Grandfather fatally shoots home invasion suspect

WBIR TV News Knoxville, TN ^ | 12/16/2007 | Amanda Dill, Producer

[brentintennessee]

Authorities say a grandfather -- who was trying to protect his grandson -- shot and killed a home invasion suspect on Saturday.

A spokesperson for The Knox County Sheriff's Office says Tilvis Coffey kicked his way into a home on Copeland Road in North Knox County just after 12 o'clock.

A 14-year old was home alone at the time of the invasion. The boy told deputies he called 911 and his mother, while his mother called her father, Harry Smith.

Authorities say Smith and his wife drove to the home and confronted Coffey. Smith told detectives Coffey started running toward his wife and refused to stop, so he pulled a gun and fired.

Coffey was shot in the head. He died Saturday night at UT Medical Center. Coffey is said to have an "extensive" criminal history.

Harry Smith does have a gun permit, according to authorities. There is no word on if he will face any charges.

[Coldwater Creek]

Welcome to Free Republic!

CC

[nuconvert]

Tilvis ?

Good shootin’ Grandpa.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The sheriff should swear him in.

[goldstategop]

Its self defense so I doubt he will face charges. The bad guy had no business being there, period.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Tax-chick]

Aw, the poor “suspect.” (/s)

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Good comments at source but this one takes the cake.
This has to be the sorriest fraidy cat.

This is so scary...Everyday I wonder whether or not I’m
going to encounter this....I would die! I don’t own a gun,
and have been considering buying one for the home.
That scares me too.
I’m afraid if I had a gun I would hesitate to fire and they
would take it away from me and shoot me with my own gun.
Guns really terrify me, but I this crap going on EVERYDAY
scares me even more.
This is the FOURTH HOME INVASION this week along!!!

[faloi]

Good story. Does TN have a castle doctrine, or is there a chance for some civil suit schtuff?

[ChessExpert]

“The boy told deputies he called 911 ...”

911 records probably show that call as OBE (overtaken by events).

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I love these heart-warming family stories. What a great way to start Sunday morning! What a great way to bond with your grandkid!

Face charges! Laws-a-mighty, give him a medal! And more ammunition! (Why’d he only shoot him once?)

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Hopefully this Granpa will not be charged w anything...he was defending his grandson

We need a “National Right to Self Defense” law, which will protect people who defend themselves from criminals.

Liberals, globalists, nanny-staters, gun-control fascists, race-based racist groups, and some “police chiefs” will be against it, but most Americans would prefer the real right to defend themselves and property

Every one of these people who shoot in self defense not only are protecting their families, they are protecting everyone else by eliminating a criminal....a criminal who may threaten you next...

[G.Mason]

Pray tell ... what are you a veteran of?

[Popman]

Smith told detectives Coffey started running toward his wife and refused to stop, so he pulled a gun and fired.

Coffey was shot in the head

Personally, I find this a bit hard to believe unless grandpa was a heck of a shot or this is being misreported.

Hitting someone who is running and nailing a head shot is really good shooting!!!

Don't misunderstand me, I could care less how the perv died.

[randog]

Coffey was shot in the head.

Nice shot, man. Now where's the deceased's mother to let the world know what a wonderful guy he was?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

is there a chance for some civil suit schtuff?

Not unless the dearly departed's family have deep-deep pockets and a hankering for vengance. No shyster'll touch this on a contingency basis.

[JEC]

(Why’d he only shoot him once?)

One shot. One kill.

[NonValueAdded]

Queeksdraw McGraw!

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

where's the deceased's mother to let the world know what a wonderful guy he was?

Whadda want to bet that we are soon to learn in the local media that he was getting his life together, that he dreamed of signing a rap music contract, was going for his GED (at 34) and planned to marry the mother of one of his six children (which mother, which child, unspecified.) Sure tears me up.

[randog]

Don’t forget, “...and was planning on becoming a brain surgeon”.

[OldCorps]

great job!

[Condor51]

Amanda Dill, Producer
Harry Smith does have a gun permit, according to authorities. There is no word on if he will face any charges.

Pray tell Amanda, why he would face any charges. And ya bimbo do you always do a little personal editorializing in your (cough) 'reporting'?

ps: is there 'any word' on if you have a functional brain.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

He probably wanted to make the Army a career but was turned down because of his criminal record.

[t1b8zs]

Car probly scared ya also....till ya learned how to drive it
Go for it........

[basil]

While I love this story, and the fact that the good guys won, there's something a bit out of kilter here.

A 14-year old was home alone at the time of the invasion. The boy told deputies he called 911 and his mother, while his mother called her father, Harry Smith.

What in the world was going on with the boy and the invader in all the time it took to make all these phone calls and the grandfather to jump in his car and drive to the scene?

