On Oct. 11, 2020, three males forcibly entered a Monroe, La., home wearing hoodies and brandishing firearms while demanding money from a man inside the home. When the victim refused, one of the armed intruders struck him several times on the head with his gun. During the commotion, the victim yelled for a female resident who was asleep in the bedroom. She immediately knew something was wrong and grabbed her firearm. She witnessed the male resident struggling with two of the intruders, then one of the men pointed his gun at her. She fired multiple shots, hitting one aggressor in the abdomen. All three suspects ran from the home, got into a nearby car and sped away. Local emergency room staff alerted authorities of a drive-by shooting victim. During the interview, responding officers realized the man fit the description given by the homeowners. Upon further questioning, he finally admitted to the alleged crimes. He was charged with one count of aggravated burglary, and the second assailant was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The third suspect has yet to be found. (thenewsstar.com, Monroe, La., 10/19/20)
Las Vegas, Nev., Metropolitan Police 911 dispatch received a call in the early morning hours of Nov. 6, 2020, claiming that a man had been shot inside a condominium complex. Upon arrival, police and medical personnel found one man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and another suffering from multiple stab wounds. During their investigation, police concluded that the men were roommates and one of them starting acting delusional and appeared to be on drugs when he grabbed a knife and started stabbing the other man. Fearing for his life, the stabbing victim ran to his shotgun and shot the knife-wielding man, striking him several times and killing him. A third, female roommate reported the incident to the police. (news3lv.com, Las Vegas, Nev., 11/6/20)
A man was out checking his trail cameras in Colville, Wash., on the evening of Oct. 7, 2020, when he found himself surrounded by a pack of wolves hovering about 30 yards away. As the wolves moved closer, he yelled to scare them off. Instead of retreating, however, they growled at him and showed their teeth. Luckily the man was carrying his Browning rifle with him, and was able to protect himself by shooting one of the animals in the chest, instantly killing it. When the other pack members started to retreat, he was able to escape and call the sheriff’s office to report the incident. The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, who dispatched a county wildlife specialist to the scene to investigate. Pictures from the cameras matched the man’s story, and it was determined that the man acted out of self-defense. Stevens County Sheriff Brad Manke told reporters that he encouraged anyone going into the woods who is “comfortable and competent” with a firearm to carry one in case of aggressive wolves, cougars and bears. (statesmanexaminer.com, Colville, Wash., 10/7/20)
A case of road rage ended in a deadly confrontation on the side of an interstate in Fort Wright, Ky. According to witnesses, a man was driving erratically when he crashed into another vehicle trying to exit the interstate. The victim, a 43-year-old man, pulled over onto the shoulder and called the Kenton County Emergency Communications Center to report the crash. While he was speaking with dispatch, still sitting in his car, the driver of the offending vehicle got out of his car with a rifle and approached him. The 911 call recorded a verbal confrontation between the two drivers before gunshots rang out. When police arrived on the scene, they found a Tikka .30-'06 Sprg. rifle on the ground next to the suspect and empty bottles of alcohol in his vehicle. The victim gave the responding officers his Taurus 9 mm firearm, and it was determined that he fired a total of four times, then rendered first aid. Upon completion of the investigation, it was determined that the victim’s actions were justifiable as self-defense. (rcnky.com, Fort Wright, Ky., 10/10/20)
A jewelry store owner in Hamtramck, Mich., had to defend himself during an attempted armed robbery. The suspect entered the jewelry store, charged the owner and stabbed him in the head. The stabbing victim was able to get to his firearm and shoot the intruder four times. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated for their injuries; details of their injuries were not given, but investigators said the store owner was expected to recover. (fox2detroit.com, Hamtramck, Mich., 10/9/20)
