Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Anaheim, California



From Los Angeles' NBC4.tv of June 30, 2004

Man Foils Robbery Attempt With Own Gun



Robbers targeting a man at an Anaheim mall picked the wrong victim Tuesday.



When they approached him, the man reportedly fired his own gun at the robbers, possibly hitting one.



Police were still looking for the would-be robbers late Tuesday.
Port Arthur, Texas



From the Beaumont Enterprise of June 30, 2004

PA man shoots at home invaders



The latest in a string of home invasions here ended with a man shooting at his would-be robbers.



At about 1:45 a.m. Tuesday, two men kicked in the front door and shot into a home in the 4600 block of Evergreen Drive, said Lt. Troy LeBouef, with the Port Arthur police department.



The resident shot back, LeBouef said by phone. The resident was not injured.



About an hour later, a man was admitted to Christus St. Elizabeth hospital with a gunshot wound, LeBouef said.



Police are investigating to see if the man is connected to the home invasion on Evergreen Drive and one on Sabine Avenue on Sunday.

Montgomery, Alabama



From the Montgomery Advertiser of June 30, 2004

Man fires shots at late-night intruder



A Montgomery man fired back at crime Tuesday morning, shooting at a man who broke into his home and robbed him.



Herbert Beverly of 12 Polaris Drive fired three shots at the alleged robber, who broke out the window on Beverly's front door to get in, Montgomery Police reports said. The incident happened around 12:40 a.m.



Once inside, the robber told Beverly he had a gun and demanded his wallet, the reports said. After giving up his wallet, Beverly picked up a .22-caliber rifle and fired. The man, who was not hit, then fled, the reports said.

Lakeland, Florida



From Tampa's WTSP.com of June 30, 2004

Three shot during photo studio robbery



Three people were shot during a robbery at a photo studio. Lakeland Police say none of the injuries appear life threatening.



It happened just before 11 o'clock this morning at the Phillips Photographers Studio on busy South Florida Avenue in Lakeland. The store's owner says a robber with a gun took $100 and shot employee Bradley Beck in the forehead.



Beck still managed to get his gun, chased the robber outside and shot him.



Phillips says Beck is an experienced target shooter who takes care of his elderly mother.



Police have identified the robbery suspect as Darrell Logan of Lakeland. During the gunfight outside the studio, a woman who happened to be driving by in a green van was also shot.

Monday, June 28, 2004

Akron, Ohio



From Cleveland's WKYC.com of June 28, 2004

Man killed attempting to rob USO fundraiser



A fundraiser for American troops overseas became the target of armed robbers in Akron.



During the incident early Monday morning, a security guard shot and killed one of the thieves.



Akron police tell us that the two men showed up at a Las Vegas Night fundraiser for the USO.



One of them tried to jump the counter where the money was kept. Then he aimed his gun at the security guard.



Police say that's when the guard shot and killed the robber.



The guard described the scene in a 911 call:



"He jumped the counter, he came in the door, ran across the room and jumped the counter. And we ran out the back. He chased us and when he came around the corner, he stuck the gun out and said 'Drop it' and I shot him."



The thief who was killed was identified as Kevin Moss, a 19 year old from Cleveland Heights.



His accomplice got away and is still on the run tonight.
West Hartford, Connecticut

From Hartford's NBC30.com of June 28, 2004
One Dead After Shooting At Groton Dairy Queen

Police: Owner Shoots Man Sunday Night

Police said a Dairy Queen owner shot a man who broke into the store Sunday night.

Authorities said the intruder was armed with a crow bar. The unidentified man died at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital.

Neighbors along Fort Hill Road said they heard multiple gunshots. Police arrived at the scene around midnight.

A store manager said the Dairy Queen closed around 10 p.m. Sunday. Police said the intruder broke into the store by prying a lock off the back door with the crow bar.

The manager said her boss was struck three times in the head with the crow bar.

Police did not release registration information regarding the gun. They are continuing their investigation.
From New London’s The Day of June 10, 2006
Hear The Evidence First

Shooting lawsuit may appear frivolous, but questions remain.

On June 28, 2004, Jarion Childs, 27, allegedly broke into the Dairy Queen on Route 1 in Groton after it had closed. According to the account provided by Stephen Botchis, the victim of the break-in, Mr. Childs was carrying a crowbar and wearing a mask. He scuffled with Botchis, the manager, who was alone. Mr. Botchis, 51 at the time, suffered injuries when he was hit in the head during the struggle, but he had a gun and fired several shots, killing Mr. Childs.

Now Mr. Childs' family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Mr. Botchis, his brother Matthew Botchis, who owns the business, and the Dairy Queen company.

On its face, the lawsuit appears to make no sense. Why should someone committing a break-in, while wearing a mask and carrying a crowbar, have any right to compensation for the collateral harm that befalls him?

In fact, questions remain about what happened that night. The civil court system, as abused as it is with frivolous lawsuits, is one place where people can demand answers.

