Category: Feel Good Stories

Blaine sends us our first feel good story this morning from Pennsylvania where two youths donned burqas to rob a gun store – probably not the smartest target to choose.

[Joe] Galiano, faced with the incongruous image of a male dressed in female Muslim garb waving a gun around, decided to make use of one of the many firearms at his disposal.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Adams said of the attempted robbery. “He carries a gun and it’s right out there in the open. He pulled it out and shot.”

Cops say Galiano fired one shot at the teens, ages 15 and 17. Neither was struck, but the .45-caliber blast apparently made them see the error of their ways. They ran from the store.

One of the teens hopped onto the SEPTA Route 114 bus toward Chester and tried unsuccessfully to hide in the back. Police apprehended him and found the silver handgun on the floor of the bus.

The other teen was arrested behind a trolley stop, covered in mud and sweating profusely. Police say they recovered the burqas, a backpack with duct tape and other evidence between the Suburban Armory and the trolley stop.

I’m proud that Joe Galiano, out of all the weapons in his stock, chose a .45, my own choice. It has a way of convincing people to change their ways even if it doesn’t hit you.

The next story is from North Carolina where 24-year-old Christopher Deshon Page was found dead in his car by police after he tried to invade the home of 54-year-old Keith Ryan Bowen;

The sheriff said Christopher Page, along with Dedric Dwayne Page, 21, an unidentified male and an unidentified female knocked on the door of the home. When Bowen opened the door, he saw that at least one of the people was carrying a handgun, Sealey said, and the intruders forced their way into the home.

Bowen shot Page and warned the others he would kill them, Sealey said. The injured Page and the three others fled and Bowen called 911.

When their vehicle became stuck in a nearby ditch, Dedric Page and the others left on foot, leaving an injured Christopher Page in the car. On the way to the crime scene, Maj. Anthony Thompson, chief of detectives for the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, saw three people matching their descriptions on Midway Road near U.S. 501, Sealey said.

Our third story today also comes from Chief Tango and happened in Florida in another home invasion attempt;

One person was shot Thursday night during a home invasion at 6121 SW 48 Court.

According to Davie Police, the person shot, an adult male, has died. It is unknown whether that person was the suspect of the home invasion.

Police are left searching for two people they believe were involved with the incident.

The person that lives in the home was injured during the home invasion but not shot, according to police.

Shoot enough of them, and the problem gets solved.

Chief Tango sends us our feel good stories for today. The first is from Iowa where a couple of people tried to turn their lives around in a stranger’s home;

Police were called to 3118 Jefferson Street just after 4:00 a.m. on an attempted burglary.

When officers arrived the victim, Rick Holland, told them two men had kicked open the door of his home. Holland used a 9mm Glock and shot a number of shots at the suspects as they fled the scene, hitting one of one of the suspects in the arm.

Mercy Hospital contacted police around 4:30 a.m. and let police know a man had been brought in suffering from a gunshot wound to the arm. The man was identified as 19-year-old Jesus Diaz. He initially told officers he had been shot in an argument near 30th and Forest Avenue.

During the investigation police were able to determine a vehicle at Diaz’s residence matched the description of the vehicle seen leaving the earlier burglary.

Diaz then admitted to officers that he and a friend, who is a juvenile, tried to break into the home at 3118 Jefferson.

The second story comes from Ohio, where 90-year-old George Hicks confronted someone who wanted to turn his life around with ill-gotten booty from Hick’s laundromat.

A man came into R&J Laundromat on Monday afternoon and demanded money from the owner, George Hicks, 90. Hicks grabbed his gun and chased the robber out the door and then called 911.

Here is an excerpt of that call:
911 Dispatcher: “Did he take any money?”
Victim: “No. No. When he shoved me, I jumped up and went for my gun and when I went for my gun I said I’ll blow your (expletive) brains out and he was gone.”

“I want to shake the man’s hand,” Tom Mauro said. Mauro owns the Third Base Drive Thru.

Video is at the link.

Chief Tango sends us our feel good story for this Thursday morning from Georgia about an owner of Courtesy Shuttle who heard the sound of breaking glass near the front door of the business;

The man confronted the women, shooting [Achievia Upshaw, 21] in the back. The other suspect, Deaisa Ransom who was also shot, is currently listed in critical condition at Midtown Medical Center.

The part-business owner will not be charged.

Upshaw was pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m. at Midtown Medical Center. She died of an apparent gunshot wound to the torso. Her body is being sent to Atlanta for autopsy on Thursday.

Upshaw’s mother claims that two men stole her rent money yesterday, and her daughter might have been trying to retrieve the money during today’s robbery, according to officials.

One of the women was found at the nearby Brittwood Apartments complex. The other woman was found still at the business.

“We do work so close, I was scared about that,” says Beth Myers who works just a few doors down from the crime scene.

