Men Shot While Trying To Rob Jewelry Store

[AR-15 Rep]

Found this story this morning...

Men Shot While Trying To Rob Jewelry Store

POSTED: 7:42 am EDT May 10, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A robbery didn't go as planned for two men that authorities said tried to hold up a jewelry store at gunpoint.

A police spokeswoman said the two men pretended to be customers at Bentley's Jewelers in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday morning. They later pulled out guns to rob the store, but police said one of the store's owners grabbed his own gun and shot both men.

One man fell wounded in the store, but the other man stumbled outside, bleeding from several wounds. He took off in a silver SUV but was stopped by police minutes later.

The police spokeswoman said both men were rushed to a hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries. Police were not releasing their names, and no update on their condition was available.

The jewelry store owners were not hurt.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13292015/detail.html

 

[HUMONGO]

Now, that's what I call gun control.

 

[Cliff47]

I'll bet the store owner used BOTH hands.

 

[Geronimo45]

They later pulled out guns to rob the store, but police said one of the store's owners grabbed his own gun and shot both men.

I thought if you had a gun, the BG would always take it away from you and kill you with it?
This story's not true. Obviously, the jewelry-store man was robbing them.

 

[Isildur]

[irony]That's why we need stricter gun-control, think about the poor criminal he wanted the others to be killed or at least robbed not him self
[/irony]

Well done, good job!

 

[ArfinGreebly]

* Sigh *

. . . one of the store's owners grabbed his own gun and shot both men.

How come we never get to hear what the store owner's gun is?

How hard would that be, really?

"The owner grabbed his own .357 revolver / his own .45 automatic / his own 9mm Beretta."

Journalists these days!

 

[carpediem]

Odds are you only hear about the caliber if the gun was used unlawfully. Then the airwaves are full of 'high capacity semiautomatic 9mm *product x* handgun.'

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Then the airwaves are full of 'high capacity semiautomatic 9mm *product x* handgun.'

And on the news they'll show their standard clipart picture of a Glock or Tec 9 and use words like automatic, assault, gun violence, etc.

Good job by the store owner. I can't imagine having a jewelry store or other business with a lot of liquid assets or cash on hand and relying solely on the police to save your bacon in time (and your employee's).

 

[Titan6]

He was good but also lucky. I'd rather be lucky than good though...

Bet they had no plans to face an armed victim. Otherwise they would have shot him as soon as they walked in. I wonder if they will float the footage, may be some lesson learned there.

 

[sig228]

Right Between the Freakin' Eyes

Score one for the good guys. Here's the story:

http://www.local10.com/news/13298209/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

 

[lance22]

That's the best thing I've heard all day ... maybe in a day or two we'll he'll more good news from the hospital.

 

[The Canuck]

Do you know what I as a, peace loving, law-abiding, Canadian citizen have to say about a shop keeper stopping two armed criminals?


























I wish we had the same lawful option up here.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Hmmm.

Lucky shot, or is this a guy who's had some training?

He hit both of them, and did it (evidently) without hesitation.

Kind of sounds like this guy has had some practice and/or training.

 

[obxned]

I guess this guy hasn't heard that we are all supposed to be helpless victims.

 

[RPCVYemen]

That's the best thing I've heard all day ... maybe in a day or two we'll he'll more good news from the hospital.

I hope that by "good news", you mean that the perps survive. The robbery was prevented, and no innocents were harmed.

Mike

 

[v8stang289]

According to the link from sig228, one of the perps already died.
-matt

 

[Geno]

The good guy was probably using a G19...the media couldn't very well post that now could they?

How did the have Heard's picture looking so alert??? Prior arrests? On file? As in repeat offender?

Doc2005

 

[AR-15 Rep]

Devaughn Heard doesn't have any public info loaded at this time

here is the public info on the one guy

DC Number: W30928
Name: JAMES, DAMIAN C
Race: BLACK
Sex: MALE
Hair Color: BLACK
Eye Color: BROWN
Height: 5'03''
Weight: 115 lbs.
Birth Date: 09/14/1989
Supervision Begin Date: 11/16/2006
Current Location: MIAMI
Current Status: SUSPENSE
Supervision Type: PROBATION FELONY
Scheduled Termination Date: 11/15/2011



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aliases:
DAMIAN C JAMES DAMIAN CHRISTOPHER JAMES



Note: The offense descriptions are truncated and do not necessarily reflect the crime for which the offender is on supervision. Please refer to the court documents or the Florida Statutes for further information or definition.

Current Community Supervision History:
Offense Date Offense Sentence Date County Case No. Community Supervision Length
06/26/2006 BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609583 5Y 0M 0D
06/26/2006 GR. THEFT $100-300 DWELLING 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609583 5Y 0M 0D
06/26/2006 BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609586 5Y 0M 0D
06/26/2006 GR. THEFT $100-300 DWELLING 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609586 5Y 0M 0D
06/29/2006 BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609587 5Y 0M 0D
06/29/2006 GR. THEFT $100-300 DWELLING 11/16/2006 PALM BEACH 0609587 5Y 0M 0D

 

[AirPower]

By good news, it means that robbery was stopped and citizen successfully defended his life and life of his family. whether or not the perp died is inmaterial.

 

[Travis McGee]

AR-15 Rep:
I guess the local LE can put a big black X over his rap sheet. There won't be any more entries, he's checked out for good!

 

[Clint Westwood]

So store owner will be in court for the next couple years...

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I thought if you had a gun, the BG would always take it away from you and kill you with it?

That is strange. I never hear the claim as being something that would always happen.

Lucky shot, or is this a guy who's had some training?

He hit both of them, and did it (evidently) without hesitation.

Kind of sounds like this guy has had some practice and/or training.

There is nothing in the story that stipulates anything in regard to timing or hesitation. All we know is that the claim was that the store owner drew and fired after the robbers produced their own guns.

As for being lucky or trained, we have no idea of the shooting distances or other circumstances at the time the owner started shooting. It could be argued that he waited until the proper moment, such as possibly when the robbers were otherwise distracted, then drew and fired.

 

[Remander]

From the news report linked above:

Police said Villalta grabbed his own gun and shot both men. James was shot between the eyes and another man, Devaughn C. Heard, was shot in the chest. Villalta's son was in a back room and dialed 911.

James was unconscious when paramedics arrived. Heard stumbled outside, bleeding from several wounds, according to police.

He drove off in a silver sport utility vehicle but was spotted by a Wilton Manors police officer.

"We ordered him out of the car and he complied and he, sort of collapsed on the ground," Officer Greg Gardner said.

Note: Do not try to rob Bentley's 1900 Jewelers.

 

[csspecs]

So store owner will be in court for the next couple years...

Dude this is Florida, local cops likely gave the guy a pat on the back. Most of the time the dead criminals family does not have the cash to hire a lawyer, and few lawyers are going to fight it out in court for years with no pay. It is rare that a case like this would every payout so most lawyers are not going to bother when they have paying slip and falls to work.

The state is not going to mess with him if he was within his rights, so the judge will take that into consideration if any lawsuit comes up.

Oh yeah and the other guy will be charged with the murder of his fellow robber.

 

[sig228]

So store owner will be in court for the next couple years...

Not in Florida. Florida has a Castle Doctrine and "no duty to retreat" laws, both of which apply to businesses as well as homes. If this guy felt threatened, that all he needed. This guy won't spend one day in court.