Eroll Skyers of Bridgeport, the attorney for the Childs' family, said the lawsuit intends to get at the answers and to prove that Mr. Childs, a college graduate and one-time high school basketball standout and college player, did not deserve to die.

The autopsy determined that Mr. Childs was shot in the back more than once. This, Mr. Skyers suggests, shows that Mr. Childs was moving away at the time. He also contends that Mr. Childs was an “invitee,” not the burglar described in published accounts. He refused to elaborate.

Mr. Skyers said that because he represents the “victim” of the shooting, he was able to review the police investigation. The attorney for Mr. Botchis has not had the opportunity to see the report, nor has the public. In fact Groton police have provided little information about the incident. Chief Kelly Fogg said that a summary of its investigation should be available in about a week.

Attorney William Corrigan of Hartford, representing Mr. Botchis, contends all the information he has suggests that Mr.

Childs was a burglar who was shot because he threatened his client's life.

Until evidence is provided to the contrary, the presumption should be that Mr. Botchis was the real victim who, fearing for his life, didn't have the opportunity to analyze the motives of his attacker before he started firing.

And if Mr. Botchis did something wrong, why was he never charged criminally?

Further undermining the credibility of the civil case is the fact that at the time of his death Mr. Childs was a suspect in a cold-blooded murder.

A. Gordon Jeffrey, who was 89, was severely beaten while tied in his own bed on May 14, 2004. His face disfigured, eyes swollen shut, the Stonington man died two weeks later, about one month before the Dairy Queen incident.

Mr. Childs' sister, Sonya Childs, told police her brother had planned to “jack” Mr. Jeffrey because he was bedridden and easy prey. Her statement is contained in an affidavit police used to obtain a search warrant for the apartment of Mr. Childs' girlfriend. Though the sister later denied making the statement, Mr. Childs' palm prints were found on a window at Mr. Jeffrey's home.

The murder case remains open.

So is this lawsuit a tawdry and baseless attempt to gain a cash windfall from a tragedy? Or is it a legitimate attempt to get at the truth?

Only time and the evidence will tell

Sunday, June 27, 2004

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania



From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of June 27, 2004

Hill District home invasion reported



Shots were fired yesterday after a gunman entered a Hill District home only to be chased off by the occupant.



"I guess it was a home invasion gone bad," said Dorjan Anderson, whose Brackenridge Street home was the scene of the home invasion. No one was injured.



Anderson said the gunman, Jason Barber, 22, is the cousin of the mother of Anderson's four children. Anderson declined to name the woman. She and the children were not home during the incident.



In recent weeks, Barber, of the West End, got involved in a dispute between Anderson and the woman. Since then, the two men have been feuding. Anderson said Barber has threatened him.



Yesterday afternoon, as Anderson dozed on his sofa with his shotgun nearby, he said he heard Barber enter the back door. Barber then entered the living room and fired a shot that narrowly missed Anderson's head. Anderson then fired three shots as Barber shot a second time from his .45-caliber pistol as he fled out the door and down a back street. Neither man was struck.



Barber had not been apprehended last night. No charges were filed against Anderson.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

Askov, Minnesota



From the Minneapolis Star Tribune of June 23, 2004



A more representative headline would be "Armed civilians capture suspected shooter".

Teen held in father's shooting death



For more than four hours Tuesday, authorities searched this small town and the surrounding woods and prairie of Pine County looking for a boy who allegedly shot and killed his father earlier in the morning.



For more than four hours, the word was out that a 15-year-old boy was on the run.



So when the teenager appeared, armed with a gun, near Hwy. 23 just south of town early Tuesday afternoon, the three men working at a nearby auto shop -- Matt Gebhart, Scott Jorgensen and Brian Volk -- knew what to do.



They got their guns.



Minutes later, they surrounded the boy and talked him into dropping the gun. Deputies arrived a short time later and arrested the boy, identified by acquaintances as Dallas Wright, in connection with the shooting of his father, Norman R. Wright Jr., 47, on the front lawn of the family's home.



(MORE)
Missoula, Montana



From the Missoula Missoulian of June 26, 2004

Shooting victim charged with attack on girlfriend



Last Sunday morning, Chad Hill's girlfriend shot him in the stomach, then frantically called police to report what she'd done.



By late Thursday, Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech had signed a $250,000 warrant for Hill's arrest on several counts of assault and child endangerment - and it was clearly the injured Hill who was in trouble over the incident.



As of Friday afternoon, Hill, 21, was listed in good condition at St. Patrick Hospital, where he has been since the early morning shooting June 20. Police had not yet taken him into custody.



A complaint and affidavit supporting the arrest warrant outline the charges against Hill: felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of partner assault, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.



Hill and his girlfriend, Ashley New, had been dating about four months when she arrived at the hospital June 14, claiming to have been beaten outside Stockman's Bar, the affidavit said. She had several facial fractures, a concussion, two black eyes, scrapes and bruises.



