Author: Dave Hardin

From Aurora, CO

Police are commending a young girl after she fought off a man who attempted to kidnap her Thursday evening in southwest Aurora.

The 11-year-old girl was walking from her school bus stop in the area of eastbound Exposition Ave. and S. Nome Street at around 5:15 p.m., when a white man walking toward her grabbed her and put his hands over her mouth, according to Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz, who said in a late Friday morning press conference the girl then fought back by screaming and biting the suspect’s right ring finger, causing the suspect to let go. The suspect in the attempted child abduction ran westbound on Exposition and remains on the run.

“This extraordinary young lady did what she needed to do to get away,” said Metz, adding her actions are exactly what should be done when confronted with these types of situations.

“That’s the tip I would give to anybody,” Metz said. “If you face a situation like this, adult or a child, the best thing you can do is fight and fight hard. Scream and scream loud.”

Metz said that they believe a black, older model 4-door sedan driven by a white or Hispanic man was possibly in the area during the attempted kidnapping. He said the person is a possible witness and they ask that he come forward and contact police immediately.

A person of interest in the case was being interviewed but has not been arrested or charged, Metz also said.

During the press conference, Metz pleaded for anyone with information — no matter how insignificant it may be — to contact police, as it could help get someone dangerous off the streets. Additionally, he asked that Aurora residents report any unusual encounter they may have had in the past several weeks.

“Again, this is a very dangerous person that we’re dealing with here… we want to get as much information possible to help build this investigation and this case,” Metz said.

The suspect is described as a 39-year-old skinny white male, measuring approximately 6-feet-4-inches tall with facial hair on his chin. Police said he was last seen wearing sunglasses, a large black coat with a hood, blue jeans and black shoes.

From Owensboro, KY 

Time and again, as the Free Thought Project has consistently reported, police officers will enter the home of an innocent person and kill them. As is the case most of the time, the officers aren’t charged despite gross negligence leading up to the innocent homeowner’s death. Or, if the homeowner does successfully defend themselves, they are often charged. In rare instances, however, homeowners defend themselves against the officers who come onto their property with no warrant or mistakenly and they are deemed justified in doing so.

David Turley, 63, was one of these homeowners who defended his home against who he thought was an intruder—but was actually a cop—and he has not been charged. What’s more, according to Turley, the cop opened fire on him and all Turley did was return fire. Luckily for Turley, officer Zachary Morris was a bad shot.

According to police, the incident happened Wednesday morning just before 6 a.m. in Turley’s neighborhood. Police say Morris was responding to a call about a “suspicious person” and when he arrived in the neighborhood, someone matching the description

Police say Morris pursued the person until he lost sight of him behind some houses. That’s when Turley heard someone trying to come into his yard.

“I heard some commotion over there by the fence,” said Turley. “I saw someone standing there with a flashlight on the ground, so I walked over to see what was going on. As I got closer, POW POW! And when he did, I had my weapon by my side and I just pulled up and fired and I started toward the ground to take cover.”

Turley told WFIE News that after he heard two bullets wiz past his head, he had no other option but to return fire.

“Once they shot two times at my face, I had no choice. I was in fear of my life, and I returned fire.”

Unlike Morris, Turley did not miss and the bullet struck the officer in the lower section of his bulletproof vest and fragmenting off into his abdomen. Luckily, the officer was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and is in good condition.

Turley said that he had no idea his bullet hit the officer until other police arrived.

After the incident, Turley was brought to the station for questioning. Instead of arresting him for shooting a police officer, however, Turley was let go without charges.

Police did confirm that Morris indeed fired his weapon. However, they have not confirmed whether or not he shot first. Indicating that he may have shot first though, is the fact that Turley was not immediately charged.

Turley explained to WFIE that he did what he did because he had no other choice but to protect his family.

“I got five grandkids in this house,” he said. “I’d lay my life down for every one of them.”  Police told WFIE that they have not determined whether or not they will charge anyone. However, since Turley is currently a free man after shooting at an officer, his chances look pretty good.

From Knoxville, TN

The man shot and killed allegedly trying to break into a home in northwest Knoxville doesn’t have a criminal record in Tennessee.

24-year-old Christopher Austin Desmarais was killed yesterday when police say he tried to force his way into a house on Lamp Drive.

