Police say woman was acting in self-defense after boy threw bricks at her home

Guess he should count himself lucky she only hit him in the arm. I hate guns with a passion... but I hate people more. Bet he thinks twice about pulling this shit in the future... but will probably do it anyway.

Cerebus said:

Guess he should count himself lucky she only hit him in the arm. I hate guns with a passion... but I hate people more. Bet he thinks twice about pulling this shit in the future... but will probably do it anyway.

The mess up part about it, is that he might seek revenge

funkpill said:

Cerebus said:

Guess he should count himself lucky she only hit him in the arm. I hate guns with a passion... but I hate people more. Bet he thinks twice about pulling this shit in the future... but will probably do it anyway.

The mess up part about it, is that he might seek revenge

It certainly seems possible. But getting shot is a pretty big deterrent for most people. Especially when it sounds like a lot of folks in the neighborhood are not on his side. It's more likely he'll just move on to a new target.

HuMpThAnG said:

Police say woman was acting in self-defense after boy threw bricks at her home

September 29, 2010

BY KIM JANSSEN Chicago Suntimes Staff Reporter

A 12-year-old boy who was shot in the arm by a woman upset at the boy for throwing bricks at her South Shore home has been charged with assault, police said Wednesday.

The boy, along with another 13-year-old boy, were each charged with one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault to a senior citizen.

The 68-year-old woman was released from police custody without being charged because she acted in self defense, police said.

The woman was identified by friends and neighbors as Margaret Matthews. She told them at least one of the bricks thrown by the boys struck her before she shot at them.

The shooting happened at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday near East 76th and South Coles.

The boys were standing on the roof of a small shed in Matthew’s yard, her friend and neighbor Tnola McCoy said.

When she came out onto her porch to shoo them away, the boy she shot threw a rock at her knee and at her chest, McCoy said. Matthews got her gun and shot the boy from the porch, friends said.

The boy was taken to University of Comer Children’s Hospital in serious to critical condition, Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado said, but he was released from the hospital and to his parents early Wednesday.

The shot boy’s sister, Donna Renee Atkinson, said Wednesday that he “didn’t throw any bricks, he was just walking past her house and she shot him.’’

She found her brother “crying and being bandaged by firefighters’’ soon after the shooting, she said.

“He said he wished he never went over there,’’ she said. “No kid deserves to be shot.’’

But friends and neighbors gave a different version.

After the incident was over, Matthews told McCoy, “ ‘I'd had enough,’ ’’ McCoy said.

“She's very upset," she added. “The boy’s parents need to get control of him.’’

Another friend said Matthews was “trying to scare’’ the boy with the handgun, not hit him, the friend said.

The boy had previously set her grill on fire with a burning rug, and had another run-in with her last week, the friend said.

Matthews, a former daycare worker, told the friend, “ ‘I’ll never say what I did was right, but I’m tired.’ ’’

“She’s a good person and a good neighbor,’’ the friend said.

Matthews was widowed two years ago, the friend said.

Neighbors said Matthews did the right thing.

“That boy terrorized this neighborhood,’’ Ronald Hunt said. “I had to set my dogs on him when he tried to tear my place up.’’

Edward Hall, 13, who lives nearby, added: “She had a right to defend herself — he’s broken into houses around here, and he’s always raising hell.’’

The woman also received praise from strangers.

One officer said police received a call from a woman offering to raise bail money if the woman had been charged.

Outside Matthews’ home, a woman drove by Wednesday and shouted, “Woo hoo! My hero!’’

I was nowhere near Chicago on Wednesday - I swear.

Cerebus said:

Bet he thinks twice about pulling this shit in the future... but will probably do it anyway.

...and hopefully next time, she'll finish the prick off. Right between the eyes, grandma!

Genesia said:

HuMpThAnG said:

Police say woman was acting in self-defense after boy threw bricks at her home

September 29, 2010

BY KIM JANSSEN Chicago Suntimes Staff Reporter

A 12-year-old boy who was shot in the arm by a woman upset at the boy for throwing bricks at her South Shore home has been charged with assault, police said Wednesday.

The boy, along with another 13-year-old boy, were each charged with one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault to a senior citizen.

The 68-year-old woman was released from police custody without being charged because she acted in self defense, police said.

The woman was identified by friends and neighbors as Margaret Matthews. She told them at least one of the bricks thrown by the boys struck her before she shot at them.

The shooting happened at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday near East 76th and South Coles.

The boys were standing on the roof of a small shed in Matthew’s yard, her friend and neighbor Tnola McCoy said.

When she came out onto her porch to shoo them away, the boy she shot threw a rock at her knee and at her chest, McCoy said. Matthews got her gun and shot the boy from the porch, friends said.

The boy was taken to University of Comer Children’s Hospital in serious to critical condition, Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado said, but he was released from the hospital and to his parents early Wednesday.

The shot boy’s sister, Donna Renee Atkinson, said Wednesday that he “didn’t throw any bricks, he was just walking past her house and she shot him.’’

She found her brother “crying and being bandaged by firefighters’’ soon after the shooting, she said.

“He said he wished he never went over there,’’ she said. “No kid deserves to be shot.’’

But friends and neighbors gave a different version.

After the incident was over, Matthews told McCoy, “ ‘I'd had enough,’ ’’ McCoy said.

“She's very upset," she added. “The boy’s parents need to get control of him.’’

Another friend said Matthews was “trying to scare’’ the boy with the handgun, not hit him, the friend said.

The boy had previously set her grill on fire with a burning rug, and had another run-in with her last week, the friend said.

