Springfield, Missouri



From Springfield's KY3.com of March 28, 2004:

Shoot out sends two to hospital



Police say situation could have been much worse



Police continue ot investigate a shoot out that put two men in a local hospital--one in critical condition. Police say a fight over a woman Saturday morning in another part of springfield led two men to this home in the 700 block of West Edgewood where they burst inside and started shooting at three other men. Police say several neighbors saw it happen--two men with guns drawn went into this house and started shooting. One of the three men inside the house was also armed.



Sgt. Dave Zuhlke of the Springfield Police Department said, "A third male already in the residence stepped out of the bedroom with a pistol and fired back at the gunmen." That man hit one of the suspects four times in the chest--the other suspect was hit just once. Police say they're considering the man who returned fire a victim.



"Citizens have the right to use whatever force necessary to protect themselves whenever someone is coming at them with a deadly weapon and that was the situation here," said Sgt. Zuhlke. Police say the incident could have been much worse. "We're really lucky we don't have a couple of bodies laying out here maybe as many as four or five bodies," said Zuhlke.