View Full Version : FL - Homeowner shoots 4 trespassers and is shot himself.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100131/BREAKINGNEWS/100131008/1006/news01/Five+shot+in+Cocoa++police+investigating
Five people were shot and seriously wounded this afternoon during a backyard gun battle in Cocoa, and detectives are trying to determine what happened.
The shooting spree occurred about 12:45 p.m. Two victims were airlifted to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, said Barbara Matthews, Cocoa police spokeswoman. The other three were driven by ambulance to Wuesthoff Medical Center-Rockledge.
All five victims are listed in “very serious” condition, Matthews said.
“Investigators have arrived at both hospitals to interview them to see what happened,” she said.
Police have cordoned off the shooting scene — a single-family block house in the 1000 block of Montclair Road — in the Pineridge subdivision, south of Dixon Boulevard and east of Clearlake Road.
Police think the following occurred: Saturday night, someone broke into the house and stole guns and keys.
This afternoon, about 12:30 or 12:45 p.m., a male, 26, who lives at the home was inside the carport when he heard a commotion in the backyard, Matthews said. He walked over to investigate and was confronted by four men.
The male managed to shoot all four trespassers, Matthews said, but he was shot in the back in the process. All the trespassers are younger than 18
Two of the injured suspects fled to nearby residences, she said, but authorities picked them up later.
Matthews did not have the shooters’ identities available this afternoon. She said the male in the carport may have acted in self-defense, but the investigation is still under way.
“It appears that he was, but it is very, very early,” she said.
Montclair Road remains closed to traffic. Cocoa police and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office crime scene unit are investigating.
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/1/31/up_to_5_shot_in_cocoa.html?cid=rss
Reported by Margaret Kavanagh and Amanda Evans
COCOA -- A shootout between a man defending his home and four robbers leaves five people in serious condition.
It happened Sunday afternoon in Cocoa along Montclair Road.
Police told News 13 they began getting flooded with 911 calls around 2 p.m. Sunday.
Cocoa police say the house was robbed late Saturday night. They say the suspects came in wearing masks and stole keys and guns from the house.
They say the suspects came back Sunday afternoon to finish the job.
Police say the homeowner was sitting on the porch Sunday when he heard sounds. He ran to the backyard and started shooting. Police think he was using a shotgun, and shot all four men.
Two of the suspects ran from the scene and were caught. All four are in the hospital. The homeowner was shot in the back and is also in serious condition.
The homeowner had small children inside the home. They were not hurt.
"He felt that since they did have weapons from breaking into his home last night, he did feel that their lives were in danger," said Barbara Matthews, Cocoa Police spokeswoman.
I wonder how that is going to work out for him. I would not want to be in his shoes (Legally).... the law may decide that he acted prior to the teens making any moves or threats on him? Interesting to hear what other facts come out of this, like if he really did "run to the backyard and started shooting" or if in reality he ran into the yard and confronted them verbally initially and they acted against him.
Here is another news article with a detail missed by the others:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-five-people-shot-cocoa-20100131,0,787585.story
COCOA -- A man and four boys were shot and injured this afternoon when the man apparently tried to fend off the boys, who police think burglarized his home last night, a police official said.
All five were rushed to Brevard County hospitals after the incident occurred outside a cinder-block home on Montclair Road about 12:45 p.m.
Officials aren't yet releasing much information about the injuries or identities of the people involved. Barbara Matthews, a spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department, would only say that the man is 26 years old and apparently lived with two other people at the house.
She said the four suspected burglars are male "juveniles."
Investigators have been interviewing everyone involved to try to figure out exactly what happened. Matthews said the four boys allegedly burglarized the home last night, while the residents were out. They took some guns and keys.
When the four apparently were returning to the home early this afternoon, they ran into one of the home's residents, who was outside, in the area of the carport.
The 26-year-old male resident heard the boys climbing over a backyard fence and told them to leave. He might have been using a shotgun to defend himself, Matthews said.
"He believed they were armed, yells 'Get off my property' and he shoots them," she said.
The resident was shot in the back and was in surgery this evening.
