Man's Parrot Alerts Him To Burglar - Burglar Shot & Killed

[Rage for Order]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-intruder_17met.ART.State.Edition2.422efa0.html

Dennis Baker's home security system includes three cameras that feed video to 42-inch screens in his living room and bedroom. But it was his pet parrot, he says, that alerted him to a burglar he shot and killed early Tuesday. "Hello, hello," the parrot said, waking Mr. Baker from what he says was a deep sleep.

The 59-year-old locksmith keeps several pet birds in his northwest Dallas home, including a Mexican Red-headed parrot named Salvador. The bird says "hello" whenever he sees someone. When someone passed by a window about 2 a.m., Salvador squawked the greeting.

Mr. Baker killed 46-year-old John Woodson, whose criminal record includes charges of burglary, theft and possession of a controlled substance. Tuesday's burglary, police say, was the fourth on Mr. Baker's property within a month. Investigators say preliminary information indicates Mr. Woodson may have been responsible for some or all of them. Mr. Baker puts the number at five.

"I got hit five times this month. I have tools in my garage, my house and my van," Mr. Baker said. "They were coming here like they owned the place. I hate what happened, but somebody has to do what's necessary."


More at the link. Guard birds instead of guard dogs?

[rusty quoin]

1. Rough place to live.

[Rage for Order]

3. 4 or 5 burglaries in a month does seem a bit much

Odds are one or two of the burglars was armed. Many people are injured or killed when they come home and discover an intruder in their house.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Some years back 9.11 got a call from a shop

asking for help

The perp got in, got cornered by the blue and bold macaw that proceeeded to beak him and and keep him cornered

When the police got to the place at six in the morning, they took perp to hospital (due to the beaking) and I guess the bird got a treat

birds can and are very intelligent, says the woman with a tiel sleeping close by

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. Who the hell keeps a large safe on the front porch?

"Mr. Baker runs a locksmith shop at the home in the 3600 block of Cortez Drive. A large safe sits on the porch. The door of the detached garage is off its hinges. He plans to fix the doors soon but has to replace some of the wood first."

He sounds like a lousy locksmith and handyman. But a good shot, I guess...

[flvegan]

5. Uh..."three cameras that feed video to 42-inch screens in his living room and bedroom"

"Mr. Baker runs a locksmith shop at the home in the 3600 block of Cortez Drive. A large safe sits on the porch. The door of the detached garage is off its hinges. He plans to fix the doors soon but has to replace some of the wood first."

Priorities?

Whatever. Funny thing, a jury would never hear of Mr. Woodson's past discretions. I love how the media plays it out.

I'm not suggesting he's innocent, I just don't like the celebration of vigilante justice like this. And yes, this does come from someone with a Punisher avatar. Irony knows no boundaries.

[Rage for Order]

10. He got the video equipment after a previous burglary

He got the video equipment after one of the burglaries he suffered earlier in the month:

"Mr. Baker said he installed a video surveillance system after burglars targeted his home repeatedly. Thieves have taken $20,000 worth of locksmith equipment, saws and lawn gear, he said."

He doesn't appear to relish the fact that he killed the guy though:

"He was in the very back of the garage," Mr. Baker said of Mr. Woodson. "There were no lights on. The only thing I could do was see a silhouette, and as you saw in the video, he had his hands in his pockets when he came through here. I had no idea what he had."

The security video shows a man – presumably Mr. Woodson – with his hands in his pant pockets, casually walking around the perimeter of the garage and then inside.

"I will protect my property and my life," Mr. Baker said. "The fifth time is enough. It's not something you want to do, but you have to do."

It's 2am, it's dark, you can only see the silhouette of a man with his hands in his pockets...he could have a gun, a knife...you don't know. It's a tough spot to be in. Unfortunately for the burglar, he picked the wrong person to victimize. It doesn't sound like Mr. Baker is going to throw a party to celebrate shooting the guy.

[flvegan]

14. Fact is, he shot a man in his garage. A garage with a door "off the hinges"

So securing same was less important than amping up the security video to a Tony Montana-esque level.

42" screens and cameras over basic home defense. Okay.

