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MILWAUKIE, Ore. -- An intruder in Milwaukie tried to break into a home after he had already walked into two other apartments and had a gun pulled on him Friday night. In one, he followed Crystal McKinney upstairs and inside. She knew something wasn't right. "I backed up and I said 'What are you doing?'" McKinney said. "He said, 'Do you want to meet God?' I went to my room and got my gun. I said get out or I will shoot you." She said the man turned to leave, so she followed him, shut the door, and called 911....

BOSTON, Mass. (AP) - The mother of Trayvon Martin will speak at Harvard Law School about changing "stand your ground" self-defense laws. Sybrina Fulton will be joined by her attorney, Benjamin Crump, at Monday's event. Fulton's 17-year-old son was shot in central Florida in 2012 by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of second-degree murder in July....

Underlying all “gun control” ideology is this one belief.” “Private citizens don’t need firearms because the police will protect them from crime.” That belief is both false and dangerous for two reasons. First, the police cannot and do not protect everyone from crime. Second, the government and the police in most localities owe no legal duty to protect individuals from criminal attack. When it comes to deterring crime and defending against criminals, individuals are ultimately responsible for themselves and their loved ones. Depending solely on police emergency response means relying on the telephone as the only defensive tool. Too often,...

Sitting in a wheelchair and shaking, Jerry Harryman was sentenced Wednesday to almost six years in prison for shooting a man who punched him during a Fred Meyer checkout line scuffle. . . . Harryman, who did not testify at his trial, said he told Young that he was armed. It was a warning, not a threat, Harryman said. Young responded, "I don't give a (expletive). I'm gonna (expletive) you up," Harryman said. Harryman said he had seconds to deal with an unprovoked attack.

Grace Miranda and other supporters of Trayvon Martin rally in front of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s office to ask him to retract his support for the state’s “Stand your ground” gun law in April 2012. A panel of Florida lawmakers shot down a proposal to repeal the state's "Stand your ground" law but approved an amendment to allow immunity for those who fire a warning shot, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Nearly 300 people attended the vote to give their opinion on the controversial law that has been in the national spotlight and under intense scrutiny since the shooting of...

Question: Can you “stand your ground” according to halacha as George Zimmerman allegedly did when he killed Trayvon Martin? Answer: According to halacha, if someone is running after you to kill you, that person is classified as a rodef and you may kill him. However, this is only the case if you have no other option. If wounding the rodef is sufficient to stop him, you may not kill him. If you do nonetheless, you are a murderer (see Rambam, Hilchot Rotzei’ach 1:6,7) The Mishnah L’Melech, however, takes a different position (see his comments to the Rambam’s Hilchot Chovail U’Mazik...

When new Police Chief Cecil Smith arrived in Sanford, Fla., in April, he suspended the city's neighborhood watch program — the one under whose auspices George Zimmerman had patrolled the streets until he fatally shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. Now Smith is restarting the program, but the police department says it will exercise more control over volunteers, including doing background checks and asking them not to carry guns. "We just don't see the need for anybody to be armed," Smith told the Associated Press. Smith has chosen to ask the volunteers rather than order them, perhaps because Florida law allows...

EADING, Pa. - November 4, 2013 (WPVI) -- Authorities in Berks County say two robbery suspects were shot and killed by a concerned citizen outside a Reading convenience store. "He was very brave, very brave. He could have ran away, he chose not to," Berks County District Attorney John Adams said. It was just after 2:00 p.m. when shots rang out outside Krick's Korner Market on the 1600 block of North 9th Street. Adams says cameras were rolling as the men, donning masks and armed with guns, entered the store and terrorized employees, pointing their weapons and making demands. More...

'Three killed' in Norway bus hijack Breaking news Three people have been killed in the hijacking of a bus in Norway, media reports say. The suspect, a man in his 50s of foreign origin, has been arrested, police told Norway's TV2 news channel. The man was said to have been armed with a knife. There were no immediate details of the number of injured. The attack - which was initially reported as a traffic accident - took place around 17:30 local time (GMT) in the central town of Ardal.

Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said today the U.S. and the rest of the democratic world is at a security crossroads in the wake of last month’s deadly al-Shabab attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya – and suggested an answer could be in arming civilians. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Noble said there are really only two choices for protecting open societies from attacks like the one on Westgate mall where so-called “soft targets” are hit: either create secure perimeters around the locations or allow civilians to carry their own guns to protect themselves. [snip] In...

