Armed citizens making a difference thread.

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And a 4th for today.

Police: Indy homeowner shoots, kills intruder on northeast side

http://fox59.com/2017/06/06/breaking...d-an-intruder/

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A Castleton-area homeowner shot and killed an intruder who tried to break into his home early Tuesday morning.

It happened about 2:15 a.m. in the 7600 block of Wickfield Dr., near 75th St. and Hague Rd., according to Indianapolis Metropolitan police.

Three people, including a child, were in the home at the time of the fatal shooting, according to investigators. The Marion County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as 18-year-old Derrick Johnson Jr.

Police said Johnson entered the home through a side window.

“If you break into someone’s home, there are consequences for that,” said neighbor Jennifer Allen.

Jennifer lives right next door to the scene of the shooting. She believes her neighbor had every right to kill the teenage intruder.

“He invited that and brought that on himself. I know he probably has family, but I don’t have a problem with the fact that he was shot and killed,” said Allen.

“In this particular instance, it appears the homeowner acted in complete justification in using deadly force,” said attorney Jack Crawford.

Attorney Crawford says even though Johnson did not have a weapon during the break-in, Indiana law protects the homeowners right to defend his wife and 3-year-old child who were home at the time.

“Indiana adheres to the policy that a person’s home is their castle and you cannot unlawfully enter the home at the risk of being killed,” said Crawford.

“As far as I can tell [the intruder] did not have a weapon on him,” IMPD Major Richard Riddle said. “But I want to make this very clear, the individual forced entry into this home and our homeowner confronted him with his own gun.”

Riddle continued, “You have a right to protect yourself and your family inside of your home at all times as long as that force is reasonable and you are protecting your life, the life of a third party which in this sense is our homeowner’s family.”

Police were on scene within a minute of the shooting. They were already in the area investigating a home burglary and another car break-in just blocks away.

Police won't say if Johnson is connected to those crimes, but according to police reports, in April the 18-year-old suspect was arrested for possessing drugs and a stolen gun.

In May police arrested the teen following a hit and run during which Johnson admitted smoking marijuana.

Just last week Johnson was arrested a third time on theft and drug related charges.

Although criminal charges against the homeowner are not likely, that decision will be in the hands of the Marion county prosecutor’s office.

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All types of self-defense shootings in the news today. Let's go for 5.

http://theind.com/article-25185-Home...-break-in.html

The Independent has learned that the Lafayette Police Department responded to a May 23 break-in at the construction site of Dat Dog on Jefferson Street, one that led to two shots fired upon the alleged perpetrator, but the LPD did not publicly release information on the incident.

According to the police report, which The IND obtained on June 1, the suspect entered Dat Dog at about 3 a.m. The alleged victim told police he “heard a glass shatter to his bedroom door,” according to the officer's written statement. The victim then “opened the second door and located the suspect inside.” The victim says in the report that the suspect “came after him, causing him to fire one shot.” The victim says he then “followed the suspect into the hall and fired one more shot.”

The victim is not identified in police reports, but The IND has confirmed that he is the general contractor on the job.

The police report states the “suspect was located behind the business with a gunshot wound in his left shoulder and one in his right foot.” From there, the suspect was transported to Lafayette General Medical Center in stable condition and then booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

According to Cpl. Karl Ratcliff, public information officer for the LPD, the suspect is Tony Edward Trahan, a 38-year-old white male. Ratcliff tells The IND Trahan is homeless, had non-life threatening injuries and was charged with simple burglary.

Trahan is awaiting a court date with no projected release. Ratcliff tells The IND the victim is not being charged for shooting Trahan, though he would not give a specific reason. Presumably, the police investigator determined that the victim acted in self-defense.

A search of Lafayette Parish courthouse records reveals that Trahan has a criminal record dating back to 2000. Charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of stolen things were dismissed. Trahan has convictions for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of alprazolam, possession of methadone, possession of firearm in presence of controlled dangerous substance, possession of marijuana second offense; three charges of illegal possession of stolen things; possession of cocaine; theft of goods under $500; and criminal damage to a coin operated device.

The Independent visited the 201 Jefferson St. site on June 1 and attempted to get more information on the incident from the general contractor, who declined to comment for the record.

What's still not clear is why LPD did not publicly release information on a Downtown shooting.

“It was in a business. If we don’t deem it as a risk to the public, we don’t have to put that information out,” says Ratcliff, who also cited protection of the victim in the decision not to release information publicly. “We don’t do a formal release for everything that we deal with.”

