Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Newburg, Maryland Home Invaders Chased Off By Victim With Handgun

Newburg, Maryland

From the August 21, 2009 Independent:
Two masked men armed with a handgun held up a man and woman Tuesday in a Newburg home invasion, according to police.

The victim arrived at the Waverly Point Road home and was talking with his wife in the garage at about 8:25 p.m. when the robbers walked up, police reported. The robber carrying the handgun ordered the victim inside the home and started looking for valuables. The second masked man stayed in the garage with the victim's wife, according to police.

The arrival of the victim's son disrupted the robbery and gave the victim a chance to get a handgun. The victim fired two shots at an open field, and the robbers ran away toward a wooded area, according to Diane Richardson, spokeswoman for the Charles County Sheriff's Office.

The victim then called police, who searched the area and gathered evidence from the scene.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tuscumbia, Alabama Woman Shoots At Burglar

Tuscumbia, Alabama

From the August 19, 2009 Times-Daily:
TUSCUMBIA - A man is in the Colbert County jail after he was accused of breaking into a home where the owner fired a shot at him.

John Allen Elom, 34, 4125 Woodmont Drive, Tuscumbia, is charged with second-degree burglary, Sheriff Ronnie May said.

May said Elom is accused of breaking into a residence only a few doors down from his house on Woodmont Drive early Monday.

During the break-in, May said the 32-year-old homeowner tried to protect herself and shot at Elom. The incident occurred around 1:20 a.m.

"The victim said she was awakened by dogs barking," May said. "She said she got out of bed, picked up her pistol (a 9 mm) and walked down the hallway."

May said the woman told authorities that when she got near the kitchen, she saw the suspect and fired the gun.

"She only had one bullet and she missed," May said.

At that point, Elom charged her and they struggled for a few minutes, the woman said.

"He was wearing a dark-colored hoodie, and during the struggle, she was able to see his face enough to recognize him," the sheriff said.

May said the suspect broke free and called the woman a derogatory name as he ran out the door.

"The victim ran out the back door and called 911," the sheriff said.

May said the woman gave authorities a description of the suspect and a name.

"Our investigators put together a lineup and she picked him out and he was arrested (Tuesday)," May said.

He said the back door was forced open. Investigators believe that's when the woman's dogs started barking.

North Carolina: Legislator Shoots Intruder

Tabor City, North Carolina

From the August 24, 2009 Winston-Salem Journal:

TABOR CITY -- A sheriff says that North Carolina's longest-serving legislator has shot an intruder at his Tabor City home.

Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said that state Sen. R.C. Soles, 74, shot one of two people who kicked in the front door yesterday.

Batten said that the intruder was taken to a hospital, though he did not know the extent of his injuries.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Ex-Boyfriend Gets Shot In Houston

Houston, Texas

From the August 22, 2009 Houston Chronicle:

A man accused of kicking in the door of his ex-girlfriend's Spring home was recovering from a gunshot wound on Saturday.

Johnnie W. Cunningham III, 31, faces a burglary charge after police say he forced his way into a home in the 7000 block of Treaschwig late Friday night.

While the ex-girlfriend and another man slept, Cunningham began beating and kicking their back door around 10 p.m., said Thomas Gilliland, a Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

Through the closed door, the ex-girlfriend told Cunningham to leave.

“He became belligerent, kicked the door open and gained entry to the house,” Gilliland said.

When Cunningham began struggling with the woman, the other man came out of a bedroom with a handgun. He ordered Cunningham to leave several times, but Cunningham continued to shove his former girlfriend, police say.

“At this time, the male occupant fired a warning shot into the ceiling,” Gilliland said. “The suspect again was belligerent and started towards the male complainant. The male complainant fired one time, striking the suspect in the upper chest.”

The shooter called 911 to report injuring an intruder.

Cunningham was transported to Ben Taub General Hospital in critical condition.

The shooter has not been charged, Gilliland said.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Fort Mill, S.C. Resident Fires At Intruder

Fort Mill, South Carolina

From August 20, 2009 WCNC:

FORT MILL, S.C. -- One minute a Fort Mill father was watching cartoons with his 2-year-old son. The next minute he was aiming a pistol at an intruder.

It happened in the Avery Lake subdivision off Steele Street in Fort Mill just after 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"Even today I feel sick to my stomach," the victim told NewsChannel 36.

It was just a regular Wednesday night, the 24-year-old said, when he suddenly found himself defending his and his son's lives.

"I heard the glass shatter," he said.

The man asked not to be identified to protect his family's safety.

"When I heard the noise, I called 911," he said.

The noise was a burglar who had bashed in the back sliding glass door with a boulder from the yard. Police believe the intruder thought no one was home.

The homeowner -- a former police officer who left law enforcement for the ministry -- hid his son in a closet and grabbed his pistol.

"I yelled a warning at him to leave. He didn't do it. He came walking toward me and I shot at him," the victim described.

Houston Homeowner Kills Suspected Burglar

Houston, Texas

From the August 21, 2009 Houston Chronicle:
The fatal shooting of a suspected burglar by a north Houston man on Thursday will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, police said.

The deceased, unidentified man was shot about 1 p.m. at a home in the 13500 block of Forest Pines Village near Forest Fir, Houston police said. He was later pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital. The homeowner, who was not injured, told HPD officers he looked outside after hearing the doorbell. Seconds later, the burglar forced his way into the house, police said.

The homeowner had a pistol and fired at least once at the suspected burglar — who fled but collapsed about a block away, police said. The homeowner told HPD officer he kept the pistol in his home because of past crimes in the area.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Lake City, Florida Robber Dies

Lake City, Florida

From the August 18, 2009 Gainesville (Fla.) Sun:

A Hollywood, Fla., man, who died over the weekend after he was shot earlier in the week, apparently had been trying to rob another man when he was fatally injured, Lake City police reported.

Lenoris Owens, 27, was found semiconscious and bleeding shortly before 10 p.m. on Aug. 12 near the intersection of Congress and Saint Clair streets, according to the Lake City Police Department. He died Saturday. Police described Owens' injuries as a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators now believe Owens was trying to rob a Lake City man when he was wounded. The two had struggled over the weapon when the other man, Oteger Greene, 24, got the gun and fired twice, hitting Owens once, according to officers.

