National Self-Defense Log

[JaxChris]

At request of some others, I will run a national list of self-defense stories. So here we go.

[JaxChris]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/21156773/detail.html

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Police said one of two men who tried to steal a pickup truck from a group of people gathered outside a Murray Hill home was shot several times by a homeowner and his friend.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Larry Schmitt said when police arrived at the 3000 block of College Street, they found a man shot multiple times.

According to the police report, Keith Loftin was outside the home with some friends shortly after 2 a.m. when two men asked for a ride in Loftin's truck. Loftin said one of the men pulled a gun on them and forced Loftin into his truck. Loftin told officers that his friend, Barry Smith, ran into the house and returned with a gun and Loftin pulled his own gun from inside the truck.

Police said both Loftin and Smith fired at one of the men, striking him multiple times.

The man shot, identified as Jamel Mobley, 21, of St. Marys, Ga., was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center and was in stable condition. Police said the second man took off. Police were still looking for him, but they have only a vague description.

The shooting was still under investigation and no charges have been filed. Schmitt said it appeared both the citizens had the guns legally and that it appeared the shooting was in self-defense.

[JaxChris]

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090930/NEWS0107/309300023/Resident+fires+at+would-be+robber

Man fires at would-be robber

A resident wrestled with a would-be burglar Wednesday, then fired a shot that may have hit the fleeing man’s pickup, officials say.

Edward Honerlaw, 55, of the 8200 block of West Chester Road, reported he was home alone around 2 p.m. when an intruder kicked in a rear door – so he armed himself with a handgun, a news release said. After a tussle, the suspect fled; Honerlaw fired at the truck.

West Chester Township police have arrested Kyle P. Lightner, 22, of Bannon Court in Middletown. He has been charged with one court of burglary, a second-degree felony.

It was unclear Wednesday evening when Lightner may appear in court.

The incident was reported around 2 p.m.

As of 3:30 p.m., officers were still on the scene gathering information, Wilson said.

Authorities described the suspect as a white man, 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, about age 35, with a scruffy beard, wearing a white hoodie sweatshirt.

He fled in a tan pickup truck, Wilson said.

[JaxChris]

http://www.kiiitv.com/news/local/62936292.html

Man Shoots Burglar

A Corpus Christi man, who says he's been burglarized the last two nights, took the law into his own hands Wednesday morning when a suspected burglar came back for a the third night in a row.

It was around 2:30am when the Garza family heard what they thought was a burglar in their garage.

Henry Garza says, "I was waiting for him, last night about 2 o'clock in the morning he came in, busted my door, in the garage, and got in it again. He run that away and that's when I shot him."

66 year old Henry Garza, who lives near Port and Baldwin wasn't taking any chances. Sunday and Monday night, Garza says burglars got away with his tools, a couple of bicycles, a stereo, and other small items.

So, Tuesday night, Garza and his wife, Mary, were ready. Around 2:30 in the morning they heard noises coming from their garage and Mr. Garza grabbed his single barrel 410 caliber shotgun. Mrs. Garza armed herself with a two by four.

Garza says, "I hit him one time with the gun, like this, and he ran away. My wife was standing there, he him my wife, she had a 2x4, she hit him with a 2x4. That's what made me mad, he pushed my wife around, and that's when I shot him."

Garza thinks he shot the intruder in the back of the leg, but the suspect was able to get away.

Garza says, "I know I hit him, cause he fell."

Mrs. Garza, who was knocked down is going to be ok and as for Mr. Garza says, "I'll be waiting for him here. If he comes tonight, if he's not wounded."

[JaxChris]

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/suspects-87065-sheriff-women.html

Armed homeowner thwarts burglary suspects

Three suspects arrested in Sutter County after an attempted home burglary ran into the worst of luck — a homeowner with experience fighting off intruders.

Two women and a man, all Sacramento residents, broke into an isolated house at about 2 p.m. Monday in the 3900 block of O'Banion Road west of Yuba City, according to Sheriff J. Paul Parker. The owner, David Massey, armed himself with a handgun and discovered one woman in his kitchen while the other woman and the man fled out the back door, Parker said.

