WBEN, December 24, 2010: Amherst Police are questioning a man who opened fire at an alleged bank robber Friday morning. No one was hurt. Police say a man walked into the Citizens Bank on Sheridan near Bailey around 9:15 am. The suspect had a handgun and displayed it, ordering all inside to put their hands up. He then proceeded to the teller area of the bank where he demanded cash from the tellers. He then began to exit the bank with an unknown amount of cash. Police say that's when a customer followed the suspect out of the building. As the robbery suspect ran off, the customer fired several shots. Police do not believe the suspect was hit by gunfire. Police say the customer who fired the shots had a permit for his pistol. The robber was described as a black male possibly in his mid 20's around 5'9 with a thin build wearing a puffy either black or gray coat with yellow and green stripes the suspect had a hat trimmed with fur and had his face covered with a blue bandana. He was also wearing glasses. Anyone with any information is asked to call Amhesrt detectives at 716-689-1333.

WYSR, September 28, 2010: An attempted robbery at a grocery store on Syracuse's south side ended with the suspect being shot.  Syracuse Police say just before 9 p.m. Monday night the suspect tried holding up the Los Amgios grocery store on West Brighton Avenue. During the attempted robbery a person working at the store shot the suspect in the torso.  Police say the suspect will recover and has been charged with attempted robbery. Police have not released the name of the robbery suspect and haven't said who owned the gun.

Daily News, September 15, 2010: A Brooklyn homeowner shot a would-be burglar three times as the crook and an accomplice rifled through the man's home early Wednesday, police said. The man and his wife were startled awake around 2:30 a.m. by every homeowner's worst nightmare - the sound of an intruder inside the home, police said. The robbers were snooping around the ground floor of the home on E. 64th St. in Mill Basin when the homeowner descended the steps, armed and ready to fire. He squeezed off at least three shots, hitting suspect Alexander Manigat, 30, twice in the torso and once in the arm, police sources said. It is not clear if there was a struggle before the shooting, which sent Manigat's accomplice racing from the home. The accomplice remained on the loose, but Manigat was taken into police custody and removed to Brookdale Hospital, where he is in critical condition, police said. Charges are pending. The homeowner, who was not immediately identified, had a license for the firearm and will likely not be charged with a crime, police said. "They're good people," a neighbor, who declined to give his name, said of the couple. "He's shaken up, but he's okay. This is a quiet neighborhood. This is strange. It's awful - but it's Brooklyn!" Police officials said the home invasion does not appear to be related to a push-in robbery last month in Mill Basin. In that robbery on Aug. 11, two masked men forced their way into a home on E. 65th St., tied up the family and fled with a significant haul - $50,000 in cash and diamonds. But both perpetrators were later collared by police.

Ithaca Journal, August 21, 2010: An 80-year-old Pulteney homeowner foiled an apparent break-in Friday when he shot an intruder in his home. "As it appears, he was justified in the actions that he took," Investigator Jeffrey Albright of the state police in Bath said of the homeowner, identified as Stephen Boyechko. Police learned of the shooting at 8016 Brown Road after Boyechko called police at around 7:42 p.m. Stephen Boyechko had been napping with his wife, Pauline, when he was awakened by the sound of someone breaking into his home through a bathroom window, police said. Stephen Boyechko picked up his handgun, which Albright said he legally owns, and confronted the intruder. The suspect, who has not been identified by authorities, moved toward Boyechko and was shot twice, once each in the abdomen and the groin, Albright said. When they arrived, police found the intruder wounded in a hallway by the bathroom, Albright said. He was alert and conscious. The suspect, described as a man in his 40s, was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he was listed in guarded condition Saturday afternoon. The suspect has not been charged, Albright said. "We're waiting for his medical circumstances to make him available for us to address that," he said. "That may take a few days." The Boyechkos were not injured, but were taken to Ira Davenport Hospital in Bath as a precaution, Albright said. Albright said police are looking into whether the break-in could be related to a recent string of daytime residential burglaries in the Bath area. Steuben County Sheriff Joel Ordway on Wednesday asked neighbors to watch each other's homes and report unfamiliar vehicles or people to the sheriff's office by calling (800) 724-7777. The Boyechkos could not be reached for comment Saturday.

