Man Shoots Burglary Suspect

[lewisipso]

James Jackson shares the frustration and fight-back attitude many Detroiters feel as crime invades their neighborhoods."We basically live in a war zone now," said Jackson, a former Detroit cop and president of the Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association. "We are fighting drug dealers and B&E men. People are up against their wits' end."


Jackson's comments Wednesday came as another east-sider, Tigh Croff, 31, was arraigned in court on a second-degree murder charge.


Croff, a licensed gun owner, is accused of chasing Herbert Silas and fatally shooting him after finding Silas in his backyard. Croff reportedly told police that his home had been broken into three times before the shooting early Monday.


Matthew Wylie, who lives next door to Croff in the 9800 block of Manistique, remembers when his neighborhood was family oriented. These days, he said, "it's like an every-man-for-himself kind of thing."
Croff told police that his home had been broken into three times recently. Police said Wednesday that Croff filed a break-in report on Dec. 19. No one was at Croff's home Wednesday. A sign on the front door instructed people to use a side door to "Tight Cuts Barber Shop & Salon."



Within a half-mile radius of his home, there have been 35 crimes reported from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, according to a police online mapping tool. Ten of the crimes, including one on Manistique, were burglaries.
Police said Silas, who was unarmed, stopped running in the 9800 block of Philip as Croff chased him. Silas turned around, put his hands up and, according to a police source, told Croff: "What are you going to do? Shoot me?"
"Absolutely," Croff told investigators he responded. Silas was hit once in the chest.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009123...ed-a-war-zone-

[CTR man]

Vigilante Justice at its best.