This is a story of a mass shooting that might have been if not for the efforts of a concealed carrier. However, don’t expect to see this story on the national news since there were no fatalities. Several guests, in their 20′s and 30′s were attending a party at a Glendale, AZ home when one of the guests, identified only as a 27 year old male, got into an altercation with several people at the home. The 27 year old was asked to leave, which he initially did. However, shortly thereafter, the 27 year old returned, this time armed with...

Experts have advice for women, such as Crews and Duff, when it comes to protecting yourself from a potential sexual assault or abduction. "Really some of the simplest techniques to use are just walk with confidence. Don't be a target in how you're walking. Don't close yourself off, hunch over, don't seem timid or scared from the environment. Walk with authority," said Tina Toth, who is a sexual assault counselor for the Rape Crisis Center. She adds that predators tend to act on opportunity, so finding ways to limit your vulnerability is important. Other safety and self-defense practices include having...

Pro-gun groups plan 'Guns Save Lives' day on Newtown massacre anniversary In an attempt to 'own' the Dec. 14 anniversary of the slayings at Sandy Hook elementary school, a coalition of gun lovers is trying to rebrand the day. Family members of Newtown victims say the anniversary should be about their loved ones — not politics. In an appalling bid to “own” the Dec. 14 anniversary of the Newtown slayings, a coalition of gun lovers has announced plans to declare that horrific date “Guns Save Lives” day. “We are going to use the day to get our views out,” said...

"This guy approached him on going to scare, possibly beat, up, not kill somebody, and he would pay him, and pay him quite a bit of money," she explained. They say Dennison went to the home on Foss Hill Lane to scare the homeowner into paying back an outstanding debt. "I know it's not legal, it's not right," Thibault admitted. They say their family is struggling financially and so Dennison was trying to help. But State Police tell another side of this story. "He was up to no good," explained police spokesman Steve McCausland. Police say Dennison, wearing a black...

Some Ohio lawmakers want to modify the state’s concealed-weapons law by vastly expanding the circumstances in which a person has no duty to retreat before using lethal force in self-defense. Such a “stand your ground” law is unnecessary. Worse, it would increase the danger of gun violence — something this state and its cities hardly need. City councils in several Ohio communities, including Toledo, Akron, Dayton, and Cincinnati, formally oppose the proposed bill. Members of the Ohio Student Association also have protested it. Current Ohio law states that people need not retreat in their residence, their vehicle, or the vehicle...

A father in South Carolina who fired his handgun in self-defense–and in the process killing an apparent innocent bystander–has successfully argued that he is not subject to criminal or civil liability under the state’s self-defense immunity law. South Carolina’s self-defense immunity statute–§16-11-450. Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil actions; law enforcement officer exception; costs.–is essentially identical to Florida’s self-defense immunity statute currently under legislative review (as covered by Legal Insurrection here)–§776.032. Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force. The Issue Is Self-Defense Immunity, Not “Stand Your Ground” As is frequently the case in Florida, news...

The homeowner pointed the gun at Carter and told him to "hit the ground" several times, police reported. Carter instead attempted to back out of the house and made it out the back door onto the patio, but the homeowner again demanded that he lie down and fired a single shot into the ground. Carter then complied, according to reports. Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said Tuesday that the investigation remains open and he cannot comment about additional details. He said the Boulder District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case to make sure the homeowner did not violate any laws...

Chicago has just been reeling from a spate of ongoing gang related violence – especially the recent shootings in the 'Back of the Yards' section of the city. Democrats and progressives don't call the violence gang violence, they opportunistically refer to it as 'gun violence', implying that the absence of guns would equate to the absence of violence. That's a false equivalency, but it's one that they adhere to regardless of the actual facts. Yet, we now have a leading Democrat in the state of Illinois, who despite himself, has basically admitted that the answer for 'gun violence' is …...

Full title: British hero of the mall massacre: Ex Royal Marine with a handgun saved 100 lives as terrorists ran amok A former marine emerged as a hero of the Nairobi siege yesterday after he was credited with saving up to 100 lives. The ex soldier was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked by Islamists on Saturday. With a gun tucked into his waistband, he was pictured helping two women from the complex. The former soldier is said to have returned to the building on a dozen occasions, despite intense gunfire. A friend in Nairobi said:...

A French store keeper is charged with murder after shooting an assailant. The episode has sparked widespread outrage in the country. Many are critical fo the socialist government for being too lax.