The suspects got into a Ford Explorer parked on the circular driveway outside and drove it toward Massey, but he fired six shots toward the vehicle just before it rolled onto its side, the 63-year-old homeowner recalled Monday night.

"They drove right across the center of the (driveway) circle towards me, and I yelled at them to stop and fired five rounds into the radiator to make them stop," said Massey. "The car was not three feet from me when it went by; they almost took me out.

"I was in fear of my life. They wouldn't stop, so I shot."

The passengers abandoned the Ford and ran through a flooded prune orchard, but deputies arrested them within a mile of the house. Both women were treated at Rideout Memorial Hospital from injuries sustained in the acc dent, according to Parker.

The sheriff's department identified the detained women as 31-year-old Tiffany Abila and 27-year-old Angelina Walters, and the male suspect as 26-year-old Marcus Campbell. Parker said authorities likely would pursue burglary charges against the three and said others may be pending.

Detectives have recovered jewelry boxes and other items from the Explorer and are checking whether the suspects are linked to any burglaries in the area, the sheriff's department said.

Massey's last encounter with suspected burglars also ended in gunfire. On July 2, 2008, deputies arrived at his house after he reportedly fired his handgun at a suspected burglar fleeing in a pickup and held another alleged robber at gunpoint.

"I wasn't a hero; I just did what I thought I had to do. I just wish I got both of them," he said at the time.

Massey called Monday's incident the sixth theft and third break-in at the home he has owned since 1992, and admitted its remote location has made it a "sitting duck" for would-be thieves. Despite the string of thefts, he declared he would keep the home and was hopeful another house under construction nearby will dissuade at least some thieves in the future.

"Most people in the world are good people, but there's an element out there that doesn't remember 'Thou shalt not steal,'" he said Monday night. "I moved out here for the serenity; I don't know how serene it is today."

[JaxChris]

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x593060375/Plainfield-resident-shoots-dog-stops-attack-on-animal-control-officer

Plainfield resident shoots dog, stops attack on animal control officer

Plainfield Animal Control Officer Terry Foss was attacked by a "pit bull-type dog" late Tuesday night, according to Plainfield Police.

Foss was responding to a complaint at 270 Green Hollow Road, where, according to residents, the dog was preventing them from exiting their home.

On her arrival, the dog jumped at Foss, knocking her to the ground. Resident Ron Roberts fired "2 or 3 shots" from a .22 rifle at the dog, which police say yelped and ran away.

Foss was transported to The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich for treatment of possible head injuries, She was transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven.

A hospital spokeswoman said Foss' family has requested no information on Foss's condition be released Wednesday morning.

The dog has not been found.

Police Chief Robert Hoffman said Roberts will not face charges from shooting at the dog. He said the department thanked Roberts for his action.

"It sounds like it could have been a lot worse had he not been there," Hoffman said.

Anyone with information about the owner or the dog is urged to call Plainfield Police at 564-0804.

[JaxChris]

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11212040

Oregon man, 93, pointed gun before he was shot

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

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

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

[JaxChris]

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6124241/

Sheriff: Revenge likely motive for fatal home invasion

A New Jersey man who was shot and killed during a home invasion in Halifax Friday morning was likely seeking revenge for a two decade-old domestic dispute, according to Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier.

The investigation is ongoing into details of the 1988 dispute between Marcel Alston, of Halifax, and Carlton L. Burgess, 61, of Lumberton, N.J. Frazier said.

"It's baffling right now. We've got a lot of loose ends that we've got to try to tie up," said Lt. Bobby Martin, with the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said that a knock woke up Alston around 7 a.m. at his house at 5524 U.S. Highway 301, where he lives alone. When Alston opened the door, Burgess, who had a gun, began assaulting Alston.

Alston got away and was climbing up the stairs when Burgess fired, striking his victim in the buttocks, investigators said. Alston managed to get to his bedroom and got out a gun he kept there.

Burgess followed Alston into the bedroom, and Alston fatally shot him in the upper torso, according to investigators.

According to a 911 call, Alston went to a neighbor's for help after the shootings.

