Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Enterprise, Alabama

From Dothan’s WTVYNews4.com of October 31, 2007
Enterprise Business Owner Shoots Burglar

Two brothers are behind bars after one of them was shot while allegedly trying to break into an Enterprise business Tuesday night.

Police identify the suspects as 21-year-old Contrell McReynolds and 19-year old Donwone Frazier.

Both have been charged with burglary.

They are accused of trying to kick in a side-door at Fred's feed and seed on Park Avenue just before midnight.

But the owner was inside and opened fire with a shotgun.

McReynolds and Frazier were arrested after McReynolds showed up at a hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound to the arm.

He was treated and taken to jail.
Indio, California

From Los Angeles’ CBS2.com of October 31, 2007
Man Acquitted In 2 Shooting Deaths

Daniel Kenric Karlsons Allegedly Shot His Girlfriend, Her Brother In Self-Defense

A man charged with murdering his then-18-year-old girlfriend and her brother more than three years ago was acquitted by a jury in the shooting deaths, his attorney said Wednesday.

Daniel Kenric Karlsons, 30, was found not guilty of two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a verdict returned late Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center, according to defense attorney Arnold Lieman.

Jurors believed Lieman's argument that the killings were in self-defense.

Elizabeth Morales and her 25-year-old brother Roberto Morales Jr. were fatally shot in February 2004 while sitting in an Acura on Long Canyon Road east of Desert Hot Springs.

"My argument throughout the trial was self-defense," Lieman said. "Roberto Morales took a shot at my client before he got shot."

Karlsons and the siblings were in the Acura with a fourth person when he and Roberto Morales got into a dispute over Karlsons' treatment of his sister.

"Roberto was intoxicated, and I think the liquor took over causing him to act irrationally," Lieman said.

Bullet casings found in the front of the Acura and gunshot residue found on Roberto Morales' hands may have swayed the jury in favor of acquittal, Lieman said.

Karlsons was arrested outside a Calimesa motel based on a tip received by sheriff's detectives that Karlsons was in a room there.
Nicholasville, Kentucky

From the Lexington Herald-Leader of October 31, 2007
Shots fired during home burglary in rural Jessamine County

The Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary in which shots were fired late Wednesday morning.

Sheriff Kevin Corman did not release many details, but he said the homeowner fired after discovering three intruders in his home. The homeowner told investigators that he thought the intruders returned fire. Corman said a neighbor heard three shots fired.

Corman said the confrontation happened on Ky. 169 between U.S. 68 and Keene. Because the matter is under investigation, he did not release the homeowner’s name or address.

It’s not known whether the burglary is related to another burglary in the area that happened Tuesday, Corman said.
From WLEX of October 31, 2007
Police Search For Burglary Suspects

Police are searching for three suspects in a Jessamine County home burglary Wednesday morning who ended up trading gunshots with the homeowner.

The incident happened at around 11:30 a.m. a home on Keene Road. Police say a man was on his exercise bike in the basement when he heard a noise upstairs. He at first assumed the sound was made by his wife, whom had been away from the home. When he went to investigate, the man encountered a man walking out of his bedroom.

The homeowner told LEX 18 that he then fired a warning shot, but the intruder, who police say was in the home with another suspect as a third suspect waited outside in the getaway car, had taken on of the homeowner's guns and shot back while running out of the home.

The homeowner, who did not want to be identified, says he hid behind some bushes and exchanged 8-9 shots as the intruders ran down the driveway chasing the getaway car. The two intruders caught the car and fled down Keene Road toward Kentucky 68.

The getaway car is an older model black Oldsmobile with plastic in the black window. The suspects are described as two were black men and one white man, One of the men who was inside the home was about 20 years old and thin, the other was older and stocky. There is no further description of the driver of the getaway car.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

From the Baton Rouge Advocate of October 31, 2007
Guard shoots robbery suspect

An armed man exchanged gunfire with a shopping center security guard Tuesday after a robbery at a store near the Southdowns neighborhood.

The man, with two lookouts, had held up the Gameware store, 3151 College Drive, near Perkins Road, about 8:35 p.m., police spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

While leaving the store, the robber spotted a private security guard and fired one shot at him but missed, police said.

The guard returned fire, hitting the robber multiple times.

The robber, whose name was not reported, was taken to the hospital by EMS with life-threatening injuries, McKneely said.

His two accomplices fled in a green, older-model Pontiac, and police were still looking for them late Tuesday.
Jacksonville, Florida

From News4Jax.com of October 31, 2007
Police: Woman Shoots Suspect With His Gun

A woman confronted by two home invasion suspects in Westside apartment on Wednesday morning wrestled a gun away from one of them and shot him, police said.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's office, two suspects posing as maintenance men entered the woman's apartment in the 4400 block of Confederate Park Road.

When one of the men pulled a gun, the woman got it away from him and shot him. The man was rushed to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center in serious condition. His name has not been released.

The other suspect ran away and is being sought by police.

The woman was not hurt.
El Paso, Texas

From the El Paso Times of October 31, 2007
In brief: El Paso police arrest 2 men in home invasion

Two men were arrested after an incident in which gunshots were fired in the 3300 block of Wyoming in Central El Paso, police said.

About 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, police were called after a 35-year-old man fired rounds into the air when he was allegedly threatened at his home by two men. When officers arrived, the men forced their way into the man's home and held him against his will before surrendering, police said.

The two men, ages 31 and 21, were charged with evading arrest and unlawful restraint. Names were not immediately available.
Milton, Florida

From Fort Walton Beach’s Northwest Florida News of October 31, 2007
Ex-boyfriend shot while breaking into woman's home

A man is in critical condition after he was shot while allegedly trespassing at 4225 Reinsma Road in Milton late Tuesday night.

The resident, a woman, told deputies that she shot the man, 32-year-old Matthew Scott Strickland, in the chest because he was attempting to break into her residence, according to a release from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman, whose name has not been released, told dispatchers that the intruder was her ex-boyfriend.

When deputies arrived, they found Strickland unconscious in the backyard. He was taken to West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, where he remains in critical condition.

“Investigators are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident,” according to the release.
Memphis, Tennessee

From the October 31, 2007 Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
Memphis police early today were waiting for a suspect to be released from the hospital so they could charge him in a string of events in East Memphis that involved a crash, an attempted break-in, a shooting and smashed windows.

At about 3:30 the suspect crashed his vehicle into a pole on the 6500 block of Poplar Pike, then went to the nearby residence of an elderly couple.

He started banging on the door, demanding to be let in. When the 83-year-old man inside refused, the suspect kicked in a window.

The elderly man fired a shot at the suspect, which set him off running, police said. He was not struck.
Minneapolis, Minnesota

From October 30, 2007 Fox channel 9:
Mpls Family Shoots an Intruder

A thief targeting a north Minneapolis house got a little more than he bargained when he attempted to break in. Fox 9's Beth McDonough, reporting.
The video report says that Willie Hobbs was allegedly trying to force entry into the home, "trying to find some copper, and got some lead."
Miami, Florida

From Miami’s CBS4.com of October 30, 2007
Police: Grocery Store Owner Shot Would-Be Robber

The tables were turned on a would-be robbery suspect after police say a store owner shot him as he tried to rob a grocery store.

Miami-Dade Police say an armed and masked robber walked in to the Diaz Groceries located at 13501 SW 268 Street in Homestead and tried holding up the clerk. The store owner, who was nearby, witnessed the commotion and grabbed the gun and shot at the suspect.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported the shooting victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital via air rescue, but he died on the way.

Police have not released the names of any of the parties involved, and they say they are determining if the owner was acting in self defense.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Springfield, Ohio

From the Springfield News Sun of October 30, 2007
Ramey acquitted of murder charges

Shane Ramey was acquitted Tuesday afternoon in his capital murder trial for the shooting death of Charles Trent in March.

Ramey, 35, of Springfield, was found innocent on felony murder, attempted murder and aggravated murder charges.

He was found guilty of weapons under disability and faces up to five years in prison on that charge.

Ramey was accused of shooting Charles Trent, 68, and his grandson, Anthony Donte Trent, 29, both of 233 W. Grand Ave., on March 15.

Defense attorneys claimed Anthony Donte Trent had been threatening Ramey over a number of days and that Ramey acted in self defense.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Darnell Carter blasted the jury for the "stunning verdict."

"It amazes me that 12 people wouldn't value the life of (Charles Trent)," Carter said to the jury after the verdict was read.

John Paul Rion, Ramey's attorney, said the jury had been fair in its decision.

"No one was kept from testifiying, and the jury deliberated more than 13 hours," said Rion. "They took this seriously."

