Monday, July 02, 2007



Florida man tried for defending himself against a gang: Norman Borden doesn't want to be the poster boy for Florida's self-defense laws. He never wanted to kill anyone, but he did. He killed two. He was walking his four dogs near his home in the Westgate neighborhood west of West Palm Beach with his friend. It was after 2 a.m. on Oct. 8, in the rough neighborhood where homeless settle and gang activity has grown. There was an altercation between Borden and Juan Mendez, 21, and Christopher Araujo, 19. Heated words were exchanged, the men reportedly threatened to hurt Borden's dogs. He showed them he had a gun. But it wasn't over. The men sped away and picked up Saul Trejo, 21, a documented member of a violent gang. Armed with bats, they headed straight to Borden, and he fired. Fourteen gunshots later, Araujo and Trejo were dead, Mendez injured. Prosecutors said the first five shots fired at the windshield were self-defense, the next nine were murder. "When I called 911 that night, I didn't believe I would be put in jail," Borden said. "The simple fact of the matter was that it was a do-or-die situation." Borden said he's almost positive Mendez, who he said started the incident with taunts and threats, had a gun that night; his attorney told jurors that Mendez had opportunity to hide a gun before deputies and paramedics arrived.... Though Public Defender Carey Haughwout vigorously argued that Borden was immune from prosecution as a result of a 2005 Florida law that became known as the "stand your ground" law, Circuit Judge William Berger declined to dismiss the charges and the case went to trial. Eleven women and one man on the jury reached their not-guilty verdict in two hours. Now he's a free man."


Texas senior shoots robber: "An elderly man shot a 31-year-old man who he said had robbed him at gunpoint late Friday night in northeast Dallas. Charlie Andrew Myers III of Dallas was recovering Saturday from gunshot wounds in the throat and shoulder at Baylor University Medical Center. Amor Kerboua, 79, was driving into the parking lot of his apartment in the 6400 block of Melody Lane, near Northwest Highway and Skillman Street, when a man police identified as Mr. Myers approached him, according to a police report. Mr. Myers put a handgun in Mr. Kerboua's face and demanded money, police said. Thinking it was a joke, Mr. Kerboua pushed the gun away, but Mr. Myers pointed it at his face again. Mr. Kerboua opened his back door and handed Mr. Myers a cup containing $242.50. Mr. Myers then pointed the gun at Mr. Kerboua's stomach and told him, "I'm going to shoot you, [expletive]," according to the police report. Mr. Kerboua then drew a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun from his front pocket and shot Mr. Myers in the throat. Mr. Myers fell to the ground but kept his handgun pointed at Mr. Kerboua, who then fired two more times into Mr. Myers' shoulder, police said. Investigators released Mr. Kerboua, who has a concealed handgun permit, after concluding that he had shot in self-defense."

No comments: