Midwest City, Oklahoma

From Oklahoma City?s KOCO.com of June 30, 2007

Pit Bull Shot After Attack

Dog Owner Cited For Harboring Vicious Animal

Midwest City police said they wouldn’t cite a man who shot a pit bull terrier that was attacking a meter reader.

Jason Fish was reading a meter for Oklahoma Gas and Electric Friday when police said the dog attacked him. A neighbor heard Fish screaming and shot and killed the animal with a shotgun.

Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said Fish was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Clabes said the dog’s owner — Terry Almon — was cited for harboring a vicious animal.

From the Midwest City Sun of July 3, 2007

Neighbor shoots dog in Midwest City

A dog was shot after attacking a meter reader Friday, according to Midwest City assistant police chief Jay Dee Collins.

Collins said at about 11:30 a.m., the Midwest City 911 center received a call about a person being attacked by dogs in the backyard at 214 E. Jacobs.

Jason Fish, a meter reader for Oklahoma Gas and Electric, approached to read the meter. He rattled the gate and one dog came to him and seemed friendly, Collins said. He then hopped over the gate and was met by two additional dogs, one of which was aggressive, Collins said.

The dog, a mixed breed, started attacking Fish, biting him numerous times on the arms, hands and ankle, Collins said. The meter reader called for help and his calls of distress were heard by a neighbor, Collins said.

Collins said the neighbor looked out and saw the man in trouble and distracted the dog.

?The dog came toward him and he shot one round and incapacitated the dog at that point,? Collins said.

At that point, the meter reader was able to escape back over the fence.

Police, fire and EMS arrived. The victim was taken by ambulance to the Midwest Regional Hospital, Collins said.

The dog was taken into custody by animal control and died on the way to the shelter, Collins said.

Charges were filed against the owner of the dog, Terry Almon, for harboring a viscious animal, Collins said.

Charges were not filed against the shooter because he fired to preserve the life of another person, Collins said.

Almon said his dog, Princess, has never attacked anyone before.

?It surprised me,? he said.

Almon also said it would not be possible for the neighbor to be aware of what took place in the yard.

?I have a 6-foot stockade fence around my house,? Almon said. ?He couldn?t see anything.?

Arkie Stevens, the alleged shooter, did not wish to comment.

Sardis City, Alabama

From the Albertville Sand Mountain Reporter of June 29, 2007

Man captures intruder at gunpoint

Three people apparently didn?t believe in the old saying ?three strikes and you?re out,? or else they wouldn?t have attempted to burglarize the same Sardis City home Wednesday morning.

Sardis City police Chief James Alverson said he believes three men were responsible for burglaries on June 21 and Monday of a U.S. 431 South residence and apparently were attempting a third burglary when things didn?t go as planned.

Alverson said a friend of the homeowner was staying at the home Wednesday when he heard a vehicle pull up to the house and blow its horn.

The unidentified friend told police he looked out the window and saw a black truck, with which he was not familiar, in front of the house. A short time later, the doorbell rang, but the friend did not respond.

Alverson said the friend told police that, a few minutes later, one of the men popped open the lock on the back door with a screwdriver and entered the house.

The man then started toward the basement door in what was believed to be an effort to let an accomplice into the house.

The homeowner?s friend, who had a pistol, confronted the surprised burglar and told him, ?Don?t you move!?

Believing he might be shot, the man did not move. Then the friend proceeded to take the intruder outside, asking him, ?Where?s your other buddy at??

A man in the pickup truck in the driveway saw his partner being held at gunpoint and quickly drove back to U.S. 431.

The truck?s driver stopped to speak with a second man, parked as an apparent lookout, in a red vehicle near the highway.

The two then waited for the home?s occupant and his captive to approach, at which time the occupant told his prisoner, ?You better tell your buddies they just better go on.?

(Long, involved, and interesting story)

Mary Esther, Florida

From the Northwest Florida Daily News of June 29, 2007

Thieves load boat; victim unloads gun

A Mary Esther man had his boat stolen from his home, but the thieves didn?t get away before he had a chance to shoot at their truck.

Three men went on the man?s property on U.S. Highway 98 and loaded his boat into the back of their truck on June 27, according to a Sheriff?s Office report.

They left with the boat and the victim followed, and when the boat owner had the chance, he shot at the rear wheel of the truck with a Smith and Wesson.

It?s not clear if he was able to hit the truck, but his aggressive response must have helped. Two of the men have been arrested.

Christopher Clark, 23, and Elliott Stone, 20, both of Mary Esther, have been charged with burglary and larceny.

