Maine: Kennebunk homeowners thwart would-be burglars by scolding, firing a shotgun: "The frightening ordeal began around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when Judie Martel awoke to hear pounding on her front door. "My first thought was, 'Is that thunder?'" she said. "The windows were rattling." Running from the couch where she had fallen asleep watching TV, Martel arrived at the door in time to see it splinter and a strange man step through. "He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him," Martel said. She described the intruder as "baby-faced" and "out of it," and said she did the first thing that came to mind: she scolded him. "I said, 'It's 2 o'clock in the morning! You need to go home to bed!'" she said. "I scolded him like a mother would." Then she pushed him back out the door and closed it as best she could. Looking out the window, Martel could see the man had what she described as a bag of tools with him. And instead of going home, he was headed around to the attached barn. Running out the kitchen door, John Martel saw that the man had broken into the barn and was heading toward the house. When the man saw John raise the gun, he turned to run. "I was going to shoot to kill," Martel said. "But I've had enough of killing. I shot over his head and he ran up the road." Shortly after, officers from the Kennebunk Police Department arrived on the scene and the man, Sean Barker, 24, of Richmond, was arrested. Police said the man was attempting to enter a nearby Summer Street residence when they found him."


Louisiana: Armed home owner helps police capture alleged car thief: "Lafayette Police officers arrested an alleged armed car thief after they say a homeowner helped capture the man. The suspect, Joseph Noel, 25, of Lafayette, was arrested and faces charges of resisting an officer, flight from an officer, carjacking, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm by a felon and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. The happened Monday around 8:34 p.m. when Noel, wearing a Halloween mask, allegedly approached a victim in the 100 block of Fairway Street and took possession of his vehicle at gunpoint. After the suspect sped from the area, the victim immediately contacted the police. A police later spotted the vehicle near the intersection of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Eraste Landry Road. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, Noel continued to speed to elude capture. The suspect was followed onto the 300 block of Strasburg, where the suspect lost control of his vehicle and struck a vehicle parked in a yard. The suspect exited the vehicle and was pursued by the officer on foot. The officer lost sight of the suspect, but received information that a black male armed with a gun had forced open the door at a residence in the 200 block of Strasburg. The home owner observed Noel inside of the residence and immediately armed himself. While the suspect attempted to remove clothing, the home owner was able to hold the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived."


Georgia man defends home from invasion: "Marvin Bowdoin was sitting at his desk when the "cat bandit" kicked in his kitchen door Tuesday night, he said. It was shortly after 9 p.m. "When I sat down, I heard that door crash open for some reason and I knew someone was in the house." Bowdoin said within seconds the intruder had gone from the kitchen to the dining room and nearly to the foyer with a shotgun in hand. That's where Bowdoin stopped the bandit - firing two shots from his .22 Magnum revolver. "I tried to do my best to protect my family," he said. "This weapon was in my pocket. I tote a weapon every day of my life. It's never away from me at any point. It's some mean folks out there." The invader, not injured, fell to the floor before standing up and running back into the kitchen and out of the home. Bowdoin didn't chase the person or keep firing. Dressed head to toe in dark clothing, Bowdoin said he couldn't tell a thing about the person's appearance. They exchanged no words. "I'm guessing it was a he, and he was short," Bowdoin said."


Colorado resident shoots intruder: "A Colorado Springs resident will not be charged for fatally shooting an intruder who tried to break into a home that he apparently thought was his, prosecutors said Tuesday. James Parsons is protected under Colorado's "Make My Day" law, which allows people to use deadly force in self-defense in their home against intruders, according a statement from the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Parsons shot 22-year-old Sean Kennedy, an assistant golf pro at a Colorado Springs golf course, on Dec. 28. Kennedy had been drinking that night and apparently thought he was breaking into his own house, which was a block away. Police handed over the case to the district attorney's office, which determined Parsons had "reasonable belief" that he and his girlfriend were in danger. Prosecutors said Kennedy broke a window in the back door and was reaching inside to unlock it. Two dogs inside barked persistently as the couple shouted for him to leave. The ordeal lasted more than four minutes. "A reasonable person in those circumstances would have believed that [Kennedy] was going to do a crime against them or property," said newly elected District Attorney Dan May, who oversaw the review of the shooting. "[Kennedy] continued to beat and pound on the door, during which time the resident told his girlfriend to call 911, and he went into the bedroom to get his gun, a revolver," the DA's office said. Kennedy went to the back of the house, forced open a screen door, smashed a window and was reaching to unlock the deadbolt, investigators said. Parsons then shot at him three times. Two bullets went through Kennedy's arm and into his torso, May said."