The verdict was the first acquittal on a murder charge in Clark County in more than eight years, said Carter.

Investigators alleged that an argument took place between Anthony Donte Trent and Ramey, and that Ramey opened fire on both men as they sat in a car on Liberty Street.

Anthony Donte Trent was shot in both arms and recovered. Charles Trent was hospitalized for his injuries and died April 25.

Clark County Common Pleas Judge Douglas Rastatter set Ramey's sentencing for 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Salt Lake City, Utah

From the Salt Lake Tribune of October 30, 2007
Clerk rifle-whips bandit - with bandit's gun

A would-be bandit carrying a rifle tried to rob a Salt Lake City convenience store Monday, only to be beaten with his own gun when the clerk fought back.

The 38-year-old man entered the EZ Mart near 600 North and 200 West around 2:15 p.m. and demanded money.

The clerk and the man began fighting, knocking money and store items across the counter, police reported.

The clerk then grabbed the rifle and began beating the would-be robber. Police arrived and arrested the 38-year-old man.

The clerk suffered chest pains and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Lutz, Florida

From Tampa Bay’s TBO.com of October 30, 2007
3 Men Sought In Home Invasions In Hillsborough

Hillsborough County deputies are searching for three men suspected in a string of armed home invasions and the shooting of a resident who defended himself and nearly caught one of the suspects.

Arrest warrants on charges of armed home robbery were issued today for Cedric Stephens, 20, Derrick Grady, 19, and Ronnie Bolden, 18. Stephens also faces one count of attempted murder.

On Friday morning, the suspects forced their way into an apartment at 15101 Buckhorn Court in Lutz, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. They demanded money and threatened to shoot the four victims. The men left in a newer model red vehicle after taking cash and personal property.

On Sunday morning, the same suspects knocked on an apartment door at 5427 Ginger Cove in Tampa, Carter said. After a victim opened the door, the suspects produced a gun and left with various items of personal property.

Four hours later, the suspects forced open a door at 2608 Rustic Ridge Loop in Lutz, Carter said. They pointed a handgun at a 34-year-old man and took his cash and a video game player, also leaving in a red car.

As they left, the robbers doused the victim's face with pepper spray, Carter said. The victim grabbed a rifle from in the apartment and chased after them. He caught up to one of the men and began to escort him back to the apartment when one of the other suspects came up behind him and fired a shot in the back of his neck, Carter said.

The suspects drove away in a red 2008 Chevrolet, Carter said. The victim chased after the vehicle on foot and then fired one shot at the vehicle.

The suspects abandoned the car and ran west out of the complex, she said. The victim was rushed to Tampa General Hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening and was released.
Lebanon, Pennsylvania

From Harrisburg’s PennLive.com of October 30, 2007
Shot fired at intruder

Police are investigating an incident early Saturday morning in which a homeowner fired a shot at a man who had broken into his home.

Police said the homeowner told them he was awakened at 3:50 a.m. by the sound of breaking glass. He said he got up and went to the kitchen carrying a handgun. There he saw a man dressed in black carrying a baseball bat. When the intruder advanced toward the homeowner, police said he fired one shot at him. At that the intruder turned and ran from the home.

Police said they have evidence that supports the homeowner’s story that someone broke into the home and that a handgun was fired.

Lebanon Police Captain Dan Wright said police believe the intruder had specific reasons for picking that home to break into and that this was not a random incident.

Wright said the focus of the investigation is on the burglary.
Olive Branch, Mississippi

From Memphis’ WMC.com of October 30, 2007
Police investigate carjacking, shooting near Olive Branch

Police are investigating a carjacking that lead to a chase and a shooting Monday afternoon near Olive Branch, Mississippi.

The shooting happened in an area near the intersection of State Line Road and Riverdale Road in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Investigators said 71-year-old Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in the driveway of her south Shelby County home when a man approached her with a shotgun, demanding her car.

"He just walked up behind me as I was taking the groceries out and stuck the gun at me and demanded the keys," Gray said. "There was nothing I could do and I started screaming and I was surprised he didn't shoot me for screaming."

Gray's son Keith, who was inside her house, came outside when he heard the altercation.

Seeing the carjacker pulling out of the driveway in his mother's car, Keith jumped into his own car and followed the man. The pair traveled nearly three miles during the brief chase.

While driving, the suspect pulled a gun on Keith, who was also carrying a gun. He fired at the suspect.

The carjacker veered off into a field, with Keith in pursuit. There, both men jumped out of their vehicles.

Keith approached the carjacker with his gun drawn and ordered the man to stay still. When the carjacker moved, Keith again fired on the man.

"That's when the son confronted the suspect and said to stay put," said Shelby County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson Steve Shular. "The suspect did not do that. The suspect kept getting up and that's when the son fired twice, hitting the suspect in the leg."

The victim was transported to a local hospital.

Marshall Gray, Bobbie's husband and Keith's father, warned others to be cautious.

"Pass the word on," he said. "You never know the next person you're going to carjack may have a gun bigger than yours in their car."

"What he did, I knew he would. He was trying to protect me," Bobbie Gray added.

Keith Gray is licensed to carry a gun in Mississippi, but not in Tennessee.

Officials said they were still working out who would be in charge of the investigation into the incident.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Memphis, Tennessee

From MyFoxMemphis.com of October 29, 2007
Nearly Nude Man Shoots Carjacking Suspect

With no time to think, not even enough time to grab clothes, a son took-off after his mother's alleged carjacker and shot him. Police say the carjacking started in Olive Branch in the 9100 block of Hickory Drive around 1:30 Monday afternoon. It ended in Memphis at Riverdale and Stateline Road, that's where the victim's son shot the suspect. Now, he's recovering at the Med.

The carjacking suspect is under a watchful eye at the Med. He's officially in Shelby County's custody. He's in critical but stable condition after he was shot twice by a man who didn't think twice about protecting his mother.

Keith Gray stood inside crime scene tape on Stateline Road. His first request after chasing down and shooting his mother's alleged carjacker was for some clothes.

"We got a call from my brother requesting some shoes because he ran out," said Lance Gray. "I think the only thing he had on was some underwear."

Lance Gray said his brother acted on instinct when he heard their 71-year-old mother scream.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said Bobbie Gray was unloading groceries in her Olive Branch driveway when 18-year-old David Andre Bates put a shotgun to her head and demanded the keys to her 2004 Mercury Marquis.

"My brother was on the couch, heard the commotion and went and got his gun and chased him down," said Lance.

The chase was about three miles down Stateline Road and into Shelby County. Keith Gray was in his 2002 Nissan Maxima with his pistol. In his mother's car, officers say Bates was armed with a shotgun.

"That's when the son fired several times at the suspect's vehicle," said Steve Shular, of the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.

Bates was hit in the left hip. Officers say he ran, leaving the Mercury Marquis, and eventually fell to the ground.

"The suspect kept getting up," said Shular. That's when the son fired one time, hitting the suspect in the leg."

Officers say Bates wasn't holding his weapon when he was shot. But Lance Gray doesn't question his brother's quick reaction which didn't even leave him time to put on clothes.

"He was legally okay to carry the gun and things like that and he was protecting my mother as anyone else would in the same circumstance," he said.

Olive Branch officers say Bates will be charged with aggravated carjacking. As for Keith Gray, Shelby County deputies don't know what, if any, charges he will face. His mother is at home and doing well.
Laredo, Texas

From the Laredo Morning Times of October 29, 2007
Homeowner shoots would-be burglar

A man attempting to break into a home was shot by the homeowner Sunday morning, police said.A resident of the 8800 block of Wyndham Terrace Trail called police at about 9:35 a.m. Sunday to report that he had just fired at a man who was attempting to break into his home. The would-be burglar ran off.

The caller did not know if he had hit the man.

Officers later found a man in the vicinity who appeared to have a gunshot wound to his hand. The man was taken to the hospital, and faces charges of burglary, police said.

The man who was hit, whose name police did not immediately release, was outside the house at the time shots were fired, police said.

Police did not release the name of the homeowner Sunday.
Jacksonville, Florida

From the Jacksonville Times-Union of October 29, 2007
Restaurant employees 'Wok N Roll' on robber

Employees at a Jacksonville Wok N Roll restaurant not only disarmed a robber Saturday night but also got his sweatshirt.

Police responded to the robbery call about 10:40 p.m. at the 8011 Merrill Road restaurant where employees said they had left the front door propped open because of the heat. That's when a gunman walked in and pointed his weapon at two of the employees behind the counter, the Sheriff's Office report said.

One of the employees opened the register and handed the cash to the gunman. As the man grabbed the money, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound employee grabbed the handgun and he and his co-worker chased the robber out the store. The victim threw the gun at the assailant's head but missed, according to the Sheriff's Office report.

