College student with sword kills burglary suspect - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Txjake · #1 09-17-2009, 01:37 PM

College student with sword kills burglary suspect

By BEN NUCKOLS (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
September 15, 2009 7:19 PM EDT

BALTIMORE - A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a suspected burglar in a garage behind his off-campus home early Tuesday, hours after someone broke in and stole electronics.

Some shocked neighbors said they heard bloodcurdling screams in an area just blocks from the university. Police held the student, a junior chemistry major who turns 21 on Sunday, for several hours, but he was not charged with any crimes Tuesday, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

Around 1:20 a.m., the student heard noises behind the home and noticed a door to the garage was open, Guglielmi said. He grabbed the sword and confronted the intruder - identified by police as Donald D. Rice, 49, a habitual offender who had just been released from jail.

Rice was crouching beneath a counter, police said. The student asked him what he was doing and threatened to call police.

"When he said that, the suspect lunged at him, kind of forced the kid against the wall, and he struck him with the sword," Guglielmi said.

Rice's left hand was nearly severed - Guglielmi described it as "hanging on by a thread" - and he suffered a severe cut to the upper body. He died at the scene.

On Monday, two laptops and a Sony PlayStation were stolen from the student's home, which he shares with three other students, but police were not sure whether Rice was responsible, Guglielmi said.

There was a pool of blood Tuesday morning in the brick courtyard between the back porch of the home and the garage. The courtyard was strewn with debris, including what looked like broken glass.

Guglielmi did not know why the student kept a sword. He said he may have had some martial arts training, but was not an expert.

Rice's criminal history includes more than two dozen arrests for burglary, breaking and entering and auto theft. According to court records, he was charged in 2007 after he pulled a gun on a police officer, though prosecutors placed those charges on hold because the officer was on military leave.

Rice was convicted in 2008 of unauthorized removal of property and sentenced to 18 months. He was released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Several nearby residents said the community has experienced a rash of petty crimes in recent months, including home, garage and vehicle break-ins. Many homes have bars on windows and stickers advertising alarm systems.

The diverse neighborhood includes a mix of students, professors and families, said Hughes, who lives with his wife and young children and works for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which is on another campus across town.

"There seems to be a noticeable increase in crime in the neighborhood," Hughes said. "I am concerned for my family's safety."

Kenny Eaton, 20, a junior political science major at Hopkins who lives nearby, said there was some tension between students and lower-income residents of nearby communities. The private Johns Hopkins is known for its health and science research and has about 4,600 undergraduates on its main campus.

"You take kids who are paying $50,000 a year (in tuition) and then put them out in a very dangerous city environment, it's almost like a clash of civilizations," he said.

Guglielmi said police would consult with prosecutors about whether to file charges against the student. As in most U.S. states, self-defense in Maryland is defined by common law rather than by statute. People who confront intruders inside their homes have a greater degree of latitude to use force, and prosecutors consider whether to file charges in such incidents on a case-by-case basis.

"One can genuinely and reasonably be in fear of one's own safety even if the burglar is unarmed," said Andrew D. Levy, a Baltimore defense attorney and an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. "But nonetheless, it would be something that a good prosecutor would consider."

iwrock · #2 09-17-2009, 02:12 PM

I heard about this the other day. Pretty crazy stuff.

cmac2012 · #3 09-17-2009, 02:19 PM

A well made samurai sword can be one sharp item. Burglars, watch out.

The Swede · #4 09-17-2009, 02:24 PM

Sheesh. Dont people use their bare hands anymore?

mgburg · #5 09-17-2009, 02:28 PM

OMFG!!!!

Someone stood up for themselves!!!

Quick!!! Call the ACLU!!! That poor Rice-guy didn't have any weapon to defend himself against the guy HE WAS TRYING TO BURGLARIZE!!!!

Did the kid have the katana registered?

Was the katana a "legal" katana and not some cheap, Russian knockoff?

Was the katana "legal" in it's length and construction?

Were the serial numbers and certificate of authenticity available, or was the purchase of the katana a "back alley" deal???

MY GOD!!!! WHAT'S THE WORLD COMIN' TO WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE A BUCK FRESH OUT OF JAIL??????

(BTW, the kid should be given a medal and a ticker-tape (What's that stuff???) parade down main street, then be allowed to demonstrate "home protection techniques" at the local YMCA/YWCA and to Boy Scout and Girl Scout organizations. He has a technique that defies arguments!)

dynalow · #6 09-17-2009, 02:29 PM

Operative phrase:
"He died at the scene."

Not much of a homecoming:

Rice was convicted in 2008 of unauthorized removal of property and sentenced to 18 months. He was released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center.

#7 09-17-2009, 02:33 PM

This story I hope is not used to try and get laws passed against katanas. But I am sure someone will. I really feel bad for the student, I don't imagine it would be easy to go through that. I think its hilarious the buglar was stupid enough to try and take someone on who had a katana

. I am however curious as to what kind of katana the student used and how it held up. Ohhh and even a crappy QVC katana can still kill someone the real question is will it break and kill you (the wielder) as well

Graplr · #8 09-17-2009, 03:01 PM

Well, that's one way to stop a crime spree...

MS Fowler · #9 09-17-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

Operative phrase:
"He died at the scene."

Not much of a homecoming:

Rice was convicted in 2008 of unauthorized removal of property and sentenced to 18 months. He was released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center.

He began serving that 18 month sentence in January, 2009. Lets see ,,,Jan to Sept--9 months served for an 18 month sentence.
This was the last of his 29 convictions--NOTICE--convictions, NOT merely charges.

DieselAddict · #10 09-17-2009, 03:40 PM

Good riddance. Hopefully the student won't be charged. See, you don't need a stinking gun to defend your house.

MS Fowler · #11 09-17-2009, 05:07 PM

We are all waiting to see what the city Prosecutor will do. Since the victim ( the dead guy) is a black man, in a city where black victims are protected by government, no one here would be surprised if charges are brought against the student-assailant.

Lest you think I am some sort of racist, I have lived in, or near Baltimore for 60 years. I have watched as Baltimore has become nearly unlivable. Politicians of the single party ( whether black or white) do everything to placate the residents. This results in not charging many criminals, or reduced sentences, or early releases. Why they want the criminal scum released back into their community is beyond reason to me, but its been going on for so long that it must be what the citizens desire.

Hatterasguy · #12 09-17-2009, 05:09 PM

He did a good job, since bullets are getting so pricey maybe we should start to use katana's for home defence.

pawoSD · #13 09-17-2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

Good riddance. Hopefully the student won't be charged. See, you don't need a stinking gun to defend your house.

Exactly! That is what I've been saying all along. Guns are for lazy fat people who can't lift their fists, or a sword!

Fulcrum525 · #14 09-17-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

Good riddance. Hopefully the student won't be charged.

X2

I don't think it will take much to prove that the thief was indeed thieving at the time. (Finger prints and such)

Hatterasguy · #15 09-17-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Exactly! That is what I've been saying all along. Guns are for lazy fat people who can't lift their fists, or a sword!

Well if the perp had a gun he would have been quite dead.

So swords are OK now? Even if some nutjob takes one to school like that German did with an ax?