New said she didn't know who attacked her, but the affidavit said an officer who responded became suspicious almost immediately, because it appeared New had been choked and punched by someone standing in front of her - and the injuries were so serious that whoever caused them meant to hurt her. The officer tried to follow up later, but no one would answer the door at New's apartment at 2050 S. 14th St. W.



Five days later, New called 9-1-1 from a neighbor's house to say she'd shot Hill.



The argument Sunday morning allegedly started after a night of drinking, the affidavit said. New tried to take a shower, and Hill got angry. He said he "was going to break the other side of her face" and started hitting and kicking her and dragging her around by the hair.



Then, the affidavit said, Hill took a .45 caliber gun from a dresser drawer, set it on the corner of a bed and said he'd kill New if she didn't get it first. She grabbed the gun and backed out of the room. Hill then got two knives from the kitchen and threatened to kill both New and her 3-year-old son. New shot Hill the third time he moved toward the little boy's door.



"Chad scared me," the boy reportedly told officers later. "Chad opened the door and Mommy shot Chad. Å  My mom got hurt."



Hill also has a pending case in state District Court, on charges that he beat his previous girlfriend and hurt his mother as she tried to protect her.

Friday, June 25, 2004

Coburg, Oregon



From the June 25, 2004 Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard:
COBURG - Three robbers in a black Cadillac held up an Interstate 5 gas station and threatened to kill the clerk, but she drove them off by blowing out the car's back window with her handgun, police said Thursday.



Officers stopped a car minutes later on Belt Line Road and arrested two men and a woman late Wednesday.



Three people drove into the Fuel-N-Go gas station at 33100 Van Duyn Road about 11:35 p.m. in a Cadillac with California plates, police Chief Mike Hudson said. One man went into the store, simulated a gun in his sweatshirt pocket and demanded money.



After the clerk handed over about $200 in cash, the chief said, the robber threatened to kill her anyway. That's when the clerk pulled out her own handgun.



The robber ran out of the store, and a male attendant fought with the robber, who again simulated a weapon. The female clerk fired one shot, breaking out the car's rear window, the chief said. The bullet lodged in the dashboard of the car.
California plates? That explains it--they weren't expecting the victims to shoot back.
Augusta, Maine



From Augusta's Kennebec Journal of June 25, 2004

Jury acquits man in shooting



A jury on Thursday cleared a Hallowell man of criminal charges in the shooting of his drinking buddy a year and a half ago.



Donald Hipkins, 36, was charged with elevated aggravated assault and criminal mischief for shooting David Storkson late on Jan. 11, 2003, in Hipkins' mobile home.



Hipkins maintained he shot Storkson in self-defense after Storkson left and came back into the home after a scuffle between the two men. Hipkins said he feared for his life.



The jury deliberated an hour before finding Hipkins innocent of both charges.



"We were tremendously elated at the verdict," said Walter McKee, Hipkins' attorney. "In the end, there really were no winners because, unfortunately, Mr. Storkson got shot and, unfortunately, Mr. Hipkins had to face trial on a felony charge with a (potential) mandatory jail sentence of four years."



McKee argued that Hipkins was entitled to use deadly force to protect himself and his premises.



Hipkins and Storkson were friends until the night of the shooting, which occurred as Storkson, his girlfriend and her children were visiting the Hipkins family.



The adults were drinking and witness' accounts differed as to who started a scuffle between the two men that ended with Storkson astride Hipkins on the kitchen floor, placing his mouth over Hipkins' nose and threatening to bite it off.



Storkson then left the trailer and went outside to his pickup but returned when he said he couldn't find his keys.



Hipkins called 911 and was on the phone with a police dispatcher when he shot Storkson. The tape of the call, with the shot clearly audible, was played for the jury.

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Silver Springs, Nevada



From the Carson City Nevada Appeal of June 24, 2004

Daughter kills father after he shoots mother



A teenage girl shot and killed her father Wednesday morning after he kidnapped her and two sisters at gunpoint and shot their mother in the face, authorities said.



Walter Nelson Ball III, 43, was found shot to death in his Jeep Cherokee in an isolated area near Lahontan State Park. The discovery came about 8 a.m. after his three daughters, ages 13, 16 and 19, made their way to a road where they flagged down an officer.



Police had been looking for the girls since 4 a.m., when their mother, Cindy Ball, called to say she'd been shot in the face by her estranged husband and that he'd abducted the girls.



"Detectives are investigating the possibility that Ball sexually abused the victims during the kidnapping," said Lyon County sheriff's Capt. Jeff Page. ""There's no rhyme, there's no reason. This is simply the most evil thing I've ever heard of in my career."



It appears Ball eventually fell asleep at Lahontan Reservoir ,and it was then that one of the girls shot him, Page said. He declined to reveal which of the three sisters fired the gun.



"These girls were scared to death. They believed they were going to die," he said.



