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21 May, 2007





Detroit crook killed by intended victim: "A robbery and crime spree aided by an unloaded gun came to a halt late Thursday when the gunman met more than his match: a gun with bullets. Charles Parker Jr., 18, of Detroit was killed when a 53-year-old man pulled out a 9mm handgun and shot the teen, who was armed with an unloaded .22-caliber handgun. Detroit police are calling it self-defense. The botched carjacking on Grand River and Prevost came after a string of robberies in Detroit on Thursday, which police said were committed by Parker and four others, ranging in age from 16 to 20. The robberies began about 8:40 p.m. Thursday at Kentucky and Curtis when a 16-year-old was robbed of his cell phone, a silver chain and his wallet, by at least two of the suspects, police said. At 9:30 p.m., the robbers attempted to carjack a couple in the driveway of their home in the 19600 block of Appoline, police said. One pointed the unloaded gun at the couple and pulled the trigger. The teens fled without the car. Later, police said, the robbers saw a man at a Detroit car wash and tried to carjack him. The one approached with the unloaded gun and the other wielded a baseball bat, police said. That's when the man washing his car fired, striking Parker. Parker's alleged accomplices took him to Sinai-Grace Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Hospital security officers detained the other youths until police arrived. Police spokesman James Tate said a 17-year-old Detroit female, 16-year-old Southfield boy, a 19-year-old Southfield man, and a 20-year-old Detroit man are in custody. They face arraignment on armed robbery charges today in Detroit's 36th District Court. After the shooting, police questioned the 53-year-old man and released him, noting that he had a valid concealed weapons permit. Then they gave him back his gun."



Tennessee man says he shot teen at motel in self-defense: "South Precinct detectives believe Anthony Poole, 19, who was killed early Thursday at the Super 8 Motel on Harding Place, was shot in self-defense. The events began when Michael Darvin, 31, went to the Hamilton Inn on Briley Parkway at Interstate 40 late Wednesday and made a crack sale, according to police. While he was at the Hamilton Inn, he was robbed by three men. He returned to the Super 8, where he was staying. Less than an hour later, Darvin saw the three robbers in the hallway, he told police. The three men, at least two of them with guns, demanded that he allow them in his room. He pulled his own gun and shot two of them. He told police it was in self-defense. Poole and Steven Newsome, 26, were wounded. The third man, Kenzo Quezergue, 18, wasn't injured. Newsome drove to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with Poole and Quezergue in the car. Poole died at the hospital. Newsome was treated and released. Newsome and Quezergue are being charged with aggravated robbery. Darvin waited at the motel until police arrived and told officers he shot the men. No charges have been placed against him, but the investigation is continuing, police said."



20 May, 2007

Rochester, New York: Burglar shot: "A burglar gets more than he bargained for Friday morning when he broke into a store on East Main Street. Rochester police say the owner of "Utility Solutions" called police just before 2 Friday morning to report a burglary and that he had shot the suspect. When police arrived at the store two hours later--they found the 41-year-old suspect with a gunshot wound to the hip. Police say the store owner shot the man when he came at him. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to be ok. Police did collect the store owner's gun as part of the investigation. They say that gun was registered. They are not yet releasing any names in this case."



Buffalo, New York: Clerk thwarts robber by pulling shotgun: "A would-be bandit fled from a Best Street convenience store at about 10:45 a.m. Thursday when a clerk pulled a shotgun on him, Buffalo police said. The attempted holdup occurred at Best Market, 465 Best St., where the bandit entered the store and yelled, “Give me the money and hurry up,” police said."



Michigan: Kalamazoo man fends off attackers with handgun: "A Kalamazoo man was able to turn an attempted attack around because of his concealed weapons permit. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Department says 32-year-old Brian Smith was approached by two men as he was entering his apartment on Mt. Royal Drive just before 2 a.m. Friday. One of the suspects asked Smith for directions to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and then pulled out a revolver. Smith pulled out his revolver to defend himself and fired two shots, hitting the suspect in his left hand. Both of the suspects fled the scene on foot. The wounded suspect was arrested a short time later while trying to get medical attention. The other suspect is still on the loose. He is described as a black man in his early 20s, about 5'8" tall and having a thin build, and last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and black jeans."



19 May, 2007

CA: Police shoot sword-wielding nut: "A man suspected of attacking another with a sword inside a church was shot and killed Wednesday by police after a daylong search, authorities said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, died in a confrontation with officers inside a crawl space underneath a freeway bridge, said Mary Grady, a police department spokeswoman. The shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m. after a brief foot chase by the plainclothes officers, who spotted the man near the All Nations Church in the Lake View Terrace neighborhood, authorities said. A sword was recovered from the scene of the shooting. The night before, paramedics were called to the church when a man dressed in army fatigues attacked another with a sword, police said. When the victim tried to block the attack, the sword sliced his arm. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released, authorities said."



Florida: White home invader shot: "The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find a man who forced his way into a home this morning at about 11:30 on Minneola Avenue in Callaway. The suspect was met in the home by the victim who had heard the man enter and armed herself with a small caliber handgun. The victim fired at the suspect three times. The man fled the home and left the scene in a newer model, black Volkswagen Jetta. When deputies arrived they found where the man had entered by forcing open a rear door to the home. The man is described as a heavy set white male with short hair. At the time of the incident, the man was wearing a plaid shirt. It is believed the man may have been wounded by the victim."



Indiana: Intruder shot and killed by homeowner: "An apparent intruder is dead after a possible home invasion led a homeowner to shoot him. Detectives say they'll question the homeowner Monday morning to find out exactly what happened about 11:30 Sunday night. That's when police were called to this home in the 3100 block of Park. The homeowner made that 911 call to say he shot an intruder. "The homeowner indicated the individual, the victim had broken into his house and confronted the homeowner in the front room, living room area and the homeowner had a long gun and discharged his weapon at least one time," said IMPD homicide detective Lt. Kevin Kelly. Police aren't sure what the victim was looking for."



18 May, 2007

Tennessee police clear senior citizen in Kingsport shooting: "After reviewing statements and the evidence from the scene, police say a senior citizen acted in self-defense when he shot a man during a fracas in a Kingsport intersection. The incident began last Monday at about 6:15 p.m. According to Kingsport Police, Lawrence Jennings, 46, of Virgil Avenue, blocked the intersection of Nassau Drive and Kingston Court, not allowing his ex-girlfriend to pass. Police say Jennings' former girlfriend was a passenger in the car of Giles Eddie Ferguson, 69, who is her brother-in-law. Having stopped Ferguson and his ex-girlfriend in the roadway, Jennings allegedly began kick and hitting the car. Police say Jennings cursed the two occupants before he opened the vehicle door and began hitting Ferguson in the face. It was at this point that Ferguson apparently pulled out a gun -- which he had a valid permit to carry -- and shot Jennings in the abdomen. Jennings then drove to Valero Market on East Stone Drive, where he told the clerk he had been shot. He was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center where he underwent surgery. Det. David Cole said several witnesses observed Jennings stop Ferguson's car, as well as the shooting. On Tuesday police announced Ferguson's actions were in self-defense while Jennings had charges placed agianst him."



California: Shots fired during attempted robbery: "Authorities are looking for two men they believe may be responsible for two armed robberies and an attempted carjacking late Monday night. During the first armed robbery at the Fast Stop Market at Seventh and Victor streets, the gunman opened fire after the clerk grabbed a gun of his own from behind the counter, said Deputy Luke Gaytan of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Victorville station of the 10 p.m. incident. “The clerk grabs his own gun and he hears the guy (prepare) his gun before he shoots three times at the clerk,” Gaytan said. “He ducks for cover and basically almost takes a round.” The clerk was not injured. The gunman, who was dressed all in black with a white bandana over his face fled westbound through the parking lot, Gaytan said. Officials suggested that he may have been met by second man acting as a look out, when running from the building."



