'I didn't want to shoot anybody'

[Sharon (Premo)]

The same six bullets sat in the cylinder of the man's .38 special for 35 years until he fired four of them at someone who crashed through his bedroom window Wednesday.

The apparent housebreaker, 34-year-old Demetrious Groves, a downstate man who moved a block away from the apartment about three months ago, was taken to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. He died about an hour after he arrived.

The apartment's resident, a 68-year-old man, said he was watching the news on television when he got up and went into his bedroom about 6 p.m.

Because the man has not been charged with any crime, The Herald News is not identifying him.

"When I got to the door, I heard a loud thump at my window," said the retired electronic technician who served aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War.

"I took a few steps to my window, and this big black guy threw himself through my window," he said.

The intruder hit the floor, he said, rolled and popped up. The resident grabbed the .38 from his night table and squeezed off four shots.

"I think the last shot, I must have hit him pretty good and he fell down," he said. "He was talking to me. He said, 'A black guy was chasing me so I went through your window.' I said, 'Why did you go through my window? Why didn't you go around the building?'"

The morning after Groves' death, he said he was visited by a man who asked, "Did you shoot my brother?"

"He was nice," the resident said. "He wasn't agitated or mad or anything. He said he wanted to see where he was shot."

He said he brought the man into his bedroom, which was splattered with Groves' blood.

"I told him I was sorry," he said. "He just shook my hand or hugged me, or whatever. He cried a little bit, and he left."

'I didn't want to shoot anybody' :: Herald News :: News

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

...if this gun crazed lunatic had observed proper gun safety and control and had kept his firearm locked up and/or disassembled and/or unloaded and kept the ammunition in another county, this never would have happened.

[JimW711]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...if this gun crazed lunatic had observed proper gun safety and control and had kept his firearm locked up and/or disassembled and/or unloaded and kept the ammunition in another county, this never would have happened.

Right........... he most likely wouldn't be alive to tell anyone exactly what happened. His relatives would most likely be making arrangements for his funeral.

[Xaquin44]

I don't see anyone saying he was in the wrong.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by JimW711

Right........... he most likely wouldn't be alive to tell anyone exactly what happened. His relatives would most likely be making arrangements for his funeral.

...besides the point. We have NO idea what a man might actually be up to when he comes crashing into your house. He could have thought it was his home and he'd lost his key. Maybe there was a dangerous bug on the window he was trying to squash for his neighbor. Maybe the frame was rotten and he was just leaning against it. Maybe he thought he'd heard a cry for help?

Sadly, now we'll never know.

[thebird]

Originally Posted by Xaquin44

I don't see anyone saying he was in the wrong.

He wasn't! He's completely right, if you're running from someone...why crash through a window? Run around the building or hide somewhere, but you're asking for trouble jumping through a damn window (if that was EVEN the case)

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Xaquin44

I don't see anyone saying he was in the wrong.

...can he not be? He shot some poor man! Killed him dead! With A GUN!!!

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Originally Posted by Xaquin44

I don't see anyone saying he was in the wrong.

---------------------------------------------------

The man whose window was jumped through did the right thing.
Let's think about this from a first person P.O.V..

For example:

Imagine you are in your living room at 10:00 watching TV, relaxing. Say for argument's sake you keep a pistol by your couch/recliner. Out of nowhere a 6'4' figure crashes through your living room window and rolls to his feet. What would be your first instinct? Go up to this person and ask if he's okay, or "light him up?" The time it takes to ask, "Are you okay?" is more than enough time for this person to lunge at you with a knife; or even worse, shoot you first.

I realize this is pretty much what happened in the article but again, think about it from a first person P.O.V.. Then ask youself, "What would I have done?"

This is a perfect example of 2A rights and until the law says it's wrong to defend against [i]any[i] intruder; wether he's running from somebody or not; or until the law says I am not allowed to protect myself, I'm gonna say the shooter did the right thing.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by DEEKAYPEE8569

---------------------------------------------------

The man whose window was jumped through did the right thing.
Let's think about this from a first person P.O.V..

For example:

Imagine you are in your living room at 10:00 watching TV, relaxing. Say for argument's sake you keep a pistol by your couch/recliner. Out of nowhere a 6'4' figure crashes through your living room window and rolls to his feet. What would be your first instinct? Go up to this person and ask if he's okay, or "light him up?" The time it takes to ask, "Are you okay?" is more than enough time for this person to lunge at you with a knife; or even worse, shoot you first.

I realize this is pretty much what happened in the article but again, think about it from a first person P.O.V.. Then ask youself, "What would I have done?"

This is a perfect example of 2A rights and until the law says it's wrong to defend against [i]any[i] intruder; wether he's running from somebody or not; or until the law says I am not allowed to protect myself, I'm gonna say the shooter did the right thing.

...hate black people, don't you?

[Xaquin44]

I agree with all of you.