Initially, police identified Greene as a person of interest in the case.

But officers now think Greene was trying to protect himself, Capt. Rudolph Davis said.

"The evidence points that he was defending himself," he said.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Texas: Clerk armed and ready for robbers, kills one

Houston, Texas

From KHOU of August 15, 2009
Clerk armed and ready for robbers, kills one

Life can change in a second. It can also end. Cell phone store owner, Javid Iqbal saw both on Wednesday afternoon, in just 17 seconds.

“It is a part of my life that I will have to remember all of the time,” Iqbal recalls.

It was amazingly fast. Security video released to 11 News showed Iqbal behind the elevated counter, when the would-be robbers rush the store.

Two men with bandanas covering their faces, the leader gun in hand, vaulted over the case.

But in the five seconds that it took, Iqbal was already around the corner in the back, gun in hand.

“I see that guy come in the back pointing a gun. I just started shooting,” Iqbal says.

The two men were just inches apart, arms and guns extended. Iqbal fired three times, hitting 34-year-old Bryan Thorn.

Both robbers tried to flee after shots were fired, the second (still unidentified) man made it out, but Thorn did not. He collapsed dead in the doorway.

Iqbal said he could only think about the three most important people in his life, “I was thinking about my family; my little girl, my wife, my father,” he said.

All of them were within six feet of the shooting in the back of the store.

“My little three-year-old girl was in the store playing on the computer. The first thing wasn’t mine. I have to save my family,” Iqbal said, recalling the 17 seconds he will never forget.

This isn’t the first time. This store’s prior owner back in 2005 was also the victim of multiple robberies. One of those resulted in a shootout, which was also captured on video.

Not long after that, the owner-who was held up by three men and was not hurt- would sell this store to Iqbal.

Iqbal went on to do great business; but not all for profit, sometimes it came at a price. In all he’s been robbed four times, but no suspects were ever caught.

That is why his wife forced him to buy a gun and learn how to use it.

“Four robberies? Now I am not going to go through that again. All this happens. I have to take a stand somewhere,” Iqbal says.

The store is now open again after the shooting. His customers are standing with him.

“What if a stray bullet would have hit their daughter or hit his wife? Oh I’m sorry? For $20? Come on man,” said Carl English, who was in to pay his cell bill.

The store is still open, but Iqbal doesn’t know how long that will remain. He is now looking for a new, safer location.

Iqbal said that being robbed four times in a little over a year is all that his family can take. They are planning to move on soon.

Milwaukee Robber Shoots Accomplice in Gunfight

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the August 14, 2009 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

A 17-year-old killed Thursday by a man he was trying to rob had been ordered to stay out of trouble in March after he pleaded guilty to taking a woman’s car on a joy ride.

Kevin Ollie, also known as Devin, was supposed to participate in a substance abuse treatment program, stay in school or hold down a job and perform 20 hours of community service, according to a deferred prosecution agreement he signed March 23.

Less than a month later, Ollie tested positive for THC, according to a July 11 letter from a juvenile justice program that was monitoring him.

On Friday, the Milwaukee Police Department Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer identified Ollie as the teen killed early Thursday as he and a 19-year-old associate tried to rob a man in the 2600 block of N. 1st St.

The deceased teen shot his accomplice during the robbery attempt, according to police.

The district attorney’s office is reviewing the shooting to determine whether charges will be brought against the target of the robbery, Police Department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said.

When the suspects confronted a 22-year-old man on the street he pulled out his own gun and shot the younger teen, Stanmeyer said. Somehow, the older teen was shot and suffered a non-life threatening injury, Stanmeyer said.

Victim Takes Rapists Rifle Away, Beats Him To A Pulp

Harrison County, Mississippi

From August 12, WCVB channel 5 (Boston):
Police had been watching Vincent Goff for years, convinced he was the masked man who sexually assaulted couples at gunpoint on the Mississippi coast. But before investigators closed in, they say Goff picked the wrong victim and was beaten nearly to death with his own rifle.

Goff, a 37-year-old unemployed Biloxi man with a wife and two stepsons, was being held Wednesday in the Harrison County Jail after spending five days in a hospital recovering from severe head wounds. Little is known about Goff's background or the unidentified man who beat him so hard that the wood stock of the rifle broke. But authorities say Goff's arrest caps a terrorizing series of attacks that began on the sandy banks of the Biloxi River in 2006.

Goff allegedly approached a man and woman last Thursday afternoon on an isolated logging road in Harrison County and forced them into the woods with a rifle, Sheriff's Maj. Ron Pullen said Wednesday. They were forced to strip off their clothes and told to perform sexual acts when the male victim, described as a physically fit member of the military in his mid-30s, wrestled the gun away.

"He beat him until the stock broke over his head and then continued to beat him until he thought he had him incapacitated," Pullen said.

Kingsport, Tennessee Burglar Shot By Neighbor

Kingsport, Tennessee

From the August 4, 2009 Kingsport Times-News:

KINGSPORT — Police are investigating after a burglary suspect was shot by the alleged victim’s neighbor.

Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said the incident occurred about 2:25 p.m. Monday.

Police said Dustin Eads, 29, was shot by Dennis McClanahan, 52, 2670 Pratt Road, Kingsport, after Eads allegedly attempted to steal something from McClanahan’s neighbor, Lisa Berry, 2644 Pratt Road, Kingsport.

McClanahan said he heard what sounded like glass breaking at his neighbor’s residence. He retrieved a .45-caliber handgun and went outside to check it out, said Anderson.

“He felt someone was trying to break in,” Anderson said.

Eads came outside carrying something in his hands, and a scuffle ensued when McClanahan confronted him, the sheriff said. Eads broke free, and McClanahan fired several shots as he jumped into a black Honda and drove away, Anderson said.

Seguin, Texas Robber Driven Off With Handgun

Seguin, Texas

From the July 29, 2009 Seguin Gazette-Enterprise:
SEGUIN — A wallet was stolen in a brazen nighttime robbery of a Guadalupe Street resident, according to reports.

A resident of the 2100 block of North Guadalupe Street woke up at 11:40 p.m. Sunday when he heard a noise in the front of his house, and then a man came into his bedroom and demanded, “Give me your money.”

The victim reached for his wallet and a handgun, and the two fought over the weapon before the suspect jumped out a window and left, the report said.

