Pine Bluff, Arkansas

From the Pine Bluff Commercial of August 24, 2007

TEEN SHOT DURING HOME INVASION

A teen-ager was shot while allegedly trying to break into a home in the Dollarway area Thursday night, police said.

The boy, about 14 or 15 years old, allegedly tried to kick in a door of a residence near the intersection of School and Malcomb streets. He was almost inside when the homeowner shot him, said Sgt. Greg Holland, assistant public relations officer with the Pine Bluff Police Department.

The juvenile reportedly was shot in his lower body and was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. His condition was not known at the time, Holland said.

An investigation is continuing, he said.

From Little Rock’s KATV.com of September 19, 2007

No Charges Filed in Pine Bluff Home Invasion Shooting

A homeowner who fatally shot a Pine Bluff teenager during a botched home invasion won't face criminal charges.


Authorities say Jimmy Shaw shot and killed 14-year-old Winston Walls Junior after the teen broke into Shaw's home on August 23rd.

Prosecutor Steve Dalrymple has ruled the shooting was justified.

Dalrymple wrote in a memo to Pine Bluff Police Chief John Howell that the law allows deadly force as an appropriate means of self-defense. The memo says Shaw's actions were tragic but unavoidable.

Authorities say the teenager had a handgun when he broke into Shaw's home along with two other teens.