Las Vegas, Nevada

From October 3, 2005 KVBC channel 3:

Last night, police say three men held up Lee's Discount Liquor store on Rainbow and Oakey, when an unknowing customer walked in.

Witnesses say the men pulled out guns. A customer, Thomas Curtis was also armed. He said he was shot at first, then fired back. Police later stopped a vehicle witnesses say left the property. They don't know if the people inside were part of the robbery. Investigators do not have anyone in custody at this time.

Live Oak, California

From the Gridley Herald of October 5, 2005

SHOOTING IN LIVE OAK

On Sunday at approximately 2:30 p.m. the Butte County Sheriff's Department received a transfer call from Sutter County Sheriff's Department of a gunshot victim on Township Rd. in the Gridley area.

Sutter County deputies secured the scene until Butte County deputies arrived to take over the investigation.

It was reported that the gunshot victim was the suspect in an attempted theft of a car carrier trailer which was located in the 400 block of Township Rd.

Butte County Deputy Brett Marsters contacted the victim of the attempted trailer theft and was informed that the suspect and another male attempted to remove a car trailer from the victim's property.

According to the police report, the victim attempted to stop the suspects as they fled from the property, with the victim and a friend chasing them.

It was reported that the victim then went back to his house, retrieved a shotgun and his quad runner and attempted to locate the suspect who was on foot.

The victim located the suspect and tried to stop him from leaving the area.

The victim allegedly fired a warning shot into the air and the suspect who was identified as, 20-year-old Steve Osment, fled again.

The victim allegedly fired again toward the ground and it was reported the suspect still did not stop.

The suspect attempted to stop a passing vehicle, telling the two women occupants that someone was trying to kill him.

The women stayed at the scene and called 911.

Osment was transported to Enloe Medical Center for treatment of his wounds from the bird shot.

He was later interviewed by deputies and arrested for attempted vehicle theft and prowling. Bail was set at $10,000.

The Butte County Sheriff's department is continuing the investigation to try to identify the other involved suspect which fled the scene.

Las Vegas, Nevada

From Henderson’s KVVUtv.com of October 4, 2005

Suspect Dies, Victim Injured After Attempted Robbery

One man is dead and another hospitalized after an attempted robbery ends in gunfire.

Police say an 82-year-old man was washing his car near E. Sahara and Bruce around 10 p.m. last night when two men approached him with weapons and demanded money. The elderly man told the suspects that he had left his money at home.

According to police, one of the suspects got into the back seat of the victim's car, demanding to be taken to the victim's home. The victim had a pistol hidden inside of his car, and he shot the suspect. The suspect in turn fired at the victim, striking him in the chest.

The victim was transported to the hospital where he is in serious condition.

The suspect died from his gunshot wounds.

An accomplice to the robbery was later apprehended and has been booked into the Clark County Detention Center, charged with the Robbery, Kidnap, and Attempted Murder of the 82-year old victim.

Since the death of his accomplice occurred during the commission of these crimes, he has also been charged with Murder.

Police say the elderly man acted in self defense.

Bowie, Maryland

From Maryland’s Gazette.net of October 3, 2005

Father shot in Bowie, police say likely self-defense

A man with history of domestic violence was killed in Bowie Oct. 2 when his son returned fire after he shot at the son and his daughter-in-law.

The son and daughter-in-law were admitted to Med Star hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The man, Michael Snoots Sr., was pronounced dead at the scene.

At 10:39 p.m., police believe the man, who traveled from Tennessee, entered his son’s house, on the 8000 block of Chestnut Avenue by breaking out a rear window glass door.

A witness said he saw Snoots walking up the stairs in the house with a shotgun, according to police reports.

Then Snoots fired a gun in the bedroom where his son and daughter-in-law were located.

The witness told Snoots, ‘‘Don’t do this” and Snoots pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the witness and said ‘‘do you want to get shot?”

The witness said he believes it was at this point that Michael Snoots Jr. fired a gun of his own and struck his father.

The father has a history of domestic violence said, Lt. John Hipps of District 2 Police Station.

At first, police were worried that his wife was already killed in Tennessee. Hipps said that she has since been reported to be in West Virginia.

The case is being investigated by the county’s homicide unit. Lt. Hipps said that the case will probably be categorized as self-defense.

‘‘I personally don’t think they will be charged,” Hipps said.

Santa Cruz, California

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel of October 1, 2005

Gun fired during confrontation

A shot was fired Friday and four people arrested at gunpoint in Rio del Mar after a group tried to steal medical marijuana from a Live Oak home, sheriff’s Sgt. Mario Sulay said.

The confrontation and a shotgun blast by the male victim at the Live Oak house occurred about 3:50 p.m.

The would-be robbers fled in a black Jeep Cherokee.

The Cherokee led officers on a short chase on southbound Highway 1.