No shots were reported fired in the incident, which is being investigated by police detectives.

Three Houston Teens Attempt Robbery, One Killed

Houston, Texas

From July 31, 2009 KTRK channel 13:

A vendor says three teens approached him and attacked while he was working. That's when he says he pulled out a gun and fired, killing one of the suspects.

The confrontation started about 11pm on MLK near Reed Road. Authorities tell us the vendor was parked at a gas station as he was delivering snack products to the store. Police say he was inside the store and when he walked back out, he was approached by three teenage boys who demanded the snack products.

When the vendor refused, authorities say the teens, all three of them, began to assault the vendor by punching, kicking and hitting him. During the assault, the vendor was able to defend himself.

"The individual is a concealed handgun license carrier, was armed at the time, retrieved a weapon and subsequently shot and killed an individual here on the scene," said Officer Brian Evans with the Houston Police Department.

Friday, August 14, 2009

South Carolina: Man Shot Intruder, Turned Out To Be Neighbor

Lancaster County, South Carolina

From WSOC of August 14, 2009
Man Shot Intruder, Turned Out To Be Neighbor

Authorities said a homeowner shot and killed a teenager trying to rob him Friday morning. Turns out, that teenager lived right next door.

Lancaster County sheriff's deputies said 18-year-old Jarkevious Ingram walked out of the woods on Culp Street late Thursday night with two other men. One was wearing a ski mask and two of them, including Ingram, had guns, deputies said.

Detectives said they approached 34-year-old Ed Patterson Jr. who was just getting home. According to deputies, the three men demanded Patterson's wallet and his keys.

Patterson struggled for the gun and was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the groin. He managed to wrestle the gun away and shoot Ingram, deputies said.

Ingram walked more than 100 yards down Culp Street and collapsed on Fahbian McCullough's front porch.

"I looked out and he was lying on the porch, and there was blood everywhere," McCullough said.

He said Ingram was his friend and was at his house nearly every day. He had heard gunshots, but didn't know what was going on until he opened the door and found Ingram.

"I asked him what happened, and he said, ‘Be quiet.' He wouldn't tell me," McCullough said.

Patterson was able to drive himself to Springs Memorial Hospital, and he was later flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Deputies said his injuries were not life- threatening.

Mikesheia Wade is Ingram's cousin. She was at his side at the hospital when he died.

"I was there with him the whole time. I was holding his hand. He wasn't doing too well," Wade said. "I don't think he did this. The truth is going to be different than what people think.”

Lancaster County sheriff's deputies said they don't yet know why it appears Ingram tried to rob his own neighbor. Cousins said the two families have lived next door to each other for more than a year.

Major David Belk said detectives are still investigating, and it's not known if Patterson will face charges.

Deputies said they did recover the gun, a .38-caliber revolver that Patterson left in his sport utility vehicle when he drove to the hospital.

Florida: South Florida Store Clerks Go Vigilante

Miami, Florida

From the Miami News Times of August 4, 2009
South Florida Store Clerks Go Vigilante

It was pouring rain just after 1 p.m. Monday, July 20, when a man burst into a Honduran grocery store on NW 36th Street in Miami. A shirt was wrapped around his face as he gripped a black semiautomatic handgun. Twenty-year-old Charles Bell shoved the pistol into the face of a manager behind the counter. Then he demanded the contents of the cash register and cartons of cigarettes in a plastic bag.

Next he began herding customers to the back of the small market.

But when he returned to the counter to collect his loot, a short, well-built 24-year-old manager named Valentin Fiallos pointed a .38 and squeezed the trigger. As Bell scampered from the store, he turned and shot back several times. Fiallos, shielding himself, squeezed off several more rounds.

The would-be robber missed every time, but the manager's aim was true. Bell burst out of the store and ran several steps before flopping onto the wet asphalt. A bullet to the chest killed him.

Cops termed it "justifiable homicide." The ruling is backed up by former Gov. Jeb Bush's 2005 "Stand Your Ground" law, which offers wide-ranging legal protection to violent-crime victims who open fire on their aggressors before trying to make peace.

(Much More)

Texas: Store Clerk Shoots Robber

Beaumont, Texas

From KBMT of August 7, 2009
Store Clerk Shoots Robber

Beaumont police are looking for a man witnesses say has a gunshot wound to the arm after he robbed the Gulf Street Liquor Store in Beaumont.

Beaumont Police Officer Crystal Holmes tells KBMT 12 news around 10:30 a.m. Friday patrolmen were called to the 3000 block of Gulf Street in Beaumont where a 9-1-1 caller reported an armed robbery. The store owner told police a man with wearing a black cap, long sleeve black shirt, black baggy jeans and an orange bandanna used a large-caliber handgun in the robbery. As the robber started to leave the clerk grabbed his own handgun and chased the suspect into the parking lot. Police say the clerk told officers the suspect turned and pointed a gun in his direction so he fired a number of shots at the suspect. He said one of the slugs hit the man in the arm.

"I ran out to get his license plate," said Farid Ali who owns the Gulf Street Liquor Store in Beaumont. "When he saw me he tried to shoot me and that is when I shot back."

Although he and witnesses say the suspect was hit, there was no evidence found at the scene to show that a bullet had actually hit the man.

The suspect fled the scene in a green Ford Mustang with a ragtop.

A witness to the robbery followed the green Mustang through the North end of Beaumont until it reached Lucas. The witness last saw the car heading west on East Lucas near the railroad tracks and Helbig Road.

At 12:45 p.m. officers found the suspect car in the 5000 block of Landry. Police obtained a search warrant and found the suspects bloody clothing. Police also searched his car where they discovered blood stains and bullet holes on the side of the car.

Police say they used K-9 unit to track his footsteps which led police to Pine Burr. Police believe the man was picked up there by a friend or family member.

Authorities say they know the suspects identity but they are not going to release his name until they obtain a warrant for his arrest.

Officer Holmes is asking anyone that spots the suspect to call police rather than approach the man. Information that leads police to the suspect could earn a tipster a Crime Stoppers cash reward of up to $1,000. The number to Beaumont Police Dispatch is 409-832-1234.

Arizona: Robbery fails when cab driver grabs gun, bites suspect

Chandler, Arizona

From ABC15 of August 14, 2009
Robbery fails when cab driver grabs gun, bites suspect

A cab driver fought back against a man, who tried to rob him at gunpoint on Friday morning, by biting his ear and taking his gun.

