Homeowner in ATL shoots package thieves, gets arrested

[MajesticLion]

Article behind a paywall

Can anybody post it please

Man charged with shooting teens during porch package theft, Atlanta police say​

16-year-old was taken to hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive, according to authorities.



Two teenagers hoping to score a package from outside a southwest Atlanta townhome were shot by a resident Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Hours later, Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The 34-year-old was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Friday morning.

During a news conference Thursday night at the scene, Atlanta police Chief Darin Schierbaum said a “homeowner” discharged a weapon to stop the theft. Court records confirm Bradford lived at the address where the shooting happened.

The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at a townhouse community on Celeste Lane, just outside I-285 and off Benjamin E. Mays Drive. A 15-year-old was shot in the foot and said to be stable. A 16-year-old, who was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition after being shot in the right arm, underwent surgery and is expected to survive, officials later said.

“Our investigation has determined that we believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Schierbaum told reporters at the scene.


According to Bradford’s arrest warrant obtained Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the injured teens told police his friend came over and they “agreed to steal” a package that had just been dropped off outside the residence.


“Before they were able to take it, (the teen) stated that someone started shooting through the door and they fled on foot,” the warrant said.


A man who identified himself as a friend and coworker of Bradford’s was also at the scene after the shooting and relayed information to police. He said Bradford called him to tell him someone had been shot at his residence, the warrant states.

Bradford told the man he was inside cleaning his firearm when he received a notification that a package was at his front door, according to the warrant. When he went to get the package, he opened the door to find it being stolen.

“Mr. Bradford stated that at that time, his firearm went off, and he believed that he struck one of the males in the back,” police wrote in the warrant.

Bradford fled the scene, but soon after turned himself in to Atlanta police, law enforcement said. When he was taken into custody, police said he was in possession of a firearm.

Two 911 calls released by Atlanta police captured the chaos in the moments after the shooting. The callers described hearing gunfire and screaming, and seeing blood.

“I just heard shots and then I seen two boys running from one another,” one caller said. “When I came outside, one of them run up to me, said he’d been shot.”

A search warrant executed at the residence revealed a single shell casing directly outside the front door. Authorities confirmed a home invasion did not occur.


“Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that seriously,” Schierbaum said.

According to state law, a person is justified in “threatening or using force” against another when “he reasonably believes that such threat or force is necessary to prevent or terminate such other’s trespass on or other tortious or criminal interference with real property other than a habitation or personal property.”

When use of force is intended or likely to cause death or severe bodily injury in such scenarios, it is not justified “unless the person using such force reasonably believes that it is necessary to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.”

 

[newarkhiphop]

"it's just a package"

"should have shot him in the foot"

"they were just kids"

"You never did nothing dumb when you were young"

 

[LadyJ2]

“Bradford fled the scene, but soon after turned himself in to Atlanta police, law enforcement said. When he was taken into custody, police said he was in possession of a firearm.”

Why would he run if he was “standing his ground”? You’re supposed to report the discharge to law enforcement.

Be a coward, brehs.

 

[Still Benefited]

“Bradford fled the scene, but soon after turned himself in to Atlanta police, law enforcement said. When he was taken into custody, police said he was in possession of a firearm.”

Why would he run if he was “standing his ground”? You’re supposed to report the discharge to law enforcement.

Be a coward, brehs.

Because he knew he was wrong.


Unless it was a 1000$ dollar uninsured laptop in there. Shooting through a door at kids is excessive force and couldve hit a child in the neighborhood,nevermind the thieves. These people need to be charged with reckless endangerment at least if they cant use common sense with these guns. And hopefully Little Jimmy learned a valuable lesson in all this

 

[LadyJ2]

Because he knew he was wrong.


Unless it was a 1000$ dollar uninsured laptop in there. Shooting through a door at kids is excessive force and couldve hit a child in the neighborhood,nevermind the thieves. These people need to be charged with reckless endangerment at least if they cant use common sense with these guns. And hopefully Little Jimmy learned a valuable lesson in all this

Exactly, that second shell casing was likely inside the home.

