Man with concealed-carry permit kills robbery suspect in Cleveland

[Ohioan]

I'm not sure if there is a better place for this but here it is.

I love the quote from the grieving cousin of the robber.. quite amusing.
Cleveland is one of the cities in Ohio that had a draconian gun ban in place that was overrode by Ohio's new (and much appreciated) Preemption Law this year...

Man with concealed-carry permit kills robbery suspect in Cleveland
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:30 AM

Associated Press
CLEVELAND—A man who has a permit to carry a concealed gun shot and killed one of two teenage robbery suspects he encountered on his front porch, police said.

City prosecutors decided yesterday that the 25-year-old Cleveland man was justified and would not be charged in the shooting Saturday night of 15-year-old Arthur Buford, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School.

Buford and another teen approached the man on his porch and one of the youths pulled a gun, prompting the resident to pull his gun and shoot Buford several times in the chest, police said.

Police took a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson from the man as evidence, according to a police report.

Toby Hoover, director of the Toledo-based Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said she had not heard of any other fatal shooting involving someone who has a permit to carry a concealed gun under the state's 3-year-old law.

About 30 youths gathered Monday at the intersection where Buford died and set up a memorial. His cousin, Tameka Foster, 21, questioned the decision against prosecuting the shooter.

"They let that man run out freely," Foster said. "My cousin is dead."

Buford's alleged accomplice fled after and shooting and has not been caught. Police believe a .38-caliber handgun they found in the mail chute of a nearby house belonged to Buford or the other suspect, Lt. Thomas Stacho said.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/04/24/concealed.html


Toby Hoover is a great anti-gun voice here in Ohio.. here is a quote from an article last week... again, this quote is from LAST WEEK, not related to the above article

Toby Hoover, of the Toledo-based Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said she hopes the incident will force a rethinking of gun laws at the state and federal levels.

“The tendency is for people to think that only the bad guys are shooting anybody,” she said. “They just do not want to come to terms with the fact that everybody is born a good guy. We don’t know when a human being is going to cross over and make that bad decision. We keep trying to fool ourselves.”

Link to article at the Toledo Blade

 

[SSTHitman]

"A boy dies, and a gun debate is reignited"

Check out this story;

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/117740407596600.xml&coll=2

Personally, I dont see the problem here...punk got what he deserved!

 

[Ohioan]

duplicate

 

[torpid]

A boy dies, and a gun debate is reignited
Holdup victim had concealed-carry permit
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Damian G. Guevara and Patrick O'Donnell
Plain Dealer Reporters

Damon Wells is the man gun supporters were imagining when they fought for the right to carry concealed weapons.

He had a permit to carry his gun, and he had the gun on him when a pair of teenage thieves approached him Saturday night on his front porch in Cleveland.

When one of the youths pulled a gun, Wells drew his and shot one of the boys several times in the chest, police said. Arthur Buford, 15, died after stumbling away and collapsing on a sidewalk near East 134th Street and Kinsman Road.

City prosecutors decided Monday that Wells, 25, was justified and would not be charged for what appears to be the first time a concealed-carry permit holder has shot and killed an attacker.

Nonetheless, the shooting reignited the debate that flared three years ago when Ohio's concealed-carry law took effect.

Gun supporters said the weapon saved Wells' life. Opponents said it took Buford's - that the 15-year-old might be alive if a citizen had not been armed.

An angry throng of about 30 youths gathered Monday and set up a memorial at the intersection where Buford, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School, died.

His cousin, Tameka Foster, 21, questioned why police did not punish Buford's shooter.

"They let that man run out freely," Foster said. "My cousin is dead."

Buford's accomplice disappeared after the shooting and had not been caught as of Monday night. Police found a .38-caliber handgun in the mail chute of a nearby house. They believe it belonged to Buford or the other suspect, Lt. Thomas Stacho said.

Police took a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson firearm from Wells as evidence, the police report shows.

Both sides of the gun debate said it was sad that a teenager died.

"It's tragic," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "Anytime somebody dies, it's tragic, but it's hard to have any sympathy when he chose to have a gun and go threaten somebody's life."

Irvine said it was "great that a potential victim is able to continue his life instead of having a criminal take it."

Toby Hoover, of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said she had not heard of any other fatal shooting involving a concealed-carry permit holder.

"This is one of the few where they actually used it to stop a crime," Hoover said.

But, she said, "there's still a dead kid here."

A man who answered a phone number for Wells refused to comment and hung up. No one answered the door at Wells' home.

Plain Dealer reporters Jesse Tinsley and Brie Zeltner and researcher Cheryl Diamond contributed to this story.

 

[aguyindallas]

Since this happened on the front porch of the guys house...this doesnt seem much like it has anything to do with concealed carry laws.