The fleeing vehicle collided with another car on the Rio del Mar offramp and stopped in Deer Park Shopping Center, sheriff’s Lt. Steve Hartness said.

A man, a woman and a teenage boy were ar-rested on suspicion of attempted grand theft and conspiracy.

The Live Oak victim cultivates medical marijuana in compliance with county regulations, Sulay said.

He had been the victim of a home-invasion robbery on Sept. 12 during which he was assaulted.

Henrico, Virginia

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch of October 1, 2005

Henrico murder case dismissed

Judge rules defendant acted in self-defense during Aug. shooting

A charge of murder against Donald Arman Terrien, who shot and killed Richard Jason Gooding on Aug. 14, was thrown out of court Thursday when the judge ruled Terrien acted in self-defense.

Gooding, 31, was the ex-boyfriend of Terrien's girlfriend, Bess McAteer, 24.

McAteer testified in Henrico County General District Court Thursday that she started to leave Terrien's house about 9 p.m. that Sunday evening. She had walked to her car parked in the street when Gooding drove up and confronted her, yelling.

She said Gooding complained about hearing Terrien, 34, in the background laughing "at me and my feelings" over the phone when Gooding had called her. Henrico police Investigator Joe Schihl played recorded phone messages Gooding had left for McAteer in which he angrily complained about Terrien laughing.

McAteer -- the only eyewitness to the shooting except Terrien -- said Terrien came out the front door with his pistol in hand, held at his side, and called out to her, asking what was going on. He stepped down to the bottom of the steps from the small porch.

She said she remembers Gooding saying: "A gun? You've got to be kidding me," and that he would "kick his ass," referring to Terrien.

She said she called to Terrien to go back inside and call 911. She said Gooding ran to the house's front steps and attacked Terrien, who had turned to go inside, from behind.

The exact sequence of events was not clear from testimony, but during the struggle with Gooding, Terrien fired two shots from his Sig Sauer 9 mm handgun. The first was into the air, holding the gun at arm's length, McAteer said.

The second shot was the one that killed Gooding. It was fired "dead center in his chest" and medical evidence showed it was not a contact shot with the muzzle held against the body, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Michael V. Gerrard argued in court.

Another witness, a friend who accompanied Gooding to Terrien's house, said he heard two shots with a few seconds of time between them. But the witness had stayed with Gooding's vehicle and was not in a position to see what happened.

Gerrard said Terrien acted hastily and used too much force for what happened to be legal self-defense. "You have to be in fear of death or serious bodily injury serious bodily injury," Gerrard said.

Defense attorney William T. Linka argued that the shooting was self defense. McAteer was fearful of Gooding and asked Terrien to call for police help, he said. When Terrien tried to do so, he was attacked from behind and had to physically defend himself at his own front door. He was concerned for McAteer's safety and his own.

Judge James S. Yoffy agreed with Linka.

"I think this is strictly a self-defense case," Yoffy said. He said Terrien "almost retreats" and then is attacked, fires a warning shot and is pummeled by his attacker. "Mr. Terrien had a right to defend himself. I'm going to dismiss it."

After court, Linka said Terrien "is very upset" since the shooting. "He feels awful that it happened."

Gerrard said the commonwealth's attorney's office could next take its evidence to the grand jury and seek an indictment against Terrien.

"We're going to take a second look and review the situation," Gerrard said.

Corpus Christi, Texas

From Corpus Christi‘s KRIStv.com of September 30, 2005

Homeowner shoots burglary suspect

A homeowner, who was stabbed during an early morning burglary, shoots the suspect.

"He came at me again, and I shot him...I shot him three times," said Danny Dunn. The attempted burglary and shooting happened in the 2200 block of Gershwin Lane, just before 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning. 6 News talked to the injured homeowner, who said he wasn't going down without a fight.

Dunn said he was on his way to work and walked out into his garage area, when he saw the burglar going through some of his belongings. He said he shouted out and asked him what he was doing and that's when the burglar attacked.

"He came at me with a knife, he cut me on the hand, and on the face, I took 49 stitches total," Dunn said. Danny said the burglar then tried to get out the same way he came in by crawling underneath his garage door, which was cracked open but couldn't get out. Scared, Danny ran inside his home and grabbed his 22 caliber rifle and came back.

"He had pushed the garage door opener and it went down, trapping him, he come at me again, and I shot him...I shot him three times," Dunn said. He said he left behind this trail of blood before falling to the ground just outside the garage.

"He flopped around out here for a while, and he wouldn't stay down, like I told him, I told him I was going to kill him, and I should have." Danny said the burglar was able to make a getaway by opening the garage door, but it wasn't a clean one, the suspect apparently left his prints behind.

Police said it didn't take long for them to catch up with suspect, 22-year-old Daniel Holcomb was arrested at the hospital where were told he was being treated for gun shot wounds to his arm, leg and pelvis.

"This is one home owner that you ain't going to mess with; I'll take the next one down too."