FL: Hedge Row Ends in Shooting: "An Alturas man wielding a weed trimmer who threatened his 68-year-old neighbor was shot twice Thursday and now faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Darren Lee Wilkerson, 40, of 365 80 Foot Road in Alturas, was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment of his wounds, but later released and booked into the Polk County Jail on Thursday night. Wilkerson's neighbor, Willard Bruce, 68, of Alturas, wasn't injured. Bruce wasn't arrested. A sheriff's report called the shooting self-defense. Wilkerson was trimming Bruce's hedges about 12:40 p.m. at 295 80 Foot Road, reports said. Bruce asked Wilkerson to stop, but Wilkerson said he would hit Bruce with the weed trimmer and lifted it toward his face. Bruce pointed a .25-caliber pistol and shot Wilkerson, who was standing sideways at the time, in the upper back and buttocks."




IN: Man claims self-defense in shooting of brother-in-law: "Metro Police are investigating a shooting that left a 41-year-old man dead. It happened at 9:43 pm on the city's northwest side on Pin Oak Drive. Officers found David Black [above], 41, with a gunshot would to the chest. He was taken to Wishard Hospital where he was pronounced dead an hour later. Police say Black got into an argument with his brother-in-law, Issa Abdul Rahman, 51. Rahman told police Black approached him with a butcher knife. Rahman told police he shot Black in self defense. According to police, Rahman was questioned and released by homicide investigators. The family told police that Black had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, had not been taking his medications but had been taking cocaine."


TX: Deputy's teen son shoots at burglar: "The teenage son of a Harris County deputy constable shot a burglar this afternoon who tried to break into their home, authorities said. The boy, 15, and his sister, 12, were alone about 2:45 p.m. when someone tried to kick open the front door then soon after the back door of their home in the 2600 block of Royal Place Court, officials said. Their father was at work at the time, said officials with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office. When one of the suspected burglars kicked open a window, the boy grabbed a rifle and fired. Both burglars then fled, officials said. Soon after the shooting, a man showed up at Tomball Methodist Hospital with a gunshot wound. He is being questioned by investigators. There was no information about the second suspect, who remains at large, officials said. The children were not injured during the ordeal, officials said."


Texas Businessman Fires on Burglars: "Mike Starr, a gun-toting business owner, took the law into his own hands early Thursday and shot two thieves attempting to steal air conditioning units. Starr — who owns Team Texas High Performance Driving School — lives on the business property in the 9500 block of Industrial Road just south of Justin in unincorporated Denton County. He said he heard some noise about 5:30 a.m. and went outside to investigate armed with what he described as a “scatter gun.” Denton County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tom Reedy said when the owner spotted his stolen property inside the bed of the crooks’ truck, he opened fire on 53-year-old Joseph Vergal Prescott of Grand Prairie and 55-year-old Michael Allen O’Shea of Irving with a powerful 12-gauge shotgun with buckshot load. The suspects were airlifted to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment. Prescott was in critical condition; O’Shea was reported in stable condition. Starr was apparently was within his rights when he opened fire"