He and one of the boys were airlifted to Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne.
The other boys were driven by ambulance to Wuesthoff Medical Center in Rockledge.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
I'm still searching and reading, it is interesting how when these stories first break out you see many writers opinions showing up in the article and you don't get many of the real facts that back them up. If the dude ran out of the car port or porch area and simply started blasting holes in the kids... he might find a bad time ahead. Other articles elude to the fact that he verbaly tried to halt thier progress and then went immediately to firing rounds at them.
I am interested to see if the story really is that he saw weapons and reacted with gun fire or even had one (or more) bad guy raise a weapon towards him and this is what may have initiated the gun fight? It could also be that he was fired upon first, thus making it a pretty clear self defense situation.
You also have to wonder how the 26 year old guy that lives there ended up shot in the back while in an active fire fight with 4 teens coming over the fence? Did he try to first turn and run and got hit by gunfire...where he then reacted by turning to face the fight? I'm kind of building this as my initial mental build of how it went down. I can't explain the shot in the back without thinking this first.
I guess we have to wait until the reporters get some real facts and stop saying what they think happened and tell us what actually happened to get to that point.
A man's house and "curtilage" is his castle. The backyard is considered curtilage, while parts of the front may not be. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If he took a round, then the teens were armed......which is not legal on his property. I'm hoping the home owner wins this case.
cougar_guy04
02-01-10, 22:08
There was a follow up story posted on Floriday Today:
A 26-year-old Cocoa man who used a shotgun to protect himself against burglars climbing a fence to get into his backyard, acted within his rights when he shot four masked teen-agers, police said.
Richard Evans of 1003 Montclair Road repeatedly shouting at the teens to stay off his property, but they ignored him, police said. Investigators determined the man believed he was protecting himself and his family against burglars possibly armed with guns.
Evans was also hurt after his gun fired accidentally, striking him in the back.
All five of them were taken to area hospitals Sunday and all were recovering from their wounds late Monday.
Police said Evans confronted the teens about 12:45 p.m. Sunday after hearing a noise in his backyard as he sat in the carport.
Police said the four teens broke into the same home just the night before and they were returning to steal a four-wheel drive vehicle along with other items in the residence.
“They had taken several guns, electronics and keys to the four-wheel drive,” said Barbara Matthews, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department. He then spotted the four men in ski masks climbing over his fence and warned them to leave before firing at them, police said.
Two of the wounded teens ran from the scene, but police later arrested them.
“We’ve also talked to the parents of the teens. The first reaction was disbelief but most of the mothers have been pretty cooperative,” Matthews said.
Armed burglary and grand theft charges are pending against the wounded teens, police said. An investigation is ongoing.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100201/BREAKINGNEWS/100201012/1086/Police++Shootings+justifiable+self-defense
A 26-year-old Cocoa man who used a shotgun to protect himself against burglars climbing a fence to get into his backyard, acted within his rights when he shot four masked teen-agers, police said.
Richard Evans of 1003 Montclair Road repeatedly shouting at the teens to stay off his property, but they ignored him, police said. Investigators determined the man believed he was protecting himself and his family against burglars possibly armed with guns.
Evans was also hurt after his gun fired accidentally, striking him in the back.
All five of them were taken to area hospitals Sunday and all were recovering from their wounds late Monday.
Police said Evans confronted the teens about 12:45 p.m. Sunday after hearing a noise in his backyard as he sat in the carport.
Police said the four teens broke into the same home just the night before and they were returning to steal a four-wheel drive vehicle along with other items in the residence.
“They had taken several guns, electronics and keys to the four-wheel drive,” said Barbara Matthews, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department. He then spotted the four men in ski masks climbing over his fence and warned them to leave before firing at them, police said.
Two of the wounded teens ran from the scene, but police later arrested them.
“We’ve also talked to the parents of the teens. The first reaction was disbelief but most of the mothers have been pretty cooperative,” Matthews said.
Armed burglary and grand theft charges are pending against the wounded teens, police said. An investigation is ongoing.
:confused: Interesting.
DocHolliday01
02-02-10, 01:38
:confused: Interesting.