He is a c00n and should be locked up. Kudos to the neighbors that actually called the police and got the kids medical attention.

Stealing is wrong I hope they learned this lesson they could both be dead over some bullshyt.

 

[Wiseborn]

I wonder what the legal ramifications of just shooting a bullet into the air as a way to scare the thieves away?

As a sidenote, this is why I pay for a mailbox service for more important/expensive packages

You can´t. Even cops can´t. You can only shoot to stop a threat to life nothing more. If the cops saw someone who ran off with a package he´d have to chase not shoot.

Dummies with guns are bad.

 

[Wiseborn]

Because he knew he was wrong.


Unless it was a 1000$ dollar uninsured laptop in there. Shooting through a door at kids is excessive force and couldve hit a child in the neighborhood,nevermind the thieves. These people need to be charged with reckless endangerment at least if they cant use common sense with these guns. And hopefully Little Jimmy learned a valuable lesson in all this

It could´ve been something worth a million and he still would´ve been wrong. The problem is some gun owners is that they´re always looking for a reason. Yes guns are expensive but in reality there´s almost never a reason to shoot even in the most weird stand your ground way. I saw a nikka in the bathroom that a roommate allowed over could I have clapped him as an intruder? sure But I asked the nikka what the fukk he was doing and he explianed himself. nikka was brushing his teeth now had it been my toothbrush… But no seriously the times where I was gonna pull it It´s almost as if nikkas knew that they were this close and calmed down.

 

[ORDER_66]

Whole situation fukked up...

 

[™BlackPearl The Empress™]

1. Amazon will literally just send you the shyt again without a thought

2. Get a package box if you have high theft in your area

OR

3. Have the package sent to a nearby locker that way the package is secure and won't get stolen.

Shooting someone over Amazon packages is dumb as fukk.

 

[Wiseborn]

Illegal discharge. First time is a misdemeanor, If that was his second or more, felony

Felony in Maryland. a veteran who had the same Therapist that I had discharged a gun in his house and went to jail.

She told me this as a cautionary tale of dudes with PTSD. shyt I´ll admit to dry firing a million times in the crib. One time I did have a round in the chamber luckly I always checked before Dry firing.

 

[RageKage]

1. Amazon will literally just send you the shyt again without a thought

2. Get a package box if you have high theft in your area

OR

3. Have the package sent to a nearby locker that way the package is secure and won't get stolen.

Shooting someone over Amazon packages is dumbest as fukk.

Indeed, look at your order history over last year and tell us what u would legit pick up a gun and shoot someone over?

 

[get these nets]

His attorney will say that he didnt know if it was going to be a home invasion.

Will point to previous push in robberies and/or assaults and murders in the zip code. And that the homeowner was afraid of it happening to him.

Local jury, might let him walk.


Once you make the decision to steal from somebody's porch, you dont know what's waiting for you. fukk thieves.

 

[Shysty]

His attorney will say that he didnt know if it was going to be a home invasion.

Will point to previous push in robberies and/or assaults and murders in the zip code. And that the homeowner was afraid of it happening to him.

Local jury, might let him walk.


Once you make the decision to steal from somebody's porch, you dont know what's waiting for you. fukk thieves.

He dun goofed telling ppl he saw them stealing his package.

When dealing with the cops just dont say shyt and let your lawyer speak. It costs more and more headache on the backend but it is more likely to keep you out of jail or prison.

Being arrested or charged for something is different than being convicted

 

[Wiseborn]

He dun goofed telling ppl he saw them stealing his package.

When dealing with the cops just dont say shyt and let your lawyer speak. It costs more and more headache on the backend but it is more likely to keep you out of jail or prison.

yeah he´s cooked if he acknowledged that he knew they were stealing not invading and he dipped from the scene so it looks like he got mad knew he was in the wrong and fled the scene.

 

[King Poetic]

fukking hate thieves and they got what they deserved for stealing

shyt should be a misdemeanor