Plucky elderly man who uses a walker fights back in brutal fashion when much younger male unleashes attack on him with wrench



An elderly man who uses a walker — but still has plenty of grit left in him — fought back in brutal fashion when a much younger male unleashed an attack on him with a wrench Thursday in Fresno, California.

The incident occurred on San Ramon Avenue near 4th Street just before 9 a.m., KFSN-TV reported.

'Self defense. I have a small custom-made machete. One can protect oneself by any means — fist, [knife], gun.'

Police told the station a 45-year-old male with a wrench approached a 65-year-old man using a walker.

Authorities told KFSN the younger male hit the older man with the wrench multiple times before the victim eventually used his walker as self-defense.

Fresno Police Sgt. Diana Trueba Vega told the Fresno Bee that the victim said the male with the wrench was acting erratically — possibly while under the influence — prior to allegedly striking him in the hands with the tool.

The older man then pulled a knife out of his walker and stabbed the suspect in the arm and chest, the station said.

Authorities told KFSN the suspect ran off before being taken into custody; he's being treated at Community Regional Medical Center. Police told the Bee the suspect was listed in stable condition.

Once medically cleared, the suspect will be booked into the Fresno County Jail, the station said. Police told the Bee he'll be booked on an assault charge and an outstanding warrant.

Police told KFSN the elderly man acted out of self-defense.

RELATED: Intruder allegedly breaks into Florida home, threatens mother and her children, refuses to leave — but victim has her gun

Image source: Fresno (Calif.) Police Department

Those reacting to the station's Facebook post about the incident seemed pleased the elderly victim came out on top:

  • "I’ll buy the man a new knife," one commenter wrote. "Good job, sir."
  • "That sounds awesome," another user said. "Glad he had that knife on deck."
  • "Self defense," another commenter noted. "I have a small custom-made machete. One can protect oneself by any means — fist, [knife], gun."

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Intruder allegedly breaks into Florida home, threatens mother and her children, refuses to leave — but victim has her gun



An intruder allegedly forced his way into a Florida home over the weekend, threatened a mother and her children, and refused to leave — but the victim also had her gun at the ready.

Investigators said Michael McDonald, 33, entered the Palm Coast home around 1:50 p.m. Sunday after opening the garage and banging on windows, WOFL-TV reported.

'I wasn't trying to kill anyone. I was trying to get him out to where my kids and I were safe in my house.'

Courtney Price told Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies that McDonald demanded money, threatened her family, and continued advancing after she warned him that she was armed, the station said.

Authorities told WOFL that Price repeatedly ordered him to leave and warned she would shoot. When McDonald continued advancing toward her, Price fired one shot, striking him in the arm, authorities told the station.

"I did what I had to do to protect my children and myself," Price told WOFL, which added that she knew McDonald through his sister.

"I panicked and got my gun," Price added to the station, "and that was my first time using it."

Price told WOFL she warned McDonald that she would shoot if he didn't leave — and she said he continued moving toward her.

"He said, 'I don't care ... shoot me,'" Price recalled to the station.

With that, she fired a single shot, WOFL said.

RELATED: Home invasion suspect comes face-to-face with gun-toting homeowner — who is more than ready for him

"I wasn't trying to kill anyone," Price told the station. "I was trying to get him out to where my kids and I were safe in my house."

McDonald fled the scene in a silver Kia SUV, and deputies later located the vehicle at AdventHealth Hospital, where they conducted a felony traffic stop and detained him, WOFL reported. McDonald was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the station added.

RELATED: Armed crooks allegedly enter home in middle of night, but homeowner is prepared — and opens fire

Image source: Flagler County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office

Price and her children were not injured, WOFL said.

Flagler County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Joseph Barile told the station that this incident illustrates why Florida's self-defense laws exist.

"She's in her own home, and someone comes in uninvited, refuses to leave, advances toward her, is aggressive toward [her] and her kids," Barile noted to WOFL, adding that "she even goes a step further, saying she's going to shoot ... and he still doesn't leave — she had a right to defend herself, and she did."

Authorities told the station that Price acted lawfully under Florida's Stand Your Ground law and was protecting herself and her two children.

McDonald was charged with burglary with assault and was being held in custody, WOFL reported, adding that officials said the suspect has an extensive criminal history that includes grand theft and robbery offenses.

