Milwaukee, WI

From 8/22/15 Fox channel 6:

Police say the incident began moments prior in the 1500 block of W. Scott Street. The victim, now identified as Gabriel Velazquez had an argument with two unknown people outside a tavern.

After the fight, Velazquez got into his car and attempted to run over the suspects, police say. That's when one of the male suspects shot at the car, striking Velazquez.

Police say Velazquez then drove to 16th and National Avenue, where he died from his injury after crashing his vehicle.

Suspects?  Even if they were behaving badly at the club, running them over is a criminal act.  Amazingly the mayor decided that this defensive use was an argument for gun control:

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is dismayed by all the violence.

"What we've seen is people lose their tempers. Sometimes alcohol is involved. Sometimes drugs are involved. Somebody feels they've been dissed and the guns come out. It's about controlling emotions," Mayor Barrett said.

Barrett urges members of the community to get more engaged and help get illegal guns away from their loved ones.

Wisconsin: Police: Man shoots, kills intruder near Madison

Fitchburg, Wisconsin

From the Chicago Tribune of September 16, 2009

Police: Man shoots, kills intruder near Madison

Police say a man has shot and killed an intruder who entered his parents' home near Madison.

Deputy Chief Donald Bates of the Fitchburg Police Department says Peter Chen and his wife were not at home on Wednesday afternoon when the incident happened, but he says their adult son was. The son shot the intruder, who was pronounced dead by the Dane County coroner's office.

Bates wouldn't give the name of Peter Chen's son and hasn't yet provided details about the intruder.

He says the son is cooperating with the investigation and that the shooting appears to be an act of self-defense.

Fitchburg is located just south of Madison.

Wisconsin: Jewelry store owner won't face charges for shooting robber

Kenosha, Wisconsin

From WKOW of September 10, 2009

Jewelry store owner won't face charges for shooting robber

The jewelry store owner who shot an armed robbery won't face any charges.

Assistant District Attorney Richard Ginkowski says the owner of the Jewelry Exchange in Kenosha was acting in self-defense on Wednesday when two men walked into his store and one pointed a handgun at him. The store owner pulled his own gun out from under the counter and shot the armed man in the chest.

Both suspects the store, and a police officer found the injured man about a block away.

The injured man is recovering at a hospital. Ginkowski says the man, a 29-year-old from Zion, Ill., is likely to face robbery charges. Police are still looking for the other suspect.

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.

Wisconsin: Security guard kills would-be robber, police say

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the Journal-Sentinel of June 3, 2009

Security guard kills would-be robber, police say

A security guard shot two men who were trying to rob a check cashing business on Milwaukee's northwest side Wednesday afternoon, killing one and injuring the other, police said.

Ronald Reed, 24, was shot in the back and collapsed in an alley behind the building at 3906 N. 76th St., where he was pronounced dead, police said.

His cousin, Vidal Mason, 22, turned up at a hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was in critical but stable condition late Wednesday.

The men were identified by family members at the scene.

Reed and Mason were arrested in 2005 for committing an armed robbery together, Assistant Police Chief James Harpole said. Both were convicted of two counts of armed robbery in 2006, according to online court records.

The men were armed with guns when they entered Check Into Cash about 3:40 p.m. and ordered everyone to the floor, including the security guard, according to Harpole and a statement from the Police Department.

One man told the other to shoot the guard, who got up and fired shots at both men, according to the statement.

"He felt that he was going to be shot or that someone else was going to be shot, so he took defensive action," Harpole said.

Reed ran from the store and collapsed in the alley, Harpole said.

Mason also ran from the store and wound up at a hospital.

No one else inside the store was injured, Harpole said. Money taken during the robbery was recovered, said the department's statement.

The security guard, who is in his 20s, was being interviewed by police, Harpole said. The preliminary investigation suggests the guard was properly licensed to carry a gun on the job, he said.