Detective David Ramer with the Chandler Police Department said a cab driver pulled into an apartment complex near Dobson and Ocotillo roads around 1 a.m. to drop off his passenger.

As the cab came to a stop, the passenger allegedly pulled a gun on the driver and demanded cash.

Ramer said the cab driver grabbed the suspect's gun and pulled it down between the front seats, forcing the suspect to lean over the seats closer to the cab driver.

With his hands holding the gun down between the seats, the cab driver reportedly bit the suspect's ear.

"I almost bit his ear off," said the cab driver, Mwengi Gachii. "I'm okay because I am always suspicious of people like that.”

The suspect then fired one shot, striking the driver seat of the vehicle and then responded in turn by biting Gachii, according to the police report.

At one point, Gachii says the suspect bit him in the chest. "He was really drunk," Gachii said.

After a struggle, the suspect fled from the cab. Gachii ran after the suspect while carrying his gun.

After a brief chase, Gachii stopped and called police.

Police were able to catch the alleged robber in the complex.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Matthew Mailhot of Chandler, was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Mailhot was booked into the Maricopa County Jail for armed robbery.

South Carolina: Husband, wife hold off robber until police arrive

Charleston, South Carolina

From the SC Now of August 14, 2009
Husband, wife hold off robber until police arrive

An Horry County husband and wife fight off would-be robber inside their business.

According to a press release, a man tried to rob Ron’s Busy Corner, 5709 Juniper Bay Rd, Conway, Thursday afternoon when he placed a knife to the back of the store’s owner.

Police said Roger Lee Green, 34, of Galivants Ferry came into the store and pointed a knife to the back of the store owner while he was sitting at a table.

The owner stood up, struggled with Green, along with a customer, and took the knife away.

The owner’s wife was then able to get a pistol and hold the man there until police arrived.

Green is currently in J. Ruben Long Detention Center charged with Armed Robbery.

New York: Harlem Store Owner Shoots 4 Robbers, Killing 2

Harlem, New York

From the New York Times of August 13, 2009
Harlem Store Owner Shoots 4 Robbers, Killing 2

They strode into the restaurant supply store in Harlem shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday, four young men intent on robbery, one with a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, the police said. The place may have looked like an easy mark, a high-cash business with an owner in his 70s, known as a gentle, soft-spoken man.

But Charles Augusto Jr., the 72-year-old proprietor of the Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame Corporation, at 523 West 125th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue, had been robbed several times before, despite the fact that his shop is around the corner from the 26th Precinct station house on West 126th Street.

There were no customers in the store, only Mr. Augusto and two employees, a man and a woman. The police said the invaders announced a holdup, approached the two employees and tried to place plastic handcuffs on them. The male employee, a 35-year-old known in the community as J. B., struggled with the gunman, who then hit him on the head with the pistol.

Watching it happen, Mr. Augusto, whom neighborhood friends call Gus, rose from a chair 20 to 30 feet away and took out a loaded Winchester 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with a pistol-grip handle. The police said he bought it after a robbery 30 years ago.

Mr. Augusto, who has never been in trouble with the law, fired three blasts in rapid succession, the police said, although Vernon McKenzie, working at an Internet company next door, heard only two booms, loud enough to send him rushing to a window, where he heard someone shout: “You’re dead! You’re dead!”

The first shot took down the gunman at the front. He died almost immediately, according to the police, who said he was 29 and had been arrested for gun possession in Queens last year and was the nephew of a police officer.

Mr. Augusto’s other two blasts hit all three accomplices, who stumbled out the door, bleeding.

One of them, a 21-year-old, staggered across 125th Street and collapsed in front of the General Grant Houses, a nine-building complex with 4,500 residents, one of the city’s biggest housing projects. Someone called 911, and an ambulance rushed him to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, where he was dead on arrival. The police said he had a record of arrests for weapons possession and robbery.

Another wounded man left a blood trail that the police followed to 125th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The fourth wounded man was picked up, on the basis of witness descriptions, at 128th Street and St. Nicholas Terrace. Both were taken to St. Luke’s.

The names of the men who were shot — two dead and two wounded — were not immediately released by the authorities. The two at the hospital, both 21 years old, were in stable condition late Thursday night, the police said.

(Much more)

From the New York Times of August 14, 2009
Back at Work, Harlem Store Owner Recounts Shooting

A day after shooting four men who tried to rob his restaurant supply store, killing two of them, Charles Augusto Jr., 72, was back at work in Harlem on Friday morning. His feelings the day after he pulled the trigger? “I wish I didn’t need to,” he said.

Mr. Augusto, who goes by Gus, opened the shop, the Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame Corporation, at 523 West 125th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue, at 8 a.m. He was accompanied by an employee who had been hit with a pistol during the robbery Thursday afternoon. After the employee was struck, Mr. Augusto picked up his shotgun and fired it three times.

The shots killed two men, James Morgan, 29, and Raylin Footman, 21, and wounded two others, Bernard Witherspoon and Shamel McCloud, both 21, the police said. The two survivors are being charged with robbery, the police said.

Mr. Augusto said he had bought the gun, a Winchester 12-gauge pump-action with a pistol-grip handle, after a robbery 20 years ago and had a permit for it. “Not even touched in 20 years,” he said. “Not even touched. I wish I didn’t need to.”

The employee, who goes by J. B. and declined to give his last name, said that he “lost my mind” while the robbers tried to restrain him with duct tape, and that when he struggled, he was hit with the pistol. “Better him with a tag on his toe than my mother planning a funeral for me,” he said of the gunman.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Tennessee: 'Victims' part of robbery try

Memphis, Tennessee

From the Commercial Appeal of August 11, 2009
'Victims' part of robbery try

A victim's tale of robbery and murder unraveled when investigators learned that she'd participated in the stickup that backfired and turned deadly, police said Monday.

Ashley Brannon, 22, has been charged with facilitation of attempted aggravated robbery.

Brannon told police Thursday morning that a man forced his way into the back seat of her 2008 Dodge Avenger about 6:30 a.m. outside the Exxon at 4040 S. Third, pulling a gun and demanding money.

