Bruce in West Oz
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The Courier Mail - Brisbane (Australia)
Scars that don't heal seal fate of shoot-out shop
26 May 00
A GOLD Coast antique dealer yesterday tearfully told how he would close the doors of his family's Nerang jewellery store where he fatally wounded an armed bandit in a bloody shoot-out on Wednesday.
The would-be thief, Peter Anthony Knox, 30, who was shot when store owner Paul Visentin returned fire during the bungled robbery, had been out of prison only two weeks.
Mr Visentin broke down in tears as he said he would walk away from the popular store he and his wife built up over the past 12 years to trade from the safety of the business's Internet Website.
Mr Visentin yesterday posted on the Website graphic pictures of his bloodied face taken after the shoot-out as a warning of the potential dangers of being a retailer.
"It is fine to have a business but when your life is at stake you have to reconsider. I just hope and pray that no one else ever goes through what we went through," he said.
The brazen attack by three bandits came seven years after Mr Visentin's son Haydn shot and seriously injured an armed thief who pointed a gun at his mother in the same store.
Mr Visentin and wife Maxine were alone in the heavily fortified store when the three balaclava-clad bandits burst in and began shooting. Mr Visentin returned fire
after a bullet whizzed past his head. The blast struck one of the gunmen, who died in hospital.
The God-fearing couple say their strong religious beliefs helped them pull through
the traumatic ordeal. A picture of Jesus which hung on one of the shop's walls did
not emerge unscathed. It was punctured by a bullet hole in the shoot-out.
Detective Inspector Len Potts said investigations were in their initial stages and it was too early to say whether Mr Visentin would face charges over the killing.
"We haven't had the opportunity to interview the owner of the shop at length . . . and I'm not going to comment on whether any charges will be laid against anyone," Insp Potts said.
Police have seized surveillance footage from a nearby store which shows the getaway of the two bandits still at large. Security cameras in the antique store were not working at the time of the attack.
Maxine Visentin, who hid near the store safe during the attack, said she was traumatised by the manner of the bandits.
"There was no conversation, no nothing. They just walked in and opened fire. My guardian angel must have been with me. There's no way I can stay in Nerang after this," she said.
Opposition police spokesman Mike Horan yesterday backed the right of people to
use deadly force to protect their businesses or families. He said criminals killed or
maimed by law-abiding citizens who acted in self-defence deserved what they got. (Hypocrite. His party supported the current gun laws. He will do jack sh*t about changing them if he gets in to power.)
But a spokesman for Police Minister Tom Barton said Mr Horan's comments were
premature because police were still to determine who killed the robber.
National Coalition for Gun Control Queensland spokeswoman Helen Gadsden pointed to the shooting as evidence that gun law enforcement was faltering.(Moron!!!!)[/quote]
In my opinion, it's a pity he didn't get the other two ar**holes as well. I'm sorry he's quitting his business -- the bad guys get a victory that way, even if a small one.
My belief is the owner will be charged with something -- possibly "failing to store a weapon in accordance with the regulations" or some other firearms infraction.
I seriously doubt, though, whether he'll be charged with anything more serious -- the public outcry wouldn't be very pretty.
If I see a follow-up, I'll keep you posted.
B
Scars that don't heal seal fate of shoot-out shop
26 May 00
A GOLD Coast antique dealer yesterday tearfully told how he would close the doors of his family's Nerang jewellery store where he fatally wounded an armed bandit in a bloody shoot-out on Wednesday.
The would-be thief, Peter Anthony Knox, 30, who was shot when store owner Paul Visentin returned fire during the bungled robbery, had been out of prison only two weeks.
Mr Visentin broke down in tears as he said he would walk away from the popular store he and his wife built up over the past 12 years to trade from the safety of the business's Internet Website.
Mr Visentin yesterday posted on the Website graphic pictures of his bloodied face taken after the shoot-out as a warning of the potential dangers of being a retailer.
"It is fine to have a business but when your life is at stake you have to reconsider. I just hope and pray that no one else ever goes through what we went through," he said.
The brazen attack by three bandits came seven years after Mr Visentin's son Haydn shot and seriously injured an armed thief who pointed a gun at his mother in the same store.
Mr Visentin and wife Maxine were alone in the heavily fortified store when the three balaclava-clad bandits burst in and began shooting. Mr Visentin returned fire
after a bullet whizzed past his head. The blast struck one of the gunmen, who died in hospital.
The God-fearing couple say their strong religious beliefs helped them pull through
the traumatic ordeal. A picture of Jesus which hung on one of the shop's walls did
not emerge unscathed. It was punctured by a bullet hole in the shoot-out.
Detective Inspector Len Potts said investigations were in their initial stages and it was too early to say whether Mr Visentin would face charges over the killing.
"We haven't had the opportunity to interview the owner of the shop at length . . . and I'm not going to comment on whether any charges will be laid against anyone," Insp Potts said.
Police have seized surveillance footage from a nearby store which shows the getaway of the two bandits still at large. Security cameras in the antique store were not working at the time of the attack.
Maxine Visentin, who hid near the store safe during the attack, said she was traumatised by the manner of the bandits.
"There was no conversation, no nothing. They just walked in and opened fire. My guardian angel must have been with me. There's no way I can stay in Nerang after this," she said.
Opposition police spokesman Mike Horan yesterday backed the right of people to
use deadly force to protect their businesses or families. He said criminals killed or
maimed by law-abiding citizens who acted in self-defence deserved what they got. (Hypocrite. His party supported the current gun laws. He will do jack sh*t about changing them if he gets in to power.)
But a spokesman for Police Minister Tom Barton said Mr Horan's comments were
premature because police were still to determine who killed the robber.
National Coalition for Gun Control Queensland spokeswoman Helen Gadsden pointed to the shooting as evidence that gun law enforcement was faltering.(Moron!!!!)[/quote]
In my opinion, it's a pity he didn't get the other two ar**holes as well. I'm sorry he's quitting his business -- the bad guys get a victory that way, even if a small one.
My belief is the owner will be charged with something -- possibly "failing to store a weapon in accordance with the regulations" or some other firearms infraction.
I seriously doubt, though, whether he'll be charged with anything more serious -- the public outcry wouldn't be very pretty.
If I see a follow-up, I'll keep you posted.
B