17 May, 2007

Vermont: Gun stops invasion: "Police in Burlington are searching for several men in connection with a late night home invasion. It happened at a home on Green Acres Drive Friday night. Police say several men, armed with baseball bats, attempted to rob the home. But they were confronted by the homeowner, who reportedly fired a gun at the men. Police say the suspects fled from the scene and they don't believe anyone was injured. Police say it appears that the home had been targeted and that it was not a random incident. "A number of Burglaries happen in Burlington and the burglars are often tricky and try to go when there's no one at the residence. It's a fairly brazen act for someone to try to enter and to have the residence be occupied," said Burlington Police Lt. Bill Ward"



California: Teen robbery suspect killed by E. Oakland liquor-store clerk: "An East Oakland liquor-store clerk fired the fatal shots that killed a 17-year-old robbery suspect, whose accomplice has now been charged in his slaying, authorities said today. Tommy Ray Spencer Jr., 17, of Sacramento was shot and killed at about 10 p.m. Friday by the clerk at the Oak Tree Market at 1601 28th Ave. Spencer is the second would-be robber in the past month to die at the hands of an Oakland store employee or owner acting in self-defense, authorities said. Spencer and Juan Antonio Gonzalez, 23, also of Sacramento, went inside the market with the intent to rob the employees, said Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers. After accosting the store clerk, Spencer fired two shots from a weapon, prompting the clerk to produce a gun of his own and fire at least one shot, Rogers said. Spencer was killed, and Gonzalez fled, police said. The clerk, whose name wasn't released, won't face criminal charges because he acted in self-defense, Rogers said. The investigation led Oakland police on Sunday to Sacramento, where Gonzalez fired shots at Officer Jason Lancaster -- narrowly missing his head -- before escaping, Rogers said. Gonzalez was arrested without incident on Monday after police tracked him down at a Sacramento motel.



Baby gets gun permit: "A 10-MONTH-old Chicago boy whose application listed his height as 60cm, his weight as 9kg and was signed with a scribble, was issued a firearm permit for his 12-gauge shotgun. Bubba Ludwig was issued the identification card by Illinois authorities after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the $US5 fee and filled out the application. The card lists the baby's height (68.6cm), weight (9kg) and has a scribble where the signature should be, the Associated Press reported. "Does a 10-month-old need a (firearms owners identification card)? No, but there are no restrictions under the act regarding age of applicants," said Illinois state police officer Scott Compton. Mr Ludwig, 30, applied for the card after his own father bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift."



16 May, 2007

No Free Speech for Gun Advocates

In response to the Virginia Tech massacre, a student at Hamline university in Minnesota sent an email to university officials saying that it should allow licensed gun owners to carry their weapons on campus as that would help keep the students safe. The university response?

"Hamline officials took swift action. On April 23, Scheffler received a letter informing him he'd been placed on interim suspension. To be considered for readmittance, he'd have to pay for a psychological evaluation and undergo any treatment deemed necessary, then meet with the dean of students, who would ultimately decide whether Scheffler was fit to return to the university.

Source

Convicted and punished without trial in a way that would do the old Soviet Union proud -- as we have come to expect of American universities. And what Stalinist has ever respected free speech rights?

This must in fact be a proud day for American universities: In one fell swoop they have denied a man his right to free speech, his right to bear arms and his right to due process. A trifecta!

Sadly, the right to due process has long been denied to students by American universities -- with predictable abuses following on from that. The vast injustice of such proceedings actually killed a student in the Plinton case



Alabama bank robber shot by police: " Two employees at an Alabama Wachovia bank were killed Monday when they were shot during a holdup around 9 a.m. Two other employees were wounded, one of them seriously. Birmingham News reports Bill Vietch, chief assistant district attorney in the Bessemer Cutoff, said, "We have two cases of capital murder and hopefully we won't have to file a third." Reports state that the gunman walked up to the tellers and started shooting. The first two he shot were killed. The robber took the bank manager hostage after a customer pulled a gun on him. He exited the bank holding a gun to the manager's head but tripped on a curb outside the building, fell and was shot by police. The gunman was taken to the hospital".



Louisiana man shoots, kills intruder: "A 61-year-old Avondale man shot and killed an intruder into his home Sunday evening, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Cornelius Sims said he was asleep in his home around 11 p.m. Sunday, along with his wife and young children, when he was awakened by noises that he believed were coming from his garage area, according to spokesman John Fortunato. Fortunato said that Sims went down into his kitchen and was startled by a man standing in his kitchen. Sims told deputies that he fired several shots in the man’s direction and that the suspect then fled. Deputies responding to the scene found the man lying near the side yard of Sims’ home. He was identified as 35-year-old Ronnie Wells."



15 May, 2007

NH.: Passerby guns down police officer's killer: "New Hampshire authorities said yesterday that they will not press charges against a former Marine who stepped into a deadly shooting and killed a 24-year-old high school dropout who had moments earlier fatally shot a police officer. The former Marine, Gregory W. Floyd, 49, was driving with his son along Route 116 in Franconia on Friday night when he saw Liko Kenney, 24, shoot Franconia Police Corporal Bruce McKay, 48, four times in the torso. After Kenney drove his Toyota Celica over McKay as the officer lay on the ground, Floyd grabbed the officer's service weapon and shot and killed Kenney. Authorities said the double shooting was the bloody climax of a long-simmering feud between McKay, a 12-year-veteran of the three-member department, and Kenney, a cousin of World Cup champion skier Bode Miller.... New Hampshire's attorney general, Kelly A. Ayotte, said Floyd will not face charges because he was justified in using deadly force. "Based on the results of the investigation, our conclusion is that Gregory Floyd's actions were justified based upon dangerous circumstances confronted with and efforts to assist McKay," Ayotte said at a news conference in Concord."



Minnesota madness. Victim arrested. Muggers go free: "After spending two nights in the Ramsey County jail, Donald Hurd walked out Thursday with no wallet, no cash and nowhere to go. The 68-year-old man was mugged Tuesday night in St. Paul, and officers arrested him after he shot one of the suspected robbers. .... Hurd said he was only trying to scare the three young men who attacked him. Legal experts said Hurd's case doesn't seem to meet the self-defense standard in Minnesota. The 18-year-old man who Hurd shot in the shoulder is expected to be fine, police said. You would think somewhere between the letter of the law, there's some space there for some consideration and understanding," Hurd said. "It is an injustice." The robbery suspects weren't arrested. The investigation into the robbery and the shooting continues, police said.... Hurd doesn't have a criminal history, but he acknowledged some problems with the way he handled things Tuesday night. He lied to police at first about the shooting, which he said he did because he was scared and confused. He doesn't have a permit to carry the pistol he had with him... State Rep. Tony Cornish, who sponsored a bill this legislative session to give citizens more leeway in using deadly force to defend themselves, said he was outraged by what happened to Hurd. "Maybe if these scumbags that were beating and robbing our old people had some doubt in their mind if they were going to survive their own crime, they would have some doubt about committing it in the first place," said Cornish, R-Good Thunder.... Even so, local attorneys think an argument could be made for Hurd's actions. If he is charged and the case goes to a jury, he'll likely come across as a sympathetic figure, they said. "These aren't cases prosecutors like to take to juries," said Richard Frase, a University of Minnesota law professor."



14 May, 2007

NY Killing is self defense: "A man who opened fire on intruders who planned to steal a half-pound stash of cocaine from his Raymond Street home killed one of the men in self defense, prosecutors said Friday after the man pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges. Police initially charged Harry Glenn with second-degree murder after he killed Richard DeGroat, 39, with a gunshot to the head and shot another man, Bertram Payne, 20, when they forced their way into the house on Dec. 2. Even though Glenn had a large amount of cocaine in the house, he was still entitled to defend himself when DeGroat, Payne and third person, Nydia Robles, tried to steal the narcotics, Schenectady County Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Philip Mueller said. "It appears the shootings of both men were instantaneous reactions by Mr. Glenn confronting people who were invading his home," Mueller said. Glenn, 27, still faces 10 years in prison on drug and weapon charges when sentenced July 13 by County Judge Karen Drago. Glenn shot Payne first. Mueller said Glenn went to check on Payne and then shot DeGroat who surprised him. The two men had bought a pellet gun earlier in the day and had it with them when the broke into the Raymond Street home. Payne was shot in the hand but escaped. He was treated at Ellis Hospital. He and Robles have previously pleaded guilty to burglary and attempted robbery charges. Payne faces a sentence of 11 years in prison and Robles is looking at nine years."



