Video Shows Chen Fengzhu Self-Defense Shooting

Female Restaurant Owner Routs Home Invaders

By Robert A. Waters

"Find a Chinese neighborhood 'cause they don't believe in bank accounts." Lyrics from a popular rap song instructs armed robbers to invade the homes of successful Chinese business owners. YG—Meet the Flockers

 

On September 16, 2016, at 3:43 A.M., three robbers kicked in the door of a home occupied by restaurant owner Chen Fengzhu (pictured). Each carried a gun and began searching for valuables. The entire incident was filmed on high-definition surveillance video.

The 36-year-old Chinese woman quickly sent the three panicked home invaders fleeing. Cameras show Chen raining bullets on the surprised trio as she races out of her bedroom dressed in pajamas. 

Daily Mail reported "incredible footage has been released showing the moment a Georgia woman rushed out of the bed in the middle of the night and opened fire at three armed men who broke into her house, killing one. The surveillance footage, released by the Gwinnett County [Georgia] Police Department, shows the intruders—all of whom are carrying guns—bursting through the front door and rummaging the house…"

Chen explained her actions to a reporter. "I didn’t have any choice," she said, "so I had to take out the gun I’d hid there. Then I loaded my pistol and walked out of my bedroom. I shot at the invaders when I saw them. One of them fled quickly, and another one ran away from the front door. Then I shot again. The one inside my house broke the glass on the back door and ran away. I didn’t feel scared at the moment and all I thought about was how to deal with the situation."

Responding officers found Antonio Leeks, 28, lying in the driveway of the home. "Police took off the burglar’s clothes," Chen said, "and attempted to resuscitate him for about 15 to 20 minutes and they told me they had failed to save him." Investigators later reported he had died from a bullet wound to his "torso."

Cops arrested one of the invaders, Bernard Little, a year and a half later. He still carried a cell phone he had stolen from the house.  The third suspect has not yet been apprehended.

Cpl. Deon Washington of the Gwinnett County Police Department told reporters the resident acted appropriately. "She exercised her right to defend her livelihood and property," he said.

But there's a back-story here, one few people know.

Many robbers target Chinese business owners because it’s rumored they keep lots of cash in their homes. Police speculated the invaders in Gwinnett County specifically targeted Chen for that reason. Once inside, the robbers began searching for cash and valuables. This gave Chen the opportunity to wake up and get her firearm.

Chen surprised the thieves with a blitz attack, emptying the magazine in her semiautomatic handgun. The video shows each robber fleeing in different directions. 

Investigators released the video in order to identify the two surviving invaders. 

Why Little was walking the streets is another back story. Born in 1982, he committed a series of violent crimes in 1997 when he was just 15 years old. The courts convicted Little of the following: kidnapping, hijacking a motor vehicle, rape, aggravated sodomy, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime. He received sentences for each conviction, totaling 136 years. It’s probable he was released because of his age when he committed the crimes. The question remains: should anyone, even a teenager, be released early after committing all these violent crimes?

He had been on the streets for only six months before encountering Chen.

Little was convicted of the following offenses against Chen: burglary, aggravated assault, home invasion 1^st degree, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, armed robbery, and murder. He is currently serving out his sentence. According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Little's "maximum release date is March 28, 2043."

Does that mean he can be released earlier than 2043?   

The third intruder has never been caught. (See picture below.) If you recognize him, please call the Gwinnett County Police Department at 770-513-5000.

Robert A. Waters is the author of Guns and Self-Defense: 23 Inspirational True Crime Stories of Survival with Firearms, co-written with Sim Waters. For more than 30 years, Waters has researched defensive shootings in America. He has penned 4 books describing in detail many of those cases.

“Look at my Face”

Changes in Attitudes

By Robert A. Waters

  

On September 7, 2023, ABC channel KSTP-TV reported that Democratic Farmer Labour Party second vice chairwoman Shivanthi Sathanandan was “injured after being attacked by a group of armed men who carjacked her in the driveway of her Folwell neighborhood home…”

Shivanthi described the attack in brutal detail. I'm publishing this remarkable statement verbatim: “Yesterday my children and I were violently car jacked in the driveway of our home in Minneapolis. Four very young men, all carrying guns, beat me violently down to the ground in front of our kids. The young men held our neighbors up at gunpoint when they ran over and tried to help me. All in broad daylight.