The Nevada Appeal is withholding the names of the daughters. No charges are pending against them, Page said.



(MORE)

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Alexandria, Louisiana



From the Alexandria Daily Town Talk of June 23, 2004

Armed robbery suspect shot by store clerk



"Lucky’s" luck ran out Tuesday night.



Samuel "Lucky" Parker, 25, died after exchanging gunfire with an Alexandria store clerk, Rapides Parish sheriff’s Maj. Herman Walters said. It was not his first hold-up Tuesday night, authorities said. Parker of 611 St. James St. robbed the D&D Texaco on MacArthur Drive less than 30 minutes before robbing the Sunrise Mart on Ulster Street.



Parker is suspected of robbing numerous stores throughout Rapides Parish, Walters said. He did not dismiss the idea that Parker could be involved in robberies in other parishes.



It was near closing time on Tuesday. The clerk, Tamir Abdulwahab, and two customers were inside the store. Parker walked in wearing a camouflage mask, dark clothing and a glove on one hand.



He brandished a gun, pointing it at Abdulwahab.



Parker wanted money from the register, but the clerk, whose family owns the store, refused. That is when Parker opened fire, Walters said.



Five shots were fired at the clerk. Shots hit the cash register and various items behind the store’s counter.



Abdulwahab returned fire. He shot twice, hitting Parker both times, Walters said.

Jackson, Mississippi



From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of June 23, 2004

Homeowner thwarts break-in try with 3 shots



A man who attempted to break into a south Jackson home on Tuesday left the car he was driving running in the homeowner's driveway as he fled.



But that wasn't the only error in his bungled attempted burglary at 1789 Shady Lane Drive. The first was trying to break in as the family was watching television, only to be stopped at the door by the homeowner.



"His eyes got mighty big when he saw what was waiting on him," said homeowner Edward Blair, a security guard with Wright's Security Service, who grabbed his .38-caliber revolver and stood patiently in the kitchen near the front door after hearing a racket about 1 p.m.



The door cracked, from the impact of the kicks, and the man stuck his head through to peer at what he could loot.



Blair fired three shots at the skinny man wearing a blue shirt, but didn't wound him. Blair tried to open the door and chase the man — who bolted toward Raymond Road and left the still-running older-model blue Cadillac Deville in the carport — but the door was jammed.



"I wanted to see if I could catch him and take him down," Blair said. "But he was running for his life."

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Knoxville, Tennessee



From the Knoxville News-Sentinel of June 22, 2004

(Requires Registration)

Woman says she shot ex-boyfriend after break-in



A woman told police she shot her ex-boyfriend Friday morning, but officers were unable to find any trace of the victim.



Shortly after 11 a.m., Knoxville Police Department officers were dispatched to an East Glenwood Avenue address after a woman called 911 and said a man had kicked open her front door and entered the house.



When officers arrived, the man was gone. The woman then told police that the intruder was her ex-boyfriend. After the man broke into the house and kicked in the bedroom door, the woman shot him, she told police.



Officers checked several locations but were unable to find the man, said KPD Sgt. Tom Fox.



The investigation is continuing, and charges are pending against the male suspect, Fox said.

Monday, June 21, 2004

Shreveport, Louisiana



From Shreveport's KTBS.com of June 21, 2004

Man killed after downtown shootout



A man who once was at the top of the Shreveport Police Department's most-wanted list was killed today during an exchange of gunfire in downtown Shreveport.



Police said an argument began at Festival Plaza, site of a weekend festival. Police said Rocky Gilyard, 19, drove up next to a Cadillac sport utility vehicle at Market and Lake streets and opened fire.



The man in the SUV, 25-year-old Chevelle Hamilton, was shot in the buttocks. He returned fire, hitting Gilyard in the chest, police said.



The mortally wounded Gilyard then sped up the on-ramp of Interstate 20, heading west until he wrecked his vehicle at the Interstate 49 interchange.



The Fire Department was called and Gilyard was taken to LSU Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival.



Hamilton showed up at the hospital for treatment. His wound was not life-threatening.



Police said the shooting appears to be justifiable and no charges have been filed against Hamilton.



Gilyard at one time was at the top of the Police Department's most wanted list after the fatal shooting of two brothers who were killed in December 2002 as they drove down a North Allendale street. He was arrested for those slayings but the charges were later dismissed by the district attorney.
Southfield, Michigan



From Detroit's ClickOnDetroit.com of June 21, 2004

Homeowner Reportedly Fires Shot At Intruder



Police Take Man Into Custody



A homeowner reportedly fired a shot at a man trying to break into his Southfield residence Monday morning.



The alleged thief tried to break into a home Melrose, near Eight Mile Road, around 4 a.m. The resident tried to fight off the intruder, Local 4 reported.



The man then reportedly broke into two more homes, where another resident shot at him, Local 4 reported.Police have the man in custody in connection with the break-in attempts, the station reported.