Michigan crooks pick the wrong victim: "Two would-be thieves wound up fleeing their intended victim Saturday afternoon. The men, one armed with a handgun, tried to carjack a man in the Sears parking lot about 2 p.m. at Eastland mall, according to a Harper Woods Police press release. But the man turned out to be a retired Detroit Police officer -- and he had a handgun, Harper Woods Police said. The retired officer fired one shot at the men, striking the stolen Dodge Durango truck they were driving, police said. Detroit Police found the truck on Buckingham Street, but the suspects were gone. No one was harmed in the shooting and Harper Woods Police detectives are investigating the case."



North Carolina woman kills man in scuffle: "Police are investigating the fatal shooting in southeast Charlotte that might have resulted from a scuffle between a man and a woman. Details remain murky this morning, but police confirm that a man was shot and killed about 11:15 p.m. Thursday night at an apartment complex in the 1100 block of McIlway Road. That's between Monroe and Randolph roads. Police said they were called to the apartments and found the body of a man in the parking lot. He had been shot, officers say. About a half-hour later, police were called to Presbyterian Hospital, where a woman had arrived with a gunshot wound. During questioning, police quickly determined that the female shooting victim was involved in the death of the man on McIlway Road. The woman told police that she had been attacked by the man, and a scuffle started. During the fight, she said, the woman was able to pull a handgun away from the man. The woman said she then shot the man. Police homicide detectives are investigating the case and are asking the public for help. Anyone who might have seen the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers, at 704-334-1600. The identities of the man and woman have not been released. They have been described only as a black male and a black female."



13 May, 2007

California store owner shoots robber : "A Boggs Tract convenience store owner shot and wounded a man who robbed his store today, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office investigators said. It was about noon when two men wearing bandanas over their faces entered Sonora Market at 545 S. Fresno St. One man stayed at the front door while the second man who was armed with a handgun demanded the cash from two registers, robbed a customer and took a bottle of liquor. When he turned to leave, the owner shot him twice in the back, sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Moreno said. Store owner Paramjit Singh was questioned by investigators today. Sheriff’s investigators said they would not be arresting Singh today and it would be up to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office to determine if he shot the robber in self-defense. Investigators believe a man who walked into San Joaquin General Hospital suffering two gunshot wounds was the man who robbed Singh’s store. The man’s accomplice had not yet been found this afternoon. This is the fifth time so far in 2007 that the Sonora Market has been robbed."



Ohio driver shoots robber : "The driver of a lunch wagon shot a man who was trying to rob him this afternoon at Millsdale Street at Curzon Avenue, just west of Anthony Wayne Avenue, police said. Cincinnati Police Lt. Chris Matzen said three young men tried to rob the driver of the lunch wagon at about 12:30 p.m. During the incident, shots reportedly were fired by one of the three men. Matzen said the lunch wagon driver pulled out a concealed weapon and shot and hit one of the three. The wounded man was taken to University Hospital, where he went into surgery. A search is on for the two other men. The lunch wagon remained in the middle of the cordoned-off intersection this afternoon.



Philadelphia Teen Fatally Shot Breaking Into Home: "A teenager was fatally shot while allegedly attempting to rob a Southwest Philadelphia home Friday afternoon, police said. According to police, the teen was one of two people who broke into the home on the 5900 block of Greenway Avenue. A 21-year-old inside the residence grabbed a gun and shot at the would-be robbers. The teen, who police said was 16 or 17 years old, was shot in the chest and rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia but later pronounced dead, police said. Police reported that the home has been broken into three or four times in the past couple of months."



12 May, 2007

THE 2006 HERO OF THE YEAR

Jeff May is an Ojibwe Indian from Minnesota. Readers Digest named him the 2006 Hero of the Year. I had never heard of Jeff May until I opened a letter from a listener yesterday. My guess is that you have never heard of him either. Here's the story.

About two years ago a young male wearing a black trench coat walked into the Red Lake Senior High School in northern Minnesota. He was carrying not one, not two, but three guns. He started shooting and killed eight people, injuring seven more .... then Jeff May took action. A teacher? No ... Jeff May was a sophomore at Red Lack. Sixteen years old, perhaps 15. (Can't nail down his exact age). Jeff was doing algebra problems with a pencil when the shooter entered his classroom. After May saw what was happening he rushed the gunman ... armed only with the pencil. He stabbed the shooter in the side with the pencil and the two started struggling. Jeff May was shot in the face. By this time the police showed up, and the shooter killed himself. Jeff May's teacher, Missy Dodds, says he saved many of his classmates lives, and hers. Other news reports put the number of lives that Jeff May saved at a dozen. After the incident he spent a lengthy time in physical, occupational and speech therapy for his injuries.

Was Jeff May a hot-shot student athlete at Red Lake? Not known. His pictures show him to be a slightly pudgy teenager. What you can't see in those pictures is a heart the size of a basketball. Can you folks imagine this? Nothing like this could ever happen, right? Someone walks into a classroom blazing away with multiple guns, and a student -- a 16-year-old -- rushes him with a pencil? No .. this just has to be a work of Hollywood fiction. No teenager could possibly ever show such bravery. But it's not, and he did.

What happened here? Hard to say. Maybe Jeff May was raised in a culture where self-defense was praised rather than condemned. Maybe he was raised in a home with a strong father. Maybe his Ojimwe culture celebrates individualism.

Another question: Why haven't I heard of Jeff May before yesterday? We certainly get all of the gory details from every school shooting, and this Red Lake shooting in 2005 had been the worst since Columbine. Why wasn't Jeff May celebrated across this country? is it possible because his actions are politically incorrect in our current culture of government dependency?

And why is the idea of self-defense so unpopular with the left? Why, when someone acts to save their own life and the lives of others, do we invariably get some public official or politician warning us about the dangers of "taking the law into our own hands?" Remember, please, the leftist war against individualism. Self-defense is a uniquely individualist pursuit. There you are, an individual person, using deadly force to protect ... yourself! Don't you know that in this age of big-government that this is a job for the police!

About 20 legislators in South Carolina have now introduced legislation that would allow anyone in South Carolina with a concealed weapons permit to carry that weapon on a government school or college campus. The only other state in the union with such a law is Utah. Get this passed in South Carolina and you will make South Carolina school grounds among the safest in the nation. Liberals, however, are going to scream bloody murder. They will fight tooth and nail to defeat this measure .. and my guess is that they'll probably succeed.

Why is it that liberals hate the idea of an armed citizen so much? They can read the statistics just like we can. If they care to research the matter, they will learn that people with concealed carry permits simply do not commit gun crimes! So, the liberal opposition to citizens carrying guns simply cannot be excused over fears for general public safety. The facts simply don't bear those fears out. There has to be something else at work here, and there is. Liberals don't like armed individuals because they are .... individuals. Carrying a gun for self-defense is, as I said, a uniquely individual pursuit. It's a loud statement by an individual citizen saying "I own my life, and I have the right to take deadly action to defend it." The liberal believes that your life belongs to government, and that it is the government's job to protect it. Thank God Jeff May didn't buy it.

Source




Virginia Tells NYC to Stop Gun Stings

Attorney General Warns of Charges

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell is warning New York to stop, by the summer, sending private agents into Virginia to look for illegal gun sales, saying that the agents could face legal action. Because of a Virginia law that goes into effect in July, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) and his agents could be charged with a felony if they continue to target Virginia gun dealers with undercover sting operations, McDonnell said.