The IND also reached out to Bill DiPaola, chief operating officer and president of Dat Dog, for additional details on the break-in.

“There was an incident at our not-yet-opened Lafayette location,” DiPaola says in a statement to The IND. “No customers or employees were hurt. At this time, we defer to law enforcement authorities for comment regarding details of the incident, as the investigation is active and ongoing.”

The (long-awaited) opening of Dat Dog on Jefferson Street will represent the company's first expansion outside of New Orleans. The restaurant is set to open by the end of the summer, according to DiPaola.

[internet troll]

Employee and 2 Suspects Shot During Victorville Robbery

http://www.vvng.com/employee-2-suspe...robbery-video/

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) An attempted armed robbery at a Victorville pawn shop was foiled after the employees opened fire at the suspects.

On Tuesday, June 6, 2017, two would-be robbery suspects entered the 7th Street Pawn Shop at 12610 7th Street in Victorville.

At about 2:00 p.m. Sheriff’s dispatch received a call from the employees at the pawn shop stating that two males were inside the business threatening to rob them.

“During that call, there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspects and the employees,” stated Sheriff’s spokeswoman Mara Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said three employees were inside the business at the time of the incident.

“During the exchange of gunfire, both of the suspects and one of the employees were shot,” stated Rodriguez.

The employee injured during the gunfire along with both the suspects were transported to local hospitals.

One of the suspects was flown to a hospital for further treatment.

According to Rodriguez, none of the injuries sustained were life-threatening.

Southbound 7th Street will be closed at Mojave Drive for several hours while authorities conduct the investigation.

The story is developing and information will be updated as it becomes available.

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Sheriff's Office: Man who killed Ridgeville shooting suspect acted in self-defense


http://www.postandcourier.com/news/s...d38ece202.html

A 23-year-old man had been out of prison for barely two months when authorities said he pulled out two handguns during a fight at a Ridgeville home and sparked an exchange of gunfire that ultimately led to his death.

A man who returned fire and killed 23-year-old Ishmel Taquan Rivers on Sunday was acting in self-defense, according to initial evidence gathered by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office. Rivers, who died shortly after at Trident Medical Center, recently completed a prison term for an involuntary manslaughter conviction tied to a 2012 shooting, state records show.

The gunfire between the men erupted outside a home at 225 Garden Court, off S.C. Highway 27. Authorities were told that Rivers showed up at a home and started an argument. Rivers took out two handguns and allegedly shot a resident, 20-year-old Diamonte Evans, in the shoulder.

That's when an acquaintance of Evans, Destin Crosby, drew his own handgun and shot Rivers. In a news release, Chief Deputy Mike Cochran, a sheriff's spokesman, said the shots that Rivers fired at Evans were also aimed toward Crosby.

When deputies responded at 4:30 p.m., people at the home had already driven Evans to Summerville Medical Center, where he was treated for a wound that wasn't life-threatening. Detectives spoke with Evans and three witnesses.

Meanwhile, at the Garden Court home, deputies found a wounded Rivers. He provided the last name of the person who shot him, according to an incident report.

In the yard, investigators located two pistols on a cinder block, which a resident had placed there "out of fear that Rivers would grab them and start shooting again," the report states. Detectives executed a search warrant of his car, which was parked in the yard.

Rivers has a history of gun violence that includes the fatal shooting of a man during a fight at a nameless and makeshift club in Ridgeville in 2012, according to State Law Enforcement Division records. Rivers, who was 17 at the time, was accused of shooting a 30-year-old man in the neck. Records show he was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Rivers was sentenced in 2013 to five years in prison with credit for time served. DOC records state he was initially let out of prison last year on supervised re-entry but had his parole revoked in September. He was released in early February.

Prior to that, Rivers' convictions included assault and battery, unlawfully carrying a weapon, second-degree burglary, and pointing and presenting a firearm.

Rivers' death remains under investigation. If the fatal shooting is deemed justifiable, it would be the second such homicide in Berkeley County this month. Last week, a Moncks Corner homeowner fatally shot an armed man who broke into his home. Authorities determined the homeowner was protecting his family.

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No charges filed in fatal shooting
Police: Residents acted in self defense during attempted robbery

http://www.dailyjournal.net/2017/06/...d_in_shooting/

A lack of evidence, conflicting statements and difficulty finding witnesses led to the decision that no charges would be filed in a shooting that killed a man in Greenwood last year.

