Category: Self Defense

“YouTube video prank”
1 Sorry, that pegs my BS meter.
2 If true, the deadhead wins a Darwin Award, 1st Class.

One killed in Hermitage shooting; suspect claiming self defense

HERMITAGE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One person was killed in a shooting in Hermitage Friday night. Metro police are investigating a claim of self defense in the shooting.

Metro Nashville Police officials say it happened at 4331 Old Hickory Boulevard around 9:20 p.m. in the parking lot of Urban Air.

When officers arrived at the scene, David Starnes Jr., 23, was there. He admitted to shooting the victim, 20-year-old Timothy Wilks.

Detectives were told Wilks and a friend were taking part in a prank robbery as part of a YouTube video and approached a group of people – including Starnes – with butcher knives.

Starnes told detectives he was unaware of the prank and shot Wilks in defense of himself and the others in the group.

No charges have been placed at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

The Kyle Rittenhouse story is looking more and more like a rerun of George Zimmerman

Kyle Rittenhouse, like George Zimmerman before him, is turning out to be every bit as dreadful as his insta-critics assumed.

Rittenhouse is the teen from far north suburban Antioch, who in the course of allegedly taking the law into his own hands shot three men, two fatally, during street protests in Kenosha in August.

Zimmerman is the then 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer from Sanford, Florida, who in the course of taking the law into his own hands, shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012.

Both quickly became nationally known and both were thoroughly reviled, particularly by the political left, as irresponsible vigilantes who had no business being where they were. Both were hit with serious charges — Rittenhouse quickly, for first-degree intentional homicide, Zimmerman after an intense national pressure campaign, for second-degree murder. Both claimed they’d acted in self-defense when they discharged their weapons, and both were championed by gun rights activists.

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Man shot during reported home invasion west of downtown Tulsa

A woman apparently shot her former boyfriend during a reported home invasion on Tuesday evening.

The man was hospitalized in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his chest, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office detectives were interviewing the woman, Deputy Justin Green said.

“When she called, she didn’t say that she had shot the invader,” Green said. “But apparently she did.”

The shooting happened about 7:40 p.m. in the 5600 block of West Third Street.

Green said the woman was cut by glass, but detectives aren’t yet sure about what happened before they arrived.

“It’s our understanding they were at one point in time boyfriend and girlfriend,” Green said. “We’ve had a history of domestics here, so we’re kind of familiar with them.”

The names of those involved were not released Tuesday night, but Green said the man is in his early 30s and the woman is in her mid-30s.

No one else was in the home at the time, Green said.

BLUF:
Senator Bob Ballinger who proposed the bill says a motion will be made tomorrow to pull the bill from the committee and send it straight to the House floor.

Arkansas’s proposed Stand Your Ground law fails in House committee
The controversial Stand Your Ground bill that passed the Arkansas Senate was voted down in the House Committee, effectively failing the bill from becoming law

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — A controversial Stand Your Ground bill that passed the Arkansas Senate was voted down in the House Committee Tuesday, effectively stopping the bill from becoming law.

The Senate panel previously voted in favor of loosening restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense last month before it was sent to the House.

The bill failed on a voice vote after a long committee meeting where opponents spoke against the proposal.

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Survivor of assault shoots, injures attacker

SEATTLE — A man who said he was assaulted shot and injured his attacker, who was arrested Sunday morning in Seattle, police said.

Officers were called after 9 a.m. to the 3800 block of Stone Way North for a report of a shooting.

When police arrived, they found a man who said he had shot a person, officials said.

Law enforcement said the survivor said he was walking down the street when he was approached by a man who had crossed the street and began punching him in the head and chest.

The survivor reportedly pulled out his concealed firearm and shot the assailant.

Police said they found the suspect a few blocks away. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Once the suspect is released from the hospital, he will be booked into the King County Jail, police said.

Security Guard Shoots Man Dead at Florida Gambling Den

Police said a security guard initially responded to a dispute between the man and another individual. After telling the man he needed to exit the premises, he later returned brandishing a handgun.

Following shots fired, the security guard shot and killed the man.

At some point, he began shooting multiple shots inside of the business where there were other patrons inside,” explained Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Steven Khachigan. “At that point, a security guard, who was also armed, engaged the suspect in gunfire.”

Though multiple gunshots were fired, no one else was injured in the gambling space. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

 

University City homeowner shoots, kills suspected burglar

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — A man was fatally shot after a homeowner found him in his garage early Friday morning.

According to University City police, officers responded to the 7500 block of Liberty Avenue for a shooting reported by a homeowner around 12:25 a.m.