McDonnell (R) has sent Bloomberg what amounts to a cease-and-desist letter. "This was a courtesy letter to the mayor to advise him about a change in Virginia law of which he should be aware," McDonnell said Wednesday.

Bloomberg's spokesman, Jason Post, did not seem shaken: "We wish Attorney General McDonnell was as aggressive in enforcing the laws that prevent illegal guns from getting in the hands of criminals as he was in enforcing the laws that protect the gun lobby."

Convinced that illegal gun sales in Virginia contribute to violent crime in his city, Bloomberg has been arming private investigators with hidden cameras and sending them into Virginia gun stores to try to make illegal buys. The process involves "straw purchases," in which one person legally fills out a form and buys a gun for someone else. New York has filed suit against two dozen gun dealers over such practices, including six in Virginia.

In February, Town & Country Pawn Shop of Roanoke settled with New York and agreed to allow a special judge monitor their firearms sales. But several other dealers, including Bob Moate's Sports Shop in Richmond, are fighting the lawsuit in court. According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York police recovered 22 guns between 1994 and 2002, including some used in homicides, that they said were sold by at Bob Moate's. In March 2006, New York sent a man and woman into the store to confirm its suspicion that the store was making illegal gun sales. "Once the male investigator selected a gun and indicated a desire to purchase it, the female investigator, who had not been part of the discussion, approached the counter to make the purchase," the suit alleges. The woman filled out the required paperwork, but then the man came and paid cash for the gun, the suit says.

Richard Gardiner, the store's attorney, says his client has "no connection" to New York's gun violence. He also accuses the investigators of tricking his clients into making the sale. "If anything, these dealers are the victims," Gardiner said.

Gun rights groups are also furious, and in the spring they convinced the Republican-controlled General Assembly to intervene. The House and Senate overwhelmingly approved a law that says Virginia or federal law enforcement officials have to be present before such stings can be conducted. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) signed the law in March. "This new law strikes the proper balance between ensuring proper law enforcement and protecting the rights of law-abiding firearms dealers and those of Virginia citizens under the Second Amendment," McDonnell, a possible Republican candidate for governor in 2009, wrote to Bloomberg.

Source




Michigan delivery man shoots would-be robber: "A deadly shooting involving a pizza delivery man and a group of robbers has the delivery man in protective custody and police searching for one of his attackers. It happened at 10 p.m. Wednesday night at the intersection of Hammerberg Road and Stoney Brook Court on Flint's southwest side. Police say the driver tried to get out to make a delivery when one of the robbers hit him in the back of the head with a wrench. The delivery man recovered enough to grab his gun and fired several shots, hitting one of the robbers. He died near a street sign just feet from the front doors of some shocked neighbors. Police are still investigating, but here's what we've learned. The pizza delivery man claims self defense and is in protective custody. It's unclear if he'll face charges because it's simply too early in the investigation. As for the group of robbers, police are searching for one of them. One was arrested one soon after the attack... We did speak with the man who runs the Little Caesar's where the driver has worked for at least a year. He did not speak on camera, but said off camera that his drivers only carry about $25 or $30 at a time, and safety is a top and growing concern for their drivers."



11 May, 2007

Michigan: No charges over teen's shooting death: "While the man who fatally shot a Benton Harbor teen during an attempted break-in will face no charges in the death, authorities say they will pursue a misdemeanor weapons charge against him. On the morning of March 26, Jammie Parker, 31, was at his girlfriend's home in the 200 block of Hastings Avenue when Corey Napier Jr., 18, and three others reportedly attempted to enter the home, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office said. After a review of the police investigation and physical evidence at the scene, Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter said in a written statement that "it is abundantly clear" that Napier was shot "while he was in the process of breaking into the residence." Cotter noted in the release that Michigan law was amended last year to allow self-defense when an individual in such circumstances has "an honest and reasonable belief that there was an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm." Parker reportedly told authorities that he went into a bedroom and saw the drawn shade of an open window moving as someone attempted to climb in, the release said. Parker said he shot three times at the window with a .40 caliber pistol and then ran outside and fired into the air to scare the remaining teens away. In police interviews, two of the three youths involved in the attempt admitted they had gone to the home to steal money and marijuana they believed was inside, the release said. Cotter said he found insufficient evidence that Parker shot at a fleeing youth, and noted that an uninvolved witness saw Parker fire the weapon into the air. Because the gun was not registered, Parker will be charged with failing to register a firearm, a 90-day misdemeanor."



PA: Purchase of gun ends thefts at area store: "Merlony Colaco got robbed one too many times, and instead of shrugging and moving on, he did something about it. The Greencastle merchant was mad and not going to take it anymore, so he bought a shotgun and caught a woman he didn't know inside his convenience store. He also put the kibosh on what police call a recent string of local smash-and-grab robberies. After his store, the Molly Pitcher Mini Mart, was broken into for the second time, Colaco picked up a shotgun and set up an after-hours stakeout. In late March, his waiting reaped results when a brick sailed through his store window. Police said Erica Marie Lynch allegedly broke into the store to steal cigarettes for crack money. Colaco was ready and police said he held her at bay until they arrived. Thankfully, cool heads prevailed and no one was hurt. Colaco refused to play the victim. He used his Second Amendment rights to buy a firearm and defend his property, and he did it with common sense. Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed. And the Greencastle store owner could have been left with a very serious legal problem. Law enforcement apparently agreed -- Colaco said they told Lynch, "You're lucky he didn't shoot you." Lynch was charged with two counts of burglary and theft"



The Second Amendment in the light of American republicanism: "The 'transforming' ideology of America's revolutionary period saw the chief conflict in society as one between liberty and power. That ideology synthesized themes from several sources. Given the differing origins and jumping-off points of classical liberalism and classical republicanism (the two most important elements), the American 'synthesis' might be expected to undergo some unraveling when up against the harder problems of political life."



10 May, 2007

Stossel links gun control to higher crime rate: "On Friday's 20/20, ABC anchor John Stossel discussed the self-defensive benefits of gun ownership, debunking the myth that 'gun control reduces crime,' during 20/20's recurring series 'Myths, Lies & Downright Stupidity,' based on Stossel's book of the same title. Citing the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Washington, D.C.'s ban on gun ownership, Stossel talked to the pro-gun plaintiff in the case, and pointed out that the murder rate in D.C. increased after the city's gun ban."



CA: Home invasion foiled: ""An apparent home invasion robbery in North Park was foiled Sunday when one of the residents returned fire, according to San Diego police. Two gunmen ran in the front door of the home in the 4700 block of 32nd Street about 3:40 p.m. and began shooting, said Sgt. Rodney Vandiver of the San Diego Police Department. One of the occupants returned fire, but it was not immediately known if anyone was hit, Vandiver said. Authorities said the incident may have been a home invasion."



Australia: Optimist hid loaded shotgun in his pants: "A 28-year-old man carrying a loaded sawn-off shotgun concealed in his pants was arrested last night by police in Frankston North. Police responded around 10.30pm to a call about a man outside a residential address who was believed to be armed with a firearm. Local police and dog squad units arrived on the corner of Excelsior Drive and Matlock Avenue to find the man. Police ordered the man to raise his hands and lie on the ground. Officers found a loaded sawn off shotgun with several additional rounds of ammunition and a folding knife concealed in his pants. No one was injured as a result of the incident. The man has been charged with firearms and weapons offences and has been remanded into custody to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court this morning for a filing hearing."



9 May, 2007

A Liberal Case for the Individual Right to Own Guns Helps Sway the Federal Judiciary

In March, for the first time in the nation's history, a federal appeals court struck down a gun control law on Second Amendment grounds. Only a few decades ago, the decision would have been unimaginable.