The other employee grabbed the robber's hooded sweatshirt and pulled it off, the report said. But the man ran through the parking lot into the Paddock Club Apartments and jumped a wooden fence into the Sandy Beach Lane neighborhood. He got away with about $480, the report said.

The victims gave police the sweatshirt and gun, which turned out to be a BB gun.

The robber was described as a black man with a goatee, about 35 years old, 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt, dark shorts and red shoes.
Brooksville, Florida

From Tampa Bay‘s TBO.com of October 29, 2007
Burglary Suspect Caught

A suspected burglar who was shot twice on his way out the door has been captured, authorities announced today.

Deputies cordoned off streets in the area of Sunshine Grove Road for hours Oct. 17 as they unsuccessfully searched for the suspect, now identified as 23-year-old Nigel Fleming.

An affidavit shows Fleming was arrested at his home, 21348 Canal St., Brooksville, on Friday, but a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office couldn't say what led investigators to Fleming because the case is still open.

An arrest affidavit states the victim, Mark Hartley, arrived at his home on Sunshine Grove Road that morning to find an unfamiliar red pickup in his driveway.

Hartley armed himself with a .22 caliber handgun from his pickup and went to investigate. When he stepped inside the open back door, Fleming allegedly charged him and pushed Hartley against a washing machine.

At one point in the struggle, Hartley shot Fleming in the gut with small pellets called rat shot. Fleming was also shot in the buttocks as he fled.

Detective Randy Williamson reported that the suspect left behind a pair of size 10 1/2 shoes and escaped capture barefoot.

Fleming is charged with burglary of a dwelling with battery and has been placed on a no bond status.
Ider, Alabama

From Huntsville’s WHNT.com of October 29, 2007
DeKalb Co. Man Kills Intruder With Shotgun

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department is investigating an overnight incident where a homeowner apparently shot and killed an intruder. However, the homeowner is recovering from multiple stab wounds himself.

Sheriff Jimmy Harris says deputies got a call just after 2 o'clock Monday morning that a stabbing and shooting had taken place at a home on County Road 764 near Ider.

Ider Police, Henagar Police, and the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department responded, to find Jerry Lee Miller, 41, suffering from numerous stab wounds. Police and deputies searched the home and found a second victim in another room, Joseph E. Williams, 31, of Jackson County. Williams was dead, from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Witnesses tell investigators Williams allegedly attacked Miller in his sleep with a large kitchen knife, stabing him several times in his back and arms. A family member interrupted the attack, and Miller was able to get a shotgun, and shoot Williams in the stomach.

Investigators have collected evidence at the scene, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is performing an autopsy on Williams' body.

Sheriff Harris says there are no charges at this time.
Tampa, Florida

From the University of South Florida‘s The Oracle of October 29, 2007
Robed man chases robbers with rifle

A resident of Campus Lodge wearing a bathrobe and armed with a rifle chased three would-be robbers from his apartment Sunday afternoon.

The man, whose name was not released by deputies, was shot in the neck by one of the robbery suspects before a deputy patrolling the area spotted him running in a parking lot, said J.D. Calloway, spokesman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Witnesses said he fired a round into the air, Calloway said.

The three men, one carrying a handgun, allegedly barged into the victim's apartment, located at 2608 Rusty Ridge Loop, around 3:41 p.m., but were chased out by the victim.

Frank Prather, a resident of Campus Lodge, said he was drawn outside his apartment by the sound of people arguing. He thought it came from the floor under his.

He heard a man pleading not to be shot before a gun was fired. Prather said he ducked into his house to grab his phone, and when he went outside a second time, he heard another shot.

The victim was shot from behind in the base of the neck outside his apartment, Calloway said. His injuries were not life threatening, but the victim was taken to Tampa General Hospital for examination.

The suspects, who drove a red Chevy Impala, got lost in the complex, and a deputy blocked their escape through the entrance, Calloway said. They then abandoned their vehicle and fled into the surrounding area.

The Sheriff's office sent deputies, K-9 units and helicopters to search the area around Campus Lodge. No arrests have been made.
Gastonia, North Carolina

From Charlotte’s WBTV.com of October 29, 2007
Gastonia Man Shoots Burglar

New from overnight, police say an elderly man in Gastonia took matters into his own hands when a robber broke into his home.

It happened at a house on Sixth Avenue.

The homeowner said he didn't know what to think when the crook came inside.

He was shaken up and shot the intruder.

The burglar ran off, and police say he was later found on South Myrtle School Road.

He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center where he was released a short time later.

He's in jail this morning, charged with first degree burglary.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Chesapeake, Virginia

From HamptonRoads.com of October 28, 2007
Chesapeake teen shot trying to enter wrong house

A Chesapeake teen received minor injuries in an early morning shooting Sunday. The 16-year-old was taken to Norfolk General Hospital.

At 3:13 a.m. Sunday, Chesapeake police responded to a home invasion call in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road in the Vintage Estates area off Johnstown Road. Police spokesman Charles Thiebaed said police heard two shots when they arrived.

Police said the teenager had been drinking and was trying to get into a house he thought was his but was actually a neighbor’s house. The neighbor fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, according to police.

They are investigating the incident.
From HamptonRoads.com of October 29, 2007
No charges expected for Chesapeake homeowner who shot teen

Charges are not expected to be filed against a Chesapeake homeowner who shot her teenage neighbor during a mistaken home invasion.

The 16-year-old suffered minor injuries Sunday morning after he was shot once in the 1100 block of Old Vintage Road, in the Vintage Estates area off Waters Road. Police said the boy had been drinking and tried to get into his neighbor's Great Bridge home, thinking it was his own house.

Chesapeake police said they will consult with the commonwealth's attorney's office to determine if the teen should be charged. The investigation is ongoing, said Christi Golden, a police spokeswoman.

The teen was banging on the neighbor's door, yelling to be let in, police said. He was at the neighbor's back porch at one point and moved to another door, police said.

As he attempted to get into the second door, he was shot, police said. No one in the home was harmed.

"They were very scared and frightened, and they weren't sure why this person was trying to get into their home," Golden said. "They were yelling for him to leave."

The homeowner called police before she fired two shots at the teen, hitting him once, police said. Police responded at 3:13 a.m. Sunday. As police arrived, they heard two shots. The teen never entered the house, police said.

Police did not release the names of the teen or the homeowner. No one answered the door of the home around 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Gainesville, Florida

From Orlando’s WESH.com of October 27, 2007
Blind Man Shoots Home Intruder In Neck

According to police, Cevaughn Curtis Jr., 28, broke into Arthur Williams' house in Gainesville at around 3 a.m.

Curtis, police said, knocked on the door, asked to be let inside but Williams refused. Curtis then tried to force his way into the home.

The 75-year-old retired taxi dispatcher, who's been legally blind for the past 61 years, opened fire on the would-be-thief who kicked down his door, police said.

Police said Williams shot Curtis, who tried to flee but collapsed on the front porch, in the left side of the neck. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

Police said Curtis was charged with burglary of an occupied residence and battery on a person over the age of 65.

Officials are praising Williams for protecting himself.
You can see his criminal history here.
Madison, Wisconsin

From Madison.com of October 27, 2007
Jury acquits State Street shooter

Even though he shot and killed a man during a drunken fight on State Street on May 22, Daniel Kelly left the courtroom Friday night a free man, found not guilty of first-degree reckless homicide.

Public defender Dennis Burke successfully argued that on the night when 23-year-old Austin Bodahl died from a gunshot wound to his chest, Kelly, an Army and National Guard veteran, had fired in self-defense.

Kelly's father, Steve Kelly, appeared relieved but subdued as he left the court late Friday after the jury announced its verdict.

"About all I can say is it's been a tragedy for both families," he said. "The Bodahls are very nice people.

"I would hope that society would treat young men who are a little different with a little more respect," he added. "This fight should have been stopped by people long before it got to this point."

The jury's verdict came after jurors deliberated through part of the afternoon and all of the evening. After it was announced, Steve Kelly said his son was planning to leave Madison to see his grandmother in North Carolina.

The case centered around a nighttime fight on State Street that erupted after Kelly encountered three drunken young men whose lives, like Kelly's, were largely untethered. Jurors were to decide, as instructed by Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser, whether Kelly, 31, caused Bodahl's death through "criminally reckless conduct" that showed "utter disregard for human life," or whether Kelly used force likely to cause death because he reasonably believed that such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself.

(Much More)
From Chicago’s WLS of October 27, 2007
Man cleared in fatal shooting in Madison

A man has been acquitted in the shooting death of the son of a former Minnesota state legislator during a fight last spring.

