Store clerk fatally shoots alleged robber
By Bill Bryan
Of The Post-Dispatch
A liquor store clerk said she did not mean to kill a young man who tried to rob her late Monday night when she grabbed her pistol from a drawer and fired a shot in his direction.
But the bullet hit the alleged robber in the forehead, killing him.
"I didn't do anything wrong," the clerk, 33, said Tuesday from her home in Spanish Lake. "It was self-defense.
"I'd rather him be laying there than me."
The shooting happened about 11:15 p.m. at Ja-Mar's liquor store, 5933 West Florissant Avenue, at Riverview Boulevard. Fatally shot was Cortez A. Westley 17, of the 5900 block of Hamilton Terrace.
The clerk said Westley threatened her with an automatic pistol; police said it turned out to be unloaded.
Westley is the fifth alleged robber fatally shot in unrelated episodes in St. Louis within the past three weeks.
Since Sept. 27, police officers have killed a suspected carjacker who raped and strangled one of his victims, and a robber who tried to take an employee hostage. An off-duty St. Louis County deputy sheriff fatally shot a young man trying to rob him as he returned home in the city. And, a security guard at a convenience store fatally shot a robber after the robber killed the store manager.
"I don't understand it," veteran homicide investigator Lt. Ron Henderson said of the spate of shootings of robbers.
"Maybe they're watching too much TV."
Police said they believe the store clerk acted in self-defense.
In the shooting at Ja-Mar's, the clerk said the robber was wearing a bandanna over his face.
"He said, 'Give me the money,' and I saw a gun in my face," said the clerk, who asked that her name not be used. The clerk said she was robbed in the store of $1,400 in May and didn't want to get robbed again. Her family owns the store.
She said she reached down and grabbed her own pistol and fired a single shot. "I had no intention to kill him," she said. "I did not shoot to hit him."
The clerk, who has worked at Ja-Mar's for 13 years, said she knew Westley from the neighborhood. "It was his cousin that robbed me in May," she said.
Lt. Henderson confirmed the earlier robbery and said the cousin was arrested in that case.
The clerk said she works at the liquor store and a second job in the home health care field to support herself and her 16-year-old son.
The pistol recovered from Westley had no ammunition in it, and his family claimed a cover-up was taking place. "That gun was planted," said Sylinia Westley, 29, the youth's aunt.
"He's not a robber, and if he did decide to commit a robbery it wouldn't be with an empty gun."
Sylinia Westley and Earline Smith, 52, Cortez Westley's grandmother, said he was a cocaine dealer. "He was a good-hearted person," added Sylinia Westley.
To contact reporter Bill Bryan:\E-mail: bbryan@postnet.com Phone: 314-340-8950
KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE
October 20, 2000
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome all new subscribers. Thank you for
caring enough about FREEDOM to stay informed.
All items below are also linked from our home
page at: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE OR
ADD IT TO ANY LISTS. THIS IS FOR
SENDING OUR NEWSLETTER AND THAT IS IT.
THANK YOU VERY KINDLY.
**********
NEW KeepAndBearArms.com Merchandise!!
INTRODUCING: KeepAndBearArms.com T-SHIRTS
Coffee Mugs, Mouse Pads... http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/kabaproducts/merchandise/
Plus: Branco Cartoon on Same Products: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/kabaproducts/mediasafety
MANY more to come, SOON.
**********
GUN-RELATED NEWS ON OTHER SITES
BELOW OUR SITE'S NEW CONTENT
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
THE RIGHT TO NOT BE RAPED
by a father whose daughter was raped
*** Parental Guidance is Suggested!!! *** http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=758
This is a very graphic and tearjerking letter
with several strong messages contained in it.
HCI SUING INTERNET ACTIVIST FOR DOMAIN NAME http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=765
And our offer is on the table to help.
DISSECTING DIANNE
By Mark Kohler http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=764
Dianne Feinstein recently sent a letter to one of
the citizens she is paid to serve but doesn't. That
letter contains inaccuracies, false statements and,
well, lies. Mr. Kohler sets the record straight nicely.
SMITH & WESSON CUTTING WORK FORCE http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001019/bs/smith___wesson_layoffs_5.html
Seems they aren't doing so well after shafting the
gun owners who've supported them for so long...