Officers arrived on scene and found a man dead in a detached garage. The homeowner said he confronted the unknown burglar while in his garage.

The homeowner said the burglar refused to leave and the two had a slight struggle, which is when the homeowner fired his gun – in what he described as self-defense.

Police said the case has been presented to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office for their review.

Teen shot during home invasion arrested

HREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — A Shreveport teenager has been arrested in connection with a foiled burglary during which a resident shot an intruder, police confirm.

It was about midnight Thursday when a family heard someone breaking into their home in the 3800 block of Fairfield Avenue. That’s at Dudley Drive and a few blocks from Mall St. Vincent in Shreveport’s Fairfield neighborhood.

The homeowner told police that someone was trying to force his way in through a rear window.

The resident, who was inside at the time, armed himself with a gun and fired at the intruder, grazing him in his right hip.

The homeowner then held the intruder at gunpoint until police arrived.

Officers found the wounded man, later identified as 18-year-old Morgan Matthews, outside in the back of the residence.

 

Reno police believe fatal shooting Wednesday night was self-defense

Reno police believe a fatal shooting Wednesday evening was done in self-defense, according to a press release.

Police responded to a report of a shooting Wednesday at approximately 8: 45 p.m.

When officers arrived to the area of South Virginia Street and Hillcrest Drive, they discovered a dead body.

The person was shot, according to the press statement. No other people were near the crime scene.

Several minutes later, someone contacted police saying that he was involved in a shooting and fled the scene. The Robbery/Homicide Unit responded to the call and are investigating.

The identity of the person who called the police was not released, and the name of the person who died was not released by RPD pending family notification.

Homeowner kills a man who broke into his house near Willard, Mo.

NEAR WILLARD, Mo. (KY3) -The Greene County Sheriff’s Office says a homeowner killed a man who broke into his home in the Meadows Subdivision Thursday morning.

Deputies were called to a home in the 6000 block of W. Hawthorn Ct. for a burglary in progress around 4 a.m.

Deputies found the suspect inside the house. They say that man attacked the homeowner before he was killed. Deputies aren’t saying how the homeowner killed the man.

Investigators did not identify the two other people who were in the house when the break-in happened. Those two people weren’t hurt. The homeowner is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Two shot during attempted home invasion

Two people were shot when they allegedly attempted to break into a home in 900 block of S. Gladstone, according to South Bend Police.

Around 1:45 a.m., a citizen called police about shots fired on Silver Lane.

While responding to the area, police were notified about two shooting victims, one in the 900 block of Edison and a second at a local hospital.

During the investigation, officers learned the two shooting victims were attempting to break into a home on Gladstone when the residents fired shots, police said.

The person who was located in the 900 block of Edison was taken to the hospital and is stable.

The second person who was shot was treated at the hospital, then taken to the jail on an unrelated warrant, police said.

The investigation is ongoing.

[Well Regulated] The truth about confiscation

During my freshman year at Cornell in 2018, I presented the pro-gun position on a panel discussion put together by the Roosevelt Institute. All of my fellow panelists held some degree of anti-gun sentiment, ranging from the position that there should be more stringent background check mandates, to a professor who, after I explained that the overwhelming majority of firearms sold today are semi-automatic, asked “Why not ban those?”

The reason I am sharing this anecdote is that during the discussion I made the claim that if given the order to confiscate firearms, the police and military would not comply. At the time I presented some statistics on the number of such state agents vs the number of armed civilians and other factors that would make confiscation as we often envision it impossible.

The same professor as above asked if there was no possibility of confiscation, then why was I opposed to stricter gun laws. Of course, I made an effort to explain the reasons for firearm ownership to him, but that moment has gnawed at me for a while. It is not just because people who hold such strong opinions on the subject have very little knowledge on it (I talked further with one of the people on the panel, and while I won’t mention their name, they did not have any understanding of even the most basic aspects of how any firearms or firearms accessories functioned), but rather that it forced me to readdress a preconception I had held for some time.

Before going further, when we discuss confiscation in the firearms community, it often generates images of police going door to door and searching for weapons. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t happen in the United States of America. Bear in mind that this is not for a lack of motivation. Cuomo, Newsom, and their ilk would surely like nothing more than to crush the boot of the state even further down on the people’s neck. As this column has discussed before, those in power are far more clever than we often give them credit for, and they know that such action would spur a domestic conflict. Instead, they will take our guns slowly and carefully, so that not too many people are imprisoned or raided at once, and the public at large won’t worry. Alternatively, they will find an opportunity to exploit crises.

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Man picking up his stolen car fatally shot an alleged street robber in Des Moines Washington.