I was a bit confused on that part as well. Curious to know what exactly happened and how he shot himself in the back with a shotgun.
I was a bit confused on that part as well. Curious to know what exactly happened and how he shot himself in the back with a shotgun.
Lesson learned, always know where the pointy end of the stick is.
DocHolliday01
02-02-10, 02:04
Lesson learned, always know where the pointy end of the stick is.
Amen, I bet that sucked.
UPDATE: Shootings were justifiable self defense. http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100201/BREAKINGNEWS/100201012/1006/news01/Police+say+Cocoa+shootings+justifiable+self-defense
A 26-year-old Cocoa man who used a shotgun to protect himself against burglars climbing a fence to get into his backyard, acted within his rights when he shot four masked teen-agers, police said.
Richard Evans of 1003 Montclair Road repeatedly shouting at the teens to stay off his property, but they ignored him, police said. Investigators determined the man believed he was protecting himself and his family against burglars possibly armed with guns.
Evans was also hurt after his gun fired accidentally, striking him in the back.
All five of them were taken to area hospitals Sunday and all were recovering from their wounds late Monday.
Police said Evans confronted the teens about 12:45 p.m. Sunday after hearing a noise in his backyard as he sat in the carport.
Police said the four teens broke into the same home just the night before and they were returning to steal a four-wheel drive vehicle along with other items in the residence.
“They had taken several guns, electronics and keys to the four-wheel drive,” said Barbara Matthews, spokeswoman for the Cocoa Police Department. He then spotted the four men in ski masks climbing over his fence and warned them to leave before firing at them, police said.
Two of the wounded teens ran from the scene, but police later arrested them.
“We’ve also talked to the parents of the teens. The first reaction was disbelief but most of the mothers have been pretty cooperative,” Matthews said.
Armed burglary and grand theft charges are pending against the wounded teens, police said. An investigation is ongoing.
Whoops! Ace already posted this, sorry.
Good for him but I'm wondering how he shot himself in the back? Not saying this in a way to demean him at all. Just wondering.
chiefhubbard
02-04-10, 09:26
Accidents can happen, and sometimes very strange ones. What I would like to know is if he was using a shotgun, why did they survive?
geminidglocker
02-04-10, 09:45
Good on him for nailing all four. But shoots himself in the back, accidentally? WEIRD!
Accidents can happen, and sometimes very strange ones. What I would like to know is if he was using a shotgun, why did they survive?
Maybe he bought into something like using birdshot for home defense and found out the wider pattern and lack of penetration didn't work out so well at a longer distance (across a back yard), or maybe he just didn't get very good hits.
Also if anyone finds out how he shot himself in the back please post a followup.
The_War_Wagon
02-04-10, 11:05
“We’ve also talked to the parents of the teens. The first reaction was disbelief but most of the mothers have been pretty cooperative,” Matthews said.
So that means, most of the FATHERS, are ready to KICK their kid's asses if they survive, right? :mad:
That's what MY dad would've done, had I broken into a man's house and stolen his belongings. My dad would have told the homeowner, "Sorry your shot placement wasn't better - want me to hold him down for you, while you FINISH the job?" :eek:
That's how I'm raising mine as well.
my guess is the "dads" are nothing more than sperm-donors, and not anywhere near the picture.
chiefhubbard
02-04-10, 11:37
Maybe he bought into something like using birdshot for home defense and found out the wider pattern and lack of penetration didn't work out so well at a longer distance (across a back yard), or maybe he just didn't get very good hits.
Also if anyone finds out how he shot himself in the back please post a followup.
They said that these people had previously broke in and stolen several weapons. That being said he should he more aware of what his load would do, and knowing that they had "His stolen weapons" bird shot would not be the round of choice. They can't sue if they are dead, but crippled, they will cost him forever, and given the situation in Florida he has every right to take them down for good. Given that he shot himself I will agree with the "didn't get very good hits".
4 thieving turds were armed with stolen weapons and were shot.
Works for me.
Doesn't sound like he'll have too much of a problem with the law.
I think the State should sue him for insufficient crime suppression!
Buckaroo
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