A Dane County jury deliberated nine hours before announcing its decision in the trial of 31-year-old Daniel A. Kelly late Friday.

He was charged with first-degree reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Austin Bodahl of Waconia, Minnesota in a late-night fight on May 22. Kelly was accused of taking a gun from a homemade holster under a kilt he was wearing and shooting Bodahl on Madison's State Street.

Bodahl was the son of former Minnesota state Rep. Larry Bodahl. He had moved to Madison just weeks before his death.

Kelly's attorney, assistant public defender Dennis Burke, had argued in the trial that Kelly shot Bodahl in self-defense.

But prosecutors argued Kelly did not take reasonable steps to avoid the fight with Bodahl.
Dallas, Texas

From the Dallas Morning News of October 26, 2007
Scrap yard owner shoots burglary suspect in armpit

A scrap yard owner shot a burglary suspect Thursday evening in South Dallas. The wounded man is being treated at a local hospital and is expected to survive. Police are trying to determine his identity.

The business owner told police that he caught the man taking a radiator from his scrap yard in the 4900 block of South Lamar Street. When the owner told the man he was calling police, the suspect dropped the radiator, said he wasn't going back to jail and began walking toward him.

The business owner told police that he fired two shots in the air and that a third struck the suspect's armpit as he climbed over a fence.

The man was caught nearby.
Mobile, Alabama

From the Mobile Press-Register of October 27, 2007
Jury acquits man of murder

Rodney Hamilton told a Mobile jury this week that he shot Miyako Hill five times in self-defense.

On Thursday, after two hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Hamilton of murder.

Court officials said Friday that during the trial before Circuit Judge John Lockett, prosecutors argued it wasn't self-defense but an ambush that took the life of Hill as he sat in his Chevrolet Avalanche in the driveway of Hamilton's Cheyenne Parkway home in Prichard.

It was the city's first homicide of 2007, occurring nine hours into the new year.

Officials said that in testimony this week before Lockett, Hamilton and Hill knew each other through their patronage of a Prichard barbershop and that around mid-December last year Hamilton borrowed $300 from Hill.

The agreement, witnesses said, was that by Dec. 28 Hamilton would repay the $300, plus an unusually hefty interest -- 150.

He couldn't come up with the money on that date and asked for more time, Hamilton testified, and a day or so later paid Hill the $450, court officials said.

But Hill wasn't satisfied, Hamilton said, and informed him that since he had been late on repaying the original loan, Hamilton now owed Hill another $450.

Hill then began a campaign of threats and intimidation, Hamilton testified, along with showing up at his house in the middle of the night.

Court officials said Hamilton and some of his family members, including children, testified that Hill returned around 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 1.

Hamilton's 10-year-old daughter testified she was awakened that morning by a man carrying a gun and banging on her bedroom window.

She told her father, and Hamilton confronted Hill outside, according to testimony. Officials said that according to Hamilton, Hill got back into his vehicle but refused to leave the defendant's property, then began smoking a marijuana cigarette.

Hamilton, 33, said at that point he believed Hill, 28, was going for a gun, and Hamilton shot him with a .38-caliber revolver.

(More)

Friday, October 26, 2007

Houston, Texas

From Houston’s KTRK of October 26, 2007
Suspected burglar may have been living in couple's attic

An elderly homeowner in northeast Houston is shaken up after shooting a suspected burglar. It turns out the man had actually been living in her attic and she never knew.

Police say the suspect had been living in the attic at the home near Hardy and Lorraine, getting in and out of the house through a side window.

Police say the man saw the husband leave Friday afternoon, so he thought the house was empty. He went inside, but little did he know the man's 84-year-old wife was there. She heard the commotion and was waiting with her pistol in hand.

Police say she fired several rounds, hitting the suspect once in the neck area.

"She was in fear of her life," said Sgt. Richard Nieto with the Houston Police Department. "A stranger was inside her home. She used the force necessary to protect her personal safety."

The suspect ran down the alley behind the house, collapsing on the sidewalk in front of Shermann Elementary School. Police say the children were never in harm's way and it didn't disrupt the day.

Based on evidence found inside the attic, police think the suspect had been living there for a while. They also think he may have robbed the husband at knifepoint on Thursday.

The suspect is at Ben Taub Hospital, facing several charges. The woman who shot him is not facing charges.
Lawton, Oklahoma

From Lawton’s KSWO.com of October 26, 2007
Another would be burglar stopped by gun wielding homeowner

For the second time in just one week a shooting is ruled justified in connection with an attempted burglary. This time it happened in Lawton's Old Town North Addition in the 500 block of Bell. The homeowner says he was asleep in the middle of the afternoon when he heard someone trying to break in. He says his first reaction was to grab his gun to stop the would be burglar in his tracks.

This is a very separate case from Tuesday's incident where the burglar was killed. This would be burglar - who also happened to be a 17 year old boy - was not hit by gunfire. He got lucky because he very well could have been killed - and the law would have allowed it.

Like many homeowners in Lawton, Andy Miguez says he's been extra cautious of burglars lately. Especially after, he says, his neighbors home has been victimized a handful of times recently. What he didn't know was that he was next.

"Somebody rang my doorbell. Knocked on the door and I didn't answer it," says Miguez. "They lifted my mail slot up and looked in my mail slot and I could see somebody out there moving around - and they came around the other side of the house and jumped the fence," he says.

Miguez says he's CLEET certified - the same training law enforcement officers receive for a would be burglar trying to get through a window. "I grabbed my gun and I came out through the back door to see if I could catch them," he says. "And I caught the kid right there trying to pry open my window. He was up against the house and he turned toward me and he had a screwdriver in his hand or something that's when I shot."

He fired two shots - both misses. Miguez says the boy jumped the fence and took off running down the street until police caught him a few blocks away. The District Attorney's Office says Miguez's actions were justified under several laws - including the "Make My Day", and "Stand Your Ground" laws.

"I believe I have a right to protect my home and belongings in my home and my family," says Miguez. "You know, this is my property. I'm buying it. I'm paying for it. So I have a right." But, with two similar incidents this week - both justified - will it lead to more homeowners arming themselves to potentially fire upon bad guys who are only trying to steal?

"I don't think everybody ought to be running up and down the street with a gun," says Miguez. "But, if you buy a gun legally and you have a concealed carry permit and you have taken classes, I think you ought to be able to arm yourself to protect yourself and your property." He says this teenager initially tried to hit a house a few doors down from his, but when he rang the doorbell and heard someone inside, he moved on to the next target. Miguez says he picked the wrong house.

That 17 year old boy has been charged with attempted first degree burglary under the youthful offender act. He's now in the Comanche County Jail.
Memphis, Tennessee

From Memphis’ MyEyewitnessNews.com of October 26, 2007
Man Shoots Burglar; Then Taken Into Custody

Police say a man shot a burglar trying to break into his house.

This shooting happened in the 1400 block of Stevenson in South Memphis around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night, October 25.

The accused burglar was hit with buck-shot. He's at The Med in critical condition.

We are told that the homeowner was taken into custody, Not because of this shooting, but because of an outstanding warrant.
Bardstown, Kentucky

From Bardstown’s The Kentucky Standard of October 26, 2007
Homeowner shoots a would-be robber twice

An alleged robber was shot at least twice by a local homeowner early Wednesday morning. The injured man has been charged with several crimes . The suspect was hospitalized but those in the home were unharmed.

Nelson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Major Keith Greene said about 2 a.m. a call was received reporting a shooting at a residence at 1325 Plum Run Road. At least one suspect, armed with a handgun, forced his way into the home and allegedly demanded drugs. One of the residents then fired a small caliber handgun at the intruder, hitting him at least twice, Greene said. No one else was injured.

The suspect, later identified as Chaylin Montgomery, 30, Bardstown, was transported to a Louisville-area hospital for treatment. He was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. Montgomery is already under indictment for his alleged role in the beating and injury of a man earlier this year in a parking lot.

The names of the resident who shot the suspect and those inside the home at the time of the incident were not released by police.

The investigation into the shooting and events that led up to it are ongoing, Greene said. No charges have been filed against those who were in the home during the incident.
Great Falls, Montana

From the Great Falls Tribune of October 26, 2007
Hunter charging grizzly

Sitting on his butt and aiming a 30-06 rifle with one arm, Carl Haggar of East Glacier fired the shot of his life — and maybe saved it.

The 350-pound grizzly that was closing in on him hit the ground — dead — just five feet away.

"It was an amazing sound," said Haggar, recalling the bear's heavy collapse, "because it was a lifeless sound."
Haggar, who was hunting elk, said he felt terrible after killing the bear, which happened late Tuesday morning near the South Fork of the Two Medicine River in the Lewis and Clark National Forest southwest of East Glacier.