In addition to a gunshot wound, Alston suffered a gash on the head. He was undergoing surgery at Halifax Regional Hospital Friday afternoon. His condition was stable, Frazier said.

Alston acknowledged his acquaintance with Burgess and said they hadn't seen each other in several years.

Deputies were examining a white van with New Jersey license plate parked in front of Alston's house that Burgess might have driven. Investigators were also searching a room at the Days Inn in Weldon where Burgess had checked in Wednesday.

Frazier said the killing appeared to be a case of self-defense. The Halifax County District Attorney's Office has to decide whether charges will be filed.

Neighbors said they were stunned this happened to Alston, who has been their friend for years.

"It shocked me," neighbor Leroy Lynch said. "I'm really sad. He's a real nice man."

[JaxChris]

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/24284/

Carlos Moz never denied he shot a man in the head, but he claimed it was to defend himself and his brother.

On Thursday, a jury agreed, finding Moz, 34, not guilty of aggravated assault.

The Hall County Superior Court jury deliberated for less than an hour before acquitting Moz of the felony charge, which carried a sentencing range of one to 20 years.

The man Moz shot, 21-year-old Nathan Tony Monson, was released from a hospital just days after sustaining a bullet wound in front of his left ear. He survived the shooting with some hearing loss but no other permanent injuries, according to Brett Willis, the assistant circuit defender who successfully defended Moz.

Willis said his client fired the shot from a legally owned 9 mm handgun on the night of Oct. 1, 2006, after his client’s older brother was severely beaten by an unruly mob of at least six
teenagers in front of California Records, a store next to the Kangaroo convenience store on Park Hill Drive.

The beating victim, Juan Moz, was injured by large chunks of asphalt hurled at him by "a group of ne’er-do-wells harassing a couple of guys who were just walking," Willis said.

The Moz brothers were walking home from a baby shower they attended at the Glen Cove apartments when they were attacked, Willis said.

The prosecution sought to show Juan Moz was confronted after he made advances on a young girl at the apartment complex, but Moz denied that allegation.

While down on the ground, Juan Moz was kicked in the face by a teenage girl who was charged and later prosecuted in juvenile court, Willis said.

During the beating, Carlos Moz, a legal permanent resident who lived across the street at the Versaille apartments, retrieved his gun, Willis said.

When he returned to the front of the store, Monson made a threatening motion toward Carlos Moz and made the statement that he was "looking for who was next," according to Willis. Monson was then shot.

Shortly afterward, police were called to the Moz apartment regarding the beating of Juan Moz. When they arrived, Carlos Moz told police he fired the shot and showed them where the gun was.

[JaxChris]

http://www.ohio.com/news/63381637.html

A Chicago man suspected in an attempted armed robbery was shot and killed Thursday night in what Akron police are calling a confrontation with the owner of a neighborhood market at Raymond and Campbell streets.

Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards said the store owner, Ali Ahmed, 59, had closed for the night and was walking to his vehicle in the rear parking lot at about 7:30 when the suspect approached.

There was an exchange of gunfire — witnesses reported seven or eight shots — and both men were hit, Edwards said.

Ahmed was taken by ambulance to Akron General Medical Center with wounds that were not life threatening, Edwards said.

A hospital official declined Friday to release any details about Ahmed's condition.

Edwards, the department's spokesman, identified the robbery suspect as Timothy Grant, 29, of Chicago's west side. He said Grant died at 9:04 p.m. Thursday at Akron General from unspecified gunshot wounds.

According to police radio traffic moments after the shooting, one man was shot in the head and the other in the hand.

Grant's mother, Sharon Grant, 50, said in a phone interview from her Chicago residence that her son was visiting an aunt in Barberton — his second trip there in the past year — and that she talked to him by phone about noon Thursday.

She said he asked to be wired some money for a bus ride back home and that she was preparing to do that when hospital officials called and said her son was deceased.

[JaxChris]

http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_100509_nn_store_attempt_rob_shooting.1e 963ae73.html

NEWPORT NEWS – The red exterior is unassuming, rather plain, but for David White, the neighborhood store on Chestnut Avenue is the way the 62-year-old has supported his family for decades. When two people tried to rob him and a worker Friday night, White protected himself, the employee, and his business.