Columbus, Ohio

From Columbus? NBC4i.com of June 28, 2007

Police: Resident Fights Back, Shoots Burglary Suspects

Police are trying to determine the events that led up to an apparent home invasion and shooting on Thursday afternoon.

According to neighbors, two armed men attempted to break into a home on Koebel Road at about 12:30 p.m. A short time later, neighbors said they heard gunshots, NBC 4 reported.

Police said the resident was home alone when the alleged break-in occurred. According to police, the victim shot both suspects, striking one of them in the leg.

The men fled the scene, but were later arrested and taken to Grant Medical Center in stable condition.

Neighbors said the incident was the second attempted break-in at the man’s home in less than a year.

Police said the homeowner will not face charges because he was defending himself.

Provo, Utah

From the Provo Daily Herald of June 28, 2007

Provo man uses pistol against burglar

Burgle him once, he buys a gun and an alarm.

Try it again and you might get shot.

Police say residents of the Old Academy on University Avenue took on an auto burglar with loaded guns Wednesday morning.

It was the second time the resident’s vehicle had been burglarized, and Provo Capt. Cliff Argyle said the man purchased an alarm after the first burglary.

The alarm paged the vehicle owner at 4:30 a.m., notifying him that his Toyota 4Runner had been broken into. He ran down to the underground parking lot with his roommate.

Both brought their pistols.

The two residents confronted the would-be burglars, telling them to get on the ground, Argyle said.

The suspects instead ran to their vehicle and started to drive away. The roommate of the vehicle owner fired his pistol at the green sedan, hitting the front driver’s-side tire.

“The tire did not deflate, and the driver kept driving and the vehicle went on its way,” Argyle said. The suspects got away in their green sedan. The roommates did get a license plate number and police are waiting to release it.
?

The Old Academy is Brigham Young University contracted housing. Part of the agreement signed by tenants states that there will be no firearms “unless prior written consent is received from owner/agent and all other tenants in the rental unit.”

As for whether the roommates could face charges within Provo City, Argyle said none are being considered at this time. He did say this crime story is unique.

“We’ve had people confront vehicle burglars in the past, but this is the first time I can recall where the person has used a firearm to confront someone,” Argyle said.

Riviera Beach, Florida

From the Palm Beach Post of June 28, 2007

Business owner fires at robbers, hits bystander, police report

After two men shoved guns in an auto shop owner’s face, taking $1,300 from his business, the owner grabbed his own gun, followed them outside and fired, police said.

Police don’t know if any of the shots hit either robber, but one did hit a bystander in the ankle.

The bystander, who police would not identify Wednesday, was taken to an area hospital with an injury said to be not life-threatening.

According to police, investigations into both the robbery and the shooting, which happened shortly after 1 p.m., are continuing.

Richard Hydro, 54, owner of Motor Werkes, in the 4600 block of Dyer Avenue, was not held by police. A man answering the telephone at his home said the business owner had been advised not to discuss the shooting.

Riviera Beach spokeswoman Rose Anne Brown, however, said, “The (robbery) victim, in fear of his life, followed the subjects and shot at them.”

She added that a second encounter outside the business preceded the shooting, but said she had no information on what took place. The robbers took cash and personal credit cards, police said.

Hydro has a concealed weapons permit, according to state records. He has owned the property where the business is since 1993, records show.

A report on the shooting will be sent to the state attorney’s office in the next few days to determine whether charges will be filed, Brown said.

Police say the robbers fled in a silver, four-door, late-model Chrysler or Dodge, possibly an Intrepid, driven by a woman. Both had semiautomatic handguns, one black and one silver, police said.

Clarksville, Tennessee

From the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle of June 28, 2007

Victim turns tables on burglar

50-year-old man wrestles gun from teen

Sheriff’s Investigator Julie Webb wishes every home invasion could have such positive results.

“It worked out awesome,” said Webb, the lead investigator on the case. It was a burglary where the occupants of a River Hills Drive residence awoke to find an armed burglar in their home, only to wrestle away his weapon, chase him from their home, and later identify him for the arrest.

“We had wonderful victims that handled themselves as well as you could ask for,” she said.

At about 1 a.m., a male resident awoke at his usual time, but noticed that some things were out of place, Webb said.

“He said it took him a minute to register,” she said, but he quickly found a masked man with a rifle in a bedroom.

The masked man, Craig Majors, 19, who gave a 211 Al Orta Drive address, pointed the rifle at him and “told him not to look at him, turn around, or he would kill him,” Webb said.

Majors then demanded money, to which the victim responded that they use debit cards and don’t keep money in the house. Majors decided to take the victim to a nearby ATM to withdraw his money.