She told officers a friend in the passenger seat, Gregory Mitchell, 18, struggled with the robber, then was shot to death.

But another version of the homicide emerged during the investigation.

According to a police affidavit:

Brannon, boyfriend Calvin Jefferson, Mitchell, and another man, Edgar Smith, 24, spent the early morning hours Thursday gambling, and Smith was seen with "a large amount of money."

Brannon later drove Mitchell and Smith to the Exxon, ostensibly to get money Brannon's boyfriend owed Smith.

Brannon went inside the Exxon, then came out holding money she'd pretended to withdraw from the ATM. Mitchell then pulled a gun and turned to rob Smith, who was sitting in the rear seat.

But Smith pulled his own gun and shot Mitchell.

Brannon then drove south on Third, stopping briefly after Smith, who was trapped in the back seat by the child safety locks, told her to let him out.

He ran away.

Brannon then turned west on Raines and drove to Westmont, about a mile and a half from the Exxon, where she stopped the car and called Jefferson, who came to the scene. Jefferson has not been charged in the case.

Brannon then called 911.

Mitchell died on Westmont from his gunshot wounds.

Monday afternoon, stuffed animals and a bright red poster bearing hand-written "RIP" notes for Mitchell were affixed to a nearby power pole.

The shooting has been ruled self-defense, said Memphis Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rudolph. No one else has been charged, although the investigation is continuing, she said.

Brannon, who was being held on $40,000 bond, made an initial court appearance Monday morning.

**Emphasis added**

Montana: ‘Castle doctrine’ law forces shooter’s release, prosecutor says

Billings, Montana

From the Billings Gazette of August 11, 2009
‘Castle doctrine’ law forces shooter’s release, prosecutor says

A man who police said shot his Wal-Mart co-worker in a dispute over the length of a work break has been released from custody because his actions may be protected by Montana's recently enacted "castle doctrine" law.

The shooting, which took place Monday evening, is under investigation by the Billings Police Department and could still result in charges. But Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos said language in the "castle doctrine" bill passed during the last session of the Montana Legislature required him to release the shooter until more information becomes available.

The law asserts, among other things, that a person has a "natural right" to use firearms for self-defense and is not required to summon law enforcement assistance before using "justifiable" force to ward off an attack.

"The play of (House Bill) 228 with the current law causes us some pause to do a much more thorough investigation to determine if we can charge anyone," Paxinos said.

When police arrived at the Wal-Mart on King Avenue West at about 9:15 p.m. Monday, they found Daniel Lira, 32, inside the store's loading dock area with a gunshot wound.

Billings Police Sgt. Jay Berry said that Lira hit co-worker Craig Schmidt, 49, in the face. Schmidt fell backward, then pulled out a .25-caliber semiautomatic Beretta handgun and shot Lira, police said. The single shot was fired at a range of 10 to 15 feet.

Lira, 32, was taken to St. Vincent Healthcare and later released. Police Sgt. Kevin Iffland said the bullet grazed the side of his head from front to back.

Paxinos said that prior to passage of House Bill 228 authorities would have had probable cause to arrest Schmidt for assault with a weapon.

Now, he said, they need more details about whether there was a history of aggression between the two men, what they may have said to each other when the incident occurred and other information that will shape whether it was reasonable for Schmidt to believe his life was threatened. Other details such as the size of the two men - Schmidt weighs 150 pounds and Lira weighs 300 pounds - could also affect whether a self-defense claim is reasonable, Paxinos said.

"I'll have to do the investigation while the guy is free to move around," said Paxinos, who along with other county attorneys opposed House Bill 228 during the legislative session.

The "castle doctrine" bill, which was sponsored by Republican Rep. Krayton Kerns of Laurel and supported by the National Rifle Association, sparked passionate debate about self-defense rights before passing the Legislature.

"Once somebody punches you, and you're down and incapacitated, that person has already demonstrated an intent for violence and you can't tactically assume that they're only going to hit you once," said Gary Marbut of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, who crafted the bill.

But those opposing the "castle doctrine" legislation argued that existing law already protects those acting in self-defense, and that the new code would only create unnecessary burdens for prosecutors and police officers.

"There's just such a disconnect between words on paper and what happens on the streets of Montana, and I think legislators had to be more sensitive to what's happening on the street," said Jim Smith, spokesman for the Montana County Attorneys Association.

Aside from potential legal charges, it was unclear if Schmidt or Lira will face disciplinary action from Wal-Mart. Schmidt has a permit to carry the concealed weapon, but a spokesman for the company said it would be inappropriate to discuss whether Wal-Mart has a policy about employees carrying guns.

"We are still gathering details at this time, and we're now most concerned about the well-being of the people involved," Kelly Cheeseman said.

North Carolina: Duke student shot during struggle with would-be robber

Durham, North Carolina

From WRAL of August 9, 2009
Duke student shot during struggle with would-be robber

A Duke student struggled with a man who tried to rob him, resulting in gunfire that wounded him and possibly the would-be robber, Durham police said.

The student and a woman were walking in the 500 block of Watts Street shortly before midnight Saturday when a man armed with a gun approached them from behind, police said. He ordered the pair to put their hands on their heads and started to search them.

A struggle ensued over the gun, and two shots were fired, police said. The student was shot in the abdomen, and the attempted robber fled.

"I was pretty sure that it was shots, not firecrackers. ... It was like right here, and the woman, she was screaming her guts out,” said Anita Akella, a Duke graduate student who lives nearby.

The victim, whose identity hasn't been released, was treated at a nearby hospital. The woman was uninjured.

The gunman was limping when he fled and might have been shot, police said. He was described as black, approximately 40 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a stocky build. He has bulging eyes. He wore a gray shirt and dark jeans.

The shooting happened one block from Duke's East Campus, where first-year students are to move in next week.

Graduate student Melanie Oberman said the shooting happened outside the apartment she recently rented.

"I definitely don't feel comfortable living in the house until I have security put in," she said. "I had no idea that something could happen right outside my door like that."

Residents said Trinity Park neighborhood has long been a safe area.

“It makes me very sad, more than it does fearful," homeowner Sally Spears said. "But the world we live in now has turned into the situation that it is."

Anyone with any information about the shooting should call Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases, and callers never have to identify themselves.

