Bakersfield, California

From Bakersfield.com of March 3, 2010

Man holds suspected burglar at gunpoint until police arrive

He’s 70 years old, and his health isn’t what it used to be, but Raymond Michel is not someone who should be taken lightly.

The south Bakersfield resident shot at a suspected burglar in his house Wednesday afternoon and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. The suspect, identified by police as John Jenaro Garner, tried to get up twice, but Michel warned him to stay down.

“I told my wife to call the cops because (the burglar) was staying here one way or another,” Michel said.

Bakersfield police Lt. Andrew Garner, no relation to the supsect, confirmed that Raymond Michel was the man who shot at the suspect.

Michel and his wife, Dawn, had returned home on Ivan Avenue about 1 p.m. after taking their grandson to a doctor’s appointment. The 9-year-old grandson noticed a light on in a downstairs bedroom and asked his grandmother if she had left it on.

Dawn Michel said she looked in the room and noticed some items weren’t where they were supposed to be. Then she and her grandson went outside and saw a garbage bag on the ground, along with a window screen that had been knocked out of a second-floor window. Jewelry and money were in the bag.

Dawn Michel told her husband someone had been in the house. Raymond Michel said he armed himself with a handgun and walked upstairs.

Items from the bedroom closet were strewn about the floor, and Raymond Michel noticed that the bathroom door was almost completely closed. He and his wife always keep that door open.

He kicked the door, and it stopped partway as it struck the intruder, Raymond Michel said. The suspect stepped from behind the door and leveled a rifle at the homeowner, he said.

Raymond Michel, who said he was holding his handgun at waist level, pulled the trigger. The bullet went through the door, shattered the upper left corner of the mirror and entered the wall.

The suspect dropped to the floor, and Raymond Michel at first thought he had hit him. But then the intruder tried to get up, Raymond Michel said.

Raymond Michel said he told him to stay down and kept the gun pointed at him. His wife called 911.

The dispatcher asked Dawn Michel, who was still downstairs, if she could go upstairs and make sure her husband was all right, Dawn Michel said. But she had two grandchildren in the house who she needed to keep safe, and she wasn’t going anywhere until police arrived.

“I said ‘Lady, I’m not going upstairs. You’ve got to be kidding,’” Dawn Michel said.

Police soon arrived and took John Garner into custody. Police said John Garner had drugs in his possession and was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.

The rifle the suspect had armed himself with was taken from a closet in the house, Raymond Michel said.

Raymond Michel, a retired electrician, was calm as he told his story Wednesday evening, and he said he didn’t seem to be nervous or scared when he confronted the intruder.

Dawn Michel, however, said she was on edge from the ordeal.

“I haven’t eaten yet,” she said.

Thanks to Micah and the folks at CalCCW.com for the tip!

Winter Haven, Florida

From The Ledger of February 1, 2010

70-Year-Old Winter Haven Man Shoots Would-be Thieves

Two would-be thieves didn’t count on a motion alarm and a gun-toting 70-year-old Winter Haven man when they tried to steal the batteries from his golf cart, according to Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Robert Rowley, of 28 Henry Drive in Winter Haven, awoke to the sound of a motion sensor alarm about 2:15 a.m. Monday.

When the alarm sounded, he grabbed his handgun and flashlight to investigate, sheriff’s reports said.

As he walked outside his home, he saw two men, who investigators said were trying to cut the cables to the battery packs on Rowley’s golf cart.

When he challenged them, one of the men began to walk in Rowley’s direction, he told investigators he tried to scare the men away by firing his gun.

Rowley fired three shots – once in the air, another at the ground and a third at the men’s truck as they tried to quickly get away.

Deputies were later called to Winter Haven Hospital for two men who showed up with gun shot wounds, reports said.

After talking to the men and to Rowley, deputies charged Matthew Alan Clinage, 20, and Christopher Polson, 21, with grand theft and burglary of an occupied residence, reports said.

Clinage was also charged with violation of community control for a previous conviction of grand theft of a firearm.

