Back in September, in Knightdale, N.C., one Deondre Branch stole 10 bras from a Wal-Mart. He was chased by police when he then broke into an office while feeling.
One Connie Wells was in the office, working, when the break-in occurred. Fearing for her life, she drew her concealed carry handgun and shot Branch in the neck.
Branch may now never walk again.
According to his father, he shouldn’t have been shot for stealing some bras.
“Not really understanding where that come about, where he was a threat to someone in order for him to get shot… A crime is a crime, but there are levels to everything. Shoplifting is not right, by no means, but that is no fashion in comparison to your life… He is a great kid. In life you make bad choices.“
Do these parents get a script from the reporter of what to say? Word for word it’s always the same “he was a good kid” and “the crime he did wasn’t worth shooting him over.”
So lets go to the tape (I couldn’t find an embedable version, so the link is to the news report).
Yes, that is a man kicking down a 150 lbs, solid core, exterior grade security door.
I’m pretty sure Ms. Wells had every reason to fear for her life after that.
Deondre Branch, survived somewhat worse for the wear. The good news is, I don’t think the law of Ballistic Beatification applies to the living.
Quadriplegic’s tend not to be dangerous. He’s lucky to be alive and society is lucky he’s been neutralized. Nice shot!
Too bad it didn’t end him. Now he’s going to be living off our tax dollars for the rest of his life.
Seriously…. he stole bras?
Correct outcome:
“Based on the thorough and professional investigation conducted by the Knightdale Police Department, it has been determined that Mr. Branch was engaging in the offense of breaking and entering, and that Mrs. Wells reasonably believed her life to be in danger and therefore was justified in using force in self-defense,” Freeman’s report states. “Therefore this matter has been closed with no criminal charges for the use of that force.”
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article180480576.html#storylink=cpy
I hope that Mrs. Wells will be able to recover from the trauma she was subjected to by the violent break in, and then having to shoot the intruder. If you read the stories, her sense of security has been badly shaken by the events. I imagine she can conceive how badly things could have turned out for her if she had not been able to successfully defend herself.
I hope she regains her sense of personal security and finds peace.