South Carolina: Again, a pizza, a robbery, a gunshot

Lexington, South Carolina

From The State of July 14, 2009

Again, a pizza, a robbery, a gunshot

A Papa John’s pizza delivery man shot and wounded a 17-year-old who called in a pizza order and then robbed him at a vacant house with a fake handgun, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said.

The incident occurred July 5, but deputies delayed announcing it until Monday — a day after the teen was charged with robbery, and eight days after the shooting.

It was the second time in recent months that a pizza delivery man in Lexington County has shot someone trying to rob him.

The other incident was March 7, when a Pizza Hut delivery man shot and killed a 17-year-old assailant who was beating him. Deputies have arrested three other teens in that Irmo-area incident.

But neither pizza delivery man is facing charges, since authorities have ruled both shootings were in self-defense. The two delivery men carried concealed-weapon permits, deputies said.

In the most recent shooting, Sheriff James Metts is withholding the name of the pizza delivery man. He said Monday through a spokesman that deputies feared for the man’s safety — but would not give details of any threats.

The suspect, Raymond Antonio Metze, 17, of 212 Crestridge Drive, Lexington, was booked Sunday at the Lexington County Detention Center on charges of armed robbery and possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He is in jail under $100,000 bond.

A black BB pistol that resembled a semiautomatic handgun was used in the robbery, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.

Metze was at Palmetto Health Richland for more than a week, though details of his treatment were not released. He got out of the hospital Sunday night.

The July 5 shooting occurred in the Red Bank area of Lexington County, about a mile west of White Knoll High School.

According to warrants and reports from deputies, shortly before midnight, the 29-year-old delivery man — from Papa John’s on 3937 Platt Springs Road — brought pizza to 236 Crestridge Drive. The home was vacant.

After the delivery man knocked on the front door, a man came from the side of the house with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash.

The pizza delivery man gave him a little more than $200.

As the pizza delivery man left, the suspect kept pointing his fake pistol at him. Not knowing it was fake and only fired BBs, the pizza man pulled his handgun. It was real, a 9mm semiautomatic.

He fired one shot, wounding the suspect in his chest.

The suspect fled and the pizza delivery man called 911. Acting on a neighbor’s tip, deputies found the suspect within minutes, lying on a porch of a nearby house.

The suspect was airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland.

Metts said the unidentified pizza delivery man was not charged because he acted in self-defense. Deputies and the 11th Circuit solicitor’s office made the determination.

In the March shooting, pizza delivery man Christopher Miller, 43, from an Irmo-area Pizza Hut, voluntarily agreed to have his name released to the public, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The Papa John’s pizza man, a spokesman added, wants confidentiality.

Augusta Pizza Delivery Driver Shoots Robber

Augusta, Georgia

From April 20, 2009 WRDW channel 12:

AUGUSTA, Ga.---An 18-year-old was shot after investigators say he tried to rob a pizza deliveryman at an empty house.

A delivery in Augusta turned into a crime scene Sunday for Papa Johns Driver Tavarius Lewis. When he tried to deliver a pizza to this house on Dent Street Sunday night, investigators say Kevin Martin pulled a BB gun and tried to rob Lewis.

"[Lewis] started backing up, reached in his pocket and pulled out a .40 caliber handgun and shot the suspect," said Sgt. Blaise Dresser, of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

Dresser says Lewis shot in self-defense, not realizing Martin's weapon was only a BB gun.

It's a scary situation for neighbor Oscar Lacey, who lives just across the street and heard the shots.

"With things like this happening it means I have to lock up my house. You don't have the freedom on your own property anymore. You could get hit by a stray bullet," says Lacey.

Investigators believe this was not Martin's first robbery. Less than 24 hours before the shooting on Dent street a similar robbery happened just a few streets over, on Truxton Road. Martin lives just a few houses down from there.

Illinois: Cal City pizza delivery man scares off would-be robbers

Calimut City, Illinois

From The Times of March 30, 2009

Cal City pizza delivery man scares off would-be robbers

Calumet City Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery in the 100 block of Webb Street at 11:24 p.m. on Sunday.