There used to be an almost complete scholarly and judicial consensus that the Second Amendment protects only a collective right of the states to maintain militias. That consensus no longer exists - thanks largely to the work over the last 20 years of several leading liberal law professors, who have come to embrace the view that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns.

In those two decades, breakneck speed by the standards of constitutional law, they have helped to reshape the debate over gun rights in the United States. Their work culminated in the March decision, Parker v. District of Columbia, and it will doubtless play a major role should the case reach the United States Supreme Court.

Laurence H. Tribe, a law professor at Harvard, said he had come to believe that the Second Amendment protected an individual right. "My conclusion came as something of a surprise to me, and an unwelcome surprise," Professor Tribe said. "I have always supported as a matter of policy very comprehensive gun control." The first two editions of Professor Tribe's influential treatise on constitutional law, in 1978 and 1988, endorsed the collective rights view. The latest, published in 2000, sets out his current interpretation.

Several other leading liberal constitutional scholars, notably Akhil Reed Amar at Yale and Sanford Levinson at the University of Texas, are in broad agreement favoring an individual rights interpretation. Their work has in a remarkably short time upended the conventional understanding of the Second Amendment, and it set the stage for the Parker decision.

The earlier consensus, the law professors said in interviews, reflected received wisdom and political preferences rather than a serious consideration of the amendment's text, history and place in the structure of the Constitution. "The standard liberal position," Professor Levinson said, "is that the Second Amendment is basically just read out of the Constitution."

The Second Amendment says, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." (Some transcriptions of the amendment omit the last comma.)

If only as a matter of consistency, Professor Levinson continued, liberals who favor expansive interpretations of other amendments in the Bill of Rights, like those protecting free speech and the rights of criminal defendants, should also embrace a broad reading of the Second Amendment. And just as the First Amendment's protection of the right to free speech is not absolute, the professors say, the Second Amendment's protection of the right to keep and bear arms may be limited by the government, though only for good reason.

The individual rights view is far from universally accepted. "The overwhelming weight of scholarly opinion supports the near-unanimous view of the federal courts that the constitutional right to be armed is linked to an organized militia," said Dennis A. Henigan, director of the legal action project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "The exceptions attract attention precisely because they are so rare and unexpected."

Scholars who agree with gun opponents and support the collective rights view say the professors on the other side may have been motivated more by a desire to be provocative than by simple intellectual honesty. "Contrarian positions get play," Carl T. Bogus, a law professor at Roger Williams University, wrote in a 2000 study of Second Amendment scholarship. "Liberal professors supporting gun control draw yawns."

If the full United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit does not step in and reverse the 2-to-1 panel decision striking down a law that forbids residents to keep handguns in their homes, the question of the meaning of the Second Amendment is almost certainly headed to the Supreme Court. The answer there is far from certain. That too is a change. In 1992, Warren E. Burger, a former chief justice of the United States appointed by President Richard M. Nixon, expressed the prevailing view. "The Second Amendment doesn't guarantee the right to have firearms at all," Mr. Burger said in a speech. In a 1991 interview, Mr. Burger called the individual rights view "one of the greatest pieces of fraud - I repeat the word `fraud' - on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime."

More here



Tennessee: Senior Citizen Wrestles Thief; Foils Robbery: "An armed robber tried to hold up a West Nashville store, but he messed with the wrong customer. The attempted robbery happened Sunday night at the Stop and Shop on Indiana Avenue.The robber walked into the Stop and Shop armed with a gun. His plan was to rob the store and the customers inside. Police said the robber held up the clerk, demanded money, and then the gunman, Anthony Lyons, 25, turned the gun on a 77 year-old customer. Police said the elderly man is a feisty one. He started wrestling with the robber, and that's when the gun went off. In the struggle, the gunman was hit with the bullet in the leg. He was sent to the hospital with those injuries. The 77 year-old customer who stopped the robbery is okay. He walked away from the scene, and he did not receive medical care at the hospital. He had stopped in the store for cough drops."



South Carolina: Gun-toting grocery clerk fires twice at robber: "A store clerk chased away a would-be robber Friday when the clerk pulled a gun on the armed assailant and fired at the man. Around 9:40 a.m., the Rock Hill Police Department responded to shots fired after an armed man entered Park Grocery at 732 E. Main St. in Rock Hill. "As he walked up to the counter and pointed a handgun at the clerk, the clerk pulled his own gun and fired one shot at the suspect," said Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department. "As the suspect ran, the ... victim fired a second shot." The suspect was not hit by the gunfire. No charges will be filed against the clerk, Waldrop said. The man did not get any money during the attempted robbery, Waldrop said. The assailant is described as a black man weighing 170 to 180 pounds and ranging in height from 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches. He wore a black jumpsuit and a khaki hood or ski mask, Waldrop said."



8 May, 2007

Oklahoma: Pistol packin' grandma stops robbery attempt at her liquor store: "Criminals listen up. You might want to think twice before messing with one pistol-packin' grandma. A couple of would-be-robbers found out the hard way when they tried to hold up a west Lawton liquor store. What they didn't know was that the owner, 75-year-old Rosemarie O'Keeffe, was waiting for them-- armed with a gun and ready to pull the trigger. It seems they changed their minds pretty quickly when they realized they were staring down the barrel of her pistol. O'Keeffe says she just did what she had to do to protect herself and her business. She was behind the register at her liquor store this week, when she saw something that didn't look right. Two men wearing hoodies, with gauze bandages over their faces walking up to her store. "It really made me think an ancient mummy, the way he was covered up, so you know he wasn't doing anything good." O'Keeffe says it happened very quick. She could see out of the window from her register, saw the two guys walk by, and by the time they got to the door, she had a surprise for them. "I said, 'Oh my God he's going to rob me. What do I do?' I get up. I grab my gun and I point it at the door. He came in and I said, 'Get out or I'll shoot'." She wasn't joking. That was all the two masked men needed to see. O'Keeffe says they immediately high-tailed it out the door and ran away through the alley."



Tennessee: Tables turned on dumb robber: "A Jackson man who tried to rob a convenience store early Saturday found himself on the other end of his rifle after the clerk grabbed it and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, said Lt. Rick Holt. Police have charged Ontrell James, 29, with aggravated robbery and resisting arrest. He is being held on $200,000 bond at the Criminal Justice Complex and will be arraigned at 8 a.m. Monday in City Court. The incident happened about 4:40 a.m. at the Superway at 795 Airways Blvd., Holt said. James fought the officers as they were taking him into custody, leading to the charge of resisting arrest, Holt said."



North Carolina man is shot at, later charged in theft: "The owner of a pizza parlor shot at a man who he believed had broken into his business yesterday, Winston-Salem police said. The owner, James Daniel Moury, went to Upper Crust Pizza on Silas Creek Parkway after the store's burglar alarm went off about 4:25 a.m. Moury confronted a man just outside Upper Crust and, believing that the man had a gun, shot at him, police said. Moury missed. The man ran, but officers caught him in the parking lot, police said. They have charged Curtis L. Barnett II, 25, with possession of stolen property. A warrant lists an address on Southdale Avenue for Barnett, but his family said he hasn't lived there in months. He was in the Forsyth County Jail last night, with bond set at $3,000."



7 May, 2007

Sacramento police shootings ruled as justified

Two shootings in which law enforcement officers killed suspects last month in Roseville have been determined as justifiable by the city Police Department. The cases involve Charles David Williams, who was shot by an off-duty Sacramento County sheriff's deputy in the officer's Roseville home April 3, and Jason Paul Yule, who was shot by a Roseville police officer in a downtown business area April 7.

Roseville Police Lt. David Allison said the completed investigation reports have been forwarded to the Placer County District Attorney's Office for further review.

Allison said the probe in the first shooting concluded that Williams, 40, of Roseville, had illegally entered the off-duty deputy's home and apparently attacked her. "In her own self-defense, she used her firearm," Allison said. "Sexual assault appears to have been the motive of the man who was shot." Williams, who friends described as being highly intoxicated just hours before the shooting, was struck in the head by the gunfire, he said.

