Toluca, Illinois

From the October 27, 2004 Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star:

TOLUCA – A Toluca homeowner shot and killed a shouting, swearing intruder who broke into the family home early Tuesday after heaving a piece of backyard playground equipment through a window, authorities said.

The bizarre episode, which terrified a young family and ended the life of Douglas Allen Sullivan, 37, was quickly declared a justifiable shooting by Marshall County State’s Attorney Paul Bauer after he visited the scene and reviewed preliminary police reports.

Sullivan was unarmed and was pronounced dead at the home by County Coroner David Lenz Jr.

Homeowner Brad Burns, who killed Sullivan about 2 a.m. with a single shot from a 9 mm pistol, “was defending not only his life, but the lives of his wife and child,” Bauer said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that they were in fear of their lives.”

Forsyth County, Georgia

From Atlanta’s WXIA11.com of October 30, 2004

Search on for Home Invasion Suspect

Forsyth County police are looking for a suspect involved in an attempted home invasion.

Police say two men entered a home off Nuckolls Road late Friday night. They say the homeowner opened fire and hit one of the suspects.

The wounded suspect showed up later at an area hospital. He was listed in critical condition Saturday evening.

Police continue to search for the second suspect.

Detroit, Michigan

From Detroit’s WXYZ.com of October 28, 2004

Shooting Near People Mover

Police believe the shooting of a man near the People Mover station in downtown Detroit Thursday afternoon was in self-defense.

An off-duty female transit worker saw the homeless man sifting through a dumpster behind a parking garage near the People Mover and asked him to leave.

Detroit Police say the man then attacked the woman, punching her several times in the face before she finally shot him in the stomach.

The man was in critical condition Thursday night. The transit worker was also taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, with bruises to her face.

Houston, Texas

From Houston‘s Click2Houston.com of September 13, 2004

Tire Shop’s Caretaker Shoots, Kills Burglar

Business Owner Hires Caretaker After Several Robberies

A man was killed after an attempted break-in at a southeast Houston tire shop Monday morning, Local 2 reported.

Police said the tire shop’s caretaker, who lives at Leon’s Tire Shop in the 4500 block of Telephone Road with his family, opened fire on a man who broke in through the back of the business at about 2 a.m.

Authorities said one bullet struck the man in the head, instantly killing him.

Officials identified the suspected burglar and shooting victim as Dermedrick Adams, 18.

Investigators said the tire shop’s owner hired the worker after thieves robbed the business several times in recent months.

The shooting remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Powdersville, South Carolina

From Greenville’s TheCarolinaChannel.com of October 26, 2004

Man Shoots, Kills Intruder In Powdersville

Struggle Over Gun Ends In Shooting

Sheriff’s deputies are at the scene of a fatal shooting in Powdersville on Tuesday morning.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Dale McCard told WYFF News 4’s Myra Ruiz that David Devita, 47, and his 7-year-old daughter were in their Mountain View Court home when Devita’s daughter said someone was at the door at about 8:30.

McCard said that when Devita answered the door, he was hit with pepper spray by the man outside, who forced his way inside.

McCard said the intruder kept using the pepper spray on Devita and his daughter. The two men struggled into a bedroom, where Devita retrived a gun.

McCard said that during the struggle, Devita shot the intruder.

The intruder, who has not been identified, died at the scene.

McCard said investigators are trying to determine who the man was and why he attacked the homeowner.

Tallahassee, Florida

From the Tallahassee Democrat of October 26, 2004

Man shoots at intruder

A Tallahassee man shot at an intruder as the two scuffled at his home Sunday morning, said Lt. Edward Smith of the Tallahassee Police Department. A man went shopping and returned to his house in the 2900 block of Capital Park Drive about 9 a.m. He found some personal items at the doorway and an unknown man in the house. During the incident, the intruder “picked up a table and hit the victim” and bit the victim on the right ring finger. As the two men fought, the intruder broke free. Inside the house, the resident shot a pistol at the man, who ran from the home. The victim was treated at a hospital for cuts to his forehead and on his right leg. The intruder is described as a black male in his mid 20s. He weighs 165 pounds and is 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt, black pants and white tennis shoes.

Lebanon, Tennessee

From Nashville’s The Tennessean of September 9, 2004

Lebanon man shot after argument

An argument turned violent Tuesday night in Lebanon, leaving one man fighting for his life, Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe said.

John Thomas Rogers, 28, was shot three times by his mother’s friend Nancy Butler, Ashe said. Butler lives with Rogers and his mother on Speck Road, the sheriff said.

Butler called 911 about 11 p.m. Tuesday to report that she had shot Rogers, Ashe said. He said the wounds are to Rogers’ upper torso and head.

”We don’t know what his recovery situation is going to be like. As far as I know, he has not regained consciousness yet and is at Vanderbilt” University Medical Center.