Three men attempted to rob a pizza delivery man at gunpoint, Calumet City Police Commander Dan Zorzi said.

"(The victim) saw these guys approaching and got nervous," he said. "When they came up and pulled a gun, he pretended he had a gun, and they took off."

The suspects fled on foot and the victim drove off in his truck and flagged down Hammond Police at 157th Street and State Line Road, Zorzi said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Calumet City Police Department at (708) 868-2500.

Pizza Delivery Driver Shoots Robbers

Irmo, South Carolina

From March 8, 2009 WSPA channel 7:

Irmo - A suspected robber is dead after officials say a pizza man shot him in during the robbery.

Lexington County Sheriff James Metts says Saturday night, four men ordered pizza to a house on Avery Place Lane with the intent of robbing whomever delivered it. None of the four lived there and officials say the homeowner did not realize his home was being used for a robbery.

Pizza Hut delivery man, 43-year-old Christopher Miller, says he showed up at the home at 10:30 p.m. and 17-year-old Paul Sturgill was standing on the sidewalk waiting for him. Officials say soon after Miller got out of the car, two other men ran at him from the woods.

When Miller started running away, that’s when authorities say Sturgill continually tried beating him in the face. Miller, who has a concealed weapons permit, says he pulled out .45 caliber handgun that he had in his fanny pack and shot Sturgill in his chest.

Sturgill was taken to the hospital where he later died.

The three other suspects ran and officials are still looking for one of the men.

He’s 18-year-old Justin Roundtree. Metts says he’s wanted for robbery and criminal conspiracy. Roundtree is a member of a criminal gang and is 5-foot-5 and weighs 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Also in the March 8, 2009 South Carolina State:

An Irmo pizza delivery man ambushed by a group of young men shot and killed one of his assailants, an Irmo High School senior, late Saturday, causing the others to flee, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said this afternoon.

Alleged robber Paul Andrew Sturgill Jr., 17, of Kenna Drive near Irmo, was pronounced dead of at least one gunshot wound later at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Sheriff James Metts said. An autopsy will be performed Monday.

Relatives and neighbors expressed shock over the death of Sturgill, whom they said had been an honor student and musician. His family said he planned to join the Army, with a goal of becoming an airborne ranger, after graduating from Irmo High School this year.

The family showed photos of a tall, slender, clean-cut young man.

The pizza delivery man, Christopher Steven Miller, 43, had a concealed weapons permit and was trying to retreat from the suspects while being beaten by one attacker, Metts said.

At this point, Metts said, it appears that Miller acted within the law and will not face any charges. However, police have made no final decisions and will discuss the incident with prosecutors, he said.

One of the suspected robbers, Justin Towan Roundtree, 18, of Emery Lane near Irmo, left the scene but turned himself in around 9:15 p.m. tonight, the sheriff's department said. He is charged with robbery and criminal conspiracy. Roundtree is suspected of having a connection to a gang, Metts said. Metts did not have details.

The dead youth, Sturgill, supposedly had a good reputation and people whom detectives are interviewing are surprised that he might have been involved in a robbery, Metts said.

Metts said the incident happened about 10:30 p.m. on Avery Place Lane near Irmo, near Irmo High School off St. Andrews Road. An order had been called in to Pizza Hut on Irmo Drive for two large, thin-crust pizzas with extra cheese for delivery to a house on Avery Lane. However, when Miller showed up with the pizzas, he was met by a young man outside the house to whom he was delivering the pizza, Miller told detectives.

In fact, Metts said, the suspects had called the order in on a cell phone. The people who lived in the house had no knowledge of the pizza request, Metts said.

Florida: Pizza Man Attacked, Shoots At Attempted Robbers

Brevard County, Florida

From WFTV of December 8, 2008

Pizza Man Attacked, Shoots At Attempted Robbers

Titusville Police were searching for a group of robbers who attacked a Dominos Pizza delivery man late Saturday night. The attackers hit Jerry Johnson in the face with a brick, but he scared them off when he pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Johnson said he normally leaves his gun in the car, but when he pulled up to the home on Parkland Street, he knew something was wrong.

"When I pulled up I noticed it was dark. I've been doing this for ten years and this looked fishy so I put my gun in me," he said.

