British examine Salem (Oregon) shooting

Statesman Journal (Salem Oregon) ^ | July 5, 2003 | DENNIS THOMPSON JR.

[hiho hiho]

Four years ago, a British farmer shot and killed a 16-year-old burglar on his property and wounded an older accomplice.

The wounded intruder, a career criminal with 34 convictions, served 18 months for the burglary.

The Norfolk farmer, a recluse named Tony Martin, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

[Michael121]

Once while I was stationed at FT. Sill, Ok there was a guy I had to chase off my porch at 2:00 am drunk and trying to open my door. I opened it with a loaded .45 which I pointed at his head, he stepped backwards and fell off my porch. About a month later 2 detectives showed up and had this guy in custody. They said he had told them I was his buddy and was hiding a 10' satellite dish in my place. I asked the detective how would I get it through my front door. He said he didn't believe the guy either. I told him the story of the 2:00 am meeting and he said the guy was probably just trying to get me back. But the detective told me 2 things.

1. If someone breaks into your house shoot them once. if you know they are dead that is all you need.

2. If they are still alive empty the gun. Never shoot twice and never reload. But emptying your gun you can always say you were scared and plead it out. If there is a prosecutor who wants to push the issue.

[Criminal Number 18F]

The teenager had broken into Stordahl’s garage and started a fire, Family and friends say he might have been confused and thought he was in his own garage.

So it was this punk's normal custom, to set his garage on fire? Er... how often had he been doing this?

I'm so very glad that the British are sending someone to tell us we've got it all wrong.

Just think, we could have stayed with them, and had Phoney Tony, inbred royalty, bad teeth, and the civilised world's highest rate of home invasions! What were we thinking these 227 years ago? </ sarcasm>

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[pepsionice]

The BBC has an agenda...and its totally anti-US. Its bad enough we have to put up with NPR...but I don't think we really have to play this game. On the positive side...the BBC has been losing viewers for the past 10 years. SkyNews (the Fox boys) has a strong hold on the news content seen by most Brits. I think the crowd that watches BBC are mostly people who were anti-US to start with...and this just pumps them up even more.

If you really wanted to have a laugh, send Fox's Reily over to England and have him interview unemployed 18 year old kids there. While the BBC is busy going anti-US...the business sector is hurting, and thousands of young people aren't going to get jobs...thus becoming part of the permanently unemployed.

[GatekeeperBookman]

Racwe Horse Haines ( Houston,Tx ) got a lady off-Smith & Wesson divorce-she fired the first time by accident, the rest were nervous reations to the first. True. It really was a real case & went just that way. You are on to a real defense. Beside, the guy can't testify.

I believe Louisiana also has the Make My Day Law, unless it was overturned in court.

[OldFriend]

Heard some imbecile on CSPIN this morning. She said SHE is informed because she watches the BBC.............

[SLB]

Oregon is getting to be as bad as California. Sad to also see Southeast Wyoming taking on the flavor of Northeast Colorado. This kid just set a garage on fire and then everyone is upset over his death. What if the next target was the house, would it then be okay? Looks like an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[AAABEST]

As if we don't suffer enough with the alphabet channels, the NYT, the Wasington comPost and CNN, now we have the BBC in our faces too??

HAHAHA. Yeah really.

[SalemStudent123]

Let the dead rest in peace. Tony was a 16 year old kid, not some convicted criminal that has done this kind of stuff before. I knew a lot of people who knew Tony and he wasnt some out of controll kid who wanted to every hurt anyone. He did not try to attack anyone that night.. he was cold and he was just trying to stay warm. At his house he has a fireplace in his shed like thing that he lit fires in to keep warm. He thought he was home. Tony didnt deserve to die. I listened to that 911 tape. When Tony was gasping for air neither of them would help him. Tony was a little guy.. he was in need of help and they just sat there and watched him die. He didnt ask tony who he was or why he was in there he went to the garage holding a gun knowing he was going to shoot someone. Accoring to his wife on the 911 tape he went out there and said... "you son of a bit*h" and the gun went off. Tony didnt even have a chance to think about what was going on. Yes tony was drunk and yes he was too young to be drinking but there are so many teenagers out there who drink everyday. Im not saying it was right of him but i mean damn kids are just trying to have fun while they are young. And about the vandalism thing... Im friends with the girls who threw rocks through his windows and i support them 100%. one of them was tonys girlfriend of 10 months. Her best friend died and there was no reason for it. We have police for a reason, we dont need to go shoot people, cant the cops take care of it? Tony is missed by so many and no matter how bad you try to make him look he was a awesome guy and he was the best friend of many people. He would do anything for them no matter what and i just wanted to let you people know that before you judge him anymore. Rest in peace Anthony Chance Choate!