Rowley told deputies he didn’t realize his shots had struck either man.

Clinage was struck in the leg and Polson in the head and neck area.

Clinage was treated and taken to the Polk County Jail, while Polson was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he remained in stable condition. He will be booked into the jail later, officials said.

Cincinnati, Ohio

From WKRC of January 28, 2010

Elderly Man Shoots Intruder

Emergency rooms around the Tri-State are on alert, waiting for a suspect police believe was shot by a 77 year old Avondale man in self-defense.

“I shot because he was going to shoot me. I could have shot him two or three times.”

Clyde Tucker says two men broke down his door at the Hale Apartments on Tuesday. Tucker says lately, residents of his building have been victims of the same kind of crime-thugs who break down doors and rob them. So Tucker says, he was ready. “The guy was knocking on my door and I didn’t respond so I got my pistol out.”

Tucker fired, and the men ran out of the building. A witness, Eric Hamilton, saw the men run out and says it was clear one of the suspects had been hit by a bullet. He was holding his torso. Police found a trail of blood coming out of the apartment building. “I could have shot him if I wanted to kill the guy or something but I don’t want to do nothing like that. They’ll get their lesson though.”

Police say the suspect will likely show up for treatment of his wound and when he does, they’ll be ready to arrest him.

If you can help solve this crime, call Crimestoppers at 352-3040. You don’t have to give your name and you could get cash for your clues.

Indio, California

From the Desert Sun of January 18, 2010

Retired couple defend home against burglary

A man in a ski mask was shot by a resident after he forced his way into an Indio home Saturday night, police said.

The suspect fled the home with a gunshot wound, the weapon and an undisclosed amount of money after he confronted the residents, a couple in their “60’s or 70s,” Indio Police spokesman Ben Guitron said. The couple was transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

“They were mostly shaken up,” Guitron said.

Police responded to the home at the 48-000 block of Andorra Street around 8 p.m., Guitron said.

The suspect allegedly entered the backyard through a side gate and smashed the rear glass sliding door, Guitron said. The suspect ordered the residents to lie down on the floor, began searching the residence, then scuffled with the husband, Guitron said.

During the scuffle, the wife obtained a 38-caliber handgun and shot the suspect once in the upper torso, according to evidence the police gathered, Guitron said.

The suspect disarmed the wife and was encountered by a neighbor who heard the commotion, Guitron said. The suspect fled in a waiting vehicle, described as a red Ford Mustang with a black top. A partial plate of 5PA was reported, Guitron said.

The suspect is described as white man, 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a medium build and wearing black clothes. Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at (760) 391-4057.

Sacramento, California

From the Star-Tribune of December 29, 2009

California man, 81, pulls out gun and starts shooting to scare off would-be robbers

Sacramento police said an elderly man scared off would-be robbers inside his home when he pulled a gun and started shooting. Sacramento police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said the two robbers were able to get inside the home of an 81-year-old man after asking to use his phone Saturday evening.

Though one of the men was armed, the victim was able to pull out his own gun when he was left inside a room where he kept the gun.

The two men fled when the elderly man started shooting through a door.

Police said the man, who was believed to be by himself during the robbery, was not hurt.

Clayton County, Georgia

From the MyFoxAtlanta of December 8, 2009

Clayton Man Pulls Gun on Would-be Robber

Two men who robbed an elderly Clayton County man got more than they bargained for, after they bluffed their way into the man’s home. Police say the victim surprised the men by pulling out his own weapon.

Homeowner Bill Dowis said he sells firewood out of his home. The two suspects bought wood from Dowis Tuesday. Dowis said one of the men asked to wash his hands and when he returned he pointed a gun at Dowis.

While one of the men went through the home looking for money, Dowis said he pulled out his own pistol and shot at one of the men.

Dowis said he shot at the man twice more as he fled the house to a waiting car.