Police dogs searched the area, but didn't find the suspects. A Dominos Pizza manager told Eyewitness News that it's against company policy for employees to carry firearms and doesn't know if Johnson will get in trouble for defending himself.

Texas: Pizza Delivery Man Shoots, Fends Off Would-Be Robbers

Lufkin, Texas

From Fox News of October 23, 2008

Pizza Delivery Man Shoots, Fends Off Would-Be Robbers

A pizza delivery man who was taking an order to a house in East Texas pulled out a gun and opened fire on two would-be robbers, police said.

One of the alleged robbers was hospitalized after getting shot in the back, Lufkin police said. The Papa John's pizza delivery man, who's licensed to carry a handgun, wasn't hurt.

The shooting was Tuesday night, after the delivery man walked up to a house and rang a doorbell, Lufkin police said. It turned out the house was vacant and two armed men approached him from the side of the house, The Lufkin Daily News reported Thursday. The delivery man drew a .22 caliber Derringer and fired two shots, and the assailants ran away, police said.

It appears unlikely the delivery man will face any charges since he "was defending himself at the time of the shooting," Lufkin Police Lt. David Young said.

A call placed to the restaurant and a call to the chain's corporate headquarters in Louisville, Ky., weren't immediately returned Thursday.

Police said Johnx R. Greer, 18, was arrested at a hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the back. He's been charged with aggravated robbery and was being held in the Angelina County Jail on a $100,000 bond. His attorney, John Tunnell, did not return a call Thursday.

Buffalo Pizza Deliveryman Shoots at Armed Robbers

Buffalo, New York

From the October 11, 2008 Buffalo News:

A pizza deliveryman fought off three robbers at gunpoint and shot one of them in the back Thursday night, police say.

The deliveryman, who works for Tomatoes Pizza on Kensington Avenue, walked up to the house in the 400 block of Dartmouth Avenue and was confronted by the three would-be robbers, police said. At least one of the bandits had a gun.

The deliveryman, whose name has not been released, works for the same pizza shop where another deliveryman was fatally wounded during a robbery on New Years Eve 16 years ago.

No charges have been filed in the overnight shooting and attempted robbery, as detectives continue to investigate.

Buffalo police say the deliveryman was not injured.

"He has a permit for the gun, and he apparently used it lawfully to defend himself," Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said at mid-morning.

Police also have not identified the 15-year-old male who was shot once in the back during Thursday night's robbery attempt.

Following the shooting, which occurred at about 9:45 p.m., the three attempted robbers fled to nearby Shirley Avenue, where at least one of them apparently lives. The wounded teen was taken from there to Erie County Medical Center, where police said he's in stable condition.

Alabama: Dothan pizza delivery man fends off robber with gunfire

Dothan, Alabama

From Dothan Eagle of October 6, 2008

Dothan pizza delivery man fends off robber with gunfire

Victor Greenwood said he plans to take a week off work after a man attacked him with a brick as he tried to deliver a pizza.

Greenwood, 32, said although the incident left him traumatized, he managed to escape with only minor injuries. He said he suffered a cut on the shoulder and was left a little sore. Moments after the assault dropped the pizza and hot wings, and opened fire with his pistol.

“As soon as I got back down the stairs, one of them hit me in the head with a brick,” Greenwood said. “A few seconds later, he was charging me. I dropped the food and grabbed my pistol.”

Dothan police Capt. Larry Draughon said Khiry Terrel Beachum, 18, of East Lafayette Street, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the robbery, and was caught shortly afterward by police. Police are still looking for Michael Pope, who they say ran after gunfire erupted. Police said the robbery happened about 10 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of East Crawford Street. Police said Beachum was treated and released from Southeast Alabama Medical Center for an injury to lower right leg.

Both men were charged with first-degree armed robbery.

Greenwood said he’s worked for Hungry Howie’s Pizza for five years and had never been robbed until Sunday night. But he said the two men didn’t get a chance to steal anything.

“It was either me or him,” Greenwood said. “If they’d got me on the ground, it would’ve been over.”

