Friday, April 30, 2004

Nashville, Tennessee



From the Nashville Tennessean of April 30, 2004:



Three charged in robbery at house



Metro police yesterday arrested three people in connection with a home invasion Wednesday in east Nashville.



Police identified them as Angel Annette Raymer, 31, of Eagan Circle; Thurman Dillon, 23, of Dupont Avenue; and Jason Bruce Lynn, 22, of Kirkland Avenue. They are charged with aggravated robbery.



Police said the three suspects kicked in the door of Richard Frazier's home at 1703 Porter Road at 6 p.m. and demanded his money. Investigators said Raymer, an acquaintance of Frazier, had visited him just before the robbery.



Police gave this account of what happened next: Soon after the visit, two men kicked in the door, fought with Frazier, 51, and took his wallet and other items. During the robbery, Frazier broke free, got a pistol that he keeps in the home, and exchanged shots with the suspects. No one was hit.



Two officers spotted the getaway vehicle yesterday outside a home on Maplewood Lane. The officers and robbery detectives waited for the three suspects to come out and arrested them without incident.



Thursday, April 29, 2004

Phoenix, Arizona



From the Arizona Republic of April 29, 2004:



Homeowner shoots, kills intruder, 38



A 63-year-old homeowner fatally shot one of two brothers who were trying to break into his south Phoenix home, police said.



The man, whose name was not released, heard a living- room window shatter and saw an arm come through the glass Tuesday afternoon at his home in the 1600 block of West Donner Drive, said Sgt. Randy Force, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.



"He's fearful, he knows there have been a lot of burglaries in the area," Force said.



The man grabbed a handgun and fired at the two men, hitting Ronald Freese, 38.



Police said Freese's brother Rudy, 40, ran to his nearby home to get relatives so they could check on Ronald.



Ronald Freese was declared dead at Maricopa County Medical Center.



Meanwhile, Rudy, who wasn't injured, returned to the shooting site while police were still on the scene.



Officers arrested him, and he is being held in connection with the attempted burglary.



Rudy could face first- degree murder charges if prosecutors allege he was involved in a crime that resulted in a death.



The homeowner wasn't available for comment.



Force said the home is in a new development, and the homeowner had only recently moved in.



"He and his wife were already considering moving," Force said.



St. Paul, Minnesota



From the Twin Cities Pioneer Press of April 29, 2004:



OF THE PEOPLE: Gun law turns 1 year old



David Haagensen drives to work with his gun on the seat next to him, and he says it came in handy one night a few weeks ago.



Haagensen, attending one of two competing events Wednesday that commemorated the passage of the state's new gun law, said he foiled an attempted carjacking as he was on his way to work the late shift at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.



"I pointed it at his head, because he was trying to open my locked door, and he was pointing a gun at me,'' he said. "He ran away. I drove to work and called the cops.''

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Bossier City, Louisiana



From Shreveport's KTBS.com of April 27, 2004:



Homeowner shoots burglar



A Bossier City homeowner shot an intruder early today after he came home and found the man burglarizing his house, police said.



Police said they would not arrest the homeowner.



The shooting happened just after 3 a.m. at a house on Lillian Street near Isle of Capri Casino. Police said the homeowner caught a man rummaging through his belongings, got a handgun and fired a shot, hitting the intruder in the lower part of the leg.



Police said the burglar ran off but an officer followed a trail of blood and found him in the back yard of a house on nearby Robert E. Lee Place.



Ronald Reeder, 44, of Bossier City was taken to LSU Hospital for treatment. Police said he had lost a lot of blood but is expected to recover.



Reeder will be booked for aggravated burglary when he's released from the hospital, police said. Aggravated burglary charges will be filed because Reeder stole a gun from the house, police said.
Detroit, Michigan



From the Detroit Free Press of April 27, 2004:



Apparent break-in at church ends in death



A man who police said was trying to break into a church Monday morning was fatally shot by someone inside, Detroit police said.



Church leaders at the Bible Believing Baptist Church in Detroit told police that there had been at least eight break-ins since they moved to the 16000 block of 8 Mile on the city's west side eight months ago. In response, they had placed people in the store-front church to guard it.