Indiana: Armed homeowner stops enraged man

Whiteland, Indiana

From WISH of August 13, 2009
Armed homeowner stops enraged man

A Columbus resident is accused of trying to break into a rural Whiteland home.

Patrick F. Ianni, 33, 4440 Post-horn Court, Columbus, was arrested on charges of residential entry and public intoxication.

At about 1:40 a.m. Thursday, Ianni kicked the door of a rural Whiteland home and broke the door jam but walked away after the owner threatened to shoot him if he entered the home, according to a police report.

"The only smart decision he made was not to enter that home," Johnson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Doug Cox said. "He's alive today because he didn't enter that house."

Ianni had visited a comedy club in Indianapolis with his girlfriend earlier that night and they got into a fight, according to a police report. He demanded to be let out of the vehicle and she let him out near the Whiteland Road interchange of Interstate 65.

He woke two rural Whiteland residents by pounding on their door. He claimed he was a police officer who wanted to ask them a question.

The homeowner warned Ianni that he had a gun and would shoot him if he entered the house and Ianni responded that he had a knife and would stab the homeowner.

A sheriff's deputy found Ianni staggering down the road with a bloody nose and he asked the officer if he could give him a ride.

Ianni yelled at officers, threat-ened to beat them up and told them he was a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who just wanted to ask the homeowners a question, according to the police report. The sheriff's office checked with the FBI, who confirmed that Ianni isn't an agent.

He's being held at the Johnson County jail on $4,000 bond.

Florida: Palm Bay homeowner fights off two would-be robbers

Palm Bay, Florida

From Florida Today of August 7, 2009
Palm Bay homeowner fights off two would-be robbers

Police continue their search for two armed men who they say pretended to have car trouble before being rebuffed by a resident in an apparent robbery attempt.

The botched hold-up happened late Tuesday night along the 500 block of Windswept Avenue. Police said the two men pulled up to the home and told the resident that they were having car trouble, said Yvonne Martinez, spokeswoman for the Palm Bay Police Department.

“They told him their car overheated. He went inside to get a bucket of water and that’s when they pulled a gun on him,” Martinez said.

The resident dropped the bucket then grabbed for the gun, struggling with the men in the front yard for several moments, officials said. Police said the resident overwhelmed the two men, tossed the weapon back at them and ran inside to get his own shotgun.

The two men ran back to their car and drove off in an unknown direction, police said.

“Nothing was stolen,” Martinez said.

It was not immediately known if the two armed men targeted the resident or acted randomly.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 952-3456.

Georgia: Homeowner kills 3-year-old black bear

Wayne County, Georgia

From the Sun-Sentinel of August 11, 2009
Homeowner kills 3-year-old black bear

Westley, the wandering black bear, whose journeys brought him too close to homes in Wellington and Weston earlier this year, has died in southeast Georgia, wildlife officials said. He was 3.

Westley, estimated to weigh 200 pounds, was killed by a homeowner Saturday with a shotgun after he damaged property and wandered in a residential neighborhood in western Wayne County, said Melissa Cummings, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

"It'd been trying to get into homes, pounding on garages and attempting to get through doors," Cummings said. "The bear had become too accustomed to people."

According to the Florida Times-Union, a homeowner named Ken Boyette saw Westley in his neighborhood Saturday, uncomfortably close to where children were riding bicycles and playing football. He shot Westley, killing him instantly.

"I didn't have a choice. He had no fear of humans," Boyette told the Times-Union. "I was afraid it was going to hurt one of the kids or someone else."

The wandering bear first made headlines in April when a Weston family spotted him foraging near the backyard in their gated community. No live bear had been seen in Broward County in three decades.

Westley popped up around Weston a few more times, surprising morning joggers and prompting a school lockdown when students saw him prowling near Manatee Bay Elementary School.

A Sun Sentinel contest to name the bear received nearly 400 entries. Readers eventually chose Westley in a SunSentinel.com poll.

State wildlife officials caught Westley in May and relocated him to Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County, where most black bears in Florida are found.

But Westley wouldn't stay put for long. He made his way to Wellington in June, where he was again captured and this time sent upstate to Osceola National Forest.

Last month, he showed up at Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, in the Jacksonville area, where he bothered no one, said Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro.

From there he crossed the St. Marys River and visited the town of St. Marys in southeastern Georgia.

Westley had an ear tag, SO11, letting officials know it was the same animal that had wandered through South Florida, Ferraro said.

Though Georgia authorities noticed the tag when they captured him in St. Marys early last week, they didn't know the animal had crossed state lines.

Georgia has a "three strikes" policy when it comes to bears roaming around cities: they can be captured and released two times, but they're killed if they're caught a third time, Cummings said. Authorities say they would have put down Westley had they known his Florida history.

Narrowly missing that scrape with death, Westley wasn't so lucky the next time he wandered into a town a few days later.

After he was killed, Georgia wildlife officials disposed of his body in a landfill, Cummings said.

"Some bears wander around looking for suitable territory," Cummings said. "A few others are moving bears: they never establish their territory and keep moving, never finding the home they're looking for. This bear could've been that kind."
G

Tennessee: Teen surrenders, man arrested in Knox fatal home invasion

Knoxville, Tennessee

From WHNT of August 11, 2009
Teen surrenders, man arrested in Knox fatal home invasion

A juvenile has surrendered to Knoxville police in a home invasion that left another youth dead.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported 17-year-old Don Christopher Ealey turned himself in Monday after negotiations with the District Attorney General's Office. He will face only juvenile charges.

Police also arrested 20-year-old Thomas Eugene Mays, who was held in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Investigators said Ealey and 17-year-old Antonio Wooten went to a home in the southern part of the city around dawn on Aug. 5 and knocked on the door. When the homeowner answered the knock, police said Ealey and Wooten tried to push their way in, but were repelled by gunfire.

Wooten's body was found in a gully beside the driveway leading to the home.

California: Resident Shot, Suspect Killed in Apparent Home Invasion

Bakersfield, California

From KERO of August 7, 2009
Resident Shot, Suspect Killed in Apparent Home Invasion

A resident shot and killed an intruder in southwest Bakersfield after the suspect shot the resident twice, a Bakersfield Police official said.

At 11:11 p.m. Thursday, police received a report of a shooting at an apartment in the 1800-block of Canter Way, police said.

Police said they found an adult man outside the apartment suffering from two gunshot wounds to the torso.