Greenwood said he saw the two men sitting on the steps of what he believed to be a bogus address. After he found no answer at the door, he walked toward his car when he was attacked with the brick.

“I just felt like my life was in danger because I knew there was two of them and they had bricks,” Greenwood said. “I just feel sorry for the kid, but they’re going to have to learn not endanger somebody’s life.”

Alan Hodges, general manager of Hungry Howie’s Pizza, said he had another delivery person robbed earlier this year on Cougar Drive. Hogdes added Crawford Street to a list of streets across the city that the business will not deliver food after 5 p.m. for what Hodges called safety concerns.

“I’m glad he’s all right,” Hodges said, who was a delivery man before he became manager. “He’s a hero to a lot of delivery people. They risk their lives to deliver their food.”

Greenville, N.C. Pizza Delivery Driver Defends Himself

Greenville, North Carolina

From June 17, 2008 WITN channel 7:

A pizza delivery driver fought back at a group of suspects who tried to rob him, pulling out a gun and wounding one of them.

Greenville Police say the incident happened early Monday morning at 1105 A Masters Lane when the Chanellos Pizza driver said three suspects began hitting him as he was delivering the pizzas. Police say the delivery driver then pulled out a gun and began to fire. One of the three robbery suspects was struck. Elvis Deans Junior, a 17 year-old student at South Central High School, is listed in stable but critical condition. He'll be charged with Common Law Robbery and Assault Inflicting Serious Injury.

Police also arrested 18 year-old Thomas James, 18 year-old Sunil Persaud, and 17 year old Kevin Haynie all of Greenville. They are charged with common law robbery. Police also say they charged a 14 year old who they say planned the crime.

The pizza delivery driver was taken to the hospital and was treated and released.

Michigan: Pizza delivery driver shoots teens, police say

Detroit, Michigan

From the Detroit Free Press of March 27, 2008

Pizza delivery driver shoots teens, police say

A pizza delivery driver shot two teens who tried to rob him east of downtown Detroit Thursday night, Detroit Police said.

The teens, 14 and 16, were taken to local hospitals; their conditions were listed as temporary serious, police said.

The delivery driver had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, police said.

The teens had ordered a pizza be delivered to a vacant lot in the 600 block of St. Aubin St. about 9:55 p.m., police said.

Iowa: Pizza Man Shoots Would-Be Robber

Des Moines, Iowa

From WHBF of March 28, 2008

Pizza Man Shoots Would-Be Robber

Police say a pizza delivery man shot an attempted robber in Des Moines.

Officials say they received a call late Thursday from the delivery man, saying another man tried to rob him at gunpoint. Police say the delivery man shot the alleged robber.

Another call came in to authorities reporting a man was shot on the second floor of an apartment building.

Authorities say the man who was shot was in serious condition at a nearby hospital. The delivery man surrendered to police at the scene. The investigation is continuing.

Charlotte, N.C. Pizza Delivery Shoots Robber

Charlotte, North Carolina

From January 9, 2008 Charlotte channel 14:

CHARLOTTE -- A pizza delivery man fought back after an attempted robbery late Tuesday night in east Charlotte.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say the man was delivering pizza around 9 p.m. to an address at the Greenbrier apartments off Sharon Amity Road, near Eastland Mall.

When the customer tried to rob him, police say the delivery man fired shots then reported the incident. The victim was lying on the grass when police and paramedics arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

This marks the fourth homicide in Charlotte through the first eight days of the year.

“Only eight days into the year and already this is our fourth homicide," said CMPD Officer Bob Fey. "It’s troubling and it’s definitely a concern."

Police have not said if the delivery man will face charges. They have not released the name of the person killed at this time.

Domino's Delivers! (Lead To Robber)

St. Louis, Missouri

From the December 28, 2007 St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A Domino’s pizza deliveryman who shot and killed a would-be robber in Pagedale has a valid permit to carry a weapon and appears to have acted in self-defense, according to St. Louis County police.

The driver, who works for the Domino’s franchise nearby in University City, delivered an order at 7 p.m. Thursday to a phony address in the 6500 block of Julian Avenue, where two armed men announced a robbery. The driver pulled his own pistol and fired shots, striking one of the robbers.