(More)

Milwaukee Security Guard Shoots BB Gun Armed Robbers

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the June 7, 2009 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

The two men who were shot by a security guard while trying to rob a Milwaukee check cashing business last week were armed with realistic-looking BB guns, according to a Police Department spokeswoman.

Ronald X. Reed Jr., 24, was shot in the back and died at the scene, police said. His cousin, 22-year-old Vidal D. Mason, was shot in the abdomen.

The BB guns "looked very much like authentic weapons," police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz wrote in an e-mail.

The men also used BB guns while committing a string of armed robberies in 2005, court records show.

Reed and Mason were wearing masks when they entered Check Into Cash, 3906 N. 76th St., on Wednesday afternoon and ordered everyone to the floor, including the armed guard, police said at the time.

One cousin told the other to shoot the guard, who got up and fired shots at both men, police said.

Reed ran from the store and collapsed in a nearby alley. Mason also ran and turned up at a hospital a short time later.

The preliminary investigation suggests the guard, who has not been identified, was properly licensed to carry a gun on the job, police said.

The guard is employed by Pratt Security and Investigations. The company's president, John Pratt, said the company and its employees have the proper licenses and permits. He declined to answer questions about the robbery and shooting.

The Milwaukee County district attorney's office will review the incident Monday, Schwartz said.

Reed and Mason also were armed with BB guns when they committed five armed robberies together over four days in 2005, targeting people returning home late at night on the city's west side, according to a criminal complaint filed against them.

Both were convicted in 2006 of two counts of armed robbery, according to online court records.

Reed was sentenced by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Elsa Lamelas to three years in state prison - with credit for 263 days for time served - and five years of extended supervision, the court records show.

He was released from prison Aug. 26, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Lamelas sentenced Mason to two years in state prison - with credit for 236 days for time served - and five years of extended supervision, according to court records.

Mason was released from prison Aug. 21, 2007, according to the Department of Corrections.

Ripon, Wisconsin Burglar Caught At Gunpoint

Ripon, Wisconsin

From June 1, 2009 Chicago channel 7:

June 1, 2009 (RIPON, Wis.) -- This Town of Ripon homeowner was craftier than the armed burglar trying to rob his house.

Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department officials say the homeowner held a 23-year-old man attempting to steal cash, firearms and other items by gunpoint until police arrived around 1:20 a.m. Friday.

Lt. Bill Flood says the homeowner saw lights on in his house, crept into his driveway, retrieved a handgun and waited for the burglar to come out.

Ripon police and sheriff's deputies arrested the victim's 24-year-old girlfriend in a nearby vehicle. Officials say she dropped him off.

Racine, Wisconsin Bicyclists Defends Himself From Robbers

Racine, Wisconsin

From the May 6, 2009 Racine County Journal Times:

RACINE — Four teens knocked a 42-year-old Racine man from his bike Friday night. He thought they were going to rob him.

The man pulled a Smith and Wesson revolver from his side holster, pointed it at the sky and yelled, “Gun!”

The four suspects ran, and the man flagged down a Racine police officer.

The incident will perhaps mark the first time a new opinion allowing open carry of firearms is put to the test here, as it conflicts with another state statute that makes it illegal to possess a gun within 1,000 feet of a school, if not on private property.

The Racine man involved, who asked not to be named and declined to comment on the alleged robbery attempt when contacted by The Journal Times, was assaulted in the 1100 block of Grand Avenue, which is within 1,000 feet of Walden School, 1012 Center St.

Police did not arrest the man. After he was treated for head and wrist injuries at the scene by Racine rescue, officers escorted the man home and returned his gun to him.

But that doesn’t mean charges won’t be filed against the man, and police are questioning how such situations should be handled in the future.

“It’s difficult with the way the laws are written to carry (a gun) and not get into trouble,” said police spokesman Lt. Jim Dobbs.

He said the new open carry ruling will probably prompt more and more people to wear firearms, but in many places in the city, even stepping off their front porch would mean they are breaking the law.