[Malsua]

You're right!

Let the Chode rest in peace!

[Live free or die]

We have police for a reason, we dont need to go shoot people, cant the cops take care of it?

My friend, before you are banned I would like to answer as many of your points as possible. Someone holding a knife in your face demanding your wallet is not going to sit around waiting for the cops to show up so he can turn himself in.

I own a gun and a permit to carry it with me in public. If a man tries to rob me I will shoot him. Why? Because the cops can't be everywhere and I refuse to be one of those innocent folks who have to lock themselves in their own houses because the criminals walk the streets without fear. In short, I worked for the money in my wallet and I'll be damned before some crack whore tries to take it from me.

[SalemStudent123]

If i were in the same situation i would probably do the same thing but to hear noises in your garage and go out there with a gun and shoot someone without asking one question what so ever or even turning on a light is wrong. Tony was such a young kid and he was really small... why couldnt the guy just put a chair up against the door and called 911?? Tony wasnt in the right mind to go anywhere. Tony was bending down when he was shot, and its not like the fire was out of controll and the room was filled with smoke. He did not get up or approch the guy at all.

[SalemStudent123]

This world cant be perfect like you want it to be. Some people are sick... and it leads them to do stupid stuff. All they need is a little help not to get shot. If you feel so threatened by people maybe you should stay inside. Im sorry but to carry a gun around, to me, is a little much.

[Cynical_Sam]

You are just wrong.

Were you there? If not, how could you possibly pretend to know any of the "facts" you present here. If you were there, you are an accessory to felony attempted murder. That is what setting a fire (drunk or otherwise) in an inhabited building is considered in Oregon and elsewhere.

To your points:
1) Asking questions: Why should he ask questions? It's his garage. It's pretty simple: guy in garage, garage on fire, shoot guy in garage, put out fire. Time for action not debate.
2) Turning on the light: If someone is tending a fire in my garage, I don't need to turn on a light to see... someone tending a fire in my garage. I would probably turn on the light though so I could get a better shot.
3)Little guy: Hitler was a little guy too. So was Charlie Manson. (Still is unfortunately.) Size is irrelevant.
4)Put a chair against the door: And wait while his house burns down? Sorry. Active commission of life-threatening felony = call to action.
5) Tony wasn't in his right mind: True. He was drunk, stoned, and high on cocaine. Duh. FYI Consider that some stoned individual commits a heinous crime that he might not have done while sober. He is still a criminal because he CHOSE to get stoned! Get it? (The Prisons are full of scum that can help you understand.)
6) Tony was bending down: He could have been doing the Watusi while burning down the house for all that his body position matters.
7) Fire out of control: Let's consider the logic: he lit a fire in an attached garage... not in a campground/fireplace. If he was so bombed that he couldn't function, by definition the fire was out of control. Um... fire, garage, no chimney... where do you think the smoke would go???
8)Get up and approach: Oh please. Again, unless you were there, you couldn't possibly know.

Finally, my dear, not that it really matters, but I have a theory: How many times had Tony been arrested already? I'll bet more than three.

[SalemStudent123]

Im not even going to get into this since you know everything and all.

Tony Chance Choate Rest in Peace!!
may 12, 1986 - april 19, 2003
The Good Die Young!!

[choate419]

