Columbus, Ohio

From NBC4i of July 30, 2009

Man Fatally Shoots Armed Intruder, CPD Says

A man fatally shot an armed intruder while protecting his 5-year-old relative late Wednesday, authorities said.

Columbus police continued to investigate an overnight shooting on the city?s Southwest Side.

CPD said the incident started with a home invasion but it was the suspect who was fatally shot.

CPD was called to a home on the 1500 block of Autumn Village Drive on reports of a shooting at about 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Officers found a man on a front porch with a gunshot wound to his neck.

The armed suspect broke into home shortly before he was fatally shot, CPD said.

?There was a knock on the door. The resident went to the door, at which time the victim out front entered the house with a firearm in commission of an aggravated robbery,? said CPD homicide Sgt. Dana Norman.

As the armed suspect entered the home, a man picked up his 5-year-old relative to protect child as well as a firearm and fired shots, according to authorities.

The suspect attempted to flee the home after being wounded but collapsed on the porch. He died a short time later.

Detectives have not released the identity of the suspect currently, but NBC4 was told the shooter and suspect did not know each other.

The police report listed the suspect as an unknown black male in his 20s.

The man who fatally shot the suspect was not a resident of the home; he was staying there with relatives. There were four people in home at time of the invasion: a woman, child and two men, one of whom is bedridden.

Authorities have have not released additional information on the shooter?s identity, either.

?It?s a very quiet neighborhood,? said neighbor Gary Dulaney.

No other injuries were reported from the incident.

?Five-years-old, man. You?re always concerned about the kid. I mean you hope you don?t bring your child into that situation. It is scary. I feel bad for him,? Dulaney said.

No charges were filed against the man who shot the intruder currently, but the case will be presented to the Franklin County grand jury for review.

Anyone with additional information on the city?s 49th homicide of 2009 was asked to call the CPD homicide squad at 614-645-4730.

Grant Pass, Oregon

From KTVL of July 28, 2009

Homeowner Shoots, Kills Bear After it Climbs Through Window

A Grants Pass man woke up in the middle of the night, and came face to face with an intruder. That intruder was a bear, and the man jumped into action.

Everett Skinner was awakened by his daughter in the middle of the night. Skinner grabbed his shot gun.

“I shot him once with the gun and that didn’t bother him” skinner explained. “I put a third shot into his mid section and he was still growling and roaring” said Skinner. It took three more shots to finally put the bear down.

The bear eventually collapsed dead. Ironically, Skinner explained the bear did with his head next to a picnic basket. Skinner says it was all over in about a minute. He says the bear had run out when the two saw each other, and is sorry that he had to kill the bear, but says it had to be done.

Boulder County, Colorado

From the July 27, 2009 Boulder Daily Camera:

BOULDER, Colo. ? It took three rounds from a shotgun, five bullets from a handgun and two shots from a rifle to kill the 120-pound black bear that broke into a Boulder County home early Monday morning.

The bear break-in was the fifth time in a week hungry bears have gotten into Boulder County residences, all while the residents were home. That has wildlife officials urging area residents to take precautions and bear proof their homes.

Brenda Fischer’s barking dog woke her at about 2 a.m. Monday morning. When she went upstairs to investigate, she found a bear in the kitchen of her home on Poorman Road, between Sunshine and Fourmile canyons.

Fischer quickly returned downstairs to wake her two children and her husband.

“As soon as I knew there was a bear inside the house, I went to gather up both our weapon and our ammunition, because they are in two different places, and went to place myself with the weapon between the family and the bear,” said Paul Fischer, Brenda’s husband.

“As soon as I moved to try and make a place for him to get out, he charged me,” Fischer continued. “That’s when I shot him and he kept charging me. I shot him a second time, and he kept charging me. I shot him a third time and he was finally disoriented enough for me to get away.”

The first two rounds from the 12-gauge shotgun were birdshot and the third was rubber bullets, according to a report by the sheriff’s office. The Fischers escaped through a bedroom window, leaving the wounded bear inside the house.

When officers arrived on the scene at about 2:30 a.m., they found a bloody bear trying to claw his way through a screen door.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Lance Enholm, after determining that the bear was severely injured and would need to be put down, fired his .45-caliber handgun five more times at the animal.

Harris County, Texas

From the July 28, 2009 Houston Chronicle:

A homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar who came at him with a tire iron Tuesday after breaking into a storage shed on the man?s property in east Harris County, officals said.

Although the shooting will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, investigators said it appears to be self-defense.

“He has the right to protect himself and his property,” said Sgt. Felipe Rivera, with the Harris County sheriff?s homicide division.