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Justice! Scottish axe girl vindicated after judge's epic ruling: 'F*****g creep and an immigrant'



The trial for a Bulgarian immigrant to Scotland took an unexpected turn when the judge made a ruling surrounding claims of racism.

Ilia Belov, a 22-year-old Bulgarian immigrant, was convicted on Thursday following a violent incident with a group of young girls that took place last September, resulting in one female, then 12 years old, being dubbed the "Scottish axe girl."

'The words of the children were eloquent to describe your behavior.'

The young lady and her family had said for months that she had acted in self-defense when she wielded an axe and a blade in order to protect herself and her friends from abusive migrants.

This week, the judge of Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith, convicted Belov after seeing what was described as "proof beyond reasonable doubt."

As reported by the Irish News, Scottish axe girl, now 13, claimed Belov made sexual remarks to her as she and friends walked to a bus stop: "He kept saying, 'Come here sexy. I will show you how to have a good time,'" the girl recalled. She also said Belov shoved her to the ground while his sister, whom he called for help, arrived and attacked another girl.

The Bulgarian agreed that he both called his sister and shoved the girl, but only to protect his sister after allegedly seeing the young girl had a knife under her shirt. He also denied making sexual remarks and accused the girls of calling him a "f*****g migrant."

However, the judge was not having it.

On top of describing Belov's defense as "neither credible nor reliable," Niven-Smith called it a revision of the facts, especially in the face of video evidence that was shown to the court.

RELATED: 'No such thing as a defensive weapon': Judge warns Scottish axe girl she shouldn't have carried blades

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Niven-Smith then completely dressed the Bulgarian down, saying that he found his testimony to be "wholly unconvincing and self-serving."

The judge called out inconsistencies in Belov's story, including that he had turned his back to the girl despite claiming he was fearful he would be attacked by her. Niven-Smith then blamed Belov's comments as the reason the whole ordeal started.

“I accept that as a result of the comments you made abuse was directed at you, which included swear words, including you being called a 'f*****g creep and an immigrant,'" the judge detailed.

Then, Niven-Smith delivered a striking rebuff of Belov's defense.

"The words of the children were eloquent to describe your behavior given your age and their respective ages," the judge stated. "Having made the sexual remarks to the children you then, enraged by the fact that they became angry and started shouting abuse at you, followed them."

Niven-Smith criticized Belov for calling his sister — who "immediately" attacked one of the girls on arrival — instead of calling the police or leaving the area.

RELATED: Police charge man and woman in connection with Scottish axe girl incident

NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images

Belov's claim that the young girl could be seen with a knife under her T-shirt was also rejected, with the judge saying he was "entirely satisfied" that the video footage showed the Bulgarian indeed assaulted the girl.

Belov was convicted of assault and behaving in a "threatening or abusive manner" toward four girls.

His sister, 20-year-old Nadjedzha Belova, pleaded guilty to one charge of assaulting a 13-year-old girl.

The siblings will be sentenced on August 5.

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Teen thug points gun in face of Marine Corps veteran, demands his car keys. But punk definitely picked wrong victim.



A teenager was caught on surveillance video pointing a gun in the face of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and demanding his car keys in Maryland earlier this week, but things didn't work out so well for the punk — or his three friends.

Jheyco Borda — who was trained in hand-to-hand combat while in the military — told WTTG-TV he was working on his pickup truck near Oxon Hill High School around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when four teenagers approached him on the sidewalk.

'Once a Marine, always a Marine.'

Borda told the station the suspects — all of whom were dressed in hooded sweatshirts — approached him and demanded his car keys, phone, and other valuables.

WTTG said surveillance video showed one of the teens — dressed in red, white, and blue — pulling out a handgun and pointing it directly at Borda’s head.

However, the station said the gun-toting suspect became distracted for a split second — and Borda said that was all the time he needed to put his military training into practice and fight back.

Borda told WTTG he quickly disarmed the teen — and then his brother noticed the dust-up and ran over to assist.

Video shows that during the struggle, the suspect's gun discharged, the station said.

RELATED: Knife-wielding ex-con gets tables turned on him lethally — courtesy of victim he robbed, fought, bit, and stabbed: Report

No one was hit by the gunfire, WTTG said — instead the bullet struck Borda's truck and left a visible hole.

The station said that as the fight continued, another suspect tried to jump in, but Borda’s brother turned and grabbed him.

The brothers, in the end, managed to pin down the suspects until Prince George’s County Police officers arrived at the scene and took them into custody, Borda told WTTG.

