Wausau, Wisconsin

From the Wausau Daily Herald of January 22, 2006

Intruders beware: Victims of burglaries could be armed

These days, Mark Dempsey is easily startled when he hears a sudden noise at his apartment.

Earlier this month, noises at his apartment door turned out to be the sound of would-be burglars. Two teenagers were trying to pry their way inside his home at 1107 Cleveland Ave. on Jan. 10.

Dempsey, 52, shouted out the first thing that came to his mind. He asked them if they wanted to get shot, and they ran away. A broken foot prevented Dempsey from running after them, and they haven't been caught.

During the month of December, Wausau police investigated two attempted burglaries to homes and one to a business. Police received reports of 11 burglaries in the city last month, including six to homes.

Dempsey has a warning to potential burglars, and not just to the ones who tried to break into his apartment: Besides hurting the victims of your crime, you could be putting your own life in jeopardy.

As the owner of a pistol, Dempsey realized that when he felt threatened his thoughts immediately went to his weapon. He never would have chased after the teens and fired shots at them. But if they had gotten inside and threatened his life with a gun, it's hard to say, he said.