Travesty - Ronald Dixon is

Travesty - Ronald Dixon is a hard-working guy, Navy veteran, works two jobs to support his kids, his girlfriend, and pay the mortgage on a house in a decent part of Canarsie, Queens.

Ivan Thompson has a 14 page rap sheet - burglary, larceny, the works.

Thompson broke into Dixon's house. Dixon takes up the story:

At 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday five weeks ago, Dixon was home in bed because he had called in sick. It was almost time for Kyle to wake up and run down the hall to his parents' room to watch his "Barney" video.

"I was supposed to be at work the night before, and would have gotten home about noon," Dixon recalled. "I was not totally asleep, and I heard a squeak in the floorboard. I opened my eyes and see a person snooping around, peeping around outside my bedroom.

"The only thing I could think of was my family. I didn't want to move, until he went to my son's room, and he went in."

Dixon said Best called 911, and he got his weapon from a closet and slowly crept up to the room. He said he saw Thompson rifling through dresser drawers.

"I went in ... I looked in his face, I didn't know this guy, I was so shocked ... In a nervous voice I said, 'What are you doing in my house?' and he ran toward me, yelling, 'Come upstairs!' like there were other people with him. I shot him 'cause I thought more people were in the house."

The Brooklyn DA wants to prosecute him.

What for? Attempted murder? Assault? No, the shooting was pretty clearly legitimate self-defense.

No, the Brooklyn DA is charging Dixon with using an unlicensed firearm to shoot Thompson. It's a misdemeanor that could carry a year in jail - although the Brooklyn DA offered a plea bargain that'd "allow" Dixon to serve "just" four weekends at Riker's Island.

Let's let the NY Daily News article tell the story:

District Attorney Charles Hynes is in the difficult position of prosecuting a hardworking, law-abiding Navy veteran for defending his family and home.

But there were 486 shootings in Brooklyn last year, and the borough remains awash in illegal firearms. A spokesman said Hynes cannot condone the use of an unlicensed gun.

"That doesn't mean the prosecution should go full steam ahead," said Friedman. "There has to be some common sense involved."

"Common Sense" would involve differentiating between 486 shootings by drug dealers, thugs, robbers and other assorted human filth, and those by law-abiding citizens defending their families. That would be common sense.

I'll be following this one.

(Via Rachel Lucas)

Posted by Mitch at January 22, 2003 08:27 AM