Clermont, Florida

From November 28, 2009 WFTV channel 9:

According to officials, the homeowner, 70-year-old Russell Conrad, was awakened by the sound of his truck’s horn early Saturday morning. When he went outside to investigate, he found a man inside his truck.

Conrad fired warning shots and ordered the man out of his truck twice. When the suspect finally got out of the truck, he ran towards Conrad. Conrad told officials he was in fear for his life so shot the suspect, killing him.

Ironton, Ohio

From the Columbus Dispatch of October 22, 2009

Great-grandmother who shot robber says ‘God was with me’

When an armed robber barged into a North Side motel room Wednesday night and ordered the six people there to the floor, he put a 70-year-old woman closer to her handgun.

The great-grandmother knelt between the beds, reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out her .357 Magnum pistol.

She fired one shot at the robber, who staggered from the room, collapsed in the parking lot and died.

“It’s a wonder she didn’t shoot us all,” said her 51-year-old son, who was preparing to hand over his cash when he heard the gunshot. “She’s the worst shot in the world.

“She said to me, ‘God was with me tonight. You know I couldn’t have done that myself.’”

None of the family members, who live in Ironton, wanted to be identified, fearing retaliation; and the woman didn’t want to be interviewed. They have moved to a different room in the motel.

“She’s torn all to pieces,” her son said. “Who would ever want to shoot someone?”

Wayne Winston, 25, died of a single gunshot wound in the chest, Franklin County Coroner Jan Gorniak said yesterday. Police listed his address as “streets of Columbus.”

The woman has a permit to carry a concealed gun, her son said, and carries the gun she inherited from her late husband.

Asked to describe his mother, he said, “Religious. She’s always been my hero.”

The family was staying in a first-floor room at the Continent Inn, near I-71 and Rt. 161, while attending the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. The son said he was in the room with his mother, his wife, his daughter and son-in-law and a family friend.

The door was partially open so the adults could stay within earshot of two girls, ages 12 and 17, in the room next door.

The son said the door flew open shortly after 9 p.m. and they found themselves confronted by a man who pointed a black handgun at them and said, “Everybody here knows what the game is.” He told them to get on the floor and began demanding money from the son and his son-in-law, who were closest to the door. The gunman seemed angry that the son-in-law had only $14.

“I was going into my pocket for money” when a shot rang out and the gunman ran from the room, the son said. “I thought I was shot. I didn’t realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos.”

He still wasn’t sure what had happened when he went outside and saw the intruder’s body in the parking lot. Then he heard a second shot. His mother, the gun at her side, had tensed up and “squeezed off another shot into the floor,” he said.

Columbus police don’t expect to file charges against the woman but said the case probably will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury as a routine procedure. The son said the officers who met with his family were “extremely supportive.”

He has a horse farm and is attending the Quarter Horse Congress to watch his 21-year-old daughter compete and to support others who train at his farm.

Word of the shooting spread quickly yesterday among those attending the event, which is in its third and final week at the Ohio Expo Center.

“That’s a hell of a woman,” said George Wyeth, 63, of Claysville, Pa. “I don’t blame her a bit. You pull a gun on someone, you ought to get shot.”

“I give her a lot of credit,” said Beverly Hicks, 77, of Perrysburg in northwestern Ohio, who doesn’t know many people her age who carry guns. “I’d be afraid to carry a gun.”

Police Sgt. Ken Tischler, a community liaison officer, said armed robberies of motel guests near the Continent are rare, but he had warned people attending the Congress about a rash of vehicle break-ins at motels in the I-71 and Rt. 161 area – 102 thefts from autos between mid-August and late September.

Hawkins, Texas

From KLTV of October 19, 2009

Homeowner’s one shot lands would-be burglar in ER

It took one shot for an East Texas senior to put an end to a would-be robber’s crime spree. The story began around 2am Monday morning at Southside Bank in Hawkins. The branch is located inside Brookshire’s, right off Highway 14. That is where police say 19-year-old David McWhorter was spotted, first. We spoke to the homeowner whose one shot landed the alleged burglar in the ER.

