http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22944-2003Sep3.html
Md. Man Kills Suspected Car Thief
Prince George's Resident 'Had Enough,' Opened Fire on Group
By Jamie Stockwell and Hamil R. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 4, 2003; Page A01
It happened at 2:30 yesterday morning. Glenn R. Ellis said an alarm alerted him that someone was tampering with his blue 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe, parked outside his Laurel apartment. Like other residents of the Fox Rest complex, Ellis said later, he has been a victim of thieves before. This time, he said, he "had had enough."
Ellis, 37, a tow truck driver, said he grabbed his 9mm Ruger handgun and rushed outside. "Things just went crazy," he recalled. He said he opened fire on four young men who were near his SUV. Police said later that the four were in the process of stealing it. Two were standing next to the Tahoe and the other two were in it when Ellis pulled the trigger.
Ernest Sockwell, 16, was killed. A 23-year-old man, whom police declined to identify, was hospitalized in critical condition. Two other men, who were uninjured, were questioned by police and released while the investigation continues.
Ellis was questioned by Prince George's County homicide detectives for hours yesterday, then was released pending the outcome of the investigation. Late in the afternoon, he stood outside his apartment, in the 13800 block of Briarwood Drive. He stood not far from where the blood had spilled, and he spoke slowly, appearing to fight back tears.
"My biggest regret is for the families of the two kids," said Ellis, wearing pressed tan slacks and a brown dress shirt. Friends and supporters stood with him. "One is dead, and one is fighting for his life. If I could do things over again, I would."
Ellis said he had installed a device in his Tahoe that alerts an alarm company by wireless signal if the vehicle is tampered with. The alarm company then pages Ellis to warn him.
"The pager went off," Ellis said. "It tells me that something was in my truck. I came out, and things just went crazy."
A county police spokesman, Cpl. Joe Merkel, said such devices "can be very useful in helping to notify potential victims that a crime is being committed." He said, however, that victims should call the police. "We would not recommend the victim confront the suspect," Merkel said.
It was unclear yesterday whether Ellis shouted a warning to the four young men. Police said he has a permit for the gun.
"I don't want to say too much," Ellis said after arriving home from police headquarters. "I need to get a lawyer."
Ellis, who works for the D.C. Department of Public Works, said he lives at the complex with his girlfriend and his three children. He did not elaborate on his decision to open fire but voiced regret.
"I feel bad," he said. "I have a 16-year-old. I'm crushed about this."
According to police, two of the suspected thieves fled in the Tahoe after the shots were fired, and another fled on foot and was apprehended later. Sockwell was found on the parking lot pavement. The two who were in the vehicle stopped at an Extra Mart at Fort Meade Road and Ethel Drive in Anne Arundel County, where they called authorities, because one of them had been wounded.
Police said none of the suspected thieves had a weapon. Police said a screwdriver was found on the ground near where the Tahoe had been parked outside Ellis's apartment.
State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said the case would be reviewed by his office after detectives complete the investigation. He said that it was unclear whether Ellis acted in self-defense and that it was "premature to talk in those terms."
"We want to make sure the facts are in, and then we will make a legal decision," he said. "We want to be careful not to rush to judgment. We want to make sure we are very deliberate in how we handle it."
In the interview, Ellis did not say whether he believed his life was in danger.
Robert C. Bonsib, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor, said a person is allowed under the law to use a reasonable amount of force to defend his property but "not deadly force."
"If it was strictly a man defending his property, then it may very well be an issue of whether it was proper" to shoot, he said. "Jury instructions for this type of case say that you may not use deadly force to defend your property or to prevent someone from interfering with your property. Was there something that happened that put the shooter in reasonable fear for his life and that it would justify this level of force? [That] is what will have to be answered."
Many residents of the apartment building said yesterday that the shootings were the culmination of months of frustration and anger over a spate of break-ins and auto thefts in the community.
Andrea Harris, 37, a Fox Rest resident, said: "Everybody is alert because of concerns of recent break-ins. Their apartments and cars are being broken into."
But authorities cautioned the residents to call 911 if they see crimes in progress.
"We are all frustrated over the number of cars stolen in the county," Police Chief Melvin C. High said through a spokeswoman yesterday. "We need the help of our citizens to put a stop to this crime, but not at the expense of that citizen putting himself or herself in harm's way. . . . We encourage citizens to call and let us handle the situation if they can, rather than resort to violence on their own."
Prince George's ranks first in the state and in the region for auto thefts, with more than 15,000 vehicles stolen last year, according to department statistics. Slightly more than 10,000 vehicles have been stolen since January, a 17 percent increase over the same period last year.
In comparison, slightly less than 8,000 vehicles were reported stolen in the District in 2001, the most recent figures available, and about 700 were reported in Fairfax County that year.
The high rate in Prince George's has taken on greater significance in the wake of yesterday's shootings, said Ivey, whose office has focused in recent months on educating residents about vehicle anti-theft devices.
"Clearly, we know that auto theft is a major problem," he said. "Many people have been victimized, including me, and I know how frustrating it can be to have your car stolen. But as a community, we need to be careful not to overreact. We need to be careful how we address this problem."
Staff writer Darragh Johnson and staff researcher Bobbye Pratt contributed to this report.
© 2003 The Washington Post Company