Still holding the gun at the victim’s back, Majors led him to the garage where he found some bungee cord to tie him up with. As he tied him up, Majors held the gun under his arm, which turned out to be a mistake.

“(The victim) said to me he realized that was his opportunity,” Webb said. “He turned around and jumped on this man, and the fight was on.”

The victim, who is in his 50’s, yelled as he fought Majors, and his wife awoke to find them fighting in the garage.

She then struck the burglar in the side of the head.

The male victim was able to get an upper hand in the fight, Webb said, as the gun lay on the ground. Majors then got on top of the victim, but the victim was able to kick him off and down a staircase. He then picked up the gun and attempted to fire it, but it didn’t fire, so he started swinging the gun at Majors who ran, Webb said.

The couple watched Majors sped away in a dark colored, four-door car, the same vehicle deputies found abandoned no more than a mile down the road, after it struck a tree.

(More)

Plantation, Florida

From Miami?s Local10.com of June 28, 2007

Police: Customer Shoots 2 Subway Robbery Suspects

Retired Marine Kills 1, Wounds Another, Police Say

A retired United States Marine disrupted a robbery in progress when he shot two men who attempted to rob a Subway sandwich shop, fatally wounding one of them, police said.

According to Plantation police, two armed men barged into the Subway at 1949 Pine Island Rd. shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, demanding money from the employee behind the counter. When they tried to force a customer into the bathroom, he pulled out a gun and shot both men, police said.

One man was shot in the head and later died at the hospital. The other ran from the Subway, but police found him in hiding in some bushes on the property of a nearby BankAtlantic.

A witness who was about to enter the Subway at the time said he thought the shootings were justified.

“I think justice, you know, was served and a civilian was a hero for today,” Sebastian Shakespeare said.

Police said the customer, a retired Marine, wouldn’t be charged.

More details from the June 29, 2007 South Florida Sun Sentinel:

Lovell, 71, of Plantation, has a valid concealed weapons permit and is not expected to be charged in the shooting, said police spokesman Detective Robert Rettig. Gadson, however, faces multiple felony charges that could include murder, he said. Under Florida law, anyone who commits a felony such as armed robbery resulting in a death can be held accountable for the capital offense.

Florida law gives people the right of “self-defense without the duty to retreat.” That means individuals can use deadly force virtually anywhere to prevent death or serious injury.

Hobart, Indiana

From Merrillville?s Post-Tribune of June 28, 2007

Police say shooting could be self-defense

A Hobart man is hospitalized after a fight ended with a shooting Tuesday evening that police believe could be ruled self-defense.

Witnesses say Lawrence Halt, 43, was in an argument in front of his next-door neighbor’s home in the 100 block of North Guyer Street when he put Michael Peco in a headlock. Police believe they were fighting over whether Halt would be allowed to do home repair work for Peco, according to police.

Halt followed Peco into his home, where police believe he again put Peco in a headlock. During a struggle, Peco drew a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol and shot Halt, once in the hand and again in the chest, said Detective Lt. Leo Finnerty.

“He was in fear, and he shot him twice,” Finnerty said.

Halt was hospitalized but he was awake and alert Wednesday morning when he was interviewed by police, he said.

Police continue to interview witnesses.

The results will be referred to the Lake County prosecutor, who will determine whether charges will be filed and against which man.

Omaha, Nebraska

From Omaha’s KETV of June 26, 2007

Resident Fires Gun At 3 Burglars

A couple being robbed in their home Monday night was able to fire a shot at the burglars, police said.

At about 10:30 p.m. Monday, police said three white men entered at home at 11029 Jones St. through an open garage door. The residents told police the robbers demanded money at gunpoint. One of the residents was able to grab a gun and fire.

No one was hit and burglars got away.

Pittsburg, California

From the Contra Costa Times of June 27, 2007

Suspect sought in Pittsburg barber shop gunfight

Police are looking for a gunman in connection with a morning gun battle at a local barber shop that left at least one of the shooters injured.

At 11:10 a.m., police received calls of gunfire at Phatcuts in the 3900 block of Railroad Avenue, said Lt. Brian Addington.

Officers on the scene found a 31-year-old Antioch man, who is a barber at the shop, bleeding from several gunshots to his legs. He is in stable condition at a nearby hospital, Addington said.

No customers were reportedly in the store, and no other injuries were reported.

The barber told police that he was alone inside the barbershop when a man walked in and started spraying gunfire.
The barber pulled out a .45 caliber handgun that he had in his waist band, and returned fire, Addington said.

The gunman fled and jumped into a Buick Park Avenue that sped away.