In December, three men were shot at a home on Meridian Street just north of downtown Greenwood, and one of the men died. A person who called 911 reported a robbery and that shots had been fired, police said at the time.

One man, Karin Castro, 21, died at an Indianapolis hospital after being shot in the chest. Two other men were shot in the abdomen and leg and were treated and released from area hospitals.

After the shooting, where police said multiple people fired multiple shots, people fled the home, causing nearby schools to be put on lockdown.

Two people were found at a nearby church, which also had a day care inside. A woman, Tania Chaves, was arrested during a traffic stop after driving away in a car that was warming up outside the home.

But police did not recommend charges in the shooting death for multiple reasons, Greenwood Police Assistant Chief Matt Fillenwarth said.

Police and the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office agreed that the residents who fired shots, Felipe and Jose Zaragoza, were acting in self defense since the other people who came to the home were planning to rob them and fired shots, Fillenwarth and Prosecutor Brad Cooper said.

Investigators also got conflicting statements from the people involved and were unable to locate witnesses who had been at the home and fled, Fillenwarth said.

Police also did not have enough physical evidence to file charges. And the homeowner couldn’t identify the people who came to the home who were shot, he said.

Police and the prosecutor’s office discussed the case, and their assessment was that there was not enough evidence to file any charges, Cooper and Fillenwarth said.

If more, substantial evidence was found in the future, police and the prosecutor’s office could discuss charges then, Fillenwarth said.

[internet troll]

From last December

Gun-carrying Uber driver turns tables on armed carjacker in New Orleans

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...-on-armed-car/
An Uber driver acted in self-defense when he opened fire on a carjacker in New Orleans on Saturday, police said.
The 35-year-old male Uber driver, who police did not identify, had a 29-year-old female passenger in his car when the confrontation occurred at the intersection of North Rampart and Canal Street around 1:30 a.m., police said.

Police said the driver was stopped at a stoplight when a man with a gun got out of a nearby silver sedan and demanded that the Uber driver and his passenger get out of their vehicle. As the Uber driver was getting out, police said he grabbed a gun from his door and opened fire on the suspected carjacker, The Times-Picayune reported.

A 29-year-old bystander suffered a graze wound from the gunfire and was treated at a nearby hospital.
NOPD Eighth District Cmdr. Nicholas Gernon said the suspect “made a motion” that caused the Uber driver to fear for his life, The Times-Picayune reported.
“At this point, we feel as though he was acting in response to a threat to his life,” Cmdr. Gernon said during a press conference Saturday. “But we will put the entire package together for the district attorney’s office to give them the opportunity to review our work independently, and see if there’s anything there he might have some criminal culpability for.”

The gun was registered to the Uber driver, who remained on scene after the shooting to hand over his weapon, Cmdr. Gernon said.
“At this point, he is the victim of a carjacking,” he said.
Police could not say for certain whether the suspect, identified as 28-year-old Andre Satcher, also fired his weapon, The Times-Picayune reported.

Despite the shooting, Mr. Satcher drove off in the Uber driver’s vehicle and led officers on a chase down Canal Street, police said. He reportedly hit several vehicles before he exited the car and attempted to flee on foot. He got a few steps before officers apprehended him, Cmdr. Gernon said.
Mr. Satcher was booked at Orleans Parish jail on several traffic violations as well as charges of carjacking, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and negligent injuring. Bond was set at 400,000.

Uber’s gun policy prohibits riders and drivers from carrying firearms of any kind in a vehicle while using the app, The Times-Picayune noted. “Anyone who violates this policy may lose access to Uber,” the policy states.
It was not immediately clear whether the driver would keep his job with Uber.

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I try to keep this thread limited to examples of armed citizens protecting themselves, but sometimes something just sticks out that goes well with this thread. There was a shooting in Orlando the other day and this was a Florida sheriff's response.


This is war’: Florida sheriff urges citizens to arm themselves in case of attack

http://wsvn.com/news/local/this-is-w...ase-of-attack/
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida sheriff’s office posted a controversial message on social media, urging citizens to arm themselves in self-defense.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted the video on Facebook Wednesday, two days after a deadly workplace shooting in nearby Orlando claimed the lives of five people.

“Folks, now more than ever is the time for our citizens to be prepared to serve as the first line of defense, not only for them, but for their families,” Sheriff Ivey said.

