Sorry I was gone so long, we had a death in the (extended) family & we had to house-sit/watch kids for a few days.
Although I'm hesitant to post the "source", I have to give credit if I post the info, so I will....I have gone back and researched a _little_ more and was able to confirm two of the eight stories (copied and pasted below); my results are as follows:
1. The Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL: No searchable web site immediately found.
2. Butler Eagle, Butler, PA: No archives/search available online.
3. Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA: Search on "Remont" (name of suspect) had no hits.
4. The Augusta Chronicle, Augusta, GA: My initial search on that date on the word "whimpered" (most unusual word in the text) came up empty. It was at this point, after the first three non-comfirmations above and #6 below, that I posted to TFL. With further reseach the story was CONFIRMED at
http://augustachronicle.com/stories/092400/met_221-5388.000.shtml
The suspect "said" rather than "whimpered" in the e-version of the story which, I guess, hindered my initial search.
5. Daily Times, Portsmouth, OH: No seachable website found.
6. The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY: Search on "Flading" (name of suspect) yielded three hits, two involving real estate transactions. The third, on the same date of the RKBA story listed in the email, had the headline "TWO FORMER INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE EMPLOYEES PLEADED GUILTY
FRIDAY IN FEDERAL COURT TO FILING FALSE INCOME TAX RETURNS FOR 1993." A fee was required to read the entire story, which I did not pursue.
7. Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas, NV: CONFIRMED! The story also had a great list of recent armed citizen accounts from the area (email me for the website, it's longer than this post).
8. Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ: Website only offered a search of AP stories from the past week.
SO, my apologies if I got anyone fired up. I was initially frustrated over not being able to readily confirm any of the stories...I have now confimed two of the eight, with four others only lacking decent newspaper websites (which is certainly no fault of the RKBA group). Thanks to Mr. Irwin for the NRA for the "Armed Citizen" scoop.
The original email was from armed-citizens.com's January e-newsletter:
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Answering a knock at the front door of his Jacksonville home late one night, a 49-year-old Floridian came face-to-face with a suspicious stranger asking to use his telephone. The resident, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, responded with a firm "No!" and told the unwelcome visitor to leave-punctuating his decision by slamming the door. But before the resident could return to the peace and quiet of his home, the 29-year-old intruder ran to the back of the house and smashed in the kitchen door glass. The attacker's persistence would prove his undoing. After forcing his way inside, he confronted the resident who raised a handgun and fired a single, fatal shot. "Had he not had an equalizer, he would be a victim today," said the resident's brother after the attack. "I thank God for the right to bear arms." (The Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL, 5/6/00)
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When Joe Clark noticed several youths attempting to steal his Ford Bronco early one morning, he knew time was of the essence. Grabbing his .45-caliber handgun, a naked Clark ran to his vehicle. "I thought that grabbing my pants isn't going to save my life-my gun is," he commented later. Given Clark's Fu Manchu-style mustache, myriad piercings, and tattoo-imprinted body, the Forward Township, Pennsylvania, resident and proprietor of Tattoos by Booney Joe must have appeared quite the terror to the gang. "The cops said they never saw kids so scared in their life," said Clark of the suspects who were quickly apprehended. (Butler Eagle, Butler, PA, 4/20/00)
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Had Dennis Raymond Remont respected a court order preventing him from coming within 500 feet of his ex-girlfriend's Kent, Washington, house, he might still be alive. That document was of little comfort to the woman when he not only ignored the protection edict, but intentionally set out to do the woman harm. Remont realized he'd made a mistake, however, after arming himself with a butcher knife and forcing his way into her home. The woman had company and he was a force to be reckoned with. When the man's licensed firearm rang out, Remont's reign of terror was halted permanently. (Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, WA, 8/17/00)
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After a 77-year-old Aiken, South Carolina, man was awakened late one Friday night by a loud noise, he armed himself and quickly discovered an intruder inside his home. The elderly resident wasted no time in letting the man know he meant business. When he shot at the would-be crook, the man reportedly whimpered, "Please don't kill me!" before fleeing. (The Augusta Chronicle, Augusta, GA, 9/24/00)
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A 25-year-old woman made a desperate call for help to police around 1 a.m. after hearing someone beating on the door of her Portsmouth, Ohio, residence. When officers arrived, the woman told them that a man had been attempting to determine whether anyone was inside, and that had sent her scurrying for a gun. When she investigated and encountered the home invader standing in a side doorway, the woman raised her gun and threatened the stranger, sending him fleeing. The resident's heroic actions protected the life of her 6-year-old son who had been in the home all the while. (Daily Times, Portsmouth, OH, 9/25/00)
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Buffalo, New York, merchant Gary Flading was tending his Skyway Cleaners and Check Cashing business one Friday morning when a couple entered and feigned interest in cashing a check. Their true intentions became painfully apparent seconds later when the proprietor cautious not to be "taken to the cleaners" figuratively, as well-asked for their signatures. Rather than producing a pen, the man pulled an electric stun gun and zapped Flading's right hand. The ruffian suffered an even greater shock, however, when Flading pulled his own "stun gun": a licensed revolver. The couple fled, but was caught by police a short time later. (The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY, 10/7/00)
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Barking dogs alerted a 60-year-old Las Vegas resident to trouble one night, but before going to investigate, the man armed himself with a handgun. Opening the door to his den, he encountered an armed intruder standing only a few feet away. A fierce gun battle ensued in which the armed citizen came out on top. When police arrived, they chased and quickly captured a fleeing accomplice. Inside the house, they found a gun still in the dead man's hand. The home invader reportedly had a criminal record for burglary and battery. (LV RJ, Las Vegas, NV, 7/19/00)
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The rhythmic pounding of an evening jog gave way to a pulse-pounding life-or-death struggle for a Tucson, Arizona, man who found himself the prey of a nefarious duo. As the resident jogged down a city street, two men-one armed with a 5-inch knife- approached from behind and commenced an attack, according to police. After the knife-wielding assailant shouted a threat, the jogger fired his 9mm handgun. One assailant ended up at a local hospital while the other was treated to a stay in the Pima County Jail. The victim later stated, "At some point in their lives, people get involved in a violent situation. I figured it was bound to happen at some point. That's why I got a [gun] permit." (Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ, 5/31/00)
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