Off Duty Deputy Shoots Home Invaider

[TechPyle]

Off Duty Deputy Shoots Home Invader

This happened less than a mile from my house.

One Man Is Dead After an Overnight Shooting in Defuniak Springs.


Walton County investigators say the man was shot as he tried to break in the home of an off-duty sheriff's deputy.

Family members say 23-year-old Travis Burns had his troubles, but was trying to turn his life around. Now they are mourning the loss of the man they affectionately call “Turbo.â€

It was just before midnight Tuesday night when shots rang out at the Spring Hill East apartment complex just off Highway 90. Authorities are calling the incident an apparent home invasion.

Witnesses say Burns broke the window of the apartment with his head and then kicked in the door. He apparently did this while not wearing any clothing.

Deputy Bradley Stafford was inside the home and witnesses say he shot Burns as he stood in the doorway.

The body was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Fort Walton Beach for an autopsy. Authorities are still trying to figure out why Burns broke into the house.

His mother, Gerotta Campbell, believes he may have been on drugs and was simply calling for help.

"He could have shot him in the foot or leg or arm or something. If he continued coming after him then, then go another way. That's why I'm saying. The child needed some help or something. He had to the way he was acting. He was on something."

Deputy Stafford has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is handling the probe since the shooting involves a deputy.


http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/1245657.html

Some of his friends are planning a candle light service for the "VICTIM". The neighborhood is not very good and I half way expect some race problems.
I will be very glad when I get my home built and can get out of this area.

Edited to fix spelling

 

[DigMe]

"He could have shot him in the foot or leg or arm or something. If he continued coming after him then, then go another way. That's why I'm saying.

I most certainly can't ask family members to make rational statements when they are in mourning but I hate to see this kind of ignorant stuff. Lady, to everyone else he's not your baby...he's a maniac coming at us to do Lord knows what....



brad cook

 

[TexasRifleman]

His mother, Gerotta Campbell, believes he may have been on drugs and was simply calling for help.

Hell of a cry for help. Kick my door down bare ass naked in the middle of the night and see what kind of help you get.

I feel sorry for the victim. Remember, the victim is the homeowner, not the drugged out punk kicking the door in. I feel sorry for the dead perp too in a way. How sad to have a family that knows you're a drug addict and having that much trouble, and all they can do to help is cry about what a good person you were.

What a shame.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The child needed some help or something.

From the information in the article, it's apparent he got the help he needed.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I always get naked and break into places whenever I'm trying to turn my life around.

 

[TallPine]

Authorities are calling the incident an apparent home invasion.

Their grasp of the obvious is underwhelming

 

[Chupacabra]

Travis Burns had his troubles, but was trying to turn his life around.

And he reached his goal! I would say he did a complete 180.

I'm sorry he had to die, but breaking into someone's home in the middle of the night naked isn't going to get a positive reaction.

 

[larryf1952]

I always get naked and break into places whenever I'm trying to turn my life around.

I don't normally laugh or make light in the face of someone's demise, but that's just funny.

 

[Fly320s]

...the man they affectionately call “Turbo.â€

plus

Witnesses say Burns broke the window of the apartment with his head and then kicked in the door. He apparently did this while not wearing any clothing.

plus

believes he may have been on drugs

Leads me to believe he wasn't taking downers.

 

[ZeroX]

*CRASH* Hey, can you take me to rehab?! RARRRR!

 

[Warbow]

 

[rdbrowning]

And just where was the loving mother when he was crying out for help?

 

[crazyXgerman]

And he reached his goal! I would say he did a complete 180.

i think it was more of a 360...

 

[seeker_two]

Well, at least he'll never do drugs again...

Withdrawl will be kinda rough, though...

 

[Mr. Mysterious]

but was trying to turn his life around.

Well...I was trying to bench press 800lbs the other day...boy that sure as heck didn't work.

 

[moby clarke]

I want to read the news account when someone reaching out for help breaks into a reporters home and they are forced to defend themselves. Oh, wait, they would never have a gun, they would just reach out to the troubled youth and offer a goverment hand out.

 

[DRZinn]

Hmmm... law-abiding gun-owner defends himself, shoots criminal.... there's a lot of this going around....

 

[Hardtarget]

I just bet this wasn't his first "cry for help". Wonder why Mom didn't have him in a rehab center? Also wonder how many times he'd been bailed out of jail. I wish the news HAD to include full report of arrest records in a story like this. Seems it would help the "balence" of the story. Stark naked? You can bet he wasn't collecting for the Red Cross!
Mark.
edit: one more thing...how come when the punk kills, they're tried as an adult, but when their intended victim fights back and kills the punk even a 23 year old is refered to as "child"?

 

[c_yeager]

The child needed some help or something.

Yeah mom, and maybe the person who should have given it to him was his MOTHER!

Oh and the guy was twenty three years old. I don't think that the word "child" should be applied to a person that is old enough to not only have joined the military but, completed their tour as well, or who could have fully completed their undergraduate degree and begun a career or grad school. This guy is an utter failure that simply got taken out before they could cause TOO much damage. If the mother wants to blame someone for him getting shot maybe she should consider that 23 years of HORRIBLE parenting can result in a person that breaks into peoples houses while naked.

 

[BluesBear]

I feel sorry for the Deputy and his family. They have to clean up the mess.
And perhaps endure a slight bit of emotional trauma.

Other than that I'm laughing my rear off here.

Perhaps his last words were, "God help me" and the Deputy just arranged for that to happen. That's rehabilitation that works.

 

[Zach S]

Considering his mother refered to him as a child, she may have been his problem.

 

[Chawbaccer]

You kicked the wrong effing door in didn't ya Travis?

 

[LAWDOGKMS]

Any guy who head butts and breaks a window with his head and then kicks a door down on his way into my house isn't going to be wrestled into submission by me...............cause he is CRAZY!!


He will be shot, from a distance, many times..

 

[noonanda]

Seems like this person is a front running canidate for the Darwin awards this year.

I agree with all that was said, if someone kicks in my front door butt naked I'm not ask if he is in need of help, I will help him..... meet God, Allah, Budda, or religious deity of his choice.

 

[armoredman]

Want rehab? Go to prison, you'll dry out quick.
See, that's what it was, he wanted to go to prison to rehabilitate himself....RIGHT!
Anyone breaks into my home, naked or clothed, will be dealt with accordingly.