North Carolina: Would-be robber shot at restaurant: "A would-be robber had life-threatening injuries after being shot by his intended victim at a northern Charlotte restaurant late Wednesday, police said. The suspect was taken to Carolinas Medical Center after the 9:20 p.m. shooting at Floyd's Homestyle Cooking restaurant on Graham Street. Some of his bloodied clothes were strewn in the parking lot of the restaurant. Nearby, two guns lay on a sidewalk. Police haven't released an account of what happened during the shooting, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Spokesman Officer Hassan Peterson said the restaurant was closed when the first officers arrived. Police interviewed the man working at the restaurant and homicide investigators planned to interview him again late Wednesday. It was the second time in less than three months that someone working at a business shot a potential robber. In December, a man shot a teenager who was trying to rob his west Charlotte convenience store. On that day, two teens walked into the Bradford Food Mart demanding money and at least one of them was armed. So was the store's owner. The owner and one of the suspects fired their weapons, and one of the suspects was hit in the stomach. The owner wasn't hurt and the injured teen survived." [See also here]


British police to use Tasers on children: "Police have been given the go-ahead to use Taser stun guns against children. The relaxing of restrictions on the use of the weapons comes despite warnings that they could trigger a heart attack in youngsters. Until now, Tasers - which emit a 50,000-volt electric shock - have been used only by specialist officers as a "non lethal" alternative to firearms. However, they can now be used against all potentially violent offenders even if they are unarmed. It is the decision not to ban their use against minors that is likely to raise serious concerns. Home Office Police Minister Tony McNulty said medical assessments had confirmed the risk of death or serious injury from Tasers was "low". But he failed to mention Government advisers had also warned of a potential risk to children. The Defence Scientific Advisory Council medical committee told the Home Office that not enough was known about the health risks of using the weapons against children"


WY: Self-defense bill approved: "The Wyoming House of Representatives gave strong initial approval to a bill that would specify that homeowners couldn't be prosecuted or sued in civil court if they kill anyone who enters their home illegally. The House voted 54-6 Friday to introduce a so-called 'castle doctrine' bill. It's named after the old English common law saying that a man's home is his castle."