61-year-old "vigilante" speaks out

[Paladin]

With the story as told, I don't see how you could call the guy a vigilante. He was defending himself.


http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/w ... 1cc4e.html

"61-year-old vigilante speaks out

11:35 PM CDT on Monday, May 8, 2006
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA-TV

Police released the mug shots of four suspects after authorities said they attempted an armed robbery on a 61-year-old man who turned vigilante.

Three of the suspects were put in jail and the fourth was hospitalized with a gunshot wound he received after Ken said he fought back.

Ken, who didn't want to disclose his full name, said he thought one of the robbers knew his teenaged son and may have witnessed him give his son cash for a graduation present.

The day of the incident, two men pounded on his door while he said he was inside his Mission Spring Creek apartment.

"They were knocking pretty hard and I thought, 'Well, who is that?'" he said. "Whoever it is, I'll tell them 'Don't come beating on my door like that.'"

Ken said he opened the door, but not before grabbing his pistol. However, he said he wasn't the only one with a gun. The suspects allegedly were armed with a 20-gauge shotgun.

"And I hit it and knocked the barrel up and it went off," Ken said.

A chunk out of his ceiling and a hole was ripped in his door.

Ken fired his gun three times. The first shot hit a wall and the second hit the robber.

"I'm not going to give up," he said he thought through the incident. "I'm not going to let them take what I work for. I work hard for what little I have, and it's mine."

After the exchange of gunfire, Ken said the suspects ran to their car. However, they didn't get far. Police caught the suspects at the crime scene in a matter of minutes at Beltline and Shiloh Roads.

While Ken said he didn't take shooting his gun lightly, he said he would do it again if he had to.

"...They don't want to come back," he said. "I got a bigger gun. bought me a 45. They come back, they're not going to walk."


E-mail ddenmon@wfaa.com "

[G.C.Montgomery]

Sadly, the liberal media would have us believe that letting the criminals have their way and possibly dying would have been the morally superior option for this man. I agree, it sounds like cut and dried self defense and the man is not deserving of the title, vigilante. He didn't seek trouble. But when trouble came knocking, he brought righteous violence and indignation in response to that trouble.

[AG-EE]

Although their vocabulary is somewhat deficient, the actual TV news story cast the victim in a good light, and they said he sent the bad guys running. So no need to jump on their throats too badly this time.

[KinnyLee]

I guess "vigilante" is a word they can use to attract readers.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I guess they used the term "vigilante" in the TV report, but the written report on their web site says "61-year-old robbery victim speaks out." I guess they caught some flack about using the term "vigilante."

I agree, it sounds like the shooting was entirely justified. However, I would like to point out something that's covered in my seminars. It is clear that he was defending his life against an armed attack. However, if the report is accurate, the only thing he mentioned was making sure they didn't steal what he worked so hard to obtain. The article never even mentioned him acting to preserve his life, or the life of a family member.

Don't misunderstand my comments. I'm not saying what he did was wrong or unlawful, but if someone shoots an armed attacker because their life is in jeopardy, by all means say that!! The report on TV and in print could also be the product of creative editing - the victim may well have said he shot to defend himself, but that part didn't make it on TV or in the article. Nevertheless, it's a learning opportunity for all of us.

Regards,
Chas.

[Paladin]

I guess they used the term "vigilante" in the TV report, but the written report on their web site says "61-year-old robbery victim speaks out." I guess they caught some flack about using the term "vigilante."

Regards,
Chas.

Chas, I think they just changed it, because the website said vigilante earlier!

[Charles L. Cotton]

I guess they used the term "vigilante" in the TV report, but the written report on their web site says "61-year-old robbery victim speaks out." I guess they caught some flack about using the term "vigilante."

Regards,
Chas.

Chas, I think they just changed it, because the website said vigilante earlier!

I bet they were getting blistered with emails!!

Chas.

[ElGato]

I guess they used the term "vigilante" in the TV report, but the written report on their web site says "61-year-old robbery victim speaks out." I guess they caught some flack about using the term "vigilante."

Regards,
Chas.

Chas, I think they just changed it, because the website said vigilante earlier!

I bet they were getting blistered with emails!!

Chas.

Yep!

Now let's thank them for changing it.

[dws1117]

Vigilante? What a steaming pile. The man, based on what's reported, defends himself in his one dwelling and he is labled a vigilante.

We need to take up a collection to send these reporters a dictinary.

He defended his life. He didn't take the law into his own hands.

[The Bandit]

Vigilante? What a steaming pile. The man, based on what's reported, defends himself in his one dwelling and he is labled a vigilante.

We need to take up a collection to send these reporters a dictinary.

He defended his life. He didn't take the law into his own hands.

I agree, simple self defense.

[rgoldy]

I can't be positive of this of course, but I would be willing to bet that this story originated at KHOU in Houston, rather than at WFAA in Dallas, given that League City is a whole lot closer to Houston. WFAA and KHOU are owned by same BELO Corp, and they trade stories back and forth a lot.
I would expect however, that the tenor of the story was the same in both places.

[KBCraig]

WFAA and KHOU are owned by same BELO Corp, and they trade stories back and forth a lot.

Maybe it should be the "Bevo Corp.", since the output is the same.

Kevin

[carlson1]

"I'm not going to give up," he said he thought through the incident. "I'm not going to let them take what I work for. I work hard for what little I have, and it's mine." "...They don't want to come back," he said. "I got a bigger gun. bought me a 45. They come back, they're not going to walk." "

He said this same statement on TV. I told my wife neither of those statements were very bright. That is just how I see things. I would have rather heard him say he was afraid they were going to kill him or. . .

[Flatland2D]

"I'm not going to give up," he said he thought through the incident. "I'm not going to let them take what I work for. I work hard for what little I have, and it's mine." "...They don't want to come back," he said. "I got a bigger gun. bought me a 45. They come back, they're not going to walk." "

He said this same statement on TV. I told my wife neither of those statements were very bright. That is just how I see things. I would have rather heard him say he was afraid they were going to kill him or. . .

I agree, that's the only negative reaction I had to reading this. I'm sure the media loved hearing him say that so they could paint him as the stereotypical gun-toting redneck.

But anyway, I'm glad "Ken" is safe and I hope those low-lifes learned their lesson.

[sparx]

...I'm sure the media loved hearing him say that so they could paint him as the stereotypical gun-toting redneck.

Or a "vigilante".