Des Moines police last week investigated what appears to be a crime of opportunity that turned deadly when the victim of a street robbery returned fire and fatally shot his alleged assailant, according to a police spokesperson.
Randle Cody Jr., 45, died Wednesday from multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The medical examiner classifies deaths as natural, accidental, homicide, suicide or undetermined. A determination of homicide means only that a person was responsible for another person’s death and does not necessarily indicate criminal culpability.
Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, several people called 911 after hearing gunshots in the 22900 block of 30th Avenue South, said Des Moines police Sgt. Dave Mohr.
He said the police investigation found that a 31-year-old Renton man had reported his car stolen on Jan. 18 and two days later, the vehicle was located by Des Moines police officers, said Mohr. The owner asked that the car not be impounded and he went to his vehicle’s location on his motorcycle to await a tow truck.
While the 31-year-old was waiting, an SUV pulled up, driven by a 30-year-old Kent man with a 45-year-old Tukwila man as a passenger, said Mohr. The 45-year-old got out of the SUV and struck up a conversation with the Renton man about his motorcycle, he said.

The 45-year-old then pulled a gun and demanded the younger man’s backpack, pocketing his weapon as the Renton man handed over the bag, said Mohr. The 31-year-old then pulled out his own gun and the 45-year-old grabbed his gun and fired once, missing the 31-year-old; the 31-year-old returned fire, striking the 45-year-old multiple times, according to Mohr.
The 45-year-old was treated at the scene but died soon after arriving at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, Mohr said.
The 31-year-old Renton man and the SUV’s driver were both interviewed by officers and Des Moines police have since sent their case to King County prosecutors to be reviewed. The Renton man was not arrested or booked into jail.
“To my knowledge, it’s just an odd coincidence,” Mohr said of the encounter, adding there’s no evidence the 45-year-old was involved in stealing the Renton man’s car. “The 31-year-old was just a victim of opportunity for the two in the SUV.”
Mohr said the 31-year-old was legally in possession of a handgun and had a valid concealed pistol license at the time of the fatal shooting.

No duty to retreat and supposed racial disparities

The US Commission on Civil Rights contends they exist, but Commissioner Gail Heriot takes that apart.

“This report should not have been published in this form. When the results of an empirical study don’t come out the way Commission members hoped and expected that they would, the right thing to do is usually to publish those results anyway. Why hide useful information?

Instead, the Commission sat on the report for years. Then it decided to discard the draft written by our staff and publish instead a transcript of the witness testimony received at our briefing that took place on October 17, 2014 in Orlando, Florida (along with Commissioner Statements like this one). In that way, the staff’s empirical findings could be buried forever.
. . . . . .
Yes, it is true that a disproportionate number of those killed in Florida in cases in which, correctly or incorrectly, the “Stand Your Ground” law has been invoked were African American. But it is also true that a similarly disproportionate number of those for whom that law has been invoked were African American.

Suspected intruder shot, killed while breaking into Harrison Twp

A suspected intruder was shot and killed while allegedly breaking into a Harrison Township apartment complex early Monday afternoon, according to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened about 12:35 p.m. at Harrison Woods Condominiums on Harrison Woods Lane, in the area of Northpointe Parkway and Metropolitan Parkway.
“It was basically a home invasion, where the occupants were home and shot the individual who was coming in,” said Sheriff Anthony Wickersham.

According to a news release, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the complex for a home invasion in progress. While deputies were on their way, dispatch notified them residents reported hearing gunshots.
Upon their arrival, deputies found a 26-year-old Redford Township man dead inside of the residence, said sheriff’s Sgt. David Crabtree.
“It was determined that the decedent forced his way into the home and was subsequently shot by one of the occupants,” Crabtree said in the release.
The occupants — a Harrison Township woman and a man from Inkster, both 27 — were taken to the sheriff’s office in Mount Clemens. They have since been released.

Police believe the subjects knew each other.
As of 6 p.m., investigators remained on the scene conducting their investigation.
Wickersham said the apartment occupants were being cooperative with the deputies.
“We’ll be conferring with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office and they will be the ones who will make the determination as to whether this was a justifiable homicide,” the sheriff said.
There is no reason for the residents of Harrison Township to be alarmed, Wickersham added.
The suspect’s name was not released Monday night.
Monday’s incident marked the fourth fatal shooting this month in Macomb County.

Investigation underway after homeowner shoots, kills armed intruder Sunday evening in Moss Point

MOSS POINT, Miss. (WXXV) — Police are investigating after a homeowner shot and killed an armed intruder Sunday evening in Moss Point.

Police say they received a call at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, reporting, “shots fired” in the Mill Avenue area of East Moss Point.