But, he figured, it was the bear or him.

"I would have been killed if I hadn't had a killing blow," he said.

(More)
Gatlinburg, Tennessee

From the Knoxville News of October 25, 2007
Sevier officers arrest two men after attempted home invasion

Sevier County sheriff’s officers charged two men who allegedly impersonated police officers and wore camouflage clothing during a home invasion attempt that prompted a gun battle with a homeowner, according to authorities.

Robert Joel Hawkins, 21, and Isaiah Ray Kemp, 22, both of Sevierville, were charged with attempted aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and six counts each of reckless endangerment, according to a release from Sevier County Sheriff Ron Seals.

The pair are accused of attempting to enter the home at 429 King Branch Road. Authorities were alerted at 11:13 p.m. Tuesday of the incident, Seals said in the release.

The homeowner told officers that two men dressed in camouflage clothing with stockings over their faces knocked on the door and claimed to be police officers. When the men couldn’t provide police identification, the homeowner refused to open the door, Seals said in the release.

The two intruders then displayed a handgun and an AR-15 rifle and pointed the weapons at people in the home, Seals said. The homeowner got his own weapon, and the two men ran. The homeowner fired at the fleeing men, and they returned fire before leaving in a dark-colored truck, Seals said in the release. No one was injured during the gunfight.

Sevier County deputies stopped a truck on Upper Middle Creek Road as it was leaving the area and found camouflage clothing, an AR-15 rifle, a handgun and a bullet-resistant vest in the vehicle, Seals said. Seals said the investigation is continuing.
Dallas, Texas

From the October 26, 2007 Houston Chronicle:

DALLAS — Dallas police say a man in a wheelchair disarmed and fatally shot a home intruder with the intruder's own gun.

The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Friday at the man's apartment in the Village Oaks Apartments in the Fruitdale neighborhood, south of downtown Dallas.

Investigators say the man was able to wrestle the gun away from the intruder and shoot him. The suspected burglar died a short time later at Baylor University Medical Center.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Pennfield Township, Michigan

From Battle Creek’s WWMT.com of October 25, 2007
Homeowner captures home invader

Police have arrested a juvenile after a homeowner kept him at gunpoint inside his home.

It happened Tuesday afternoon in the 100 block of Derby Road in Pennfield Township.

One of the two suspects got away. That second intruder turned himself in and had an arraignment Thursday in court.

It was the homeowner's handgun that helped him help police.

“I came to the door, I was walking to the door like this, I don't know where they're at, they came to the door like this,” said Damon Ogletree.

He took the concealed weapons course and has Navy medals for his marksmanship. Ogletree had no second thoughts about defending his home.

“He was probably just as surprised as I was,” said Ogletree.

Two intruders had broke through a back window. Ogletree met one of them by his bedroom. That intruder's partner managed to get out the same way he got in.

The one Ogletree first saw did not. “I'm like get your hands in the air, do not put your hands in your pockets whatever you do, and get them in the air, so he put them in the air and got on the ground.”

“That's their decision as a gun owner and homeowner,” said Captain Matthew Saxton. He says the decision is a legal one. But he wouldn't recommend it to everyone. “They gotta decide whether it's worth saving their TV or their life.”

This was the third break-in at Ogletree's house in the last year. For him it was an easy choice. “I just can't believe the mentality of some of the younger kids that's running around, that think they can do this kind of stuff and get away with it,” said Ogletree.

The Sheriff's Department doesn't know if these two intruders are responsible for the other break-ins at Ogletree's home. This time though, nothing was stolen.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

From October 25, 2007 Myrtle Beach Online:

A man who broke into a house Thursday morning on 44th Avenue North at Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach was shot in the hand by someone in the house, said Myrtle Beach Police Lt. Doug Furlong.

Emergency operators dispatched police to the scene at 10:40 a.m.

The burglary suspect, who has not yet been charged, was transported to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. No one else was injured, Furlong said.

Sharpes, Florida

From Orlando’s WFTV,com of October 17, 2007
Woman Calls 911 To Say She Shot Her Boyfriend

A Sharpes woman called 911 saying she shot her boyfriend after he attacked her.

Rescue crews tried to help the man as he stumbled from the house after being shot in the abdomen. Investigators said the woman claimed it was self-defense.

An unidentified friend said the man was trying to move out of the home off Canaveral Groves Boulevard.

"He was taking a minute to get some clothes and, bam, gunshot. He ran out and came and called the cops,” the friend said.

Investigators were not releasing the names of anyone involved. The man who was shot was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition.
From FloridaToday.com of October 17, 2007
Deputies respond to shooting

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a shooting that happened this afternoon at a Canaveral Groves home.

At about 2:16 p.m., a woman called 9-1-1 and reported that she shot her boyfriend in the stomach after he threatened her with a knife, said Lt. Andrew Walters. The man, whose name the sheriff’s did not release, left the residence in the 500 block of Canaveral Groves Blvd. on foot.

The man was airlifted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition, Walters said.

No arrests have been made, he said. Deputies are still interviewing witnesses, and haven’t released the name of the woman involved.
Pasadena, Maryland

From the Maryland Gazette of October 24, 2007
Investigator shoots pit bull in Pasadena

Ryan Scott knew his dog was going to die when he held him in his arms yesterday morning.

The Pasadena man came home on his lunch break to let his 7 month-old pit bull, Hershey, outside. Within a few moments, the dog would be shot by a man identified as a Social Security investigator after the animal got loose.

"I picked him up and I knew he was going to die," Mr. Scott said.

Cpl. Mark Shawkey, county police spokesman, said officers who arrived at Mr. Scott's home on Colony Road at just after 11 a.m. found a official from the Office of the Inspector General.

He told them he was investigating a Social Security case. They did not release his name last night.

The investigator told police he warned the person who answered the door several times to call the dog and that the animal chased after him.

Police said the animal, which weighed 50 to 60 pounds, was shot at very close range, with the shot fired almost straight down. No charges have been filed.

Dorothy Clark, spokesman for the Social Security Administration, said yesterday afternoon that her office had not been informed of the incident. She was unable to say if anyone from the Office of Inspector General was in Pasadena yesterday. The office investigates cases where a Social Security number is fraudulently used to obtain benefits.

Mr. Scott said he wasn't outside when the dog was shot. Hershey, seeing company coming to call, was excited and jumped up on the inspector playfully, he said.

...

Both Mr. Preissler and Mr. Scott argue that if the inspector had time to call off the dog, there was no need to shoot him.

"Obviously he wasn't in imminent danger," Mr. Preissler said.

Mr. Scott's sister had called the dog, who was running back toward the house with his back to the inspector, Mr. Scott said.

"He definitely made the wrong call. The dog wasn't even doing nothing," he said.

Mr. Scott said that he thought pit bulls get a bad reputation, but he has two others and doesn't worry about the baby his girlfriend is carrying being around the dogs.

"I believe because he was a pit, they shot him," Mr. Scott said.
Sherwood, Arkansas

From the Arkansas Democrat Gazette of October 25, 2007
Homeowner fears shots were fatal as body investigated

Sherwood resident Larry Staley fears he may have shot a would-be burglar Tuesday morning, but he holds tightly to the hope that the man died when he slipped and fell into Gap Creek.

Police are investigating the event in which Staley, whose home on Arkansas 107 has been a frequent target of burglars, fired several shots in the direction of an intruder in his backyard early Tuesday. Though police found nothing when they searched the area just after the incident, his wife discovered a body Tuesday afternoon in the creek along the edge of the family’s property.

“I’m very much afraid that I shot the man,” Staley said Wednesday.

Sherwood police spokesman Ryan Baker identified the man as Bryant Cross, 18, of McAlmont but said investigators have not verified his involvement in the burglary attempt and are waiting for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Tuesday night, the Pulaski County coroner’s office verified that the death is being investigated as a homicide. Wednesday, Coroner Mark Malcolm said the autopsy results will be delayed because of a backlog of pending autopsies.

In the interim, Staley said he is trying to make sense of what happened. “I’m very confused as to how the man got there and when,” the former Marine said. “I certainly wasn’t trying to deliberately take a life.” Staley said Wednesday his family has been the target of burglars five times since February 2006. In July, he and his wife, Erlene, thwarted a group of burglars after the family’s fourwheelers by firing shots over their heads.

Around 1: 30 a. m. Tuesday, Erlene Staley woke to see two men running from their garage, Larry Staley said. She stayed awake to watch the men. When they returned 10 minutes later, she woke her husband and called 911.

