Mattapan store owner shoots hammer-wielding robber
By adamg - 2/15/11 - 9:43 pm
Channel 7 tweets the owner of Essential Body Herbs, 1282 Blue Hill Ave., shot a robber who tried to hold the store up tonight with a hammer and that the owner had a license to carry the gun.
UPDATE: Boston Police report the man, Raymond Sims, 47, entered the store, threatened a clerk and demanded money. Instead of complying, however, the clerk ran down to the basement to get the owner - who came up with a gun.
Police say they found Sims outside the store with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Boston Medical Center for treatment. Police add they are in the process of figuring out what to charge Sims with.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Somewhere, an angel got his
Somewhere, an angel got his wings.
Score one for the good guys.
Score one for the good guys.
The obvious
Never bring a hammer to a gunfight.
YES!!!!! Good for the shop
YES!!!!! Good for the shop owner!
Nope
They can start with illegal discharge of a firearm.
The shop owner's almost certainly going to jail for murder or manslaughter.
The clerk ran away into the basement; pretty good proof that both of them were able to escape, which means lethal force isn't justified.
It'll be hard to argue that they believed their lives were in eminent danger if they came back to where the thief was and confronted him, instead of calling police, barricading themselves, leaving, etc.
Lastly: multiple shots pretty well nix the self defense argument.
$50 says at least one bullet entered the guy from the side or back.
Unfortunately Nate is right.
Unfortunately Nate is right. As much as i want to defend the shop owner, the law is pretty clear on this one. Once the clerk left, there was no immediate life-threatening danger, so lethal force cannot be used.
Yup
The discharge isn't illegal if it's in self-defense or defense of another.
Someone usually has to die before another person is charged with murder or manslaughter.
If the assailant pursued the clerk then no further retreat was necessary.
Multiple shots do not nix self-defense or defense of another.
Given your position on these points, which is wrong on everything, then I might just take that $50 bet.
What'd you write to Ron Newman earlier? "Keep your day job?" Why don't you do that?
Maybe
Written laws are nice, but you would have to find a jury that will convict the guy.
First of all....The suspect
First of all....The suspect didn't die.
Second....When it comes to the use of deadly force in a business or home the law states you are required to retreat if such retreat can be accomplished with complete safety to yourself and others!
In other words, the law isn't saying you have to turn your back and create a bullseye for a criminals gun or weapon. The law merely wants deadly force to be a final resort when employed by a reasonable and prudent citizen in self defense. No more, no less.
Where is there any proof they could get away completely safely without risk of harm?
Perhaps, for whatever reason they couldn't get out through the basement and didn't have time to "barricade" themselves, then they probably came up the stairs attempting to flee and were cornered by a hammer weilding low life robber threatening to bash there brains in. At that point you better believe he would have every right to shoot that sucker dead. It also appears the store owner brandished the gun which any right-minded criminal would take as the sign to chock it up and leave. The guy probably didn't comply and is now threatening there lives. Not really much time to make a phone call, explain your situation and give an address. Yep...Just dial away while you're getting your head beat in with a hammer. It's not a TV show...these types of things happen so fast in reality. WBZ radio says the store owner attempted to shoot him in the foot or leg rather than kill him. Sounds like he actually spared this criminals life. Too bad!
Doubtful there will be any charges against the store owner.
Also...."Multiple shots nix
Also...."Multiple shots nix the self defense argument" ???
This statement is completely false and makes no sense!
In many documented shooting incedents it takes more than one bullet to bring a man down. Many cases where an individual is enraged or on drugs and a poorly placed shot does not stop them from advancing or attacking. When taking a firearms self defense course you're taught to "put a couple of well placed rounds" into the attacker's chest area to ensure they are stopped. Especially with a smaller caliber weapon like a .380.
shooting
Should have finished him off, now he has to worry about this punk coming back.