Around 4 a.m., someone called a deacon and said, "You don't have to worry anymore about the person who is breaking into the church," Officer Derek Jones said. When officers arrived, they found Rodney Rowe, 41, of the 19000 block of Forrer partially inside the church.



He had been shot at least once in the head, said Sgt. Kenneth Gardner of the department's homicide unit.



He was pronounced dead at the scene.



Investigators are trying to determine who the shooter is, Gardner said.

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Swanton Township, Ohio



From the Toledo Blade of April 25, 2004:



Widow had good reason to apply for gun permit



Mary Lou Krause, a 73-year-old widow who lives in Swanton Township, is among recent graduates of firearms training and has applied to the Lucas County Sheriff's Office for a concealed-carry permit.



She has good reason. She was involved in a shooting during a break-in at her home in 1998, in which she shot and wounded an armed intruder and was herself shot in return.



"It's primarily for protection - for some freedom from fear. So I can go out to shopping malls, movies, dinner. So I do not have to worry about being mugged or hijacked."



Mrs. Krause, a retired cook from the Maumee Youth Center, briefly recalled the burglary-shooting, in which she was grazed in the hip.



Her late husband, Jerry, had gone to the back door and had stepped outside to address a stranger who had come knocking. She went for a handgun. "We had a plan - just like it says in the [current training] book," she said.



Their cautious preparation proved prudent.



An accomplice of the stranger jumped Mr. Krause, and they dragged him inside. Mrs. Krause peeked around the corner of a cinder-block interior wall. "All I could see was a forearm and a gun. I stepped out and fired immediately."



The thug, wounded in the shoulder, returned fire, slightly injuring Mrs. Krause. He ran outside, firing. His partner had disappeared. Authorities caught up with the gunman later at the hospital and arrested him. Eventually, "they got them both," Mrs. Krause recalled.



Sheriff James Telb said at the time the shooting was justified.

Towanda, New York

From the Elmira Star-Gazette of April 24, 2004

Chemung man killed after apartment break-in

A Chemung man was shot to death Friday morning after breaking into another man's home in Towanda -- the fourth shooting death in the county in a month and the second in two days.

Arthur Croteau, 50, whose estranged wife was at the shooting scene, broke into Tim Philmeck's apartment at 112 Bridge St. in Towanda by forcing open a kitchen window, state police said.

When he realized that the window was being opened, Philmeck, 57, retrieved a .357-caliber Magnum from an end table, according to a police report.

Police said that as Croteau approached Philmeck, Philmeck shot him about three times in the hand, chest and neck. It was unknown whether Croteau brandished a weapon.

Croteau collapsed on a bed in the apartment, police said.

Philmeck then called 911 and waited for police and emergency medical services to come to the apartment.

No charges have been filed in the case.
From Pennsylvania’s Sayre Morning Times of April 20, 2006
No charges to be filed in shooting death of Chemung man

No charges will be filed against a former employee of the Bradford County Assistance Office who shot a 50-year old Chemung, N.Y., resident in April of 2004, according to a report published Wednesday by the Rocket Courier newspaper in Wyalusing on its Web site.

Arthur Croteau of Chemung was shot and killed April 23, 2004 after allegedly crawling through the window of an apartment being rented by Timothy Philmeck, the one time Executive Director of the Bradford County Assistance Office.

Police initially reported that Philmeck had shot Croteau with a .357 magnum as Croteau crawled through the window.

Inside Philmeck's house, according to police reports, was Croteau's estranged wife, Victoria “Vicki” Sindoni.

Police said Philmeck told them he heard the window being opened, picked up a .357 magnum revolver from an end table and fired the weapon three times as Croteau approached him. Croteau was struck in the hand, the chest area, and the neck.

After the shooting, Philmeck reportedly called 911, and waited for the police and emergency personnel to arrive on scene.

A letter has been sent to the parties involved in the incident advising them that Philmeck will not be prosecuted for criminal homicide, manslaughter or even reckless endangerment, according to the Rocket Courier report.

Bradford County District Attorney Stephen Downs told a Rocket reporter that the basis for the lack of charges is “unlawful intrusion” on the part of Croteau, but did not elaborate further.

