Merrimack, New Hampshire

From Burlington, Vermont’s WCAX.com of December 10, 2005

Brookline man charged after failed robbery attempt

A Brookline man has been charged after a failed robbery attempt in Merrimack (New Hampshire).

Police say Marc Dixon tried to rob Ladd's Convenience Store on Monday. They say the store clerk picked up the gun Dixon had laid down on the counter and hit him in the face with it.

The store clerk, Dianne Duval, says she reacted without thinking. Police say Dixon dropped the cash register and fled in a silver Oldsmobile. Milford police spotted the vehicle on Thursday and made the arrest.

Dixon has been ordered held on 50 thousand dollars cash bail. He's scheduled to appear in court on December 20th.

Whatever works.

Clearlake, California

From the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat of December 10, 2005

1 suspect in fatal robbery may have had shotgun

At least one of three Bay Area men involved in an alleged home invasion that left two of them dead in Clearlake on Wednesday was armed with a shotgun, according to charges filed against the surviving suspect Friday.

Two of the men were shot and killed by the homeowner, Shannon Edmonds, during what police described as a thwarted home invasion robbery. Authorities said the incident was drug-related.

An undisclosed amount of marijuana and a medical marijuana card were located at the residence, police said.

The third robbery suspect was arraigned Friday in Lake County Superior Court on murder, attempted murder and burglary charges.

The three men allegedly broke into the 11th Street home Edmonds shares with his daughter, his girlfriend and her two sons at 4:25 a.m. Wednesday.

It appears they attacked Edmonds and the woman in their bedroom, then beat the woman's 17-year-old son, Dale, with a metal baseball bat when he came to their rescue, said Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jon Hopkins.

"I think he was trying to help his mother and Shannon. Someone hit him in the head with a baseball bat," he said.

Hopkins said he does not know which of the men dealt the blow, which seriously injured the boy.

The condition of the teen, who remains at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, was not available.

Police believe the suspects obtained the bat from the residence, Hopkins said.

During the assault, Edmonds grabbed the 9 mm handgun believed to have been used to kill two of the intruders, Hopkins said.

It has not yet been determined whether Edmonds shot the men while they were inside the house, outside the house or both, a factor that will help determine whether Edmonds will be prosecuted, he said.

The gunshot victims fell about 30 feet from the house.

Edmonds dropped the gun in the street near one of the bodies when police arrived, Hopkins said.

Hopkins would not say how many times the men were shot, pending the investigation's conclusion.

The two dead are Rashad M. Williams, 21, of Pittsburg and Clearlake and Christian D. Foster, 22, of San Francisco.

Their alleged accomplice, Renato Hughes Jr., 21, of San Francisco, was arraigned Friday on two charges of murder, attempted murder with a baseball bat, inflicting great bodily injury, home invasion robbery in concert, assault with a firearm, burglary with the use of a firearm and special allegations involving multiple deaths occurring during a robbery.

Hughes had not yet obtained a lawyer so did not enter a plea Friday, Hopkins said.

From the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat of January 28, 2006

Clearlake shooter: Robbery revenge

The day before he shot and killed two home invasion robbers, Clearlake resident Shannon Edmonds reportedly had a heated confrontation in which one antagonist threatened to bomb his house and another kicked his shin.

Police say there's no connection between that confrontation and the next morning's deadly robbery, which authorities believe was an attempt to steal marijuana.

But Edmonds believes there is, and his contention has become part of a defense attorney's argument that the surviving robbery suspect should be set free.

During a preliminary hearing for robbery suspect Renato Hughes Jr., defense attorney Steve Carter raised the possibility that someone other than his client participated in the robbery attempt early on the morning of Dec. 7.

"That path doesn't seem to have been pursued" by police, Carter said.

The preliminary hearing continues Tuesday, at which time Edmonds may be called to testify.

Hughes, 21, was arrested several hours after the home invasion that left his two alleged accomplices dead and a 17-year-old boy living in the home, Dale Lafferty, in a coma.

Carter contends there's inadequate proof that Hughes participated in the crime and says that, if there was a third robber, it was someone else.

Edmonds implicated others in the crime immediately after the early-morning robbery and shooting.

As he stood in the street in front of his home, a 9 mm pistol at his feet, Edmonds pointed out to police the bodies of the two men he'd shot multiple times as they fled.

(Much more detail)

Marysville, Washington

From December 7, 2005 KESQ channel 3:

MARYSVILLE, Wash. A Northern California man is dead after authorities in Marysville, Washington say he was shot during a burglary attempt of a home.

Eric Michael Davidson of Fort Jones died Saturday in a Washington hospital after being shot in the head.

...

Police were called to the home around 4:00 Saturday morning by residents who said Davidson was trying to break into the house apparently to get money he believed his former employer owed him.

UPDATE: Eric Davidson's mother tells me that the news account left out some very important details that make her son into the victim, not the criminal, and has encouraged me to contact the police detective handling the case. I will do so.

Riverside, California

From the December 7, 2005 Riverside Press-Enterprise:

RIVERSIDE - A 36-year-old liquor-store clerk who police said shot two armed robbers Monday night, killing one, does not believe he is a hero.

One customer after another congratulated the man as they purchased lottery tickets and beverages Tuesday at Alessandro Liquor, in the 1000 block of Alessandro Boulevard.

The man, a Syrian immigrant who asked that his name not be used out of fear of retribution, said he simply did what was necessary to save his life and the life of his 22-year-old girlfriend.

"I feel so bad that guy got killed," said the clerk, who was not injured. "I didn't mean to do this. He pushed me to it. I feel sorry for him and for his family. I didn't go to him; he came to me with his gun. Whatever I did, I did to protect my life."

