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A wary deer hunter took the precaution of placing his .357 Mag. handgun - within easy reach before bedding down in his truck
camper one night at a farm outside Frankford, Missouri. Soon afterward, he awoke to find John Dieumegarde, a 23-year-old
prison escapee, trying to force his way inside. The armed hunter summarily halted the escaped felon and escorted him at
gunpoint to the nearby farmhouse where his friend called 9-1 - 1. The capture ended a manhunt that had involved scores of
police, citizens, blood hounds and helicopters. Dieumegarde, serving a 20-year sentence for robbery, had escaped while being
transported from court on other charges. (The Quincy Herald-Whig, Quincy, IL, 10126199)
When Sampson Mitchell, 57, of Youngstown, Ohio, went outside to investigate a noise in his garage one morning around 6
a.m., he was confronted by a man wielding a crowbar, according to police reports. Fearing for his life, Mitchell fired once from
his 9 mm handgun, but his assailant kept coming. Two additional shots sent the man, now severely wounded, fleeing. The
intruder was found dead-still clutching the crowbar-a short time later in a back yard two houses away. (The Vindicator,
Youngstown, Ohio, 11/2/99)
Kodak, Tennessee, convenience store owner Don Durben had closed up shop one night and was preparing to get into his van
at the back of the store when he heard someone running toward him across the gravel. When the man reached Durben, he
brandished a handgun and demanded that the proprietor hand over his cash box. Durben, who also was armed, feigned
compliance, but after turning back to face the would-be robber, he used the box to push him away. A struggle ensued in which
Durben gained the upper hand, shooting his assailant who, it was later learned, had a 38-page criminal record. (The Mountain
Press, Sevierville, TN, 10/8/99)
Frank Herrmann was at his secluded Killingworth, Connecticut, home -one evening when he responded to noises from
outside. Licensed for many years to carry a handgun, Herrmann armed himself with a.45-cal. pistol and carefully slid open a
glass door. That's when he came face-to-face with an armed intruder who reportedly had been crouching nearby, said sources
who added that Herrmann fired only when the man raised his gun as if to fire. Police later launched a manhunt for the fleeing
intruder who apparently had been shot through one leg. "Given the alternatives, I'm not disappointed with the way things turned
out," said Herrmann. "I'm very deeply grateful that the outcome was as positive as it was for those who dwell in this house."
(New Haven Register New Haven, CT 1214199)
Seeking a suspect in a botched pawn shop holdup, Huntsville, Alabama, police didn't have to look far before finding the man's
vehicle-it was parked in front of the store with his daily "to do" list inside that, incredibly, included the penciled-in reminder to
"Rob pawn shop." The man had allegedly entered the store, asked owner John Dempsey to show him some stereo equipment
and then, as Dempsey turned away, stabbed him with a knife. Dempsey pulled his .32-cal. handgun and, after chasing his
assailant-who stopped long enough to inflict additional stab wounds-fired a shot that found its mark. Police later apprehended
the man and charged him with robbery and attempted murder. (The Huntsville Times, Huntsville, AL, 919199)
An 18-year-old ne'er-do-well who allegedly kicked in the door to Laurie Boykin's Auburn, Alabama, home one afternoon in a
robbery attempt couldn't have known his shenanigans would prove an enormous pain in his rear. Boykin's response to the
threat on her safety came in the form of a single well-placed shot to the intruder's buttocks. Police later nabbed the suspect at a
nearby medical center after he apparently hightailed it away from the scene by hitching a ride with a passing motorist.
(Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus, GA, 918199)
Maurice Chevalier Dozier made a fatally poor decision when he targeted Dario Adams' Chattanooga, Tennessee, home for
burglary. When Dozier, who had a lengthy criminal record, pried open a side window and began to climb in, Adams fired once
with his 12-gauge shotgun, fatally striking Dozier in the side. "The law presumes someone willing to break into your home while
you're there is willing to hurt you or kill you. And the use of deadly force is justified if and when you are in danger of serious
bodily injury or death," said Hamilton County District Attorney General Bill Cox of the incident. (The Tennessean, Nashville,
TN, 7129199)
A Snohomish County, Washington, condominium owner, his son and a neighbor were at home one evening when a man burst
in through a second-story glass door. That the 230-lb. intruder had accomplished his extraordinary feat after having painted his
face and feet white only intensified the residents' fright. The deranged man was finally halted with several shots from the
homeowner's firearm, but continued to struggle with emergency personnel while being transported for medical treatment.
(Seattle Post Intelligencer Seattle, WA, 11119199)
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