IL Intruder shot and killed

[AK47TIM]

An alleged intruder busts into a Toluca home early this morning and is shot and killed by the homeowner.

Authorities don't know why the alleged intruder entered the residence but say the homeowner was justified in the shooting.

Authorities say it was inside a home across from the town's school that Douglas Allen Sullivan entered illegally and eventually was killed.

Marshall County State's Attorney Paul Bauer says the 37-year-old Sullivan busted out the back door window with a plastic slide from a child's playground set and entered the home.

Bauer said the noise was so loud it woke up 2 or 3 of the neighbors. He says the homeowner, Brad Burns, warned Sullivan that he had a gun. But, Bauer says Sullivan began cursing loudly and storming around the house.

And, when he entered the bedroom where Burns' wife and 2-year-old child were hiding in the closet, Burns shot Sullivan once and killed him.

The shooting is justifiable by the law. According to an Illinois State statute, a person is justified in the use of force in defending their home when the entry is made in a violent manner.

Bauer says Sullivan could have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Toxicology tests are pending.

But, authorities say they have no motive on why Sullivan broke into the house. And, that neither Sullivan nor the family knew each other.

In quiet, small Toluca, residents are a little on edge and shocked by what has happened. But, they are supporting the actions of the family.

Authorities say this was an isolated incident and that Toluca residents shouldn't worry.

Bauer said, ''There's no cause for fear or alarm except for the normal safety in your home. It could have happened to anybody. But, this was an isolated incident.''

Toluca is located 40 miles northeast of Peoria.

http://week.com/morenews/morenews-read.asp?n=6065

It sounds to me like he waited to long to shoot the intruder. What do you guys think? Also why do they call this guy an "alleged" intruder when it seems pretty clear to me that he is a intruder.
:banghead:

 

[Yooper]

Hopefully the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago will take notice. Yeah, right!

 

[JL2152]

Sounds like the homeowner was justified. The defense of his family sounds necessary in this case. If he was in a better state it wouldn't be as big of an issue.

 

[rayra]

'waited to long'? what kind of zombie-king of your castle chest thump is that?
Looks to me like the shooter did everything right to ensure a finding of 'Good Shoot'.

 

[gaston_45]

Sorry rayra, but if the bad guy got into THE SAME ROOM as your family before you shoot him you waited WAAAAAYYYY to long. Unless of course you live in a pallace and you have rooms that are bigger then 21 feet or so.

What happens if he gets between you and your family? Do you shoot him and possibly overpenetrate and get one of your loved ones? Or do you let him harm one of them waiting for a good shot? If he broke into your home then you stop him as soon as possible, not wait until he can harm one of yours.

I am certainly glad that did not happen in this case and I am sure the homeowner would agree that he would not wait next time.

It was already a good shoot, the homeowner did not need to further endanger his family in the manner you seem to think would make it a good shoot. No chest thumping or nitro fueled testosterone involved, as much as you would like to insinuate, just good common sense.

 

[wasrjoe]

We don't know the layout of his house or the specifics of the case. There is a case to be presented for whether or not he waited too long. However, it's all speculation. What matters is that no one was harmed that should not have been harmed.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'll bet the deceased's parole officer is disappointed.

 

[Jeff White]

The shooting is justifiable by the law. According to an Illinois State statute, a person is justified in the use of force in defending their home when the entry is made in a violent manner.

I wonder what brilliant legal mind the reporter got this tidbit from??? The breakin doesn't have to be violent before you can use force in Illinois. The reporter makes it sound like the homeowner would have had to stand by and watch if the intruder had picked the lock.....

Jeff

 

[jefnvk]

I dunno. I remember reading here somewhere that there was an opinion that once you have made the announcement you have a gun, barricade yourself in a room. If they choose to come after you, shoot them as they are coming through the door.

While I think anyone in your house in the middle of the night should be fair game, it probably looks better to a jury that he was defending himself, and not chasing the man through the house.

 

[papercut]

Obviously Toluca is nowhere near Chicago, or the homeowner would be on the rack for daring to own a gun without government parsimmons...er, I mean permission.

 

[papercut]

Oh, and: Good riddance to a pest to society.

 

[adi]

Without knowing specifics, whats in my head might be completely wrong, but here it is.

The guy entered the house by breaking a window. He was not trying to be stealthy. Owner responded by arming himself and having his entire family hide. Owner confronted bg, said he had a gun. Bg shouted and cursed. At this time, Owner might have made the decision that bg is unarmed and confused, not wanting to kill the town drunk because he was looking for a place to piss inside. When bg went to safe room, thats when he crossed the line of being a threat to life and family, and Owner acted appropriately. Yes, he could have shot the bg when first encountered, but he gave the bg a chance to retreat and realise the situation.

Again, it all depends on how he was "storming around the house", and how clear his speech was. IMO this guy waited until there was a definite threat, and acted appropriately. If bg had knife/gun when he broke in, then action would be needed there.

 

[wolf]

the bg was ranting around the house he broke into...sounds like a rational person to me...let me just observe his actions for a while..ahhh...now he is cursing...not a good sign..dame he just broke grannys fave glasses..oh no..he is coming toward the bedroom....yikes...hey...i have a gun..bang

the wolf version: bg enters through door/window...wolf sees bg....
bang....hey i have a gun.

wolf

 

[TheEgg]

''There's no cause for fear or alarm"

Go back to sleep little people.