Brian Smith, 19, of the 600 block of Ferguson Avenue in Ferguson, was pronounced dead at the scene, said officer Tracy Panus, the department spokeswoman. The other gunman fled. Police arrested a suspect this afternoon and booked him pending application of warrants, she said.

Panus said the driver may have been fired upon, but was not wounded. She said officers found a pistol at the scene that hadn’t been fired.

The driver surrendered his own weapon and showed officers a concealed-carry permit from Florida. Panus said officers verified the permit this afternoon.

Panus said Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch’s office will review the police reports but added, "It doesn’t appear to us that (the driver) did anything wrong."

UPDATE: The January 3, 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the driver quit rather than be fired by Domino's for carrying a gun.

Roswell, New Mexico

From Albuquerque’s KOB.com of October 21, 2007

Pizza delivery man kills assailant

Police will not bring charges against a pizza delivery man who shot and killed a man trying to rob him Friday.

The Roswell Police Department said the delivery man, who has not been named, acted in self-defense.

A witness said the delivery man was approached by several people. She said the group attacked him and tried to take his money.

That is when the delivery man pulled out a gun and began shooting.

One person, described as a male in his 20s, was shot and killed. Two other suspects, whom police are still looking for, fled the scene.

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.

Flint, Michigan

From Flint’s WRJT of May 10, 2007

Delivery man shoots would-be robber

Second man arrested, third man sought

A deadly shooting involving a pizza delivery man and a group of robbers has the delivery man in protective custody and police searching for one of his attackers.

It happened at 10 p.m. Wednesday night at the intersection of Hammerberg Road and Stoney Brook Court on Flint's southwest side.

Police say the driver tried to get out to make a delivery when one of the robbers hit him in the back of the head with a wrench.

The delivery man recovered enough to grab his gun and fired several shots, hitting one of the robbers.

He died near a street sign just feet from the front doors of some shocked neighbors.

Police are still investigating, but here's what we've learned. The pizza delivery man claims self defense and is in protective custody.

It's unclear if he'll face charges because it's simply too early in the investigation.

As for the group of robbers, police are searching for one of them. One was arrested one soon after the attack.

One woman says she doesn't blame the delivery man and wouldn't have been sorry if the other suspects had experienced the same fate.

"I'm sure he's been robbed before. And his life was just as important," said Fran Catalano.

"He was doing a civic duty delivering a pizza to somebody. And let me tell you something: That guy ought to get a medal and he should have shot the other two."

We did speak with the man who runs the Little Caesar's where the driver has worked for at least a year.

He did not speak on camera, but said off camera that his drivers only carry about $25 or $30 at a time, and safety is a top and growing concern for their drivers.

The suspects reportedly demanded money, but the delivery man pulled a handgun and killed one of the robbers, a 24-year-old man.

The case is still under investigation.

From the Flint Journal of May 12, 2007

Pizza deliveryman probably won't be charged in slaying -- prosecutor

It's unlikely that a pizza deliveryman will face criminal charges in the shooting death of an alleged robber this week, said Genesee County Prosecutor David S. Leyton.

Brian Williams, 48, of Flint shot and killed Corneilus D. Gainer, 24, about 10 p.m. Wednesday after Gainer and another man allegedly robbed Williams while he was delivering a pizza on Hammerberg Road near Stoney Brook Court.

When one of the men hit Williams in the head with a wrench, Williams pulled out a gun and started shooting, police said. Williams has a concealed weapons permit and carried the gun for protection.

Wednesday was the second time Williams has shot someone while delivering pizza. He wounded a man in March 2000 after an alleged robbery but the victim declined to file a police report.

Williams was jailed after Wednesday's shooting but released Thursday.

Leyton said reports he has reviewed so far support Williams but said he won't make a final decision on charges until he has all the information.

The other alleged robber, however, will face criminal charges.

Eddie G. Jackson, 20, was charged Friday with armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.

Jackson is being held in the Genesee County Jail.

Decatur, Alabama

From the Decatur Daily of April 26, 2007

Alleged robber who had gun pulled on him now in custody

A robber, who ran after a would-be victim pulled a gun on him, is now in custody, Decatur police said Wednesday.

