on Carroll Lane, Davis said.
Columbus, Ohio

From Columbus’ NBC4i.com of August 13, 2007
Local Business Owner Assaulted Outside Home

The owner of an area nightclub was beaten and robbed early Monday morning on Columbus' north side.

Witnesses said the victim, owner of the International Ballroom and Nightclub, was targeted outside of his Sinclair Road home at about 2:30 a.m., NBC 4's David Wayne reported.

According to police, the incident was originally called in as a home invasion, but it turned out that someone was waiting outside the home of the victim.

Police said that when the victim arrived home two people were waiting. As he got out of his car, he was allegedly assaulted as the suspects demanded money.

"Two individuals were waiting in the shadows for him, as he exited his vehicle he was jumped and assaulted" Detective Art Hughes, of the Columbus Division of Police said. "A struggle ensued and the business owner was able to produce a weapon. There was a shot fired and, at this time, it appears nobody was hit."

Police have not arrested any suspects involved in the case.
Clovis, New Mexico

From the Washington Post of August 9, 2007
Man, 85, Fools, Captures Alleged Burglar

An 85-year-old man whose home was burglarized three times within a week decided to take matters into his own hands. Alton Tillman left his home at his regular time Tuesday, but doubled back and quietly went inside, finding emptied drawers, items in disarray _ and someone's feet sticking out from under a bed, police said.

Tillman ordered him out, then called 911.

When officers arrived, they found Tillman pointing a handgun at a 16-year-old boy standing against a wall, they said.

Officers said they found several items belonging to Tillman in the boy's pockets and other items of the man's at the youth's home a block away.

The teenager was charged with felony burglary and larceny.

Police Capt. Patrick Whitney said people should call officers rather than acting on their own.

"We're not Superman either, but at least we do have the equipment and the training," he said.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Pembroke Pines, Florida

From the Sun-Sentinel of August 12, 2007
Attempted robbery in Pembroke Pines lands suspect in hospital

An armed robbery suspect is in the hospital after a convenience store clerk shot him in self-defense earlier today, police said.

Bruce Flanders, 54, fired at the suspect after the alleged robber and another male walked into the Super Stop Food Store at 6460 Pines Blvd. at around 12:30 p.m., with a shotgun and demanded cash, said Sgt. John Jacob. The 21-year-old armed suspect had racked the shotgun before the men demanded money and pointed the weapon at Flanders after the store clerk showed his gun, Jacob said.

The two men fled the scene by running into an alley across the street from the convenience store, Jacob said. Shortly after arriving on scene, police found the injured suspect, who had a wound to his abdomen area, police said. The man was sent to Memorial Regional Hospital and underwent surgery Sunday afternoon, Jacob said. K-9 units found the second suspect, a 29-year-old male, hiding in a nearby dumpster.

The suspects' names have not been released.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Connelly Springs, North Carolina

From the Charlotte Observer of August 11, 2007
3 killed in Burke Co. shooting rampage

Neighbor allegedly goes from trailer to trailer before getting shot to death; 2 others injured in attacks

It wasn't unusual to hear gunshots fired in this neck of Connelly Springs.

Mostly it was just men shooting targets, though a wayward bullet recently cut through a neighbor's occupied trailer -- straight through.

On Thursday night, the shots turned deadly, and in the space of about 10 minutes three men lay dead, including the shooter. Two others were hurt.

Burke County sheriff's Lt. Becky Brendle said it happened like this:

Just after 10:30 p.m., a man walked up to the camper home of Frank James Clark and shot him dead with a rifle.

He then walked the 150 feet across a driveway and yard to the trailer home of William and Shirley Clark, Frank's brother and mother, where William Clark was working on an ATV in the sultry heat. The man asked him where Clark's mother was.

Clark knocked the man's rifle toward the ground and ran inside the trailer before the man started firing through the front door. Clark grabbed his mother and pulled her to the floor, where the two laid as bullets passed through the home and Clark called 911.

Next, the man left the trailer, walked about 15 yards through the woods behind the Clarks' and knocked on the trailer home of William Clark's other two brothers, Edward and Wayne. He was told to come inside.

When the man walked in he started shooting the rifle. He shot Edward at least twice, killing him, shot a woman and man who were visiting, and then started shooting at Wayne, who ran to a back bedroom.

Wayne grabbed a rifle from the bedroom and waited until he heard the man's gun click. He assumed it was empty, so he stepped into the hall and saw the man there with the rifle in one hand and a handgun in the other.

Wayne, he told investigators, shot the man through the heart.

When it was over, Frank James Clark, 46, Edward Leroy Clark, 47, and 61-year-old Charlie Clinard Jackson, a neighbor of the Clark brothers, were dead, and Janet Elizabeth Lefler and Scott Elliott Campbell hurt.

Investigators say Jackson was the shooter and that nobody seems to know why he did it.

Friday, gauze pad wrappers dotted the yard where it all started. The front door of William and Shirley Clark's trailer sported several bullet holes, while more holes pocked the back of the home where at least three of the bullets exited.

Empty beer cans and junk vehicles lay about and a hand-lettered sign on the front porch read, "No Jehovahs Witnesses."

Neighbor Glennie Lail said gunshots in the area had concerned neighbors with children in the past, including herself.

She said she knew Jackson, whose brother also lives nearby. Her son would sometimes go to the brother's house to play with his dogs but would come home when Jackson showed up because he was scared of him.

(More about Jackson)