You Messed With the Wrong Marine!

noel · Post by **noel** » June 1, 2006, 1:48 pm

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/ ... html?imw=Y

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote: By BILL MONTGOMERY, BETH WARREN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/30/06

A former Marine who police say killed a woman that attacked him during a gang robbery attempt told reporters Tuesday he acted only to save his life.

"My first instinct was to run," said former Cpl. Thomas Autry, 36. "Those kids were younger than me. They caught me and cornered me. It was about life preservation."

"I'm sorry this whole thing happened. I hate this world has gotten to the point where it is predatory," said a shaken Autry.

The pack of would-be robbers, including a 17-year-old woman, might have mistaken the tall, thin, waiter for an easy mark, said police. But, the bandits picked the wrong victim, said Atlanta police homicide Detective Danny Stephens. The former Marine, cornered by his pursuers on Penn Avenue at 4th Street, fought back with a pocket knife in a deadly melee that left the young woman dead and a man in his late teens seriously injured at a hospital.

Autry suffered minor injuries, including a cut to his hand.

The woman, identified as Amy Martin, had just had a birthday May 10, said Investigator Mark Gilbeau with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy was expected to be completed Tuesday. "Cause of death will be stab wounds, but we don't know how many yet," Gilbeau said.

Early reports were that Martin was pregnant, but the autopsy concluded otherwise, said the Fulton Medical Examiner's Office.

The teenager lived in an apartment at 3000 Stone Hogan Connector in southwest Atlanta, south of Greenbriar Mall near East Point, Gilbeau said. A young man also stabbed in the robbery attempt remained in critical condition, he added.

The identities of the surviving suspects, who Stephens said are believed to be linked to "a lot" of pedestrian robberies in Midtown and Virginia-Highland, were not released. They face aggravated assault and robbery charges, police said.

Autry will not be charged, Stephens said. "It was a clear case of self defense."

Stephens said Autry had left his job at the Jocks & Jills restaurant in Midtown and was walking along Penn Avenue when a blue Cadillac pulled alongside and three men, one armed with a shotgun, and the woman jumped from the car.

"This group had robbed two men on Piedmont earlier Monday night, taking a video camera and a cellphone," Stephens said.

"Autry takes off running, and they chase him. During the chase, Autry's trying to get into his backpack to get a pocket knife, which slows him down," Stephens said.

During the chase, Autry repeatedly yelled "fire, fire," which Stephens said attracted nearby residents' attention.

Grabbing the knife from his backpack, Autry managed to kick the shotgun from the man's hands and stabbed the woman in the chest, fatally wounding her. Stephens said. In the melee, Autry also stabbed one of the male suspects. Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol, which misfired, Stephens said.

The suspects ran back to the Cadillac and drove to Atlanta Medical Center, where police arrested them.

Autry, honorably discharged in 1992 after serving in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, spoke to a gaggle of reporters from the porch of his apartment about six block north of the King Center in downtown Atlanta.

Autry recounted the attack, saying he first realize something was amiss when he saw a white cat scurry across the road. That's when he turned around and saw the armed attackers getting out of a stopped car.

He said his military training kicked in, but "what really helped me was growing up in New York."

He said he changed his locks after the incident because of security concerns.

When told that many in the metro area consider him a hero for his actions, Autry disagreed.

"The heroes are those guys out there fighting for us every day and not getting respect," he said, referring to military personnel fighting in Iraq and elsewhere. "That [killing the attacker] wasn't admirable, it was fight or flight and I tried the flight."

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » June 1, 2006, 3:41 pm

black cat = bad luck
white cat = warning that someone's going to attempt to kick your ass?

I read this yesterday, and when I saw the headlines I figured he never even tried to get away. It does come across better that he tried to get away first and fought back when cornered.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » June 1, 2006, 4:13 pm

Boogahz wrote:black cat = bad luck
white cat = warning that someone's going to attempt to kick your ass?

I read this yesterday, and when I saw the headlines I figured he never even tried to get away. It does come across better that he tried to get away first and fought back when cornered.

Probably because feral cats don't just run across the street when someone is on the other side. Maybe the cat just made him look around to see what made it run?

