Cherokee County, North CarolinaFrom
WRCB of January 2, 2008
Self-Defense Shooting in Cherokee County, North Carolina
In Cherokee County, North Carolina, a case of mistaken identity caused a fatal shooting.
It happened yesterday on Old Peachtree Road, a few miles northeast of Murphy. Cherokee County Sheriff Keith Lovin says Luis Wajda and Ruthann King were arguing when they called a friend to come pick them up. When Corey Luther arrived, Wajda thought he was King's ex-boyfriend, and fired his pistol. Police say Luther ultimately returned shots from a shotgun, killing Wajda.
"The person attempted to retreat as far as he could," Sheriff Loving said. "He was fired upon first and continued to be fired upon, and acted to protect himself."
Corey Luther was not charged or arrested. Sheriff Lovin says unless his department turns up new information, it's unlikely the District Attorney will bring any charges.
Langeloth, PennsylvaniaFrom the
Pittsburgh Channel of January 2, 2008
Charges Dropped Against Man Who Shot Would-Be Robber
A would-be victim who fought back during an attempted robbery at his East Third Street home in Langeloth, Washington County, is no longer charged with attempted homicide.
On Sept. 1, Eraldo Iannitelli, 48, was allegedly attacked outside his home by two teens wearing masks, carrying a baseball bat and BB gun.
Iannitelli said the two teens demanded money.
After being hit several times, Iannitelli said he reached into his car, grabbed a shotgun and fired once, hitting a 16-year-old in the back.
On Wednesday, all charges were dropped against Iannitelli.
Indianapolis, IndianaFrom the
January 2, 2008 Indianapolis Star:
A 51-year-old man stopped a masked man from robbing a Southside grocery store and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Charlie Merrell was in checkout line at Bucks IGA Supermarket, 3015 S. Meridian St., when a masked man jumped a nearby counter and held a gun on a store employee at 5:17 p.m. Monday, according to a police report made public today.
While the suspect was demanding cash from the workers, the police report states that Merrell pulled his own handgun, pointed it at the robber and ordered him to put down his weapon.
When the suspect hesitated, Merrell racked the slide on his gun to load a round in the chamber, Officer Jason Bockting wrote in the report.
The suspect placed his gun and a bag of cash on the counter, dropping some of the money, police said. The suspect removed his mask and lay on the floor. Merrell held the suspect at gunpoint until officers arrived and took him away in handcuffs.
Merrell had a valid permit to carry the handgun, police said. Police recovered an unloaded .380-caliber handgun from the suspect and $779 in cash, according to the report.
Dwain Smith, 19, was arrested on initial charges of robbery, criminal confinement, pointing a firearm, battery and carrying a handgun without a license. Smith remained held this morning in the Marion County Jail with bond set at $30,000, records show.
Sullivan County, TennesseeFrom the
Kingsport Times Newsn of January 2, 2008
Sullivan County homeowner holds burglar at gunpoint
According to a press release from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, a resident of Ambrosia Drive was awakened about 4 a.m. Tuesday by his dog's barking.
When the homeowner went to investigate, armed with a gun, he found a man going through items in his utility room. He held the burglar at gunpoint until officers arrived.
Jacob D. Brehm, 25, 314 Sonnett Court, is charged with aggravated burglary, held at the Sullivan County Correctional Facility. Police say Brehm entered the Ambrosia Drive home through a dog-door.
Kodiak Island, AlaskaFrom the
Seattle Times of January 1, 2008
Grizzly, 3 cubs killed on Kodiak Island
A rabbit hunter fired his pistol at a charging grizzly bear on Kodiak Island, badly wounding the old sow, which was later killed, as were her three cubs.
The hunter, whose name is not being released, was hunting rabbits near the American River on Friday about 15 miles outside Kodiak when the sow charged him, said John Crye, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, on Monday.
The hunter, who was carrying two weapons, shot the bear when it was about 10 yards away. It was the second time in a week that hunters had encountered the family of bears. The last time it was one of the cubs that charged a father and son out duck hunting as the mother and the other cubs slept nearby.
This time, the rabbit hunter was charged after he rounded a corner and surprised the sow, who was at least 25 years old.
"A rabbit hunter was in the brush and kind of woke them up out of their beds," Crye said. "He felt threatened by the sow, so he shot the sow."
The hunter immediately notified Alaska State Troopers and the Department of Fish and Game. Crye went with troopers to the site where the 8-foot, 400-pound sow lay barely alive.
It was determined that she was too badly injured and would have to be killed, so she was shot again.
...
Crye said the shooting was justifiable because the hunter felt threatened.
(More)
Further links:
Rabbit hunter shoots charging bear
San Antonio, TexasFrom the
Houston Chronicle of January 2, 2008
San Antonio road rage killing deemed self-defense
In an apparent case of road rage, a motorist shot a driver to death who threatened him with a baseball bat.
Police said that the shooting just after midnight on New Year's Day appeared to be in self-defense, so they didn't plan to charge 24-year-old Brian Correa.
"It was apparent to us that he was defending himself," said police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino, who added that the shooter had a license to carry a concealed weapon.
Correa shot the 24-year-old driver three times with a handgun, a police report said. The Bexar County medical examiner's office identified the deceased driver as Tomas Garza.
Correa and several witnesses quoted in the report said that Garza had maneuvered his Mitsubishi Lancer behind Correa's Chevrolet Camaro around 1 a.m. Tuesday and began driving aggressively, trying to hit the Camaro.
When the cars came to a stop at a traffic light, Garza got out and hit the Camaro several times with the bat, according to the police report.
Correa told Garza to stop, but Garza began toward him so Correa fired at him, according to the report.
Witnesses corroborated Correa's account with police.
"I'm still really shaken up. I don't really want to talk about it at all," Correa told a reporter with the San Antonio Express-News when contacted at his home.
Further links:
Man Shot, Allegedly Killed In Self-Defense
Vicksburg, MississippiFrom the
Vicksburg Post of January 1, 2008
Teen kills intruder in county's 1st homicide of the year
A teen shot and killed a home intruder Sunday night, stopping a theft in progress and sending the intruder's accomplices scurrying, said Sheriff Martin Pace.
Found dead in front of a mobile home in South Warren County was Jonathan Bruce, 21, 3341 Sunnybrook Drive in Jackson, said Coroner Doug Huskey.
Bruce had been shot once with a .410 shotgun and had stumbled out of the mobile home, Pace said.
The teen, who was not identified, was not arrested or charged. Pace said details of the investigation will be presented to the district attorney, but it appeared the shooting -- Warren County's first homicide of the year -- will be deemed justifiable.
Pace said the adults who lived in the home where Bruce was shot made a living as street vendors. He said Bruce and two other men had forced their way into the mobile home at 25 Red Oak Drive about 7 p.m. after inquiring about purchasing shoes. The teen and several other juveniles were alone when the trio entered.
Pace said after the men got inside, they started "loading up merchandise" until the teen got a shotgun and fired it at Bruce, who had a handgun in his pocket. After being shot, Bruce turned and walked out onto the lawn, where he was found when deputies arrived. The other men fled in a sedan.
Pace said Warren County officers were working with counterparts in the Jackson Police Department to identify Bruce's companions, said to have been in a white sedan without a tag.
The City of Vicksburg recorded 10 homicides in 2007. Until the next-to-the-last night of the year, Warren County outside Vicksburg had recorded none.