“Just…put the gun up to the window, and he was standing there and I pulled the trigger,” said the 78-year-old homeowner.

One shot through the window was all it took. Our homeowner didn’t mind an on camera interview, but asked his name not be released. He suffers from a hip injury and was sitting in his chair when the suspect broke into his screened porch. He says it is not the first time he has been broken into. Every window is now nailed shut and a baggie full of ammo for his 4-10 single-shot shotgun is always nearby.

“Everything I worked hard for all my life…no one’s just going to come in here and take it if I can help it,” said the homeowner.

“If you can’t retreat, you have every right in the world to protect yourself,” said Hawkins Police Lieutenant A.J. Randell.

Randell says while police worked the call at Brookshire’s, another call came in about the break-in about a block away. Police say the suspect was found across the street, inside his brother’s car with a gun shot wound to the left shoulder.

“He came in, woke him up and said, ‘I’d been shot! Take me to the hospital,’” said Randell.

“I’m sorry that it happened, but he shouldn’t be trying to break in and trying to steal other people’s property,” said the 78-year-old. “Protect what’s mine, you know?”

And, after 23 years of retired life, our homeowner doesn’t plan on moving anytime soon.

Greensboro, North Carolina

From DigiTriad.com of October 14, 2009

911 Calls Reveal Details Of Break-In Suspect Shot By Homeowner

Greensboro police say an 80-year-old man is not facing charges after he shot and killed a break-in suspect early Wednesday morning.

Charles Haithcock called 911 immediately following the shooting of 19-year-old Michael L. Medley who he says broke into his home.

Haithcock: “A man broke in on me and pulled a gun. i shot him and he’s laying out in the yard.”

911 Operator: “Is he breathing?”

Haithcock: “I don’t know. he broke in the window. He pulled the air conditioning out in the living room. And I heard something and he come back to the bedroom. I was in the bed. And I opened the door and he had pulled, what looked like a shotgun, he was pointing it at me.”

Police responded to the home on Walnut Street Wednesday morning, which is near Summit Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found Medley, Jr. dead from a gunshot wound.

“The guy ran into the back room, locked his door and shot through the bedroom door and killed him,” said Haithcock’s neighbor, who did not want to be identified.

At this time, Haithcock is not facing criminal charges. However, police say the shooting incident remains under investigation.

WFMY News 2 has learned that Medley has a criminal record, which includes a conviction for Common Law Robbery.

The apartment where the 80-year-old lives is located near the Greensboro Police Department’s Eastern Division precinct.

“The police department is sitting right here, and they still kicked in this door and stole a car from in front of the house,” said Haithcock’s neighbor. “I would think this was the safest place to be.”

Stay with digtriad.com and WFMY News 2 for more updates.

Brewton, Alabama

From the Press-Register of October 12, 2009

81-year-old man shoots Escambia County home invader to death

An 81-year-old man shot and killed a masked gunman during a home invasion early this morning at a residence north of Brewton, Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith said.

The sheriff said the robber had been released from a Nebraska jail just two days before he was killed.

Smith declined to identify the homeowner, but said the man and his wife were in bed in their home along U.S. 31 north of town about 3 a.m. when the intruder kicked in the door to the home and entered their bedroom, demanding money.

Smith said the homeowner managed to retrieve a pistol from the bedside table and pointed it at the robber, who told the homeowner to drop the weapon.

Instead, Smith said, the homeowner fired the gun, striking the intruder in the forehead, killing him instantly.

Smith identified the intruder as Jeremy Paul McCall, believed to be 35 years old. Smith said McCall had a prior record, and had been released from a Nebraska jail about 48 hours before he was killed.

Smith said McCall’s body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Mobile for autopsy.

The shooting will be presented to the grand jury, Smith said, but the sheriff said he doubted the homeowner would face any charges.

“The man was in his home, in bed with his wife, and he acted in self-defense,” Smith said. “And as far as the wife, she had armed herself with a shotgun by the time I got there.”

