Friday, February 06, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NO ONE HURT: Burglary ends in shooting

Former Marine confronts intruder outside his home and fires shots at fleeing car

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Before Thursday morning, Bob Sherman's pistol sat unused in his night stand for a decade.

That changed when the 59-year-old was awakened by a noise outside his home.

The former Marine grabbed his 9 mm pistol and investigated. Several tense minutes later, a confrontation with a burglar ended with Sherman firing at the burglar's car as it drove away.

"I wanted, No. 1, to send a message, 'Don't come back here,' and No. 2, I wanted to mark the car so we could identify them," Sherman said.

Las Vegas police were investigating the 5:40 a.m. shooting on Del Monte Avenue, near Oakey and Valley View boulevards, but had no suspects, Sgt. Matt McCarthy said.

Sherman could face charges for shooting at the car, but McCarthy said it was too early to know whether he will be charged.

Sherman said police gave him no indication that he was in the wrong, but he would deal with whatever consequences come from the shooting because he did what he felt was necessary.

"As far as I'm concerned, they almost make themselves fair game," Sherman said. "Their mere presence is a threat."

After Sherman woke up, he noticed the interior and exterior garage doors open. When he realized that an old dog door had been unscrewed from the exterior door, he told his wife to call police.

In his driveway, Sherman found a man getting into a silver Volkswagen car. Another man might have been in the passenger seat, he said.

"I said, `Hold it. What the hell do you think you're doing?' " Sherman said, holding the man at gunpoint and ordering him to wait for police.

The man said he was looking for a friend, then said he couldn't wait for police because he had warrants.

Sherman warned the burglar he would shoot, but the burglar climbed into the car and started to back up. Sherman followed through with his threat and fired three shots at the car's tires in an attempt to disable it, he said.

He said he also hoped any bullet holes would help police identify the car.

Sherman said he wasn't trying to shoot anyone in the car.

Police impounded a similar car later Thursday and were processing it for evidence, but McCarthy said he didn't know if it was the same car.

The burglar didn't get away with any property, but Sherman said his shed had been burglarized two days earlier and a case of 9 mm ammunition was stolen.

Sherman said he was glad to have the gun, which he bought years ago when he owned a store.

If he didn't have the gun, he would have just locked his bedroom doors and "prayed nothing happened before the police got there," he said.

McCarthy said homeowners have the right to protect themselves, but he warned that confronting burglars could backfire.

"By chasing after a suspect, you could be putting yourself in danger," he said.

Sherman said he always felt safe in his neighborhood until Thursday. The couple immediately ordered two steel doors for the garage, an alarm system and new locks for the house.

Although Sherman's wife, Karryn, had always been leery of his handgun, he said, she now wants one for her night stand.

Review-Journal staff writer Frank Geary contributed to this report.