Attempts by the Morning Times to reach Downs and Waverly Attorney Todd Miller, who is representing the Croteau family, were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Miller declined to offer a formal statement to the Rocket Courier until he speaks to family members, but he was quoted as saying, “I guess that means you can get away with murder in Bradford County.”

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Fort Worth, Texas



From Dallas' nbc5i.com of April 20, 2004:



Resident Who Shoots Suspected Burglar Will Not Be Charged



No charges are expected after a Fort Worth resident shot a man breaking into his home.



The homeowner reportedly woke up and heard someone breaking into his home on Balliol Lane around 1 a.m. Tuesday. He then shot the burglar in the leg, police said.



Police showed up and arrested the burglar and another man waiting in the car.



The suspect's injuries are not serious.
Walnut Grove, Georgia



From the Atlanta's WXIA11.com of April 20, 2004:



Man Kills Nephew in Self Defense



An 18-year-old man died at the hands of his uncle early Tuesday after he tried to run his uncle down with a pickup truck. No charges were planned in what authorities described as a justified killing.



"All the indications of the investigation right now (is) it appears that he shot him in self defense. It appears that the 18-year-old was trying to run over his uncle. He had already held him at gunpoint and took the keys to the truck away from his uncle," said Walton County Sheriff Al Yarbrough.



Deputies first received a call between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. about a possible suicide threat on County Farm Road. When they arrived, they found the teen had been shot dead while behind the wheel of his uncle's pickup.



The deceased, Jeremy Woods, first showed up at his mother's home in Stone Mountain Monday night after skipping a required nightly visit to jail.



"He was part of a Rockdale County work release. He did not turn himself in last night at the work release center," Sheriff Yarbrough said on 11Alive News at Noon.



Woods had been jailed on charges involving drugs, reckless driving, no proof of insurance, possession of a weapon by a minor, and giving police a false name.



Woods and his mother got into an argument when she tried to convince him to report to the jail. Woods then showed up at his father's house in Walnut Grove Tuesday morning. He broke into the house, smashed open gun cases, and stole a shotgun. Relatives told authorities that the teen then threatened to kill his family members. He held the shotgun on his uncle, who had arrived from a nearby home to help, before stealing his uncle's truck.



The uncle opened fire with a handgun when Woods tried to run him down with the truck.
Jackson, Mississippi



From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of April 20, 2004:



Police search for wounded suspect

Jackson man shoots intruder on property



Jackson police are searching for a burglary suspect who was shot in the arm early Monday by a property owner.



Hector Johnson, 56, owner of the unoccupied house at 149 Livingston Road, found the unidentified man sleeping in the doorway of his property, said Jackson Police Department spokesman Robert Graham.



Johnson told the man to freeze because he was calling the police, but the man got up and began moving toward a flower pot on the front porch, Graham said. Johnson fired his handgun once, striking the man in the arm, Graham said.



"The homeowner didn't know if he had a weapon in the pot or not," Graham said.



The injured suspect then fled the scene, Graham said.



In addition to breaking a side window to gain entry into the home, Graham said the suspect is believed to have stolen a small freezer. He said it appears he left and came back before creating a makeshift bed near the door.



No charges have been filed against the homeowner, Graham said. An investigation is continuing.

Jackson, Mississippi



From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of April 20, 2004:



Homeowner not indicted in killing



A Jackson homeowner who fatally shot a man who broke into his home last year should not be prosecuted, a Hinds County grand jury has determined.



"The grand jury didn't indict," said Hinds County Chief Assistant District Attorney Robert Taylor.



Tommy Christian, 53, of 5933 Floral Drive, shot and killed Christopher Stiff, 31, of 3811 Mosley Ave., after finding Stiff inside his back door on Oct. 21, police said.



Christian couldn't be reached for comment Monday. He has said he shot Stiff because he didn't know what Stiff's intentions were after he broke into his home.



Christian's neighbor, James E. Bibbs, said he feels good knowing Christian won't face charges.



"Maybe it will send a message," Bibbs said, adding a person should be able to protect his home.



The grand jury considered the case earlier this year, Taylor said. He revealed the grand jury's decision when asked about the case Monday.



Stiff had been arrested more than 30 times since his first arrest on a burglary charge on July 26, 1990.



