Teen, 16, 'justified' in dad's shooting, man broke into home with knife (MI)

Flint Journal ^ | June 6, 2002 | Bryn Mickle

[tarawa]

Teen, 16, 'justified' in dad's shooting, man broke into home with knife

Thursday, June 6, 2002

By Bryn Mickle JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Flint - A 16-year-old boy was justified when he shot and killed his father Tuesday after the man burst through the front door at 3 a.m. holding a knife and a baseball bat, Genesee County Prosecutor Arthur A. Busch says.

The man's estranged wife had obtained a court order to keep him away from the family's home on Hastings Street near Tuscola Avenue in Flint after a May 14 incident in which he allegedly broke into the home and choked her, before being stopped by the boy.

"The system was not capable of protecting this family," Busch said.

Police said Owen Q. Sharpe, 52, made several phone calls to the house about 2 a.m. Tuesday, then tried to break in through the front door about an hour later.

The teen heard the commotion then saw a white-gloved fist break through the door, Busch said.

The teen, armed with a .22-caliber rifle, fired a warning shot at the door casing, but Sharpe unlocked the door and came in carrying a baseball bat and a folding buck knife.

Busch said the teen backed up, then shot his father once in the chest. Sharpe died at Hurley Medical Center.

The shooting was self-defense, said Busch, adding that Sharpe had a long history of mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence.

Sharpe's estranged wife, Dolores, told a judge last month that Owen Sharpe choked her May 14 because he did not think she would punish her son for driving her car without a driver's license. Owen Sharpe allegedly grabbed a knife in the incident, but was stopped by the boy.

Busch said the family had done everything right in obtaining a personal protection order and filing police reports against Sharpe.

Bryn Mickle is the afternoon police reporter. He can be reached at (810) 766-6383 or bmickle@flintjournal.com.

[Neil E. Wright]

Here's an indexing bump to the *bang_list for 2A issues.

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Toward FREEDOM

[Chemist_Geek]

Boy that DA sure is smart to figure that one out.

That's the DA who, after his side (the anti-rights side) lost the CCW reform fight the other year, put anti-gun bilgewater pamphlets from MPPGV into the letters sent successful to Concealed Pistols License applicants.

I'd think getting him to admit a shooting was justified is rather like pulling teeth...

[trussell]

bump

[cleancutguy]

don't know if I could shoot a 22 rifle at close range like that in the dark and be able to hit anything with accuracy. With a .22 you have to shoot for the head to do any damage, thick leather jackets could stop / deflect those bullets

Your kidding, right? A .22 rifle would be the easiest thing in the world to hit with in that circumstance, though it would be much more difficult to retain in a struggle if your opponent got hold of it. As for penetration, a .22 will penitrate as much or more than your average service caliber hollow point ammo -- about ten inches from a pistol, and over 12 from a rifle.

[cleancutguy]

penitrate = penetrate

[Spirited]

"I'd think getting him to admit a shooting was justified is rather like pulling teeth..."

One could hope that the "citizens" would go after him if he didn't.

[lelio]

I was thinking that a .22 rifle of an average length would be a bit unwieldly in a situation where you're awakened at night and stumbling through the house, with its close hallways, etc.
Your penetration numbers might be correct, but penetration doesn't equal stopping power; for example I can push a needle through my finger and it doesn't stop me one bit beyond a whincing pain. Not to start a caliber flame war or anything :)

[Chemist_Geek]

One could hope that the "citizens" would go after him if he didn't.

Unfortunately, he's in Genessee county, which contains the city of Flint. Flint unfortunately is, as you might know, Detroit North, and on a slightly smaller scale.