In the Yule case, investigators determined that the on-duty police officer also acted in self-defense, Allison said. Workers in downtown businesses had called police to report a suspicious man. According to police, the suspect ran when an officer arrived. "(Yule) was carrying a 5-foot-long metal pipe," Allison said. "He turned and confronted the officer and came after him in a threatening manner with the pipe." Yule, 27 and homeless, was struck in the chest by the officer's gunfire, Allison said. He said the Police Department is awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether the two deceased men may have been using drugs or alcohol.

Source




Missouri neighbor dispute ends in slaying: "Deputies said a dispute between two neighbors led to bloodshed Thursday morning in rural Henry County. Edwin D. Walrath, 36, was shot to death at a mobile home in the 1000 block of Northeast Highway C, officials said. Investigators said they suspect Walrath's neighbor shot him twice, and then the neighbor called 911. The first deputy to arrive at the scene tried to save Walrath's life. "She began CPR until the ambulance arrived, which happened just a few minutes after," said Maj. Rob Hills with the Henry County Sheriff's Department. Deputies said John E. Hicks, 55, was questioned and released. Officers said they searched his home for evidence. KMBC's Bev Chapman reported that there was an ongoing feud between the neighbors, who shared a long lane just north of Truman Lake. "We've had several calls in the past about property issues, property disputes going on. We've been there numerous times," Hills said. There have been at least six police reports over the years, officials said. "We feel self-defense is going to be an issue, a claim in the case in the facts," Hills said. A coroner's inquest will be organized in the coming days, and then a prosecutor will decide whether to file charges"



Georgia oldster shoots woman intruder : "An 84-year old man fired the shots overnight. Investigators say he hit the woman trying to rob his home--- a woman in her late 20s early thirties who is now in serious condition at MCG. Frank Sams says the same woman had been coming to his house trying to steal from him and his wife several times this week. He was outside with his gun early this morning when she came back. He says he saw her trying to break in this building behind his house when he fired. Investigators say this is just another case of a homeowner protecting themselves and their property. This shooting follows a similar incident earlier this week. Authorities say a homeowner came face to face with a burglar trying to get in his home Wednesday. The army captain shot and killed him. No charges are expected."



Iowa: Handy shotgun: "What began as a leisurely night for one Ionia family ended in a wild shoot-out between three men, with dozens of shots fired through the side door of the family's home. Chris Vasquez said he was getting a drink of water before settling down with five other family members to watch a movie just after midnight on Friday morning. He was at the home at 713 West Tuttle Road with his girlfriend, her two daughters and their boyfriends. When he looked out the window while getting a drink, he saw two men walking up to the door in a menacing fashion. Because of an incident that occurred earlier in the evening at a family member's home on Sayles Road in Easton Township, Vasquez was already on alert. He yelled for someone to grab his 12-gauge Remington 870 Express pump shotgun. "My greatest fear was that they would shoot me and then go on into the back room and kill the rest of my family," Vasquez said. As the assailants approached the door, Vasquez appeared in the doorway. According to Vasquez, two hooded men opened fire at the door, firing off at least six rounds. Vasquez blasted back through the screen door, hoping to hold off the men. When it was over, there were several bullet holes in the side door of the home, and a bullet lodged in the kitchen wall. There was also damage to the door where Vasquez had discharged his shotgun... Within a matter of minutes police from the Ionia County Sheriff's Office and Ionia Department of Public Safety swarmed the area looking for the suspect vehicle, but found nothing."



6 May, 2007

How the British police protect you from gun crime

They systematically ignore most complaints -- and people die helplessly

A teenage gunman was jailed for 25 years yesterday for shooting a young father who had been subjected to a campaign of violence and threats after confronting local thugs. Bradley Tucker, 18, aimed eight shots at Peter Woodhams, a 22-year-old satellite television repairman, and left him bleeding to death in front of his fiancée, Jane Bowden, and their three-year-old son Sam.

Mr Woodhams died in a final confrontation with Tucker and a gang of youths close to his home in Custom House, East London, last August. Seven months earlier he was stabbed in the neck, and slashed across the face after confronting teenagers who had thrown stones at his car.

Nine officers now face a misconduct inquiry into allegations that they failed to investigate the assault. Miss Bowden called the police every day for five weeks after the stabbing but officers did not take a statement and youngsters regularly taunted the family.

Sentencing Tucker, who was convicted in March, the Recorder of London, Judge Peter Beaumont, QC, ordered that he should not be released until he has served a minimum of 25 years. The judge told Tucker: “There are in my judgment no mitigating matters. You were not provoked in any legal or real sense to do what you did. “You perceived disrespect. You feared the loss of face in a challenge that you perceived from the man you killed, a challenge to the standing that you felt you had in the eyes of those around you.”

Ms Bowden, 24, was in tears as she left court. In a statement to the court on the impact of the murder she said her son was convinced his father was a star in heaven and looked up at the sky, saying: “Look, there is daddy looking down on me.”

Outside the Old Bailey the dead man’s father, Peter Woodhams, said: “We have got to bring out to the public that parents need to be responsible for their children." He said his family were “contented” to know that for 25 years Tucker would not be able to inflict what he had done to them on anyone else.

Tucker, from Canning Town, East London, left school at 13 with no qualifications and was thrown out of the family home when he was convicted of dangerous driving at the age of 16. In January last year Mr Woodhams was driving past a group of shops when a gang of teenagers pelted his car with stones. When he stopped, one of the youths grabbed hold of him while a boy said to answer the description of Tucker shouted: “Hold him, hold him. I’m going to do him.” He pulled out a knife and slashed Mr Woodhams’s face before stabbing him in the neck, narrowly missing his jugular vein.

In August Mr Woodhams was driving home when he saw Tucker hanging around near his home smoking cannabis with other youths. Mr Woodhams chased the youths away and went home as Tucker shouted: “F***ing tosser, if he wants it he can have it. If he comes back round he will get it. I will have him”. Tucker armed himself with a pistol, put his hood up and sprinted towards Mr Woodhams, who had left his house to confront him. The teenager’s shots penetrated Mr Woodhams’s chest, piercing the heart and both lungs and causing massive blood loss.

Tucker ran away from the scene but later gave himself up to police. He was captured on CCTV wearing a distinctive high-visibility jacket he had put on while working at a construction site in Shadwell earlier that day. Tucker admitted pulling the trigger and pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder, claiming he thought the gun fired blanks. He said that a 14-year-old friend supplied him with the gun but was told: “It just makes a bang”. A 17-year-old said to have acted as his lookout was cleared.

Source




Arkansas: Shots fired at armed midnight intruder: "Responding to a call for help around midnight, the parents of Rebecca Little of 150 County Line Road arrived to see a man armed with a shotgun fleeing from the residence. When told to stop, the man reportedly turned and pointed the shotgun at the parents, and a shot was fired at him in return before he fled into a wooded area. Sgt. Mike Price with the Independence County Sheriff's Office said Little told him that she was awakened by someone knocking and then pounding on her door around midnight. Unable to see anyone outside, Little said she called her mother and step-father, Tony and Debbie Mesa, to come to her house. "When they arrived they saw a white man, approximately 18 to 25 years old in a white T-shirt and jeans with short blond hair, run from the area of the house near the master bedroom into the backyard," Price said. "The suspect was carrying a shotgun with a black synthetic stock. Mr. Mesa yelled for the suspect to stop and at that time the suspect turned around to face Mr. Mesa in a threatening manner. Mr. Mesa stated he then fired his pistol at the suspect, but didn't' believe he had struck the suspect," Price said."