Butler told officers that she shot Rogers in self-defense, Ashe said. ”We’ll be presenting the facts of that case to the Wilson County grand jury in a few days. (Rogers and Butler) were arguing over the usage of a telephone, and it escalated.”

Butler had not been charged with any crime as of yesterday afternoon, Ashe said.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Little Rock, Arkansas

From the October 13, 2004 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

A postal worker’s “eerie screams” and cries for help early Tuesday were answered by a Little Rock man who jumped out of bed, grabbed his gun and ended an assault by shooting the attacker, authorities said.

“He probably saved my life,” Samuel Baggett said of Mark Brisco in a telephone interview from his home after his release from Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.

Baggett, 48, of Sherwood was robbed about 3 a.m. at the postal branch at 1700 Main St., where he worked repairing mail-sorting machines.

Police said the attacker, identified as Bobby Don Releford of Little Rock, was in a hospital Tuesday night with a single gunshot wound in his stomach. Police were searching for an accomplice in the case.

High Point, North Carolina

From Winston-Salem’s WXII12.com of October 20, 2004

Robbery Suspect Shot At High Point Business

High Point police said Wednesday that a woman who attempted to rob West Green Market was shot by a store clerk.

The incident occurred at 8:42 a.m. at the market on West Green Drive. A white female entered the store and physically attacked the clerk, reports stated. As the two struggled, the suspect was shot at least one time, polie (sic) said.

Woodbury, New Jersey

From Philadelphia’s NBC10.com of October 21, 2004

Man Who Shot Would-Be Thief Won’t Face Murder Charge

Killing Took Place In Shed Of Man’s Property

A man who shot and killed a would-be thief in his yard will not face murder charges after a Gloucester County grand jury voted against indicting him.

Neighbors had protested when Robert J. Clark Jr. was first charged with murder after slaying a man who was trying to steal his all-terrain vehicle from a backyard shed.

The grand jury, which decides whether there’s enough evidence in criminal cases to proceed to trial, took the actions Wednesday, but the Gloucester County prosecutor’s office did not announce them until Thursday.

The grand jury did return one indictment in the case: The alleged accomplice of the victim was indicted on charges of burglary and theft.

Authorities initially charged Clark with murder, aggravated assault and a weapons offense after he killed William Hamilton on April 26. The grand jury voted against indicting Clark on those charges or any others, including a lesser offense such as manslaughter.

“I’ve always felt the people of Gloucester County were solid, commonsense Americans and they saw this exactly as it was — a person defending his home, his family, his life,” said Clark’s defense lawyer, Mike Pinsky.

But prosecutors are not giving up.

After the shooting, prosecutor Sean F. Dalton defended the charges, saying that New Jersey state law does not allow the use of deadly force to protect property. That’s still his line.

Spokesman Bernie Weisenfeld said prosecutors are considering all their options for where to continue, including presenting the case to a second grand jury.

(More)

Blue State

Pahrump, Nevada

From the Pahrump Valley Times of October 20, 2004

PVT columnist shoots intruder



MAN CRASHED ROCK THROUGH DOOR WINDOW TO GAIN ENTRY; SUSPECT’S FAMILY CONTACTS POLICE

Pahrump Valley Times outdoors columnist Dan Simmons shot and wounded an intruder Tuesday morning during a terrifying home invasion.

According to Lt. Bill Becht, David Patillo Jr., described as a Hispanic male in his early to mid 20s, was preparing to surrender to authorities, though that had not occurred by press time.

Simmons, still shaken from the incident a few hours later, said he was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a woman living in his guesthouse who said somebody was trying to break into the residence at Simmons’ central Pahrump home.

“I grabbed my gun and went outside as my neighbor called 911,” recounted Simmons. “Nothing. Nobody was there. The police showed up immediately, but there were no bad guys.”

Not too long after the police departed, the neighbor and her seven-year-old daughter were at Simmons’ home. The woman was making tea when she told Simmons someone was walking to the door.

Thinking it was a policeman; Simmons walked to the kitchen door and looked through the door window to see who had arrived. “This is when things got really dramatic,” said Simmons. “He was a small man with a hooded sweatshirt, work gloves and one of those Mickey Mouse respirators. All I could see were his eyes.”‘

Simmons said the man told him to step outside; instead he went to retrieve his .357 handgun for the second time in an hour. He ordered his neighbor and her daughter into a backroom. A moment later the inlaid glass of his front door shattered. Simmons returned to the kitchen and saw the suspect in his home. He aimed and fired, hitting the suspect in the left shoulder. The bullet traveled through the man’s body and lodged into the doorjamb.

Simmons said the man dropped down, uttered an expletive, and then stood back up and fled. Police were once again summoned to the home. “I told them I shot the guy.”

…

Patillo reportedly fled to nearby Comstock Park where he shed his bloody clothes. According to Sheriff Tony DeMeo, who said Simmons’ actions constituted a clear-cut case of home defense, Patillo was not seriously injured. “(The suspect’s) family has been in contact with us,” DeMeo said.

