Alabama jury believes 75-year-old man's self-defense plea: "It took a Russell County jury less than three hours to acquit a 75-year-old man of the attempted murder of his youngest son. Jurors found Theodore Gay "not guilty by reason of self-defense" Tuesday morning after resuming deliberations from the previous day. Prosecutors opened their case against Gay on Monday morning, claiming the father tried to kill his son, Michael Gay, on July 14, 2006. Assistant District Attorney Jamie Graham told jurors the father shot the son at his 16th Place home over a Cadillac recently put into the younger Gay's name. The elder Gay, however, testified that his son had repeatedly threatened him over the years and beat him. When he went to get his shotgun that day, it was because he once again felt threatened and wanted Michael Gay off his property. "I had told him to leave, and I went to get that gun to make him leave," Gay said. "I was protecting myself." Michael Gay was struck in the arm. Another of Gay's sons, Larry Gay, testified that he saw his sibling accost their father several times over the years, though his father never would sign an arrest warrant."


Missouri man shot during domestic dispute: "A 37-year-old man from Ava was shot with a 22 caliber weapon during a dispute Saturday. The man's name was not being released Sunday because no charges had been filed in the case. On Saturday, The Ozark County Sheriff's Department received a report of a domestic dispute near Longrun, a rural area in the county. When the officers arrived, they learned a man broke into the house and was shot by the 38-year-old female in the home. After being shot, he fled the residence. While the two were not married, they knew each other. There have not been a lot of calls from this address, but the sheriff's office is acquainted with the participants, said Sheriff Raymond Pace. The male was found near Wasola several hours later and transported to Cox South Hospital in Springfield. As of Sunday, he was still in the hospital, Pace said. Charges of burglary and assault are expected to be filed against the man on Tuesday, Pace said. No charges are expected against the woman. "She was defending herself. He broke into the house," Pace said.


Texas: Clerk, robbery suspect exchange gunfire: "A woman store clerk and a would-be robber exchanged gunfire late Saturday night but police report no one was injured. The female clerk at EZ Food Mart, 1006 North Fourth St., told police she bent down behind the counter to get some cigarettes for a customer. When she stood up, a man was standing next to the customer pointing a handgun at her. The woman told police she ducked behind the counter as the suspect fired. She grabbed a gun that was behind the counter and as the suspect was running out of the door, she fired one shot toward him but missed. Neither the clerk nor the suspect were injured. Police said the suspect was wearing a red bandanna over his face.