GUN DEALERS ARRESTED FOR SELLING AMMO & BOOKS http://www.copleynewspapers.com/newssun/top/w19gunshow.htm
If this doesn't bother people in the local community,
what will?
MECHANISM vs. CAUSE -- Why an Attitude of "Blame
the Guns" Would Misdirect Public Health Funds
by Sean Oberle http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=759
"An brief mention of firearm access in an Oct. 17
Associated Press story on rural suicides reminds me
that we should brace ourselves for an increasing number
of salvos from the gun grabbers on the topic of suicide."
THE CURE IS LIBERTY
by Ari Armstrong http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=762
Based on a speech given Oct. 18 in Colorado in opposition
to the "closing" of the so-called "gun show loophole."
WHY I'M DOING IT
by L. Neil Smith http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=760
Explanation from Mr. Smith as to why he accepted the
nomination for the Presidency on the Libertarian ticket
in the state of Arizona, assuring that Mr. Browne didn't
show in all 50 states.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"It is the individual gun owner's responsibility to
understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase,
ownership, storage, transport, etc." http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/info.shtml
(bottom of the page, next to last paragraph)
Yes, this includes laws that require women to submit
to armed rapists, grandmothers to get their throats
cut because they cannot defend themselves, and anyone
to submit to pretty much everything else the
bodyguarded politicians tell us to submit to.
Had our Founding Fathers taken this position,
Lexington & Concord would have been a line of
people handing over weapons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE MMM IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN
by Michael Z. Williamson http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=750
One gun owner's idea of some ways to subvert
anti-self-defense groups.
HOW TO AVOID BEING SHOT
BY AN ARMED CITIZEN
by T. Blanchard http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=755
Five suggestions to criminals and manner-empty people
from an armed citizen who loves his family.
STORE CLERK FATALLY SHOOTS ROBBER http://www.post-dispatch.com/postnet/stories.nsf/ByDocID/3F16087D0DFA95978625697C003ADA88
"I didn't do anything wrong," the clerk, 33, said
Tuesday from her home in Spanish Lake. "It was
self-defense. "I'd rather him be laying there than
me." -- earning herself today's Good Shot Award.
HUMOR: One Possible Use for an AOL Disc http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=1499
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS ON OTHER WEBSITES:
NEWS ON OTHER WEBSITES: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/news/kabanews/display_news.asp
* Clayton Cramer Destroys Anti-Gun Book
* Emerson Acquitted on State Charges
* Does Restriction of Gun Access Jeopardize
Your Family's Safety? ~~ Fox News!
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/news/kabanews/display_news.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH ANY OF THESE
LINKS because you do not know how to
cut and paste a link that has wrapped
to a second line due to its length,
ALL of these items are linked from
our home page today and tomorrow at: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW TO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION
50 CALIBER RIFLE TO BE GIVEN AWAY WITH
1 in 2,500 MEMBERSHIPS TO OUR ORGANIZATION http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=260
Please support this organization if you are
benefiting from the work we do.
ONLINE SIGNUP HERE: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/custaccount
BECOME A MEMBER BY MAIL FORM: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/members/mail.htm
DIRECT PURCHASES THROUGH KeepAndBearArms.com http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/
Books, music, gifts, hardware, sporting goods,
health & beauty, jewelry, nutrition, camping
& boating equipment, toys, electronics, and on
and on and on. Divert some of your purchases
this way to put the small referral percentages
into the movement.
INTERNET ACCESS http://www.keepandbeararms.com/webservices/access
Yes, we now provide full internet access. Is
your dialup account pro gun and pro freedom? If
so, stay put and thank them. If not, well...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please ONLY use the following email address for
site problems: Webmaster@KeepAndBearArms.com.
Thank you. (He's double-busy as it is.)
Thank you for caring enough about FREEDOM to
stay informed.
Keep And Bear Arms .com
"Why do liberals think it's better for a
woman to be raped and murdered than for
a rapist to be shot?"
Subscribe or unsubscribe at our web site. http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
------------------
"those who sacrifice
liberty for security deserve neither"
By Bill Bryan
Of The Post-Dispatch
A liquor store clerk said she did not mean to kill a young man who tried to rob her late Monday night when she grabbed her pistol from a drawer and fired a shot in his direction.
