Woman shoots husband, says she thought he was an intruder

bastiat · January 11, 2002, 12:50 PM

Methinks something is rotten in denmark...

Quote:

By BILL MONTGOMERY
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

An Avondale Estates husband returning to bed in the dark early today was fatally shot by his wife who told police she mistook him for an intruder.

"At this point in our investigation, I don't think we have anything but a horrible tragedy," Avondale Estates Police Chief Jeff Tarpley said today.

Tarpley said officers answering a 911call from Pate Hodges, 69, shortly after 3 a.m. found her husband Andrew, 55, dead of a gunshot in the head on the bedroom floor of their home at 59 Berkeley Rd.

"There is nothing so far to indicate foul play, but we're going forward with an autopsy to see if anything presents itself," said police Sgt. Russ Tweed.

Hodges' wife told officers she was awakened around 3 a.m. "thinking she heard an intruder, and saw figure of a man approaching the bed," said Tarpley.

The chief said Pate Hodges grabbed a small caliber revolver and fired a single shot, hitting her husband in the head.

Tarpley said the wife "had easy access" to the handgun but would not say where in the bedroom it was kept.

"She said she thought her husband was still in bed, and thus far, everything at the scene is consistent with what Mrs. Hodges told us. But were still investigating," Tarpley said.

Hodges body was taken to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy, the chief said.

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/met...1shooting.html

bruels · January 11, 2002, 01:00 PM

No sneakey up on armed wifey in darkey.

Atc1man · January 11, 2002, 01:09 PM

No sympathy here.....You need to know where the other persons in your home are before you go blasting.
Fog of war...middle of night....blah blah blah....she should have made sure.
:barf:

Erik · January 11, 2002, 01:12 PM

A classic example illustrating the necessity to always identify your target before you shoot.

Goet · January 11, 2002, 01:14 PM

Rule #4

Course, the anti's don't know the rules, do they? They'll take this one to the bank.

Shawn Dodson · January 11, 2002, 01:16 PM

Although the situation involved appears to have happened so quickly that the wife may not have felt she had time to use verbal force, the use of verbal force might have produced a hapier ending.

A verbal challenge issued to a suspected intruder, ideally from behind cover or concealment, something like, "I have a gun. Who's there!" before pressing the trigger, can easily avert similar tragedies.

"The problem with learning from the school of hard knocks is that the test comes first, and the lesson later." -- unknown

KSFreeman · January 11, 2002, 01:29 PM

You mean you can shoot the wrong person in a fight??? No one told me that in gun shop commando school.

C.R.Sam · January 11, 2002, 01:36 PM

Bad for us. Ammo for the brady bunch.

Husband and wife both culpable from what has been given.

Sam

SkySlash · January 11, 2002, 02:23 PM

I feel that some good will come of this story. For one, even pro-gun enthusiasts don't always know the rules...and you'd probably be surprised at how easily this could happen to any one of us. The people who never thought of this arent posting...but they're reading, and they'll say something about it tonight to their SO.

Drill the rules into the heads of your family members if they have guns readily available. Make sure they understand how to engage a target, and make sure they understand how to identify that target.

1. Aim at your target.
2. Question your target.
3. If your target does not respond, threaten them with force.
4. If your target still does not respond as you demand, fire at will.

This whole exchange can take place in a matter of seconds...just make sure you aren't shooting your wife or daughter, or even more important, that they are not shooting you.

If it is a friendly, they know you have a weapon, they know you aren't kidding, and when you yell freeze and demand they identify themselves, they are going to freeze and scream "its me, its me" for dire fear for their life.

Trust me...you and your wife/kid/mother-in-law/etc. will **** your pants when you/they hear the racking of a shotgun or a pistol and you scream freeze. Everyone can breathe easier though if you simply have a method of disengagement already pre-planned for this type of mistake.

It's easier to have everyone be on the same page than cradle a loved one in your arms wondering how things could have gone so terribly wrong...