As one of the people pointed a shotgun at them, Newport News officers say Barry Hooker started to move behind the counter. White pulled a gun and shot Hooker, putting him in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital.


...


In February, White found himself in a similar situation. Police tell us a teenager with a gun entered the grocery store with the intention of robbing it. He got into a struggle with a customer or worker, and his gun fired, putting a bullet in the ceiling. White pulled out his own gun, and hit the 16-year-old in his backside.


...


Newport News police officers say Hooker had outstanding warrants for assault and battery at the time of the attempted robbery. Checking on-line court records, 13News found he also has a long criminal history.

Detectives are looking for the person with the shotgun who was with Hooker at the time of the incident. They say he was a dark-skinned black man, 160 pounds, 5’10” tall with a goatee.

[JaxChris]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/21205738/detail.html

Homeowner Shoots, Kills Burglar

A northwest Houston homeowner shot a burglar after he found him inside his home Monday morning, police told KPRC Local 2.

Investigators said the homeowner, Mark Brown, returned to his house in the 8500 block of Norton at about 9:30 a.m. when he heard someone inside.

Brown grabbed a shotgun hidden under a bed and found the burglar in a bedroom, police said.

The homeowner fired several shots after the burglar rushed at him from a closet. The burglar was hit three times, according to investigators.

The burglar, whose name was not released, died at the scene.

Milton Brandt has lived on Norton for 50 years. He called 911 after the shooting.

"I just talked to (Brown) a while ago. He's upset, sure he is," Brandt said. "He walked in the door and said all the lights are on."

Brown said he felt lucky that the burglar did not find the shotgun.

"The guy had already ransacked his bedroom and just so happened that God bless him, and he didn't find the shotgun under the bed," said David Brown, the homeowner's father.

"It's obvious it's been burglarized. There's disarray inside. It's a neat, well-kept home and you walk inside and obviously see piles of personal items set out in preparation of being taken -- drawers open, cabinets pulled out, etc.," said Detective C Elliott of the Houston Police Department.

Brown was not injured.

The case will be referred to a grand jury without charges.

[JaxChris]

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/312141.php

Would-be robber shot by victim

A man suffered life-threatening wounds when he attempted to rob another man at a midtown car wash and was shot by the victim, Tucson police said.

The incident occurred at a self-service car wash on East 22nd Street near South Beverly Avenue just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police said a 50-year-old man was at the car wash washing his vehicle when he was approached by an 18-year-old man.

The younger man pulled out a gun and attempted to rob the older man, police said.

The older man pulled out his own gun and shot the 18 year old.

The younger man ran away and got into a car that was being driven by another person. A short time later, the 18-year-old man showed up at a hospital with life-threatening wounds, police said.

The 50-year-old man was not injured.

He’s being questioned by police as is the driver of the car who took the wounded man to the hospital.

[JaxChris]

http://www.kens5.com/news/stories/KENS20091008-Foster-Road-Intruder.1f78f4e15.html

Alleged home intruder shot by homeowner, dies after car-crash getaway

What started early Thursday morning as a home invasion has ended in the death of the alleged intruder.

Just after 5 a.m., Bexar County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene in the 11400 block of South Foster Road.

Deputies say 24-year-old Cardell Deon Joseph broke through the front door of a home there, and that's when the homeowner shot him once in the intruder's rib cage area.

They say the Joseph then ran from the house and drove away, but he then crashed his vehicle a few blocks away. According to reports, the suspect was still talking after the crash, and asked the homeowners for help.

But, Joseph later died at the scene.

It's unclear whether the crash or the gunshot wound was the major factor in his death.

Bexar County records show that Joseph was in trouble before. He was arresed for evading arrest and possession of marijuana.

The Bexar County district attorney's office will review the case.

[JaxChris]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/usworld/news-article.aspx?storyid=146293&catid=6

Homeowner Opens Fire on Burglar

Police are trying to find a man that has broken in twice to the same house, where the homeowner chased and shot at him.