Lt. Bill Becht conjectured Patillo would turn himself into authorities once the family retains an attorney. There’s a possibility the lawyer might handle another case for the man. On Sept. 28 he was arrested and charged with statutory sexual seduction.

For Simmons and his neighbor life took a dramatic turn this week. “Yesterday I felt secure in my own home,” he said. “Today, I don’t feel safe. Not one bit … and I’m taking precautions. I advise everyone else in town to do the same.”

Columbus, Georgia

From the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer of October 21, 2004

Jury acquits man in April shooting

Santiago grabbed gun to break up men beating friend

A Columbus construction worker accused of shooting another man in April was acquitted of all charges Tuesday by a Muscogee County Superior Court jury that deliberated less than 15 minutes.

Victor Santiago, 39, of Old Cusseta Road, faced up to 65 years in prison if convicted of the April 4 shooting of John Howard.

Defense attorney Melvin Cooper presented evidence showing the shooting near apartments at 4200 Old Cusseta Road occurred after he saw a “slap-boxing” match involving a friend turn ugly.

Cooper said the match deteriorated into “four or five men jumping on Thaddeus Turner,” causing Santiago to retrieve a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol from his residence to try to stop the abuse of his friend. When he returned, Howard grabbed the barrel of the pistol, which discharged twice, causing one bullet to lodge in Howard’s thigh and one bullet to graze his skin.

Police investigated the incident immediately, but Santiago was unaware he was accused of a crime until he read an account of the charges against him in the Ledger-Enquirer, Cooper said. He immediately surrendered to police and pleaded innocent to two charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm during a crime, he said.

Superior Court Senior Judge Bill Smith ordered a directed verdict of not guilty on the aggravated battery charge and the jury acquitted Santiago of the remaining charges.

Coatesville, Pennsylvania

From the West Chester Daily Local of October 20, 2004

Police: Woman shot armed intruder

A woman sitting on her couch watching television shot and critically injured an armed intruder who kicked through her door late Monday night, police said.

Nakie Thomas, 29, shot Elliot Thompson, 30, as he and another man broke into her home in the 500 block of Walnut Street around 11:30 p.m., police said.

…

Thomas shot at Thompson four or five times, hitting a window once, the television once and him twice in the chest, police said.

“She was in her home either seated on or near the couch,” said Bellizzie. “As they kicked the door in, she proceeds to unload on them with her weapon.”

Thompson was listed in critical condition at Crozer-Chester Medical Center Tuesday evening, a hospital spokesperson said.

Thomas was also shot once in the foot, but police said they were unsure if the bullet was shot by Thomas or one of the intruders.

(More)

Pembroke Pines, Florida

From the Miami Herald of October 19, 2004

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Woman shoots at armed robber

A robber in a stolen car who targeted a victim with an empty wallet and a semiautomatic in her purse fled under gunfire and stole a van Monday in Pembroke Pines.

The victim of a robbery fired at her attacker Monday afternoon, pulling a gun on the armed man and shooting at him after a struggle, Pembroke Pines police said.

Felicia Moss, 34, was getting out of a white Lexus at the Lakes at Pembroke apartment complex about 1:30 p.m. when a man with a gun walked up to her and demanded money, police said.

Pembroke Pines police Cmdr. Keith Palant said that Moss, who lives at the complex at 9900 Sheridan St., fished her wallet out of her purse to show the man that she had no cash.

She was also stalling for time, Palant said, knowing that her purse also held a 9mm handgun.

The man took Moss’ cellphone and the victim pulled the Heckler & Koch semiautomatic from her bag.

She and the robber struggled for the gun. At one point, he dragged her by the weapon but couldn’t wrest it from her.

”The victim indicated that no one’s going to take her money,” Palant said.

The thief fled, and Moss, who police said has a permit to carry a concealed firearm, fired three shots in his direction.

Fearing he might try to come back and drive away in the stolen 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera he arrived in, Moss also fired a shot into one of the tires, Palant said.

”He didn’t know my wife was a pit bull in a skirt,” Moss’ husband John told WFOR-CBS 4.

(More)

Charlotte, North Carolina

From Charlotte‘s WCNC.com of September 10, 2004

Store clerk kills attempted robber, police say

An investigation is underway after a convenience store clerk shot and killed a man who attempted to rob the store Thursday night, police said.

The shooting happened at the Snookies Convenience Store in the 6800 block of Nations Ford Road around 9:50 p.m.

According to police, Wilbert McCauley walked into the store armed with a hand gun and told the clerk he was robbing the place.

The clerk, identified by police as Ambrose Nwosu, then got into a struggle with McCauley.

McCauley fired a shot at Nwosu and missed. Nwosu fired back. He shot and killed McCauley.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.