[Rage for Order]

15. I agree, that is odd

Maybe the garage door was broken during one of the earlier burglaries. Still, the fact that the garage wasn't secured did not mean the items in the garage were free to whoever felt like perusing his wares. The safe on the front porch is pretty strange though.

[flvegan]

19. No, certainly not. HOWEVER

if he had the time/money to install such an elaborate video surveillance system, surely he could've secured the garage.

I'm not suggesting anything, I'm just finding fault with priorities here. Quite possible that he was so SOIA that he went the techno route first, and this just happened in the meantime.

[TlalocW]

6. Reminds me of a joke

So a burglar breaks into a house, and as he's rooting around in the dark, he hears a voice say, "Jesus is watching you." He freezes, moving only his eyeballs to try and see where the voice came from. After a minute of standing still, he comes to the conclusion that he imagined the voice and goes back to looking through the house.

"Jesus is watching you," the voice says again. This time, the burglar whips around and points his flashlight in the direction of the voice, and in the beam of light he sees... a parrot.

The burglar laughs and asks, "What your name, little birdie?"
"Noah," replies the parrot.
"What kind of person names a parrot Noah?" the burglar asks.
"The same kind of person," the parrot says, "that name their pitbull Jesus."

TlalocW

[rusty quoin]

7. Good one

[Buzz Clik]

8. That parrot is an accessory to murder.

Or is should be awarded the Medal of Valor. I can't decide which.

[Rincewind]

22. How did the parrot get a gun? nt

[Buzz Clik]

23. He wasn't the trigger man ... bird ... he was the snitch.

His actions directly and knowingly led to the death of the intruder. He should be held accountable. That bird should be behind bars.

Errr...

[slackmaster]

26. I vote for Medal of Valor

Good birdie, good shoot.

[C_U_L8R]

9. He's not dead. he's just resting.

probably pining for the fjords.

[Buzz Clik]

12. Polly! Hello!

[Bright Eyes]

24. "No no it's stunned!"

:)

[GrpCaptMandrake]

11. "When parrots are outlawed

only outlaws will have parrots."

Somebody call the NPA (National Parrot Association)

[qdemn7]

13. Think of it as Evolution in Action

John Woodson is certainly a Darwin Award winner.

[XOKCowboy]

17. A little dash of Clorox in the gene pool?

I hear ya.

[XOKCowboy]

16. I think I could kill someone too after 4-5 breakins...

One night I fell asleep on the couch. My wife was asleep in the bedroom. Something awoke me. I got up to go to bed, went to the kitchen for a drink of water and noticed that the kitchen window was open and the screen was off. There was an aloe vera plant that used to be on the window sill in the sink (what woke me up I'm sure). A chill went down my spine. I turned on the back yard lights and carefully went out and saw that someone had put a couple of boxes under the window to gain access. My reaction was pure rage that someone had tried to invade my home and fear of what they might have done. That was the only time that I really wanted to kill someone for stealing my sense of security. My sense that my wife and I could live without fear of someone taking our valuables and maybe our lives.

I'm a born pacifist and bleeding heart liberal but I can't abide thieves. I know that usually they only steal property and probably shouldn't deserve the death penalty for that. The thing is that thieves don't just steal property. They steal your sense of fair play and well being. After 4-5 times I can see where you'd get fed up enough to use deadly force to end it.

[MrSlayer]

18. I'll bet Polly gets extra crackers for that.

Good job.

[-..__...]

20. Beware! Armed parrot on premises!

[silverojo]

21. Thank you, Mr. Baker

There are only so many burglaries you can put up with, before you have to start protecting yourself. Obviously, the cops weren't doing a very good job of it....

[slackmaster]

25. Salvador is a perfect name for that bird!

Give him a cracker for me.

[riverdeep]

27. I'd shake Mr. Baker's hand if I met him.

He's exactly the kind of person I'd want in my neighborhood. And it doesn't matter if someone spreads a pile of $100 bills on their lawn, if someone comes to take them, without identifying themselves, and when told to back away, they continue to move forward, you have the right to defend your property. I'm not saying it would be smart to lay bills out there, but it's your right.