He is reportedly being treated for injuries.
Atlanta, Georgia



From Atlanta's WXIA11.com of June 20, 2004

Carjacking Suspect Dies



DeKalb County police are investigating a fatal carjacking accident Sunday morning.



A suspect car jacked a vehicle at around 4 a.m. off Glenwood Drive near I-285 and exchanged gunfire with the vehicle’s driver.



The suspect later crashed the stolen car into another vehicle and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he died.



Police are not yet sure whether the man died from wounds sustained in the shootout or from in the wreck.
Kansas City, Missouri



From the Kansas City Star of June 21, 2004

Attempted robbery ends in fatal shooting



Restaurant's security guard slays gunman



A security guard foiled a robbery attempt late Saturday when he fatally shot a gunman inside a south Kansas City International House of Pancakes.



Shortly after 11 p.m., Kansas City police responded to a disturbance call at the restaurant at 8932 Hillcrest Road. They learned en route that a shooting had occurred.



By the time officers arrived, the would-be robber had been shot in the upper chest. Authorities found the 47-year-old man lying on the floor by the counter when they arrived.



Police would not release the identities of the gunman or the security guard who intervened in the robbery.



Detective Chris Price said the suspect held up the restaurant manager at gunpoint and had emptied the cash register when he was confronted by the security guard who emerged from a back room.



The security guard and the gunman both had drawn their weapons when they scuffled briefly. The gunman was shot with the security guard's gun, Price said.

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Columbus, Ohio



From Columbus' NBC4Columbus.com of June 20, 2004

Alleged Burglar Shot, Killed By Apartment Resident



Second Man Still At Large



A 31-year-old man is dead from a gunshot wound after he allegedly broke into a northwest side apartment late Saturday, NewsChannel 4's Natalie Walston reported.



Columbus police said an Abbey Chapel Road resident walked into the back of his apartment at around 11 p.m. and saw two intruders. Police said the apartment resident confronted them and one of the intruders was shot.



Neighbors heard the gunshot and called police, authorities said.



One of the alleged intruders, John A. Webb, 31, was shot in the upper body and died later at a local hospital. Police were searching for the second man, who exited through the front of the residence.



Police said no charges had been filed against the apartment resident.
Cambridge, Minnesota



From the Isanti County News of April 21, 2004

Homeowner holds suspect at gunpoint, three arrested



It was the sound of breaking glass that awoke the homeowner on 323rd Ave. N.E. April 9. Grabbing his shotgun he went to investigate and encountered three men in the house.



While two of the men fled, the homeowner held Jeffery Robert Hanson, 22, of Cambridge, at gunpoint while calling the police. The two other suspects were located by law enforcement and arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting burglary.



Ryan Albert Thompson, 20, of Andover and David Douglas Tode, 32, of Blaine, both appeared before Judge James Reuter April 12, along with Hanson and all three were charged with aiding and abetting felony first degree burglary. Bail for Hanson and Thompson was set at $20,000 and for Tode at $10,000.



All three were scheduled to appear again in court April 21.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

New Bedford, Massachusetts



From Boston's TheBostonChannel.com of June 17, 2004

Police: Homeowner Kills Man Breaking Into House



A New Bedford, Mass., homeowner shot and killed a man who was allegedly trying to break into his home Thursday morning, police said.



When officers arrived at the scene at about 4 a.m., they found a man lying on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds to his torso. A preliminary investigation showed that the man tried to break into Charles Chippa's home at 134 Ashley Blvd. Shot were fired, and the suspect made his way to the street.



"He confronted the homeowner, and shots were fired. At some point, the suspect ran, and he dropped into the street," New Bedford Police Department Lt. Richard Spirlet said.



"I heard four or five (gun shots), and then I looked out the window. I saw the guy lying in the middle of the street," neighbor Sean Cornell said.



Police believe that the man may have also been involved in a purse snatching earlier that morning. Some of the items from the purse were found in the man's possession.



The man has not been identified. The incident remained under investigation.



"The homeowner has a license for a firearm, so he is legally licensed to possess a firearm," Spirlet said.
Houston, Texas



From Houston's Click2Houston.com of June 17, 2004

Robbed Store Owners Fight Back



A southeast Houston convenience store owner fought back Wednesday night, shooting an accused robber, police told News2Houston.



Police said the suspect held up the Liquor Mart on Broadway and Bellfort at gunpoint when he scuffled with owner Paul Barnard.



Barnard shot the suspect."He is the nicest man. I don't understand why they tried to rob him," customer Melissa Hernandez said.



Frequent customers of the store said the suspect got what he deserved.



"I was just shocked. I can't believe it. I was really worried about him because he is real cool. I go in there and talk to him all the time," customer Avis Clunt said about the owner. "When you (rob someone), you deserve what you get.



"Two off-duty police officers, who were eating at a restaurant next door to the store, arrested the suspect.



The suspect was shot once in the stomach and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital.