A different grand jury in December opted against indicting another Jackson homeowner who shot and killed a man after hearing glass shattering in one of his bedrooms. Sinartha Bradfield, 31, of 1807 Linda Lane, shot Anthony Mayers, 31, of 304 Jennings St., on Sept. 3. Mayers also had an extensive criminal record.

Monday, April 19, 2004

Columbus, Ohio



From nbc4Columbus.com of April 18, 2004:



Burglar Shot During Break-In



A would-be robber was shot while trying to break into a home on East 26th Avenue, authorities said.



Once inside, the alleged robber was shot twice.



One bullet grazed his head and another hit him in the shoulder, NewsChannel 4 reported.



The man was eventually taken to jail, NewsChannel 4 reported.

Sunday, April 18, 2004

Mobile, Alabama



From Mobile's WPMI.com of April 17, 2004:



Mobile Police: Murphy High player allegedly involved in robbery at time of slaying



Police have filed no charges against a man in the shooting death of an 18-year-old Murphy High School football player because the shooting at a Mobile housing complex occurred during an alleged robbery attempt.



Greg Murphy, 18, was killed about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and 17-year-old Samuel Williams was slightly wounded.



In a statement Friday, police said Roderick Demond Solomon fired the shots while defending himself during a robbery attempt.



Police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said the investigation found that Murphy was involved in the robbery attempt and no charges have been filed against Solomon at this time. However, the investigation continues and further details were not released.

Saturday, April 17, 2004

Tampa, Florida



From the Tampa Tribune of January 10, 2004

(No permanent link)



Would-Be Robber Flees When Clerk Raises Gun



A liquor store clerk foiled an attempted robbery Thursday night after pulling a gun on the armed robber, police said.



As the masked robber approached the counter with a silver handgun pointed at the clerk, the clerk pulled his handgun from under the counter and aimed at the robber, who fled empty-handed.



The attempted robbery occurred at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Latam Wines & Liquor.

Friday, April 16, 2004

Lubbock, Texas



From LubbockOnline.com of April 9, 2004:

Homeless woman awaits ruling in shooting death



Every month, a frail, elderly woman paid her $70 for the tiny concrete closet she rented at a local storage facility. Inside the 5-foot by 10-foot unit, she kept clothing, a shopping cart and often herself and a beloved dog, police say.



Those regular payments and the wording of her lease may now protect the 80-year-old homeless woman from murder charges, according to state law.



The woman is accused of fatally shooting Lino Torres, 45, as he apparently tried to break into the storage unit where she was sleeping early Wednesday morning.



Torres was on parole for burglary of a building. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1988 and to a 10-day jail sentence for unlawfully carrying a club the following year, court records show.



He was found lying face down in front of the woman's storage unit, wearing a ski mask and gloves. A crowbar also was found nearby, police said.



The case is under investigation, Sgt. Tony Gribben said Thursday. It will eventually be presented to a grand jury, which will determine whether the woman should face criminal charges.



Followup from LubbockOnline.com of May 26, 2004

Grand jury clears woman in shooting



A Lubbock grand jury declined Tuesday to indict an 80-year-old woman accused of killing a man who apparently tried to break into a storage unit that doubled as her home.



Fay S. Ralston was cleared on all charges connected to the April 7 fatal shooting of Lino Torres, 45, outside a storage unit at 408 Ave. T.

...



State law allows people to defend their homes with deadly force. Police said they believe Ralston did not know she was firing at officers when she shot from inside the storage unit.



Ralston was later turned over to the care of Adult Protective Services.

Thursday, April 15, 2004

Wilmington, Delaware



From the April 15, 2004 Lowell, Massachusetts Sun:
WILMINGTON A knife-wielding robber fled empty handed but unharmed after his victim pulled a gun on him Sunday night, according to police.



The unidentified man went into Forest Service Center at 316 Lowell St. about 8:15 p.m. asking for change to use in a vending machine, Police Chief Bernard P. Nally said.



The clerk left the office to tend to a customer and when he returned the man asked for more change.



"After the attendant made change the second time the suspect produced a knife and pointed it at the attendant and said, 'Don't do anything stupid and give me all the money,'" Nally said. "About this time the attendant produced a handgun which he is lawfully licensed to do and ordered the suspect to leave the store, which he did."
Shreveport, Louisiana



From Shreveport's KTBS.com of April 15, 2004:



Armed robbery ends in homicide



An attemped armed robbery ends in an exchange of gunfire, and the suspect has been found dead.



