Posted on 02/21/2007 6:25:44 AM PST by Rodney King
16-year-old kills home intruder Police say teen ID'd masked, unarmed man as high school acquaintance
By KATHY JEFCOATS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/21/07
Clayton County police said a 16-year-old boy was "in fear for his life" Tuesday morning when he shot and killed a masked, unarmed intruder who broke into his Riverdale home.
Interim Chief Jeff Turner said the alleged shooter, identified by neighbors as Wes Stephens, has not been charged in the shooting on Camp Road, off Flat Shoals Road near the Fulton County line.
Stephens told police he heard a window break about 11:30 a.m. in the garage of the house he shares with his parents.
"He got his father's pistol, a semiautomatic, and fired multiple times," Turner said. "The intruder went to some lengths to disguise himself, wearing black clothes and a black bandanna across his face."
After shooting the intruder in the garage, Stephens recognized the man as Marques Karun McGhee, 19, of Riverdale, a former North Clayton High School acquaintance, Turner said.
Wes Stephens' father, Wesley Howard Stephens, had withdrawn his son from North Clayton High School because of danger caused by gangs, Turner said.
Turner said police are looking for a second person who may have dropped McGhee off on Camp Road, a mostly black neighborhood of modest ranch homes on 1- and 2-acre lots, and then fled when shots were fired.
Obscene graffiti with racial overtones directed toward "Wes" is sprayed in white paint on the road in front of the Stephens home and along Camp Road. Stephens is white, McGhee black.
Neighbors Dan and Linda Harris said the graffiti showed up about 45 days ago.
"I don't know if it's gangs, a black and white thing or just stupidity," Dan Harris said. "I know we've known Wes since he was a little boy, he used to swim in our pool and we've never had any trouble out of him."
Turner said police are looking into claims that McGhee was a member of the Hit Squad, a local gang that figured prominently in the July 2004 shooting death of a toddler inside a Riverdale park.
McGhee was not a suspect in that shooting.
Clayton County court records show McGhee had two outstanding criminal cases — one involving misdemeanor possession of marijuana, the other a felony charge of theft by receiving stolen property.
OTOH, the bad guy was unarmed but no charges are being filed.
I don't understand. Is the boy that shot the intruder black or white? Is the boy that was shot black or white? What does race have to do with shooting someone that is breaking into your house.?
I can't make heads or tails of that either. Someone breaks into my home, they're just gonna be red. Blood red.
The bad guy was unarmed??
What does that have to do with anything remotely involving a masked intruder breaking into an occupied home???
RTFA
I don't get it either, nor could I figure it out from the article. I don't know what color has to do with a breaking and entering and attempted burglary.
I'm not trying to be a jerk but are you guys being purposely obtuse?
The article plainly states that racial crap was written about the white family in the street. Rodney correctly pointed out that this would have been national news with civil rights lawsuits filed and a day of healing had this been done to a black family.
There is a huge racial double-standard in this nation. THAT is Rodney's point.
Come on, we've seen it a million times, even when the criminal has a gun the homeowner has to sweat it out, did he use excessive force, did he really see a gun, where was the guy standing, etc. It looks like the PC brigate of criminal-rights crybabies aren't in charge this time.
"RTFA"
LOL! No kidding. Jeez.
You could try RTFA. It's only a few sentences long.
*ahem*
"Obscene graffiti with racial overtones directed toward "Wes" is sprayed in white paint on the road in front of the Stephens home and along Camp Road. Stephens is white, McGhee black."
Nothing, but it has everything to do with the reporting.
Remember that gay guy up in wyoming a few years back? A non-incident really, not worth much more than a few lines in the local papers, except for the fact he chose to sleep with other men, suddenly it was national, fron page news for months.
Ah, I missed the sentence that stated that Stephens is white. When I read it, I didn't see that part, and thought that the writer was implying that Wes was white but never came out and said it. My bad, but in my defense, I haven't been sleeping that well and have only had one cup of coffee today.
Clayton County court records show McGhee had two outstanding criminal cases..
Not any more ;-)
Nice of the AJC to publish the name of a minor in a case like this. Had the perp been a minor we still wouldn't know his name.
Wes Stephens - the shooter - is black. McGhee - the one who was shot - is white. The neighborhood is predominantly black, from the story.
What does race have to do with shooting someone that is breaking into your house.?
That's what I'd like to know, because I don't care what race the intruder is black, white, asian or martian... they fidna' get hurt if they break into my home.
Perhaps I should amend my previous post and state that I am evidently confused, as well!!! ;-P
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