WYSR, May 27, 2010: State Police say a 79-year-old man with a history of harassing store employees, walked into an AT&T store in Oneida County and shot an employee, before being shot and killed by an off-duty police officer. Police say the gunman, identified as Abraham Dickan, walked into the store located on Commercial Drive in New York Mills just before 1pm Thursday Afternoon and shot store clerk Seth Turk, 37, in the stomach.  Off-duty Rome police officer Donald Moore, 25, was a customer in the store at the time, and shot Dickan with his personal gun.  Investigators say their preliminary investigation has revealed employees had prior problems with the gunman, who had expressed hostility toward them. A letter recovered from Dickan's pocket contained the names of six employees he allegedly intended to kill.  Turk was in surgery at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Utica as of Thursday afternoon. His condition was not immediately known. Witnesses in the area say they ran over to the neighboring Harley-Davidson store when the first shots were fired, in order to hide from the gunman. They say there was fear the shooter may have been looking for some of the employees.  Investigators say the situation would have been much worse if Moore had not been inside the store at the time.  Dickan's body was lying in the center of the showroom when the first on-duty police officers arrived.  Dickan had been banned from the store about a month ago for being disruptive. Police say so far, the gunman appears to have no prior criminal history. His pistol permit had been revoked. People say the scene following the shooting was "chaotic".

Times Herald-Record, May 27, 2010: A baseball-wielding Youngsville man tried to rob a Jeffersonville pharmacy but was thwarted by a gun-wielding pharmacist Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say that Robert Roach, 55, entered Jeff Pharmacy on Route 52 wearing a ski mask and waving a baseball bat about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday. Roach demanded drugs, but fled in a green Chevrolet pickup when the pharmacist, a retired correction officer, drew a gun. Police used leads to locate Roach 20 minutes later at a nearby residence, deputies said, and he was arrested trying to flee through the back door. Roach is being held at the sheriff’s patrol building pending formal charges.

WHAM, April 22, 2010: Police are looking for two men they say tried to rob a 61-year old man on his way home from the store Wednesday night -- only to have him shoot back -- with his own gun. The attempted robbery and surprise retaliation occurred just after 11:15 p.m. on Tubman Way in the city. Police said when the two approached the victim, one grabbed him and the other pulled a knife. The victim quickly pulled his own gun and fired at the suspects. His gun is licensed and legally registered, police said. The suspects ran away. Nobody was hurt. If you have information, please call Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300.

WIVB, April 15, 2010: A suspected burglar got a lot more than he bargained for in the town of Concord. He was no match for a no-nonsense elderly couple. You don't mess with 68-year-old Kathleen Smith or her husband Charles. Neighbors are grateful to them for holding an alleged would-be burglar at gunpoint until State Police arrived. The "No Trespass" sign on this property in the town of Concord means business. State Police say 28-year-old Michael Smith of Hamburg learned that the hard way after he was confronted with the barrel of a gun by the caretakers of the property. Sgt. Kevin Streety of the State Police took a cell phone call from 68-year-old Kathleen Smith, who was holding the .22 caliber rifle while shouting orders to the younger Michael Smith, no relation. Sgt. Streeety said, "I immediately started asking questions. What's going on? What I heard was that, 'I'm going to shoot you. I have a gun and I've got it pointed at him.'" State Police say Michael Smith was caught with a crow bar, metal cutters, and a flashlight, and has admitted he was in the barn to make off with metal for scrap. The barn had been broken into on Monday as well and Kathleen and Charles, who did not want to be interviewed, had come back to check on the property. Neighbor Stephen Rieske, who says thieves have tried to steel from his property, commends the Smiths for taking action. Rieske said, "I would have gone in the house, got my rifle, and taken him at gunpoint. I'm about keeping my own stuff safe." Eve Zukowski, who's boxer named Tyson protects her, also commends the Smiths, but says her reaction might have been different. Zukowski said, "I would probably head for the phone. Call 911." "The moment that they picked up that gun, you have to be ready and prepared to shoot. If things go wrong, they have to be prepared with an exit strategy, and the fact that they put that weapon on that person, they have to know that they're taking a lot in their own hands," said Sgt. Streety. But it worked out in this case. Michael Smith has been arraigned on felony burglary charges along with possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief.