“People will break the law inadvertently,” Dobbs said. “We want clarification from the state on what we should be doing.”

Last month, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen sent out a memo saying openly wearing a holstered gun is not illegal. While Wisconsin law states a person cannot legally carry a concealed weapon, it does not address carrying a firearm in plain sight.

The opinion has created many questions, now including the apparent conflict between the existing statute over possessing a firearm near a school.

UPDATE: From the May 15, 2009 Racine Journal Times:

RACINE — The armed bicyclist who scared off a group of teens he believed were trying to rob him earlier this month will not be charged, the Racine County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

In a letter to the 42-year-old Racine man, who has asked not to be identified, District Attorney Mike Nieskes wrote, “After speaking with the investigating officer on this matter, I have decided it would not be in the greater interest of justice in the community to charge you with violation of Wisconsin Statute regarding gun free zones.”

According to police reports, the man was riding his bicycle in the 1100 block of Grand Avenue on May 1 when he was knocked from his bicycle by four teens. The man told police he thought the group was trying to rob him, so he pulled out the revolver he was openly carrying in a side holster. Reports said he pointed the gun at the sky and yelled, “Gun!”

The group of teens fled and the man flagged down a Racine police officer. During the assault, the man suffered a wrist injury. He was treated at the scene by Racine rescue.

Police did not arrest the man. They escorted him home and returned his gun to him.

However, the incident raised questions from law enforcement because the man was armed within a 1,000 feet of a school, which is illegal under state statute. The current law conflicts with a recent opinion by the state Attorney General’s Office which said it is legal to openly carry a firearm.

In his letter, Nieskes said the decision not to charge the man was based on the recent determination of the attorney general, along with the man’s lack of prior criminal record and no showing of irresponsible use of the firearm. “I don’t believe it would be appropriate to charge you,” Nieskes wrote. “I will presume that you understand that despite the announcement by the Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin regarding open carry, that you and all other individuals, a notable exception being on-duty police officers, are barred from possessing a firearm in certain circumstances and place.”

Wisconsin: Shooting victim faces charges

Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

From the Dubuque Telegraph Herald of November 2, 2008

Shooting victim faces charges

A man shot by his neighbor while he allegedly was vandalizing her home is charged with criminal damage to property -- and the neighbor isn't expected to face any charges.

The criminal complaint filed in Crawford County Circuit Court said 53-year-old Harvey Townsend used a metal fence post to smash 16 windows and a storm door of the neighbor's house in Steuben Oct. 20.

According to Sheriff Jerry Moran, the neighbor, a 54-year-old woman, said she fired warning rounds from a pistol but didn't intend to hit Townsend, who fled and was located by a police dog in a nearby woods with a wound to the abdomen.

The woman has since filed for a temporary restraining order against Townsend. A hearing on that action is scheduled Monday -- the same day Townsend is due for his preliminary hearing.

Wisconsin: 8th Grader stops invader with BB gun

Madison, Wisconsin

From WKOW of October 10, 2008

8th Grader stops invader with BB gun

13 year old Jack Theisen had to make a quick decision when two would-be robbers were in the process of coming through an unlocked, basement door, and Theisen was home alone.

Theisen grabbed his Red Ryder model BB gun and shot the first invader in the shoulder, scaring off both men.

"He's resilient," Jack Theisen's father, Mike Theisen told 27 News.

Mike Theisen said his son, an eighth grade student at St. James Catholic School, has taken a hunter safety course and is proficient and safe with guns.

Theisen said his son spotted the two men as they cased the front of the house on Sherman Avenue, perhaps believing the house was empty since most of the lights were out around 8 p.m. Oct. 9. Theisen said Jack Theisen then watched the men make their way to the home's side entrance.

Theisen said he rushed home from his nearby restaurant after his son called and told him of the emergency.