Shreveport investigators say a man walked into the F&D Food and Liquor Store on Ford Street Wednesday night, waving a gun, then jumped over the counter.



A witness says the store owner, Mike Zedan and the suspect started wrestling. The suspect fired, shooting Zedan in the shoulder.



That wasn't the end of it, though. Zedan fired back several times as the suspect fled the scene.



The suspect, now identified as Michael House, was later found dead in the backseat of a car on Dunlap Street.



Detectives aren't sure if there was a second person in the car who might have run off and left him to die.



Detectives say House may have been connected to several other armed robberies in the city.



Zedan was taken to LSU Hospital for treatment.



His brother Mike says this is the second time Zedan has been shot during an armed robbery since they've owned the store.
Pomona, California



From Ontario's Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of April 14, 2004:



Robbery at Pomona store ends in gunfire



A market owner's retaliatory shot may have hit its mark Wednesday morning after four young men robbed his neighborhood grocery store, police said.



The owner of the Central Mart at 1498 South Towne Ave. fired at one of four robbers who entered his store at 11:02 a.m., Pomona police said. One robber became upset when the owner and his wife refused to open a store safe, and fired one or two shots at the man, but missed.



The owner shot back several times with a gun he kept in the store, police said. That robber was seen limping away from the store, along with the three others, as they ran north on Towne Avenue toward a van parked on the street.



Another of the robbers fired on the store owner a second time when the owner went outside to check on his wife, who was lying on the ground outside the store. The robber missed, and the owner again returned fire in the robber's direction. The robber got into the van and drove north on Towne and out of sight.



The owner and his wife were not injured during the robbery.

Detroit, Michigan

From the Detroit Free Press of April 14, 2004:

Woman kills attacker

A woman shot an armed man to death Tuesday after he attacked her as she was entering her east-side Detroit home, police said.

The woman, who owns a car dealership, was at the side door of her home in the 15200 block of Troester at 7:45 p.m. when a man ran up behind her brandishing a nickel-plated handgun, Officer Derek Jones said.

"He said, 'I got you,"' Jones said.

She tried to shut her screen door, but he pulled it open and began shoving her into the house, police said. As they struggled, she pulled a handgun from her purse and fired about five shots, Jones said.

The man fell to the ground between the door and the driveway.

Jones said the man was 42 years old and had a criminal record for breaking and entering homes. Police declined to release his name pending notification of his relatives.

Jones said the woman had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.







Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Portland, Oregon

From Portland's KOIN.com of April 12, 2004:

Loud Party Leads To Shooting

A Portland man shot an intruder Sunday after he was allegedly attacked by several neighbors.

A party was going on Sunday evening near Southeast 72nd and Tenino. Witnesses say the 76-year-old man asked his neighbors to keep the noise down. Three or four men from the party then went to the man's home.

"I seen people attacking an old man. It was unfair. Three or four men on one old man, kicking down his door and throwing bottles at his window," witness Terrie Arango told KOIN 6 News.

Police say he fired his gun, hitting 29-year-old Temujin Herrera in the hand. The victim was able to get the gun away from the shooter.

Portland police say Monday morning that the man, whose name was not released, fired his gun in self defense.

Herrera was arrested on assault, attempted burglary and criminal mischief charges. Valentin Cuatol Herrera, 27, was also arrested on assault, attempted burglary and criminal mischief charges

The investigation continued.

Monday, April 12, 2004

Houston, Texas



From Houston's Click2Houston.com of April 12, 2004:



Suspected Thief Dies In Attempted Adult Store Robbery



A suspected robber was killed in a shootout with an adult store clerk in east Houston early Sunday morning.



Houston police said the man allegedly tried to rob a clerk at the Northshore Video and Smoke store on the Eastex Freeway around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.



Both men opened fire, injuring the store clerk and killing the suspected robber.



The store clerk was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. His condition was not released.



Officials have not released the identity of the suspect.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin



From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel of April 11, 2004:



Intruder killed, woman wounded in break-in



A Milwaukee man shot and killed an armed man - wounding his own girlfriend in the process - after three men broke into an apartment early Sunday, police said.