Staley said that when he took up a position at the backdoor with a. 22 pistol in hand, he saw the two men — a black man in a black-hooded shirt who was walking toward his shed and a white man who stood at the back corner of the house.

Suddenly, he said, the white man ran toward him. The man kept running when he told him to “Freeze,” so Staley said he fired a few shots into the tops of a small stand of pine trees in his backyard. When the man crossed Gap Creek and ran up and an embankment, Staley fired a few more shots several feet to the left of the man, into the embankment.

According to police, four Sherwood off icers who arrived at the Staleys’ house around 1: 45 a. m. heard gun shots and saw someone running west, away from the house. They searched, with the help of a dog, for more than an hour, but they found no one.

During it all, Staley said he lost sight of the black man.

“I never saw the man with the hood again that night,” Staley said.

Tuesday afternoon, he did.

Staley said his wife told him she saw a body in the creek around 1: 30 p. m. He said he didn’t believe her at first but, after walking to the creek’s slippery, rocky banks, he saw the man. He said he recognized the black-hooded clothing he had seen early Tuesday, but he said he saw no blood or gunshot wound.

Regardless of the cause, Staley said that, while he was trying to protect his family and defend his property, he regrets what happened.

“I feel so bad that a man died out here,” Staley said.

Baker said investigators have located another man they believe was involved in the attempted burglary. He did not identify the man and no charges had been filed against anyone as of Wednesday afternoon.

“This is one of those cases that’s up in the air,” Baker said. “We’re trying to put the pieces together.”

Detectives will turn their investigation over to the Pulaski County prosecutor, who will determine what, if any, charges should be filed, Baker said.

Wednesday, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley said he had not received any information from Sherwood police.

He will review the reports once they are filed. He could make a determination then or ask detectives for some additional information, Jegley said.
Fargo, North Dakota

From In-Forum News of October 23, 2007
Man pulls gun on would-be robber

A would-be robbery victim turned the table on a robber in a case under investigation by Fargo police.

A gas delivery driver reported to police that he was confronted early Saturday morning by a man holding a knife when he was at a south Fargo convenience store.

The man with the knife, described as standing about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds, told the driver to empty his pockets.

The driver reached toward his jacket pocket and said, “You brought a knife to a gunfight,” according to the report given to police.

At that point, the would-be robber fled quickly on foot, Lt. Pat Claus of the Fargo Police Department said. The man was described as having short hair, dark and curly, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, according to the incident report.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Jacksonville, Florida

From News4Jax.com of October 24, 2007
Store Owner Chases Gunman From Business

Fish Market Owner Refuses To Become Victim

A store owner refused to become a victim Tuesday night. When a masked gunman rushed into his Westside fish market, the store owner fought back and scared off the crook.

The attempted robbery took place just before 6 p.m. at Jacobson's Fish Market on Beaver Street, where a bustling shopping plaza once stood and now only one store remains.

The fish market owner, Sameer Kandah, said doing business at the location has been rough.

Kandah said he was getting to ready to close up his fish market on Tuesday night when a man wearing a Halloween-type mask stormed inside with a gun.

"I was with a customer and next thing I know he's holding a gun to my face and handing me a bag telling me to put money in the bag," Kandah said.

However, the store owner refused to comply. He said instead he told the robber to do it himself.

"I was trying to get him to come close enough so I could disarm him, but when I tried he ran away," Kandah said.

After that, the owner said he chased the masked gunman out of his store with a shotgun in tow but by the time he got in the parking lot the crook was nowhere to be found.

Kandah said since the grocery store next door to his market was abandoned the shopping plaza has been plagued with crime.

"Our life is in danger everyday because of this. The day before the robbery we had someone waiting for us in the bushes because it's too dark outside when we close," Kandah said.

Contributing to the problem he said are broken lights in the parking lot that invite crooks to his store.

"You never know what you're walking in and out of -- it's very dangerous," Kandah said. "I'm not trying to take justice into our hands. I'm trying to survive that's all."
New Bedford, Massachusetts

From New Bedford’s SouthCoastToday.com of October 24, 2007
Shooting victim now charged in connection with house break

A 24-year-old city man, allegedly shot in the neck during an armed house break, has been arrested on home invasion and gun charges in connection with the break.

Brandon L. Medeiros of 450 Kempton St. is charged with four counts of armed home invasion with a firearm, two counts of armed assault with intent to commit robbery with a firearm, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawfully carrying/possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, armed burglary with a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to New Bedford police.

Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Mr. Medeiros will be arraigned on the charges today in New Bedford District Court.

He added that prosecutors will seek a dangerousness hearing to hold the suspect for up to 90 days while awaiting trial.

He said Steven Gagne, an assistant district attorney, has had preliminary discussions with Christopher Markey, the defense attorney for Mr. Medeiros, and a dangerousness hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Friday in New Bedford District Court.

The charges stem from a house break at 33 Sycamore St. about 8:15 p.m. Monday when a gun discharged during a scuffle between two suspects and the male occupant.

Mr. Miliote said prosecutors allege one of the suspects is Mr. Medeiros.

Mr. Medeiros was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, New Bedford, and then flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. Police found Mr. Medeiros when they responded to a report of a man shot laying in the street near 74 Parker St.

Mr. Miliote said Mr. Medeiros was not seriously injured in the shooting and will be present in court for his arraignment.

The spokesman did not identify the second suspect in the house break and said he remains at-large.
Flagstaff, Arizona

From Flagstaff’s Daily Sun of October 24, 2007
Man shoots, kills home invader

A Flagstaff resident shot and killed a man he knew who broke into his home Monday morning.

Flagstaff police received a 911 call at about 10:36 a.m. Monday to respond to a home on North Center Street in Sunnyside, said Sgt. Tom Boughner of the police department.

Once officers arrived, the resident told police that he had shot an intruder, who was a man he knew, Boughner said. How the resident knew the man who was shot is still under investigation.

"He said he heard a crash in one of the back rooms," Boughner said, adding that the resident stated he saw the intruder and knew him.

"He reported he felt threatened by the intruder," Boughner said. "He then shot at the intruder six times with a .45-caliber pistol."

The intruder, who was shot three times, has been identified as Edward Matthew Duran, 22, a Flagstaff resident, Boughner said.

Duran is a convicted felon who was released from prison in November 2006 after being convicted in Coconino County Superior Court of three separate violent felonies, according to court records.

Boughner said the shooting does not appear to be drug- or gang-related, and that the resident has been cooperative with police.

The resident has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

(More)
Puyallup, Washington

From the October 23, 2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

TACOMA, Wash. -- Pierce County prosecutors have declined to file charges against a 21-year-old man who fatally shot another man at a Puyallup gas station.

The prosecutors say the shooter was justified when he shot 23-year-old Nicholas Cruz, of Eatonville, on October 7 at a Shell station.

The shooter told investigators he was sitting in his car at the gas station when Cruz approached and punched him several times, reportedly after breaking the driver's side window.

Police say the driver has a valid concealed weapons permit. They say he pulled out his .357-caliber handgun and shot Cruz twice.

Police say the men apparently were involved in an altercation of some sort before the shooting.

Stone Mountain, Georgia

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of October 23, 2007
Man shot dead attempting to rob nonprofit

An employee of a Stone Mountain nonprofit association that helps war-torn refugees shot and killed a robber who forced his way into the office Tuesday evening around closing time, authorities said.

The robber collapsed and died near a rear door of the World Relief, an immigrant resettlement agency at 655 Village Square Drive, according to DeKalb County police spokesman Marcus Hodge.

Hodge said around 6:30 p.m. the two robbers entered through the rear door as two male employees, described as older men, were preparing to leave and lock the front door.

Both robbers were armed with handguns, and one of them acted as a lookout, Hodge said.

The other demanded the victims' wallets, then put his gun to one employee's head and ordered him to open a safe, Hodge said.

When the robber turned his back, the other employee grabbed a gun from his desk and fired several shots at the robber, Hodge said.

Hodge said he did not know how many times the robber was struck, or where he was wounded.

Both robbers ran, though the wounded robber did not make it far. Police were still searching for the second robber late Tuesday.

The name of the employee who shot the robber was not immediately released Tuesday. He had not been charged late Tuesday, Hodge said, because the shooting appears to have been in self-defense.
Wichita, Kansas

From the Wichita Eagle of October 24, 2007
Woman shot, man injured in domestic dispute

Wichita police are investigating a domestic violence disturbance that occurred Tuesday night in the 500 block of North Spruce.

Sgt. Jeff Davis said a 76-year-old man asked his 52-year-old girlfriend and roommate to move out. She poured bleach on him, a police report said, and then sprayed him with Mace. As she began hitting him with a frying pan, he pulled out a .38 revolver and shot her twice in the left shoulder.