"I did have a conversation with him that calling 911 would have been the more appropriate thing to do than be a hero," Theisen told 27 News. "But he's just that kind of a kid. He's responsible and wise for his age."

Theisen said Jack Theisen's contingency plan was to run from the men and on to the home's second story roof through a secluded door.

Police officials said they are looking for the two home invasion suspects, who they describe as white men around eighteen years old, with one of the men about 6'0'' and 200 pounds.

Theisen said another home invasion in his lakeside neighborhood took place in the spring. Theisen said his family had not rehearsed a plan of action in the event of a burglary or robbery attempt at their home.

Theisen said while he has mixed emotions over his son confronting intruders, he said he is proud of him. "He's got guts."

Madison Home Invader Flees When Shot At

Madison, Wisconsin

From the October 1, 2008 Madison Capital Times:

Madison man shot at an armed intruder to his residence Tuesday morning but missed in what police said was not a random home invasion.

Madison police said the incident happened about 10:53 a.m. at a residence in the 1800 block of Browning Road on the city's northeast side.

Two residents at home, a man and a woman in their 20s, said the suspect, a male in his 20s, was carrying a handgun and forced his way in through a door.

"The male victim grabbed a rifle, prompting the perpetrator to flee," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "The resident shot at him but missed.

Wisconsin: Chased by armed homeowner, would-be thief drops plasma TV

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

From the Greenbay Press Gazette of May 28, 2008

Chased by armed homeowner, would-be thief drops plasma TV

A burglar stole a big-screen TV from a town of Sheboygan home this morning but abandoned the item while fleeing an armed homeowner, according to the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department.

The incident occurred about 3:30 a.m. at a home on Hunter’s Glen Drive, Capt. Dave Adams said.

According to Adams:

The homeowner's wife woke up when she heard the burglary and roused her husband, who armed himself with a handgun and went to investigate. The burglar or burglars were gone by the time the man reached the living room and discovered his 42-inch plasma TV was missing.

Deputies used a police dog to track the suspect south from the home. The TV was found nearby in a line of trees, but the dog lost the scent soon after.

Milwaukee Man Defends Himself From Roommate

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the April 14, 2008 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

A man who was shot to death about 3:45 a.m. Saturday in a flat in the 2900 block of S. 7th St. has been identified as Joseph Biando, 40.

Police said Sunday that Biando had first fired a shotgun at a 29-year-old man who was living in the same flat. Police declined to name the younger man. They said he was unarmed when he was hit by a blast from the shotgun, got a handgun and shot Biando more than once. The younger man is hospitalized but is expected to live.

As of Sunday, police were not characterizing the shooting as a criminal homicide. Prosecutors will likely review the case and determine whether to charge anyone or rule the incident a justifiable homicide.

Wisconsin: Convenience store owner stops two robbers with own gun

Racine, Wisconsin

From the Journal-Times of February 15, 2008

Convenience store owner stops two robbers with own gun

A convenience store owner who was robbed earlier this month stopped two would-be-robbers before they even reached the service counter Friday afternoon when he pulled out a handgun.

Numan Pasqualine, the owner of Quick Market at 4303 16th St., said he saw two men approaching his store on the video surveillance camera.

“I thought there was something wrong,” he said. “They had their heads down, so you couldn’t see their masks.”

The men entered the Quick Market, and one of them waved a gun. Pasqualine said he grabbed his own gun from behind the counter. “I told him to get down twice,” he said.

The man, who was standing in the corner near the entrance, and the second suspect, who was already by the door, then fled the store and ran south on Indiana Street. They didn’t take anything from the store.

Racine police were called to the convenience store at 12:16 p.m.

Reports said this is the second time the Quick Market was robbed this month. On Feb. 3, just before 7 p.m. two masked men entered the store, one armed with a handgun and robbed it.

Pasqualine said Friday he is not sure if the men who tried to rob his store were the same men who took money from him earlier this month. “I’m not sure, since they had masks.”