The man, who lives in the 4000 block of N. 46th St., and the girlfriend were in the apartment just after 1:30 a.m. when three armed men entered in a robbery attempt, police Capt. Susan Edman said.



Edman provided this account:



The resident left through a window after shooting one would-be robber, a 25-year-old Milwaukee man. The other two intruders fled.



The girlfriend remained in the apartment after the shooting. Authorities later discovered she had a gunshot wound to her thigh. Her condition was unavailable.



A short time later, police arrested two suspects after a police chase that ended in a vehicle crash in the 4200 block of N. 24th Place.



The man who shot the intruder has been interviewed by police, Edman said, and the case will be turned over to the district attorney's office for review.

Friday, April 9, 2004

Huntsville, Alabama



From Huntsville's WAFF.com of April 9, 2004:



Quick Thinking Clerk Foils Robber's Plan



A robbery suspect tells police his attempt to hold up a convenience store was an April Fool's joke.



Police say Donnie Dwain Shankle tried to rob the Freeway Beverage Store on Highway 24. He walked up to the counter with a case of beer, pulled out a gun and demanded money.



Witnesses say a store employee pulled out his gun. That's when Shankle quickly told the clerk he was just kidding. Shankle is charged with first degree robbery.

Detroit, Michigan



From Detroit's ClickOnDetroit.com of April 9, 2004:



Homeowner Allegedly Kills Intruder



A man defended his home by allegedly shooting and killing an intruder early Friday morning.



The shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. at the man's home on Runyon Street on Detroit's east side, Local 4 reported. The intruder suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died at a hospital.



Neighbors said the incident may be related to an argument Thursday at the home. A woman who lives there was arguing with a man outside, but he reportedly left.



"Later on that night, about 8:30, I heard five shots go off. I didn't see the police come or anything," neighbor Ethel Brooks said. "I went to sleep and I heard a single shot about 3 o'clock this morning, I guess that's when someone tried to break into the house.



"Police have taken the homeowner, whose name was not released, in for questioning.



The homeowner has reportedly lived in the house for 27 years. His relationship to the woman who also lives at the home was not known.



Investigators are treating the situation as a home invasion and attempted robbery, Local 4 reported.

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

Emporia, Virginia



From Richmond's nbc12.com of April 7, 2004:



Home invasion turns deadly in Emporia



Two men broke into a home on Halifax Street in Emporia Tuesday night. Sixty-six year old Thomas Jones was watching TV when the men kicked his door open. He ran to the kitchen and struggled with one of them. Then, yelled for his wife to get out of the house. Carrie Jones grabbed her phone, ran outside to call police and then she heard a gunshot.



Authorities say one of the suspects, Omar Powell, was shot and killed.



"You have a right to defend yourself in your own residence,” says Emporia Police Dept. Chief Keith Carr. “I don't think there is a text book answer on how you should confront someone if they came in to your residence."



Authorities do not intend to charge Jones in the shooting.

Carson, California



From the Los Angeles Times of April 7, 2004:

(Requires registration)



Store Owner Kills Armed Robber



A jewelry store owner shot an intruder to death during an attempted robbery Tuesday, authorities said.



The owner opened fire after three armed men entered the store in the 200 block of East Sepulveda Boulevard about 4:45 p.m., demanded jewels and cash, and started shooting, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies said. The intruders fled, apparently empty-handed, and the one who had been shot collapsed and died in a nearby market.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

Cascade, Montana



From the Great Falls Tribune of April 6, 2004:



Homeowner kills escaped inmate



A Cascade homeowner shot and killed an escaped inmate from the Cascade County regional jail who was in the house Monday evening.



Paul Anthony Anderson, 26, who was serving 10 years on a Missoula robbery involving a weapon, was shot once in the chest with a handgun and died before deputies and medical personnel arrived.



He and James Joseph Brown, 41, were low-security state inmates and walked away from the regional jail Sunday night around 9 p.m. as they washed windows in the jail lobby.



Sheriff Kent Funyak notified the public of the escapes Monday morning.