The man informed officers that the suspect was still inside the apartment.

Officers entered the apartment and found Roosevelt Mitchell III, 21, dead with a gun.

The victim told them he was home with his wife and several friends when two suspects forced their way into the apartment. The resident armed himself with a gun and both exchanged gunfire, police said.

The victim was taken to Kern Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

There is no description of the second suspect. Several people were detained for questioning.

A motive has not been determined.

Georgia: Lithonia schoolteacher exchanges gunfire with carjackers

Dekalb County, Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of August 3, 2009
Lithonia schoolteacher exchanges gunfire with carjackers

A DeKalb County schoolteacher carjacked early Sunday scored a measure of revenge against his attackers -- thanks in part to their poor sense of direction.

Derek Harper, 47, had just returned to his Lithonia home around 1:15 a.m. when two unidentified gunmen surprised him from behind, forcing the Evansdale Elementary teacher out of his car and onto the ground, demanding money.

“After they figured out I didn’t have any cash on me they got into my van,” he said. His narrow garage helped Harper sneak away.

“One of them was having trouble getting into the passenger’s side, so while he was doing that I took off,” said Harper, also the assistant track coach at Stephenson High.

As he ran the gunmen started firing, striking Harper once in the arm before speeding off in his van, heading directly toward a dead end on Phillips Place.

Knowing they’d be forced to turn around, Harper ran inside and grabbed his .380 pistol.

“I was waiting for them,” he said. Harper estimates he fired two to three bullets, which might have contributed to the driver crashing the van less than a block away. A small amount of blood was found inside the vehicle.

“It’s badly damaged,” said Harper, who was to have returned to work Monday following the summer break. He’s home recovering instead.

His neighborhood is “fairly quiet,” he said. “Everyone sticks together.”

While some high-profile carjackings have captured headlines in the city of Atlanta, DeKalb Police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said she has not heard of any in her jurisdiction for several months.

Regardless, Harper said he was surprised to end up a victim.

“I drive a minivan,” he said. “It’s nothing special.”

An arrest was made in the case late Monday morning. Parish said the name is being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.

Georgia: Accused robber shot by Macon store employee

Macon, Georiga

From Macon.com of August 5, 2009
Accused robber shot by Macon store employee

A 19-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault and armed robbery in connection with a Saturday night robbery at a Fort Hill neighborhood store, Macon police said.

Laadrian Javonte Wilson is being held at the Bibb County jail without bond, according to jail records.

Three men entered the store at 406 Woolfolk St., at about 10:30 p.m., according to a police report.

One of the men pointed a gun at a store worker. A second store worker picked up a shotgun. He and the alleged robbers fired shots at each other, according to the report.

The three men ran north on Woolfolk Street. Minutes later, police received a radio call about a man with a gunshot wound at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, according to the report.

Sgt. Melanie Hofmann said Wilson was shot in the buttocks and was arrested at about 4 p.m. Monday upon his release from the hospital.

Alabama: Bingo hall robber shot and killed by security guard in Walker County, Alabama

Walker County, Alabama

From the Birmingham News of August 3, 2009
Bingo hall robber shot and killed by security guard in Walker County, Alabama

A Walker County man who authorities say shot up a bingo hall Saturday night during a robbery was shot and killed by a security guard, according to the Walker County sheriff.

William G. Cantrell Jr., 43, was declared dead at the scene after he was shot multiple times by a security guard at It's Your Lucky Day Charity Bingo at 20 Pineywoods Sipsey Road, Walker County Sheriff John Mark Tirey said.

According to Tirey, Cantrell entered through the front door around 11 p.m., fired his shotgun into the ceiling and yelled: "This is a robbery. Everybody get out of here." As he headed toward the cashiers' cages, Cantrell fired more shots at the ceiling, then fired at a cashier's cage and a safe, Tirey said. As two security guards approached, Cantrell turned his gun toward them and one of the guards shot him multiple times, the sheriff said.

Security cameras captured much of the scene, Tirey said. Authorities also interviewed about 40 to 45 witnesses, he said.

"It is a regrettable situation," Tirey said. "We're very fortunate we didn't have a lot of injuries. The potential was there."

Tirey said Cantrell arrived at the bingo hall in a vehicle he had stolen a couple of hours earlier. He robbed a Jasper business of the vehicle around 8:40 p.m., the sheriff said.

Pennsylvania: Would-be thief shot inside pizza shop

Port Richmond, Pennsylvania

From WPVI of August 9, 2009
Would-be thief shot inside pizza shop

A pizza shop owner in Philadelphia fought back when a man tried to rob him at gunpoint.

The attempted robbery happened inside Tony's Place pizza shop on the 2900 block of Frankford Avenue in the city's Port Richmond section.

Police say an armed gunman walked into the pizza shop at 11:45 Saturday night demanding money, but the owner pulled out his own gun and shot the robber in the back.

The would-be thief is now in critical condition at Temple University Hospital.

Mississippi: Robbery suspect shot in Jackson

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Clarion Ledger of August 10, 2009
Robbery suspect shot in Jackson

Police do not expect to charge a Jackson homeowner who shot and wounded a man he found breaking into his car early Sunday morning.

The name of the homeowner was not released.

About 5 a.m., a homeowner in the 200 block of East Ash St. saw two men breaking into his Chrysler Sebring parked in front of the house, Jackson Assistant Chief Lee Vance said.

The homeowner got a gun and shot one of the suspected burglars, Vance said.

Michael Evans, 26, was shot in a thigh while still inside the Sebring, he said.

The second suspect, who has not been identified, was able to get away. Police are searching for the other man.

Evans was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threaten-ing, Vance said.

Once Evans is released, Vance said, he will be charged in the burglary. He did not appear on the Jackson arrest docket Sunday night.

Jackson police will turn the findings from the investigation over to a Hinds County grand jury, which will determine whether the homeowner will be charged.

Vance would not say whether the case falls under the Castle Doctrine but said "the homeowner has a right to protect his property."

A number of people in Jackson have been shot or killed since the Castle Doctrine went into effect three years ago.

The Mississippi law allows property owners to use deadly force when they believe they are in imminent danger.

On Sunday afternoon, the Sebring was still parked in front of the home with the passenger window down. No one answered the door.

Greg Porter, an East Ash Street resident, said he would have done the same thing.

