 |
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Business owner shoots, injures would-be robber
Police search for 2nd suspect
A would-be robber attempting to hold up Western Jewelry and Coin in West Seattle yesterday was confronted with the owner's own handgun and fled the store, shot in the chest.
Gilbert Dorland, 42, had seen shoplifters swipe his antique watches and custom jewelry before, but he had never confronted armed robbers. At 4:19 p.m., two men wearing bandanas over their mouths walked into the store in the 4200 block of Southwest Alaska Street, guns drawn.
 | ||
 | Meryl Schenker / P-I | |
| A man stands inside Western Jewelry and Coin in West Seattle yesterday after two armed men attempted to rob the store. The owner shot one. | ||
"Nobody move," they said before Dorland drew his own handgun and fired, said Matt Tomlinson, a friend who had left the store only minutes before and spoke with the shaken store owner afterward.
"He was definitely broken up," Tomlinson said. "He called me and said he'd just shot somebody. He was being robbed and he shot. He was scared to death."
Police interviewed Dorland and said no charges would be filed.
"It appears to be a completely legitimate use of force," police spokeswoman Deanna Nollette said.
Besides the robbers and Dorland, the only other person in the store was Jim Rogers, a friend, Tomlinson said.
There were no customers present and no one other than the would-be robber was injured.
The two suspects fled in a dark green Jeep Cherokee, police said, and a car matching that description pulled into the emergency entrance at Harborview Medical Center, where a man suffering a gunshot wound got out.
Harborview officials could not confirm whether a gunshot victim matching the suspect's description was admitted.
But Dorland soon got word that the man he'd shot would likely survive and felt only relief, Tomlinson said.
"He's glad he didn't have to take someone's life. This is a churchgoing guy, a guy who does watch repairs for free -- just gives his time away."
Police were searching last night for the second suspect.
More headlines and info from West Seattle.
My web site
My Yahoo!
Google
 Day in Pictures The German chancellor and more |
 David Horsey Giving Chinese dissidents a choice |
 'Mad Men' returns Cable hit rides wave of publicity |
· 520 tolls may stretch from I-5 to Bellevue
· Fifth dental death in 3 years
· Plane hopper has worn out cute welcome
· Stepson faces jury in for-hire slaying
· Agencies asked to ease safety rules
· Officer's firing unjustified, board says
· State race for public lands chief could get rough
· Christians taking on role as environmentalists
· Group proposes climate-saving strategy
· Legacy House turns 10
· Mercer Island residents sue to stop Tent City
· Principal charged with raping teen
more· Saddling up in the Grand Coulee
· Judge OKs emergency grazing program, with limits
· Calif. requires ships to cut pollution off coast
· Toll on 520 bridge could be as high as $3.80
· WA court gives legal immunity to some stepparents
more· Grizzly bear attacks woman in Alaska
· Judge OKs emergency grazing program, with limits
· DNA: elk likely source of Mont. livestock disease
· Calif. peak may be named for Sierra Club's Brower
· State highway patrols struggle with big gas bills
more
The Big BlogBy Monica Guzman and other P-I editors and staff
· Conor Oberst to perform at Easy Street
· Protest du jour - Calling all Alaskan Way Viaduct fans
· Rachael Ray's husband has a recipe for rock
Strange BedfellowsP-I staff on Seattle politics
· Nader a boon to Democrats?
· Obama up in Fla., Va. polls
· Wall Street got drunk
Seattle Real Estate NewsWith the P-I's Aubrey Cohen
· Landmarks board openings
· Sunset bowl apartments
· Green building task force
Seattle TrafficBy Reporter Larry Lange and other P-I staff
· No retrofit? Make the case, viaduct group says
· Sound off about a new viaduct interchange
· Council members review Metro bus hike Wednesday
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