On Oct. 2, the man tried breaking into Guy Sitzman's home the second time and was caught him on tape.

Sitzman was watching security tapes from the previous hour in his computer room, when toward the end of the tape the system went back to "live" mode, and Sitzman noticed a man walking around the side of his house.

That's when he saw the man leaving through his back door carrying a rifle and a pistol.

Despite his initial fear, Sitzman said he grabbed another gun and ran after him. "I ran out back and fired two shots off at him."

The man dropped the items he stole from Sitzman's house and took off.

During the first break-in, Sitzman and his wife were in bed and the man tried breaking in through Sitzman's side window with a large hunting knife.

He was stole a computer, $200 and an iPod.

Detectives with the Adams County Sheriff Department are investigating the break-ins. They're asking people not to take matter into their own hands and instead to call 911

[JaxChris]

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091009/NEWSBLOG/910099936/-1/XML15

Homeowner chases away intruder with shotgun

A man shooed away a burglar with a shotgun, police said.

The homeowner, who state police did not identify, came home Thursday morning to find a young man at the side door of the residence, state police said Friday in a press release.

The man said he knew the homeowner's son and had left a belonging there a few days earlier, state police said. But the homeowner asked the man to return when his son came home and shut his door, state police said.

Moments later, the homeowner heard noises in his living room and entered to find the man shuffling through items, state police said.

The homeowner got a shotgun and chased the man out of the house, state police said.

State police are now searching for the suspected burglar. He is described as a young white male, about 16-17 years old, and wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt with a blue baseball cap.

[JaxChris]

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_dcdcaa3c-1f2a-5591-85bb-908564b5024b.html

Man wrestles rifle from would-be robber

A store manager wrestled a loaded rifle from an unsuccessful thief Friday morning, then managed to get his license plate number after the robber tried to flee but got stuck in traffic.

Rodolfo Evaristo, 40, said all he could feel was fear as he stared down the barrel of a rifle at his store, Lopez Market, on 200 West El Norte Parkway. The robber had come in the front, but seeing no one there, had walked to the back of the store and demanded Evaristo give him cash. Evaristo put up his hands and begged the masked gunman not to shoot. Evaristo's brother, Simon Evaristo, 50, also witnessed the incident.

Without getting any money, the robber then tried to flee out the back door. He took one hand off the gun to try to push open the fire door, not realizing it was deadbolted below. With the gun down, and confident that his brother would back him up, Rodolfo Evaristo decided to make his move. He grabbed the rifle with both hands and managed to wrestle it away from the would-be robber while screaming for someone to call the police. The thief then unlocked the door and ran to a Jetta parked behind the store.

Evaristo was able to write down the car's license plate number, he said, because it got stuck in traffic on Escondido Boulevard.

An hour later, police found an abandoned Jetta with matching plates on the south side of town. Police eventually arrested Jose Zardon, 47, of Escondido and booked him on suspicion of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also investigating Zardon's immigration status.

[JaxChris]

http://www.kyw1060.com/Robbery-Victim-Fatally-Shoots-Suspect-in-W--Oak-La/5412163

Robbery Victim Fatally Shoots Suspect in W. Oak Lane

Philadelphia homicide detectives are investigating a shooting death of an unidentified man around midnight in the city's Ogontz section of West Oak Lane. In this case it was the victim of a would-be robbery that turned the tables around on an armed bandit.

The armed robber was shot when he tried to rob to his victim. The incident took place in the 6400 block of north 15th street in the city's Ogontz section in West Oak Lane.

The 24-year-old armed suspect was pronounced dead at the scene of a chest wound. Police say the victim who he had targeted to rob was carrying a hand gun. When the suspect demanded all his money, the victim pulled out a gun and fired a shot killing the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say the suspect matches the description in two other hold-ups Saturday night and investigators say they do not expect to charge the victim.

[JaxChris]

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11242417

11 year old shoots at home invader

An 11 year old Albany boy fired a shot during a home invasion last night.

The boy shot a .357 magnum at a gunman who came into his house.

