Home intruder shot dead

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:44 pm

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16444594.htm

"Posted on Fri, Jan. 12,

Home intruder shot dead

By MELODY McDONALD
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

FORT WORTH - A 22-year-old man was fatally shot early Wednesday after he forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's house and started kicking in the door of the bedroom where she and her boyfriend were sleeping, police said.

Police said the woman's boyfriend, 29, grabbed a handgun and started firing, hitting Sammien Chopp once in the left chest as he pushed into the room.

"It appears to be self-defense, but we will confer with the district attorney's office to get a final determination," said homicide Sgt. J.D. Thornton

After the shooting, police said, Chopp got into a 1990 white Jaguar and tried to drive to a hospital.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m., a patrol officer saw the Jaguar driving erratically along the northbound service road of Interstate 35W just south of Berry Street. When it stopped in a traffic lane, Thornton said, the officer got out of his patrol car, put the Jaguar in park and discovered that the driver had been shot.

An ambulance took Chopp to John Peter Smith hospital, where he died at 9:14 a.m.

In the meantime, police received a call from a house in the 5600 block of De Cory Road, where Chopp had been shot. At the time they did not know it was related to the man in the Jaguar.

The man who shot Chopp had left after the shooting, but police called him, and he voluntarily went to the Police Department.

"We interviewed him and he was released based on the statement he gave and the statement of the witnesses," Thornton said, declining to release the man's name because he was not arrested.

Homicide Detective Frank Serra said witnesses told police that Chopp and his ex-girlfriend broke up around Thanksgiving because he was abusive.

At 3:21 a.m. Wednesday, Serra said, police were called to the house on De Cory Road to investigate a domestic disturbance call.

When officers arrived, however, no one was there.

Later that morning, police said, Chopp came to the house, where the woman, her boyfriend and several relatives were sleeping.

"They hear the front door being forced open," Thornton said. "The ex-boyfriend comes in and goes straight to the bedroom."

Witnesses told police that the woman hid in the bathroom while her boyfriend tried to hold the door to keep Chopp from coming inside.

"He is trying to hold it and can't," Thornton said.

According to court records, Chopp has several convictions for drugs and one for evading arrest. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on two drug charges, one for unlawful firearm possession, one for resisting arrest and one for assault causing bodily injury."

Venus Pax · Post by **Venus Pax** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:35 pm

This is why one should be choosy when picking boyfriends/girlfriends.

TX Rancher · Post by **TX Rancher** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:33 pm

Interesting, the guy left the scene after shooting the BG, was called by police, came in to present his side, and was not charged with anything nor held.

Wasn't there a thread here recently where the consenus was if you left the scene of a shooting you were going to jail? That flight was linked to guilt in the eyes of LEO and prosecuters? Looks like that's not true in all cases.

Wonder where the gun came from. Was he CHL? Was it hers? It will probably all come out with time...

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:37 pm

TX Rancher wrote:Interesting, the guy left the scene after shooting the BG, was called by police, came in to present his side, and was not charged with anything nor held.

Wasn't there a thread here recently where the consenus was if you left the scene of a shooting you were going to jail? That flight was linked to guilt in the eyes of LEO and prosecuters? Looks like that's not true in all cases.

Wonder where the gun came from. Was he CHL? Was it hers? It will probably all come out with time...

The fact that the BG was a known BG, and the shooting was a home defense with plenty of witnesses probably helped.

age_ranger · Post by **age_ranger** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:39 pm

"According to court records, Chopp has several convictions for drugs and one for evading arrest. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on two drug charges, one for unlawful firearm possession, one for resisting arrest and one for assault causing bodily injury."

This can't be used in the case if it goes to trial, though, can it? I don't think prior incidents can be brought into a court case. Correct me if I'm wrong..........?? I htink it's stupid not to allow a persons criminal history to be submitted.

txinvestigator · Post by **txinvestigator** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:45 pm

age_ranger wrote:"According to court records, Chopp has several convictions for drugs and one for evading arrest. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on two drug charges, one for unlawful firearm possession, one for resisting arrest and one for assault causing bodily injury."

This can't be used in the case if it goes to trial, though, can it? I don't think prior incidents can be brought into a court case. Correct me if I'm wrong..........?? I htink it's stupid not to allow a persons criminal history to be submitted.

It depends. If the BG was to be tried, then his past is not relevant in the guilt/innocence phase of his trial. His criminal history is admissible during the punishment phase.

If the good guy shooter were to be tried, I believe that if the shooter knew of the BG's history, then that would be material to his reasonable belief that deadly force was necessary. If the shooter did not know about the bad guy's history, then it would be irrelevant, I think.

As far as the guy leaving the scene and not being charged.....we don't know what the circumstances were, nor if the shooter knew he struck the bad guy. It will be interesting how this plays out.