 

[MD_Willington]

Well I guess Tameka and Arthur were sharing a brain cel, and the cousin had it that day...

Here's a tip, don't go pulling firearms on people who are sitting on their front porch and are willing to use them.

Sounds like guy on the porch also put in some range time...

 

[ZeSpectre]

Just one word for this... SURPRISE!

 

[atomicferret]

So, if i am reading this correctly, someone thinks that this guy should be prosecuted for protecting himself from an armed robber. Yet no mention of prosecution towards the kid that lived.

I am glad that they ruled in favor of the CCW holder.

 

[PPGMD]

Jeez he isn't a kid he was a criminal that pulled a gun on an another person. That person just happened to be a CCW holder that shot the kid before the kid could shoot him.

 

[mek42]

I get angry when I read about people lamenting the fate of the perpetrators of violent felonies by criticizing the person offering resistance to the commission of said violent felony.

It is one thing to express honest grief about the loss of someone close to you who died while committing a felony. This is a normal reaction that I have no issue with whatsoever.

It is entirely different to blame the victim of the attempted felony for offering the best resistance to being subjected to a felony that one is able to offer. In my opinion this is morally reprehensible.

It sounds like this was a good self defense situation. I wish people would leave the victim alone and let him get on with his life. He is probably dealing with enough internal stress over this incident anyhow.

 

[El Tejon]

This article does a wonderful job illustrating the nexus between criminals and antis.

Here we have an anti leader defending a thug and home invader on record.

 

[Sistema1927]

Good thing: One less criminal.

Bad thing: The Brady Bunch will chalk this up as another "child" killed by a firearm.

 

[romma]

Obviously this criminal will be sorely missed by "like-minded" individuals of his type that he was close too... These people are so engrossed in the thug/robbery lifestyle that it's perfectly normal for one of their family members to rob and threaten people at gunpoint... but when it works out against them, then all the sudden they cry foul!

 

[grimjaw]

. . . and if the teenager had shot the homeowner, the same griper would complain that 'the gun laws aren't strict enough, otherwise this "child" wouldn't have been able to get a gun!'

jm

 

[Odd Job]

Gun supporters said the weapon saved Wells' life. Opponents said it took Buford's - that the 15-year-old might be alive if a citizen had not been armed.

Ja, and the citizen might be dead instead, right?

 

[romma]

o

 

[Outlaw Man]

Opponents said it took Buford's - that the 15-year-old might be alive if a citizen had not been armed.

But would they have had the same reaction if the citizen hadn't been armed and his life was taken? It's sad a kid is dead, but a 15 year old knows better (barring serious mental conditions) than to pull a gun on someone.

A similar instance happened near my hometown. A teenager (a little older, but still under 18 IIRC, not that it matters) decided to walk into a gas station with a gun in his hand. He didn't walk out. The kid's mother puts a big article in the paper every year (either on the anniversary of the foiled robbery or on his birthday) about how the clerk took her baby. Sorry lady. When your "baby" is big enough to play adult games he's big enough to handle adult consequences. Same thing applies here.


EDIT: Odd Job beat me to it.

 

[Evil Monkey]

The only thing I'm disappointed with is that the shooter didn't give that little turd a closed casket funeral.

Should have used the Mozambique Drill.

 

[Macpherson]

An angry throng of about 30 youths gathered Monday and set up a memorial at the intersection where Buford, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School, died.

His cousin, Tameka Foster, 21, questioned why police did not punish Buford's shooter.

"They let that man run out freely," Foster said. "My cousin is dead."

I'm at a loss for words...apparently the fact that her cousin was committing multiple felonies at the time has no bearing on what happened?

Unbelievable.

 

[starboard]

I'm at a loss for words...apparently the fact that her cousin was committing multiple felonies at the time has no bearing on what happened?

Unbelievable.

That's like a day at the office for some people - normal, expected, familiar.

Several .40 to the chest.. that's gotta sting.

 

[BigO01]

As Forest would say "stupid is as stupid does"

 

[SkiLune]

This is an easy one: justifiable homicide.

 

[cpaspr]

This brings to mind Baretta's favorite line:

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

(I know, Blake forgot his own most famous line, but that's off the current topic.)

 

[rmurfster]

One of the articles quoted here is from the Plain Dealer, which is notorious for it's anti-gun stance and also for its repeated printing of names of those with CCW Permits

This wasn't the "first time" a CCW permit holder killed someone in self-defense in Ohio as this article falsely states. In fact, prior self-defense shooting were reported in the Plain Dealer!

See: http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article-3688--0-0.html

 

[rantingredneck]

I'll bet that if situations were reversed and the homeowner was killed by the robber, the robber's cousin would be arguing against his prosecution for the crime.