As far as the person dying... unfortunate, but it wasn't like he went looking for trouble, they came after him, and they paid the consequences.

I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » June 1, 2006, 4:17 pm

Aruman wrote:
Boogahz wrote:black cat = bad luck
white cat = warning that someone's going to attempt to kick your ass?

I read this yesterday, and when I saw the headlines I figured he never even tried to get away. It does come across better that he tried to get away first and fought back when cornered.
Probably because feral cats don't just run across the street when someone is on the other side. Maybe the cat just made him look around to see what made it run?

As far as the person dying... unfortunate, but it wasn't like he went looking for trouble, they came after him, and they paid the consequences.

I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.

I am not saying that he shouldn't have just taken them on from the beginning. I just think that the fact these people chased him down solidifies his actions as being "just" in the end. If he would have just attacked them in the beginning, they might have had more to back up any claims of self-defense on their own part. Some states require that you have attempted to get away before deadly force can be used. I know this has come up most often with concealed handgun laws. I don't know about Georgia, but I know that it came up with Florida's laws.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » June 1, 2006, 4:18 pm

Aruman wrote: I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.

A law was changed recently in Arizona which makes it easier to go medieval on someone if being attacked.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » June 1, 2006, 4:24 pm

Winnow wrote:
Aruman wrote: I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.
A law was changed recently in Arizona which makes it easier to go medieval on someone if being attacked.

Your right ask Avery Johnson's Wife

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » June 1, 2006, 5:17 pm

I feel kind of dirty when I think about how good this makes me feel. It almost makes me want to break out Charles Bronson's Death Wish.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » June 1, 2006, 6:41 pm

I don't take any joy in it. But I can't say I have a lot of remorse either. Just glad the marine dude is safe.

*~*stragi*~* · Post by ***~*stragi*~*** » June 1, 2006, 7:38 pm

Winnow wrote:
Aruman wrote: I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.
A law was changed recently in Arizona which makes it easier to go medieval on someone if being attacked.

yeah i think we no longer have the duty to flee if we are violently confronted in our homes or something

didn't they just do that in michigan as well, only your also immune to civil prosecution in the use of deadly force?

Cotto · Post by **Cotto** » June 1, 2006, 8:57 pm

As far as Im aware, you arent allowed to use force to defend yourself over here. I doubt the police would look kindly to my ma hitting a robber on the head with a hockey stick, or me shoving a sword into their chest.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » June 1, 2006, 9:00 pm

Lincoln Lolgs wrote:
Winnow wrote:
Aruman wrote: I don't see why attempting to run away should be any kind of 'requirement' for self defense either. The courts here in Michigan removed that aspect from the Michigan laws IIRC.
A law was changed recently in Arizona which makes it easier to go medieval on someone if being attacked.
yeah i think we no longer have the duty to flee if we are violently confronted in our homes or something

didn't they just do that in michigan as well, only your also immune to civil prosecution in the use of deadly force?

Some info I found:

This proposed law would apparently do away with that narrow circumstance in which retreat is required. What's more, it would seem to immunize people against civil or criminal charges, even when an innocent person has been injured or killed.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » June 1, 2006, 9:13 pm

if the guy really fell back on his military training then he would have missed the robbers and stabbed two kids, and then attempt to cover it up.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » June 1, 2006, 10:46 pm

kyoukan wrote:if the guy really fell back on his military training then he would have missed the robbers and stabbed two kids, and then attempt to cover it up.

/e Waves to the troll.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » June 2, 2006, 12:13 am

Stories like these warm my heart.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » June 2, 2006, 2:58 pm

Canada will see your Pissed-off Marine, and raise you a Kung-Fu Granny!

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » June 2, 2006, 8:42 pm

Aruman wrote:
kyoukan wrote:if the guy really fell back on his military training then he would have missed the robbers and stabbed two kids, and then attempt to cover it up.
/e Waves to the troll.

well getting a simplistic grasp of the utter fucking obvious is an important first step to not being a simpleton, I guess.

perhaps in three or four decades of progress you won't be an utter fucking shithead.