Officers responded to the 911 calls and after arriving, found a man laying in the roadway. The male victim appeared to have been shot was pronounced dead on scene.

Police Chief Brandon Ashley says the deceased victim and another man had attempted to carry out an armed home invasion of a residence in the area.

The two men approached the door of their target residence and encountered the homeowner.

At least one of the two men fired a gun multiple times at the homeowner striking him at least once. The homeowner returned fire, striking at least one of the two intruders. That intruder was fatally wounded and collapsed in the roadway.

The homeowner was treated and released from the hospital for his gunshot wounds.

The two suspects have yet to be identified.

Authorities say the case will be presented to the next Grand Jury for review.

Lake Mathews property owner fatally shoots man in self-defense

LAKE MATHEWS (CA)— A property owner shot and killed a former resident in self-defense during an altercation in the unincorporated community of Lake Mathews, sheriff’s officials said Sunday.

It happened at 9:10 p.m. Thursday in the 21000 block of Harford Park Lane, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Sgt. Richard Carroll said the former resident physically threatened the property owner.

“During the confrontation, the property owner feared for their safety and their family’s safety and used a firearm against the assailant,” he said.

The former resident, Ned Cornish, 39, of Perris, was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts from first responders.

Because the shooting appears to have been in self-defense, sheriff’s officials said no arrests have been made, though the investigation is ongoing.

Ruger .22.
1 Shot.
DRT

Home Intruder Fatally Shot

FAR MIDDLE FORK , KY– A home intruder was fatally shot after reportedly threatening the residents when they arrived home.

On Sunday, January 17, a 911 call came into Magoffin County dispatch reporting a shooting at a mobile home on KY Rt. 378 near the Magoffin/Breathitt county line.

Kentucky State Police investigators responded to the home and discovered a male had been shot. According to a press release from KSP, the initial investigation indicates Bradley Johnson, 28, of Olive Hill, was unlawfully inside the residence of Lyndon Holland, an altercation ensued and a firearm was discharged, resulting in Johnson suffering a fatal gunshot wound.

Johnson was pronounced deceased at the scene by Magoffin County Coroner’s Office.

Magoffin County Deputy Coroner Brian Parker told Mortimer Media, “After forcing entry, he demanded their belongings and money and there was an altercation. Mr. Holland was assaulted by Mr. Johnson.

He then walked around the corner of his SUV, grabbed a Ruger .22, and fired one time in the air. He asked Mr. Johnson to please leave the property, but Mr. Johnson then grabbed a hammer and came around the front of the vehicle, threatening his life. He then fired and shot Mr. Johnson in the chest, single shot, and killed Mr. Johnson.”

According to the coroner’s report, Johnson had punched Holland in the face during the altercation prior to Holland getting a gun out of his vehicle. Multiple shots were fired, but only one shot hit Johnson.

Johnson’s body was sent to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort for an autopsy and toxicology report.

Johnson’s mother, who lives in Morehead, told the coroner’s office her son had a history of drug addiction and has been in and out of jail for multiple reasons. She also stated that her other son, Nicholas Stephens, died of a gunshot wound, as well, a few years ago, in an incident that was listed as an accident.

While KSP had Johnson listed as living in Olive Hill, according to jail records, when Johnson was arrested for a reported DUI in Salyersville on January 2 this year, he had an Oakley Fork, Salyersville address. In 2017, when arrested for a probation violation and taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, he had a Salyersville address, and in 2016 in two different arrests, including one for manufacturing methamphetamine, he had addresses in West Liberty.

KSP Detective Kevin Newsome is leading the investigation and he was assisted on the scene by KSP personnel and Lifeguard Ambulance Service. Magoffin County Rescue Squad and Magoffin County Coroner’s Office also responded to the scene.

According to KSP, the investigation will be presented to the Magoffin County Grand Jury for consideration. No charges have been filed at this time and the incident is being handled as a self-defense case.

Johnson is survived by a son, Bentley Johnson, of Carter County, mom, Amanda Patrick, of Morehead, and brother, Zachery Stephens, of Elliot County.

 

 

Alleged intruder shot by mom left a trail of blood, making it easy for Sugar Land police to find him

SUGAR LAND, Texas — An attempted home invasion was stopped by an armed mother who opened fire on the intruder early Friday, Sugar Land police said.

The woman had her 8-year-old child with her in the home — neither was physically hurt.

The suspect, identified as Santana Anthony Hudson, 21, survived and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. He was arrested and charged with burglary of a habitation and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

The shooting was reported at about 4:30 a.m. in the 200 block of Shadow Wood, in the Sugar Mill subdivision, according to city officials.