But the bullet hit the alleged robber in the forehead, killing him.
"I didn't do anything wrong," the clerk, 33, said Tuesday from her home in Spanish Lake. "It was self-defense.
"I'd rather him be laying there than me."
The shooting happened about 11:15 p.m. at Ja-Mar's liquor store, 5933 West Florissant Avenue, at Riverview Boulevard. Fatally shot was Cortez A. Westley 17, of the 5900 block of Hamilton Terrace.
The clerk said Westley threatened her with an automatic pistol; police said it turned out to be unloaded.
Westley is the fifth alleged robber fatally shot in unrelated episodes in St. Louis within the past three weeks.
Since Sept. 27, police officers have killed a suspected carjacker who raped and strangled one of his victims, and a robber who tried to take an employee hostage. An off-duty St. Louis County deputy sheriff fatally shot a young man trying to rob him as he returned home in the city. And, a security guard at a convenience store fatally shot a robber after the robber killed the store manager.
"I don't understand it," veteran homicide investigator Lt. Ron Henderson said of the spate of shootings of robbers.
"Maybe they're watching too much TV."
Police said they believe the store clerk acted in self-defense.
In the shooting at Ja-Mar's, the clerk said the robber was wearing a bandanna over his face.
"He said, 'Give me the money,' and I saw a gun in my face," said the clerk, who asked that her name not be used. The clerk said she was robbed in the store of $1,400 in May and didn't want to get robbed again. Her family owns the store.
She said she reached down and grabbed her own pistol and fired a single shot. "I had no intention to kill him," she said. "I did not shoot to hit him."
The clerk, who has worked at Ja-Mar's for 13 years, said she knew Westley from the neighborhood. "It was his cousin that robbed me in May," she said.
Lt. Henderson confirmed the earlier robbery and said the cousin was arrested in that case.
The clerk said she works at the liquor store and a second job in the home health care field to support herself and her 16-year-old son.
The pistol recovered from Westley had no ammunition in it, and his family claimed a cover-up was taking place. "That gun was planted," said Sylinia Westley, 29, the youth's aunt.
"He's not a robber, and if he did decide to commit a robbery it wouldn't be with an empty gun."
Sylinia Westley and Earline Smith, 52, Cortez Westley's grandmother, said he was a cocaine dealer. "He was a good-hearted person," added Sylinia Westley.
To contact reporter Bill Bryan:\E-mail: bbryan@postnet.com Phone: 314-340-8950
KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE
October 20, 2000
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome all new subscribers. Thank you for
caring enough about FREEDOM to stay informed.
All items below are also linked from our home
page at: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE OR
ADD IT TO ANY LISTS. THIS IS FOR
SENDING OUR NEWSLETTER AND THAT IS IT.
THANK YOU VERY KINDLY.
**********
NEW KeepAndBearArms.com Merchandise!!
INTRODUCING: KeepAndBearArms.com T-SHIRTS
Coffee Mugs, Mouse Pads... http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/kabaproducts/merchandise/
Plus: Branco Cartoon on Same Products: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/kabaproducts/mediasafety
MANY more to come, SOON.
**********
GUN-RELATED NEWS ON OTHER SITES
BELOW OUR SITE'S NEW CONTENT
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
ON OUR SITE IN TODAY'S REPORT...
THE RIGHT TO NOT BE RAPED
by a father whose daughter was raped
*** Parental Guidance is Suggested!!! *** http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=758
This is a very graphic and tearjerking letter
with several strong messages contained in it.
HCI SUING INTERNET ACTIVIST FOR DOMAIN NAME http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=765
And our offer is on the table to help.
DISSECTING DIANNE
By Mark Kohler http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=764
Dianne Feinstein recently sent a letter to one of
the citizens she is paid to serve but doesn't. That
letter contains inaccuracies, false statements and,
well, lies. Mr. Kohler sets the record straight nicely.
SMITH & WESSON CUTTING WORK FORCE http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001019/bs/smith___wesson_layoffs_5.html
Seems they aren't doing so well after shafting the
gun owners who've supported them for so long...