NC woman cleared in shooting of husband: "The Cleveland County district attorney on Thursday dismissed a murder charge against a woman accused of fatally shooting her husband. Tina Weaver acted in self-defense when she shot Ronald Todd Weaver, 41, at their Kings Mountain home on Nov. 25, court documents said. "The dismissal completely exonerates my client from any criminal wrongdoing," said Weaver's attorney, David Teddy. There was a history of domestic violence between the couple, court documents said, and Weaver's husband had severely beaten her just before the shooting. Weaver, 40, has been out on $40,000 bond since November. Weaver, a mother of three, is relieved that the charge has been dropped, Teddy said. "This has been a heavy burden she's been carrying since November," Teddy said." [Not as heavy as the dead guy's, though]



5 May, 2007

Iowa: Dog threatened with gun: "Des Moines police declined to file charges against a man who pulled a gun on a neighbor's dog. Eric Wilson, 36, of Des Moines, complained to police that a man pulled a gun and pointed it at his rottweiler (sic) about 2 p.m. Wednesday. Police said the man reportedly yelled at Wilson, telling him to put the animal on a leash. Wilson also claimed the man also pointed the gun at him and assaulted him by poking him in the chest with a finger. Officers spoke to the man with the gun in the 1400 block of Highview Drive. He claimed the dog came onto his property and "charged," him, which is when he pulled the firearm. He said Wilson also came onto his property and yelled for the dog to stop. The man said he ordered Wilson and the dog off his property and admitted only that he "lightly tapped" Wilson on the chest with a finger. He added that he pointed the gun only at the dog. Police concluded the man was acting in self-defense."



Oklahoma liquor store owner foils robbery attempt : "A Purcell liquor store owner refused to comply when a man entered his store and told him to hand over his money Tuesday. Instead, the owner pulled out his gun and told the would-be robber to get out. At about 4 p.m. Tuesday, a white male entered Butch's Cork and Bottle, 528 S. Green Ave. in Purcell, said owner Butch Kluth, 63. The man demanded all of the money in the register, and Kluth said he replied, "F-- you," according to the police report. "What do you mean, 'F-- you?' Give me all your money," the man responded, Kluth said in the report. Then the man reached into his pants, "like he had a gun," Kluth said. So Kluth retrieved his own Smith -- Wesson 357 and pointed it at the man, telling him to get out of the store, Kluth said. The man made an attempt to grab the gun, but when he failed he ran out of the store, Kluth said. Kluth then followed the man to a dark green Mustang parked on the south side of the liquor store, the report said. Kluth fired one shot in an attempt to hit the man's tire, but the round struck the right front fender instead, the report said. Wayne police caught up with the car in the 200 block of South Seventh Street. The suspect was ordered to exit the vehicle and was arrested for robbery in the first degree. He identified himself as Jeremy Lloyd Cox, 32, of Ardmore. Kluth said he had never seen Cox before. Cox was processed at the Purcell Police Department and then transferred to the McClain County Detention Center. He will be arraigned 1:30 p.m. today."



Alabama: Man found shot faces robbery charge: "Mobile police said Wednesday that the passenger found shot last week inside a wrecked car was responsible for a botched robbery that left him wounded and the driver of the car dead. Travis Goff, 23, was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and was taken to the Mobile County Metro Jail, according to police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant. Goff was found shot April 26 inside in a maroon, older-model Buick at Mobile and Betbeze streets in an area behind Three Mile Creek and the University of South Alabama Medical Center, police said. Antron Willis, 22, was found dead in the driver's seat. The car hit a fence and came to a stop on the lawn in front of a house on the northwest corner of Mobile and Betbeze streets. Goff, Willis and a third person, identified Wednesday as Anthony Legget, were in the same room at Willis' residence on Betbeze Street. While they were together, Goff attempted to rob Willis and Legget, and Goff and Willis began struggling over a handgun, Gallichant said. Police believe the robbery was drug-related, the spokesman said. While Goff and Willis struggled, Legget got another handgun from somewhere inside the house, and began shooting. "Unfortunately, he shot Willis as well as Goff in this melee," Gallichant said. Willis and Goff left the house, and Willis got into Goff's Buick, Gallichant said. Willis was trying to drive away when Goff jumped into the car as well, and the two drove until they hit the fence, Gallichant said. No charged had been filed against Legget



4 May, 2007





Texas Governor says allow concealed handguns anywhere

Republican Gov. Rick Perry, pondering how to stop the kind of mass killing that left 33 dead at Virginia Tech, said Monday he believes Texans should be allowed to carry their concealed handguns anywhere. Under current law, secured airport areas, hospitals, courthouses, bars, churches and schools are among the places where weapons can be banned, even if someone has a state license to carry a concealed handgun, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Perry said he opposes any restrictions. "The last time I checked, putting a sign up that says 'Dont bring your weapons in here,' someone who has ill intent on their mind - they could care less," Perry said. "I think it makes sense for Texans to be able to protect themselves from deranged individuals, whether they're in church or whether on a college campus or wherever."

Perry made the remarks at a news conference after meeting with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to discuss ways to prevent mass shootings and enhance school safety. The discussion stems from President Bush's drive to find solutions to such tragedies in the wake of the carnage at Virginia Tech.

About 260,000 Texans who have undergone mandatory background checks and training are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, records show. In the last fiscal year, 180 licenses were revoked and 493 were suspended for unknown reasons.

Source




Georgia homeowner fights back : "WJBF News Channel 6 has learned that a South Richmond County resident will not be charged after he reportedly shot and killed a home invader. At the scene, WJBF has learned that when the Linderwood Drive resident came home today, he noticed that his home had been ransacked. He grabbed a weapon and came upon a suspect in his home. That's when he shot the invader. Early indications from deputies are that this homeowner was defending himself and no charges will be fired".



Georgia homeowner shoots intruder while on the phone to 911: "A homeowner took matters into his own hands Wednesday afternoon. He shot an intruder while he was on the phone with 911. The homeowner used a high powered rifle, similar to an A-K 47, to defend himself when he noticed his house had been robbed. He also noticed several of his guns were missing. While he was on the phone with 911, he saw the burglar come back into his house. The homeowner told investigators that because some of his guns were missing, he opened fire. Investigators say they believe he was acting in self-defense, but it's still early in the investigation. The intruder was identified as Erroll Royal. Royal died at an Augusta hospital a shot time after the shooting."



3 May, 2007

Strange attitudes

Why, though, do those on the left despise self-defense? They are collectivists, and Socialists. They believe that people should think, and act, collectively, not individually. They also deeply believe in collective self-defense. The government should be responsible for your protection, not you. Listen to all the left's talking points concerning guns and self-defense. They never talk about Americans who use guns in self-defense. Rather, they paint armed Americans as morons, or trigger happy rednecks. Honestly, how many times have they laid out the tired old line about shootouts in the streets if states allow concealed carry permits? Never mind that such events have not happened in the 30-plus states that allow concealed carry.

If you really want a great example of how the left views gun owners and particularly self-defense, look at a recent news story out of Oakland. There, restaurant owner Catarino Piedra recently shot and killed an armed man who tried to rob him. Piedra's wife and three children were in the restaurant and he feared for the armed robber would hurt them. So, acting in defense of his family, he pulled his 9mm and shot his attacker, killing him. Now stop right there my friends. This is clearly a case of a man, seeing his life and that of his family in peril acting reasonably in defending himself and his family.

Those on the left, though, see it quite differently. Consider how Oakland Police Department spokesperson Roland Holmgrem described the actions of Piedra. "This thing had potential -- who knows where the suspects were going to take the situation? But by no stretch of the imagination are we agreeing with or justifying what the owner did."

Excuse me? How can anyone DISagree with a man defending his family? How can anyone question the justification of this restaurant owner? He is the victim, a victim who chose, honorably, to fight back, to defend himself. Yet, he has his actions questioned? He has his self-defense ridiculed. He has become the bad guy now.