-SS

Doug444 · January 11, 2002, 02:42 PM

Erik (and others) - Maybe she did!

! (Just stating what half of us are thinking.) Then again, where'd I leave that tinfoil hat?

Doug444

bastiat · January 11, 2002, 03:06 PM

I'm just wondering how big of a bed she had? I have a nice king size, and even I could tell if my wife is already in it by just moving my leg over to her side.

And if she could see well enough to get off a head shot, how in the world can she have not seen the empty space where her husband was sleeping?

Something really smells here. We'll probably end up seeing this on 'the new detectives' on the discovery channel in a few years.

dinosaur · January 11, 2002, 03:50 PM

So a 55 y.o. man answers the call of nature which given his age, is probably every night. All of a sudden he`s mistaken for an intruder by his wife of how many years? Okey Dokey.

mrsMTN · January 11, 2002, 04:21 PM

It's hinky to me, but what do I know?

OF · January 11, 2002, 04:30 PM

Armchair jury time: Given the available info, I think the wife is at fault. The guy gets up and relieves himself, she wakes as he's coming back to bed, freaks out, grabs the gun and zaps him in the brainpan.

OOPS.

- Gabe

Icebite · January 11, 2002, 06:20 PM

Obviously, He never watch Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo!!

Honeeyyyy.... I'm hommme!!!!!

Jim V · January 11, 2002, 07:03 PM

I wonder if it was "pay back" time. Enough crying and carrying on by the wife and she'll have every group defending her forever.

WAGCEVP · January 11, 2002, 07:37 PM

I'll see if I can't find out anythng further.........

do we need to post storys like this here? aren't the gun grabbers capable enuff of finding their own ammo?????? do we need to help them?

JamesA · January 12, 2002, 12:03 AM

Stupid people do and say stupid things.

SpazzTrap · January 12, 2002, 02:09 AM

Bastiat said what I think...

Jake 98c/11b · January 12, 2002, 09:13 AM

I think KSFreeman is spending far too much time in the wrong gun shops.

Indy_SIG · January 12, 2002, 09:16 AM

I'm wondering if Mr. Dead Guy had a really large life insurance policy that Mrs. Dead Guy knew about.....I think the investigation of this one will go on for a while in Dead Guy ville.

papercut · January 12, 2002, 09:25 AM

I guess she wasn't wearing her hearing aid, and didn't hear the running water from the flush???

WAGCEVP · January 12, 2002, 07:24 PM

don't be surprised if this turns out to ba a homocide/murder

K80Geoff · January 12, 2002, 08:53 PM

Maybe he went to get some Viagra and the Mrs had a headache

David Park · January 12, 2002, 09:03 PM

To address some of the above comments, I'm not sure if a verbal command is the best option in a dark bedroom. First of all, unless you can seek cover (not just concealment) quickly, you'll just be alerting the possible threat. If you can't see the threat's face, you probably can't see the hands either, and if the threat is armed, he can strike while you are still deciding if he is friend or foe.

A flashlight, preferably a Surefire type "combat light" is a better option. The sudden light should freeze the threat while simultaneously allowing you to identify him and check for weapons. If it is an armed stranger, you can then "perform the indicated response" without delay, instead of waiting for some sort of verbal reply from the threat. (Based on this thread, I've decided to move my Surefire next to my bedroom gun, instead of keeping them in two separate locations.)

In the case above, I'd be interested to know if the woman had a flashlight nearby. If the woman did commit murder and was smart about it, it will be very hard to prove, because the only difference between accident and murder in this case is motive.

January 11, 2002, 01:00 PM	#2
bruels Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1998 Location: Hayden, ID, USA Posts: 1,102	Rule #5: No sneakey up on armed wifey in darkey.

January 11, 2002, 01:14 PM	#5
Goet Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2000 Location: North Ogden, UT Posts: 953	Rule #4 Course, the anti's don't know the rules, do they? They'll take this one to the bank. __________________ Bomb Canada!

