6/30/10 Self defense in the news. (Video)

[Irish]

OH - Follow link to video of incident. http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-elyria-robbery-txt,0,6139707.story

ELYRIA, Ohio - Surveillance cameras were rolling as the owner of a carry-out in Elyria faced a life and death struggle, when a would-be robber tried to force his way into the store Monday morning.

The man eventually succeeded in getting through the door in the drive-thru, but the owner had a surprise for him, a gun she carries in her hip pocket.

She tells Fox 8 "I reacted as fast as I could, trying to put a barrier between him and I saw him breaking through that door and I shot him."

Once the tables have been turned on the bandit, he ran away.

The owner does not want to to be identified but says her store had been held up earlier this month, and she was acting on instinct when she fired at the suspect.

She says "it was 'you're not getting me, this ain't happening to me again, I'm not going to allow you to take this from me' and basically it was survival, I was trying not to get killed."

Customers who ask about the shattered glass in the door, are learning how the owner defended her business. The regulars are now calling her Annie "get your gun" Oakley.

A customer named Mary says "I think she should have shot him because if he got in, he could have shot and killed her so that was really self defense."

The owner says she decided to get a permit to carry the gun after the June 2008 murder of a clerk at a gas station in Elyria. In that case, the clerk was killed, even though she complied with all of the robber's demands.

As police search for the robber, the owner says she believes she has struck a blow for justice, and the right of citizens to protect themselves and their property.

She says "it's definitely empowering but at the same token, I'm just glad that I was prepared, I never wanted to be one of those owners that wasn't prepared."

And there is a message for criminals who are terrorizing carry-outs and other small businesses.

She tells Fox 8 "you don't know who you're robbing, you better beware because you don't know, we don't all come into business totally blind, we know what we're getting ourselves into and you caught the wrong person, I was prepared."

Investigators believe the man was wounded and may be seeking medical attention.

Anyone who can identify him is asked to Elyria Police.

With how quickly this happened I think she did pretty well. She slowed him down, put a barrier between them and defended herself from an unusual position. I understand he could've shot through the door at anytime but in the heat of the moment she didn't seem to panic and was definitely not a "victim".

[Irish]

Follow link for video: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7528124

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two would-be burglars are in police custody thanks to the quick actions of a 15-year-old.

One suspect is in jail, and the other is at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Investigators say they aren't sure whether the injured suspect is going to make it. He was shot in both his legs and face by a 15-year-old who detectives say feared for his and his sister's safety.

It happened at a home on Royal Place Court in northwest Harris County at around 2:30pm Tuesday.

"All he said was, 'Anybody seriously hurt?' and he said, 'Oh yeah, definitely,'" neighbor Renee Thompson said.


The blood on the driveway told a burglary-gone-bad story.

Deputies say the suspects broke into the home through a back window. From upstairs, the 15-year-old -- who was home with his 12-year-old sister -- heard the breaking glass and grabbed his father's automatic rifle. The burglary was soon over.

Family members rushed to the home, but the children's father, Vince Guerra, had beaten them all there. He's a Harris County Pct. 1 deputy constable and was on duty when it happened. No wonder his son knew what to do.

"We don't try to hide things from our children, and we try to give them a perspective about the way things are," Harris County Sheriff's Office Lt. Jeff Stauber said.

Within an hour, both suspects -- one adult and one juvenile -- were in custody; they were caught at a nearby hospital while seeking help.

The juvenile was brought back to the scene, where deputies checked him for evidence and collected the rifle.

Neighbors backed what the 15-year-old did.

"I'm really glad he was able to defend himself," Thompson said.

Investigators concluded the shooting was justified.

"As parents, we protect our kids, and as an older brother, he was protecting his sister and himself," Stauber said.

Neighbors say there have been recent burglaries in the neighborhood.

Investigators said that rifle was the personal weapon of the teen's father, the deputy constable. He's been with the constable's office for 11 years and is described as a good officer.

There were some questions about whether he'd be liable for the shooting since his son had easy access to the weapon, but ABC13's legal expert says that the 15-year-old's right to protect his home and sister trumps all child firearm access laws.

I realize this was posted yesterday as well. This link has the news video and I don't have a chance to catch every story the day they happen. Please feel free to add any and all self defense that you find in the news.

[Irish]

Follow link for video: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7526795

MOORE COUNTY (WTVD) -- Moore County deputies say a convenience store holdup turned into a shootout between the alleged robbers and a store clerk's husband.

It happened at the Exxon Stop at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Camp Easter Road in the Lakeview Community - just south of Vass, N.C - a little before 10:30 Monday night.

Deputies say clerk Grace Kelly - who is in her 70s - was closing the store for the night when several men walked in and tried to rob it. Kelly's husband - 78-year-old Angus Kelly - was in the parking lot waiting for his wife and came to her aid with a shotgun.