MidHudsonNews.com, April 5, 2010: A Parksville man shot and killed a large adult black bear that was menacing his daughter at her Parksville home Sunday. The woman was inside with her four children. The bear attempted to break into a bedroom window of the home and swatted at the dog on the porch, said State Department of Environmental Conservation spokeswoman Wendy Rosenbach. EnCon and State Police were called to the scene, but before they arrived, the woman called her father, who came over. He fired a warning shot, but the bear did not budge, so he shot and killed the animal. Rosenbach said the bear had been tagged and had been a nuisance to others before. No charges were filed against the man who shot the animal. Rosenbach had advice for people to help deter bears from wandering near their homes. Wash out trash cans with ammonia and put them out as close to garbage pickup as possible, and pay attention to where they hang birdfeeders as bears love them too.

MidHudsonNews.com, March 24, 2010: State Police are investigating an attempted burglary to a residence 24 Taylor Road in the Town of Deerpark. At about 9:40 pm. On Tuesday, March 23, homeowner heard someone walking through their backyard. The homeowner, who is licensed to carry a handgun, went outside and saw a man trying to break into his garage. When confronted, the would be burglar turned towards to homeowner and appeared to have an object, believed to be a weapon, in his hand. The homeowner fired a shot at the suspect, who then ran into the back yard. The homeowner fired two more rounds at the man, who fled into the woods behind the house. A search of the area was conducted with the assistance of K-9 units from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Port Jervis Police Department, along with members of the Town of Deerpark Police Department, but the suspect could not be located. It is unknown if the suspect had been injured. The investigation is continuing into the incident, and anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police at 845-344-5300.

WABC, March 9, 2010: A man was shot and killed inside a home in West Babylon, Long Island Monday night. It happened around 7:30 in the evening. When officers arrived, they found a man shot to death in the kitchen of the home on 6th Street. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Apparently a woman and her boyfriend were inside the home when the woman's ex-husband came inside the home. The couple said they assumed a burglar was breaking in and the boyfriend allegedly shot the man. "It's an ongoing investigation. The deceased did not live at the house. The matter is under investigation at this time as to the circumstances of the shooting," said Detective Lieutenant Gerard Pelkofsky, Suffolk Police Homicide Squad. The man was shot in the upper body according to investigators.

Buffalo News, January 21, 2010: A 52-year-old city man shot a 22-year-old man in the chest Wednesday evening, but police said he is not expected to be charged after investigators learned he was likely defending himself from a burglar. The younger man, Parrish C. Spencer Jr., of Falls Street, broke the window of a side door and kicked in the door about 5:30 p.m. to get inside the two-story home of Willie J. Carson in the 500 block of 25th Street, police said. After Spencer got inside and went upstairs, Carson shot him, police said. Spencer is in stable condition today at Erie County Medical Center. Investigators found broken plexiglass at the scene. Captain Ernest C. Palmer, chief of detectives, said Carson was not charged but the case has been turned over to the Niagara County district attorney's office for further investigation. Charges may be filed against Spencer, Palmer added.

WCXA, January 12, 2010: A grand jury finds a central New York woman was justified in fatally shooting a man who ransacked her home in October. Deanna Candee of Schroeppel (SCROO'-puhl) in Oswego County was cleared of wrongdoing in the death of Timothy Hartigan, whom she found inside her home after returning from a shopping trip. Deputies said Hartigan had ransacked her home and attacked Candee. Her son pulled Hartigan off of her and she grabbed her revolver and shot the intruder. Hartigan's relatives said he had a history of mental illness. The Oswego County district attorney's office said it would have no further details of the grand jury findings.