college student uses a sword to kill a robber

[Mr Pheer]

A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday, a Baltimore police spokesman said.

According to preliminary reports, a resident of the 300 block of E. University Parkway called police about a suspicious person, department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. An off-duty officer responded about 1:20 a.m. to the area with university security, according to Guglielmi. They heard shouts and screams from a neighboring house and found the suspected burglar suffering from a nearly severed hand and laceration to his upper body, he said.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on the initial investigation, the student killed the man with only one strike of the sword, according to Guglielmi. The medical examiner will make the final determination, he said.

The student told police that he heard a commotion in the house and went downstairs armed with the sword, Guglielmi said. He saw the side door to the garage had been pried open and found a man inside, who lunged at the student. There was no indication that the suspected burglar was armed, however, according to Guglielmi.

Burglars had already stolen two laptops and a Sony PlayStation from the student's home Monday, Guglielmi said.

Dennis O'Shea, a spokesman for Johns Hopkins, said all four residents of the house are undergraduate students at the university. Police had released three of the roommates by Tuesday afternoon. The student who wielded the sword remained in custody while investigators worked to corroborate his story with evidence and witness statements. Police have not released the name of the residents, but department sources identified the detained student as John Pontolillo, 20, of Wall, N.J.

The city state's attorney's office will determine whether to press charges, Guglielmi said.

Police have also not released the name of the suspected burglar, but a department source identified the man as Donald D. Rice, 49, of the 600 block of E. 26th St. in Baltimore. He had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, according to Guglielmi, and had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center after he was arrested by county police in August 2008 for stealing a car in Baltimore. Rice was found guilty in December on one count of unauthorized removal of property, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Michael Hughes of the 3400 block of University Place, about a block away from the scene, said he was working at his home when he heard screams shortly after 1 a.m.

"I could hear the fear in the voice, and I could tell someone was scared," said Hughes, 43, who works for Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Hughes said he called police and could hear sirens as he was on the phone. He walked over to the crime scene shortly after.

"The body was near the garage. And I watched them carry the sword out. The whole thing was surreal and totally bizarre," Hughes said.

By Tuesday afternoon, two pools of blood remained on the ground a few feet away from the door to the garage, which is not connected to the home. A door to a wooden fence surrounding the back yard was broken, allowing the scene to be viewed from the sidewalk.

The three-story house has five bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to Diego Ardila, a junior at Hopkins. Ardila said he lived in the house during the summer and was a roommate of two of the people that currently live there.

Ardila, 19, said one of the roommates owned a samurai sword and generally kept it in his room. Ardila described the student as somewhat outgoing, although they did not speak frequently.

"He kept the sword on top of his cabinet," Ardila said.

Five people lived at the house during the summer, according to Ardila, who now lives a few blocks away.

"You don't expect to hear that someone you know killed a guy with a samurai sword. From what little I know of him, he wasn't some guy going out to kill," Ardila said.

Guglielmi said it is legal to possess a sword in Baltimore, and "individuals have a right to defend their person and their property." But the police spokesman said he was not in a position to comment on whether it was appropriate to use a sword, baseball bat or other means of defense.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,4027961.story

Personaly, I see no problem with someone killing a burglar with 29 prior convictions... but thats just me.

[~Ray]

right place, right time. /karma

[CYF]

good for him

[Smiley]

good for him...obviously prison didnt straighten him out...

defending his home & property...case closed...bet anyone else thinking of breaking in will think again...

[cherrylula]

"nearly severed head?"

Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

[ToplistBlog_Com]

That's pretty bad ass... good for him getting that trash off the street.

[TheDoc]

Break in my house to steal my shit, armed or not... You will die.

[Smiley]

Originally Posted by cherrylula

"nearly severed head?"

Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

"nearly severed hand"

blocking the slash...hand then torso...

[cherrylula]

ooops my bad, I read "head" LOL

[ztik]

fucking awesome

hopefully he doesn't get in any trouble

[BlackCrayon]

the article makes it seem like the police think this guy is unstable? fuck that. you take whatever steps necessary to protect your home and the possesions/people in it.

[HouseHead]

Thats badass.

I dont think he will get any any trouble..

[SBJ]

good for him! fuck it said he was already robbed before so hell yeah the guy would be pissed that he is about to get robbed again. It's not like he took this sword out looking for someone to use it on.. The guy was inside his place and sure they have to investigate but the guy will never see handcuffs

[qxm]

Originally Posted by cherrylula

"nearly severed head?"

Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

Based on the initial investigation, the student killed the man with only one strike of the sword, according to Guglielmi.