Investigators later Tuesday had not released the names of the homeowner or of the dead man.

Investigators suspect the incident was related to a burglary reported Monday at the same address. In that incident, the homeowner reported that a pair of hunting crossbows had been stolen.

On Tuesday, the homeowner saw a car about 3:30 p.m. as it pulled into the driveway leading to the home in the 100 block of Cedar Lane in Channelview.

After checking with his father-in-law, who lives in another home on the same property, the man took his .45-caliber pistol and went outside to confront the man he had seen in the car, investigators said.

The man was carrying empty cases used to hold crossbows when the homeowner confronted him in the driveway.

“He pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect to stop,” Rivera said. “The suspect threw the cases down and produced the tire iron.”

The homeowner fired once with the pistol. He fired a second time when the man continued moving toward him.

The man got into his car then began grabbing for the pistol, Rivera said.

“They struggled for the gun and he (the homeowner) fires two or three more shots,” Rivera said.

The man tried to drive away, but struck a support column for a large covered car port, causing it to partially collapse.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, Rivera said.

Atlanta, Georgia

From July 28, 2009 channel 11:

ATLANTA (AP) — Police say a man who shot and killed his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend was acting in self defense.

The shooting happened just after 3 p.m. Monday at an apartment in the 2,000 block of Lenox Road.

Atlanta police Maj. Renee Propes said the shooting victim waited outside his ex-girlfriend’s apartment until her new boyfriend came home. Propes said the man attacked the new boyfriend and the fight continued into the apartment, where the new boyfriend shot and killed the ex-boyfriend.

Propes said charges aren’t likely to be filed.

Plainfield, Connecticut

From the July 21, 2009 Stamford (Conn.) Advocate:

PLAINFIELD, Conn.?Plainfield and state police are looking for an intruder who apparently was scared off when a homeowner fired his shotgun.

Police say John Gold heard noises inside his home late Monday night and got out of bed to investigate and saw the movement of a flashlight.

Police say when Gold couldn’t immediately find his cell phone to call 911, he grabbed his shotgun and began loading it when the intruder confronted him.

Gold told police he fired one shot and the intruder, who apparently was not injured, took off.

Detroit, Michigan

From July 23, 2009 channel 4:

DETROIT — The victim of an armed robbery shot and killed his robber Thursday morning, police said.Police said an armed man attempted to rob a cab driver at the Citgo Gas Station on McNichols Street around 5 a.m.

The cab driver pulled out a gun and fired several rounds, striking the thief three times, said police.

The man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he died.

Police said the 38-year-old shooter called police to report the shooting. He is now in custody and being questioned.

Police said the cab driver had a legitimate license to carry a concealed weapon.

From the comments:

i helped his aunt write his obituary, and it saddened me to realize that the handful of pictures and the short paragraphs in the obituary summed up his brief life. that’s it. he was only 17. i wish he had listened to his family who tried to set him straight, but in his case — as is often the case for young, misunderstood black boys — the streets and his “friends” were louder. we’ll never know what or who freddrick could have been.

Orange County, Florida

From WFTV of July 25, 2009

Would-Be Robber Shot and Killed

Orange County Sheriff’s deputies say a robbery victim turned the tables on two robbery suspects.

?I was in my bedroom sleeping and all of a sudden I heard a pow, pow, pow,? said eyewitness Barry Quintin.

Deputies say Miguel Jimenez was walking into his apartment at Villa Tuscany near Ocoee when 18-year-old Andri Benjamin ran up, put a gun in his face and tried to rob him.

But Jimenez was carrying a loaded revolver and a concealed weapons permit to go along with it.

He pulled his gun out and shot Benjamin several times, killing him.

Neighbor Barry Quintin says his roommate opened their front door moments after the shooting.

?We saw the person laying down on the ground and I was like shut the damn door, and he’s like, he’s bleeding, and I’m like shut the door and call 911,? said Quintin.

Deputies rushed to the scene while Jimenez was holding the second suspect at gunpoint.

Now there are questions about the safety at the apartment complex.

?Villa Tuscany has to beef up their security because we don’t have any security here. The only security we have is the gates up front and obviously that’s not good enough, said resident Harvey Vives.

Quintin says he understands his neighbor was just protecting himself.

But he wishes it didn’t have to come to such a violent and deadly ending.

?It’s just a little too much.?

Cottonwood, Idaho

From KTVB of July 27, 2009

Prison escapees meet their match in Idaho mom with gun

The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office had honored a Cottonwood woman with a certificate of achievement saying she showed true courage in the face of danger for fending off two prison escapees who tried to break into her home.