So far, no charges have been filed.
Gulfport, Mississippi



From the Biloxi Sun-Herald of June 17, 2004

Road rage, shooting probed



A shooting that wounded a motorist on Washington Avenue is under investigation as an apparent case of road rage and self-defense, police said.



The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. Wednesday after a motorist assaulted an elderly driver who allegedly drove into his path just north of Airport Road near Turkey Creek, said Police Chief Steve Barnes.



"The older gentleman, maybe in his 70s, said he pulled into a parking lot and the younger male approached him in a real aggressive manner and physically assaulted him," Barnes said. "He said he really didn't know what was going on and he fired the gun in defense of his welfare."



Barnes said the younger man was taken to a hospital and admitted for observation.



Names of both men were being withheld.



"We've been conferring with the District Attorney's Office and haven't determined if any charges will be filed at this time," Barnes said.



The incident remains under investigation.

Preston, West Virginia



From the Morgantown Dominion Post of June 17, 2004

Robbery foiled in Preston

Store owner holds men at gunpoint until police arrive




When two young men decided to take up a life of crime, they bought the best tools and prepared for everything -- except the owners showing up with a shotgun.



Russell and Erica Rodeheaver followed an "agreed routine" when the alarm was tripped at Casteel's Store and Dairy King, off the Hazelton Exit of Interstate 68, at 12:42 a.m. Wednesday.



"My husband checked the back door, and it was secure. He went to the kitchen door and could see that it was ajar just a little bit," Erica Rodeheaver said.



She kept the headlights of her 2003 Ford Explorer on the building, illuminating it while Russell went around checking the windows. From inside the SUV, she was able to see the doors.



"The back door opened up slightly, and when it did, it was the robbers inside, so I hollered at (Russell), and he came around and told them to come on out, and they did," Erica said. "Of course, he had a shotgun, and he told them to sit down, and we called the law. And they sat there until the law came."



David Elvis Dalton Jr., 23, of Woodland Terrace, Morgantown, and Justin Ray Funk, 21, of Salisbury, N.C., stayed put until police arrived to take them away. Each was charged with breaking and entering, and conspiracy; they were lodged in the Preston County Jail on Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Indianapolis, Indiana



From the Indianapolis Star of June 16, 2004

Police arrest man shot in domestic dispute



Marion County sheriff's deputies arrested a 36-year-old man early Tuesday who had been shot during a domestic struggle.



Deputies accused Carlos J. Davidi of striking his girlfriend three times until her 17-year-old son picked up a gun and shot to stop him, according to a police report.



The incident began around 11 p.m. Monday in an apartment at 71 Port Sylvia Drive on the Far Westside near I-465.



Davidi was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds. Then he was arrested on two preliminary charges of battery.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Keizer, Oregon



From the Portland's KOIN.com of June 15, 2004

Homeowner Holds Burglary Suspect At Gunpoint



Dogs Find Other Suspects



A homeowner and his neighbor held a teenage burglary suspect at gunpoint until police arrived early Tuesday.



Officers were called about 3 a.m. after someone broke into Wayne Ackerman's house on North Lakefair Place in Keizer. Ackerman and a neighbor reportedly caught the teen leaving the garage with a number of stolen items.



Police immediately caught a second suspect, and a Salem K-9 unit tracked the final two.



The four teenagers were arrested and charged with burglary and theft. About $3,000 worth of property was returned to Ackerman.

Detroit, Michigan



From the Detroit Free Press of June 14, 2004

Detroit hospital guards shoot man



Incident follows fight at party, then in ER



Sinai-Grace Hospital security guards shot and wounded a man early Sunday after a fight broke out in the hospital's emergency room, Detroit police said.



The 21-year-old Detroit man was in serious condition Sunday with gunshot wounds to his face and arm, police said.



The melee began at 6 a.m. Sunday after Curtis Cook, 37, came to the hospital after being bitten during a fight with another man at a party.



That man, Marvin O'Neil, 23, also was at the hospital on Detroit's west side, being treated for a bite from the same fight. Both men initially told police they were bitten by pit bulls.



When they saw each other in the emergency room, they started brawling and yelling at each other before security guards ejected them, said Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens.



Cook fled the parking lot without paying, ramming a parking gate and driving at two security guards who had to get out of the way, police said.



Both guards fired at Cook, who had a passenger, Javon Fort, 21, with him.



Some of the shots struck Fort, police said. It was unclear which security guard was responsible.



Cook made it to West Outer Drive while Fort got out of the car for treatment. Cook then fled in a four-door, white Pontiac Bonneville. He was still at large Sunday.



Hospital spokeswoman Karen Martin said Sunday that the matter is under investigation.



"Like many other Detroit-area hospitals, this was an isolated incident, and our officers responded appropriately to the situation," Martin said in a statement. "Sinai-Grace is a safe and secure hospital. We will continue to provide compassionate, high-quality patient care to the community."



She declined to comment further.



Police questioned both guards and then released them without charges.

