Posted on 04/24/2007 6:32:15 AM PDT by Fudd
Damon Wells is the man gun supporters were imagining when they fought for the right to carry concealed weapons.
He had a permit to carry his gun, and he had the gun on him when a pair of teenage thieves approached him Saturday night on his front porch in Cleveland.
When one of the youths pulled a gun, Wells drew his and shot one of the boys several times in the chest, police said. Arthur Buford, 15, died after stumbling away and collapsing on a sidewalk near East 134th Street and Kinsman Road.
City prosecutors decided Monday that Wells, 25, was justified and would not be charged for what appears to be the first time a concealed-carry permit holder has shot and killed an attacker.
Nonetheless, the shooting reignited the debate that flared three years ago when Ohio's concealed-carry law took effect.
Gun supporters said the weapon saved Wells' life. Opponents said it took Buford's - that the 15-year-old might be alive if a citizen had not been armed.
An angry throng of about 30 youths gathered Monday and set up a memorial at the intersection where Buford, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School, died.
His cousin, Tameka Foster, 21, questioned why police did not punish Buford's shooter.
"They let that man run out freely," Foster said. "My cousin is dead."
Buford's accomplice disappeared after the shooting and had not been caught as of Monday night. Police found a .38-caliber handgun in the mail chute of a nearby house. They believe it belonged to Buford or the other suspect, Lt. Thomas Stacho said.
Police took a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson firearm from Wells as evidence, the police report shows.
Both sides of the gun debate said it was sad that a teenager died.
"It's tragic," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "Anytime somebody dies, it's tragic, but it's hard to have any sympathy when he chose to have a gun and go threaten somebody's life." Irvine said it was "great that a potential victim is able to continue his life instead of having a criminal take it."
Toby Hoover, of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said she had not heard of any other fatal shooting involving a concealed-carry permit holder.
"This is one of the few where they actually used it to stop a crime," Hoover said.
But, she said, "there's still a dead kid here."
A man who answered a phone number for Wells refused to comment and hung up. No one answered the door at Wells' home.
Plain Dealer reporters Jesse Tinsley and Brie Zeltner and researcher Cheryl Diamond contributed to this story.
I bet the dead thug’s friends are thinking twice this morning about robbery as a career path.
The taxes saved on the trial, prison and liberal ‘rehabilitation’ programs are the cherry on top.
Wells' action saved several lives. In fact, we'll never know how many lives will have been saved because of it:
the gun used in the attempted robbery would have been present in any case...
Other the other hand, the altletically gifted ‘utes, seem not to work, or if they do they seem very, very tired. Kind of like Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox.
Oh my gosh, this is so insane!
Atta-boy!
Looks like Mr. Wells might be a "Mr. Majestic" of Cleveland.
In my mental world, Mr. Wells would get a gold gun from the Mayor.
Hmmm.... I think they should reward the guy by giving him the perps S&W .40. OR since he is not using it any more, I’ll take it ;o)
You could also think of it as taxes on a more direct scale. The disadvantaged ‘yoots’ need stuff and the man had it.
Let me fix that wentence.
Opponents said it took Buford's - that the 15-year-old might be alive if a citizen had not been armed he hadn't been so stupid.
I agree....clinical progression is idiot, imbicile, moron....she is beyond idiot, but not quite moron...that makes her am imbicile...
To hell with the supporters of that feral teenager who was shot!
Hopefully the first of many such shootings in OH.
Well done Mr. Wells.
L
they all need to assume room temperature. She is so stupid that she is unwilling to understand that he brandished a gun and got what he deserves.
The entire "community" that thinks that way is lost. After hearing the rapper on Hannity blame the CIA and corporate America for drugs in the ghetto, I realized that the entire thought process has been bastardized to the point where there are "two societies".
The criminals with the entitlement mentality think that even defending yourself is "wrong and racist". Why with a career path as "thief" and "player" you'd think that the risk benefit ratio would be understood.....but then again that would take thinking above a 2nd grade level.
Jesse Jackson, Sharpton and all the other "black" leaders have done more to kill African-Americans than all the klansmen combined.
they are reaping the whirlwind of public school education and no morals at home.
The ghettos have been living with "the ultra-violence" for awhile now.... the media is not able to hide the hateful, pathetic, ignorant, twisted thought processes any longer of the liberal mindset.
Listen to the hate filled, anti-Christian, class warfare speech of the Virginia Tech shooter...... sounds like any liberal professor or democrat speech.
City prosecutors decided Monday that Wells, 25, was justified and would not be charged for what appears to be the first time a concealed-carry permit holder has shot and killed an attacker.
Permanent rehabilitation!
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