Nearly two hours later, police received a call from an area car dismantler and salvage yard about a suspicious car that had just been left there. A man dropped it off minutes before wanting to buy windshields to replace the car’s front and back windows, which had been shot out, Addington said.

The car was also punctured by myriad bullet holes. The driver fled the scene before officers arrived at yard, Addington said.

Detectives are actively investigating leads to the gunman’s identity, Addington said.

Daytona, Florida

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal of June 26, 2007

Woman shoots at charging pit bull

Memories of an Easter Sunday pit bull attack four years ago came rushing back to Christine Bruce on Monday night as a pit bull charged toward her while she was jogging with her dogs.

Unlike four years ago, this time she was ready.

She pulled out her .38-caliber handgun and fired a shot at the charging pit bull as she was screaming at it to stop, she said Tuesday in a telephone interview.

The attack four years ago — a pit bull ripped open part of a body cast on her right arm while she was recovering from spinal surgery — prompted Bruce to start carrying the gun for self-defense, she said.

Bruce said she normally walks and runs every day with her two labs and a German shepherd.

According to a Volusia County sheriff’s report, Bruce, 44, was jogging with her dogs at 8:13 p.m. when she saw Ricky Charles Ward standing in front of his house at 1435 Gainesville Drive with a white pit bull on a leash. She said Ward started exciting the dog and when she asked him to stop, he let the dog go and told it to attack her.

“The dog was inside the house barking and then (Ward) opens the door and comes out with the pit bull on a leash,” Bruce said. “I kept running to get away but then I looked back and he let go the leash and the dog.”

Afraid for her and her dogs, Bruce retrieved the handgun from her bag and fired at the charging pit bull. She missed the dog but the sound of the gunshot scared it away, the report states.

Bruce has a concealed weapon’s permit, sheriff’s spokesman Brandon Haught said. The case has been turned over to Deltona Animal Control for review, Haught said.

Ward, 47, was issued a warning by a city Animal Control officer to keep his dog under control, city spokesman Lee Lopez said. Ward could not be reached Tuesday.

Stricter action could not be taken because “there is not a history with this dog at that address,” Lopez said.

Las Vegas, Nevada

From Las Vegas? KTVN.com of June 26, 2007

Suspected Robber Left Dead After Attempted Jewelry Store Robbery

A neighborhood is briefly on lockdown, following a shootout in a local jewelry store.

Now one person is dead and police are searching for a possible suspect.

The search is on for that possible suspect, but right now Metro has two people in custody.

It was a crime that had police scrambling through several eastside neighborhoods chasing a suspected robber.

It all started at a jewelry store. Police say two or three men and a woman went in with guns to rob the place.

They say they were confronted by a woman working in the store, and during that run-in one of the suspects ended up shot.

That suspect later died.

People in the neighborhood saw the other suspected robbers run right by them.

Roy Martin Middle School and Sunrise Acres Elementary both went into lockdown, as police chased and caught a man and a woman they say may be involved.

Police believe there may be one more suspect on the loose, and the neighborhood is still shaken up.

The video which accompanies this story confirms that the clerk shot the robber.

From Las Vegas? KVBC.com of June 26, 2007

Robber dies after being shot by store owner

A robbery suspect is dead following a robbery gone bad at a jewelry store. It happened Tuesday morning at the Gold Doctor jewelry store on Mojave near Charleston. Another suspect is still on the run.

Police say at least four people entered the jewelry store at around 11:30 Tuesday morning; police say at least two of them were armed. It’s then that police say a struggle ensued between the suspects and the business owners.

One of the owners managed to wrestle a gun away from a suspect. The owner shot the suspect in the abdomen; he was transported to a local hospital where he later died. As for the other suspects involved, police did managed to detain two, a male and a female just blocks away from the crime scene.

The fourth suspect is still on the loose and police just have a vague description to go on. He is described at a black male adult with very short hair, and he’s believed to be wearing a white shirt and dark pants.

Police tell us the owners are obviously shaken up, but fortunately they were not injured. Police also tell us that at this time it’s too early in the investigation to talk about whether the owner who shot the suspect will face charges in all of this or if it may just be ruled self defense.

From Las Vegas? KVBC.com of June 26, 2007

Details into the fatal robbery at local jewelry store

We now know more about a deadly store robbery that happened Wednesday morning. Two suspects are in custody while another is dead – shot by the store owner.

It’s back to business at the Gold Doctor jewelry store; the only signs of any crime is a single bullet hole in the door blinds. But a much scarier scene is detailed in the arrest report – an inside look into Tuesday’s robbery gone bad.