GUN DEALERS ARRESTED FOR SELLING AMMO & BOOKS http://www.copleynewspapers.com/newssun/top/w19gunshow.htm
If this doesn't bother people in the local community,
what will?
MECHANISM vs. CAUSE -- Why an Attitude of "Blame
the Guns" Would Misdirect Public Health Funds
by Sean Oberle http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=759
"An brief mention of firearm access in an Oct. 17
Associated Press story on rural suicides reminds me
that we should brace ourselves for an increasing number
of salvos from the gun grabbers on the topic of suicide."
THE CURE IS LIBERTY
by Ari Armstrong http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=762
Based on a speech given Oct. 18 in Colorado in opposition
to the "closing" of the so-called "gun show loophole."
WHY I'M DOING IT
by L. Neil Smith http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=760
Explanation from Mr. Smith as to why he accepted the
nomination for the Presidency on the Libertarian ticket
in the state of Arizona, assuring that Mr. Browne didn't
show in all 50 states.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"It is the individual gun owner's responsibility to
understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase,
ownership, storage, transport, etc." http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/info.shtml
(bottom of the page, next to last paragraph)
Yes, this includes laws that require women to submit
to armed rapists, grandmothers to get their throats
cut because they cannot defend themselves, and anyone
to submit to pretty much everything else the
bodyguarded politicians tell us to submit to.
Had our Founding Fathers taken this position,
Lexington & Concord would have been a line of
people handing over weapons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE MMM IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN
by Michael Z. Williamson http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=750
One gun owner's idea of some ways to subvert
anti-self-defense groups.
HOW TO AVOID BEING SHOT
BY AN ARMED CITIZEN
by T. Blanchard http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=755
Five suggestions to criminals and manner-empty people
from an armed citizen who loves his family.
STORE CLERK FATALLY SHOOTS ROBBER http://www.post-dispatch.com/postnet/stories.nsf/ByDocID/3F16087D0DFA95978625697C003ADA88
"I didn't do anything wrong," the clerk, 33, said
Tuesday from her home in Spanish Lake. "It was
self-defense. "I'd rather him be laying there than
me." -- earning herself today's Good Shot Award.
HUMOR: One Possible Use for an AOL Disc http://www.keepandbeararms.com/information/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=1499
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS ON OTHER WEBSITES:
NEWS ON OTHER WEBSITES: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/news/kabanews/display_news.asp
* Clayton Cramer Destroys Anti-Gun Book
* Emerson Acquitted on State Charges
* Does Restriction of Gun Access Jeopardize
Your Family's Safety? ~~ Fox News!
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/news/kabanews/display_news.asp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH ANY OF THESE
LINKS because you do not know how to
cut and paste a link that has wrapped
to a second line due to its length,
ALL of these items are linked from
our home page today and tomorrow at: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW TO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION
50 CALIBER RIFLE TO BE GIVEN AWAY WITH
1 in 2,500 MEMBERSHIPS TO OUR ORGANIZATION http://www.keepandbeararms.com/newsarchives/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=view&articleid=260
Please support this organization if you are
benefiting from the work we do.
ONLINE SIGNUP HERE: http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/custaccount
BECOME A MEMBER BY MAIL FORM: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/members/mail.htm
DIRECT PURCHASES THROUGH KeepAndBearArms.com http://www.keepandbeararms.com/stores/
Books, music, gifts, hardware, sporting goods,
health & beauty, jewelry, nutrition, camping
& boating equipment, toys, electronics, and on
and on and on. Divert some of your purchases
this way to put the small referral percentages
into the movement.
INTERNET ACCESS http://www.keepandbeararms.com/webservices/access
Yes, we now provide full internet access. Is
your dialup account pro gun and pro freedom? If
so, stay put and thank them. If not, well...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please ONLY use the following email address for
site problems: Webmaster@KeepAndBearArms.com.
Thank you. (He's double-busy as it is.)
Thank you for caring enough about FREEDOM to
stay informed.
Keep And Bear Arms .com
"Why do liberals think it's better for a
woman to be raped and murdered than for
a rapist to be shot?"
Subscribe or unsubscribe at our web site. http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
------------------
"those who sacrifice
liberty for security deserve neither"