According to Assistant Chief of Police Michelle Allen, the woman told police she was asleep when she heard a noise at her back door. She grabbed a gun and found a man had broken a window and was trying to get in. She opened fire on the suspect, shooting him in the chest.

The man fled the scene, going less than a block away through neighbors’ backyards, but responding officers managed to track him down because of the trail of blood he left behind, KHOU 11’s Michelle Choi reported.

Cleveland gas station clerk shoots man who opens fire on him

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A gas station store clerk shot a gunman in the ankle early Wednesday morning.

Cleveland police said the suspect walked into the Marathon Gas Station in the 5300 block of Superior Avenue and fired several shots at the clerk.

The clerk, who was not injured, fired back and struck the suspect one time.

Officers said the suspect then drove off in a black Monte Carlo and crashed into a city salt truck at Superior Avenue and East Blvd.

The suspect did not stop, but police said the salt truck driver followed him to University Hospitals.

Police officers then arrived at the hospital and placed him under arrest.

The suspect’s name has not yet been released and police said the matter remains under investigation.

Gun Laws Don’t Stop the Killing

A recent report looks to see if laws restricting the right to keep and bear arms might have effects on homicides and suicides not caused by guns. They found no increase or decrease in non-gun homicides associated with changes in gun related homicides, and the data regarding suicides were too sparse to be useful. Their report was based on examining a series of earlier studies.

To the authors’ credit, they noted that some experts describe a substitution effect, that is, a person not killed by a firearm may instead be killed by some other form of violence. They cite several previous studies finding that those not suiciding by shooting are likely to do so by other means, and that homicides not committed by shooting will probably occur by other means.

There are however a number of problems with the publication.  The authors seem to see all homicides as bad, and never mention justifiable homicides. These often involve self-defense, or appropriate actions by police or bystanders to protect the innocent. The researchers seem to assume that any reduction in homicides is desirable, ignoring the injuries, arsons and assaults prevented by the appropriate use of force.

A recent DRGO contributor noted the existence of many dozens of peer-reviewed academic studies conducted by a wide range of authors suggesting that widespread gun ownership deters crime. He pointed as well to a specific instance in which children died needlessly because security officers were unarmed. In this school shooting, in which many children lost their lives, the justifiable homicide of the shooter would have avoided heartbreak for families and  prevented the school career of many teenagers from ending in a mournful trip to a cemetery.

Academics have found evidence that Right-to-Carry laws deter violent crime, including rapes and murders, and also lower burglary rates, while restrictions on concealed carry laws may increase the number of people who are murdered. Having a firearm is especially important for women, who are typically smaller and not as strong as those who attack them—being armed can compensate for this difference. Reports of homeowners using guns to defend against intruders are reported daily. Since intruders are often young men, it’s common that the occupant of a household are less physically powerful, and thus a justifiable homicide by a firearm prevents death or injury at the hands of a criminal.

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City’s Carjacking Surge Shows No Sign Of Slowing, So Residents Are Buying Guns

HYDE PARK — Carjackings have been on the rise in Chicago for more than a year. After a 135 percent jump in 2020, the trend is continuing with 61 carjackings reported in the first 10 days of 2021.

As city officials and police scramble to address the issue with meetings, City Council hearings and community alerts, some Chicagoans are taking matters into their own hands against the advice of law enforcement: They’re applying for concealed carry permits.

Kelly Milan, a Northwestern graduate student, was carjacked Friday morning in Hyde Park in front of William H. Ray Elementary School.

About 8 a.m., the budding journalist drove her 2014 Jeep Cherokee to the school, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave., to interview students for the Hyde Park Herald.

“I got out of my car and locked my car and was in the middle of the street when I saw a running car in the middle of the street,” Milan said. “Immediately, I thought something bad was going to happen. Then, two guys got out of the car. One guy made eye contact with me and started running towards me. I just started saying ’No, no, no, no, no’ and I winced because he was running towards me and I thought he was going to take me down.

“Then I started saying, ‘Please don’t hurt me, please don’t hurt me.’ He said, ‘Where are your keys?’ and forcibly went through all my pockets. He grabbed my keys and my phone. The other guy was just leaning by the car, watching it.

“I was begging for my life. It was really, really terrifying. You never think you’re going to be a victim of a carjacking, let alone one outside an elementary school at 8 a.m., but here we are and it’s happening.”

Milan’s story is not unique. Carjackings shot up 135 percent in 2020, with 1,415 reported that year compared to 603 in 2019, according to the Chicago Police Department. So far in 2021, carjackings are on a pace to break last year’s record with 61 happening over the first 10 days of the year, up from 22 during the same period in 2020.

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