I guess is true what they say... those Katanas are designed to lop off someone's head with one sweep.....don't feel bad for that robber tho... .29 robberies and he still walked free... something was bound to happen...he went out with style tho... killed by the sword... instead of a gunshot....

[JP-pornshooter]

wow, one strike.. that is pretty amazing.
i am no samurai but it sounds like this guy knew how to use it.
good riddance btw

[Smiley]

Originally Posted by cherrylula

ooops my bad, I read "head" LOL

hahah no worries...i actually thought i read "head" the first time...damn business...always got head on the mind...

[cherrylula]

Originally Posted by Smiley

hahah no worries...i actually thought i read "head" the first time...damn business...always got head on the mind...

hehehe exactly!

Although I doubt you die quickly from sword cut, guy must've been screaming his ass off LOL

[Fletch XXX]

hahaha very nice. I watch too many samurai movies to not laugh at this one.

[Cyber Fucker]

damn that's crazy.... here, in the UK unfortunately even self-defense is forbidden by law... I can't even have a pepper spray because it's treated as a firearm and strictly prohibited... I've got no idea what I could do if someone would attack me... probably only screaming mercy, preying and trying to call sluggish fatties in the uniforms for help that will never come.

[beemk]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

I watch too many samurai movies to not laugh at this one.

[Kard63]

Its a damn shame you can go to prison for killing an intruder unless you wait for them to pull a gun on you. If everyone's rights can't be preserved it seems like shortchanging the guy following the law is the wrong choice.

[dav3]

the guy was just robbed 4 days prior, good for him for being prepared for the scumbag to come back.

[After Shock Media]

Before I start I do not have real issue with what the student did since it did not seem excessive.

Originally Posted by Smiley

good for him...obviously prison didnt straighten him out...
defending his home & property...case closed...bet anyone else thinking of breaking in will think again...

Prisons do not straighten anyone out. The people (us) rather see punishment instead of rehabilitation. So thanks to our cheap asses who hate paying for anything and just want people locked up and punished. No wonder we get repeat offenders who come out each time with a higher education in criminal behavior.

When it comes to defense that can get tricky though and by just reading the story as posted the kid may or may not walk. Really would depend on if he told the cops that he thought the guy was armed when he lunged. I wish self defense laws were more open but they are not and sometimes district attorneys do feel the need to make examples.

i.e. someone attacks me on the street unarmed. I bring out a knife - I lose. All about escalation and can you flee.

Originally Posted by cherrylula

"nearly severed head?"
Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

head or hand (I know it was a typo). With such a sword decapitation or amputation does not require that much effort.

Originally Posted by BlackCrayon

the article makes it seem like the police think this guy is unstable? fuck that. you take whatever steps necessary to protect your home and the possesions/people in it.

life > property when it comes to laws. Again self defense laws are pretty clear. So people should take whatever steps needed to protect themselves which would include not confronting the person.

Originally Posted by cherrylula

hehehe exactly!
Although I doubt you die quickly from sword cut, guy must've been screaming his ass off LOL

Not sure why you would think you would not die quickly from a sword slash. Hand was almost amputated which equals arterial damage then add in a chest wound. Pretty sure the burglar would also be excited and have his heartbeat way up. He would of bled out super quick and lost consciousness within a few minutes maximum.

[Mr Pheer]

Originally Posted by Kard63

Its a damn shame you can go to prison for killing an intruder unless you wait for them to pull a gun on you. If everyone's rights can't be preserved it seems like shortchanging the guy following the law is the wrong choice.

I think the guy has a good defense. It was dark, there was an intruder, he was scared.

I dont think any jury would actually convict him for killing the guy. The cops could still charge him with having an illegal weapon though, but with the circumstances I'd guess he wouldnt be in any real trouble over it.

[Lace]

In Baltimore, we're all ninjas

[Lace]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

I think the guy has a good defense. It was dark, there was an intruder, he was scared.

I dont think any jury would actually convict him for killing the guy. The cops could still charge him with having an illegal weapon though, but with the circumstances I'd guess he wouldnt be in any real trouble over it.

It's not illegal to own a sword

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

I think the guy has a good defense. It was dark, there was an intruder, he was scared.

I dont think any jury would actually convict him for killing the guy. The cops could still charge him with having an illegal weapon though, but with the circumstances I'd guess he wouldnt be in any real trouble over it.