Madison, Wisconsin

From Madison.com of October 27, 2007

Jury acquits State Street shooter

Even though he shot and killed a man during a drunken fight on State Street on May 22, Daniel Kelly left the courtroom Friday night a free man, found not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide.

Public defender Dennis Burke successfully argued that on the night when 23-year-old Austin Bodahl died from a gunshot wound to his chest, Kelly, an Army and National Guard veteran, had fired in self-defense.

Kelly's father, Steve Kelly, appeared relieved but subdued as he left the court late Friday after the jury announced its verdict.

"About all I can say is it's been a tragedy for both families," he said. "The Bodahls are very nice people.

"I would hope that society would treat young men who are a little different with a little more respect," he added. "This fight should have been stopped by people long before it got to this point."

The jury's verdict came after jurors deliberated through part of the afternoon and all of the evening. After it was announced, Steve Kelly said his son was planning to leave Madison to see his grandmother in North Carolina.

The case centered around a nighttime fight on State Street that erupted after Kelly encountered three drunken young men whose lives, like Kelly's, were largely untethered. Jurors were to decide, as instructed by Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser, whether Kelly, 31, caused Bodahl's death through "criminally reckless conduct" that showed "utter disregard for human life," or whether Kelly used force likely to cause death because he reasonably believed that such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself.

(Much More)

From Chicago’s WLS of October 27, 2007

Man cleared in fatal shooting in Madison

A man has been acquitted in the shooting death of the son of a former Minnesota state legislator during a fight last spring.

A Dane County jury deliberated nine hours before announcing its decision in the trial of 31-year-old Daniel A. Kelly late Friday.

He was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Austin Bodahl of Waconia, Minnesota in a late-night fight on May 22. Kelly was accused of taking a gun from a homemade holster under a kilt he was wearing and shooting Bodahl on Madison's State Street.

Bodahl was the son of former Minnesota state Rep. Larry Bodahl. He had moved to Madison just weeks before his death.

Kelly's attorney, assistant public defender Dennis Burke, had argued in the trial that Kelly shot Bodahl in self-defense.

But prosecutors argued Kelly did not take reasonable steps to avoid the fight with Bodahl.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From Milwaukee’s WISN.com of October 11, 2007

Victim And Alleged Attacker Come Face-To-Face In E.R.

A Milwaukee pizza delivery driver managed to fight off two would-be robbers, but was surprised when he ran into one of his alleged attackers at the hospital.

Police said a gunman tried to hold up the Pizza Hut driver while he was out on a delivery near 23rd Street and Verona Court just after 7 o'clock Wednesday night.

While the driver was fighting with the suspect, a second man attacked him.

That's when police said the pizza man grabbed the gun and began pistol whipping the first attacker.

The pizza driver went to St. Francis Hospital to get treatment and saw the first suspect sitting in the emergency room.

The victim called police, and the suspect was arrested.

Officers are still looking for the second suspect.

Dellona Township, Michigan

From the Oshkosh Northwestern of September 7, 2007

Bar owner chases down .44 Magnum-toting robber

Herb Ott doesn’t like to be robbed. In fact, he takes it pretty darn personally.

On Thursday around noon, a man in a camouflage mask and clothing and carrying a .44 Magnum handgun and a bag walked into Ott’s bar, Poor Nate’s Tavern, in the township of Dellona about 50 miles northwest of Madison.

The bartender, who declined to give her name, said the robber never pointed the gun at her, but went straight to the money drawer. She began screaming for Ott, who was upstairs doing the bar’s books, as the robber headed out the back door with nearly $5,000 in his bag.

The 68-year-old Ott came charging downstairs and burst out the back door after the robber, shouting at him to stop.

"I told him, ’Give me my frickin’ money back,"’ Ott said.

Ott followed the robber through the countryside behind the bar, careful to keep his distance. The robber ducked from tree to tree, looking back at him from time to time, Ott said.