No one has been arrested or charged in the shooting. Funyak said officers were investigating the scene Monday night and would need to interview the homeowners again this morning before releasing details of the shooting.



However, neighbors said the convict broke into the house and was shot.

Spokane County, Washington



From the Spokane Spokesman-Review of April 6, 2004:

(Requires registration)



Burglars get surprise from homeowner



When pair kick in the door of home, they are met with shot from pistol



Two burglars found a farmhouse Monday in Spokane County that appeared to be an easy target.



But when they kicked in the door, the two 20-something burglars became targets themselves.



Elroy Dusbabek, 45, told Spokane County Sheriff's deputies that he fired a shot over the heads of the fleeing men who raced away in a purple car.



"Near as we can tell, he didn't hit the bad guys," sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said of the one shot from Dusbabek's .22-caliber semi-automatic target pistol.



The incident started about 1:30 p.m. Monday when the two men approached Dusbabek's home in the 8600 block of North Five Mile Road, Reagan said.



Dusbabek "is usually at work at this time of day," Reagan said. "It was just luck of the draw that he happened to be here today."



The two white males -- one with short brown hair and a flannel shirt, and the second with a shaved head and stubble beard -- knocked on Dusbabek's front door.



"Deciding he didn't want to be bothered by salesmen, he did not answer the door but instead went to an upstairs window to watch," Reagan said in a news release.



Dusbabek heard one of the men walk around to the back of the house. But moments later, both men got into a purple Hyundai-type car and drove away.



Minutes later, Dusbabek heard the rear screen door being opened. As he walked to the back of the house, the door crashed in, Reagan said.



"He yelled, and they took off running," Reagan said. "He cracked off a round to send them on their way."



Dusbabek told deputies that he aimed over the heads of the men and in the direction of the abandoned brick building that formerly housed the Five Mile Elementary School.



Phoenix, Arizona



From Phoenix's Arizona Republic of April 5, 2004:



Man shoots, kills his neighbor



An off-duty state Department of Corrections employee fatally shot a neighbor who was suspected of beating a woman early Sunday.



Thomas Alfredo Keefe, 33, told police he saw Sergio Bustamante, 22, kicking his girlfriend in the head outside the couple's home in the 5700 block of West Glenrosa Avenue about 1:15 a.m., Phoenix Sgt. Bill Wren said.



Keefe, who was armed with a handgun, confronted Bustamante to stop the assault, Wren said. Keefe told him to stop and Bustamante grabbed a gun from his truck, Wren said.



Bustamante fired at Keefe, hitting him in the arm, Wren said.



Keefe returned fire, hitting Bustamante in the chest. Bustamante was declared dead at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.



Police did not release the woman's name but said she is in her late teens and lived with Bustamante. Her condition was unavailable.



Keefe was taken to St. Joseph's hospital for treatment. Details about his condition were unavailable Sunday.



Wren confirmed that Keefe is an employee with the Department of Corrections but said he does not know what Keefe does for the department. A DOC spokeswoman was unavailable for comment.



The incident is under investigation, Wren said.
Phoenix, Arizona



From Phoenix's Arizona Republic of April 5, 2004:

(Scroll down)



Pregnant woman shoots her estranged boyfriend



A pregnant 35-year-old woman shot her estranged boyfriend Sunday morning after he reportedly forced his way into her apartment.



Jennifer Sue Manley told police that Bryant Christopher Watkins, 31, was threatening her from outside the apartment in the 17200 block of North 19th Avenue about 5:45 a.m., Phoenix Sgt. Bill Wren said. Watkins told Manley he would hurt her and their unborn child, Wren said.



Manley is nine months pregnant, and three children - ages 4 and 5, and her nephew, whose age is unknown - were in the apartment at the time.



She feared for her life and the children's safety, Wren said.



Manley shot Watkins twice with a handgun. One bullet grazed his head, and another hit his chest. He was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. His condition was unavailable.



Wren said police will seek charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence against Watkins.

Saturday, April 3, 2004

Eden Prairie, Minnesota



First reported use of a concealed weapon by a licensee under the new Minnesota law. In this case, we have a copy of the police report available here as a multi-page TIF file. A summary of the report appears here.