Cassidy Lockett was home with her young children late last month when she says two men tried to break into her home. She hid the children behind the couch, grabbed a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol and aimed it at a man who was already halfway through a window, climbing into her home.

Lockett says she pointed the gun at him and told him to get out or she’d shoot. She says he complied, and left along with another man who was trying to get through the locked front door.

The sheriff’s department says the two were Richard Nieves and Ben Westley Perez, who are both facing escape, burglary and other charges.

Miami, Florida

From the Florida Sun Sentinel of July 25, 2009

Brinks security guard fatally shot a would-be robber in Miami, witnesses say

A Brinks security guard shot and killed a would-be robber who attacked him while he was making a routine stop at a South Miami-Dade health clinic Friday, according to witnesses.

After the 2 p.m. shooting outside the Doris Ison Health Center, 10300 SW 216th St., Miami-Dade police arrested two other suspects after a search of surrounding neighborhoods.

Miami-Dade police have not identified the dead man. Those arrested also were not identified.

“According to investigators, shots were fired when three subjects, armed with firearms, attempted to rob an armored truck crew making a pick up or delivery at the health center located at 10300 SW 216th Street,” a Miami-Dade police statement said late Friday.

One employee of the health center, who did not want to be identified, told The Miami Herald that the shooting took place after the apparent robber attacked the Brinks security guard. The guard, said the witness, then shot the man outside the health center, which remained under lockdown for hours as police officers swarmed the area in search of the other suspects.

Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS 4 reported that police found the other suspects less than a mile away at the Cutler Creek Town Homes.

They reported that police officers went house to house and then surrounded one home.

Much of the area surrounding the health clinic and the neighborhood near the townhomes was swarming with police officers following the shooting.

La Petite Academy, a day care center on 216th Street in Cutler Bay, was placed on lockdown for hours, with parents not allowed to pick up their children, the station reported.

Houston, Texas

From the Houston Chronicle of July 23, 2009

74-year-old man shoots carjacker in SW Houston

A 74-year-old man shot and wounded a teenager who attempted to carjack him with a knife early this morning in southwest Houston, police said.

The 18-year-old male suspect was wounded in the abdomen and was caught by police after he tried to run away following the shooting. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital in fair condition.

No other injuries were reported.

Police have not released the suspect’s name because no charges have been filed against him, but investigators said that he will mostly likely be charged with aggravated robbery.

The shooting happened outside a home in the 10900 block of Corona in southwest Houston about 6:30 a.m., police said.

The victim, August Peters, had just parked his car in front of his wife’s home when he noticed another car drive past him and park at the curb across the street.

When the victim got out of his car, he told investigators that the teen came up to him and pressed a knife against his throat.

“He said, ‘Give me your car or I’ll kill you,’” said Victor Senties, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department.

The victim was able to reach inside his car to get a pistol. He fired two shots at the suspect, Senties said.

The suspect ran into the driveway of a home across the street and then somehow got into the home. He broke a window to get out and continued running away. Senties said no one was at the home at the time.

Police found the teen moments later on bridge on Wilcrest near Bellaire about two blocks from where he was shot.

Investigators are uncertain if the teenager got out of the car the victim had seen park on the street. They have no description of the vehicle and no other suspects at this time.

Garrad County, Kentucky

From WLEX of July 21, 2009

Intruder Fatally Shot By Homeowner In Garrard County

Police are investigating after they say a man was shot to death early Tuesday morning while trying to break into a home in Garrard County.

The incident happened at about 12:45 a.m. at a home on Old Richmond Road. Kentucky State Police said Dallas Richard Helton, 40, had broken into the back of the home, and was shot once in the chest by the homeowner, Herlin McQuerry, 67. Helton stumbled out to the driveway where police said he died.

Police said McQuerry also fired a shot at the alleged getaway car being driven by Tonya Fowler, 35, of Berea. She was later arrested and charged with complicity to commit burglary second degree.

Helton’s 17-year-old son was also in the vehicle. Police questioned him, but have not charged him.

Helton’s family claims they were looking at rental property. However, Kentucky State Police said Helton was wearing a black ski mask and armed with a crowbar. Police added McQuerry’s house was not listed for rent.

No charges will be filed against McQuerry in the case.

Soldotna, Alaska

From the July 22, 2009 Anchorage Daily News:

Daniel Ames reckons he dealt one for the good guys on Saturday night near Soldotna when he came home, found two burglars in his house, wrestled with them over a pistol, then took them down, telling them he was going to blow off their knees if they didn’t start following his orders.