Would really depend on what information the jury was allowed to hear. All to often trials are set up in a way to remove certain elements that may bias the jury one way or another.
Common example when I fought the Federal government on my marijuana charges. In such court cases the jury would not be allowed to hear anything about it being used for medical reasons, that in my state it is legal, and so on. All things that could sway a jury.

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by Lace

It's not illegal to own a sword

I know it varies state by state. In California it is legal but you need to stay abreast of Penal Code section 417 (a). Which pretty much states that people can not draw a non firearm in a hostile, angry, threatening, or rude fashion. (yes wtf does rude mean? when is it rude or not rude to draw a non firearm).

[katharos]

[topnotch, standup guy]

A man's home is his castle.

With any luck the kid will walk.

[Pleasurepays]

Originally Posted by JP-pornshooter

wow, one strike.. that is pretty amazing.
i am no samurai but it sounds like this guy knew how to use it.
good riddance btw

not to mention how sharp it has to be

[TrafficRush]

Hahaha they will think twice now before they touch my shit

[ToplistBlog_Com]

If some DA tries to make an example of this kid, I hope the jury is smart enough not to convict him. I'll definitely say that rehabilitation is preferable to punishment, but with some people that's just not possible.

[The Judge]

Anyone know a japanesae sword affiliate program? these must be selling like hot cakes now

[dav3]

Originally Posted by After Shock Media

Common example when I fought the Federal government on my marijuana charges. In such court cases the jury would not be allowed to hear anything about it being used for medical reasons, that in my state it is legal, and so on. All things that could sway a jury.

Wow, that's pretty messed up. I would figure that those 2 points would be crucial information that a jury should know about. From an outside perspective, it sounds like the judge already made his decision and tried to mold the info that the jury hears so he gets what he wants.

[gornyhuy]

Originally Posted by cherrylula

"nearly severed head?"

Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

Not with a sharp sword in the hands of someone with even a little bit of training and a lot of adrenalin.

Having said that, I think it was hand lacerations that killed him, not decapitation.

[jollyperv]

Every state should adopt the castle doctrine. It's the law here, thankfully.

[bronco67]

The sad thing is, some liberal will witch hunt this hero.

[After Shock Media]

Originally Posted by dav3

Wow, that's pretty messed up. I would figure that those 2 points would be crucial information that a jury should know about. From an outside perspective, it sounds like the judge already made his decision and tried to mold the info that the jury hears so he gets what he wants.

Happens every day in trials all over the country.
Federally the pot is illegal even for medical use = can not be used as a defense in determining if you broke other pot laws. One of the main reasons people get shit canned for such drug trials and few precidents are ever set. Often it is not the judge either. The judge just follows the law. It is the DA and if they DA asks for it the law kicks in and presto.

[Lace]

Originally Posted by The Judge

Anyone know a japanesae sword affiliate program? these must be selling like hot cakes now

[LexiLexxx]

Originally Posted by cherrylula

"nearly severed head?"

Sounds like he was enjoying himself a little there, takes a little work to cut off someones head. LOL

It's more like a defense wound.

Good for him, people need to understand..if your gonna break into someone home, mess around on their property, you could be killed. Repeat offender, glad he is off the streets.



no charges for the kid.

[Mr Pheer]

Originally Posted by Lace

It's not illegal to own a sword

Oh well.

[LexiLexxx]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

I think the guy has a good defense. It was dark, there was an intruder, he was scared.

I dont think any jury would actually convict him for killing the guy. The cops could still charge him with having an illegal weapon though, but with the circumstances I'd guess he wouldnt be in any real trouble over it.

It's legal to own a sword there.

[Mr Pheer]

Originally Posted by LexiLexxx

It's legal to own a sword there.

Legal to own, but maybe not legal to use. The last sentence of the article is what I was getting at.

[qxm]

I had this site in my bookmarks since last year...however I think these may not be as sharp as the one used to slice that robber .. these may be just fo show... cool looking tho...

NOT my site (I wish it were) ...

http://www.trueswords.com/index.php

[NaughtyRob]

Good for the crook he deserved it.

[LexiLexxx]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

Legal to own, but maybe not legal to use. The last sentence of the article is what I was getting at.

Yeah, I understand... he should walk clear and free.

[Axelo9]

wtf!! crazy peopleBangBang:

[Naughty Emma]

swords are the way to go. I wish I was a ninja

[CYF]

Originally Posted by qxm

I had this site in my bookmarks since last year...however I think these may not be as sharp as the one used to slice that robber .. these may be just fo show... cool looking tho...

NOT my site (I wish it were) ...

http://www.trueswords.com/index.php

cool site, bookmarked