As images of the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting and Pulse nightclub massacre flashed on-screen, Ivey warned residents that attacks have happened locally as well as abroad.

“What’s next is to fully understand that this is war, and you better be prepared to wage war to protect you, your family, and those around you if attacked,” he said

Ivey stressed that attackers rely on people running, hiding, and waiting for help, rather than fighting back.

“What they don’t count on is being attacked themselves, having to become defensive to save their own lives,” Ivey argued.

The sheriff said that calling 911 means officers are on their way, but said, “Until they arrive, it’s up to you and those with you to neutralize or eliminate the threat.”

Ivey encouraged people to take self-defense classes, and urged those with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns with them at all times.

“No matter who you are or what your position is on guns, there’s no denying the fact that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun or a knife is an armed and well-prepared citizen or law enforcement officer,” Ivey said.

The sheriff’s message received a mixed response. Some residents applauded his stance while others criticized it, calling it “fear-mongering” and encouraging vigilantes.

Ivey’s message is at odds with some others in law enforcement, who argue that more citizens carrying guns exposes officers to more dangerous situations, and could prevent them from doing their jobs safely.

Leonard Papania, the police chief in Gulfport, Mississippi, spoke out against weakening gun regulations to the New York Times, saying, “Do you want every incident on your street to escalate to acts of gun violence?”

[internet troll]

Here's a Pa one from last November.

UPDATE: Customer Shoots Two Robbers In Pizza Shop
http://levittownnow.com/2016/11/15/p...at-pizza-shop/

A customer inside Porfirio’s II Pizza in the Skyline Shopping Center in Levittown shot two alleged robbers Tuesday night.

Joseph Bartorilla, chief of police for Middletown, said that one of the robbery suspects was dead and laying on the floor of the pizza shop at the corner of Veterans Highway (Route 413) and Trenton Road while another was in serious condition and being transferred from St. Mary Medical Center to a Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Two employees were inside Porfirio’s II Pizza and the customer was standing inside when the two robbers, both of whom were armed with handguns, entered the shop around 10 p.m., police said.

“The two male robbers apparently told the employees and the customer to get on the ground. They began pistol-whipping the customer. At that point, the customer produced a handgun and shot both of the robbers,” Bartorilla told reporters just before midnight Tuesday.

The deceased robber was shot in the chest and the seriously injured robber was shot in the shoulder and the neck, the chief said.

The customer who shot the robbers with a Glock handgun was not seriously hurt, Bartorilla said, adding the man was speaking with detectives.

The case is expected to be reviewed by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, but Bartorilla said the initial overview of the case shows the shooting was in self-defense.

Detectives were working the scene and attempting to collect surveillance video to see if it showed the shooting. The Bucks County Coroner’s Office was also on scene and expected to remove the dead robber’s body early Wednesday morning.

Bartorilla said the two robbers were local residents.

Investigators were looking into the customer but his gun permit appeared to check out authorities said.

[internet troll]

From last night.

Killing of man who was attacking woman near Byron was self-defense, cops say

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/news/local/crim...#storylink=cpy


A Peach County man was killed in a self-defense shooting Friday night while he was attacking a woman at a house a couple of miles northwest of downtown Byron, authorities said.

The victim, Lloyd Goldie, 35, was found lying on the floor in what officials described as an enclosed carport at a house at 136 Twin Lakes Court, not far from the Crawford County line.

Someone at the house called for help shortly before 9 p.m., Kerry Rooks, the Peach coroner said Saturday.

Rooks said there was “an altercation” between Goldie and a woman there and that “her friend got involved ... and Mr. Goldie was shot several times.”

Peach Sheriff Terry Deese said the woman’s boyfriend, David Billings, armed with a .45-caliber pistol, intervened as Goldie apparently tried to get in the house.

Deese said his investigators along with the GBI have deemed the shooting an act of self defense on Billings’ part and that no charges would be filed.

The sheriff said he thinks Goldie may have done some yard work at the house on Twin Lakes in the past. Deese wasn’t sure what may have prompted Goldie to show up at the house and try to bust in Friday night.

Joe Kovac Jr.:

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/news/local/crim...#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/news/local/crim...#storylink=cpy

[Sgt.K]

...The victim, Lloyd Goldie, 35, was found lying on the floor...

No. The *victim* was protected by her boyfriend.

LLoyd Goldie would be the perpetrator. The *late* perpetrator...