Glendale, Oregon

From KTVZ of September 28, 2009

Oregon man, 93, pointed gun before he was shot

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says the shooting death of a 93-year-old man in southwest Oregon appears to have been in self-defense.

Spokeswoman Andrea Zielinski said detectives learned Clarence Hartley had been pointing a gun before he was shot by 75-year-old Clement Dewart on Friday. She says Hartley was a relative of the Dewart family and lived on their property in Glendale.

Zielinski says the investigation remains active. When it’s finished, the results will be forwarded to a grand jury for a review of any possible criminal charges.

Knoxville, Tennessee

From WBIR of September 18, 2009

Burglary/assault suspect shot by victim’s mother

A burglary suspect is recovering from a gunshot wound near his groin–a wound 75-year-old Ruth Robbins gave him after he fought with her son and then got in a scuffle with her.

Jesse Williams, 28, sits in the Morgan County jail, charged with burglary, aggravated assault, and simple assault, as he nurses a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken there after being treated and released at UT Medical Center.

According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Williams broke into David Brandenburg’s Petros home Thursday night. Brandenburg, 43, and Williams fought, eventually making their way out into the yard.

Ruth Robbins came over from her home next door and tried to intervene to help Brandenburg, who is her son. At that point, authorities say Williams turned his attack on her–so she shot him.

The shooting happened at 9:03 Thursday night.

Brandenburg was injured in the fight but declined treatment. No charges have been filed against Robbins.

Dayton, Ohio

From the Dayton Daily News of September 19, 2009

Elderly victim shoots would-be robber, 24, police say

A 24-year-old man who allegedly got out of his car and tried to rob an elderly man at gunpoint was shot by the would-be victim, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and fired to defend himself, police said.

The younger man was shot twice on Saturday, Sept. 19, and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was under guard, Dayton police Sgt. Damon Castor said. The gunshot injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Castor said.

?Apparently he was trying to rob the older gentleman of something,? Castor said of the younger man. ?He picked on the wrong person.?

The would-be victim, in his 70s, was not injured, Castor said. The confrontation took place at West Third Street and Brooklyn Avenue in west Dayton, police said.

It was not clear whether the alleged attacker was trying to steal the older man?s car or money, Castor said.

No charges had been filed Saturday. Police are investigating.

Lake Worth, Florida

From the CBS 12 of September 17, 2009

Naked 91-year-old holds burglar at gunpoint

This next homeowner is a force to be reckoned with. He’s 91, he was buck naked, but he and his dog decided to go after a would be burglar. He held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. Deputies say they found the would be burglar on the back porch by the pool drunk and trembling, probably not how he thought it would all go down. He got more than he bargained for when he decided to mess with this elderly man and his trusty rottweiler mix. 91-year-old Robert Thompson and his 5-year-old dog Rett tag-teamed a thug trying to break into their Lake Worth home Friday night.

Thompson said, “I think the guy was scared to death, he was screaming.”

Thompson jumped out of bed, totally naked he went to go check things out with Rett by his side.

He said, “I started to let him out the door and he was so anxious he got caught in the door.”

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office 26-year-old Jose Pascual was the man on the porch. Rett pinned Pascual, but this purple heart World War Two Veteran wanted back-up.

Thompson said, “I went in and got my cell phone and dialed 911 and got my gun.”

Thompson says Pascual was coming toward him so he fired a shot. Authorities say he held the drunk intruder at gunpoint until deputies arrived, but he’s giving his best bud Rett all the credit for the happy ending.

He said, “He’s the hero.”

Pascual was arrested, Thompson was taken to the hospital. One of the shots he fired ricocheted giving him a minor battle wound. He hopes the bad guys learned a lesson about messing the boys at 504 North C Street.

“If anyone violates my home they better be careful, that’s all I got to say,” said Thompson.

Thompson tells us that he has been living alone since his wife passed away 10 years ago, and that having Rett around makes life easier. The suspect in this case is facing burglary charges