Emergency workers transported both of them to Wesley Medical Center.

Doctors treated and released the man; the woman is in serious condition, Davis said. Police did not arrest the man, Davis said, but expect to arrest the woman when she is out of the hospital.

"We think this was a situation of self-defense," Davis said.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Battle Creek, Michigan

From the Battle Creek Enquirer of October 23, 2007
Pennfield Township resident holds burgular at gunpoint

A Pennfield Township resident was home alone at about 2:40 p.m. today when he heard burgulars in another room.

The resident caught one and held the juvenile at gunpoint until Calhoun County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and arrested the suspect.

A second suspect escaped and police are still searching.

No more information was immediately available.
Lawton, Oklahoma

From Lawton’s KSWO.com of October 23, 2007
Burglar killed by homeowner

Lawton police have towed away a truck that they say may have been involved in the shooting in the 1700 block of Northwest 70th that has left one person dead.

Deputy Chief James Apple says a family came home and found a burglar in their house. Apple says there was some type of confrontation between the family and the burglar, and it led to shots fired.

A neighbor says the homeowner was on the phone with the police holding the burglar on the front lawn until authorities arrived. But, the burglar moved and he fired - killing the intruder.

Eyewitnesses say they thought the two were just goofing around until they found out the burglar was shot and killed. Now, they say it looked like self defense.
From Wichita Falls’ KAUZ.com of October 25, 2007
Lawton Teen Killed While Burglarizing A Home

Tonight prosecutors are asking themselves if this is a case of self-defense. The Make My Day Law gives Oklahomans the right to kill intruders inside their homes. Something 40-year-old Jeff Dorrell did yesterday afternoon in his front yard. When he noticed a suspicious truck and found the front door open he immediatly went back to his vehicle and grabbed his pistol. "He has a concealed license so he has a right to carry that pistol."

Family Attorney John Zelbst says when Jeff approached the house he came face to face with the intruder. "At that time he chambered up the weapon and ordered the man to the ground and called 9-1-1."

But while waiting for police, he says the intruder came after Jeff, "Jeff charges the pistol and grazes him probably because he is on the phone and sees the guy coming after him."

Zelbst says the 17 year old laid back down but then tried to attack again, "Goes after the gun hand and jeff discharges and strikes him in the chest."

"The gentlemen who owns the house and the intruder didn't know each other as far as we can tell now." Police say it was all caught on 9-1--1 audio tape, "People remember things different ways and when we have a recording we can go back to see exactly what happened and lot of time it can jar memory and say that's right it did happen that way."

But Zelbst says bottom line, this is a case of self defense. "It's not something he relishes in or enjoys or even brags about. it was a very traumatic experience for him to deal with too, to have shot somebody and they end up loosing their life."

While in Lawton a family member of the 17-year-old approached us. He says Freddy didn't come from a broken home and says he was trying to change but was too involved with the wrong crowd. He also says the family doesn't hold a grudge against the homeowner---but wish the situation would have ended differently.
Spartanburg, South Carolina

From Greenville’s WYFF4.com of October 23, 2007
Deputies: Homeowner Shoots 2 Burglars

Spartanburg County deputies said two home invasion robbers were shot early Tuesday morning by the man who lived in the home they tried to burglarize.

Deputies said that the men forced their way into the home on Harley Court about 4 a.m. The man who lives in the home said that he got his pistol and fired several shots at the men, who ran away.

Investigators said that Lashawn D. Miller, 22, and Haldane D. Oden, 21, were located a short time later in the emergency room at Mary Black Hospital. Both men had gunshot wounds.

The sheriff's office said that Miller and Oden will be charged with first-degree burglary.

There was no immediate word on the extent of their injuries.
From the MyrtleBeachOnline.com of October 24, 2007
Homeowner who shoots would-be robbers faces no charges

A 31-year-old man will not face charges for shooting two men who broke into his home, authorities said.

Lamont Dawkins said he grabbed his pistol and hid behind his refrigerator after hearing glass break and his back door being kicked about 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Dawkins said he fired several rounds as two men entered, and they ran away. Investigators found Lashawn Miller, 22, and Haldane Oden, 21, both of Spartanburg, in a hospital emergency room.

"I was scared at first, but now I feel good. I just didn't want nothing to happen to me," Dawkins told WYFF News 4.

Miller was treated for a gunshot wound to his right arm and Oden was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Authorities said both face first-degree burglary charges.

Dawkins will not be charged because he used the weapon to defend himself, authorities said.
Largo, Florida

From Tampa Bay Online of October 23, 2007
Largo Man Shoots Dog In Self Defense

A homeowner shot and killed a dog that broke through the fence and attacked his pet on Monday night, police said.

Police said George Frank, of 334 Lake Palms Drive, was within his rights to protect himself from the dog. No charges are expected to be filed stemming from the incident that occurred at 7:30 p.m.

The dog, a chow mix, attacked Frank's dog, police said. Frank tried to separate them when the chow mix started snarling at him. Then, Frank shot two rounds into the dog, killing it instantly.

Frank has a concealed weapons permit and was armed with a 9mm handgun.
East Liberty, Pennsylvania

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of October 22, 2007
Man killed in E. Liberty home invasion

An armed man was shot and killed early this morning after he and another man broke into a residence in East Liberty, police said. Shawn Davis, 18, of Duquesne, died of a shotgun blast to the head inside an apartment at 300 North Negley Avenue. He was shot at 3:15 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene 10 minutes later. Police said he and his accomplice, Rashawn Gibson, 20, of Garfield, tried to rob the occupants of the apartment.

"It was definitely a home invasion," said Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki, head of Major Crimes. "We're still sorting it out."

Detectives said Mr. Davis pointed his gun at the occupants and ordered them onto the floor. He and Mr. Gibson walked one victim to the rear of the apartment at gunpoint, then returned to the living room and approached the other victims who were hiding in the kitchen.

When Mr. Davis pointed a gun at one of them, the man shot him in the head with a shotgun.

Mr. Gibson jumped through a window to get away, but police caught him.

He is charged with burglary, robbery and criminal conspiracy.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Boise, Idaho

From Idaho Falls’ Idaho8.com of October 22, 2007
Bear named 'Twister' that survived Idaho tornado shot by camper

After surviving a howling Idaho mountain tornado, a female black bear cub's luck has run out.

Twister, as the yearling was called after being orphaned by the 2006 storm, was shot and killed last month by an armed camper.

The bear was raised at the Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation Center near Boise and had been released back into the Boise National Forest in June.

Ever since, Idaho Fish and Game officials say they received sporadic reports of the bear loitering near campsites.

Early September 20th, Twister was shot by a camper who said he caught Twister sticking her nose inside the wrong tent.

Fish and Game officials say this year's drought has dramatically reduced bear foods such as wild berries, forcing many animals into closer proximity to humans - and into harm's way.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

From Grand Rapids WZZM13.com of October 22, 2007
Armed robbery attempt at Grand Rapids jewelry store

Police in Grand Rapids need your help to find a man who tried to rob a jewelry store at gun-point in Grand Rapids Monday night.

The call came into Grand Rapids Police at 6:28p.m. of a man attempting to rob Trajan Jewelry located at 2407 Eastern Ave SE.

Police say the owner fired a warning shot at the would-be robber to scare him off causing the man to leave without incident.

The man is described as a black male in his 40's. He was wearing a black shirt with a white hat and was carrying what looked like a cane or a stick. The man had a silver hand gun.
Franklin County, Massachusetts

From the Quincy Patriot Ledger of October 22, 2007
Animal shot in western Massachusetts may be state’s first wolf, officials say

State wildlife officials say a large animal killed in Franklin County last week may have been the first wild wolf in Massachusetts since 1840.

After investigating reports from several farms about attacks on lambs and sheep, MassWildlife received a call on Oct. 14 that an 85-pound wild dog had been killed in Shelburne, about 8 miles west of Greenfield.

A farmer shot the animal Oct. 14 when it returned to his Shelburne farm after having killed 13 lambs the day before. The farmer’s name was not released.

On Oct. 13, a wildlife biologist visited the farm where the lambs had been killed. The owner was told he had the right to shoot the animal, which at that point was assumed to be a dog.

Officials described the animal as a wolf or a cross between a wolf and a dog.

Todd Fuller, a professor and wolf researcher from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, examined the dead animal and said it may have been a wolf or a hybrid.

The carcass has been sent to a lab in Oregon for DNA testing.
Friendship, Pennsylvania

From the Pittsburg Tribune-Review of October 22, 2007
Police: Friendship home invader fatally shot

A man in a Friendship apartment fatally shot one of two men who broke into the home early this morning, Pittsburgh police said.

