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    http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/met...530marine.html

    Former Marine kills would-be robber
    Woman, armed men attack waiter walking home

    By BILL MONTGOMERY, BETH WARREN
    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    Published on: 05/30/06


    A former Marine who police say killed a woman that attacked him during a gang robbery attempt told reporters Tuesday he acted only to save his life.

    "My first instinct was to run," said former Cpl. Thomas Autry, 36. "Those kids were younger than me. They caught me and cornered me. It was about life preservation."

    "I'm sorry this whole thing happened. I hate this world has gotten to the point where it is predatory," said a shaken Autry.

    The pack of would-be robbers, including a 17-year-old woman, might have mistaken the tall, thin, waiter for an easy mark, said police. But, the bandits picked the wrong victim, said Atlanta police homicide Detective Danny Stephens. The former Marine, cornered by his pursuers on Penn Avenue at 4th Street, fought back with a pocket knife in a deadly melee that left the young woman dead and a man in his late teens seriously injured at a hospital.

    Autry suffered minor injuries, including a cut to his hand.

    The woman, identified as Amy Martin, had just had a birthday May 10, said Investigator Mark Gilbeau with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy was expected to be completed Tuesday. "Cause of death will be stab wounds, but we don't know how many yet," Gilbeau said.

    Early reports were that Martin was pregnant, but the autopsy concluded otherwise, said the Fulton Medical Examiner's Office.

    The teenager lived in an apartment at 3000 Stone Hogan Connector in southwest Atlanta, south of Greenbriar Mall near East Point, Gilbeau said. A young man also stabbed in the robbery attempt remained in critical condition, he added.

    The identities of the surviving suspects, who Stephens said are believed to be linked to "a lot" of pedestrian robberies in Midtown and Virginia-Highland, were not released. They face aggravated assault and robbery charges, police said.

    Autry will not be charged, Stephens said. "It was a clear case of self defense."

    Stephens said Autry had left his job at the Jocks & Jills restaurant in Midtown and was walking along Penn Avenue when a blue Cadillac pulled alongside and three men, one armed with a shotgun, and the woman jumped from the car.

    "This group had robbed two men on Piedmont earlier Monday night, taking a video camera and a cellphone," Stephens said.

    "Autry takes off running, and they chase him. During the chase, Autry's trying to get into his backpack to get a pocket knife, which slows him down," Stephens said.

    During the chase, Autry repeatedly yelled "fire, fire," which Stephens said attracted nearby residents' attention.

    Grabbing the knife from his backpack, Autry managed to kick the shotgun from the man's hands and stabbed the woman in the chest, fatally wounding her. Stephens said. In the melee, Autry also stabbed one of the male suspects. Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol, which misfired, Stephens said.

    The suspects ran back to the Cadillac and drove to Atlanta Medical Center, where police arrested them.

    Autry, honorably discharged in 1992 after serving in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, spoke to a gaggle of reporters from the porch of his apartment about six block north of the King Center in downtown Atlanta.

    Autry recounted the attack, saying he first realize something was amiss when he saw a white cat scurry across the road. That's when he turned around and saw the armed attackers getting out of a stopped car.

    He said his military training kicked in, but "what really helped me was growing up in New York."

    He said he changed his locks after the incident because of security concerns.

    When told that many in the metro area consider him a hero for his actions, Autry disagreed.

    "The heroes are those guys out there fighting for us every day and not getting respect," he said, referring to military personnel fighting in Iraq and elsewhere. "That [killing the attacker] wasn't admirable, it was fight or flight and I tried the flight."
    "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

  • #2
    Autry will not be charged, Stephens said. "It was a clear case of self defense."
    Charged? The man should get a community service award.

    When told that many in the metro area consider him a hero for his actions, Autry disagreed.

    "The heroes are those guys out there fighting for us every day and not getting respect," he said, referring to military personnel fighting in Iraq and elsewhere. "That [killing the attacker] wasn't admirable, it was fight or flight and I tried the flight."
    I find that real heroes are usually very modest.
    "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

    Comment


    • #3
      Good job Marine!!!!
      No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
      I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
      even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
      He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

      Comment


      • #4
        Reminds me of one time back around 1956 when I was attending some night classes at Long Beach City College with other apprentices. The teacher usually came in about 5 to 10 minutes late because he knew many of us had to go home from the shipyard first, get cleaned up, get something to eat then drive back to Long Beach for our night classes.

        One evening one of our apprentice team mates came in about a half hour late and the teacher started to say something about being taken advantage of. However, the student spoke up and said "I know you're talking about me sir, but I was delayed at the Police Department filing an assault and battery report"

        In those days, small gangs were called "Rat Packs". He went on to briefly explain that a four-man Rat Pack jumped him as he was leaving the grocery store after work and it took him that long to drag the Rat Pack into his car, drive down to the police station and then drag them into the station - still unconscious.

        The teacher suddenly remembered the student's bio. He not only was an ex-Marine but a professional Judo Instructor.
        Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

        Comment


        • #5
          Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol, which misfired, Stephens said.
          That marine is lucky that the weapon misfired or he would be 6 feet below by now. This is a good reason to make gun laws more liberal.

          Cheers!...on the rocks!!

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