Matthews, a former daycare worker, told the friend, “ ‘I’ll never say what I did was right, but I’m tired.’ ’’

“She’s a good person and a good neighbor,’’ the friend said.

Matthews was widowed two years ago, the friend said.

Neighbors said Matthews did the right thing.

“That boy terrorized this neighborhood,’’ Ronald Hunt said. “I had to set my dogs on him when he tried to tear my place up.’’

Edward Hall, 13, who lives nearby, added: “She had a right to defend herself — he’s broken into houses around here, and he’s always raising hell.’’

The woman also received praise from strangers.

One officer said police received a call from a woman offering to raise bail money if the woman had been charged.

Outside Matthews’ home, a woman drove by Wednesday and shouted, “Woo hoo! My hero!’’

I was nowhere near Chicago on Wednesday - I swear.

I think she should have just put the brick in a slingshot and fired it back at him

She should go to jail for a long, long time.

She should be given a ticker-tape parade and keys to the city. Fuck these little punks and their lame-ass parents.

There is an old Caribbean saying that goes, "Those that don't hear, shall feel". Kids should be taught, not only to respect their elders and property, but that there are consequences for their actions. He found out the hard way....He's lucky that he only got shot in the shoulder, I would have whooped his ass on top of it.

[Edited 10/1/10 8:17am]

shorttrini said:

There is an old Caribbean saying that goes, "Those that don't hear, shall feel". Kids should know not only to respect their elders and property, but that there are consequences for their actions. He found out the hard way....He's lucky that he only got shot in the shoulder, I would have whooped his ass on top of it.

...or, "don't start nuthin', and there won't be nuthin"....

uPtoWnNY said:

shorttrini said:

There is an old Caribbean saying that goes, "Those that don't hear, shall feel". Kids should know not only to respect their elders and property, but that there are consequences for their actions. He found out the hard way....He's lucky that he only got shot in the shoulder, I would have whooped his ass on top of it.

...or, "don't start nuthin', and there won't be nuthin"....

This is what you get when you have babies having babies and not a clue on how to raise them.

“He said he wished he never went over there,’’

Damn right!

She should have took this fool OUT!

retina said:

She should go to jail for a long, long time.

fixed

[Edited 10/1/10 8:27am]

shorttrini said:

uPtoWnNY said:

...or, "don't start nuthin', and there won't be nuthin"....

This is what you get when you have babies having babies and not a clue on how to raise them.

Yep, and making excuses when their little monsters get out of control.

It it a downright violation of your rights when you are sitting at home minding your own business then a brick comes in breaking your personal property.... mind you that you'll have to fix that window ASAP so that your home stays secure.

WTF would a kid be throwing bricks randomly at someone's home?

That boy is lucky that worse didn't happen to him.

I like the firing the brick right back at the boy idea.... with a cannon!

Still a child at 12, but still old enough to know there are consequences for raising hell.

I had a similar incident with my house which is a brick-front, aluminum-sided end unit town house. There are two windows on the side of the house, and this is the inside stair case where there is a window at the bottom or beginning of the stairs going up and a window at the top of the stairs' landing. I have several cats that like to take turns sitting in the windows, especially if they are open. Behind my row of houses is a trail and a pond. There is a bed of granite chips near this pond for maintenance vehicles to park when the pond is being cleaned. Well, you know wherever there are rocks and kids, rocks are going to be thrown. Make a long story short, one kid decides to throw rocks at the side of my house to hit one of the cats in the windows. Of course he misses, but hits the siding. Now I have about 10 dents in my aluminum siding that I had just replaced the month before. I swear, if I had had a gun and seen that lil mofo throwing the rocks, I'd a shot his ass, too! That is why, for the most part, I don't like kids much; at least hoodlum ass kids.

This is why I wanna get the hell on outta Chicago. Not that kids are gonna be any different anywhere else, but it seems like things are escalating to a crazy level no matter where you go in this city. Even in the college 'hoods! It makes me glad I was too old to live in the dorms. This kid had it coming. It was a hard lesson to learn and let me tell you, some kids just don't get it when you try to be nice or try to ask them not to do things. I'm having that problem RIGHT NOW with a little one. We're trying to nip that in the bud before she grows up to be sassy and disobedient. While I doubt she'll be tossing bricks with the boys, she could just as easily toss some attitude to a superior. The whole thing is RESPECT.

I noticed how the grandmother wanted to say the window was already broken a night or two ago here on the local news. Putting THAT against the neighborhood consensus, it seems very unlikely that a woman so protective of her home would let a broken window stand. With brats like that around? Granny had a pistol, granny had a right. For some reason, she reminded me of my own grandma. She's sweet as a barel of molasses, but if you peck and peck at her the wrong way, mama will snap. And trust me--I pushed her buttons as a kid and got my behind handed to me many a time. She put my butt in check.

It was 100% wrong of him to be tossing bricks at her. Or breaking her window and running from the scene of the crime. You start out disrespecting old ladies, you end up physically harming somebody and taking their life. Maybe this will set him straight. If not, I hate to say it but his family might as well prepare for a shortened life. I don't see how they can sit idly by and ADMIT he's a hellcat, but do little else aside claim a window was already destroyed. They know what's up. Yeah, I'd be embarrassed too.

If he retalliates, that would be a very dumb choice. I pray he won't get some thuggish cousins or somebody to "teach her a lesson". Hell, seems like granny can handle it though. She'll bust a cap in their butts... GO 'HEAD GRANDMAMA!!!