Police say Desmarais beat on the door and tried to get into the home around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. When that didn’t work police say he tried to get into a window while armed with a handgun.

Records show a resident shot Desmarais with a shotgun.

“If the person who fires the weapon is in their residence, there is a statutory presumption that they acted reasonably, and so they don’t have to prove that they reasonably believed they were in danger,” said LMU law professor Brennan Wingerter.

Wingerter says a prosecutor would look carefully at Tennessee self-defense laws to consider the next steps.

“How likely it is that the person charged with the crime would be successful in showing that this was justifiable,” Wingerter said.

She says the timing of the killing could matter. The statute says the suspect has to have entered the home–in the past tense– for self-defense to be justifiable.

“A jury may look at that and say, ‘Well, the act of entering is enough,’” Wingerter said.

Wingerter says a lawyer would also want to know if the residents knew the alleged intruder and knew if they had a weapon.

From Clallam County, WA

Sgt. John Hollis said a road rage incident led to Steve Thompson of Joyce, 62, telling deputies he shot Garry Edwards of Joyce, 46, in self-defense with a 9mm Springfield XD handgun.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office likely will recommend assault charges against Edwards.

“The facts and circumstances available to us at this time suggest [Thompson] acted in self-defense,” said Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King.

King said Tuesday that investigators have more questions and that the incident remains under investigation.

Edwards suffered a single gunshot to his upper left arm and chest, Hollis said. King said Edwards, who was initially transported to Olympic Medical Center, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Edwards was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday morning, according to hospital personnel. King said deputies attempted to interview him and his wife Monday.

The shooting was reported at about 4:50 p.m. Monday on the 100 block of Whiskey Creek Beach Road, about 18 miles west of Port Angeles off state Highway 112. Four deputies and one Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal police officer arrived at the scene at about 5:10 p.m.

When they arrived they were met with a chaotic scene that involved a vehicle that had been run off the roadway, a man who had been shot in his left bicep and several people and vehicles in the road.

King said Thompson was released because it appears he acted in self-defense, though the investigation will be forwarded to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for a charging decision.

King said the incident appears to have started with Edwards’ belief that Thompson had been trespassing on his family’s property while hunting.

“Somehow Edwards received word Thompson was trespassing,” King said. “That’s something we’re still going to be working on.”

King said that investigators are checking GPS data for Thompson’s vehicle to determine where he has been in the past few days.

He said that Thompson said he was hunting on Merrill & Ring land in the area. It is currently muzzleloader elk season and a black powder rifle and hunting equipment were found in Thompson’s vehicle, according to King.

King said there’s no evidence that shows Thompson was trespassing Monday, but said he is suspected to have trespassed in the days prior.

Edwards’ adult son told investigators that Thompson had trespassed in the past and that Edwards went to confront him.

“It’s still our position that even if an individual is trespassing, it does not justify the events that transpired, regardless of if they were trespassing or not,” King said.

Thompson told investigators he was driving back to state Highway 112 when Edwards’ vehicle stopped in the middle of the road, blocking him.

Thompson said he drove around the vehicle and that Edwards followed him, eventually passing him in a no passing zone and sideswiping him, causing Thompson to lose control of his vehicle.

King said damage to Thompson’s and Edwards’ vehicles was consistent with Thompson’s claim that Edwards forced Thompson off of the road.

“According to Steve’s son … by the time Steve opened the door … Garry was at the door and started punching him and assaulting him,” Hollis said.

“After being rammed off the road and this guy attacking him, he was in fear of his life,” King said.

Thompson suffered bruises and cuts to his face, officials said.

From COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

Police in Colorado Springs say a homeowner shot and killed an apparent burglar over the weekend.

Investigators determine 30-year-old Houston Malachai Cookson was trying to break into a home Saturday night. A woman called 911 while her husband confronted Cookson with a gun.

Responding officers found Cookson on a rear patio suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Cookson later died of his injuries.

Officers determined Cookson had items that had been stolen in an unrelated incident.

Police Lt. Howard Black tells KKTV it appeared the homeowner was protecting his residence and family. Colorado law allows a person to kill an intruder in self-defense.

From OCEANSIDE, CA

An Oceanside homeowner got a shock at work when his phone alerted him to intruders inside his tented condo.