With a towel wrapped around his hand to give the impression he was armed, Nicholas Bernard Lawson, 23, of 623 Central Parkway, Apt. No. 6, took cash and a pizza off a Domino's employee outside his apartment building on Jan. 11, police said.

The robbery took place amid the rash of armed robberies of pizza deliverymen earlier this year that prompted that particular driver, 52-year-old Rolando Zargosa, to arm himself while working his part-time job.

Zargosa told the masked robber that his wallet was in the car and went to get it, but instead reached into his pocket and pulled out his pistol.

The robber fled into a breezeway between the apartments, spilling the pizza, when he saw the gun.

Sgt. Chris Jones said police developed Lawson as a suspect and arrested him Tuesday on a charge of first-degree robbery. He will be taken to Morgan County Jail and held in lieu of $25,000 bond.

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

Atlanta, Georgia

From Atlanta’s WSBtv.com of November 27, 2006

Police: Pizza Deliveryman Shoots, Kills Robber

Police are investigating a shooting in southwest Atlanta that left a 14-year old dead.

A pizza deliveryman shot and killed the teen Sunday night during an attempted robbery, according to investigators.

The deliveryman told officers a group of teens confronted him at the Huntington Pointe apartments at 2909 Campbellton Road.

He claims he gave up his cash to the robbers, but pulled a gun and opened fire when one of the teens made a threatening motion.

The teen died at the scene.

Police are searching for the other teens who tried to hold up the delivery driver.

There's no word yet on whether the deliveryman will be charged.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution of November 27, 2006

Pizza deliverer, friends of teen suspect try to cope with killing

Around noon Monday, about 15 teenagers, calling themselves the Young Paper Chasers, stood beneath a tree and tried to wash away what was left of their friend Kenyatta Calhoun.

About two miles away at Super Crown Pizza on DeLowe Drive in southwest Atlanta, Zihaid Mahmood did not come to work. Mahmood, a pizza delivery driver, shot Kenyatta to death during an alleged robbery Sunday night, police say.

"I am not going to work today," Mahmood said in a telephone interview. "I am so sorry about what happened. But I was protecting myself."

On the spot where the 14-year-old died, the Young Paper Chasers poured liquor and soda on the ground to flush away the red stains.

"We couldn't look at the blood anymore," 17-year-old Bay Bay Green said. "Today, we are just sitting around, drinking. Thinking about Big Boi."

The remainder of the article appears here, and it attempts to turn felons into “victims”. Clayton reproduces much of the article here, and comments about the article and the incident.

Charlotte, North Carolina

From Charlotte’s WSOCtv,com of November 20, 2006

Delivery Driver's Shots Went Into Suspected Robber And Family's East Charlotte Home

What was supposed to be a simple pizza delivery left bullet holes in the east Charlotte home of mother Monique Thompson.

The holes were patched over early Monday, but that doesn't erase the memory of what happened Saturday night, when a Papa John's delivery man shot a teen he said was trying to rob him outside Thompson's home at an apartment complex on Lanecrest Drive.

"He was doing wild shooting; he needed to shoot who he was going to shoot," Thompson said.

According to police, William Keaton pulled into the parking lot looking for the address he was given and was ambushed by robbers. They said the whole thing was a setup.

Keaton, who does not have a concealed weapons permit, said he was just protecting himself.

Teddy Price of Teddy's Pizza also knows the danger of delivering pizza. He was robbed at gunpoint just a few weeks ago.

"Safety is a huge issue. Every time you walk out the door with one delivery or four deliveries," he said.

Despite that danger, Price says carrying a gun carries too much risk. He won't let his drivers work with weapons. That said, he believes there's justice in what happened Saturday.

But for Thompson, one man's attempt to protect his own life risked hers and her baby's.

"I know they have to protect themselves, but at the same time you have got to be careful around the people that are innocent," she said.

Papa John's representatives said the company is cooperating with police. A spokesperson said company policy prevents drivers from carrying any sort of weapons.

As for Keaton, the company said it has not made a decision on his future.

The teen Keaton shot is expected to recover.