Important points: the attacker (as even the attacker admits to police) is a bicyclist who loses his temper when a driver honks his horn. The driver asserts that he was honking the horn to let the bicyclist know of his presence. The bicyclist catches up at the next light, throws the bike down in front of the vehicle, and grabs the driver by the throat. The driver starts to pull his gun, warns the attacker, and drives over the bike.



Both call the police: they charge the bicyclist, based on his own statement, and that of a witness to the confrontation.
Indianapolis, IN



From the Indianapolis Star of April 3, 2004:



Homeowner fatally shoots burglar



A home invasion early this morning on the city's Eastside left an elderly homeowner shaken and a 43-year-old homeless man dead.



Indianapolis police said the homeless man, Kevin L. Richardson, was fatally shot after he broke into the home of George L. Finch, 75, 400 block of North Rural Street, about 3 a.m.



Finch's daughter, Debbie Skaggs, said her father was sleeping in a recliner in the front room when he heard someone breaking out a back window and entering.



Her father got his gun, a semi-automatic pistol. "He stepped into the kitchen and he was right there. My dad told him to stop and go away," Skaggs said.



Her father told her that the man "just kept coming at him" so he fired one shot.



"I aimed low. I just wanted to stop him," Skaggs recalled her father saying.



Police said the shot struck Richardson in the thigh.



Richardson ran out the same window and fled a short way, collapsing on the sidewalk in the same block, according to the homicide report.



When police arrived, he was bleeding heavily. Medics transported Richardson to Wishard Memorial Hospital where he later died.



Sgt. Russell Burns said no charges will be filed in the case, which he described as a home invasion. Investigators concluded the shooting was justified, he said.



According to court records, Richardson had a history of theft, trespass and prostitution arrests. His parents were deceased and Burns said police were unaware of any family members in the area.



I urge you go to this somewhat longer article, and read a portrait of a man who simply will not give in to the rabble.

Friday, April 2, 2004

East Haven, Connecticut



From the New Haven Register of April 2, 2004:

(Requires Registration)



Shop owner, gunman shot in East Haven holdup attempt



Joseph Gigliotti, owner of New Haven Provisions, 850 Foxon Road, underwent surgery at Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven Thursday night, police said. His condition was not immediately available.



Gigliotti shot one of the three robbery suspects in the shoulder during the fracas, police Sgt. Robert Flodquist said. That man, whose name was not immediately available, was in surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Flodquist said.



The injured suspect and a second suspect, who police said drove the injured man to the hospital, were arrested after Yale-New Haven police reported that two men matching descriptions East Haven had broadcast had turned up at the hospital, one with a gunshot wound, Flodquist said.



A third suspect fled on foot. New Haven police later arrested him on Eastern Street in New Haven, not far from the New Haven-East Haven border, Flodquist said.
Shreveport, Louisiana



From the Shreveport Times of April 2, 2004:



Home invasion shooting leaves one dead



A would-be robber is dead and one of his victims is in jail on drug charges after a home invasion early Thursday morning.



Carlos Cannon, 22, of Shreveport died after allegedly breaking into a home in the 3900 block of Sumner Street and being shot by the homeowner, 24-year-old Quirinius Wilson, said Shreveport police Detective Jeff Brown.



Wilson, also known as Casey Eugene Wilson, and his 29-year-old wife were asleep when Cannon and at least two other men allegedly forced their way inside, Brown said. "They heard the door being kicked in, and (Wilson) lay there in wait and she got in the closet and hid."



Cannon, armed with a semiautomatic handgun he never fired, charged down the hall but didn't make it farther than the open bedroom door when he was hit in the abdomen several times by more than 12 rounds fired from Wilson's SKS assault rifle, Brown said.



At least one of the other two intruders fired several shots through the living room wall. One grazed the wife's left arm. She was treated at the scene.



"They just had their own little war inside the house," Brown said.



The intruders realized they were outgunned and ran, leaving their vehicle, Brown said. "Wilson went out the front door and fired a couple of times toward where he said he thought he heard them."



Wilson was not charged in the shooting because he acted in self-defense, Brown said. But he was arrested after police reportedly discovered marijuana in the house. Wilson was charged on one count each of possession of a Schedule I narcotic and possession of a Schedule I narcotic with intent to distribute, Brown said.