Monday, June 14, 2004

Stone Mountain, Georgia



From the Atlanta's WXIA11.com of June 14, 2004

Armored Car Heist Deadly for Crook



An armored car security guard shot and killed a man after an armed heist outside of a Kroger store on North Hairston Drive in Stone Mountain, Ga., Monday.



The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Damion Edward Jennings of Lithonia, confronted the drivers as they exited the Kroger with bags full of money, police said. Jennings, who had a weapon, grabbed the cash and ran to the back of the Hairston Village Shopping Center.



Two armored car employees chased the man, who jumped onto a bicycle. According to the guards, the man pulled out his gun while trying to make his escape. One of the guards opened fire.



Jennings was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. The guards will likely not face charges, according to police.



"They were confronted by a man with a weapon who had just robbed them and they have a right to defend their lives and that's what they did," said Sgt. Pat White.

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Llano, California



From the June 10, 2004 Antelope Valley Press:
LLANO - A trespasser was shot and killed at a private storage facility Tuesday when he was confronted by the property owner, sheriff's officials said.



Enrique Higuera, 33, was reportedly dead at the scene after being shot, and the property owner held a second trespasser at gunpoint as he waited for deputies at the rural site in the 17000 block of Avenue T-8.



Higuera was allegedly armed and brandished his weapon at the property owner in the moments before he was shot, according to L.A. County sheriff's homicide Sgt. Alec MacArthur. The sergeant would not reveal what type of weapon Higuera was allegedly holding, but said the property owner felt he was in danger. Detectives believe the shooting was justifiable and expected to submit their report to the district attorney's office today for a final decision, MacArthur said.

Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Santa Maria, California



From the Santa Maria Times of June 8, 2004:

Man recovering after shot to the chest during alleged break-in



A man shot in the chest after allegedly breaking into a Santa Maria apartment belonging to his estranged girlfriend and her family remained hospitalized Monday in stable condition.



Police said Jose Everett Fisher, 32, of Santa Maria forced his way into the apartment of his ex-girlfriend's family early Sunday morning and was shot by a resident there, likely in self-defense.



The suspect allegedly used a baseball bat to both threaten the family and to damage items in their home in the Meridian Apartments, in the 500 block of West Sonya Lane, according to Lt. Larry Ralston of the Santa Maria Police Department.



The family hid in a bedroom to avoid the suspect, but when Fisher kicked in the door to approach them, an unidentified relative shot the suspect in the chest with a .22-caliber rifle, Ralston said.



Police were summoned about 1 a.m. Sunday, and Fisher was transported to Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria for treatment of the serious gunshot injury, according to Ralston. He was later flown to Stanford University Medical Center, where he was in stable condition, police said.



When he recovers, police said, the suspect will be booked on suspicion of residential burglary.
Middleburg, Florida



From the Jacksonville's Jacksonville.com of June 5, 2004

2 shot in Middleburg altercation



...the Clay County Sheriff's Office is investigating a third shooting incident in Middleburg that left a man and a woman wounded.



The most recent shooting occurred just after 7 p.m. May 29 in a rural neighborhood off Thunder Road, south of County Road 218 near the Ravines. Details have not been completely unraveled by investigators just yet, but according to witnesses the shootings appeared to have been in self-defense, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mary Justino.



"We have not made an arrest yet and are looking at the possibility that the shooting was justifiable," Justino said. "The 62-year-old shooter was being assaulted on his own property by a man half his age who is a registered violent felon."



George F. Partridge was at home on Dixie Drive when Christian Thomas Carter, 27, and Judy D. Robbins, 43, came onto his property to talk to him about something and an argument ensued.



"Mr. Partridge lives across the street from a woman who is the mother of the female victim," Justino said. "Mr. Partridge used to date her mother but they broke up. The feud stems from Judy Robbins thinking he had things that belonged to her mother."



All three became involved in a physical altercation, during which Carter "had Mr. Partridge in a headlock and was punching him," Justino said.



Witnesses later told officers they saw Partridge pull a handgun and shoot Carter and Robbins at close range, she said. When officers arrived, the two gunshot victims were sitting on the road, the woman bleeding from a stomach wound and her friend shot in the leg.



Both were taken to Shands Jacksonville and were expected to make a full recovery following surgery.



Why Partridge was carrying a .38-caliber revolver at the time was not clear. But Justino said he not only is more than twice Carter's age, but "apparently is pretty frail."



According to court records, Carter has been arrested numerous times on charges including disorderly intoxication, aggravated battery and carrying a concealed weapon. Judy Robbins also was arrested once for battery, Justino said.

Collierville, Tennessee



From the Memphis Commercial Appeal of June 8, 2004

(Requires registration)

Collierville intruder shot to death



Collierville police will consult with prosecutors today about an infrequent homicide that happened in the suburb Sunday morning.



A Collierville homeowner shot and killed an intruder who forced his way into the house and wielded a long gun, Capt. Tommy McCaskill said.



