Homeowner charged after shooting intruder

WorldNetDaily ^ | January 10, 2004 | WorldNetDaily

[joesnuffy]

WEAPONS OF CHOICE Homeowner charged after shooting intruder Family protected but suburban town prohibits possession of handguns

Posted: January 10, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

A Chicago-area homeowner protected his family by shooting an intruder but was charged with violating a local ordinance banning possession of handguns.

Wilmette, Ill., Police Chief George Carpenter believes charges against Hale DeMar, 54, underscore the suburban village's serious concerns about the shooting, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"The outcome of the matter in this case was very fortunate for the homeowner," he said. "We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

DeMar also is charged with violating state law by failing to renew his Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification Card after it expired in 1988, the Tribune said.

Morio Billings, 31, is accused of entering the DeMar home twice within 24 hours. He allegedly crawled through a dog door in the garage then returned with a stolen house key.

Prosecutors say Billings crashed through the home's front window after he was shot then drove himself to the hospital in the family's SUV, which he had stolen the night before.

Billings, convicted last year of a similar home burglary in an affluent Minneapolis suburb, is now in the Cook County Jail with bail set at $3 million.

Police said DeMar shot Billings in the shoulder and calf at about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in the kitchen of his home.

DeMar, a restaurant owner, faces up to a year in jail, a $2,500 fine or court supervision or probation if convicted on the charge of owning a handgun without a valid firearms card. The village's handgun ordinance carries a separate fine of up to $750.

He is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 6 to face both charges.

The Tribune said the case has prompted dozens of people from out-of-state to contact village officials with complaints about DeMar's treatment.

Chief Carpenter insists local residents have responded favorably, however.

"Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes," he told the Tribune. "We see handguns stolen, used in domestic arguments or suicides. Those are far more likely outcomes than when you would actually need a handgun to defend yourself."

Carpenter said he regrets "the intrusion on this family's privacy."

"He strikes us as being a good man with a good heart who did something that apparently came naturally to him," he said of DeMar. 'That's why it's important the Wilmette police speak out now."

The Tribune noted the city of Chicago and a number of other municipalities in the area also ban possession of handguns.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, told the Tribune he believes handgun bans are outrageous.

"The right to self-defense is the right that all creatures on this Earth have, including Wilmette," he said. "What they do is they make the citizens in these villages and towns fair game."

[07055]

Chief Carpenter insists local residents have responded favorably, however. "Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes," he told the Tribune.

I'm sure the good Chief never brings his handgun home at the end of the day. I wonder if he puts a sign on his front door, "Homeowner is unarmed---this is a weapon free zone."

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[Old Grumpy]

As I've said for YEARS: the victims have no rights but the criminals have them all.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

..."Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes," ...

A Felon must be protected as he rapes, pillages and murders his way through life. Armed home owners are so last century.

[goldstategop]

I'd take my chances with a jury. The government can't take away my right of self defense - and all attempts to do so under color of official authority are both unconstitutional and immoral. If they want to prosecute the homeowner, I'd say let them - its the D.A that will end up looking silly.

[cynicom]

"We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

I would bet my last dollar that if anyone broke into the chiefs house he would use a firearm to protect himself. What an idiot and a hypocrit to boot.

[Pearls Before Swine]

"Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes,"

Was Mr. DeMar?

[Arkie2]

"Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes," he told the Tribune"


He should have told the intruder, politely, please leave and don't come back. Alternately, he could have plugged the SOB with a 12 gauge. I like the second option better.

[PistolPaknMama]

"We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

Excellent idea! And in the 20 minutes it takes for the cops to arrive, the intruder can just go down the hall and rape your daughter and bash your son's head in while you are locked safely in your room.

[07055]

We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

So, Chief, if I do that, and my family is killed or maimed, can I hold you personally responsible for the damage if your officers don't get there in time?

[Diva Betsy Ross]

This is what totalitarianism looks like as it starts out.

Someone should charge the city and state with violation of Demar's human rights. Or maybe we actually need an amendment to the Consitution stating what was obvious to the founders - that we are all born with the unalienable right to defend ourselves as well.

From the looks of this I'm not sure who we face greater danger from - the criminals or the enabling totalitarians. I think we can handle the criminals without the Totalitarians - but I'm not sure the converse is true.

What a fun jury to be on.

[Ladysmith]

"Wilmette residents are much safer without a handgun in their homes," he told the Tribune.

And all guns in a household should have trigger locks and stashed in a gun safe... /sarcasm

What a bunch of crap. Not the America the Founding Fathers intended.

[HighWheeler]

"Wilmette, Ill., Police Chief George Carpenter: "We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

Well Chief, I'm betting you would lock you door and call 911 in that same situation, you know, to set the example for the rest of us, right Chief?

[tpaine]

Police said DeMar shot Billings in the shoulder and calf at about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 29 in the kitchen of his home.

DeMar, a restaurant owner, faces up to a year in jail, a $2,500 fine or court supervision or probation if convicted on the charge of owning a handgun without a valid firearms card. The village's handgun ordinance carries a separate fine of up to $750.

---

How stupid of the homeowner to use an 'illegal' handgun..
-- A load of 12ga buckshot to both sholder & calf would have been the perfect final solution to societies Billings problem..
He would have bled out on the kitchen floor.

[tpaine]

No More Gore Anymore wrote:
"What a fun jury to be on."

---

The jury will be instructed to convict on the basis that "the law is the law", -- jury nullification is not to be permitted..

-- Or at least many 'freepers' have been telling me this is so, here:

Simkanin guilty of 29 counts of tax violations
Address:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1053839/posts

[Manic_Episode]

You all need to do what I do and keep a rolled up copy of the Brady Bill on the nightstand and when a bad guy shows up I hit him with it on the nose 3 or 4 times Isn't that nice?

Sincerely

ROSIE O'DONNELL

[cartoonistx]

I don't find this to be as much a 2nd amendment issue (unless ALL firearms are also banned) as I do a real good reason to move away from that village! Many communities in the Old West required the surrender of "sidearms" in town. The same reasoning existed then as now; public safety, domestic violence, etc. Heck, if a city wants to ban all guns or provide guns to their citizens for free they should be so allowed. As long as the vote is fair and no one is kept from leaving...

[Ghengis]

"The outcome of the matter in this case was very fortunate for the homeowner," he said. "We much prefer, for the safety of the home, that a resident who finds himself in this situation immediately lock the door of the room he's in and dial 911."

I propose that each police officer do the same. When confronted with a situation that endangers their life, the police officer locks his/herself in their cruiser and call for their sergeant to come defend them.

The same can be done with elected officials. No bodyguard detail. Lock yourself in somewhere safe and call the police.

Imagine the tax dollars we'll save!

"He strikes us as being a good man with a good heart who did something that apparently came naturally to him," he said of DeMar. 'That's why it's important the Wilmette police speak out now."

Yes. Defense of yours and your loved ones' lives is natural Chief Doofus!

"The right to self-defense is the right that all creatures on this Earth have, including Wilmette," he said. "What they do is they make the citizens in these villages and towns fair game."

Some people still get it.

[PLK]

We see handguns stolen, used in domestic arguments or suicides. Those are far more likely outcomes than when you would actually need a handgun to defend yourself."

These are supposed to be VALID reasons for banning handguns in homes?? What kind of twisted logic is this? Quite frankly, I don't care if others use guns in domestic arguments or suicides, not my problem. Give them the Darwin Award. Just don't force me and my family into situations of helplessness because dysfunctional people might do stupid things. Sheesh. Such typical liberal thought, it makes me sick.