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Oakland pizza shop owner fatally shoots armed robber: "The owner of a popular pizza shop opened fire on three robbery suspects, killing one of them and apparently wounding his own son. Catarino Piedra, 41, who owns Coliseum Pizza and Taqueria in East Oakland, won't be charged with a crime because prosecutors determined he was acting in self-defense, Alameda County Assistant District Tom Rogers said Friday. Piedra said he feared for his life, and those of his wife and three children, when he began shooting at three men who tried to rob the store after 9:30 p.m. Thursday. "I was scared," Piedra said. "I had to defend my family." He told police he kept a gun under the counter because his delivery drivers were frequently robbed. The shots killed Allen Joseph Hicks III, 22, an aspiring rap artist known as "Boonie." Hicks was armed with a pistol when he and two other men tried to rob the store, police said. Hicks was on probation for a marijuana conviction, and was facing battery charges when he died, police and court records show. Police believe Piedra may also have accidentally shot his 17-year-old son, who was not seriously wounded. Oakland police said Piedra appeared justified, but cautioned citizens against arming themselves. Friends left messages, balloons, candles and bottles of cognac at a makeshift memorial honoring Hicks on Friday."



Another success for British gun control: "A 12-year-old [black] girl has died after being shot in the head by her older brother in what neighbours believe may have been a tragic accident. Detectives were preparing last night to question her 16-year-old brother about what happened in the family's semidetached home in Gorton, Manchester, on Monday evening. Neighbours described how the teenager rushed out of the house at about 7.30pm screaming: "Get an ambulance, I have shot my sister." Superintendent John O'Hare, based at nearby Longsight police station, suggested that the boy's younger sister, Kamilah Peniston, was the latest victim of inner-city gun culture. "It is a tragic event which will receive a full and thorough investigation," he said. "Our hearts go out to the family. It really does bring home the tragic and really evil consequences of firearms within our community." A handgun that had been converted to fire live ammunition was recovered from the house. Mr O'Hare refused to give any details about the gun beyond that it was sufficiently powerful to kill with one shot."



2 May, 2007

Alabama invader gets what he deserves: "One man was shot and killed as he allegedly broke into a residence at 900 Julia Street just before 4 a.m. today. According to Huntsville police reports, a man was startled by a loud banging at his front door, and he and his roommate armed themselves and went to investigate. They discovered someone kicking in the front door, and one of the offenders was shot and killed as he entered the residence with a pistol in his hands. The other offender ran away. The names of the victims and the person who was shot and killed were being withheld early today."



NAACP Leader Calls Homicide Among Young Black Men an Epidemic: "The Cleveland NAACP responded Friday to criticism surrounding the shooting death of a teenage boy during a robbery. NAACP President George Forbes and Cleveland Councilman Zach Reed said the black community failed 15-year-old Arthur Buford, NewsChannel5 reported. They said Buford was wrong for allegedly trying to rob Damon Wells at gunpoint on Saturday. Wells opened fire and killed Buford at East 134th Street and Kinsman. Police said Wells had a valid weapons permit and used the gun in self-defense. "Then you have a 26-year-old young man who had every right to protect his life, protect his fiance and protect his property. But he has to life with the fact that for the rest of his lie he shot a 15-year-old boy," said Reed. "That man had a right to do what he did. If he didn't do it, we'd be sitting here today mourning him rather than the 15-year-old," said Forbes. They pointed out that homicide is the leading cause of death for black men 15 to 24. Forbes said that if we saw those kind of numbers for an illness, the community would be outraged. He said the community should also treat this as an epidemic". [Background on the attempted robbery here]



1 May, 2007

A safer college to go to

Brent Tenney says he feels pretty safe when he goes to class at the University of Utah, but he takes no chances. He brings a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic with him every day. "It's not that I run around scared all day long, but if something happens to me, I do want to be prepared," said the 24-year-old business major, who has a concealed-weapons permit and takes the handgun everywhere but church.

After the massacre at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, some have suggested that the carnage might have been lower if a student or professor with a gun had stepped in. As states and colleges across the country review their gun policies in light of the tragedy, many in Utah are proud to have the nation's only state law that expressly allows the carrying of concealed weapons at public colleges. "If government can't protect you, you should have the right to protect yourself," said Republican state Sen. Michael Waddoups.

Utah legislators and law enforcement authorities said they knew of no modern-day shootings at the university. But one lawmaker cited a shooting rampage in Mississippi in 1997 as an example of how allowing others on campus to arm themselves can improve safety: After a teenager shot two students to death at Pearl High School, an assistant principal chased the gunman down outside and held him at bay with a .45-caliber pistol he kept in his truck.

Nationwide, 38 states - including Virginia - ban weapons at schools. Of those, 16 explicitly prohibit weapons on college campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In other states, each school is allowed to formulate its own policy.

For decades, the University of Utah banned concealed weapons. "Our view was that there was an increased risk of both accidental and intentional discharge of a firearm if more firearms are present," said spokesman Fred Esplin. "It was a matter of safety." But in 2004 the Legislature passed a law expressly saying the university is covered by a state law that allows concealed weapons on state property. The university challenged the law, but the Utah Supreme Court upheld it last year.

Utah is easily one of the most conservative states, and the Legislature is dominated by Republicans, many of whom have a libertarian streak. Utah has no motorcycle helmet law, for example, and there is strong affection for the Second Amendment.

The carrying of guns at the university worries students like Timmy Allin, a freshman on the tennis team from Dallas who feels safe on the 28,000-student urban campus. Allin was not aware weapons were allowed on campus until told by a reporter. "I don't see the need for one up here, so that could only lead to trouble," he said.

Lawmakers point to a recent shooting at a downtown shopping mall as evidence that concealed weapons prevent additional deaths. Armed with a shotgun and a pistol, 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic randomly shot nine people at Trolley Square, killing five, on Feb. 12. He died in a shootout with police. An off-duty Ogden police officer carrying a concealed weapon - in violation of mall policy - pinned down Talovic with gunfire until other police arrived.

"Thankfully that officer disobeyed the rule of Trolley Square of having no guns," GOP state Rep. Curt Oda said. Oda said banning guns on campus might do more harm than good. He said people bent on violence might resort to other, perhaps bloodier methods, such as swords.

"A person that's got skill with a sword in a very big crowd could put a lot more people down with a sword than a gun," he said. "They're silent. You'll have people screaming, but nobody knows what's going on."

Some of those who work at the University of Utah said they feel more secure because concealed weapons are allowed. "What happened at Virginia Tech might have been stopped," said Christine Zabawa, a medical researcher at the university. However, she said it is a bad idea to allow guns in dormitories, and fears an accident could happen during a party on campus. "Alcohol and guns. It's a bad combination," she said.

Justin Ligon, 23, a Virginia Tech student and vice president of the school's Pistol and Rifle Club, with about a dozen members who do their shooting at a public firing range, said the Blacksburg, Va., university should drop its prohibition on guns. He said it is unlikely that bringing guns on campus would make school more dangerous. "People with those permits, they go through a background check," he said. "Generally the people who go through that trouble aren't people who are gong to fly off the handle and do something dangerous."

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Washington State: Pit bulls shot and killed by neighbor: "A man who claims he felt threatened by his neighbor's two pit bull-mixes shot and killed both dogs. The incident happened on the 12000 block of East Broadway. The daughter of the dog owners came home to her parents' house, who were not home at the time. She let the two pit bull-mixes out of the house when she arrived; those dogs got into a neighbors' yard. The woman called for the animals and heard a yelp. Spokane Valley Police say the man shot and killed the dogs with a rifle. The dogs were burried less than an hour after they were shot. Spokane Valley Police say the neighbor was justified in shooting the dogs if he felt threatened. The daughter of the dog owner tells KREM 2 News she has seen her neighbor point a rifle at the dogs before."



Georgia man shot during home invasion : "A man is recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest after breaking into a house just before 4 o'clock this morning at 3721 Lexington Drive in Augusta. Deputies say a woman living there shot the man once. Then he ran across the street tossed the gun and was found later lying on a picnic table. He is being treated at MCG."