Wed
Nov 22 2006
03:14 pm

UPDATE(2:00pm): I have the police report. Here's what happened:

LaFollette Police were called to the residence of Mike Stanfield shortly before 8:00pm Tuesday night on a theft call. Upon arrival, Mr. Stanfield and his son Shaun told officers that they saw the suspect take a utility trailer from their property and pull it to the street behind his vehicle. Mr. Stanfield told police he and his son confronted the suspect (34-year-old Kenny Shepard of LaFollette) who then fled in his vehicle. Mr. Stanfield is claiming Shepard "struck" his son Shaun with the vehicle as he fled but the report also states a witness claims the younger Stanfield jumped onto the hood of Shepard's car in an attempt to stop him.

The officers arrived at the Stanfield residence after Shepard took off. Stanfield said he knew the suspect and knew where he lived. The officers said they would follow Stanfield. However, the officers got slowed by traffic and stop signs in the residential neighborhood and when they arrived at Shepard's residence, Stanfield--according to the report--and Shepard were already in a struggle and Stanfield had a handgun pointed at Shepard's head saying, "You tried to run over my son! I'll blow your f--ing head off!"

Officers ordered Stanfield to drop his gun, which he did. Both he and Shepard were arrested.

Kenny Shepard is charged with theft of over $500 (the utility trailer was returned to the Stanfield property). Although not official, I have heard that perhaps Shepard is an ex in-law of Stanfield's or somehow known to the Stanfield family.

Mike Stanfield was charged with aggravated assault, was booked and later released on bond.

Stanfield was elected to LaFollette City Council two weeks ago and is due to take office next month

JustJohnny's picture

context

...thanks for adding a little context to the recent 'gun' debates that have been raging in our area. It appears that simply possessing a handgun and the required permit aren't enough to ensure that weapon is used in a safe and lawful manner. In this case, the initial victim of the alleged theft could have been killed or at least shot, legally, for threatening the offender at his own home.

Les Jones's picture

Depends on who you talk to

We've been discussing this over at Uncle's. I've come down on the side that what Stanfield did was stupid. Here's what I said over there:

Joel Rosenberg is fond of saying that a CCW permit doesn’t make you a junior G-man. It’s for your self-defense. It doesn’t make you a cop. Pursuing someone and then shoving a gun in their face in their own home is a recipe for a couple of disasters.

One reason states have castle doctrines is that if someone comes into your house, you can assume they’re up to no good. In this case the supposed good guy put himself on the bad end of that assumption. If there hadn’t been a witness, it would have been easy for the bad guy to blow Stanfield’s brains out and claim he was just defending his castle.

Stanfield might or might not get off the hook, but if he does that won’t make what he did something you’d want to imitate.

What Frank posted above makes me even more sure that Stanfield simply gave into rage.


Hey, Les, why don't we just call each other assholes and get it over with. - Somebody on the old Southknoxbubba.net (if that was you, claim your quote and win net.fame!)

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