The two invaders, one of whom had a gun, entered the apartment at 300 North Negley Avenue about 3:15 a.m., Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki said. A man in the apartment grabbed a shotgun and shot one of the intruders in the side of the head, Stangrecki said.

The man died at the scene, Stangrecki said. The other intruder ran away and was still being sought. Police did not identify anyone involved and no charges were filed this morning.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Leeward, Hawaii

From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin of October 21, 2007
Police investigate death of Waianae woman, 46



DeMello is the fourth person killed in the Leeward area this year.

In March, 28-year-old Jason Sylva was shot in a gunfight when he and another man allegedly forced themselves into a Waianae home, where the battle ensued. The resident, 55-year-old Keith Kuraoka, has claimed self-defense and has not been charged in the killing.
Roswell, New Mexico

From Albuquerque’s KOB.com of October 21, 2007
Pizza delivery man kills assailant

Police will not bring charges against a pizza delivery man who shot and killed a man trying to rob him Friday.

The Roswell Police Department said the delivery man, who has not been named, acted in self-defense.

A witness said the delivery man was approached by several people. She said the group attacked him and tried to take his money.

That is when the delivery man pulled out a gun and began shooting.

One person, described as a male in his 20s, was shot and killed. Two other suspects, whom police are still looking for, fled the scene.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Shreveport, Louisiana

From Shreveport’s ArkLaTexHomepage.com of October 20, 2007
Two Injured, One Charged in Early Morning Shooting

Shortly after midnight Saturday morning, Shreveport police officers responded to the 2900 block of Penick in reference to two males who had been shot. A Yellow Checker Cab advised they went to the Cajun Inn Hotel and picked up Luther Mcduffy, along with two black females and they requested to be driven to a vacant house directly across from 2921 Penick. The cab driver stated Mcduffy and one of the black females got out of the cab and walked up to the vacant residence where several subjects were standing around. That's when the cab driver said he heard gunfire and saw muzzle flashes. The cab driver thought two subjects were shooting. The crowd near the vacant house quickly scattered, leaving both Mcduffy and Randy Bennett shot in the yard. Both were transported to LSUMC with multiple gunshot wounds. Mcduffy advised investigators that he went to this location with the two black females but did not give a reason why. Upon approaching the house he stated that the subject he shot, Bennett, attempted to rob him and they exchanged gunfire. Two different caliber shell casings were recovered at the scene along with cash. Bennett told investigators he was walking down the street when some guys started shooting and he got shot. Bennett was taken into surgery but both he and Mcduffy wounds are considered non life threatening. Bennett faces one count of Attempted 1st Degree Homicide.
Farmington, New Mexico

From the Farmington Daily Times of October 20, 2007
Charges dismissed for man accused of killing brother

The Bloomfield man accused of killing his brother in July had all charges dismissed after a preliminary hearing Friday.

Armon Martinez, 24, had been charged with first-degree murder for shooting his older brother Roman three times on July 24, 2007, after repeatedly receiving violent threats from him.

The preliminary hearing was held in Farmington Magistrate Court to determine if the District Attorney's Office had sufficient evidence to prove the killing was intended or planned, which is necessary for the case to be heard by a jury in District Court.

By dropping the charges, Magistrate Judge William Vincent expressed that he interpreted the shooting as one of self-defense.

The case for self-defense was best made in the testimony of Armon's brother, Jerome, who told the court Armon was backing up, telling his brother to "get back" as Roman approached while yelling threats.

"If a man can break you in half with his bare hands, most of us would feel it's perfectly acceptable to arm yourself and defend yourself against such a man," Defense Attorney Gary Mitchell said, referring to Roman's powerful build and demeanor.

The ruling was a disappointment, assistant district attorneys Carolyn Wilber and Eric Morrow said.

"We presented a good case," Wilber said. "I believe we pretty well established a motive for a first-degree (murder)."

That office plans to refile a new case against Martinez, likely reducing charges to second-degree murder, Wilber said after the decision.

"We'll go back and put our heads together and we'll see what we can refile on," she said.

Roman, who several family members testified was incredibly violent when he was drunk, had threatened Armon throughout the day while Armon was serving as Roman's designated driver, as well as in the preceding days.

Arnold Martinez, the men's father, told the court he was "petrified" of Roman, and had even attempted to file a restraining order against Roman the day he was killed.

The prosecuting attorneys appeared to be scrambling for objections against witnesses testifying to how afraid Armon really had been of Roman.

(More)
San Diego, California

From SignOnSanDiego.com of October 20, 2007
Suspect in store robbery shot by clerk

An attempt to rob a convenience store went awry Friday night when the store clerk pulled out his own gun and shot one of the suspects in the chest in an exchange of gunfire, police said.

The suspect, a man in his 20s, remained in critical condition Saturday.

The clerk was standing in front of JR Market on National Avenue at 38th Street at 10 p.m. when he was approached by two men armed with a handgun, San Diego police said.

When they pointed the gun at him, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and they exchanged fire.

The suspects escaped in a gray mini-van.

About 20 minutes later, a woman called to report that a man had been shot.

Officers who responded found a man lying in a van on 30th Street suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

No other suspects were found.
Royal Highlands, Florida

From the October 18, 2007 St. Petersburg Times:
ROYAL HIGHLANDS -- Mark Hartley returned to his house Wednesday morning to find an unfamiliar red pickup in the driveway. He grabbed a pistol and walked to the back of his doublewide mobile home and saw the door was ajar.

In his mind, he said, "This isn't good," Hartley told the Hernando Times.

In his hand, Hartley gripped a .22-caliber pistol. He gently opened the screen door, but it creaked as it shut behind him. The intruder heard it.

"I said, 'Freeze,' and he came charging out of my bedroom at me," Hartley said. "He tried to tackle me at the back door; he came shoulder down."

Hartley managed to fire one shot from about a foot away. But the first bullet was "snake shot," or a bullet filled with tiny lead pellets used to kill small varmints.

It didn't slow the intruder, described as a white male in his 20s with a shaved head, last seen wearing baggy blue jeans and a white tank top. The intruder ran out the door of the home at the corner of Sorrell Street and Sunshine Grove Road and headed for the red pickup.

The truck, authorities said, was reported stolen about three days ago in Hernando County. On the front seat was a .38-caliber handgun, also reported stolen in an unrelated incident. But the suspect didn't have time to reach the weapon, Hartley said, because Hartley was close behind him.

As the man fled, Hartley fired another shot -- this time with a real bullet. It's unclear if the slug hit him, but Hartley said he saw the man begin to limp as he ran north along Sunshine Grove Road before crossing a field in this rural neighborhood northwest of Brooksville.

Authorities launched an exhaustive daylong search involving nearly two dozen sheriff's deputies, a helicopter and numerous scent-tracking canine units.

The suspect remained on the loose Wednesday evening.

"We felt comfortable that the perimeter was set pretty quick, but after checking with canine and helicopter" nothing was found, said Lt. Scott Bierwiler, a spokesman for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Conover, North Carolina

From the Charlotte Observer of October 19, 2007
Conover man won't be charged in killing

A Conover man who shot and killed another man during an argument earlier this month won't be charged by the District Attorney's Office, authorities said.

Officials decided not to charge John Kenneth Hedrick, 73, in the Oct. 6 shooting death of 36-year-old Raymond Weathers because it appeared that Hedrick fired in self-defense, authorities said.

"There was not enough evidence to prosecute this as a crime," said Capt. Roy Brown of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.

The men had starting arguing, likely over a female they both knew, in front Weather's Newton home, Brown said, and Weathers began hitting and kicking Hedrick.

Brown said the men were fighting on the ground, with Weathers sitting over Hedrick, and Hedrick was able to reach into his van and grab a gun off the floorboard.

Weathers was shot at least two times -- in the neck and shoulder -- with a revolver, and Hedrick had "visible injuries" to his upper body and head when the men were found in Weather's yard, Brown said.
Schererville, Indiana

From Merrillville’s PostTrib.com of October 19, 2007
Robber's victims turn tables, shoot as he flees

A would-be robber got more than he bargained Wednesday night, when his victims fought back and shot at him as he fled from a bank parking lot.

The victims were dropping off a night deposit at First Midwest across from the Highland Grove shopping center around 8:30 p.m. when they were approached by a slender man in a dark hooded sweatshirt, Detective Mark Santino said.

The man demanded the money, then scuffled with the two men before turning to run, Santino said. As the man ran off, one of the victims pulled out a handgun and fired several shots.

The robber fired back, but neither appear to have been wounded.

Police from Highland and Schererville searched near the scene for more than an hour, but did not find the suspect.

Santino said investigators have leads on several suspects.