The station said all four suspects were behind bars.

Police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact them immediately, WTTG said.

In the aftermath, Borda told the station: "Once a Marine, always a Marine."

"I'm feeling grateful," the veteran added to WTTG. "I'm still here, safe, with my family."

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Male brandishes gun amid spat with victim at Florida park, opens fire after victim grabs own gun. But victim is better shot.



Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, said they're actively investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday at Derbyshire Park.

Officers initially responded to a local hospital after receiving reports of a patient suffering from a gunshot wound, police said, adding that officers during the investigation determined the shooting occurred at Derbyshire Park.

At this time, the motive for the encounter remains unclear, and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police said.

Preliminary findings indicate an adult male and an adult female met and parked together at the park when a male they did not know approached them, police said.

When a disagreement occurred between the individuals, the male who approached the couple allegedly brandished a firearm, police said.

The male victim then grabbed his own gun and demanded the unknown male leave the area, police said.

The unknown male began walking away but soon turned and fired multiple rounds, striking the male victim, police said.

But the male victim returned fire, striking the unknown male, police said.

Following the exchange of gunfire, the male victim as well as the female he was with drove themselves to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

Responding officers found the other male dead in the park, police said.

Officials said investigators have identified all parties involved. At this time, the motive for the encounter remains unclear, and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police said.

RELATED: Vietnam vet says he had to 'get aggressive' and grab his gun when his female tenant started screaming

Police said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

The identities of the involved parties are being withheld while detectives continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the incident, police said.

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Homeowner fatally shoots squatter in his vacant house — but attorney says self-defense may be hard to prove



An Oklahoma homeowner was arrested and jailed after fatally shooting a squatter in his vacant residence earlier this month — and an attorney is saying a self-defense claim may be difficult to prove.

Timothy Smith, 59, is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter and reckless conduct with a firearm after shooting a squatter in his vacant house in Oklahoma City on May 1, KOCO-TV reported.

'At trial, I'm sure the defense will be self-defense. What's going to make that difficult? He told the police that he didn't see a weapon in the hand of the victim.'

Smith on Friday remained behind bars in the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Jail information indicates Smith's next court date is June 18 and that he's also charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Smith told detectives he and his daughter checked on his house after having previous issues there with homeless people, KOCO reported.

Smith entered the home with a gun and found Justin King in the back bedroom with a woman, the station said.

Smith and his daughter told the pair to leave, but Smith said King stepped toward him, KOCO reported.

With that, Smith aimed at "the area" of King, and the gunshot struck King in the neck, the station said.

Criminal defense attorney Ed Blau told KOCO a self-defense claim on Smith's part is complicated because Smith was not living in the home at the time of the shooting.

"There's not the death penalty for squatting in the state of Oklahoma," Blau told the station. "You can't just take a gun in and shoot somebody."

Blau added to the station that a self-defense argument also may be difficult to prove because Smith admitted to detectives that he did not feel threatened.

RELATED: Couple returns from vacation to find squatters who ate their brisket, drank their alcohol, and left meth in car, police say

"It would be difficult to have a stand-your-ground defense hold up," Blau noted to KOCO.

The attorney added to the station that "at trial, I'm sure the defense will be self-defense. What's going to make that difficult? He told the police that he didn't see a weapon in the hand of the victim."

Blau also told KOCO that while Oklahoma's Castle Doctrine allows homeowners to use force against intruders in their primary residences, it's different for vacant houses.

"If a trespasser or a burglar breaks in or comes into your home that you live in, and you're there, you can pretty much shoot them or do whatever you want to with them because of the Castle Doctrine here in Oklahoma," Blau told the station. "In a situation like this, an abandoned house, it's much different. You can't go in, put yourself in a situation, and say, 'This is my house, so I felt I had the right to shoot him.'"

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Naked man emerges from river, attacks homeowner who approached him to see if he needed help — but homeowner is armed



A naked man emerged from the Biloxi River in Mississippi last weekend and physically attacked a homeowner who approached the man to see if he needed help, police told WLOX-TV.

But the homeowner shot the man several times after the attack, the station said.

'How awful for everyone involved.'

The incident began around 8 p.m. Saturday when the Biloxi Police Department got a report of a naked man coming out of the Biloxi River and walking up to homes on Woolmarket Lake Road, WLOX said.

Officials said one of the homeowners — who wasn’t in his residence at the time — saw the man on his doorbell camera and called his next-door neighbor, the station said.

