Tennessee Man Shoots 2 Dogs Attacking Neighbor's Dogs: "A Brainerd man shot and killed two pit bull dogs attacking a neighbor's pit bull in an incident on Sunday. The case was turned over by Chattanooga Police to the McKamey Animal Trust. McKamey officials have charged the owner of the two dogs, Walter Pitmon, for letting his dogs run at large. Police Officer Brian Blumenberg said he responded to 108 S. Howell Ave. and spoke with Stephen Hooper, who said two pit bulls attacked his pit bull who was chained in the back yard. He said while the attack was going on, his neighbor, James Klassen, came out of his house at 106 S. Howell Ave. with his pistol and shot the attacking dogs an unknown amount of times. Mr. Hooper said after the dogs were shot, they ran off. The dogs were later taken by McKamey officers to an animal clinic on Amnicola Highway. They were later put down. Officer Blumenberg said Mr. Pitmon arrived at the scene and identified himself as the owner of the two dogs. He said he was trying to feed the dogs at his residence at 113 Spring Creek Road when they got out. He said that was about an hour before the attack. He said he went looking for them, then saw a number of officers at the house on South Howell and suspected that it involved the two dogs. A neighbor, Matthew Overby, said he was playing with his four-year-old cousin less than 100 feet from where he heard six or seven shots."




Florida: Homeowner Cleared in Shooting: "Prosecutors have concluded a Lake Wales security guard who shot a man who was breaking into his home was justified in using deadly force. Assistant State Attorney Robert Antonello wrote a letter with his findings about the March 18, nonfatal shooting to the Lake Wales Police Department. In the letter released Thursday, Antonello said William Cornwell, a hospital security guard, was protecting himself and his young children. Cornwell arrived at his Grove Avenue home just before 7 a.m. His wife left for work, and he was alone with his 3 1/2-month-old son and 3 1/2-year-old daughter. A noise awoke him from his sleep and, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, he went to find out what was happening, Antonello wrote. Cornwell came "face-to-face" in the hallway of his home with Michael Collins [above] who swung a crowbar at Cornwell's head. Cornwell chased Collins out the back door and fired two shots, Antonello wrote. Collins ran to his vehicle parked in the house's driveway, Antonello wrote. Cornwell ran back through his house, out the front door, and "instinctively opened fire on the vehicle (at the tires and body) in an attempt to disable it and prevent the intruder from leaving." Collins drove about 200 feet up the road to an orange grove where his vehicle overturned, and he was captured. Lake Wales police say Collins, 45, was struck in the head and left arm by the gunfire, but survived. Collins was flown to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment. He is charged with armed burglary and possession of burglary tools. He remains in the Polk County Jail and is being held without bail on the burglary charge.


GA: More Augustans carrying guns: “Recently two people robbed at gunpoint in Augusta fought back. They both fired shots at the robbers. Both had something else in common, a concealed weapons permit. Court clerks tell NBC Augusta 26 News the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit has nearly tripled this year. ‘It’s scary to know how many people actually have a concealed weapons permit and the places that they can carry them now,’ said Angela Rice, Director of Richmond County Probate Court. Rice says there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit. … From January of this year to April the court has already issued almost 1,200 requests, and the year isn’t half way over.”


TX: Bandera commissioners uphold right to bear arms: “Historically, Texans hold dear the tenets of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Right to Bear Arms – and Bandera County Commissioners recently proved no exception. On Thursday, April 9, they unanimously approved a resolution opposing the passage of the Firearm Licensing and Record Sale Act of 2009, as well as any similar legislation. As Precinct 1 Commissioner Bruce Eliker noted succinctly, ‘They’re trying to take our guns away.’ According to the resolution, the United States Supreme Court in a landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller, recently struck down a firearms ban in DC. Prior to the court’s decision, District residents were prohibited from possessing firearms.”