“Look at my face in the picture. This is the face of a mother who just had the sh-t beaten out of her. A mother whose only thought was, ‘let me run far enough and fight hard enough so that my kids have a chance to get away.’ This is the face of a mother who just listened to her four year old daughter screaming non-stop, her 7 year old son wailing for someone to come help because bad guys are murdering his Mama in the back yard, her neighbors screaming in outrage…all while being beaten with guns and kicks and fists.

“I have a broken leg, deep lacerations on my head, bruising and cuts all over my body.

“And I have rage.

“These men knew what they were doing. I have NO DOUBT they have done this before. Yet they are still on OUR STREETS. Killing mothers. Giving babies psychological trauma that a lifetime of therapy cannot erase. With no hesitation and no remorse.

“I’m now part of the statistics. I wasn’t silent when I fought these men to save my life and my babies, and I won’t be silent now. We need to get illegal guns off our streets, catch these young people who are running wild creating chaos across our city and HOLD THEM IN CUSTODY AND PROSECUTE THEM.

“PERIOD.

“Look at my face. REMEMBER ME when you are thinking of letting juveniles and young people out of custody to roam our streets instead of HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

“You could have been reading the obituary for me and my children today. But instead I’m here. To write this.

“Look at my face. These criminals will not win. We need to take back our city. And this will not be the last you hear from me about this.

“Thank you to the incredible Minneapolis 4^th Precinct Officers, Mayor Frey, Chief O’Hara, Paramedics, neighbors, friends and DFL family, who all came to our aide during this terrifying experience. I’m so grateful for this community that wraps us in love.”

This response is a far cry from a Facebook post Shivanthi made on June 5, 2020, after George Floyd ‘s death.

“We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Say it with me.

“DISMANTLE…The…Minneapolis…Police…Department.

“As allies, what can we do right now. LISTEN and LEARN from our Black siblings. And then AMPLIFY this message right now, in this moment. MPD has systematically failed the Black Community, they have failed ALL OF US. Its time to build a new infrastructure that works for ALL communities. If you are still disagreeing with that BASIC FACT, I don’t know what to say to you.”

On November 2, 2021, USA Today reported “Minneapolis residents voted not to replace the city’s police department.”

Two days after the carjacking, Minneapolis police located Shivanthi’s abandoned car. It's not known if police have identified or arrested the carjackers.

Unlike many who have called out Shivanthi’s “hypocrisy,” I’m saddened by the attack on her and her family. For a mother to have been beaten by four thugs in front of her young children is horrendous. She’s right, those kids will likely suffer trauma for a lifetime. She's also right that her attackers are likely hardened criminals who have violently assaulted others. And she's right in calling for these attackers to be severely punished. There’s no excuse for such violence.

Here’s hoping those who committed this act will be found quickly. And I hope Shivanthi and her children make a full recovery.

Robert A. Waters is the author of Guns and Self-Defense, written with co-author Sim Waters. For more than 30 years, Waters has researched “righteous” defensive shootings. He has penned four books describing in detail many of those cases. If this story intrigued you, check out our book. Chapter 4 recounts the true story of a black female Milwaukee nurse who used her concealed carry pistol to single-handedly stop a violent carjacking ring. The night before, the carjackers had shot an innocent man, shattering his jaw in an attempt steal his vehicle. In addition to this exciting case, our book describes two dozen more inspiring stories of ordinary citizens who used guns to save their own lives or the lives of others.

Kystie's Law

 

Woman Sued After Using Firearm to Save Cop

By Robert A. Waters

Aurora Police Sgt. Bill Halbig wrote the following synopsis about the circumstances that led to a lawsuit against Kystie Jaehnen: "On January 20, 2017, a suspicious person prompted a call to 9-1-1 in Ohio County, Indiana. The suspicious person was parked in an elderly person’s yard for an extended period of time, blocking her driveway and creating a road hazard.