He described the 2 a.m. shooting in a rear bedroom as a "domestic conflict."



The resident shot 28-year-old Steven Keith Poe twice in the upper torso with a handgun.



The Mason resident died at the home, in the 200 block of Cross Point Cove in the Shelton Hills neighborhood of north Collierville, McCaskill said.



Police did not identify the homeowner because it's a domestic case, he said.



No one was in custody and no charges had been filed Monday.



Poe's former girlfriend lived with her parents in the home.



"That was the catalyst, I assume, for him entering the home," McCaskill said. The intruder broke through the glass of a rear door to get inside.



The resident's wife told authorities that before her husband shot the intruder, her husband begged him to leave, McCaskill said.

Sunday, June 6, 2004

Akron, Ohio



From the Akron Beacon-Journal of June 6, 2004

(Requires Registration)

Robbery suspect shot by teen-ager



A robbery suspect who allegedly used a gun to beat a teen-ager and demanded money early Saturday ended up getting shot himself, police said.



Two men forced their way into a home in the 200 block of Shelby Avenue about 8 a.m., police said. They began beating Keon Williams, 17, with a gun while asking, "Where's your money?" police said.



Williams told police he fell to the ground and grabbed a gun from under his mattress. One of the robbers jumped out of a window. The other was shot in the stomach before escaping.



The suspect who jumped out of the window rushed the other man to Akron City Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He is expected to recover.



Police identified the wounded suspect as Tiawn Barham, 22, and the other suspect as Joe Lewis, 30.



Barham and Lewis, both of Akron, are expected to be charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. Williams will not be charged, police said.

Saturday, June 5, 2004

Utica, New York



From the Utica Observer-Dispatch of June 5, 2004

Utica man found not guilty of menacing



A Utica firefighter who pointed his gun at three people at an October party was found not guilty Friday of three counts of second-degree menacing, said his attorney, Les Lewis

....



Sickler, who was 24 at the time, pulled a Colt semiautomatic handgun on two occasions at an Oct. 25 house party in Utica, according to five witness depositions.



He pulled out the gun after another person pulled out a knife during their conversation, and again later during a heated exchange with two other men, witnesses said.



Sickler argued to the court that he pulled his gun in self-defense, Lewis said.



"He had a gun in his holster," Lewis said. "Two thugs tried to come start a fight with him. He put it back immediately afterward. He went in the house after that because he didn't want any more trouble."


Friday, June 4, 2004

Tulsa, Oklahoma



From Tulsa's KOTV.com of June 4, 2004

Tulsa Resident Fires His Gun To Scare Away A Would Be Burglary Suspect



An 87-year-old man living alone in north Tulsa grabbed a gun and started shooting when he heard someone trying to steal his air conditioner.



It all happened around 4:30 AM Friday. The man found an antique shotgun and fired two shots, but Tulsa Police say they don't think he hit anyone.
Columbus, Ohio



From Columbus' NBC4Columbus.com of June 4, 2004

Gunfire Exchanged Between Homeowner, Alleged Robbers



Police: Nothing Taken In Attempted Armed Robbery



Police said that they were searching for two men who were reportedly involved in a home invasion early Friday.



NewsChannel 4's Beth Dal Ponte reported that a woman was jumped from behind at her home, located in the 700 block of Glenmoor Drive.



According to detectives, Kimberly Williams was in her yard around midnight when a masked men pointed a handgun at her and demanded money. Police said that the man walked Williams inside her house while a second armed man remained outside.



Once they were inside, Williams' husband allegedly fired shots and exchanged gunfire with one of the men. Although no one was injured, the alleged criminals ran away from the house.



No money or valuables were taken from the home, Dal Ponte reported.

Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Spokane Valley, Washington



From the Spokane Spokesman-Review of June 2, 2004

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Man wounded in knife fight



A man with a “Crocodile Dundee” knife decided that flight was better than fight when his opponent pulled a .357-caliber pistol Monday, Spokane Valley Police said.



The quarrel began, police said, at a small apartment complex at 10625 E. Trent. A Spokane woman and a California man are co-owners of the complex, police said, and the woman had hired her brother-in-law to do electrical work at the building.



The California man came to the site Monday and found that the work failed to meet state building codes, police said. He complained to his female partner, who summoned the brother-in-law, Bradley E. Cooper, 19107 E. Riverside.



As Cooper, 33, and the California man argued over the quality of the work, Cooper pulled what officers described as a “Crocodile Dundee” knife, which was 1 1/2 feet long. He struck the California man in the head with the knife, police said. Uncowed by the Spokane man's bold but somewhat primitive technique, the California man retrieved the .357 from his car, police said. Cooper then opted to leave, police said.



A description of his vehicle was broadcast and Cooper was stopped a short time later at Trent and Pines by Washington State Patrol Trooper Dan Derrick.



Police booked Cooper into jail on a felony charge of second-degree assault. The California man didn't require medical treatment.