The neighbor walked to the home to see if the man needed help, but the man attacked the neighbor, police told WLOX.

With that, the neighbor shot the man multiple times, the station said.

The man got the gun away from the neighbor and re-entered the river, officials told WLOX.

A search and rescue team was called, and the man was found dead in the river around 2 a.m. Sunday, the station said.

RELATED: Home invasion suspect comes face-to-face with gun-toting homeowner — who is more than ready for him

Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer identified the man as 31-year-old Peter Virden III of Gulfport, WLOX reported.

Switzer said Virden was found dead in the river with multiple gunshot wounds, the station added.

The neighbor suffered facial cuts and bruises from the attack but was not severely injured, police told WLOX.

The station said officials reviewed video from the home’s security system, which recorded the whole incident.

A number of commenters let their thoughts be known under WLOX's Facebook post about the incident. The following are a few of them:

  • "How awful for everyone involved," one commenter wrote.
  • "I feel for the neighborhood. How traumatic for him," another user said. "Just going about your day one minute then having to [shoot] someone to defend yourself."
  • "So sad," another commenter shared. "Prayers for everyone involved in this. Heartbreaking."
  • "Prayers to the brave neighbor [who] not only checked on his neighbor’s property when called but also had to defend himself," another user said. "He was totally justified. Please try to tell me if a naked man comes to my porch (AND ATTACKS me) that I’m not justified."

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Home invasion suspect comes face-to-face with gun-toting homeowner — who is more than ready for him



A male who broke into a Memphis home early Tuesday morning came face-to-face with the armed homeowner, who was more than ready for him.

Memphis police told WMC-TV that officers responded just after 1 a.m. to a shots-fired call at a home on Eldridge Avenue in the North Memphis area.

'This is my home. I mean, I should be able to enjoy it without people comin' through the window on me.'

When officers arrived, they learned the homeowner caught an intruder breaking into the residence — and the homeowner was holding the suspect at gunpoint, the station said.

Police added to WMC that the suspect was lying face-down on the bedroom floor. The station's video report below about the incident says the homeowner fired two shots.

RELATED: 'I didn't have any hesitation': Gun-toting homeowner says he spotted intruder in his house and 'just let it fire'

Officers commanded the homeowner to put the gun down, the station said, adding that they then checked the suspect — Simeon Pratcher, 33 — and found he was not wounded.

Pratcher told police he came through the window because he thought no one was home, WMC reported, after which he was taken into custody without incident.

Pratcher is facing charges of aggravated burglary and possession of burglary tools, the station said. Jail records indicate he remained behind bars Wednesday morning, and no bond amount is listed. His next hearing is Wednesday morning.

The video report also notes that the homeowner experienced a break-in just days earlier, during which his home was ransacked and items worth thousands of dollars were stolen.

"This is my home," the victim told WMC in the video report. "I mean, I should be able to enjoy it without people comin' through the window on me."

After the previous break-in, two people were arrested, the station said.

"I'm not runnin'," the defiant homeowner told WMC.

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Male reportedly breaks into neighbor's home, begins assaulting victim — but homeowner has a gun on hand



A male reportedly broke into his neighbor's home in Midwest City, Oklahoma, early Thursday morning and began assaulting the break-in victim — but the homeowner also had a gun on hand.

Police said the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near NE 10th and Post Road, KOKH-TV reported.

'Thank God for the 2nd Amendment.'

When officers arrived at the scene, police told KOKH they learned Ronnie Goodson had broken into his neighbor's residence.

According to KWTV-DT, authorities said the intruder began assaulting the homeowner.

However, the neighbor also was armed with a gun — and shot Goodson, KOKH reported.

Goodson was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, KOKH added.

The following video report about the break-in and shooting aired prior to the death announcement:

RELATED: Intruder breaks glass front door of Texas home, reaches inside. Perhaps he forgot how Texans typically handle such scenarios.

KOKH said officers were speaking with witnesses and those associated with the case.

Once the investigation is completed, the case will be referred to the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office for review, KOKH reported.

Midwest City investigators added to KOKH that there is no threat to the public.

A number of individuals left comments under the police department's Facebook page about the break-in and shooting:

  • "Prayers for the person involved," one commenter wrote.
  • "Sending my prayers for all involved," another user said. "Sounds like a very sad situation."
  • "Thank God for the 2nd Amendment," another commenter stated.

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