Dateline: Atlanta - 5/31/2006
Wires
A former Marine used a pocket knife to
fend off a group of would-be robbers, killing one and
wounding another, police said.
Thomas Autry, who authorities said will not be
charged, had been walking home from his job waiting
tables Monday night when four people got out of a car
and chased him, Atlanta police detective Danny
Stephens said.
One of the attackers had a shotgun and another had a
pistol, Stephens said.
The suspects caught up with Autry, who yelled for help
and pulled a knife out of his backpack. He kicked the
shotgun out of one of the attacker's hands and stabbed
both a 17-year-old girl who jumped on him and a man
who also attacked him.
The suspects fled in their car but police found them
later at a hospital where the girl was pronounced
dead. The man stabbed in the incident was in critical
condition, Stephens said.
Autry's attackers will face robbery and aggravated
assault charges and are suspected in other robberies
over the past week, Stephen said.
Stephens credited Autry's military training with
helping him fend off the group.
"I would say he had to do what he had to do to stop
the threat," Stephens said. "You can tell his training
kicked in and he knew what to do."
Autry, 36, suffered a cut to his hand and a bruise on
his chest, Stephens said.
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Wires
A former Marine used a pocket knife to
fend off a group of would-be robbers, killing one and
wounding another, police said.
Thomas Autry, who authorities said will not be
charged, had been walking home from his job waiting
tables Monday night when four people got out of a car
and chased him, Atlanta police detective Danny
Stephens said.
One of the attackers had a shotgun and another had a
pistol, Stephens said.
The suspects caught up with Autry, who yelled for help
and pulled a knife out of his backpack. He kicked the
shotgun out of one of the attacker's hands and stabbed
both a 17-year-old girl who jumped on him and a man
who also attacked him.
The suspects fled in their car but police found them
later at a hospital where the girl was pronounced
dead. The man stabbed in the incident was in critical
condition, Stephens said.
Autry's attackers will face robbery and aggravated
assault charges and are suspected in other robberies
over the past week, Stephen said.
Stephens credited Autry's military training with
helping him fend off the group.
"I would say he had to do what he had to do to stop
the threat," Stephens said. "You can tell his training
kicked in and he knew what to do."
Autry, 36, suffered a cut to his hand and a bruise on
his chest, Stephens said.
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