North Bellport, New York

From Long Island’s Newsday of March 5, 2005

Break-in victim shoots burglar

A North Bellport resident surprised an armed burglar who tried to break into his home, when he grabbed a shotgun and fired at the man, hitting him in the shoulder, Suffolk police said.

Cheyenne Ray, 44, was alerted by his girlfriend, Tanya Rivera, 31, that she heard a noise at the front door about 1:30 a.m., said Fifth Squad Det. Sgt. Kenneth Hamilton. Ray looked through the glass storm door and saw a hand holding a 9-mm pistol strike the glass. Ray went into the kitchen, got a shotgun, and fired one shot at the door, Hamilton said. The burglar dropped the gun and ran off, Hamilton said.

The alleged burglar, Marion Gillard, 23, of Bay Shore, was later spotted in the area with a gunshot wound in his shoulder and was arrested by police. He was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center before being transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was being evaluated Saturday. Ray could not be reached for comment.

Gillard, who Hamilton said has a prior arrest for first-degree robbery, is charged with first-degree burglary and could face further charges. He is expected to be arraigned at bedside Sunday.

Raleigh, Tennessee

From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal of March 5, 2005

Single blast kills home intruder

Raleigh resident won't face charges, police say

Charges won't be filed against a Raleigh homeowner who shot and killed an intruder early Friday.

Police said William J. Harmon, 42, whose last known address was in Millington, died at the scene after a single gunshot wound to the chest. Harmon had a lengthy criminal record, according to court records.

"They (the attorney general's office) declined to prosecute because of the inference of self-defense," Memphis Police Insp. Matt McCann said Friday. "They're in their home. He kicks in the door. They don't know him. They are afraid for their lives. He did what he felt he needed to do."

The homeowner, identified as Bob Pritchett, declined to discuss the shooting.

Harmon's police record included aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, domestic assault, carrying a pistol and vandalism. Additionally, there were several charges of public intoxication and a charge of driving under the influence, and someone filed a protection order twice against Harmon. The computerized court records did not indicate who sought the protection.

McCann described what happened about 12:45 a.m. Friday at the Raleigh area home: Harmon "started banging and kicking on the door. The homeowner called 911 saying something to the effect of, 'Someone is trying to get into my house.'"

Several minutes later, but before police arrived at the home on Raleigh Millington Road near St. Elmo, McCann said Harmon "kicked the door in and came rushing in."

That's when the homeowner shot him.

Pritchett called police again and told them the intruder had been shot. McCann said police have no motive for the break-in.

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of March 3, 2005

Residents use guns to protect themselves

Edward Blair was in bed watching television with his young children when he heard a series of thumps. He rose from bed, realizing someone was trying to kick down the front door to his Shady Oak Drive home in Jackson.

Blair, a security officer with Wright's Security Service, grabbed his .38-caliber revolver and stood patiently near the front door. The door cracked from the impact of the kicks and a man stuck his head through.

"His eyes got mighty big when he saw what was waiting on him," Blair said.

Blair fired three shots at the man, striking the would-be burglar in a finger as he ran away — leaving behind the still-running Cadillac Deville he had parked moments earlier in Blair's carport.

That attempted burglary in June was the third time in the past year a Jackson homeowner used a gun to thwart a break-in. Three previous situations ended in the death of the burglar. Another burglar was shot and killed by two Jackson police officers in April. On Halloween day, a man on Decelle Street shot and killed a man trying to rob him inside his home.

"It's a shame any of us are having to take the situation into our own hands," Blair said. "But I guess that's what we've got to do."
…

Tommy Christian, a Floral Drive resident, doesn't carry a concealed weapon but used the hunting rifle he normally uses to kill rabbits and squirrels to fend off a man on Oct. 20, 2003. Christopher Stiff used a tire tool to pry open Christian's back door about 3:30 a.m. that day. Christian shot Stiff once in the abdomen and once in the leg while Stiff was standing in the door.

"If somebody tries that stuff on me again, I'm going to do the same thing and unload on them even more, probably," Christian said.
…

People always will feel the need to protect themselves and their family, McDonald said.

