Man's 'warning shot' kills woman who was robbing him (IL)

Chicago Sun Times ^ | 23 December, 2009 | STEFANO ESPOSITIO

[Smokin' Joe]

If you shoot at someone in self defense, you always tell the cops that you were shooting to kill because you were in fear for your own life. You never fire a “warning shot”. You never shoot to wound. “Honestly officer, it was him or me. I tried my best to kill him.”

As a practical matter, I agree.

I'm a CCW permit holder from way back. The only reason for the firearm to see the light of day is to use it. No piddling, no TV/movie games--if it comes out it is for one reaason only, to stop the perp before they stop me--and that means to shoot to kill.

They'd do the same to me.

But this fellow is in the legal position he is in, so I was just offering a thought on his defense.

I wonder if it is possible if he has offered the warning shot statement because he has not been counseled otherwise, truly meant to fire a warning shot, or is trying to avoid allegations of 'hate' because the shot was effective.

[Dr. Sivana]

About 6,000 feet. I've ridden by that spot a bunch of times coming home on the 47th St bus from the Red Line.

Merry Christmas! The closest I'd gotten was on the #3 Martin Luther King CTA bus. I stood out like the lone marshmallow in the hot cocoa.

[aruanan]

Merry Christmas! The closest I'd gotten was on the #3 Martin Luther King CTA bus. I stood out like the lone marshmallow in the hot cocoa.

Merry Christmas! Ha ha, same here. I used to take the Cottage Grove bus to go downtown but now just ride the couple miles to the Red Line for the faster shot through to Roger's Park to visit friends. I live about 3 blocks from the O residence and about the same from Calypso Louie's. I've never figured out just where Wm. Ayers lives.

[Dr. Sivana]

I used to take the Cottage Grove bus to go downtown but now just ride the couple miles to the Red Line for the faster shot through to Roger's Park to visit friends.

I lived just one block east of Cottage Grove and and used to take the #4 to downtown for my job at the Hyatt. Once, I fell asleep on the bus at 1AM on a Saturday. When I woke up, the driver announced 76th, 77th. Uh, Ohhhhhh! He suggested I take the bus to the end (95th) and take the train and another bus back.. I prayed to St. Michael the Archangel. The train pulled in almost immediately. When it pulled in at Garfield, I prayed again, and at 2:00am the #55 bus was just pulling in as I got off the rain. Whew! And people ask me why I cling to my car and eschew Mass Transit.

[aruanan]

When it pulled in at Garfield, I prayed again, and at 2:00am the #55 bus was just pulling in as I got off the rain.

Wow. I don't know about the 55th St bus, but 2AM is the last ride for the 47th. Yeah, you wouldn't want to walk between Garfield and Hyde Park. I wouldn't even in the day time. Once when a Chinese friend and I were walking back along Cottage Grove from the Green Line, some kid about 16 came up beside me and was mumbling something. I ignored him because I thought he was trying to sell drugs. Then he asked more loudly if I heard him and he said the next time he saw me on "his" street he'd beat the sh-t out of me and then looked over at my Chinese friend and said, "Not you. You're cool. Just him, cause he's white." An African guy I knew from our student fellowship who was a caseworker and who was as big as one of the Bears told me that when he was out on a case and he saw two or three young guys walking down the street toward him he would cross to the other side. He said that age thought nothing about consequences and only about trying to prove something.

[MediaMole]

Here’s a more complete story...

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/12/woman-found-shot-in-bronzeville-alley.html

The man wrestled the gun away from the woman after she shot her own finger off. He tried to shoot the driver,but the first time he pulled the trigger, the gun failed to fire. Then he escaped from the car, ran off and shot her as she chased him down the alley.

[Lancey Howard]

LOL!!
Stop (BANG!) or I’ll... uh....

[rabidralph]

Good one!

[Lancey Howard]

Actually, claiming that it was a "warning shot" could get you into a heap o' trouble. In essence, you are telling the nice officers that you discharged your firearm (i.e. used deadly force) before you felt you were in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.

Yep, good point.
The best thing to do when you blow away a scumbag thug is just say you were scared, you thought you saw a gun, and you don't remember much else (it all happened so fast). Then shut up and get a lawyer.

[Lancey Howard]

“She was just getting her life turned around”. “She was starting back to school Monday.”

She was an aspiring rap artist.

[spodefly]

It a nice twist to the daily “black gang robs/kills white” story when one of the perps gets ventilated. Doesn’t happen often enough.

Merry Christmas.

[usconservative]

4200 block of South Calumet Avenue

That's one of the worst parts of Chicago. Drug, gang and crack whore haven.

[Aaron0617]

Update: One teen charged with murder of the 21yold he killed - http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/12/robbery-murder-charges-bronzeville-chicago-police.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChicagoBreakingNews+%28Chicago+Breaking+News%29

[Aaron0617]

Also - http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Victim-Accidentally-Kills-Robber-79994287.html

[fortheDeclaration]

I’d say that was a very effictive warning shot.

Yes, probably aiming dead center.