Business owner found shot after calling police saying he's holding a burglar at gunpoint

[Ghost in the Machine]

Daily Post Athenian

Athens, Tennessee

ryan harris

Staff Writer

A factory owner who camped out inside his business to nab burglars was shot late Thursday, moments after calling police to tell them he was holding a suspect at gunpoint.

James Jeffrey Beene, 58, was flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga where he is listed in critical condition, according to the Athens Police Department. Beene called police at 11:52 p.m. from the factory at 1712 Congress Parkway, according to police records. When the Athens Police Department arrived four minutes later, officers found Beene "lying on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound," a department news release states.

A tracking dog was brought from Monroe County to help search for a suspect, but no arrests have been made. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is also involved in the case.

{snip}

Beene held a suspected burglar at gunpoint in December until police arrived, and it was reported in The Daily Post-Athenian that the business owner began camping inside the factory to stop a string of burglaries.

"People have an absolute right to protect their property. He obviously felt this additional need," Ziegler said this morning. "That's why he was out there."

http://www.dpa.xtn.net/dynamic/News/Story/153672

[baldguy]

1. Well, if he'd just had a gun this never would've happened!

Oh, wait...

[flvegan]

2. Hoping he has security cameras that got it on video.

Bet you next time, if there is one, he'll shoot first, then dial.

[ferrous wheel]

4. He might be one of those people who can't actually pull the trigger when the time comes.

I would bet he didn't have any training.

[flvegan]

5. The article stated that his friend/mayor said

he was an avid gun enthusiast and hunter. I drew my conclusion from that. Training, probably. Ability to kill? Who knows until you face it, right?

[Ghost in the Machine]

9. There won't be a next time.. just got today's paper... Mr Beene has died..

It's turned into a homicide investigation now....

[riqster]

3. Having a wrench does not make someone a qualified mechanic

...likewise, having a gun does not make someone qualified to deal with such situations.

[ORDagnabbit]

6. sigh... you shoot the burglar then you call the police... dont do the crime if you dont wanna die.

pretty simple

[Javaman]

7. Why does this sentance seem grammatically odd?

"Beene held a suspected burglar at gunpoint in December until police arrived, and it was reported in The Daily Post-Athenian that the business owner began camping inside the factory to stop a string of burglaries."

[slackmaster]

12. It's a run-on sentence

It sounds odd because it is inherently awkward to put two unrelated thoughts into a single sentence.

[Javaman]

14. Thanks, I thought a much. Your grammatical kung-fu is much better than mine. :)

cheers! :)

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. I guess he didn't see the other guy. n/t

[asjr]

10. Yep from the DPA in my home town.

[gratuitous]

11. "An absolute right to protect their property"

Sounds like Mr. Beene may have inadvertently drawn down on someone who thought he had an absolute right to defend his life. I wonder if the alleged burglar was inside or outside the factory when Mr. Beene confronted him? Does Tennessee have one of those idiotic "I-thought-I-was-in-danger-so-I-shot-him-first" laws? More facts definitely needed, but that old dictum about living by the sword and dying by the sword occurs to me.

[slackmaster]

13. He should have shot the fucker instead of trying to hold him

Criminals suck.

[ferrous wheel]

15. Call me crazy but in my short time here I swear I've read posts defending criminals.

I don't get it...