"I sold a gun to an elderly woman a few years ago and she came in about a year later, saying she needed to buy one bullet," McDonald said. "I thought that was curious and asked why she needed one bullet. She said someone broke into her house and she shot them. She said it didn't take but one bullet to shoot him, so she figured she would only need one bullet for the next time."

Albuquerque, New Mexico

From Albuquerque‘s KOBTV.com of January 10, 2005

Man may face charges after being shot

A homeless man may face criminal charges after he was shot Saturday night at the intersection of Mars and Wellesley in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque police say Kenneth Tortolito made sexual advances toward a woman who had been trying to get him back on his feet. That’s when police say 31-year-old Yvonne DeFilippo pulled out a gun and shot Tortolito in the torso.

DeFillippo was arrested, but it’s unclear whether she will face any charges.

Tortolito is in stable condition at University of New Mexico Hospital as police consider whether to charge him with attempted sexual assault.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Bozrah, Connecticut

From New Haven’s WTNH.com of March 1, 2005

Senior foils robbery in his own home

…

75-year-old James Dunn has quite a story to tell.

"Turn the porch light on and all I could see was one person."

On Sunday night Dunn says a man came to his door and asked to use his phone because his car broke down but once inside, the man never dialed the phone, he just stood there with the phone to his ear and his hand at his side.

"Yep I said it a little bit different word a little bit louder, 'what the hell do you have in your right hand?'

That is when a second man came to the door. Both had knives.

"When he came around toward me he has a knife like this. Then I took and hold the right hand, I just got him right down like that. That's just what he did he went over like that of course. He was trying to pull. I could see that I was stronger."

Dunn then turned to his wife.

He told his wife, "Mary, run upstairs run up and tell David to come down with the gun."

That sent the men running before this great-grandfather could finish his move.

"I had my knee coming up when he pulled back and more or less lost my balance. I had to let go of him he just turned right around and shot out the door."

Chelsea, Alabama

From the Birmingham News of February 28, 2005

Man frees self after being tied up to kill man holding his wife

A Shelby County man freed himself after being tied up and then fatally shot an armed, masked intruder inside his Chelsea home during a home invasion early Sunday morning, Shelby County authorities said.

Authorities refused to release the name of the homeowner who killed 25-year-old William Clint O'Shields of Chelsea. O'Shields held the man's wife at gunpoint while gathering items from the house, officials said.

Sheriff Chris Curry said O'Shields, who had a female accomplice sitting outside in a car, broke into the couple's home off Hackberry Way about 2 a.m. The woman was taken into custody after deputies stopped a car leaving the scene, he said at a news conference at the sheriff's north substation on Alabama 119.

The woman's identity was being withheld pending charges being filed. Curry said she likely would be charged today.

Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens said the woman could be charged with burglary, robbery or murder. He also said a toxicology report probably will show O'Shields had a high level of drugs in his body.

Curry said O'Shields and the woman were involved in a separate home invasion in Westover early Saturday in which a man in his 80s was tied up and several guns were taken from his residence.

The sheriff said a pistol O'Shields used in the Hackberry Way home invasion likely was taken in the earlier home invasion.
…

Curry said shots were fired by the homeowner. The homeowner was not injured.

Owens said the homeowner would not face any charges.

"If you're in your house, your own home, you're going to have a lot of freedom to protect yourself, especially your wife, your family and property," Owens said.

Detroit, Michigan

From Detroit’s ClickOnDetroit.com of March 1, 2005

Police: Bank Robber Leaves Trail Of Blood Behind

Man Fires Shots Inside Bank

A trail of blood was left behind at the scene of a bank robbery and shooting on Detroit's west side Tuesday morning, Local 4 reported.

A man entered a Bank One on Joy Road near Meyers Street at about 10 a.m. and ordered a teller to give him some money, a witness told the station.

The robber fired shots after the teller reacted too slowly to his demands, the witness said. No one was hit by the gunfire.

After getting the money, the man was confronted by a retired Detroit policewoman armed with a gun. The former officer ordered the robber to halt, but the man did not listen.

The retired officer fired at the man while he attempted to flee with the bag of money, according to the station's reports.

A trail of blood indicated that the man may have been hit in the gunfire, police said. The man escaped the scene.