January 11, 2002, 02:23 PM	#9
SkySlash Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Location: Mansfield, TX Posts: 493	I feel that some good will come of this story. For one, even pro-gun enthusiasts don't always know the rules...and you'd probably be surprised at how easily this could happen to any one of us. The people who never thought of this arent posting...but they're reading, and they'll say something about it tonight to their SO. Drill the rules into the heads of your family members if they have guns readily available. Make sure they understand how to engage a target, and make sure they understand how to identify that target. 1. Aim at your target. 2. Question your target. 3. If your target does not respond, threaten them with force. 4. If your target still does not respond as you demand, fire at will. This whole exchange can take place in a matter of seconds...just make sure you aren't shooting your wife or daughter, or even more important, that they are not shooting you. If it is a friendly, they know you have a weapon, they know you aren't kidding, and when you yell freeze and demand they identify themselves, they are going to freeze and scream "its me, its me" for dire fear for their life. Trust me...you and your wife/kid/mother-in-law/etc. will **** your pants when you/they hear the racking of a shotgun or a pistol and you scream freeze. Everyone can breathe easier though if you simply have a method of disengagement already pre-planned for this type of mistake. It's easier to have everyone be on the same page than cradle a loved one in your arms wondering how things could have gone so terribly wrong... -SS __________________ There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

January 11, 2002, 07:03 PM	#16
Jim V Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 1999 Location: SE Michigan - USA Posts: 4,038	I wonder if it was "pay back" time. Enough crying and carrying on by the wife and she'll have every group defending her forever. __________________ *MOLON LABE* If it ain't metal, single stack & single action, it ain't a 1911 no matter what it looks like. 1911 Forum THE TUBBY CURMUDGEON

January 11, 2002, 07:37 PM	#17
WAGCEVP Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2000 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,989	This is in my neck o the woods... I'll see if I can't find out anythng further......... do we need to post storys like this here? aren't the gun grabbers capable enuff of finding their own ammo?????? do we need to help them?

January 11, 2002, 01:09 PM	#3
Atc1man Junior member Join Date: January 2, 2002 Location: Salt Lake City, Ut Posts: 422	No sympathy here.....You need to know where the other persons in your home are before you go blasting. Fog of war...middle of night....blah blah blah....she should have made sure. :barf:

January 11, 2002, 01:12 PM	#4
Erik Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1999 Location: America Posts: 3,479	A classic example illustrating the necessity to always identify your target before you shoot. __________________ Meriam Webster's: Main Entry: ci·vil·ian Pronunciation: \sə-ˈvil-yən also -ˈvi-yən\, Function: noun, Date: 14th century, 1: a specialist in Roman or modern civil law, 2 a: one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force b: outsider 1, — civilian adjective

January 11, 2002, 01:16 PM	#6
Shawn Dodson Junior member Join Date: December 16, 1998 Location: Titusville, FL, USA Posts: 1,030	Although the situation involved appears to have happened so quickly that the wife may not have felt she had time to use verbal force, the use of verbal force might have produced a hapier ending. A verbal challenge issued to a suspected intruder, ideally from behind cover or concealment, something like, "I have a gun. Who's there!" before pressing the trigger, can easily avert similar tragedies. "The problem with learning from the school of hard knocks is that the test comes first, and the lesson later." -- unknown

January 11, 2002, 01:29 PM	#7
KSFreeman Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2001 Location: Lafayette, Indiana--American-occupied America Posts: 5,418	You mean you can shoot the wrong person in a fight??? No one told me that in gun shop commando school.

January 11, 2002, 01:36 PM	#8
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	Bad for us. Ammo for the brady bunch. Husband and wife both culpable from what has been given. Sam

January 11, 2002, 02:42 PM	#10
Doug444 Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2001 Location: Draper, UT Posts: 257	Erik (and others) - Maybe she did! ! (Just stating what half of us are thinking.) Then again, where'd I leave that tinfoil hat? Doug444

January 11, 2002, 03:06 PM	#11
bastiat Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2001 Posts: 1,771	I'm just wondering how big of a bed she had? I have a nice king size, and even I could tell if my wife is already in it by just moving my leg over to her side. And if she could see well enough to get off a head shot, how in the world can she have not seen the empty space where her husband was sleeping? Something really smells here. We'll probably end up seeing this on 'the new detectives' on the discovery channel in a few years.

