Posted on 04/27/2007 8:54:33 AM PDT by Paved Paradise
Damon Wells will not go home. He is a pariah in his neighborhood. The 25-year-old Cleveland man shot one of the two teens trying to rob him at gunpoint on Saturday in front of his home. The youth he killed, Arthur "Ace Boogie" Buford, was 15. Since the shooting, windows in Wells' home have been shattered and are boarded up. Many in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood have sided with Buford and his accomplice rather than with Wells. Two people close to Wells want to defend him publicly, but they will speak only on the condition of anonymity because of rumors of retaliation. They say Wells is in hiding now, leaning on his family and his faith in God. He is struggling with grief for the boy's family and frustration with how the community turned on him. The trouble began about 8:30 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the corner store less than a block away, but even that can be dangerous in this Mount Pleasant neighborhood just north of Kinsman Road. Last year, one out of 100 residents in the blocks around his home on East 134th Street north of Kinsman Road was robbed or seriously assaulted, according to a Plain Dealer analysis of police data. Wells was prepared. He wore a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol in a shoulder holster. It is unclear if a shirt or jacket hid the holster. That day temperatures rose to 68 degrees. It is also not known what, if anything, Wells bought at the store. He has declined to comment, and police have been guarded in the details they have released. On the way home, Wells saw two teens. One was Buford, who was on probation for a 2006 robbery. He was wearing black sneakers, RocaWear jean shorts and a baggy white T-shirt. The two teens approached Wells - one went in front of Wells, the other behind. He told police he felt threatened. Contrary to previous reports, Wells did not get to his porch. Police say he reached the porch steps, but before he could climb them and run inside to safety, one of the youths - it is not clear which - pulled a handgun and said, "Don't move or I'll pop you." Wells put up his hands. The second youth reached for his pants, and Wells later told police he believed the robber was reaching for a second gun. Wells quickly drew his handgun and fired three shots. One hit Buford in the chest. Both boys ran, but Buford bled profusely. He didn't get 15 yards before he tumbled onto the sidewalk not far from the corner store. A surveillance camera from a building across Kinsman was pointed toward Wells' home. Police have not released the tape, but they said the image quality was poor. It could not have captured a shooting in front of Wells' home. A crowd began to gather around Buford. Emergency workers rushed him to MetroHealth Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m., about 30 minutes after the shooting. Back at home, Wells went inside and put down his gun. A woman in the house and several frantic neighbors called police. When they pulled up outside, Wells was there, hands in the air. He told them the gun was inside. Investigators found three shell casings and blood. On Kinsman Road, they found a handgun that they believe was used in the attempted robbery. They took Wells to jail. He answered their questions and, after consulting with city prosecutors, police released him. Police said all the evidence suggested he had done nothing more than what he had to do. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: gbaird@plaind.com, 216-999-4141
Now this poor man can't go home.
How are we supposed to teach children right and wrong when so many people this glorify the murdered teen thug and persecute the man who likely would be dead if not for conceal and carry?
Sorry for no paragraphs folks (oops).
Tameka is orchestrating this........
The people in his neighborhood who have made him a pariah will be the next victims of street thugs, and richly deserve to be. What did they want him to do? Wait until the little bastards killed him?
Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | April 27, 2007 | Gabriel Baird
Posted on 04/27/2007 11:54:33 AM EDT by Paved Paradise
Damon Wells will not go home. He is a pariah in his neighborhood.
The 25-year-old Cleveland man shot one of the two teens trying to rob him at gunpoint on Saturday in front of his home. The youth he killed, Arthur "Ace Boogie" Buford, was 15.
Since the shooting, windows in Wells' home have been shattered and are boarded up. Many in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood have sided with Buford and his accomplice rather than with Wells. Two people close to Wells want to defend him publicly, but they will speak only on the condition of anonymity because of rumors of retaliation. They say Wells is in hiding now, leaning on his family and his faith in God. He is struggling with grief for the boy's family and frustration with how the community turned on him.
The trouble began about 8:30 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the corner store less than a block away, but even that can be dangerous in this Mount Pleasant neighborhood just north of Kinsman Road. Last year, one out of 100 residents in the blocks around his home on East 134th Street north of Kinsman Road was robbed or seriously assaulted, according to a Plain Dealer analysis of police data.