it hurts so bad to read all of this stuff about my brother you people saying that he was a bad person and that he was going to hurt linn storadahl i can tell you right now that my brother would never hurt any one I knew him for 15 years I think that I would know he woouldnt even kill a bug what makes you think hes would hurt a person. he always put everyone else befor him he was loving careing and harmless all but violent and he sure wasnt going to go into linns house your probally thinking how do you know he wasnt well you see we went to the front door and tried to open it he didnt keep pulling thier was no sign of forced entry if he really wanted to break in he probally would of broke a window. you people are acting like it was some huge fire but it wasnt only 2 inches of the box were burnt how big could it have been not big at all. now this is another thing that you guys shouldnt be saying that my
brother walked towerd linn cause if he was
walkingto him and he shot him in the neck the bulet wouldnt of went into his stomach like it did the people at the autospy place said that the only way it could of was if he was sitting down on the grouned bent over a little bit i found that
strange. linn also said that he was 4 feet away from him when he shot him and he thought he shot him in the arm when your that close how do you miss but the wired thing is that linn said he was in the door way when he shoot him which was measured 8 feet from my brothers bodie so thats not possible that he walked towerd him so that just tells you that linn lies. he wouldnt even atempt to do cpr my brother sufferd for almost 9 minutes but thats okay right cause he was in linns garage and started a box on fire so he deserved it I dont think so i dont see how people can say that he was a (KID) a 16 year old kid not a adult and his chance to become a adult was taken away he always wanted to have kids but now he never can I'll never get to talk to him see his face hear his voice and he cant be here for me when I need him and it hurts so bad cause he was always there for me or anyone who needed him always and im sure that all of his friendsare in pain to its the most pain I've ever felt in my life nothing could ever hurt me more then my brother being taken away from me he was the last person i wanted to lose. R.I.P Anthony chance Choate 16 years old you have a special place in my heart you'll be missed I think about you every day.

[Cynical_Sam]

I agree with some of your points. I appreciate your loss, and understand your anger and frustration. However, the actions that you and your friends reportedly have taken towards the homeowner since this incident puts the lie to your words (sorry) and shows such a complete lack of respect for your brother, yourselves, your community, your country and the law that the hypocrisy in your statement is blinding.

You have the benefit of historical interaction with your brother. From that perspective, you believe he would not have harmed anyone. Nevermind that when he was shot he was doing a harmful, potentially fatal thing. I didn't know your brother, and I agree that he probably didn't deserve to die. Few teenagers do. Sadly enough "deserve" has nothing to do with it. If the same circumstances were presented to me, I would have shot to kill the "dangerous intruder" I would perceive your brother to be... not "your brother." Do you see the difference? You must. It is fundamental.

To imply the homeowner was a bad person, a murderer, or a liar for protecting his life, his home, and his family in a legal and exonerated way is obscene beyond belief. You discredit whatever memories you have of your brother by following such bent and self-serving thinking. Why would you choose to memorialize Tony who was "loving, caring and harmless" in this way? What would he think about you and his friends breaking the law and terrorizing an old man? Pathetic. Heartless. Cruel. Uncaring. Illegal. All the things you claim he wasn't.

If you are brave, honest and/or ethical, I suggest that you may want to talk to your clergyman or Salem PD contact. See if they will arrange a mediated meeting between you and the homeowner. If your brother was a good person, you would be doing yourself and his memory a real service. You also may want to talk to his friends about how they are acting. What they are doing is an offense to you, your family, themselves and your brother's memory.

[inlovingmemoryofacc]

for all you jerks that think that tony was just some juvenille delinquent, he wasnt. i understand that you might have mixed feelings about this issue, so do i. but dont be so f**king cold hearted about it. people wonder why he had so many friends... its because he was a good f**king person. how many of you guys have ever lost a good friend? how many of you people have kids? what if this happened to your son or daughter??? do you think youd be talking this kind of s**t towards them for making a mistake that ended their life? yeah i do believe that tony was in the wrong, but how the hell was he supposed to know that? i mean seriously. tony was part of our family. both of our little sisters have been best friends since the 1st grade. they are both 16 now, and very much aware of what drinking to that extent does to you. i want you guys to know that tony was one of the most respectful guys i ever knew. he had a girlfriend that he loved so much and talked about all the time. he was such a family guy... he loved baseball and life in general, he couldnt wait to start a family of his own one day. i remember walking down to western baptist college to play "catch" with tony. he might have been a prep, but he never put himself before anyone. im not preppy but him and i got along like brother and sister. we were equals and thats what made him such an awesome person. i appreciate all of you guys that are sticking up for him, but these jerkoffs that talk s**t about things they know little about need to get smacked upside the head. to shaundra.... i love you secky! stay strong.and to all of tmoneys other friends you guys crack me up. evertime i see you i think of tonys last bday party at my house on aumsville hwy... that pinata was the shit. how bout the gb's in my old room? lol. damn that room saw a lot of dosha huh guys? haha. ill never forget that tachbird and hopefully neither will any of you!oh and hey all you f**k heads that want to talk s**t to me, or any of tonys other friends.... get over it i know the story and the details so you people that are making uneducated accusations can f**k off ok! tony boney rest in peace, youre missed and loved by so many of us. 5~12~86-4~19~03 IN LOVING MEMORY OF YOU ANTHONY CHANCE CHOATE!