January 11, 2002, 03:50 PM	#12
dinosaur Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1999 Location: NE Pa. Posts: 1,245	So a 55 y.o. man answers the call of nature which given his age, is probably every night. All of a sudden he`s mistaken for an intruder by his wife of how many years? Okey Dokey.

January 11, 2002, 04:21 PM	#13
mrsMTN Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2000 Location: Middlebury, VT USA Posts: 450	It's hinky to me, but what do I know?

January 11, 2002, 04:30 PM	#14
OF Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2000 Posts: 2,239	Armchair jury time: Given the available info, I think the wife is at fault. The guy gets up and relieves himself, she wakes as he's coming back to bed, freaks out, grabs the gun and zaps him in the brainpan. OOPS. - Gabe

January 11, 2002, 06:20 PM	#15
Icebite Member Join Date: July 6, 2001 Location: Frozen North Posts: 20	Obviously, He never watch Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo!! Honeeyyyy.... I'm hommme!!!!!

January 12, 2002, 12:03 AM	#18
JamesA Member Join Date: November 25, 2001 Posts: 89	Stupid people do and say stupid things. __________________ Lead, follow or get the hell out of my way "Rangers Rule"

January 12, 2002, 02:09 AM	#19
SpazzTrap Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2000 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 467	Bastiat said what I think... __________________ "Great Spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds..." -Albert Einstein Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms...sounds like my bachelor party.

January 12, 2002, 09:13 AM	#20
Jake 98c/11b Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 1999 Posts: 471	I think KSFreeman is spending far too much time in the wrong gun shops.

January 12, 2002, 09:16 AM	#21
Indy_SIG Senior Member Join Date: November 16, 2001 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 441	I'm wondering if Mr. Dead Guy had a really large life insurance policy that Mrs. Dead Guy knew about.....I think the investigation of this one will go on for a while in Dead Guy ville. __________________ I refuse to be a willing victim.

January 12, 2002, 09:25 AM	#22
papercut Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2000 Location: Cobb County, Georgia, USA, near the Big Chicken Posts: 922	I guess she wasn't wearing her hearing aid, and didn't hear the running water from the flush??? __________________ Sins can be forgiven, ills can be cured, but stupidity is forever.

January 12, 2002, 07:24 PM	#23
WAGCEVP Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2000 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,989	My inside source says....... don't be surprised if this turns out to ba a homocide/murder

January 12, 2002, 08:53 PM	#24
K80Geoff Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 1998 Location: NE Pennsylvania Posts: 3,639	Hmmmmm.....! Maybe he went to get some Viagra and the Mrs had a headache __________________ I am no longer a member of this forum. Bye!

January 12, 2002, 09:03 PM	#25
David Park Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2001 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 1,224	To address some of the above comments, I'm not sure if a verbal command is the best option in a dark bedroom. First of all, unless you can seek cover (not just concealment) quickly, you'll just be alerting the possible threat. If you can't see the threat's face, you probably can't see the hands either, and if the threat is armed, he can strike while you are still deciding if he is friend or foe. A flashlight, preferably a Surefire type "combat light" is a better option. The sudden light should freeze the threat while simultaneously allowing you to identify him and check for weapons. If it is an armed stranger, you can then "perform the indicated response" without delay, instead of waiting for some sort of verbal reply from the threat. (Based on this thread, I've decided to move my Surefire next to my bedroom gun, instead of keeping them in two separate locations.) In the case above, I'd be interested to know if the woman had a flashlight nearby. If the woman did commit murder and was smart about it, it will be very hard to prove, because the only difference between accident and murder in this case is motive. __________________ Libertarian for Bush '04