WFXG FOX54 Augusta – Your News One Hour Earlier

Chief Tango sends us our feel good story to start of our New Year with a bang, so to speak. This one comes from Georgia, and it’s about a man, 55-year-old Eugene, who heard someone turning their life around by smashing through his back door;

East Point Police Lt. Cliff Chandler said the suspect, whose name was not released, broke down two doors to get inside the house. He was armed with a shovel.

Eugene, a former military man, says he was nearly struck by the [s]hovel and fired one shot, hitting the suspect.

Lt. Chandler said suspect tried to run, but collapsed and died on the front lawn. “The law is clear, an individual can use a firearm to protect himself and 3rd party from death or bodily injury or to stop the commission of a forcible felony. Two of those elements were in place during this incident here,” Chandler said.

CBS Atlanta News

Yeah, you’d better do a background check on your intended victims and make sure they weren’t in the military, known for marksmanship skills – one shot, one kill. Nice job, Eugene and welcome to the New Year.

Chief Tango sends us a rather odd story to give you some warm & fuzzies this morning. It’s from Oklahoma City and it about Corneilyus Howeth and his adventure on Christmas Eve at about midnight when he jumped in a car’s front seat with a woman and shoved a gun in her face;

The victim managed to call her brother, who was inside the hair salon just a few feet away. He rushed outside to help, but said Howeth pointed the gun at him and pushed him back into the salon. The victims said Howeth demanded all their money and kept asking for someone who wasn’t there.

A few moments later, someone else walked into the salon. Witnesses said Howeth turned to point the gun at the newcomer, and that’s when one of the victims tackled the suspect.

According to the police report, the two struggled over the weapon. The victim hit Howeth with a table leg, and another person in the salon jumped into the fight to help subdue Howeth. The victims told police they managed to take the gun from Howeth. They then stripped off his clothes, pushed him outside, and locked the door before telling someone to call 911.

In another odd set of circumstances, in San Francisco, some thugs tried to rob Iron Man apparently;

The incident happened Dec. 14 near the Alemany public housing complex in Bernal Heights. Police said a group of suspects accosted a man at about 11 p.m., and that as they dug through the victim’s possessions and took his phone, one of them pulled out a handgun.

The victim did not resist and complied with all demands, police said, but the gunman still opened fire. The bullet, though, glanced off the victim’s face and struck [16-year-old Clifton Chatman], who was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

The target of the robbery was hospitalized, but is expected to survive.

Chief Tango sends a link to this morning’s feel good story, this time it’s from Cedar Hill, Texas on Christmas Eve when Gareth Long heard someone break into his house through a window, so he grabbed his gun;

Knox said Long told the intruder, whom authorities identified as Slaven, that he had a weapon and repeatedly asked him to leave before shooting the man.

Cedar Hill city spokesman Corky Brown said the investigation has supported Long’s account.

The self-made victim, Joshua Slaven, was the mayor’s stepson who had a record of being a pest and some drug abuse;

Police records show [Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke] called officers to report his stepson had assaulted him on Nov. 17 after Franke “confronted him about a drug addiction.” Slaven was arrested.

On Nov. 25, Slaven returned to the home and a 31-day protective order was issued to keep him away, according to city records.

The house that Slaven broke into and entered was near his step-father’s home.

Chief Tango sends us our feel good stories for this Thursday morning. The first is from North Carolina where a fellow tried to make himself at home in the house of a 78-year-old man who wasn’t too happy about that apparently;

The victims, a man and woman, told deputies the suspect tried to force his way into the home at gunpoint, placing a woman who lived at the home in a choke hold. They added that the woman was able to alert her husband, who confronted the suspect with a gun.

Lt. Sheila Cole with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said the male victim, described as a 78-year-old man, was airlifted to the hospital, having suffered a gunshot to his stomach.

Cole said the suspect returned fire before running from the scene and driving off in a black SUV.

Coroner Greg Shore said the possible suspect in the home invasion, Rahim Shakur, 39, of Williamston, died of gun shot wound to the chest. A SLED background check revealed Shakur had a long criminal history that spanned more than half his life, and included charges for violent crimes and drugs. A personals profile on the site PrisonerLife indicated he was released earlier this year.

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Chief Tango sends us a link to our feel good story this morning from Las Cruces, New Mexico where a really, really fat guy was shot when he tried to burglarize a local home;

The man appeared to have been an intruder attempting to rob or burglarize a home when he was shot in the torso, Las Cruces police Det. Frank Torres said.

LCPD said a person of interest was in custody but had few other details.

The man was transported by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center. He could not be air-lifted as he exceed the helicopter’s weight limit.

Well, looking at the picture at the link, he looks pretty big, but I’m guessing that they couldn’t carry the first responders either.