Saturday, April 15, 2017

Tampa, FL

TAMPA, Fla., April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rickman Law Firm announces today that a not guilty verdict was delivered by a jury in the second degree murder trial of Ruben Rodriguez, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served two tours in Iraq. Rodriguez was charged with murder after he fatally shot an individual with his AR-15 rifle. The jury delivered their verdict after just two and a half hours of deliberation. Attorney Anthony Rickman of The Rickman Law Firm defended Rodriguez at trial. David Knox served as co-counsel.
In January 2015, Rodriguez arrived at his home to observe two men fleeing his yard. Upon seeing the men, Rodriguez armed himself with an AR-15 rifle and traveled in their direction. A few minutes later, Rodriguez came into contact with the men and asked if they had seen anyone running from his home. One of the men approached the vehicle, cursing and threatening Rodriguez. After repeated requests from Rodriguez not to approach the vehicle and advising the individual that he had a weapon, the man arrived at Rodriguez's window and continued to threaten him.
While close enough to see the AR-15 rifle on Rodriguez's lap, the individual taunted Rodriguez. He then reached into the vehicle and grabbed the muzzle of the firearm attempting to pull it away from Rodriguez. He placed the muzzle of the firearm in his mouth and told Rodriguez to shoot him, yelling, "I'm not afraid to die….are you?" As he had the muzzle of the rifle near his mouth, the individual threw a punch at Rodriguez's head. Rodriguez fired a single shot, killing him instantly. Toxicology results showed that the individual had 10 times the normal dosage of methamphetamine in his system and a blood alcohol level two times the legal limit. The deceased was also found in possession of a 3.5-inch pocket knife.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Salt Lake City, Utah

To paraphrase the survivalist in <I>Tremors</I>, you picked the wrong apartment to break into. 3/31/17 Salt Lake City Tribune:
Police have identified a man who was shot and killed early Thursday after kicking in the door of a Salt Lake City apartment.
Puleaga Danny Tupu, 33, of West Valley City, died in the living room of the apartment at 731 S. 300 East, police said Friday.
Tupu has a long history of mostly misdemeanor convictions for petty crimes dating back to 2002, according to a search of Utah court records.
Tupu was one of two men — dressed in black, with hoods — who rushed into the apartment at about 3 a.m....
There were suddenly loud bangs on his third-story door, he said, like someone trying to kick it in.
"I jumped up and yelled, 'What the hell?' " said Sant, who has lived at the Park Place at City Centre Apartments for about three years.
The door gave way, he said, and two men entered, one holding a two-foot-long metal pipe.A Marine veteran, Sant said he began scuffling with the men in the living room.
That's when Sant's son heard the commotion, emerged from a bedroom with a handgun — and started firing.

Dayton, OH

3/31/17 Dayton Daily News:
Dayton police said Martin’s shooting of two men — one who died — in a car outside the Roosters Restaurant on North Main Street isn’t classified as justifiable homicide, but said the facts of the case made it “appropriate” for the federal system.
Dayton police said Leo Montgomery III, 21, died of gunshot wounds and Evon Walker was shot but survived after police say Martin fired at them on Dec. 2, 2016.
A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Martin’s state case was terminated March 7 without being reviewed by a three-prosecutor panel.
It appears the federal prosecution even though self-defense is because he was a drug dealer or it apears so. 

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Center Point, AL

CENTER POINT, Ala. (WIAT) — An elderly homeowner is recovering after a deadly home invasion. It happened at a home on the 2400 block of Ormond Drive.
At 1 a.m. Wednesday morning 79-year-old John Croft was asleep when he awoke to a noise in his basement. Officials say two suspects broke in through the basement window and went up the stairs to Croft’s bedroom, where he was still in bed.
“The suspect said ‘Don’t move,'” Croft recalled. Croft said he reached for his gun and fired shots.
“It was just “Pow, Pow, Pow. I have a .38—I got off five shots. I think he must have got off at least one–it hit me, as I was running after him. I fell twice,” said Croft.Investigators said one of the suspects was pronounced dead on the scene. Croft was also shot.
“See the bandage right here [pointing to his ankle], the bullet just came in and went right out, I never felt it. I didn’t know I was shot until the deputy insisted I go to the hospital,” said Croft.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Randy Christian said Croft’s fatal shooting of the suspect was ruled justifiable.