Wells was prepared. He wore a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol in a shoulder holster. It is unclear if a shirt or jacket hid the holster.
That day temperatures rose to 68 degrees. It is also not known what, if anything, Wells bought at the store. He has declined to comment, and police have been guarded in the details they have released.
On the way home, Wells saw two teens. One was Buford, who was on probation for a 2006 robbery. He was wearing black sneakers, RocaWear jean shorts and a baggy white T-shirt. The two teens approached Wells - one went in front of Wells, the other behind. He told police he felt threatened.
Contrary to previous reports, Wells did not get to his porch. Police say he reached the porch steps, but before he could climb them and run inside to safety, one of the youths - it is not clear which - pulled a handgun and said, "Don't move or I'll pop you."
Wells put up his hands. The second youth reached for his pants, and Wells later told police he believed the robber was reaching for a second gun. Wells quickly drew his handgun and fired three shots. One hit Buford in the chest.
Both boys ran, but Buford bled profusely. He didn't get 15 yards before he tumbled onto the sidewalk not far from the corner store.
A surveillance camera from a building across Kinsman was pointed toward Wells' home. Police have not released the tape, but they said the image quality was poor. It could not have captured a shooting in front of Wells' home.
A crowd began to gather around Buford. Emergency workers rushed him to MetroHealth Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 9:18 p.m., about 30 minutes after the shooting.
Back at home, Wells went inside and put down his gun. A woman in the house and several frantic neighbors called police. When they pulled up outside, Wells was there, hands in the air. He told them the gun was inside.
Investigators found three shell casings and blood. On Kinsman Road, they found a handgun that they believe was used in the attempted robbery. They took Wells to jail. He answered their questions and, after consulting with city prosecutors, police released him.
Police said all the evidence suggested he had done nothing more than what he had to do.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: gbaird@plaind.com, 216-999-4141
It’s NOT a mistake! This is a great place to live, but I thought the same thing. I just saw that rapper M1, or whatever his goofy name is, on 60 Minutes and I’m appalled at this mentality.
One of the PD columnists ALSO had a column today saying she got over 400 calls/emails and only 20 were pro-thug. One of the messages was some black teen telling the columnist to stay out of “black business” or some such crapola.
Who’s Tameka?
Thanks for the repost Blu. Some days are better than others.
Tameka is the cousin of the dead animal. She was quoted as saying, “I can’t believe they [the police] let him walk around free and my cousin is dead!”.........
The only real surprise in the story is that he didn’t get prosecuted. Does he get his gun back?
Sounds like the dead thug was a member in good standing of the local gang.
You’re welcome. I also hate it when other web sites don’t format stuff for my ease! Here, have some coffee:)
So he shot the little barbarian. Maybe the folks on his street should consider giving him a medal -- not breaking his windows.
Black folks want double standards. Here’s a great one.
I guess some of the same people who condemn the man who defended himself are the ones who rally for an end to violence in their neighborhoods. Well this guy helped put an end to violence and countless people have been spared from future robberies, assaults, and perhaps murder. They should celebrate this guy, not trash him.
If there is an address where we can send money to him, I would like to know. He should move to a better area.
Photos would help explain things, I suspect.
And there you have it, in a nutshell, the core of the “black problem.”
The best thing would be to contact the PD author of that article. I thought of sending the poor guy some money myself. He’s only 25 and black as well. It’s a darn shame.
You do make a good point. There was a point made (since several articles in today’s paper were related to this story)about the fact that none of the black clergy have spoken out about this and supported that poor man who defended himself, nor have spoken out about that little thug.
It seems a lot of people seem to focus on his age - 15. But when you’re dead by a robber, whether he was 15 or 30 is sort of moot.
You must not have lived there long if you don't know the origins of the nickname 'the mistake on the lake'. Cleveland is named for Moses Cleaveland. (Note spelling of surname.) So the original mistake on the lake was the spelling of the name of the city.
The city lived up to its name, however, in the 60s and 70s with a series of bad mayors (see Carl Stokes and Dennis Kucinich.)
Not sure what you mean. I know the guy who’s in hiding is a black man and if his picture had been posted, his life would be in worse jeopardy.
I am very angry about this situation, but I think several of the posters on here have nailed it on the head regarding the “black problem.” If this happened in white suburbia, there is no way that guy would be a pariah.
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