Homeowner Shoots And Kills Alleged Intruder

[Paladin]

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6106564&nav=1TjD

"2/18/07-Smith County
Homeowner Shoots And Kills Alleged Intruder

A homeowner shoots and kills a man authorities say broke into the family's Bullard home. It happened just after 12:00 p.m. on County Road 150 in Smith County.

The Smith County Sheriff's Department says the owner of Graham Farms came home to find a strange car in his driveway, and the door to his house open. They say Terry Graham shot and killed 34-year-old Hiram J. Chambers, of Tyler, after coming face-to-face with the man. Chambers allegedly reached for something in a bag, and authorities say they later found two loaded weapons.

Chambers was out of jail on parole for a prior home burglary. Graham did not want to comment on camera, but described the entire incident as 'terribly unfortunate.' "

[Venus Pax]

I'm glad the homeowner was okay.
Sounds like somebody else needed to get out of the crime business.

[flintknapper]

I'm glad the homeowner was okay.
Sounds like somebody else needed to get out of the crime business.

They just did.

Did it the hard way though.

[longtooth]

Used this one to remind wife & Mom to MAKE SURE you identify who is at the door before opening.

Coarse, some are knocking the door down instead of just knocking on it.

[9mmGuy]

Used this one to remind wife & Mom to MAKE SURE you identify who is at the door before opening.

Coarse, some are knocking the door down instead of just knocking on it.

That happened to a lady a couple streets over from my parents. a man knocked on the door and when answered he tried to force his way in. when the man saw her 100 pound dog standing there he quickly turned around and ran away. Police said she is very lucky she had a "intimidating looking" dog, as she was home alone.

[longtooth]

Another reminder going out. Man I wish she was as careful as she is a good shot.

[KRM45]

There are a lot of burglaries that take place during the day while people are at work...

You never know what you might find when you come home.

[glocklvr]

There are a lot of burglaries that take place during the day while people are at work...

considering I tend to work at night and sleep during the day this could be hazardous to a burglar's health and I keep my vehicles in the garage so my house looks the same weather I am at home or not

[Mithras61]

I guess I must be stupid, but it seems to me that the headline doesn't fit the story. As far as I can tell, there is nothing "alleged" about Hiram J. Chambers being inside the Graham household. I can see "alleged" burglar, but "alleged intruder" doesn't seem to fit the facts as reported in the story.

Of course, I guess we could go all the way and say the alleged Mr. Graham allegedly shot Goblin Chambers, who allegedly died from subsequent lead poisoning, but that seems silly...

[KBCraig]

Here's a good article from across the Red River. The lady had the presence of mind to know how dangerous the shotgun would be to fire in her medical condition, so she "took precautions".

I highlighted her comment on the emotional aftermath. I think it's something we'd all feel.


http://www.fox23.com/news/state/story.a ... 83872b25d0

Woman, robber both recovering from shooting

Last Update: Feb 19, 2007 8:42 AM

(HUGO, Okla.) February 19 - A woman who shot a robber in the gut with a shotgun as he reached for money from the cash register at her liquor store said it took her almost two months to recover emotionally from the incident.

Sheila Almond, 59, whose husband owns the store, said she first shot Guy Wade Buck, 50, in the shoulder with a shoulder with a pistol. When that didn't persuade Buck to stop the Oct. 19 robbery attempt, she told a worker at the store, "Bring me Baby," which was the nickname she had for her shotgun.

Almond laid the shotgun on the store counter and pulled the trigger. Buck suffered injuries to his colon, kidney, liver and lung from the blast. He wasn't expected to live, and he remains on a ventilator and can't talk. His parents, Robert and Alice Buck, say he's been transferred from a Texas hospital to a nursing home.

Choctaw County Assistant District Attorney Joe Watkins said authorities are waiting to see whether Buck survives before determining whether or not to file charges against him.

In the meantime, Almond's beloved shotgun remains with law enforcement officials, because it is evidence.

Almond, who had open heart surgery a few months before the shooting, said the jolt of the shotgun blast worsened her physical health.

"That's why I gut-shot him instead of blowing his head off," Almond said of laying the gun on the counter when she shot Buck. "I held the gun against my side so I wouldn't blow my sternum. I hate that man for making me go through all that."

She said dealing with the emotional stress also has been challenging, and that speaking with military veterans has helped her in that area.

"It took me about two days to get there and about two months to get over it," Almond said. "Not because I regretted what I did, but because I didn't have anybody to talk to. None of the law enforcement officers I talked to had ever been in a shootout. I talked to Vietnam vets - they told me what they had faced."

Alice Buck said her son had struggled with drugs and that he had to give up his career as a construction worker for health reasons. Guy Buck served two years in an Oklahoma prison after a conviction for having a controlled substance.

Almond said she's received numerous queries about the incident.

"They call me Annie Oakley, Ma Barker," she said. "People come in from out of town and ask if this is the store where the shooting happened. Then they ask, 'Where's the lady that did the shooting?' I just raise my hand. It's a little embarrassing."

[seamusTX]

I guess I must be stupid, but it seems to me that the headline doesn't fit the story. As far as I can tell, there is nothing "alleged" about Hiram J. Chambers being inside the Graham household.

From a journalistic point of view, it's a judgment call.

News media always have to use words like alleged, accused, and suspect when a living person is charged with a crime, to avoid libel suits and contaminating the jury pool.

When someone has been killed in the course of committing a crime, there's no real need to worry about that. Sometimes the deceased criminal's relatives complain about press coverage, but all they can do is complain.

I think it's ridiculous when a terrorist blows himself up in another country, and the U.S. media call him a "suspected suicide bomber." What else could it be, spontaneous combustion?

- Jim

[Venus Pax]

It's a shame she is having to go through this, especially considering her condition. I'm glad, however, that she had what it takes to defend herself.