Marshawn Burns, a 29-year- old Moreno Valley man, has been identified by authorities as the deceased man. Three women outside of Burns' south Moreno Valley home declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

The other suspect, whose name has not been released, was critically wounded, said Sgt. John Capen of the Riverside Police Department.

The injured man escaped in a waiting Suburban. A man with similar wounds turned up later at Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley claiming to have been shot in a park, Capen said. A nurse reported the man to police. Investigators are also seeking the driver.

...

The clerk has lived in the United States since 1996 and in the Riverside area for the last two years. With tears welling in his eyes, the man vividly described the robbery attempt and shooting Tuesday afternoon.

The man said he and his girlfriend were alone inside the store about 9:45 p.m. when two armed men burst through the door. One of the men immediately pointed a gun at the clerk's head, threw him to the floor and demanded money.

The other gunman grabbed the woman as she ran for an office to try to set off an alarm. The second man told her to open the cash register after he bound the woman's hands with duct tape, the clerk said.

After taking the cash, one of the robbers demanded more money and the clerk said there was none.

One of the robbers told the clerk, who was lying face-down on the floor, to open his mouth, he said. The clerk, who had been on his stomach, managed to turn around and was lying on his back when he grabbed the robber's gun and pushed it away from his face. At that point, he said, the clerk reached back for a gun he kept at his waistband.

"I told him, 'You don't need to do this. Just take the money and run,' " the clerk said. "I thought, 'If he takes my gun, he's going to shoot me for sure.' I thought I was going to be dead."

The clerk pulled his gun and shot the first robber in the throat, he said. The robber staggered backward, fell down and pointed his gun at the clerk, who then shot a second time.

The clerk saw the second robber point his gun at him, so he shot him, he said. As the second robber began running, he pointed his weapon at the clerk again, so the clerk shot him a second time, he said. The second man then ran out the door.

The cashier said he was armed because the store had been robbed three weeks earlier.

"I didn't want to do this," the clerk said. "I need to live safe, take care of my business and take care of my family. It's a bad thing. It's bad. It's very bad. I don't like what happened. I'd like it if the guy was still alive."

Investigators believe the same suspects may be responsible for several other armed robberies in the Riverside area, Capen said.

Authorities, who must decide whether the killing was justified, are investigating the shooting.

To be ruled a justifiable homicide, the district attorney's office must determine if a reasonable person would have taken the same action in a similar situation, according to district attorney's spokeswoman Ingrid Wyatt.

Capen said he believed the clerk legitimately feared for his life.

"He's distraught," Capen said. "He didn't want to kill anybody. He honestly believed that he was going to be killed."

Hazard, Kentucky

From December 6, 2005 WKYT channel 27:

One person is dead after a shooting Tuesday night in Perry County.

Officials said Robert Shepherd was pronounced dead at the Hazard ARH.

Police were called to a home on Moore Street in Hazard around 8 p.m. where they found Shepherd shot in the chest.

The shooting happened in Shepherds' parents house. Shepherd lived next door.

Police said he was shot by his stepfather, Herman Trent, after what appears to be a domestic dispute.

"Preliminary investigation as of right now appears to be possibly a case of self-defense, but again, we are still investigating," said Hazard Police Chief Ronnie Bryant.

No charges have been filed against Trent.

Byron Township, Michigan

From December 6, 2005 Grand Rapids Press:

BYRON TOWNSHIP -- Two men remained hospitalized after both were shot in the face, apparently during an attempted burglary of a business.

The two were shot around 11:30 p.m. Saturday at 8027 S. Division Ave., an industrial building that houses an excavating and trucking company. Kent County sheriff's deputies were called to that address on a report of a burglary. By the time they arrived, the two men had been shot.

One of the suspects, a 24-year-old Grand Rapids man, was being held at gunpoint, Sgt. Roger Parent said, and the other had fled.

Minutes later, the second suspect, a 32-year-old Kentwood man, was found hiding behind a BP gas station on 84th Street and U.S. 131. Both were wounded in the face by shotgun blasts.

Authorities declined to say who fired the shots or release details of the shooting. Parent said he does not expect the shooter to be charged with a crime.

UPDATE: January 10, 2006 WOOD channel 8:

Charges will not be filed against a Byron Township business owner who shot two men suspected of stealing from him.

Kenneth Richards and Adam Beall were shot in the face in early December when deputies say they tried to steal from a vehicle at the business in the 8000 block of South Division Avenue.

The prosecutor has ruled the shooter was acting in self-defense. But, the business owner could still be in some trouble as he was on probation and should not have had a gun.

From Grand Rapids’ WOODtv.com of January 10, 2006

Business owner not charged for shooting at thieves

Charges will not be filed against a Byron Township business owner who shot two men suspected of stealing from him.

Kenneth Richards and Adam Beall were shot in the face in early December when deputies say they tried to steal from a vehicle at the business in the 8000 block of South Division Avenue.

The prosecutor has ruled the shooter was acting in self-defense. But, the business owner could still be in some trouble as he was on probation and should not have had a gun.

Beaumont, Texas

From December 6, 2005 KBTV channel 4:

A Beaumont man is in critical condition after his wife shot him in the back Monday night, BPD tells Hometown News.

According to authorities 26 year old Olin James Washington phoned his wife threatned to kill her and her children.

The shooting happened in the 200 block of Joseph Street in Beaumont’s south end around 10:30 Monday night.

The wife who says she`s obtained numerous Orders of Protection from her estranged husband told investigators she shot her husband after he forced his way in the back door of her home.

Police said the woman had a restraining order against her husband and he was in direct violation of that order when he came to the house.