"You ain't got no business breaking into somebody else's car. If you do, you're looking for trouble," Porter said Sunday evening.

Louisiana: No charge against business owner who shot intruder

Shreveport, Louisiana

From the Shreveport Times of July 22, 2009
No charge against business owner who shot intruder

No charge is expected to be filed against the owner of Central Station who fired a shot at an intruder when the man lunged at him Tuesday afternoon.

"We're not new to this," Joseph Giglio, 68, of Shreveport, said of someone breaking into the defunct railroad terminal-turned-bar. The business in the 1000 block of Marshall Street has been burglarized 20 or 30 times, he said.

None of the previous burglaries ended in a shooting, Giglio said.

Jason Funderbunk, 35, hometown unavailable was rushed into emergency surgery at LSU Hospital in Shreveport in serious condition for treatment of a gunshot wound to his torso, according to a Shreveport Police Department news release.

Funderbunk was charged with one count of burglary and placed in police custody at the hospital Tuesday night. Hospital officials said they could release no information about his condition because of his status as a prisoner.

The security company that monitors Central Station detected an intruder in the unoccupied business shortly before 4:30 p.m. and alerted Giglio, who was at another of his operations, a plumbing outlet, according to police. Giglio armed himself and he and an unidentified bartender went to the bar, authorities said.

Giglio found someone hiding behind the counter and him to get on the ground while he called police, Giglio and authorities said.

Instead, the intruder leapt over the counter toward Giglio and tried to disarm the business owner. Giglio said he held the man away from the weapon with one arm and fired one shot.

"I tried to shoot him in the leg, but I don't know where I got him," Giglio said, explaining that police soon arrived and whisked him into a police cruiser.

The intruder "apparently entered the structure through a hole in the roof and was burglarizing the business there," the police news release states.

Giglio alleged the intruder was attempting to access the cash register and safe, which are behind the counter.

The intruder did not brandish any type of weapon, Giglio said, but didn't "leave me much choice."

Nevada: Woman, intruder shot during home invasion attempt

Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Las Vegas Sun of July 29, 2009
Woman, intruder shot during home invasion attempt

An attempted home invasion late Tuesday in North Las Vegas resulted in an exchange of gunfire and a woman and an intruder being shot.

Police said someone tried to enter a home shortly before midnight in the 4100 block of Karma Drive, between West Craig and Alexander roads, when the homeowner opened fire. The intruder fired back and injured the woman, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched to the home at 11:52 p.m. and upon arrival found a 31-year-old North Las Vegas resident with gunshot wounds to her leg. The injured woman said she had exchanged gunfire with unidentified men who had entered her home and threatened to shoot her 14-year-old son.

The boy wasn’t injured.

Police found a blood trail that left the residence and ended in the street in front of the house.

Sgt. Tim Bedwell of the North Las Vegas Police Department said he isn't sure who fired first.

He said the woman suffered a minor non-life threatening gunshot wound and was transported to University Medical Center. At the hospital, officers were notified a male gunshot victim had recently arrived to be treated who matched the description of one of the suspects.

His injuries are described as serious but non-life threatening.

Authorities said they do not know if the woman knew the intruder. Bedwell said an arrest hasn’t been made in the case.

Florida: Fort Pierce Man Shoots Intruder Who Climbed In Window

Ft. Pierce, Florida

From WPBF of August 12, 2009
Fort Pierce Man Shoots Intruder Who Climbed In Window

Police said a Fort Pierce resident shot a man who climbed in through a bedroom window of the home.

Carlos Contreras was arrested Wednesday after he checked himself in to a Port St. Lucie medical facility to be treated for what he claimed was a stab wound from a screwdriver.

Fort Pierce police said Contreras was the same man who tried to burglarize Bulmaro Aguilar's home earlier that morning.

Officers were called to home on South 25th Street after Aguilar reported that he shot an intruder.

Aguilar told police that while he was at home, Contreras knocked on his door, but Aguilar didn't answer. Aguilar said Contreras climbed in through a bedroom window a few minutes later, so Aguilar got a gun from his brother's bedroom and shot him.

Police said Contreras fled after being shot.

Illinois: Alleged intruder shot and wounded

East Carondelet, Illinois

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of August 12, 2009
Alleged intruder shot and wounded

Officials said a man who lives in the 2300 block of State Street shot and wounded an intruder about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. St. Clair County sheriff's deputies said the intruder tried to break in because his ex-girlfriend was there. The male resident twice fought him off and then resorted to two shots to stop him, officials said.

Texas: Store owner fatally shoots would-be robber

Houston, Texas

From KTRK of August 13, 2009
Store owner fatally shoots would-be robber

Police say a cell phone store owner took action when two people tried to hold up his northeast Houston business.

According to the store owner, two men walked into his store on Laura Koppe near Lockwood around 5pm yesterday and tried to rob him. That's when he says he pulled out a gun and fatally shot one of the suspects.

The other suspect got away.

California: Would-be Walnut Creek armored truck robber flees after guard pulls gun

Walnut Creek, California

From the Contra Costa Times of August 11, 2009
Would-be Walnut Creek armored truck robber flees after guard pulls gun

A man tried to rob an armored truck security guard Tuesday morning before running away, police said.

The robbery attempt took place as the armored truck was parked near the intersection of South California Boulevard and Botelho Drive. The story was first reported by the blog Claycord.com, which obtained its information from a police radio broadcast.

At 10:30 a.m., the truck was parked as the guard was making a money pick-up at a business, Lt. Tim Barrett said. A man approached the guard and demanded he give him money. Instead, the guard went to pull out a firearm, and the would-be robber got into a white Dodge Caravan and drove away.

He did not appear to be armed, Barrett said. Police did not have a detailed description of him.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Nevada: Liquor Store Clerk Wounded Would-be Robber

Las Vegas, Nevada

From KOLO of August 11, 2009
Liquor Store Clerk Wounded Would-be Robber

Las Vegas police say a liquor store clerk gunned down during a botched robbery Friday night shot one of his assailants. The Clark County coroner's office identifies the dead clerk as 62-year-old Arthur Miller of Las Vegas. Police arrested his two alleged assailants - 24-year-olds Antonio Duenas and Michael Cruz - at a hospital where Duenas was treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen. They're due in court tomorrow