From: [self defense owner] at [shell.portal.com]
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 13:17:10 -0700
Subject: SDN WA Spokane 1995-06-28

<confirmed incident>
Sender: [self defense owner] at [shell.portal.com]
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: 
Followup-To: [self defense editors] at [shell.portal.com]

     WHAT: Man Uses Pistol Against Armed Intruder
     WHEN: Wednesday, 28 June 1995
    WHERE: Spokane, Washington
 APPEARED: Spokane Spokesman-Review, various local TV stations
CONFIRMED: Lt. Wiyrick, Spokane Sheriff's Dept, 509-458-6612


BRIEF DETAILS

Convinced he'd catch his wife in bed with another man, 34-year-old Sam
"Skip" Elsom burst into an apartment just after midnight Wednesday with a
camera, a baseball bat, and a handgun.

Elsom pushed his way into Stan Parker's two-bedroom apartment, flung open a
bedroom door, snapped one photograph, and raised the bat into the air.
Elsom then began firing his 45 caliber pistol, hitting Parker twice in the
hands and once in the leg.

Parker, who collects firearms and knives as a hobby, returned fire with a
9mm semiautomatic handgun. He struck Elsom in the chest several times,
causing Elsom to break off the attack and flee out of the apartment. Once
outside, Elsom fell to the sidewalk and later died.

Detectives reported that Elsom's wife works for a local electrical
contracting firm which Parker manages. However, no evidence of romantic
involvement was reported. Parker was sleeping alone in his bedroom when
Elsom began his assault.

Parker was listed in stable condition at a local hospital. He was not
arrested and no charges have been filed against him.


COMMENTS

A man picks the wrong house? A crazed husband imagines a love affair that
doesn't exist? How are law-abiding citizens to defend themselves against
such threats?

Even if the criminal had left the gun behind, and only brought the baseball
bat... a sleeping man awakened at 12:30am takes a few seconds to gain his
composure. And a baseball bat can be just as deadly as a gun. If the victim
had not owned a handgun, the criminal would have had no reason to stop
assaulting him.

When asked if the victim was to be charged in the shooting, a member of the
sheriff's department put it this way: "Not unless the autopsy shows
something unexpected. If someone breaks into your house and threatens your
life, don't ask if you have the right to use lethal force to defend
yourself. YOU DO."