Posted on 07/23/2004 7:07:35 PM PDT by Mulder
BARTOW -- Bradley Beck, the wounded robbery victim who shot an innocent bystander as he fired 17 shots at a suspected robber, won't face any criminal charges, a grand jury in Bartow decided Thursday.
Alearria Denmark, a 47-yearold special education teacher suffered two gunshot wounds when she drove up on the shooting scene. She testified before the grand jury and appeared shaken after Circuit Judge Ron Herring announced the jury's decision.
Denmark declined to speak with reporters at the courthouse. Reached later at her home in Lakeland she said the grand jury's decision was wrong and that State Attorney Jerry Hill mishandled the case.
"I can't see how (the State Attorney's Office) can't file charges on Mr. Beck . . . when a citizen can take the law into his own hands and shoot innocent people."
Denmark was wounded twice, near her spine and lower abdomen, and spent 11 days in Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
Beck, 50, who was shot in the head by an armed robber while working at Phillips' Photographers in Lakeland, also testified before the grand jury Thursday.
He left before the decision was announced but during a phone conversation later said he was relieved the criminal investigation was behind him.
"I regret that day ever happened," Beck said. "It would have never happened if he (the suspected robber) hadn't come into that store."
Beck said Denmark has been in his prayers since the shooting. "Since the day I was in the hospital, I've been asking about her."
Hill's decision to take the case to the grand jury was unusual. The grand jury generally reviews first-degree murder and corruption cases.
"On a rare occasion a case comes along that we believe the community needs to give us direction," Hill said. "It turns out this was a good decision."
"No one questions what happened to Ms. Denmark was a tragedy," Hill said.
But he said "a trial would have never reached a decision of guilty."
Denmark was driving her van on Lenox Street about 11 a.m. June 29. Nearby, an armed robber entered Phillips' Photographers at 1505 S. Florida Ave. and demanded money from Beck, a longtime employee who was alone at the store.
Lakeland police gave this account of what happened:
Beck opened the cash register and gave about $100 to the robber, who also demanded Beck's wallet and car keys.
The robber ordered Beck to a back room and shot him, leaving a one-inch scar on his forehead.
The robber was later identified by police as Darrell Logan, 27, of Lakeland, who has served time in prison on an armed robbery conviction. After shooting Beck, Logan ran out the back door, police said. Beck, a target shooter, grabbed his Glock pistol from a holster he had in a briefcase and chased Logan.
From the rear of the building, Beck fired at least six shots at Logan, who ran toward South Florida Avenue. Beck followed Logan and fired more shots as Logan ran toward Denmark's van, which had reached the intersection of Lenox Street and South Florida Avenue.
Logan opened the sliding door of the van but was shot before getting inside, police said.
Police said Beck again opened fire, hitting Logan and Denmark twice. Logan collapsed and was on the ground when police arrived.
In all, Beck fired 17 shots, police said.
When he stopped firing, three shots had struck Logan, who didn't fire back. Investigators said his gun may have jammed inside the shop after he wounded Beck.
Five bullets fired by Beck hit Denmark's van and she was hit by two of the bullets. Two more bullets struck the side of a law office next to Phillips' studio.
The remaining bullets are unaccounted for, according to police.
On Thursday, Beck's lawyer, Rob Griffin, said Beck was worried that Logan might drive to his home, where his invalid mother was staying.
"He had his driver's license, his keys and his address," Griffin said. "He was concerned about his mother."
Logan faces charges of attempted firstdegree murder, armed robbery, robbery and battery. Logan spent more than two weeks at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and was transferred to the Polk County Jail infirmary July 16.
The State Attorney's Office received the case from Lakeland police detectives July 9.
Police Chief Roger Boatner did not return a phone message Thursday.
It's good to see a jury with some commonsense.
17 shots? Where the heck did this guy think all of those bullets were going? If one of them, say hit my kid I'd be pretty damn pissed!
No doubt about it he was justified in going after this mutt who tried to murder him in cold blood, but hells bells man, get CLOSER before you start pumping!
Maybe next time he will try aiming.
Perhaps being shot in the head by the perp had a teensy impact on how long he thought he should wait before returning fire.
Alearria Denmark - stupid dimocrat TWIT!
Maybe getting shot twice has had an effect on her opinion of a guy cracking off 17 shots at an intersection.
And perhaps being held responsible for his actions will have a teensy effect on his temper.
You mean like the TRAINED NYC cops who fired 47 shots from 20 feet away at an innocent man who pulled out his wallet to show ID. Oh yeah, I think they hit him a total of 3 times, but did kill him.
I seem to recall they all walked too.
The guy had already been shot in the head, I find it hard to judge his decision-making very harshly.
He just got shot in the head. He probably thought he was a goner, and the last thing he was going to do was take out the thug that shot him in the head. Good for him.
If one of them, say hit my kid I'd be pretty damn pissed!
He didn't hit any kids. He hit a woman who was about to get carjacked and probably raped and murdered by a fleeing felon. Tragic? Yes. But he probably saved her life.
No doubt about it he was justified in going after this mutt who tried to murder him in cold blood, but hells bells man, get CLOSER before you start pumping!
He should have kept a rifle on hand also, for just this purpose.
3 hits of out 17 is better than many cops do in a 'real fight'.
Mr. Beck was acting in defense of his life. In the process he probably saved the life of Mrs. Denmark, not to mention saving her some trauma to areas below her belt.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone that attempts to bring criminal or civil charges against someone else that was acting in self-defense is a real POS.
Even moreso, when they probably save your life.
I'm glad he chased the perp down and shot him.
If more Americans did the same, our streets would be much safer.
perhaps the store owner thought the van was a getaway vehicle and that the robber was trying to get in...
that's my story...
or would have been, but i do believe denmark is entitle to compensation from beck... but she should also thank him for saving her from logan...
teeman
3 hits of out 17 is better than many cops do in a 'real fight'.
If those TV tapes of cops getting into shoot outs are any indication most cops are too busy going all girly to shoot straight. They act like they have never considered that the shite might hit the fan one day. (I actually believe this is true).
I love watching the one where the State Trooper jinks away from a mutts murderous shot, pops up, one hands (no time for two) his semi-auto and fires like he is laser locked on the guy. THAT'S the way to respond!
That is why God created the shotgun...
There is no evidence in the record to justify any such assertion. Based on a preponderance of the evidence, the jury finds for Mrs. Denmark.
From the story:
"Logan opened the sliding door of the van but was shot before getting inside"
Get real. Do you think he was planning to *ask* her for permission to get into her van?
He was armed with a deadly weapon that he had just used to commit multiple forcible felonies. Now he was about to commit additional forcible felonies against a mindless blissninny that had neither the strategic not tactical common sense to protect herself.
She was probably yakking in her cellphone when the perp tried to carjack and kidnap her.
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