One of the two 21-year-olds charged with the burglary turned out to be Ames’ next-door neighbor, according to a report from the Alaska State Troopers. The young man registered a blood alcohol content of .418, which is more than five times the legal limit to drive.

Ames called the young men bandits.

The 49-year-old construction worker was returning home from work on Saturday around 9 p.m. when a neighbor told him some kids were wandering around near his home, which was being remodeled.

He rushed home to find his neighbor, Chance Tallman, and Joshua Simons trying to walk out of his house with a $125 ceiling fan, he said.

Ames said he wasn’t going to let those guys get away with burglary.

“What are you two buttheads doing in my house?” he said.

To that, apparently, one of the young men said, “Who are you calling buttheads?” and began to pull out a Glock pistol.

Ames grabbed for it and began wrestling, thrashing Tallman’s hand against wall studs to loosen his grip. The gun broke loose and then, according to Ames, the men looked ready to carry on with their fists. That’s when he pulled out his own concealed weapon, also a Glock. He shot into the ground to let the burglars know he was serious, he said.

He told the men to get down on their knees. If they didn’t, he was going to blow off their kneecaps.

He had them. Drama over. Good guy wins. Or so he says.

Tallman told troopers a different story. He was merely trespassing, picked up the fan to admire it, thinking his mother would like it, and then Ames barged in the door, put him in a chokehold, then recklessly shot the gun into the floor.

As for the Glock, that was his mother’s, Tallman told the troopers. She showed up on the scene afterward and confirmed it was hers, troopers said.

Simons admitted to troopers that he was trespassing but said he was only admiring the construction work.

Troopers charged Tallman with burglary, theft, assault and misconduct with a weapon. Simons faces burglary and theft charges.

Trooper Sgt. James Truesdell, who investigated the case, said that when he arrived Ames had both men on the ground in the front yard. A Glock 23 was on the ground with a round in the chamber. Ames told the trooper that he had taken the pistol from Tallman, Truesdell wrote in his report.

The trooper said he didn’t charge Ames with any crime but the district attorney may feel differently after reading the report. When asked what he meant, he read Alaska statutes on what constitutes legal defense of life and property.

Bristol, Florida

From the July 20, 2009 Tallahassee Democrat:

BRISTOL ??Bradley Harvell, 82, closed the Slip N? Slide bar that is connected to his house on County Road 333 around 8 p.m. Sunday and walked inside his house an hour later. He ate some dinner dropped off by a neighbor and then went to bed.

Harvell said a short time later, he heard a knock at the door.

?There were two knocks at my door,? Harvell said. ?I didn?t get up when I heard the first one. But I decided to go see who it was on the second knock.?

As Harvell cracked the door open to take a peek outside, a man dressed in a black T-shirt, black jeans with a blue bandanna covering his mouth, forced his way inside.

Harvell said the man, later identified as Octavius Barnes, 24, of Sanford, Fla., shot him with a stun gun, causing Harvell to fall back on his bed. The intruder then pulled out what appeared to be a black pistol and demanded money.

Harvell pulled out his money clip and gave the robber half of the cash. When pressed to give more, Harvell said he turned it all over.

But Harvell then reached for his .357 magnum among a pile of papers on the floor next to his bed and shot Barnes near the stomach. Barnes fell over on the TV, knocking it onto Harvell, who fired another round, striking Barnes in the head.

?I did what I did to try and save myself,? Harvell said Monday afternoon, after spending the night with his sister in Bristol. ?I?m 82-years-old. I?ve made it this far, and I want to keep on living.?

The call came in about 9:20 p.m., according to the Liberty County Sheriff?s Office. When a deputy arrived, with her weapon drawn, Harvell said he told her, ?There?s no need for the gun. I don?t think he?s going to get up and do anything else.?

Pontiac, Michigan

From July 19, 2009 Detroit channel 4:

PONTIAC, Mich. — Neighbors in one community said a man was shot and killed early Sunday morning after he interrupted a neighborhood party and robbed some of the partygoers.

“It’s like playground rules. They just broke one of them by going in and robbing and turning your back on someone,” neighbor Andre said.

Andre said 29-year-old Gregory Scott interupted a dice game in the basement of a house in the 300 block of Seward Street in Pontiac at about 3:30 a.m.

Andre said Scott pulled a gun on partygoers and robbed them. “He goes in, pulls out a gun, let off a shot or two to make the person come out his money, and he was fine with that and turned his back,” Andre said. “But everybody had pistols … lights went off on him then.”

Andre said the man was shot several times as he ran up the stairs and out of the house.

“He made it outside. He fell outside,” Andre said.

Neighbors said two other people were also wounded but were able to walk away from the scene.