James says around 5 in the morning in late September, his heart dropped when the security alert showed him a real-time image: an intruder, wearing a headlamp in his 11-year-old daughter’s bedroom.

“Seeing a stranger in my house, especially my daughter’s room, is very nerve wracking,” said James.

His daughter wasn’t home. No one was. His condo, along with the entire Pamilla Del Oro community was wrapped in a fumigation tent. That day was the last of a three-day fumigation.

As it turns out, the burglars had sliced the tent and removed a screen before making an appearance on James’ phone. He called 9-1-1. Police showed up soon after.

“They set up a perimeter and called the guys out. One came crawling out,” said James.

James showed 10News a photo of that man handcuffed. Two other intruders captured on by the cameras got away. None of them wore masks. They didn’t take much from the home, only a few fishing knives.

“We took our valuables out before the fumigation,” said James. Police arrested James Brown, 47, on residential burglary charges.

From PINEVILLE, NC

Authorities believe a deadly shooting Tuesday in Pineville was in self-defense.

A fight led to the shooting near Willow Run Road at the Willow Ridge Apartments off Park Road.

“I heard shot and I was nervous too because we can’t believe that happened,” resident Samantha Ciebadrel said.

Donald Lee Blakney, 29, was shot and killed during a break-in at an apartment, officers said.

The occupant woke up went outside and confronted the suspect when they got into a scuffle and the occupant shot and killed Blakney.

“I was walking into the living room from the bedroom, and I heard a muffled noise that I thought could have been a shot,” resident Dewain Cherry said.

Cherry heard more shots fired.

“There were two more shots that were extremely loud and scared me and I dialed 911,” Cherry said.

Police said it appears to be a case of self-defense, even though Blakney was not armed. A firearms expert said that is state law.

“If you’re attacked by someone, say he’s breaking in your house and he comes at you and attacks you, you’ve got a right to use deadly force right then,” said Larry Hyatt, with Hyatt Guns.

From WORCESTER, MA

A city man who was shot by a store clerk during an attempted robbery in May at a Vernon Street grocery store was ordered held without bail Wednesday pending a dangerousness hearing next week.

Police and prosecutors said a masked man, later identified as Juan L. Ahorrio, entered No Name Grocery II at 49 Vernon St. on the night of May 26 carrying a large black knife. Mr. Ahorrio allegedly went behind one of two customers in the store, put the knife to her neck and demanded that the clerk, identified in court records as Byron Lara, give him all the money from the register.

Mr. Lara, who was licensed to carry a firearm, then pulled out his handgun, according to investigators. When the customer fainted and fell to the floor, Mr. Ahorrio allegedly lunged at Mr. Lara with the knife.

The clerk fired three rounds at Mr. Ahorrio, police said. Mr. Ahorrio dropped the knife and ran out of the store, according to authorities. Mr. Lara chased after him, ordered him to the ground and returned to the store to check on the customers, police said.

When officers arrived minutes later, paramedics from Worcester EMS were treating Mr. Ahorrio for three gunshot wounds, investigators said. The paramedics said they had been driving by when they saw Mr. Ahorrio on the sidewalk. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, according to authorities.

The female customer had some minor scratches to her neck from the blade of the knife, but did not require medical attention, according to court records.

Initially charged in Central District Court, Mr. Ahorrio was indicted Aug. 23 by a Worcester County grand jury on charges of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon. The indictments moved Mr. Ahorrio’s case to Worcester Superior Court, where he was arraigned anew Wednesday and entered not-guilty pleas.

Assistant District Attorney Lisa Casella filed a motion for a dangerousness hearing for Mr. Ahorrio and Judge Janet Kenton-Walker scheduled the hearing for Tuesday at the request of the prosecutor and Mr. Ahorrio’s lawyer, John J. Roemer. Ms. Casella is expected to argue Tuesday that Mr. Ahorrio poses a danger to the public and should be held without bail for up to 120 days while awaiting trial.

Mr. Ahorrio is also facing a violation of his probation from a 2011 Worcester Superior Court case in which he pleaded guilty to armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery and was sentenced to 3 to 5 years in state prison with 5 years of probation to follow. The alleged violation, which is also scheduled to be heard Tuesday, is based in part on the pending charges, according to court records.