[dearolddad]

“The boy told deputies he called 911 ...”

Doesn't it seem strange that the grandfather was called at some point in time after the 911 call was placed, and the grandfather arrived at some point in time prior to the much vaunted police protection?

[Ladysmith]

mark

[mtbopfuyn]

Why’d he only shoot him once?

Why waste good ammo on sorry scum?

[VOA]

Grandfather With Gun Protects Grandson Against Home Invasion Suspect,
Kills Suspect

Well done, Gramps!

That "extensive" criminal history of the perp would equate to
"he needed kilt" in Texas.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I must not have made myself clear.
I copied a comment from the source comments ( at that time
57 comments), I can not understand that type of thinking.

A person so afraid of weapons, that they will not own one.

[LouAvul]

What in the world was going on with the boy and the invader in all the time it took to make all these phone calls and the grandfather to jump in his car and drive to the scene?

My question, too. It sounds like this was not a random home invasion.

[Ignatz]

Coffey was shot in the head.

Now THAT'S "gun control"!
*sigh* I love a happy ending....

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

On wonders where was Dad and all that. But certainly a 14-year old can take care of himself. Grandad must have been near-by. If it had been my grandson and daughter, I’d want that call. Guy would have been lucky to been shot once.

[PapaBear3625]

911 records probably show that call as OBE (overtaken by events).

But there was enough time for the kid to call mom, mom to call grandpa, and grandpa to drive over

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away (or in this case, maybe half an hour)

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Why waste good ammo on sorry scum?

Pour encourager les autres.

[Condor51]

*** Doesn't it seem strange that the grandfather was called at some point in time after the 911 call was placed, and the grandfather arrived at some point in time prior to the much vaunted police protection? ****

No not at all.
Us grandfathers don't take donut breaks. Ergo our response time is faster.

:-)

[mombrown1]

We have “National Right to self-defense” it’s called the Second Amendment.

[sam_paine]

Harry Smith does have a gun permit, according to authorities. There is no word on if he will face any charges.

Why does he need a gun permit? You don't need a CCW to drive across town to grandson's house.

Besides, it has nothing to do with being justified in the shooting or not.

[Gritty]

Nice shootin’, Gramps!

[VOA]

“I’m afraid if I had a gun I would hesitate to fire and they
would take
it away from me and shoot me with my own gun.”

That’s a legitimate concern. If you don’t have your mind clear about
“carrying through to the end”, the perp(s) could grab your weapon and
turn it on you.

BUT...in a place as enlightened as Texas about allowing law-abiding citizens
to reasonably defend themselves...the visual presentation of a
12 gauge shotgun alone can often deter criminals. And you can load it
with a wide range of rounds, e.g., a #6 shot with a modest load of
powder that generally won’t pass through the walls of the house and kill
some innocents a few houses down.

Besides, a 12-gauge...can be used for hunting fowl, deer and having
fun trap/skeet shooting.
And one should be around the house to be handy if there’s chaos after
a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane.

[JohnD9207]

Don’t forget, “...and was planning on becoming a brain surgeon”.

On his way to Wednesday night choir practice.

Too bad another dead perp...good shooting grampa.
Remember to police your brass.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

I use #4 for my house loads.

[sam_paine]

We have “National Right to self-defense” it’s called the Second Amendment.

Not in DC at this time, not in Killeen, TX at a Luby's in the 80s.

We don't have half the rights we tell ourselves we still do.

[MAexile]

Coffey was shot in the head.
Nice shot, man. Now where’s the deceased’s mother to let the world know what a wonderful guy he was?

Don’t forget a pregnant girlfriend to tell us he was “turning his life around.”

[Mogger]

Personally, I find this a bit hard to believe unless grandpa was a heck of a shot or this is being misreported.

Hitting someone who is running and nailing a head shot is really good shooting!!!

My wife could do it easily.

I'd be lucky to hit him at all.

[oh8eleven]

We need a “National Right to Self Defense” law
We have one and it was written in 1776 ...

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

[mombrown1]

What took the police so long to respond???? Oops I forgot they don’t have an obligation to protect.

[G.Mason]

Got you. Thanks for clearing that up.

Had me puzzled there for a while.

Regards

[Vor Lady]

If you think you really can’t pull the trigger, don’t buy the gun. You might try a really large dog or a small yappy dog who can act as an early warning system; then get out of your house so you can call 911.

[wastedyears]

***We have “National Right to self-defense” it’s called the Second Amendment.***

Explain that to Congress, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.

[Cobra64]

(Why’d he only shoot him once?)

Because the threat was stopped. I hope to God I never have to shoot anyone. But am prepared to do so if my family is in jeopardy.