Investigation continues into the death of a woman who was shot by an 80-year-old man after she and an accomplice broke into his home. The incident happened in Long Beach on Tuesday, July 22. Long Beach Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said that the 80-year-old man Tom Greer, who had identified himself in an interview with NBC Channel 4 , told investigators that he was attacked by two suspected burglars when he got home that night.
The two suspects—a man and a woman--then left him on the floor and then tried to break into his safe. Greer got up, grabbed his gun and shot at the two suspects, who fled the home. The 80-year-old then gave chase, and said in a TV interview that the woman told him, “Don’t shoot me! I’m pregnant – I’m going to have a baby.” “I shot her anyway,” Greer said in the interview. “The lady didn’t run as fast as the man so I shot her in the back twice --she’s dead … but he got away.” Greer told police he acted in self defense.
Guests:
Kevin McBride, an attorney in Palos Verdes that has handle cases involving the lawful use of deadly force in self defense and defense of others
Laurie Levenson, former federal prosecutor and a professor at Loyola Law School