Moore County Sheriff Lane Carter told ABC11 Angus Kelly fired on the robbers hitting one in the face. In the resulting gunfight, both Kelly and his wife were wounded.

"Saw 'em go into the store with firearms and attempt to rob the store. That's when he challenged them, and the shootout happened," said Carter.

Grace Kelly was the first to call 911.

"I've got three gunmen," she pleaded with the dispatcher. "Hurry!"

Angus Kelly was listed in stable condition at UNC Hospitals. Grace Kelly was treated and released from Moore Regional Hospital for a gunshot wound to the arm. Despite the wound, she was able to drive to Chapel Hill to be with her husband who underwent surgery Tuesday morning.

Sheriff Carter said his deputies used surveillance video from the store to help identify suspects in the attempted robbery.

After a two hour search of the area, 17-year-old Randy Joel Williams of 350 Shaw Ave., Southern Pines N.C. was found in a wooded area about a half mile from the shooting. He had a gunshot wound to the face. He was taken to Moore Regional Hospital where was listed in critical condition after surgery.

Demarcus Dennison, 18, of Polkton in Anson County and 20-year-old Leroy Medley of Southern Pines were also arrested. They're each charged with two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and first degree kidnapping.

Both were in the Moore County Detention Center under a $250,000 bond.

Deputies were searching for one more suspect who wasn't named and said more arrests were expected.

Carter said the men were part of a crime spree that spanned the state. They allegedly committed at least one robbery in Charlotte and another in Moore County.

"They have been violent in the other ones. We're not sure about one of them, but they did assault the patrons of a business," said Carter.

Regular store customers were stunned by the news that the Kellys were hurt in an attempted robbery.

"I can't imagine having to be in that situation, ever having to defend my wife knowing that someone could die. It's really, it makes you think twice, you know?" offered Randy Federmack.

"Everybody knows Grace, you know? You can't come here without seeing her, can't talk about it without someone knowing Grace. A shame!" he continued.

Chris Neal, owner of the Short Stop said Kelly has worked for the store for more than 12 years.

"Grace has an extreme dedication and loyalty to her employer. She wanted to make sure the store could reopen. I wish I had more employees just like her, he said.

[Irish]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062805013.html

A maintenance man at a Forestville apartment complex shot and killed a home invader Monday morning after the intruder forced the man into his apartment and fired a gun at him, police and law enforcement sources said.

The maintenance man was able to retrieve his own gun inside his apartment and return fire, fatally wounding the intruder, law enforcement sources said. Police said that the maintenance man had not been charged criminally and that the shooting in the 4400 block of Rena Road appeared to be self-defense.

"The victim . . . had a weapon inside the home that he used to shoot the suspect," said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department. "We believe that the victim had every right to defend himself."

The shooting occurred on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in an Illinois case, confirmed the fundamental right of all Americans to bear arms.

Law enforcement sources said the shooting appeared to be justified -- a classic case of an armed homeowner shooting an intruder. It remains unclear, however, how the maintenance man obtained his gun or whether he possessed it legally. Investigators said they were still exploring that.

Police said they were searching for two other suspects who fled the scene in a red, two-door Honda. A police helicopter buzzed overhead Monday afternoon, searching for the suspects and their car.

Police did not immediately identify the maintenance man or the invader, saying that doing so might hamper their ability to catch the suspects. They also said they were still in the process of notifying the dead man's next of kin.

The incident started just before 9 a.m., when the maintenance man came upon the intruder trying to force a woman into her apartment, law enforcement sources said. Concerned for the woman, the maintenance man asked what was going on, and the intruder pointed a gun at him and forced him into his own apartment nearby, the sources said. Officers were called to the scene for the report of a home invasion, police said.


What happened next remains unclear, but law enforcement sources said that the intruder fired at the maintenance man and that the maintenance man retrieved his own gun and returned fire. When officers arrived, the intruder had been shot and wounded, and the maintenance man was unharmed, police said. The intruder was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.

Sources said the maintenance man and the intruder appeared to be strangers, but investigators were still exploring any possible connection.

Prince George's State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) said the investigation was ongoing and he could not say whether authorities were likely to charge the shooter.

"Generally speaking," he said, "people do have a right to defend themselves and others in their homes, including deadly force in some circumstances."

The maintenance man declined to comment as he left Prince George's police headquarters Monday evening. While he was being interviewed by detectives, his mother granted a brief interview and said, "God had a shield of protection all around him."

"Hallelujah, praise God that no one else got hurt," she said. "Prayers been going up, and we just thank God."

The mother, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her family from the suspects who remain at large, said of her son: "You . . . write that he's a hero. That's all we know. That's all we have to say."

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