The report says two suspects, armed with semi-automatic handguns, kicked in the front door and wrestled with store owner Zane Houston. Kenneth Kalbach, another owner, heard the commotion and tried to fight back by jumping on the suspect.

A third employee, Beatriz Hernandez, was held hostage with a gun to her head. Meanwhile, two other suspects, Miya Mason and Thurman Hall, were waiting outside with a getaway car.

As Kalbach watched the robber approach him, he feared for his life but still managed to get the robber’s gun; Kalbach fatally shot him in the stomach.

The police report says that Mason and Hall admitted they took part in the robbery, but the investigation is not over yet; one more suspect is still on the loose.

Mason and Hall are expected to appear in court Thursday morning on charges of conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping and murder.

Shreveport, Louisiana

From Shreveport’s KTBS of June 26, 2007

Homeowner kills suspected burglar

A homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar this morning after finding him breaking into a car and a storage shed in his townhouse development.

Police said the homeowner tried to hold the burglar at bay until officers arrived, but the burglar tried to attack him.

The 49-year-old homeowner was questioned by police and released with no charges filed. The case will be sent to the district attorney for a decision on whether charges should be filed.

The shooting happened about 2:30 a.m. on Carlsbad Drive in far southeast Shreveport.

Killed was Jonathan Sternitzky, 19, who lived on nearby Monet Drive in the same development.

The homeowner said he saw the break-ins in progress, got a gun and went outside. He told police he tried to hold Sternitzky until officers got there but Sternitzky tried to attack him.

Police said the homeowner fired one shot, hitting Sternitzky in the chest.

Police said the mortally wounded man ran around the corner of the building before he collapsed and died.

Authorities did not release the name of the homeowner.

Clay Carroll backed his neighbor’s action.

“Let people know that this ain’t gonna be an area where it’s tolerated,” Carroll said. “We need to keep the crime out.”

From Shreveport?s KTBS.com of August 20, 2007

D.A. says shooting of burglar by homeowner was justified

A homeowner acted in self-defense when he fatally shot a man after catching him breaking into a car in his Shreveport townhouse development, Caddo District Attorney Paul Carmouche said today.

Prosecutors reviewed the findings of a police investigation and autopsy results before concluding the homeowner — who was trying to hold the burglar at bay until police arrived — was being attacked by the burglar when he fired, Carmouche said.

Carmouche said the 49-year-old homeowner was sitting on his Carlsbad Drive patio about 3 a.m. on June 26 when he heard someone breaking into a car. The homeowner got a gun from his house and confronted the burglar.

The burglar tried to convince the homeowner to let him go, then told him he had previous arrests and “nothing to lose” and charged the homeowner, Carmouche said. The homeowner fell back and fired one shot, hitting the other man in the chest.

Mortally wounded Jonathan Sternitzky, 19, ran around the corner of the building before he collapsed and died.

Sternitzky lived on nearby Monet Drive in the same development. Autopsy results showed Sternitzky had multiple drugs in his system, Carmouche said.

“Based on the autopsy report, the homeowner’s statements and the facts, it is a justifiable homicide,” Carmouche said.

Salt Lake City, Utah

From the June 25, 2007 International Herald-Tribune:

SALT LAKE CITY: Authorities said a prison inmate out for a medical appointment wrested a gun from a corrections officer and killed him, then led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen sport utility vehicle before his capture at a fast-food restaurant.

Curtis Allgier, who wears a swastika and the words “skin head” on his heavily tattooed face, fired a shot in the Arby’s restaurant that hit no one before a customer snatched the gun, Salt Lake City police Sgt. Rich Brede said.

“It sounds like he was heroic, even though he’s being humble about it,” he said of the 59-year-old customer.

…

Police pursuing Allgier placed tire spikes on Interstate 215, but he still was able to drive several miles (kilometers) before bailing out in the Arby’s drive-thru lane, police said.

Police arrived at the eatery just as Shirley Smiley, 57, was outside after breakfast with her husband and son. She said she heard a “popping noise” from inside, and police yelled “Get down!”

About six other customers and three employees were inside the restaurant, Smiley said. At least one person was “struck with some object” but was able to walk out, bloodied around the head, Brede said.

Police did not identify the customer who wrested the gun from Allgier, saying he did not want to be identified.

KUTV identified the customer as Eric Fullerton.

“Everybody’s calling me a hero. I’m not a hero,” Fullerton told the TV station. “I just did what I had to do.”

Allgier had been at the Utah State Prison in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper on a parole violation. On June 14, he was sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm but had not been transferred yet to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.