"Shortly after, a police officer (Michael Powell) arrived in response to the call. The man began resisting and both the officer and the man went to the ground. A young woman (Kystie) standing nearby on her property ran to help the officer. Kystie could see the officer was losing the fight as this man reached for the officer’s gun. Fortunately for the officer, Kystie was armed and shot the man one time which ended the fight."

The assailant, Justin Holland, 25, received immediate on-scene medical attention but died from his wound. Some newspapers reported he was shot once in the shoulder, others that he was shot in the abdomen. An autopsy determined Holland had the following drugs in his system: methadone, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, marijuana, and dextromethorphan.

The Dearborn County Register reported Holland (pictured above) "was facing charges of fraud of a financial institution, theft and forgery at the time of the incident and had previously been arrested for one count of battery resulting in bodily injury."

Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said that "it was obvious the officer was not winning the confrontation." Because of this, the Dearborn/Ohio County prosecutor refused to charge Kystie. In fact, he praised her actions.

Then the family of Holland sued Kystie Jaehnen.

Eagle Country Online reported "an Ohio County woman facing a wrongful death lawsuit for fatally shooting a drugged-up man as he attacked a police officer is asking Indiana lawmakers to enact new legal protections for people in her situation." Kystie told prosecutors when she went to Powell’s defense, she felt she was protected under Indiana’s self-defense law.

That was not the case.

The complaint alleges that "Kystie L. Jaehnen used excessive and unjustified deadly force in shooting and killing Plaintiff’s decedent, Justin Holland. [She] acted willfully, wantonly and with reckless disregard for the welfare of [Holland]." Eagle Country Online reported that "the Hollands are seeking unspecified damages, relief, and legal fees from Jaehnen, Powell and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. They demand a jury trial."

Officer Powell's legal defense is covered by his department and the Fraternal Order of Police Legal Defense Fund. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is also covered.

Halbig wrote: "It is tragic how one person's irrational and unlawful actions can destroy the peaceful lives of others. This case is about more than the right or wrong of one party suing another. Imagine not being able to come to the aid of another person for fear of being sued, possibly to the point of bankruptcy. This case is about a person having the basic God-given right and the 2nd Amendment right to defend both yourself and others without the fear of civil retribution."

Halbig started a GoFundMe page that raised nearly $100,000 to cover Kystie's legal expenses.

After Kystie (now married and called Kystie Phillips), testified, the state of Indiana passed Act 1284, also referred to as Kystie's  Law. According to WKRC television, "the new law gives those cleared of wrongdoing immunity from civil lawsuits. The change is being praised by police groups, but the group Moms Demand Action says it encourages armed vigilantism."

In 2019, the Holland family dropped its lawsuit. No reason was given.

NOTE: Michael Powell is a "conservation officer" for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Can You Help Solve This Mystery?

Do you remember seeing any of these items years ago?

Ten-year-old Amy Renee Mihaljevic went missing 34 years ago, on October 27, 1989, in Bay Village, Ohio. Her body was discovered on February 8, 1990, in Ruggles Township, Ashland County, Ohio. She had been stabbed to death and likely raped.

Amy's abductor, a stranger, called and arranged for her to meet him so they could buy a present for her mother. The man seemed familiar with Amy and her family, stating that Amy's mother was getting a promotion at work. The child fell for the ruse and was abducted from a nearby shopping plaza when she went to meet the man. 

Several items she had taken with her were missing when she was discovered. I am posting these pictures from the FBI website. If you have seen shoes similar to those pictured above, or earrings that look like the one pictured, please contact the FBI.

A few hundred yards from her body, investigators found a blanket that had been fashioned into a curtain. Amy's hair and her dog's hairs were found embedded in the blanket. It is believed the killer rolled her body into the blanket to transport her to the place where she was found. The blanket is distinctive. If you remember going to a house and seeing a blanket like this being used as a curtain, please call the FBI.

Someone has gotten away with murder for more than three decades. If any of these items bring back a memory, please call the FBI at 202-324-3000. 

Please check out the following FBI video for more information about the case:

(22) Seeking Information in Amy Mihaljevic Murder - YouTube