He ran up a hill toward some rental cottages before Ott found him trying to hide behind a shed.

Ott began to swear at the robber - "I used the Lord’s name in vain. I think he was scared" - and the robber handed the money bag and loaded gun over to him.

"I says, ’Why did you do it?’ He said, ’I’m sorry, but I’m broke,"’ Ott said.

Ott walked the robber back to the bar and made him sit at a table until Sauk County Sheriff’s deputies arrived.

Ott said he recognized the 31-year-old robber once he had the mask off him. He had come into the bar in the past to cash checks, Ott said, which explains how the robber knew where the money was.

The man offered no explanation for the robbery or his decision to surrender, Ott said.

"He just said he was sorry after I found out who he was," Ott said.

Ott has owned Poor Nate’s Place, on State Highway 23 between Reedsburg and Wisconsin Dells, for more than 30 years. He thinks he’s been robbed at least twice before. The police always have recovered his money, he said, but this time he took matters into his own hands.

"I wasn’t going to let him just walk away with a bag of money," Ott said. "Why would a guy just let him walk away?"

Sauk County Chief Deputy Chip Meister said chasing down a man who has a .44 Magnum may not have been the wisest move, but it worked.

"Obviously, it wasn’t the safest action. However, because of his efforts the suspect was apprehended," Meister said.

Ott said he didn’t have a plan when he went out the back door.

"I just wanted to follow him and, I guess, see where he went to and see if he got in a car and get a license number or whatever. I just stayed my distance and yelled at him and finally he gave up. He just handed me the gun and the money and that was it."

Ott said he expected the robber to turn and open fire. But he knew what he would have done:

"I figured if he’s going to shoot, I’m going to duck."

Birnhamwood, Wisconsin

From the Appleton Post Crescent of July 8, 2007

Retired farmer kills wolf

A retired farmer took matters into his own hands Monday when he shot and killed a gray wolf after he lost a newborn calf to a pack of wolves.

George Metropulos, 71, killed the female gray wolf with a .22-caliber rifle after suspected members of her pack dragged away a just-born calf. He said he was planning to scare the wolf but hit her in the eye and killed her instantly.

Since the western Great Lakes gray wolf has been removed from the endangered species list, it is legal to shoot the animals if they are on private property and causing harm to livestock. Monday's incident was the second civilian shooting since the wolf's de-listing, but damage by gray wolves has increased, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

(More)

Chippewa County, Wisconsin

From Eau Claire‘s WQOW.com of March 23, 2007

Business Owner Prevents Bar Break-In

Burglars target a local bar after-hours, but they don't get far. The owner fired a shot and ran them off.

It happened early Thursday morning at Reilly's Crescent Tavern. That's north of Cadott in Chippewa County. Investigators say they believe no one was hit by the round because they found a bullet that matches the bar owner's gun.

The sheriff's office says it's the second time tavern owners have confronted a burglar in the last month. Someone broke into a bar in Eagleton last week.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From TheMilwaukeeChannel.com of January 5, 2007

Police: Delivery Driver Shoots Teen Trying To Rob Him

Teen's Injuries Not Life-Threatening

A Milwaukee pizza delivery man shot a 16-year-old who tried to rob him, according to Milwaukee police.

It happened at 8:30 p.m. Thursday near 22nd and Hadley streets on the city's north side.

The delivery driver worked for Mona Lisa Pizza.

The delivery driver's case has been referred to the district attorney's office, which is standard procedure, but it appears he was protecting himself, 12 News reporter Brenday Conway said.

Police said the 16-year-old armed suspect tried to rob the delivery driver and instead of giving the boy money, the man pulled out a gun and fired.

The boy was shot three times in the stomach, according to police.

The injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Last summer, a Milwaukee pizza delivery driver shot a teenage boy who tried to hold him up. That teenager also lived. The delivery driver was not criminally charged.

Updated 2/1/07