 

[mattz357]

This happened about a half hour from me, and was therefore on the news this morning. Apparently, this winner was drunk and on his way home from a friends house. His house is on a corner and has childrens play toys in the back yard. The house he broke into was on a corner and had play toys in the back yard. Perhaps he didn't realize how many corners there are in IL with people with kids living on them? In addition to this, he did the SAME thing when he lived at his last house... you guessed it, drunk then too. Icing on the cake is that he just got arrested not too long ago for beating the crap out of his girlfriend... guess again, and you're right, he was drunk. Anyone noticing a pattern? Small dose of chlorine in the gene pool.

 

[aguyindallas]

If this was in Texas, the officers on scene would have said "Thanks, good work" and moved on.

I am glad to hear that another loser has been removed from the gene pool and his family is safe.

 

[carebear]

Will noone weep for the poor carpet and its cleaning bill? What kind of monsters ARE you people?

To make light of something serious, I guess you could say he "broke into the wrong damn rec room."

 

[WAGCEVP]

(IL) Fatal shooting of intruder jusified 10-27-04

(IL) Fatal shooting of intruder jusified 10-27-04


Address:http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/102704/new_20041027030.shtml
Changed:8:17
PM on Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Fatal shooting deemed justified
Intruder shot in Toluca home
By Greg Stanmar
[email protected]

TOLUCA -- No charges will be filed in connection with the death of a
Lacon man who burst into a home in the middle of the night and was shot
by the homeowner.

Douglas Sullivan, 37, was shot once in the chest with a 9-mm handgun and
died almost instantly, authorities said.

Marshall County State's Attorney Paul Bauer said homeowner Brad Burns
was justified in shooting Sullivan with his registered handgun.

Bauer said there was no clear reason why Sullivan would have targeted
the family, but initial reports said he had been drinking at a party
near the Burnses' home.

Burns, his wife and 2-year-old son were in the house when Sullivan
pounded on the door about 2 a.m. and then threw a child's slide through
a kitchen window. Then "all hell broke loose," Bauer said.

Burns loaded his gun and found Sullivan in the main bedroom, Bauer said.

The commotion was loud enough to wake "all the neighbors" in this
middle-class neighborhood of ranch-style homes across the street from
Fieldcrest West Elementary School, Bauer said. Toluca is about 20 miles
north of Minonk.

Bauer and Toluca Police Chief Mark Johnson said Sullivan did not know
Burns.

"It's the kind of thing (the Burnses) are never going to forget,"
Johnson said.

The family is staying with relatives as deputies, prosecutors and
investigators continue to look into the shooting.

At the time of his death, Bauer said, Sullivan faced pending charges of
drunken driving and domestic battery.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Another successful "rehabilitation through reincarnation!"

Thank Gawd that we, unlike our cousins across the pond can still defend ourselves (in most cases).

 

[carebear]

Marshall County State's Attorney Paul Bauer said homeowner Brad Burns was justified in shooting Sullivan with his registered handgun.

Woulda been justified with a NON-reg. handgun too.

 

[mattz357]

I didn't think S&W made a 9mm registered magnum. That's what it would have to be though, because we don't register our firearms in IL, just the owners (with a FOID card).

 

[SMLE]

Now waddaminnit...

Douglas Sullivan, 37, was shot once in the chest with a 9-mm handgun and died almost instantly

This smells fishy to me. Everybody "knows" you need at LEAST a .45 auto loaded with Hydra-Shoks to get a one shot kill.

 

[38SnubFan]

Gene pool a little cleaner...

I live in a 1-bedroom apartment, but either way this sounds simple to me.

1) Somebody I don't know or expect to come to my door is banging on it.
2) This person not only destroy's my kids playground equipment, he uses it to break down my door.
3) Intruder enters my home.
4) I aim loaded gun at him and give LOUD VERBAL COMMAND to stop.
5) Intruder fails to stop or egress and continues to advance, albeit agressively,
6) I pull trigger and place shot in intruder's COM/CNS, repeating as necessary until he is lying on floor, motionless and bleeding.
7) I call 911.
8) I secure my weapon and my family.
9) I give police a full description of the incident upon their arrival.
10) I notify my attorney of incident and follow his instruction.
11) I obtain therapy for myself and my family, AS WE ARE ALL PROBABLY GOING TO NEED IT!

Simple enough?

-Matt

 

[Byron Quick]

'waited to long'? what kind of zombie-king of your castle chest thump is that? Looks to me like the shooter did everything right to ensure a finding of 'Good Shoot'.

rayra, you've been indoctrinated without realizing it into jumping through hoops to defend yourself. Here in Georgia, if you break into a home where you do not reside, then it is legal open season on your happy butt. Only three requirements: 1) Dead guy broke into the home. 2) Dead guy does not and has never lived with you, and 3) it is your belief that the shooting is necessary to prevent the commission of another felony.

What felony is not specified...just felony. Nor is when that felony might be committed specified.

The dead guy does not have to be armed or threatening. He can be standing saying,"Peace and love, brother, I just wanted to admire your interior decorating."

Officer:"What felony were you shooting to prevent?"
Homeowner:"Any of them."

 

[71Commander]

I'm willing to bet that the shooters wife will never question the presence of a gun in the house. And furthermore, i'm willing to bet that when the kiddies are fully grown that their house will have guns in them.

See how this works. In order to increase private gun ownership in America, alls we have to do is kill the BG's.