The 11-year old told Police about 7:15 Wednesday night that several juveniles kicked in the back door at his home in the 200 block of Tremont Avenue.

He said a boy with a pistol came into the house and pointed the gun at him.

That's when the 11-year old fired the .357. He said that scared the home invader off.

The Gang Unit is investigating because they think it could be gang related. They are not releasing the 11-year old's name for his protection.

[JaxChris]

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Polk-man-shoots-shotgun-wielding-robber/Z-7OcNbsSU6mhcyxpu8WKA.cspx

Polk man shoots shotgun-wielding robber

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says the victim of a would-be armed robbery shot one of his attackers on Sunday.

Johnny Preston told deputies he was in the front yard of his Lakeland home preparing his cargo van for work around 6 p.m. He spotted two men in a red 4-door Mazda driving by slowly, staring at him.

Preston became suspicious and retrieved his .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver from inside the van and wrote down the Mazda's vehicle tag number.

He went back to preparing his van. Moments later, he looked up and was staring down the barrel of a shotgun. The two men, who were wearing t-shirts over their faces, demanded his wallet.

Preston said he pushed the barrel of the shotgun away with one hand and fired his handgun with the other, hitting the armed suspect in the torso.

The suspect, identified as Michael Darnell Richardson of Lakeland, drove himself to Plant City Hospital where he was treated and arrested.

The other other suspect, identified as Mario Ford of Plant City, fled on foot, and was found hiding under a parked car.

[JaxChris]

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Bank_Manager_Pulls_Gun_on_Armed_Robber_100809

Bank Manager Pulls Gun on Armed Robber

A former bank manager said Thursday that a life or death decision got him fired. The manager said he pulled a gun on a bank robber and fired shots at him, forcing the robber to flee. Police credited the manager's actions to the arrest of the suspect William Hunt.

Wesley Hallman said it was common knowledge that he carried a pistol. The former manger said he felt safer with the gun when he opened the bank.

Hallman said when he saw a would-be robber holding a gun in an employee's face, he challenged the man with his gun.

The robber turned, so Hallman said he fired a shot. The robber fired a shot, ran and then fired two more shots

Hallman said he was called into the bank the next day and fired. Hallman said there is a bank policy that employees can't carry weapons. The former branch manager said he knew violated company policy but he didn't violate the law.

[JaxChris]

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/10/81-year-old_man_shoots_home_in.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[JaxChris]

http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou091012_jj_lima-shooting-homeowner-speaks.20e01a937.html

Homeowner: I shot intruder who was kicking my bedroom door

A Harris County man who shot an intruder in his home said pulling the trigger is the most difficult decision anyone can make.

“It’s a weird feeling,” Jorge Guzman said as he walked through his bullet-riddled home on Lima Drive. “I don’t care who it is or who they think they are, when you’re in that position, it’s totally different.”

The break-in occurred in the early morning hours last Monday. Only Guzman and his uncle were home at the time.

The chilling encounter was captured in a call to 911.

“Please, they’re breaking the windows,” Guzman told a dispatcher.

Guzman, who had barricaded himself in a back bedroom with a handgun, described the scene as it unfolded to dispatchers.

“I hear somebody in the house. They’re trying to open the door. Hurry! Please hurry,” he said.

The dispatcher continued to reassure Guzman that sheriff’s deputies were on the way. At one point, Guzman was instructed to lay down his weapon.

“Go and put your gun down because if you hear anything, it’s going to be the deputies,” the 911 dispatcher insisted.

Then, moments later, the sound of gunfire was caught on tape.

Guzman told 11 News he fired the shots because the intruder was trying to kick down the door to his bedroom.

“As soon as he put his foot there, that’s when I shot, because he had a big tattoo on his face and when the lady was telling me that’s the sheriff’s department, when he came into that door I said that’s not the sheriff’s department,” Guzman said.

Guzman said once he shot the suspect, the 19-year-old ran around his home trying to find a way to get out.

Deputies arrested the wounded suspect, along with a woman they say drove his getaway car.

Guzman is just happy to put the incident behind him.

“You don’t know what’s on the other side of that door,” said Guzman.