A Montgomery resident Friday fired several shots at a man who shot him twice during an attempted robbery.
Kurtis Watts, 46, of 7048 Old Selma Road was at the car wash at United Food & Fuel at the corner of South Court Street and Fleming Road when he was approached by a man dressed in black.
"A man who appeared to be 18 or 19 years old produced a handgun and told Watts to 'give it up,'" said Lt. Huey Thornton, a police spokesman. "The man then shot Watts twice, once in the upper shoulder and once down near the hip."
Watts apparently had a gun in his waistband and fired five to six shots at his attacker. It is not known if the attacker was struck, Thornton said.
Watts was taken to Baptist Medical Center South with serious injuries.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050917/NEWS01/509170314/1007 September 17, 2005
Mayor Bobby Bright began the BONDS fifth annual Mayor's Neighborhood Conference with an explanation of comments he made earlier this week about residents arming themselves with guns against crime.
"I was delayed because I was in my office talking about guns," Bright said to laughter from the crowd of more than 200.
Bright told the group at the Mann Museum on Friday evening that property criminals are being released quicker than the Montgomery Police Department can get them off the streets.
"The only other avenue I know is to protect yourself with a weapon of your choice," Bright said. "Make sure you are the one who walks away from the crime and not the criminal."
He also suggested business owners stop telling their clerks and employees to give criminals the money.
"I'm trying to reverse the perception of criminal activity without resistance," Bright said, adding that the Police Department will train anyone to use a weapon free of charge.
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